Still want a Mac? Apple doesn't.

If you can't say anything else about Mac users, it is that they are a fanatical crowd when it comes to their computers. Listening to them makes you think they never crash, they never get infections, the operating system is bullet-proof, God Himself uses one, and . . . well, you get the idea.

Before you buy that Intel-based Mac machine that is identical hardware-wise to a CyberSmart Computer, you might want to know about this, from ZD Net:

"In hindsight, Apple’s announcement yesterday that it was pulling out of the Macworld Expo should have come as no surprise. Ever since the 2007 Macworld where Jobs announced the iPhone, Apple’s emphasis has clearly been shifting towards consumer electronics and away from personal computers. To get the iPhone out the door, they took developers away from the OS X team & delayed Leopard 6 months. They even took the word “Computer” out of their company’s name. At WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) this year the process accelerated - it was all iPhone all the time. And now, after 2009 Apple won’t even bother showing up at the Macworld conference. What does this mean to Mac developers?"

Actually, what does it mean to Mac owners?

The article's author answers that, "So what happens to the Mac itself as a platform? Let’s face it - personal computers are a commodity, and increasingly, an anachronism. Apple may continue making Mac hardware for years, as long as enough of the faithful will pony up the money to keep it profitable. If making Mac boxes becomes unprofitable, then Apple will stop."

Mac survives on "cool" factor and their fanatical supporters. But regardless of how fanatical you are about a product, when you are down to 3% of the market, and Windows is traveling with more than 90%, it isn't tough to figure out which operating system and technological innovations will get investment dollars for Research & Development.

Think about it - even Apple is done paying attention to Macs. The next time you see one of those "Mac-PC" commercials, just remember that the PC nerd won. Mac "cool" never translated into cold, hard cash that comes from market dominance.

Even Adobe, one of the first and the largest software publishing firm that got Mac its reputation in the creative community, tossed Mac into the trash can a couple of years ago because its market share was too small to justify writing code. Besides, there is nothing you can do on a Mac that you can't do on a PC - except spend three times as much money to get one.

What that means to you is that if you own a PC, you will continue to see exciting innovations.

But if you own a Mac, it means that you're stuck with a dead-end product that even Apple itself is abandoning - unless it can continue to extract lunatic prices from fanatic supporters.

But given the way Apple has treated its customers - dead batteries in the iPod forcing you to buy another or send it back to Apple for a replacement that is so expensive you might as well buy a new one, an iPhone that lost 50% of its value within 90 days of its release - about $300, and an AirBook laptop with nothing upgradeable priced over $3,500 - twice the cost of an upgradeable Windows laptop with a bigger screen, and far better connectivity - you have to wonder if the Mac crowd is fanatic, or masochistic.

We report - you decide.
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