So as I get into Panther (OS X 10.3) I'm increasingly annoyed at the $129 upgrade price. Not that Panther isn't a good upgrade but Apple has pretty much made it clear that it is a specialty shop. You're not just buying a computer, you are buying membership into an elite club.

But for most people, cost matters. As a Mac and Windows user, my view is that while the Mac has some nice features, it s not nearly worth the cost involved.

I mean come on, $129 for 10.3 from 10.2? That's ridiculous. 10.3 is a service pack + some nice enhancements but it's pretty hard to justify $129 for it.

To trot out the often used car analogy, MacOS is like a high end BMW convertible. It definitely has some nice perks but it's not terribly compelling for most people over say a $35,000 Lincoln or Pontiac Bonneville or SUV. Especially since it may be impractical for some day to day stuff.