Ravi & Michael,
I m not trying to defend Windows vs. Mac, I said that Mac is a superior machine (based on opinions of others, as I have no technical knowledge to ascertain that myself.) My main argument was that superior quality does not mater that much, because of the short life span of the product, but price does. And you have to admit that PC are much more competitively priced than Macs. The reason for that is Windows is less of a monopolist than Mac (although both of them are.)
While we are at that, monopoly is not necessarily bad if it reduces transaction cost and produces public goods (e.g. standardization.) But software monopolies produce neither - they use their monopoly position to introduce planned obsolescence (Windows) or to extract high rent on their products (Mac) and by so doing they produce public disutility. That is why I am all for open source software, even though I am yet to see an open source product that matches the functionality of proprietary software.
As to commodity fetishism - I agree, whoever is without sin .....
With that, let's put that subject to rest.
On another subject = HAPPY MAY DAY, EVERYONE.
Wojtek