Jesus, you got downvoted hard. Damn shame. Guys, it's really, really not that difficult. Apple offers you a combination hardware/software package. They design

Jesus, you got downvoted hard. Damn shame. Guys, it's really, really not that difficult. Apple offers you a combination hardware/software package. They design the software to work brilliantly with the hardware they design, and they work very hard to make sure your experience is the best imaginable. That's why they pair the two together. And Apple doesn't want you using their software on hardware it wasn't designed for, because they want to make sure you get their full experience. They're designers. They win international awards for their computers. They want you to get their product, not a hybrid of half of their idea with half of somebody else's cheap refuse. If you don't use OS X, you don't miss out on that much. It's not like you need OS X to live, and Apple's depriving you of something by asking you use their computer. If you don't want a Mac, then use Linux or Windows. If you want Apple's product, buy Apple's product, not a cheap third-rate knockoff. In return, when you buy a high-end Mac, you get a superb, pleasurable experience. For as low as, what, six hundred dollars now?, you get a beautiful piece of hardware that does what you want it to splendidly, has the best third-party ecosystem I've ever come across, and doesn't lose you cred among any fashionistas you might know, plus it runs on Unix so you can tinker away with it however you see it. It's a very nice machine and millions of man-hours were spent making it, so perhaps it's worth your saving up a little money to purchase the full package. I and many other Mac owners can testify that we are very happy with our buy and may buy another one in the distant future. I know the line of thought is that computers are just tools to get a job done, but that's like saying all a chair has to be is a plank of wood to get your ass on. There are planks of wood, and then there are chairs that lots of thought has gone into to make you as happy as you can be. We pay more for those chairs because while we don't need it to live, it makes our lives a little better. That's how Mac OS X's been made, and I don't think it's ridiculous to ask that we honor its maker's wishes, or at the very least, not bitch when the maker puts a little effort into ensuring you do it their way.