Sorry, I said "PowerBook, then". And in 4 years from now it may hold some other moniker.

My basic point was that if technology continues to change, the best bang for your buck is rarely the higher end. Only buy the high end if you need it and you're milking it for all it's worth.

If you're optimizing for the best bang-for-your-buck, then I agree. But if you spend all day working on a computer or depend on using a computer to make your living, I think it is very easy to justify buying highend equipment. $2.5k vs. $1.5k is not a very significant difference if it is amortized over 8 hours per day * 300 days per year.

Well, it's certainly justified, but if you have $1.5k to spare and not $2.5k, then that doesn't matter.

you only use a computer 300 days a year? and only 8 hours a day?

Well, those were just madeup numbers. If you use a computer more often, the case for getting good equipment is more compelling, of course.