By Nick Farrell
Tuesday, 6 January 2009, 11:38

SOFTWARE giant Microsoft has been trying to get the US tech press to run a yarn about how expensive Apple kit is. Of course the chance of getting a negative story about Apple in the US tech press is about as likely as INQ reporters getting a pay rise. The US press quaffs regularly of Cupertino Kool Aid.

Nevertheless the logic is that people pay an 'Apple tax' when they opt for a Mac over a Windows PC. We have seen similar arguments against Linux during Vole's anti-Linux "Get the Facts" campaign. The numbers are interesting. Microsoft argues you can save $100, or 16 per cent, by going for a Dell Studio Hybrid or HP Pavilion Slimline over a low-end Mac Mini.

Microsoft argues that in the mid-range, a buyer can save 25 per cent by going for a Dell XPS One instead of a low-end Imac and that the Mac Pro is more than double the cost of a high-end HP desktop. The pro-Apple hacks on CNET say that if it is a tax then it is one that Apple users are prepared to pay, but Microsoft points out that, with the economy weakening, people will not be able to afford their Apple premium.

However, what CNET failed to work out was that they have fallen into Vole's cunning plan and admitting that their toys are more expensive than ordinary PCs. The "Get the Facts" campaign showed that Microsoft could be a little creative with figures and you should look at those before you start to complain too much. There is no doubt that Apple are a wee bit more expensive than PCs, but Apple fans argue they are paying more for design and style.