Reality doesn’t support the ‘Apple tax’ myth

I hear frequently about how Apple products are allegedly overpriced–the dreaded “Apple tax”. I used to support and defend that theory–ardently–until I started buying and using Apple products. Now, when I look at the options available I find that the Apple devices are no more or less expensive than comparable rival products.

I wrote a blog post about the supposed “Apple tax”:

With the recent launch of the iPhone 6 line, and the expected unveiling of a new line of iPads and possibly MacBooks on October 16, Apple has been getting a lot of attention lately. One theme that seems consistent in almost any discussion of Apple is the idea that Apple products are overpriced—that there is some sort of “Apple tax” customers are willing to pay for the prestige and elitism of having the Apple logo on their smartphone or tablet. That perception isn’t really true, though—at least not universally.

I spent a couple decades under that same presumption—that Apple is just more expensive. I was in the market for my first post-Commodore 64 computer in 1984, and I wanted the Macintosh. My friend’s mother worked for Apple, so I had the privilege of hands-on experience with the “magical” new PC. My mother swayed me to take a more pragmatic path based on the fact that an IBM-compatible PC was cheaper, and that most of the people we knew owned or worked with IBM-compatible PCs so it would be much easier to find software and get help when I needed it.

Fair enough. I still wanted the Macintosh, though.

Regardless of my innate desire for a Macintosh, the pragmatic lesson stuck with me. I became an ardent and loyal supporter of Windows and Windows-based PCs, and I maintained that Apple computers and devices simply cost too much…until I started buying them.

Read the full story at Forbes: Debunking The ‘Apple Tax’ Myth.