It's good Gamespot is covering Vista. It doesn't mean they sold out to Microsoft. Gamespot is a gaming site. Windows Vista (and PC's) are a major gaming market. Mac users shouldn't cry cuz Gamespot is covering Vista and not your beloved OS X. You know why? It sucks for gaming (and pretty much everything else if you're a PC power user.) If you don't game, or only use consoles, then a Mac is fine for you. If you want to do graphic design, or video editing, and you know what you're doing, then you'll have a PC. That's right, a PC, only if you know what you're doing. Not for Windows, but simply for cheaper, and at the same time, higher quality components. Macs are built nowadays using the same stuff good PC's are. Someone challenged me to make a PC as good as a 20" iMac for the same price or less. He said it couldn't be done. Go look at the specs of a 20" iMac. I built a PC which had literally doubled the hard drive space, literally doubled the ram (used OCZ ram, not generic crap like Macs), a FAR better video card, and a better Core 2 Duo. FOR LESS. It's the same way with ANY Mac. You don't want to blow 5000 dollars on a Mac. Why? You could get BETTER components, MORE space, etc, for LESS with a PC. It's a -FACT-, so do your research before you beg to differ. And quit whining about how Microsoft ripped off the looks of OSX. No-one cares. Windows is for gamers. They're not going to stop using it and lose the ability to play all the sweet PC games JUST because they're mad that Vista 'looks' like OSX. Don't buy VIsta just yet. It's probably very buggy still and vulnerable. Wait a while. The price may go down too.

My point is, dummies buy prebuilt 'computers' whether it be Dell, Gateway or Macintosh. I won't call Mac's 'bad' computers. They do many things I need them to do. I will say this though. Price and Quality are what make a good product. Smart people know that, and would research how to get a custom PC. Dummies get Macs.. and just so I don't sound biased, also get Dells and Gateways. All 3 use crap for hardware. I've worked on all 3. The hardware they put in is crap. Yes, even the Macs. I personally run a Windows XP machine and a Linux machine. THAT'S computing zen. Especially since Linux has more game support than OS X, is more stable, and viruses and spyware are nowhere to be found.

12 Grand. I could EASILY build a PC with hardware equivalent or greater to that mac for that price. VERY easily. It's obviously geared towards video editors... animators... audio engineers... things of that nature. I used to take all of the afformentioned courses in college, and we used very very beefy Macs. The fact is, that 12g machine you listed is very powerful. However, if I was going to spend 12g on a machine, I would do my research first and realize I could easily build a better PC (hardware wise) for less money. Then, if you hate Windows.. throw a Mac OS on there and BAM! You have a better machine than if you bought directly from Apple, and it's running your beloved Mac OS. One thing I have honestly noticed in my years in the IT industry is that people are lazy. Most people do decide to just go out and buy a prebuilt computer.. either from Macintosh or a PC from Dell or Gateway. The fact is, Dells, Gateways and Macs all have something in common. All overpriced. I say people are lazy because many don't realize they can have one custom built for much less because they don't care enough to put forth effort to learn about it. One thing I know about people is that they like to save money, they're just too lazy to find out how sometimes.

To comment on l33tpocky's remark about affordability. I was challenged by the biggest Mac Fanboy ever not long ago to build a better laptop PC than a new Mac laptop. The same challenge was offered to me with a PC vs a Mac desktop. In both cases, the PC I built had literally doubled the hard drive space, a better Core 2 Duo, more ram (high quality ram, mind you), a FAR better video card (only on the Desktop tho... Laps are limited to.. well... crap, until Asus releases their external vc) and still had the cameras. The price was less than the Mac as well. He conceded to me, and it was quite obvious why. Even with the top of the line Macs for Pro's. I could build a better PC for far less money and quite probably have MORE of everything. PC's -really- are a better deal $$$ wise. Regardless, Vista sucks in my opinion right now. Perhaps down the road it will be better.

Oh.. To quickly answer your question, n8berman. They're here, despite not caring about whether Vista is good or bad, to heckle people who are sincerely interested in learning if Vista is a good option for them. The 'Mac Fanboy Heckling' is usually a result of anger due to spending FAR too much money on computer hardware.

Lol. Mac Fanboys jump out of their nooks and crannies for every Microsoft release, it seems. One thing that would benefit everyone would be for mac fanboys to STOW IT. No-body cares about your biased 'input', if you could even call "LOL! I SWITCHED TO MAC AND I NEVER GOT A VIRUS OR SPYWARE!" an actual piece of 'input', as that statement is easily owned. I don't care if it looks like Mac OSX. Really could not care less than I already do. We all know Microsoft has it's fair share of crappy software and your moronic statements don't help. If you want to debate Macs vs PCs or some crap, then message me. I'de be happy to own you. Bottom line about Vista right now is that its not great. Gaming takes a performance hit from what i've seen, and it's too new and thusly, too vulnerable. I'll stick with my Windows XP (which I have never had a virus on, OR a single piece of spyware. Wierd, considering i'm not using a Mac.... Oh wait.. I just know how to not be a noob.)