Research by analyst house NPD has shown that, on average, Apple users pay twice as much in the shops as PC users. Retail data showed that in June the average cost of a Windows laptop was $700, compared to $1,515 for an Apple machine. The difference was even more stark with desktop models, with the average Windows machine going for $550, compared to $1,543 for an Apple.
"There are plenty of Windows PCs you can buy at high prices," Stephen Baker, NPD’s vice president of industry analysis told vnunet.com. "But if you want to buy an Apple you don’t have any choice, you’ll have to pay more." He said that in his opinion it was just a choice Apple had made and the company could argue that the value of the software and brand made up for the price differential.
