To each his own I guess. After being a "PC" for 25 years, going through almost every step of CPU family (starting with 8088xt) and building most of my own from scratch, I made the switch to Apple four years ago and couldn't be happier. Yes, they do cost more initially, but that is about the only con on my list.
What I found that moved me to switch:
-On equal hardware, better performance. Windows even ran better on Mac hardware under Bootcamp than it did on a PC of equal CPU, memory, graphics.
-The "controlled" OS meant far less conflicts, reinstallation of drivers, troubleshooting "lost" peripherals, restarts to resolve issues and such. No more having to regularly resolve problems, it just works. It also means that performance stays constant. No more gradually slowing down as you install more programs, files, etc. until you have to refresh the system by reformatting your HD and reinstalling everything.
-For me, LESS money in the long run. With PCs I upgraded to a new computer every 18-24 months as well as the new OS versions. With PCs, regardless of brand they have a 4-6 month product cycle (time between release and discontinue for newer model) Macs go on average 12-14 months before a model is discontinued, and with a higher build quality they retain a lot more in resale value. Figuring in what I've been able to sell my used Macs for (65% or more of what I paid) compared to a used PC (25-35% of purchase if lucky) usually more than makes up the initial higher cost.
-Ease of upgrade, never had as simple and smooth of a process in moving to a new computer than since I went Mac. No need to reinstall anything, simple restore from Time Capsule and re-enter installation keys for some software.
-Another thing that helps with the cost issue is OS upgrades. Major version changes in Windows runs $99 to $200 dollars EACH computer depending on what version you get (Home, Premium, Business, etc.). The Mac has a single version with all features, I paid just $29 when I upgraded from Snow Leopard to Lion and that $29 let me install on up to 5 computers. Between me, the wife, and my remaining child at home, we have 4 computers. $129 x 4 = $516 vs. $29 to have the current OS on all computers.
-Speaking of multiple computers, home network and sharing is far easier to set up and manage in the Mac environment.
To be fair, your list of "cons" has a couple of erroneous claims...
My experience is that Mac hardware performance far exceeds PC level, unless you go very high end PC components and then the cost difference shrinks considerably. My first Mac, a used Mac Mini had the same CPU and GPU as my then 1 year old Gateway PC and when I did head to head benchmarks, the Mac beat the PC across the board. The Mac even reported a high "Windows Experience" score in windows. Admittedly it wasn't a huge difference, in most things it was in the 5-7% range better, but it was better across the board none the less.
As to cost these were almost equal in performance and specs so are a good comparison. The used Mac Mini (Apple's basic, low end model), 9 months into the product cycle cost me $400 (66% of new price of $600). That was $300 less than what I paid for the Gateway new ($700), which at the time was one of the higher end models. When I sold the Gateway a few weeks later, the best I could get for it with a clean software reinstall and in out of the box condition was $250 (36% of purchase price) for a computer that was 13 months old. I kept the Mini for six months and sold it for $300, or 50% of the new price for a computer almost 18 months old.
Every current Mac is capable of getting RAM upgraded and can be done by anyone who knows how to use a screwdriver. I upgraded the RAM in my old iMac, my old MacBook Pro, my current MacBook Pro, my current MacBook Air, and current Mac Mini. The only thing that you cant upgrade RAM on is the iPad.
With the speed that tech evolves, I don't see the inability to upgrade CPU/GPU as an issue. Why put better faster CPU/GPU in a machine that doesn't have the faster bus, chipsets, IO standards, etc to benefit from the new power? Makes as much sense as driving a Ferrari on the freeway in rush hour, sure you have great performance on paper, but real word it is no better than a Yugo.
You certainly can buy software, music, etc. from other sources. Most of my music is purchased from Amazon and I have had no issues. I have Adobe software, MS Office, and $5 "Popcap" arcade game software. I also have freeware software that far exceeds any freeware programs I ever saw for Windows OS.
Not sure what is so different in the EULA between Apple and MS, as I can't really say I have completely read either. I imagine they are all about the same legal gobbely gook just authored by different lawyers. Unlike the South Park episode, no Apple representative has showed up on my doorstep demanding I comply with strange EULA clauses.
As to patent enforcement, I got no problem with people aggressively defending what is theirs, even when it is intellectual material. At the end of the day a judge decides so complain if you think the judge is wrong. Contrary to popular belief, just cause it is on the internet it isn't free.
The graphic certainly is still there, but only because the high end production software that has become industry standard stuff is Mac centric. Not to say it couldn't be done on PC, but they don't have PC version of what has become a software standard. From a home user standpoint, either platform will do what folks need for pictures and home video.
Bottom line, it comes down to individual users and what they are looking for and what they do. For some Mac is the better way to go, others will do fine with a PC. Having experience on both sides I don't understand the mentality of one needs to be declared superior to the other. If you an only afford a PC it is obviously the better choice over not having a computer. If you can afford a Mac but are only going to surf the Internet, you might put the money to better use.
Regardless of all that, I just hate to see folks toss out misconceptions and falsehoods to support one side or the other or even outright lie or misrepresent facts to others.
