The thing is, Apple aren't transparent with their cost distribution. They are very good at showing you cheap OSX updates, but only on Apple approved hardware, as previously mentioned to death.
The reasons are pretty much two-fold:
1) The hardware costs subsidise the software R&D costs
2) Locked down or specific hardware enables them to deliver a stable solution.
This is exactly what it is though - a solution. It's neither hardware or software sold separately. Whether this is morally right, legal or whatever, it's fact.
The arguments "for" it are pretty weak. Buying your own hardware and buying an OSX disc are not reflecting their true worth. For Apple, the hardware and distribution costs will be minimal - just look at Dell for an example.
It's a bit like robbing Peter to pay Paul, but they're not going to change the business model because non Mac hardware users don't like it. The only thing they could do is to fairly attribute the costs for the OS, y'know, like MS do (to big complaints around the cost of Vista Ultimate for example... I'm sure if MS sold over-expensive hardware they could reduce the OS costs)
Register
Subsidising cost
The thing is, Apple aren't transparent with their cost distribution. They are very good at showing you cheap OSX updates, but only on Apple approved hardware, as previously mentioned to death.
The reasons are pretty much two-fold:
1) The hardware costs subsidise the software R&D costs
2) Locked down or specific hardware enables them to deliver a stable solution.
This is exactly what it is though - a solution. It's neither hardware or software sold separately. Whether this is morally right, legal or whatever, it's fact.
The arguments "for" it are pretty weak. Buying your own hardware and buying an OSX disc are not reflecting their true worth. For Apple, the hardware and distribution costs will be minimal - just look at Dell for an example.
It's a bit like robbing Peter to pay Paul, but they're not going to change the business model because non Mac hardware users don't like it. The only thing they could do is to fairly attribute the costs for the OS, y'know, like MS do (to big complaints around the cost of Vista Ultimate for example... I'm sure if MS sold over-expensive hardware they could reduce the OS costs)