To buy or not to buy: the Apple Macbook

I recently bought a Dell Inspiron 1420 after my Acer Aspire 5100 finally coughed and started BSODing on my every few minutes.  For $780 including tax, I thought I got a great deal on my Dell.  Here’s a run down of the specs:

• Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 2.0 GHz 667MHz FSB 2MB L2 Cache
• 3 GB 667MHz RAM
• 120 GB 5400 RPM HD
• 14.1″ 1440×900 WXGA+ TruLife display
• 2.0 MP webcam
• Dual Layer DVD-RW
• Intel X3100 IGP
• Intel 4965N wireless
• Expresso Brown Lid color
• 4 USB ports
• 6 cell battery
• Dell Travel Remote Control
• 5.2 lbs
• Windows Vista Home Premium

The cheapest Apple Macbook, starting at $1099, has the following specs:

• White color
• Intel Core 2 Duo 2.1 GHz 800MHz FSB, 3MB L2 Cache
• 1 GB of 667 MHz memory
• 120 GB 5400 RPM HD
• Combo DVD/CD-RW drive (cannot burn DVDs)
• Intel X3100 IGP
• i-Sight camera
• 13.3″ WXGA 1280×800 resolution screen
• 2 USB ports
• Airport Extreme N wireless
• Mac OS X Leopard
• 5.0 lbs

Now, comparing these specs, I believe that my Dell is superior both in terms of price and specs to the Mac.  The only difference worth the price increase is OS X, but even then, it does NOT command a (including tax) $400 premium over my Dell.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Apple products and would love to work on Leopard, but since technology increases at such a fast rate, I don’t see the point of spending thousands on something I can get for a better price in 2-3 years.  Windows Vista works well enough for day to day tasks that I don’t need to pay extra for Leopard.