The tech world--especially the Mac world--is still aflame in some sort of weird controversy over Microsoft's latest "I'm a PC" ad, the one in which Lauren buys a $699 HP laptop. There's been all kinds of silliness about this ad. But there's also been some more reasoned commentary as well. My favorite might be Todd Bishop's.
I asked Microsoft for the precise PC shown in the ad, then compiled the chart below. This isn't an exhaustive list of specs, but here's how Lauren's prized HP Pavilion dv7-1245dx stacks up against Apple's 17-inch MacBook Pro.
Just so we're clear: For the price of a single 17-inch MacBook Pro laptop, Lauren could have bought FOUR HP laptops. LOL.
Yes, there's way more to this comparison than that. But the whole notion of the Apple Tax is so very true. And while it may not normally be a 300 percent markup, it's always there.