Now I've really lost you. You can buy an Intel box with no OS. Period. Fact, and I'm sure you know it. You can put Linux, Windows, or even Mac OS on it, albeit illegally. If you bought it blank, you can buy a NEW copy of Windows ($350 for XP Pro). If you bought it with Windows, you can buy an upgrade to another version. For example, $100 for XP Home to XP Pro.

If you buy a Mac, you are forced to buy Mac OS with it. If you want an upgrade to server or another version, you pay for the upgrade. You cannot buy a NEW copy of Mac OS, ever. Not yet anyway.

If you still don't get that, well, I give up, you'll never get it then.

Yes, the OS comes with the hardware on Macs and doesn't necessarily come with it on a PC. What you aren't getting is that it has nothing to do with it being an "upgrade" or not. According to the dictionary, both systems can be described as upgrades. Singling out the Mac OS as an "upgrade" is just a poor attempt to explain why the retail version of Windows costs so much more than the retail version of OS X. What ever happened to the much touted marketshare advantage reducing costs?

Sorry, I was trying to use logic and reasoning while you were using absolutes and "dictionary definitions." Never mind. This thread has far outlived its usefulness.

This thread has far outlived it's usefullness?? If you guys don't stop using your handbags to slap each other soon, it'll probably outlive me!

Give it a rest.

I was thinking about building a gaming rig, like mentioned in this thread. If gaming and multimedia are your primary goals with a PC you may just want to get the barebones version of vista. This way there are less things running and more resources free. Also, there is a plethora of third party applications that are free downloads to use as media players and other wise. VLC player comes to mind, Divx player comes to mind, winamp, etc.

That way you can save money on the software and spend more on higher end hardware. Maybe you should compile a list of exactly what you want to accomplish with your PC and then you can research it from there. Mind you that a lot of multimedia features can be met with third party apps and you don't have to run the ones built into the OS. Maybe, a barebones load of the OS is what you would want with a few third party apps to control the rest, and of course your video games.

just a thought.

That's excellent advice. Of course, by the time Vista ships, you may need a 5GHz CPU and 4GB of RAM, so planning ahead might be tough...