I'm sorry for coming off as an "XP fanboy"--I didn't mean to sound negative with anything I said. I fit into at least three of the groups I mentioned, currently am on my third iPod, and am thinking of getting the very Macbook Air I'm talking about. I love OS X, but that has nothing to do with my argument. I know full-well that I'm in the upper-middle class, and you probably are too--you've just chosen, like most enthusiasts, to spend your money on technology rather than fashion.

The fact that Apple has a successfully viral strategy in using their more inexpensive products (such as the Mac Mini) to guide people into buying complementary products (such as the Apple TV, Cinema displays, and Airport Express) and eventually fully integrate them into the "Mac lifestyle" is the mark of a smart company, and exactly what Microsoft wishes it had when it refers to a lacking "consumer experience." They probably never will as long as they don't control the hardware, though.

Of course, from the perspective of the consumer, Apple products are sometimes the "pragmatic decision." However, in all of this, I was referring to Apple's marketing department's intended market for their products and services, not necessarily the "long tail" of economic and word-of-mouth users.