Mac vs PC Costs while Considering Cloud Computing

Response to a comment posted on a Tomshardware.com article:
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Comment:
"Leopard OSX runs way lighter then vista and even XP, what he meant was that a MAC only needs 2gb, where a windows PC would need 3-4gb of ram to pull off the same user experience. It's be shown time and time again that OSX is a much more efficient operating system, just look at the new new macbook pro's as soon as you install windows on them and try to live in microsoft's world the battery life drops for the exact same benchmark!"

Response:
But to use leopard osx will it cost $700 or less for the computer? The trend is moving toward computing on the cloud. 90% of people will rather spend $500 per year to get a new laptop every year (and use each year's updated hardware) then to try to justify getting locked into a $2000 system for 4 years... and have that system fall further behind in technology for each year I hold onto it. we are getting too intimate with our computers people - a computer is just a tool. It is not our identity. Differences in operating system efficiency and "user experience" may seem important now, but these arguments will pass. As long as the system is "good enough" to run a basic internet browser and do music and photos, then all other functions are secondary. Soon computers will be $100 each... then follow the pattern: disposable camera, disposable printer, disposable computer. 90% of people will not pay $1000 for a computer just to run a browser... even if "user experience" and "os efficiency" on the $1000 computer is better. To justify a $1000 computer purchase over the $100 one, it should be 10x better in "user experience" and "os efficiency". But in today's costs, is the $2100 mac really 3 times betters than the $700 hp? there will always be enthusiasts and exceptions out there - those who need lots of power for gaming or audio or graphics publishing - but for the remaining 90% of people, they just need a cheap toaster that toasts bread. If it breaks in 1 year, they can buy another one. Likewise most people just need a computer to do basics (web, photos, music, etc.). If a $700 hp laptop from bestbuy breaks in one year, they can buy another one... and then a 3rd one... and still be in the same cost of one $2100 mac laptop.

In the future, will macs still maintain the $2000+ pricepoint while $700 laptops go down to $100? Only Steve Jobs can answer that. By that time the brand, model, os effieciency, or user experience of a $100 computer may not be as important - for the majority of people - as we compute on the cloud via the latest reincarnations of netbooks and iphones. Debating so passionately on brand, model and user experience over a $20 toaster can seem non-productive. When computers turn into disposable appliances, these debates may also become non-productive.