Quite frankly, I need a new computer, what with everything that this little baby's been through, but the price structure of Apple's laptops is completely off-putting. To get the sort of system I would like to own to take me through the next five years, I'd been looking at close to $3000, if not $3500. For a personal computer (with some intensive work every now and then, but mostly photo and photoshopping) that is a stack of money, especially for someone who's currently unemployed (working hard at making this not the case) but even on my old salary. It's a chunk of money! I'm really looking for some extra things from Apple to fork out what they're wanting these days. And if I take away the intensive photo requirements, the new ASUS S101 for $999 is bloody attractive. Especially since I use my computer mostly as a netbook.

Also, not getting under the wire with Applecare is frustrating. I managed it, whilst I was actually LIVING overseas (having had the computer for under a year, and no overseas warrant up to that point, but not for intensive backpacking over 10 weeks), and have been very glad to have it.