Apple devices come with free software that is worth the money. Windows and Microsoft Office Suite cost money. Applications needed to complete tasks are mostly free. macOS comes with a full-featured productivity package that includes GarageBand and iMovie, which are better than many people need for video editing. Microsoft 365 Individual subscription costs $69.99 per year but can be reduced to $9.99 if iCloud Storage's 2TB is included. This reduces the effective cost to $60. Apple does not need to benefit from this license, but it benefits from all notebook computers. When purchasing a MacBook, you are paying for both hardware and significant software. However, there are update price issues with Apple devices. Upgrades for MacBook (or other Mac) can be expensive. Windows notebooks usually allow for RAM and storage upgrades later on, while modern Apple Silicon MacBook's specifications are final at the time of purchase. Upgrades cannot be made! Additional 8GB of RAM costs $200, and additional 512GB of storage costs $200. It is easy to upgrade a basic MacBook to a high-priced old car for the same price. You can even get a new car if you really want one. The interest rate on these upgrades is likely astonishing. This is why it is usually better to find a basic model MacBook with the necessary features rather than purchasing a lower model and selecting additional options. Good news is that Apple generally provides sufficient basic model specifications, and the 8GB of RAM that was once a concern has ended in new models. Therefore, this issue rarely arises, but it is fully justified criticism for the company to deprive specific customers of more money. In reality, like Windows notebooks, MacBook can be valuable or not. However, what you pay when purchasing a MacBook is often clear. But if the definition of value is very narrow (starting and ending with the specification sheet), it cannot be said that this is all value.
