Apple has been picking up lots of new users ever since they released the iPod and 2007 saw a huge spike in Apple sales with 30% growth over last year and now holding 5.8% market share. Before all of this boom, Apple users were basically zealots who didn’t want to give up on their beloved Mac and didn’t care what price they had to pay to keep the company going strong.

I think things are changing though. As more newcomers to the Apple world (myself included) we are finding out the true cost of ownership. Finding really good free software for the Mac isn’t as easy as it is for Windows or Linux.

I’ve bought more software in the one year of Mac ownership than in all the years of Windows and Linux usage. Actually I don’t think I’ve ever paid for a program before moving to the Mac. I was always able to find a good free alternative or I elected to pirate it.

Stories of Apple charging $20 for an iPod Touch update[Digg], $2 for wireless update[Gizmodo], and $30 for Boot Camp [Gizmodo] are becoming common.

Someone looking to purchase a Mac should take into account all the software they may need to purchase shortly thereafter because most of the shit they include is just that, shit.