Apple

It is hilarious to read how Apple failed to sell me

1. in 2007
2. in 2008
3. and in 2009

I do love the company, I just find the premium too high for me personally but worth every penny for most. It would be fun to list what Apple did manage to sell me...

1. B&W iPods from around 2005 that I still use today. Well, one died around 2010 (battery did, hdd got replaced with CF a lot earlier), but the one I bought for Lili is still going despite hdd getting damaged by Katherine in 2010. Ebayed in 05-07 at $80 vs. $200 MSRP.
2. 2008. iPhone - the original, aka 2G. Bought in May 2008 for $250 from AT&T refurbished (2 weeks old upon arrival) and without contract (Thanks, but no $400 iPhones on 2 year ATT in 2007 and no iPhones or any other phones with contract for me since 2004). Was bought for iOS development. Still used today mostly as an MP3 player and for development too. Still last a week on a charge or 4 hours as a bluetooth MP3 player.
3. 2010. iPad, bought in May 2010 at MSRP (after a week waiting list) to give out to my sister. If it was not for the occasion would I buy it? Probably YES, even though I am happy that I did get a chance to buy iPad2 instead. However I would probably end up buying Nook Color for $200 instead of $500 for iPad2 that is worth every penny.
4. 2010. 3!!! iPhones 3G - all as gifts to family in Russia, ebayed between $160 and $200. Enough said.
5. 2010. ATV2 - bought the next day it become available, returned after a week since Boris chewed remote and replaced a week later with another one. At $99 it is the best Apple product yet once the community ported XBMC onto it and no longer do I have to have a Mac running to watch TV.

I am also ready to buy IPT4, but Katherine is dragging... So overall it looks like Apple is doing a lot better now (should I say Apple did great in 2010?) and I am buying their products once every couple years and keep on using them for 4+ years which is a good track record lately, but would hardly match a Dell that I used 1999-2009 or a Ford that I bought in 2000 and still use, or 1997 BMW that I bought in 2005 and continue using...

P.S. I did use non-unibody MBP (2007-2009) that I liked and 2010 aluminum i5 based MBP that I liked less at work, if that matters or counts...