Comment Re:Why is this a surprise? (Score 1) 804
The Mac tax has always been about the actual parts they use and that there are cheaper alternatives. For this comparison, they try to match the parts exactly. That of course is going to cost more because you are paying 3rd party markup prices while Apple is being direct from the manufacturer. The article even admits that you can buy things like a different video card that is equivalent for half the price. The question isn't if you can make the exact same system (or as close as possible) for cheaper but whether you can make an equivalent system for cheaper, and the answer to that is almost always yes.
So, you could build a battle tank or an F1 car with cheaper alternative parts, like.. the engine and wheels off my old Mustang. No matter how much hand waving you do, the scrap metal I bolt on the side is not the same as reactive armor.
If you need the uptime assurance that Xeon, ECC, FireGL whatever provide, then using desktop grade components is not the same thing, and you aren't fooling anybody actually in the market for those things.