When Microsoft launched Windows 95 18 years ago, it was $210. Apple’s Mac OS X operating system for Mac computers went for $129 when it launched in 2001. That means in order to keep your ~$1,000 machine up to date with the latest and greatest software, you had to shell out a few extra hundred bucks.
via Pocket http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-mavericks-is-free-2013-10