Interesting that most of the reasons you're getting are emotional... it's cooler, it's the way design is done, etc. The color issue is a good one though. Here's a few more:
The GUI looks much better. This may not make much difference in terms of objectively quantifiable performance, but ask yourself if you would rather work in a filthy, ratty, poorly lit studio or a clean, bright, modern studio? Every edge, line, window, and character looks 50 times better on a Mac running OS X. It's an environment that is simply more conducive to creative thinking.
Also, the widespread use of widescreen displays with Macs and the lack of a Maximize feature on the Mac is better for creative work. Macs handle windows differently, more the way creative people tend to think. On Windows, people generally have one viewable window open at a time, with their desktop completely obscured. (In Dennis Hopper voice
That's tunnel vision, man. On a Mac, you'll have windows from different apps, palettes, etc. strewn about your desktop. You'll be able to quickly move from one task to another and back again. The widescreen displays really help with this, because they give you more horizontal room to work in. And the new feature, Exposé, makes this all that much easier. No time is lost hunting through your taskbar or behind the maximized window to find what you're looking for.
It helps to know the computer platform most of your colleagues use. Also, if owning a Mac brings you back to forums like this one on a regular basis, you'll be in more constant contact with a wide variety of creative professionals. An artists community is a good thing for an artist to belong. Come on in. The water's fine.
Mac OS X is a lot more stable. No viruses. No network/Internet security breaches (well, no major ones and MUCH less often). No blue screen of death. Applications rarely if ever crash. Getting online with a new connection is a snap. Doing just about anything on a Mac is easier than it is on Windows. And this isn't just biased, fanboy raving. Apple designs their products with the user in mind. They start with what the user will need or want to do and they build out from there. Microsoft designs products with the developer in mind. They start with what developers will find easiest and build out from there. That means less rights for the user, less control over your work environment, less trust of your computer, less freedom and, consequently, less happiness. Changing settings on a PC is a wild goose chase most of the time. Having to remember the name of the developer of a program so that you know what directory to open in the Start Menu is an idiotic way to use a computer.
The hardware is built better. Generally speaking, the components are more reliable. The hardware and the software are designed together for a seamless, trouble-free experience. This doesn't guarantee that you'll never have any trouble with a Mac, but it's much less common than you'll find with any PC.
It's good karma to support creative companies like Apple and bad karma to support monopolies.
Okay, I can see I'm veering into emotionally-based justifications. I'll stop now. Except I want to add that I was in the same place as you a couple years ago. I was just getting into design (more copy editing, light pagination work than design, but they're related of course) and I needed a new computer. I got a Mac because I knew that's what everyone in the biz used. It was the best decision I made in a long time. I love my Macs, and I will
never go back.
