Here's my thoughts. Clearly, the choice is yours - here are the salient Pros and Cons of a Mac versus a Windows box -- in my opinion. Happy shopping.
Pros
The OS. Snow Leopard is a joy to use; it boots up in a little under 20 seconds, most applications launch within milliseconds of clicking the icon and it shuts down in seconds. It doesn't 'bog down' over time and actually appears to get more responsive as it builds up caches and generally reorganises your system. Hard disk fragmentation is minimised and actively fixed in the background without user intervention.
The User Experience of OS X is excellent, to the extent that Microsoft have 'borrowed' many of the concepts for Windows 7. The Dock, Expose, Stacks and Spotlight are all examples of truly useful tools that you will wonder how you lived without if you decide to buy.
Hardware support in OS X is exceptional. Apple control the hardware ecosystem on which the OS runs - this brings a number of tangible benefits. First, it means they can test and verify better than Microsoft can with Windows; I recently read that 80% of crash dumps from Vista were caused by malfunctioning third party drivers. As Apple own and test all the drivers, this doesn't happen. Secondly, your average Windows box will require a stream of OS add-in control panels and systray applications to manage your hardware (audio drivers, video card drivers, etc). These are generally an annoyance, integrating into the OS in clunky and ill-thought out ways. You won't get this with a Mac.
General resource management appears to be significantly better than Windows; have you noticed the way Windows seems to perpetually swap in- and out- from disk-based virtual memory, even when it is apparently idle (irrespective of free RAM)? OS X doesn't suffer from that. All machines across the Apple range sleep and wake within seconds without any concerns about subsequent issues with device drivers failing.
Finally, OS X comes without the usual barrage of trial/shovelware you tend to associate with PC manufacturers - everything that is included is there for a reason. Whilst I appreciate you can achieve a similar result in Windows with a clean install, you'll always end up relying on some at-cost, bolt-on extras for tools like adequate virus protection.
On that point, Virus and Malware protection. Beyond the usual common sense measures (Firewall, being careful) I don't run any anti-virus or anti-malware software on my Mac. And I haven't done for 3 years. No viruses, no malware, no problems. And as a result, I've had none of the overhead, system slowdown or licensing costs that are almost mandatory on a Windows PC.
Product design wise, they win hands down. Class-leading looks and build quality, made with top-line materials and exceptional fit and finish.
They're designed by someone who appears to actually have thought about what a home computer should be like; for example, the silent-running iMac requires only a single power cord as the display, computer and good quality speakers are all integrated in one box. Compare this to your average desktop PC - 3 mains plugs, wires strewn around the place and a great big whirring fan to keep your attention.
On this front, they shame all but a handful of other computer manufacturers (Sony excepted, maybe). Compare the aluminium unibody Macbooks to your average Dell laptop in terms of rigidity and materials to understand where some of that extra money goes.
Cons
Cost. In the Windows world, you get a choice cost-wise - if quality matters to you, you buy a Sony (for Apple-like money). If it doesn't, you pick up a £200 Acer with your weekly shopping at Tesco. Clearly, Apple don't offer this choice and hence they carry the perception of an expensive brand.
(Personally, I think this is a moot point - if you can't justify the cost, you can't justify the cost. Buy the Acer. I'd love a Porsche 997 Carrera, but it costs too much for me to justify and my Focus does a similar job at a price I can justify.)
Lack of component modularity. When a PC component goes bang, you can generally replace the faulty component for a minimal cost (new network card, etc) and can generally undertake the work yourself. Macs tend to be very difficult for home users to fix in this manner, often requiring specialist assistance. My advice; buy one from a UK supplier like John Lewis to get a free 2 year warranty.
This also affects your ability to upgrade a Mac; beyond memory upgrades and (maybe) hard disk upgrades, it is what it is until you buy a new one.
Regards,
DanP
Speaking of which, I love the look of macs. There are so few PCs that look as good as an Apple. The ones that do look okay cost just as much if not more (e.g., Sony Viao). I like form and function.
