Since the Mac zealots are out in full force, I guess I better chime in
quickly.     This is a very long post, sorry for that, but I'm trying to
be as thorough as I can be.

I am an extremely savvy computer user. My day job is managing a very
large server farm. I've been doing this stuff for nearly two decades.
You could argue somewhat that "I'm set in my ways" but I like to think
of it more like, "I know what works for me."

I didn't start out on Windows like most folks. The first "non-toy"
computers I learned on were UNIX systems. I later moved to Linux and did
start using Windows at the time Windows 95 came to be. I used (and still
use) Windows primarily for the purpose of playing video games. I have a
high end PC for this purpose.

For "real work/everyday use" I've primarily used Linux desktops. They
afforded a good set of features and stability, and I had the expertise
to tweak and maintain them the way that I wanted to work. I still use
Linux every day, and my wife does too. She'll tell you that she'd never
ever go back to using Windows or a Mac (she had both). The stability
coupled with the features she requires truly "just works." Her computer
usage is limited though; she surfs the web, reads email, posts on
forums, uses AIM, edits photos, etc. Just the basics. Any platform can
provide these things without too much difficulty.

In December of 2007 I purchased a 17" MacBook Pro; aside from the Mac
Pro, the highest priced machine available at the time. I was starting a
new job, and figured I would start out on the new platform with a clean
slate. I bought high end because I didn't want the "low end Mac" to
hinder my experience. I maxed out the memory in the system because I
wanted the system to run as smoothly as possible. Apple provides a
workflow and an application set, and they are, overall, not bad. But
they work a very specific way. If you don't want to work in that manner,
that's too bad. I found that very frustrating. Day in and day out I felt
like I was fighting against my computer. I'd try to do it "The Apple
Way" but I felt like it was just slowing me down. Mac laptops (in
specific, because you can't change their keyboard) have their "meta"
keys laid out differently than a PC. I found this very frustrating when
switching back and forth between systems. If you get a desktop, you can
replace the keyboard with whatever you like, if you don't like their
re-layout of the standard keyboard. There were a few applications that I
felt were really nice on the Mac; none of those were provided by Apple.
After 10 months of using the machine day in and day out, I was still
very frustrated multiple times a day with the machine. I decided to sell
it, and thankfully didn't lose my shirt. I still have a few Macs lying
around the house here, but none have been powered up in months or years.

A lot of folks will use the dual boot or windows emulation layer
arguments for "why you should get a Mac whether you want Mac or Windows"
but that's a fallacy in my opinion. If you do that, you're now
maintaining two operating systems, instead of one. Dual boot means you
have to shut down and load the other OS, do what you want, then shut
down and boot back into the one you started with. Personally, I find
that maddening. I don't want to have to reboot on a regular basis. If
you run the emulation route, your performance is hindered (though not
badly these days) and some things run a bit wonky. Overall, you can get
your Windows apps running without rebooting, but it'll cost you for the
application and it won't be the clean experience that running it
natively on Windows would be. So, if you "want" a Mac but "need" one or
two Windows apps, it's a good solution. If you are going to run a bunch
of Windows-specific applications all the time, buyer beware.

As some others have said, a lot of the "Windows problems" stem from
using the wrong software. Don't surf with IE. Don't read mail in Outlook
Express. Don't click on random attachments. Etc, etc. Choosing the right
software to accomplish your tasks in Windows may be all you need to get
the experience you're looking for, at a fraction of the cost of buying a
new computer.

Along those same lines, Linux might be a viable solution as well. The
big plus here is that Linux is "free" in that you don't have to pay
money to use it. You can download an Ubuntu Linux CD image, burn it to a
disc, and install it on your current hardware. You can play with it for
a few weeks, decide whether it's for you. If you do like it, you've
saved a ton of cash, again. If not, you've put off buying a new computer
for a few weeks. In the Apple world, that's never bad, since most of
their computers are not upgradeable, and updates happen reasonably
often. Worst case, you get the same computer you would have gotten a few
weeks ago, best case, you get new fancier hardware and aren't kicking
yourself for getting "screwed" by Apple's secret release schedule.

So, I guess, in some sort of bullet point form, here's my advice:

* Make an inventory of software you "must have" and make sure it or an
equivalent is available.
* Find a Mac that you can use, if at all possible. Try to use it
yourself, not just let someone else drive for you. The Apple store is
better than nothing, but someone's home is even better.
* Try Linux, if you're willing. You might be surprised.
* Don't give up on Windows before you have tried the "better" software.
* If you purchase a Mac, be prepared to feel lost for a little while.
The system is not a Windows clone.
* Don't think for a minute that OS X (or Linux) is "bulletproof." They
all have bugs and annoyances.
* Make sure you're OK with the glossy Mac screen. I find these maddening
to use in my room, because I have a lot of windows and love having
sunlight in here.

If money is absolutely no object, picking up a Mac Pro isn't a bad
choice. It's fast, powerful, expandable, and can run Windows if you
decide to go back. It'll also set you back $3k+, but we already said
money is not an object.

A lot of people will never open their computer to do anything. If you're
one of those people the iMac and MacBook lines are not bad choices. but
they are very limited in their ability to be upgraded, expanded, and
reconfigured. USB expansion can help a lot with this, but you can't use
USB to get a nicer monitor, video card, CPU, etc.

I've rambled on long enough so I'll try to wrap this up. If you choose
to use OS X or Linux, realize that you're voluntarily placing yourself
in a minority. Minorities aren't supported like the majority. You aren't
going to pick up the latest whiz bang software at your local Target
store. You'll have to be far more intelligent about buying hardware to
expand your system, and verify compatibility.

Hopefully some of what I've written above will help you. I've tried to
avoid telling you to buy X or Y. I think it's arrogant and foolish to
presume that I know what will work best for you. Teaching you to fish is
far more useful to your selection process, I think.

Cheers,
Chris