[stevepaa]

Mule, I have heard the software argument for 15 years. For work related stuff a MAC was and is fine. Lockheed was all MAC for general work until they were consumed by Martin. CAD was done on SUN or some other special workstation computer.

The problem that plagued wintel machines, 386, 486, etc., was the lack of uniform hardware specifications, like the MAC had. The IT guy would try two different HDs and then two different HD driver boards until he could find a pair that would work together. That same issue continues now. I had an IBM laptop two years ago for which I had to spend two weeks back and forth with IBM Software group to finally find the right patch to make the IBM wireless card work. Ridiculous.

Note, I try not to call wintel machines "PC" as in reality Apple created the first personal computer, PC, but lost the marketing logo to IBM.

Over the life of the computer, the cost per year is less on a MAC, always has been, always will be. The quality is built in.

What Apple has done is switched to Intel chips. The current MACs can run the best PC OS, MAC, or run XP, and Vista better than on wintel machine. You deserve it to yourself to take another look.