The ultimate question... PC or MAC?

Just wondering what you feel is better, PC or Mac.

Personally, I have a PC, but I'm soooooooo tired of it getting "sick". lol
I'm tired of the war of viruses, anti-viruses, worms ("Ewww!"), spy-ware and.... all the other junk.
I'm thinking of going to a Mac laptop just so I can take it with me on the go. (Kids can watch movies, play games, I can get on it, etc.)

What do you think?

Thanks all!

... personally i am a linux fan boy i like it because it seems to be easier to use i several distros all around my house ... red hat in the office ubuntu in my room and xubuntu on my gaming rig ... as long as i have wine ill be able to use all my windows stuff but the only thing ive had to try to deal with was my tv converter not working on linux ... so i put in xp sp3 in the mix and voila! it worked! lol

if you ever want to look into OS stuff try linux its free ( some like red hat however arent) but it can get simple after a while ... and so people wont think that i am biased i will say this ... i have used win xp for years and i love it i am actually starting to move into vista now that sp1 was released it seems to have become a little cleaner and not to mention ... direct x 10 woot! really it depends on what youre doing if you are doing games use linux or windows ... and if youre doing media work or just browsing use mac or linux they all have their pros ... windows is easy to use and has a huge croud following it s there will always be help ... mac has great features and is very resistant against viruses and its easy to use ... and linux has all around functionality it allows gameplay and work to get done without sucking up 3 gb of ram lol or 3k of dollars lol

Why not get both?  That was easy, huh?

But if you have to decide between one or the other, then it depends on who it is for and what they want to do.  You can't just say PC or MAC.  To decide which is best for a purpose or purposes, you need to lose the emotion and bias and look at the facts.  Just like other decisions, it helps to look at things at their simplest boiled-down levels.

Fact A:  Almost all US businesses and industries (and most colleges and schools) use Windows-based PC's for their networked user and classroom stations.

Obviously one will be at an advantage if they are fluent with the Windows OS. Most personal and business applications are written for Windows.  Most any office or managerial job will require knowledge in Windows and Microsoft Office products.

My Fact A alone may help make the decision for the largest group of people who are trying to decide which way to go.  But lose the bias and emotion – the decision needs to be based on how it will be used and who is using it.  Below are my picks using simple scenarios.

• Child:  Windows.  See Fact A.  A child who cuts his teeth on and only knows a MAC OS will be at a disadvantage later.  If they know both, it sure can't hurt but knowing MAC only will not place them at an advantage.
• Granny: MAC probably.  If she wants a computer then she wants to check email and surf the web.  Wait... is that genealogy application all of her friends are using compatible with her Apple?  Better check.  And don't dual-boot poor Granny.
• Teen Geek:  Is the teen already an expert on Windows?  Then ask them what they want.  They may want a MAC.
• Teen/Preteen Computer Newbie: Windows.  See Fact A.
• College-bound Teen:
• Geek?  Ask what they want.  They already know.
• College-bound and not very computer literate?  Windows.  Why?  Because they will need help.  Helpers and peers will likely know Windows and not MAC.
• Home User, eBayer/Internet Shopper:  Either.  Unless you or someone else will be using it for something else as well.  Again - see Fact A.
• Business user: Windows.  Why would you use something different than practically everyone else that you will be doing business with?  That MAC proprietary image file your new MAC-user-in-training just sent to a prospective customer can't be opened by anything on her Windows PC.  She has to call someone else who is busy with their own job to find a way to open it.  Not cool.  Also that other employee you just hired is certified on Windows servers.  Why would you have an OS that you are going to have to teach to practically anyone you hire?  By outfitting all your staff with Apple computers you have just increased your operating expenses.
• Porn Surfer: Doesn't matter.  You're going blind anyway.

So... in a simple-case nutshell, if you want to check your email, surf the web, shop on-line, write letters, choose either.  Mac might be a better choice for someone who will never go beyond that.  If you are savvy enough to have a preference or venture in unsafe areas, go for it - you don't need to ask which.

If you are considering a MAC for the sheer reason that you are always getting worms and viruses, I might suggest some education on how infections occur and exercising caution.  I am all over the place and it's been years since my last accidental infection.  Also... I know not to go to the profile of that georgous chick on my Friend Request page who wants to be my girlfriend.  My way of thinking is if you think you need protection, you shouldn't be with the person until the tests come back.

I'm not against Apple.  In fact, my next notebook might be a 2nd-hand MAC because I like learning new things. But as a recommendation to a new user, I would absolutely NOT globally say "get a MAC".  People who will use computers on a daily basis in the workplace or school need to know Windows.

Here's some related personal background on me and why I feel the way I do:
My mainly self-taught experience is solely in Windows - I can count on one finger the number of times I have had an Apple in my hands. NOT knowing the MAC OS has NOT been a disadvantage whatsoever.  But not knowing Windows would certainly have been a disadvantage to me in my present situation.

The factory where I work is owned by a Fortune 50 company.  Just like all businesses, we must control costs by doing more with less.  In the last 10 years, my factory has been forced by corporate on three separate occasions to cut salaried jobs.  Corporate told local management how many to let go and the local managers had to pick who.  In that 10 year span, our salaried office, supervisor, and managerial staff has been cut 50%.

Some very talented people have been let go strictly because of numbers - at least that's what the people who were let go were told.  I wasn't one of them even though I had less time in with the company than many.  I found out that the reason I was kept under the radar is because of my abilities - my bosses made sure I wasn't cut.

Even though my main role is Shipping Supervisor, I am recognized by managers locally and regionally as a "key person" at our facility and that's partially due to me knowing Windows and PC hardware.  We do not have an on-site server person at our plant - they are based at corporate.  I am termed by corporate IT as a "non-assigned power-user".  I am their main contact here and because of my software and hardware abilities and it saves the company a few hundred thousand a year not having to send IT people to my plant at every turn.  If I were fluent in MAC and not in Windows, things would probably be different for me.

People who intend to use computers out of the home really need to know Windows and shouldn't be automatically recommended a MAC unless they already know Windows.  There is no one answer to the "which is better" question.

I’ve probably shown my ignorance here about Apple computers and that’s partially my point.  I have not NEEDED to learn the MAC OS and I am considered a "computer dude" at my work.

So I still want a used Apple notebook - who's going to tell me what I should I get?

well, since this is the hardware forum. PC, hands down. You can build a PC.

PC for adults Mac for kids

I spent a lot of time with both learning graphic design. We would learn the programs on Macs at school, then I would *ahem download* the programs for my PC at home and teach myself how to use them there.

So right now I'm still more comfortable with PCs (and been out of school and away from Macs for years) but I was thinking of getting a Macbook of somesort so I can use both again. So maybe I'll be checking that refurb link out as well.

That being said, I have a real hard time buying into all the pro-Mac propaganda. I tend to trust the people here at GuG that have had a lot more hands-on experience, and can tell me the pros and cons from experience.