Ok I am reading all the comments about Mac computers on here and am beginning to think I should cancel my order for a new HP notebook and get a Mac instead.

The question is why? I haven't used a Mac in a few years but do remember it wasn't that difficult to use.

My Office software is for a PC, so that would require a new licence right?

As I stated earlier my main application are lightweight:

Office
Internet (wireless)
Watching/Burning DVD's

I do take my computer with me when I travel, but not always. The new notebook I ordered is only 5 lbs, so not bad compared to the boat I have now.

I can't figure out why I would want to spend the extra $400 or so for a Mac as compared to a PC. Thoughts?

I am fairly new to Mac. I have only had my Macbook Pro for about 2 months. There are a number of things evident to me though. OS X is a much better operating system than Windows XP or even Vista, although I do see that Vista is basically moving in the direction of OS X. With the Intel based Macs, you can now have the best of both worlds because you can either set up a dual boot to Windows or run Windows inside a virtual machine under OS X. You can't do it the other way around. Since I do a lot of Unix, having OS X running unix underneath is a big plus. For me, Mac is just a lot more polished. The only application I am having an issue with is Visio, but I do know that I can run it using one of the two methods I detailed above since it is Windows only. If I were buying a new laptop, the decision wouldn't be whether to get the Mac or the PC, rather it would be which Mac to get. I use EVDO, so it pretty much has to be the MacBook Pro 15". I need it for the card slot to take the EVDO card (note: not a PCMCIA card). MacBook Pro takes the Expresscard/34 instead. Otherwise, I think I would have gone for one of the black MacBooks for the smaller size.

As the commercials say "it just works". That's true. Things seem to work more simplky, so far in my experience. Fewer clicks to get things done. Fewer software and driver issues.

Mac OS X is much more stable than Windows. It's also much less resource intensive, and runs faster (and consequently apps run faster) on equivalent machines compared to Windows.

One small thing I really like so far is the sleep mode on Macs. My iBook goes from asleep to fully functional in literally 2-3 seconds, and it boots from shutdown in about 15 seconds. My windows PC's all take much longer to wake up, not to mention they take forever to boot.

With the new MacBooks, you wouldn't even have to give up any M$ dependent apps you currently use, as you can also install Windows using Boot Camp or Parallels.

Plus there's the smug satisfaction of not supporting Micro$haft.

Is bootcamps or Parallels built right into the Mac? I could install my MS Office without having to purchase any other software?

Also am I nuts for thinking that I would need the model with 1 GB of RAM, not 512 MB?

You'll have to ask someone else about Boto Camp and Parallels. I haven't used them, I just know about them. I think Boot camp is free but you have to pay for Parallels.

If you are planning to run bootcamp, IMHO you would want at least 1 gig of RAM if not 2. (2 seems to be a sweetspot for Vista).

For me, price is a determining factor. When I put together the Vista PC, to get an equivalent mac would have been >50% more expensive. YMMV.

bootcamp is currently a free download (officially a beta), and will be part of the forthcoming update to osx known as leopard which is due out in spring 2007. bootcamp allows one to dual-boot the mac into either osx or windows xp-sp2.

parallels is a commercial product which allows one to run windows concurrently with osx, no reboot required. windows apps are effectively full citizens with mac apps and you can copy/paste etc. between them. however, 3d graphics isn't fully supported (yet) so it may not be suitable for gaming.

parallels can also share the bootcamp install, so you can reboot when you need the speed, and run it concurrently when you need the convenience. and, you can even import your existing pc into parallels and continue using that!

there are free, open source office alternatives, such as openoffice. they aren't as polished as the real thing, but they might suffice. microsoft has a mac version of office, should you want the real thing.

finally, osx includes an application called textedit which can read and write ms-word files directly.

not nuts at all. 512 is suitable for very casual usage, 1gig is comfortable for most things, and 2gig is really where you want to be for running parallels and other ram intensive applications. ram is cheap - don't skimp on it.

for the office products, you can also use Openoffice
http://www.openoffice.org/

Its free and they have a version for Mac too.

Along those lines...
I used to issue this challenge to friends and family: get a mac and run parallels (because bootcamp is just a pain, who wants to reboot?) and with in a month you'll be on the mac side exclusively. You can get office for the mac, etc...

Now I'm even more gungho about it... ditch MS all together. Get a Mac, load NeoOffice (the openoffice port for OS X) and you'll wonder why you ever needed an MS program. I'm very serious about that too. I've stopped using Office on my personal computers 100%... the hardest move was away from outlook, but I've found a solution I like a lot more (thundbird with Zimbra server, ical and address book)

I've leave it to others to extol the virtues, or refute the benefits of a Mac running OS X. I just wanted to throw in the plug for NeoOffice.... with options that robust, its pretty easy to make the switch and not have it be too painful.

In terms of RAM, I hate to say that 2gb is the sweet spot for OS X. I agree that you can get by with 512 for some stuff...the Mini's I have connected to my TVs do just fine with 512,but all they do is run VLC and SofaControl (remote software)... if you plan on running itunes, an office app, email and firefox at the same time, you'll want 2gb. My Macbook does hum with 1.5gb but if I launch Aperture (granted a high end app) or get a bunch of firefox tabs going then I do get a beachball from time to time. On the plus side, with 2 gb of ram you can safely give Parallels 512 or even 750 or 1gb and still have a very stable and functional OS X environment.... in fact both will sing at almost native speeds

I agree with the vast majority of the previous posts.....MAC is a MUCH more stable and better operating environment than Windows.....however, I'm not a windows hater in the mac/windows verus - verus saga.... I just say Mac is a good system since you have the OS/Hardware and such coming from one vendor versus windows which has to try and be many things to different hardware/software platforms....

With that said, I will say that you can secure and make windows extremely stable...the problem with that imo is that it takes a somewhat technical person to do versus Mac which simply works out the box......

For me I would say, if you want simplicity in a great package that just works out the box....then get a Mac..... and if you want to tweak these things on your own then I would say go with Windows

MadHouse raised a interesting point.
Sometimes I get so caught up as a Mac fanboy that I forget the real compelling argument for me:

I'm a big believer in UI development. I think design and UI is one of the most underrated parts of software and technology- this is coming from someone who is working on a major new development project for a fortune 15 company...and our UI sucks! Think about it like this: we eat with our eyes first. No one (hopefully) eyes a pile of canned dog food and says "ummmm that looks great" but look at something coming out of a the kitchen of a great restaurant and your mouth waters before you even smell it. UI is the same way. You could sit down in front of the must functional piece of software (why do you think so many industry specific apps are still terminal based ?...look at the airlines) but it its ugly as sin and hard to use then you've already lost the user acceptance battle.

Apple has done an amazing job at creating a highly attractive and very usable OS. When I see OS X I'm attracted to it so I want to use it, when I do use it, I work more effortlessly. One of the most underrated features of OS X is expose...I think if apple had invented a better way to access it (other than using the F keys) then more people would see how innovative it is. Another often begrudged feature is Spotlight, but I love it. Press Apple+space, type a few characters of anything (application, email, document contents...) and boom, it comes up. It almost eliveates the need to remember where you filed anything.

The tight integration of the hardware and the OS means that periferials usually 'just work. I'm no stranger to hacking drivers, digging into the windows registry, etc...but I dont want to do that. That's a waste of my time. I can plug my camera in, iPhoto loads the photos and I'm done. I can email them out easily, load them into flickr, publish them with iWeb, anything...and its quick and easy and I'm done.

From a geek point, I love the BSD underpinnings of OSX... I can drop to a terminal (usually have at least 3 open in the background) and do almost anything...and faster than I can on windows....but I'm a nerd like that. Again, its an example of a UI that works for me.

In the end, I guess what I'm saying is that the interface entices me to use it and when I do I find its easier to use. Don't confuse easier with a lack of power or control. I mean my workflow is cleaner, I can do tasks with less effort and in the end I get more done and enjoy doing it more.

That is one of the reasons I'm not compelled to run Vista in any major regard. It doesnt do enough to change how I use the computer. Frankly I'm dont have hopes that Lepoard (apple's next OS) will do that either. We are at a bit of an impasse in UI until someone figures out something totally different...I'm thinking hand gestures or something...but we'll just have to wait and see

Thanks Madhouse24.

I am a fairly good tweaker when it comes to PC's but clearly not enough as I ended up having to reformat my HD about 1 - 2 times per year.

Right now my 2.5 yr old laptop is giving me nothing but grief. Programs freezing, crashing, simple things like Quicktime causes the application to quit. While I posted before about possible interference causing me intermittent wifi signals, it appears that it is my hardware as the router etc., is good and no-one else is having issues.

The PC I have on order is an HP dv2110US, 120 GB HD, 1 GB Ram (will upgrade to 2), lightscribe DVD burner, 288 MB shared video RAM, Vista Premium - got it for $800. An equivalent Mac would be $1,100 - $1,200... trying to figure out if it is worth the extra $$ (ie less hassle, less time intensive, last longer etc.- I think my current laptop should have lasted longer than 2.5 yrs, but it doesn't seem to want too)

There is an Apple Store walking distance from me. Don't know if they will give me the educational discount though... my student card is from a Canadian University. Also with exchange, it is cheaper to purchase in Canada, but then I have more taxes to contend with - so probably balances out.

Check out the refurbished units on apple.com...you can get a core duo Macbook for $950...
Its easy easy easy to get a student discount...just show the ID, no questions asked. If you are still worried, then order it off their website under the education section, they dont ask for any proof.

Well, let me take a contrary view here.

You're not buying an OS, you're buying an applications platform (particularly the OP and his/her stated needs). So you'll end up with pretty much the same software on either: Netscape or Firefox as the browser, Thunderbird or some other very similar mail client, Office or look-alike.

Yes, Mac hardware is niftier looking, but the single button mouse is a mistake, the white case soaks up hand-sweat and is impossible to clean, there's a very annoying sharp edge right where your palm rests, and the OS has become annoyingly non-intuitive. And yes, I have three Mac laptops and at least as many PC laptops.

MY take...buy a bottom-feeder laptop for travel and spend the difference on a good...[take your pick, bottle of Scotch, night in Las Vegas...!]

[Now, having said all that, most people will be a lot happier with a Mac ]

---------------
BACKGROUND
Ph.D. in computer science, one of the original designers of the Star UI, long history with Unix and a bunch of others, etc., etc.

I've just had another revelation today. Lately been sat doing rather laid out documents working in iWork and pages. I can export these to .doc and I can alo open .doc format in it without eny problem at all.

Iwork has pages (word processing and also good enough for minor desktop publishing and html) and Keynote (Apples competitor to Power Point) and rumor has it that the iWork 07 might include spread sheet. However, the templetes included in Pages all my invoices are now done in that. All my contracts, proposals etc are from now on done in pages. It has made my life so dang easy.

I am a proficient computer user. I'd say above average (ECDL trained and MCSE trained and Novell + the old Works). Run a web design and marketing company. Used to work for an ISP running Linux servers. There is no way I will ever go back to PC environment.

iWork is a fraction of the cost of Office and does everything I need it to do. If it wasn't for the fact that soe of my clients send me excel files I'd ditch office right away. However - if Apple do release the =7 version with spreadsheet and it is excel compatible Office will be wiped off my hard drive in a heart beat.

The other thing is that because I send all my invoices and contracts by e-mail I am by law obliged to send them in PDF format. Easy peasy. Just hit print and print to pdf and it's done.

Sure, they cost a bit more but when I was on PC laptops I used to have to get a new one every year just to keep up with technology and to get a better hard drive. My first Mac lasted me 3 years. I sold it on ebay and gave the guy my phone number if he'd ever have any problems with it. That's a ear ago and I haven't heard a word. I guess it's still running.

/E