I think a Windows machine is better for three different kinds of people. I think for gamers, extremely low-end customers, and people who make their own computers Windows machines are a better choice. There are some exceptions in those categories, but as a general rule, those people are better off getting a PC. I think the vast majority of people do not fit into these categories however. And for them, I think Apple is a great choice.
I will list a few short exceptions. For the low-end customer I think the Mac Mini is a fine choice. But I would also have to acknowledge that a computer that starts at 599$ and doesn't come with a keyboard, mouse or screen is hardly low-end. This is hard to debate I think. Dell and others surely make computers that have these peripherals and are not as expensive. You get what you pay for, but for the person who only uses the internet and email, a 399$ Dell is probably just fine. Sadly so.
Also, for people who like to swap out parts and make their own machines there is the Mac Pro. The Mac Pro however isn't completely customizable and it is harshly expensive. When a computer starts at 2799$ it is hard to say that it is the right fit for many users. Many people who make their computers try to make them as cheap as possible, and they are usually the people who would never spend 2799$ on a computer. But for the professionals this computer, which can have parts swapped out, is a great choice, albeit an expensive one.
And now, getting to Apple Computers. For the vast majority of people I think Apple is the way to go. I will highlight some reasons. There are many.
1. The tight grip that Apple has on its products, company and following can be considered detrimental. While I acknowledge that it is in some cases I would also have to point out the absolute, biggest advantage of this: all the programs work together extremely well and they are all designed similarly. This can be bad also, but overall it is a huge advantage to Windows machines. It is incredibly convenient when using a program on a Mac to be able to just hit the media browser and have all of my videos, music and photos available to drag and drop. Also, as things are designed in a similar way it is quite easy to get to know a ton of programs quickly. I can't explain the frustration I would experience with my Dell when I would try to add photos to certain applications or do similar things and it wouldn't work. The tight grip that Apple has on us is clearly to our advantage when it comes to interoperability within programs on Macs. I love this feature of Macs.
2. The software. I have spoken about this in the previous reason in a way, when it comes to the interoperability of the software, but I mean this in an overall sense. A Mac has incredible software to begin with. When I first fired up my Mac I noticed how many programs there were and I was astounded. One of the very best things about these programs is how intuitive they are. They are extremely easy to use. Also, because the programs are so intuitive and easy to use you actually use them. I tried using Windows Movie Maker or whatever the program was on my Dell one time. I laughed hysterically after seeing it. It was a horrible little program. And because I didn't want to scour the internet or pay for a program I just didn't edit video. But because of how nice the Macs FREE software is I use iMovie quite regularly. I am very impressed with the Mac programs. The software bundle that comes with a Mac is worth hundreds of dollars to me in value. I believe that many people would actually spend hundreds of dollars on software if they bought a PC, but they would realize if they looked into a Mac that almost all the software they will ever need is preloaded on the Mac computers (except Office software, but this is standard for all companies).
3. Visual reasons. The Macs just look better. And I am not even speaking about the outside of the computer, I am speaking of the actual interface. It is much better than a Windows machine. I have seen and played with Vista and even Vista is worlds away from the nice interface and graphics that the Mac has. I like how you don't view applications in full screen, I like how you don't have that nasty taskbar on the bottom. I just think overall the Mac platform is much more visually appealing. And from what I gather, it delivers this superior layout and interface at a fraction of the RAM needs of Vista.
4. User Experience. Macs are much more fun to use than a PC. Expose is a brilliant program that I use quite often. I have seen that Windows machines have tried to imitate many aspects of the Expose application and failed. The hot spots in the corners of the screen also enhance this feature. I love how you can leave all your windows open without having to close them down or minimize them. The taskbar was horrible on a windows machine. Also, it is much more intuitive. Once you unlearn the stuff you learned from the PC you start to realize how smart the way Apple has set things up has been.
5. Digital Media. This one goes along with the interoperability a tad, but I love how much it makes you pay attention to digital media. People who never took pictures are now taking hundreds of pictures. People are becoming much more productive. It is only going to increase, as Apple rolls out new software to organize your life we will see more and more schools getting good players
And there are many others. I just am starting to get really tired so I am going to call it a night. Almost everything about what I said though comes from the value of the software. That is the clincher. With the unrivaled industrial team, the user experience that comes with a Mac and all its software it is hard to foresee Apple slowing down at all.
I may add more to this later.
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