There is great advice posted here thus far.
However, I'm going to be the guy here that is going to ease
your mind about switching to a Mac.
If you go back a few pages in this forum (or do a search of my
username) you will find some very interesting posts from me
concerning my switch from a PC to a Mac a little over a year ago.
I'll try to recap as much as I can in this thread.
Essentially, I had been a devoted PC user for over 15 years. Like
most people, I was brainwashed into thinking that Mac was something
you just didn't buy. I think there are too many people that have this
preconceived notion that Macs are overpriced computers that are
difficult to use and don't offer as nearly a satisfying computing
experience as a PC.
Well, a year ago, after being miserable with a $4700 PC that
kept crashing and having blue screen problems, I posed the same
question you did to this very forum. It took months of arm-twisting
by HTF members here to get me to switch to a Mac.
I ended up gambling on a $2400 Mac Pro desktop. Within a month
I purchased a Macbook Pro laptop and an iPod. Five months later,
an iPhone. I have fallen so deeply in love with Apple and the
products they put out that I have become a huge advocate for them.
The Mac experience is so utterly superior to a PC. The ease of
installing and uninstalling software is remarkable. There is no
windows registry that wreaks havoc on how programs play with
each other. At present, no antivirus software is required. Out of
the box, the Macs come with first-rate software that will instantly
allow you to make your own professional quality DVDs, webpages,
and photos. Unlike PCs, Macs are designed for people who want
to dream and create.
You get a top-notch email program, address book and calendar
that all interact with each other. You also get built-in video (on
the laptops and iMacs) that offer quality video communication
from wherever you are.
Yes, Macs are much more expensive than a PC. However, you
get what you pay for. Instead of getting a PC with bloated trial
software and an undesirable Vista operating system, you get a
very reliable LEOPARD OS packed with goodies as described above.
Since buying my first Mac a year ago, I have turned quite
a few co-workers away from a PC to Mac and they all swear that
they will never go back. Once you fully migrate to Mac you will
never desire a PC again.
I need to comment on something stated in this thread about
running Windows on a Mac....
This is not just simple emulation. You can run windows on a
Mac as effectively as you can on a PC. When I need to run Windows,
I use PARALLELS which seamlessly combines the two OS and allows
for running Mac and PC programs side-by-side. It is the most
amazing piece of software you will ever use. I can transfer files
from Windows to Leopard just by dragging them across my screen.
The only thing that should stop you from considering the purchase
of a Mac is if you are a gamer. Macs tend not to be as gamer
friendly as a PC. However, for everything else, Macs hand-down
outperform the competition in ease-of-use and overall functionality.
PS: I don't use bootcamp but it would seem to me that you can run
any game you want on it. Bootcamp is included in the software.
Sir, you are reading all of this from a guy that was a power PC
user and thumbed his nose at the idea of going Mac. Now a year
later, I am the biggest Apple cheerleader on this forum.
To make things easy for you I have included a few links for you
to look at and ponder...
Click Here
Click Here
As far as what to buy? Have you gone to the Apple store and seen
the iMacs? Oh boy are you in for a treat! Do yourself a favor and go
look at them in person. I guarantee you'll walk out with one.
If considering a laptop, I'd go Macbook Pro since the prices are
pretty damn good now. MacMall (online) had them for just under
$1900 last week with 2GB ram standard.
Of course, the support you will receive in this forum will be
second to none. We really are an "elite" bunch of Mac snobs here.
Please keep us up-to-date on your plans.