Have to chime in on this one..
First let me say that I've been using PC's since the early 80's, ran my own PC repair / custom build shop for a period of time in the 90's, used every PC operating system under the sun, Linux, *BSD, etc. Bought my first Apple computer, a G4 Mini in November, 2005 for my wife who was fed up with all of the issues may Windows users simply accept as part of using a computer.
Fast forward to today. There are now 3 Mac Mini's in my home. The last remaining PC is sitting in the closet collecting dust bunnies.
It all comes down to needs..If you need a great, easy to use, trouble free computer for everyday use, email, web browsing, word processing, music, photos, etc, the Mac *out of the box* is a hands down winner. Unless you have some hardcore gaming needs, everyone should consider a Mac. And OS X..I can't begin to tell you how great it is. It's a lot of *fun* to use, let's just say that.
As far as software goes, I've not found anything lacking. The included applications with OS X such as the "iLife" suite alone represent several hundred dollars in PC applications. Also, the availability of 3rd party applications is plentiful..Tons of shareware and freeware apps out there..also there is a version of the FreeBSD ports system (Darwinports) which allow you to compile and install a good portion the packages and ports available on FreeBSD.
With that said, yes, you do pay more for a Mac when compared to a similarly priced/spec'd PC, however, IMHO, you more than make up for the difference in software, support and machine quality.
Now, concerning the new Intel Macs.... This is a big switch for Apple, I personally would wait for the next revision of their iMacs and Mini's. Second generation Apple hardware tends to be less problematic, or so my new Mac friends tell me. (All of my Macs are PowerPC processors)
Big plus to the Intel Macs is being able to do WinXP..Rumor has it the next version of OS X will include virtualization technology that will allow Windows to run within OS X. There are already 3rd party solutions which people are raving about.
Find an Apple store near you, if possible and have them demo a Mac for you. CompUSA sells them, however I don't think you'll find anyone in there who knows anything..Or at least that's been my CompUSA experience...
Some good Apple sites:
www.macrumors.com
www.macintouch.com
and of course.. www.apple.com
Good luck with whatever you choose!
-H
