My Windows laptop has served me well over the duration of my college career and the time has come to purchase a new machine. I've been considering switching to a Mac but I lack the compelling evidence I feel I need to shell out almost double the price I'd pay for a PC. I've taken to Internet reviews and asking around. When I ask people why they like their Macs, I usually get something along the lines of "Ohmigod, Macs are AWESOME! They're just so COOL!" It's great that people are enthusiastic about their computers, but WHY are Macs undeniably better than PCs? Is it because they look prettier than PCs? Sorry, but that is not a valid justification for spending over a grand on a new computer. I've also heard people tell me that Macs never, ever crash, but I've been on a Mac when it crashed, and it required the same alphabet soup of keys pressed to save it. So far, the best evidence I have is that Macs are not prone to viruses like PCs are, and that they handle graphics and video better.

Windows machines can be custom built to accommodate the needs of many different users, something I have not seen too much on the Mac side of things. So if Macs really are better in graphics, then perhaps I should just build my own computer with a higher end graphics card and plenty of memory and wind up with the equivalent of a Mac. I am skeptical of Vista, though. I've heard less than wonderful reviews about it, but then again, no one likes anything when it first comes out.

So I need the fair-minded readers of this site, whoever they may be, to give me their two cents.