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I work part time at a high school and we run a 90/10% Mac/PC network.
I have found that the Mac's are far more reliable, they are less likely to crash or lock up if a user makes a mistake. When programs do lock up....its very rare that it locks the OS as well, you can mostly force quit an app without the OS slowing down or effecting other software that is running. Force quit is also far more successful than Ctl-Alt-Del on a PC. I don't think I have ever had a force quit not work, where as plenty of times I have had to re-boot a PC cuz an app has locked up. One downside with the simplicity though is that you get barely any form of error messages so that you can diagnose a problem.
Mac OS X is a very pretty and easy to use OS. Everything loads quickly, there is no graphical glitches (like things getting stuck on screen). The equivalent "My Computer" (called "Macintosh HD" or the "Finder") organises your files beatifully. It doesn't have the built in photo viewer that XP does which is a bugger. Other than that, everthing is stored well. Macs come with loads of free software out of the box (already installed for you as well). And its not like the free "crap" software you get on an out-of-the-box PC's. Installing stuff is easy.....usually just by dragging an app into your Applications folder. Uninstalling software is just the reverse....drag the app to the trash. This doesn't apply to big name programs like Photoshop...they still have install programs.
They are easier to set up too....it took me longer to set up 10 PC's than it took me to set up 60 eMacs. Thats unpacking, installing software (on one machine) and then imaging all the rest. For a consumer though....you just pull it out of the box.....switch her on and your ready to go.
I would recommend an Intel iMac......even though its a new processor...its not like Apple is gonna go back to the PowerPC cuz they have put to much into it and it has proven itself already. Intel PowersMacs are just around the corner, as well as Intel-supporting software from all the major developers. Existing PowerPC software works well on the intel anyway.
Anyways, its up to you....I reckon the Mac is a good switch (or addition).
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