We aren't talking apples and oranges, we are talking green apples or red apples. Buy a Mac or buy a Windows PC, they are both mainstream PC's. Apple makes macs more reliable simpler to use with LESS options. Windows PC's are made for people who want to do all their own configurations, customizations, tweaks, and then troubleshoot all the problems that follow, just so they can say they can. Macs are made for people that don't care about all that and just want to get in, get something done, and move on. I have been an IT professional for a very long time, and I used to build all my own PC's. But anymore, the gains are so insignificant compared to the headaches, it's just not worth it. The bottom line is the Apple GUI stays out of my way so I can get to what I need quickly and easily EVERY TIME. Open a browser and it's the same world wide web either way. open MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook - same, same, same... In fact, you might notice a few extra little built in features in the Mac OS that make typical application experience even better. Try printing to PDF from ANY application (without having to download, buy, or install ANYTHING). Try reloading your Mac and enjoy the web based OS installer with NO licensing interference. Then reload your PC and then fail the activation, call Microsoft, enjoy the automated activation conversation with 500 numbers to repeat and reenter. Then enjoy finding out that the OS installer you used isn't compatible with the license key you have because it was from a slightly different disk, and enjoy not being able to find your original installer... Enjoy NOT using iTunes and developing your own "less restrictive" music and movie solution that takes you hours and hours to perfect, and not actually have time to enjoy the content. Enjoy not using iPhoto and bouncing between different third party photo and video management solutions that never quite do what you want anyway.

Then use your Mac to image a Windows HD, RDP into your Windows server, host your Windows VM's, Skype, watch Netflix, etc. and see how much less "different" it really is once you are actually doing what you intended to do, transparently.

Yes, Windows is more open and customizable, but why? It's like being able to buy a loaded new car, but getting the bare model instead so you can add all your own upgrades from all different manufacturers because they might be 2% better.

A Mac is like a Porsche - well made, well designed, efficient, fast, sexy, and expensive but worth every penny.

A Windows PC is like a custom tuner street rod - if built and customized just right, it might outperform the Porsche. It might be well designed and well made, or it might not. It started out cheap, but became more expensive than the Porsche to get it to the same level or performance and sexiness. You spent months getting it to that point and will probably never really be finished with it. The Porsche was done when you bought it and you actually have time to enjoy driving...

Just get a Mac and enjoy your extra free time...