IBM V’s Apple NBook 4 edd graphic & Vid

I am not familiiar enough with the Apple noteboks to make an informed decision on my next notebook purchase. Apple has a reputation of being the best in Graphic and audio editing. From my comparision of both Apple and IBM compatable computers, I have found that computers within the same price range are on the outset, very different in Technology. How can I justify paying the same price for a standard 1 Ghz IBM compatable compared to a 500 Mhz Apple processer with half the mem and Ram. What features does that Apple have that The IBM compatable does not