i personally love my new macbook but what are ya'lls preferences

I have a new Macbook too. :) I've used both Macs and PCs all my life, but I generally like Macs better. Although there aren't a lot of significant differences between Mac and Windows now, I just like the way Macs work better.

I had a couple of Macs, but when I upgraded to System X that pretty much spelled the end of it for me. I seem to be the only person that doesn't like it.

You don't like Mac OSX? Wow... I didn't like Macs before it.

It depends on who you are and what you like to do with your computer.

If you want a box that you just power up and have it work, a mac is for you.

If you're the kind that just loves to TINKER with computers, then it's a PC all the way. You can't build a mac. You can't choose the components you want, you can't configure your computer to be at what you wish for it to do. Some want an all out gaming rig with the best of everything, others want a computer to be small and sit in the back and record television programs all day, some want a portable computer that they can take to LAN parties. You can BUILD a PC with those purposes in mind, which is something that you can't do with a mac.

Also, just because you bought the components to build a PC it doesn't mean you have to run Windows, you can go Linux and really hack the hell out of your rig. Every single thing the computer does, you can stroke and tweak to your heart's content. (I'm going to go Ubuntu Linux as soon as I dust off my old PC and spend hours doing just that, dammit) Did I mention that the software you need for Linux is all FREE? Just help yourself, dammit.

To give credit to mac, from what I've heard, they are better at quality control at least as far as the software goes, macs have a habbit of not freezing or crashing on you. Macs are also very intuitive, easy to use. You get the box, you plug it in and you're good to go. Easy.

People who don't want to mess with all that computer stuff should go with mac, those who wish to screw with computers, the hackers, the wannabe hackers, the rebels who think the OS should be free of charge have the PC.

Dammit.

Good summary, Darth. I am NOT a computer person. My parents think I'm a genius, but compared to my boyfriend or my brother, or even some of my friends, I just don't know how to do that much. I like Macs because they don't crash as much, and they have a lot of stuff built in. (I can't even tell you how many pictures I've taken with the built in camera since I got my Macbook in November.) The issue of being much less virus-prone is a big one too. And now that pretty much everything is compatible with Macs, you don't have the problems that you used to with software, and with hardware like modems.

And now that pretty much everything is compatible with Macs, you don't have the problems that you used to with software, and with hardware like modems.
Not strictly true. OS X is a Unix-like operating system, meaning it shares a lot of components (and commands) with different flavors of Unix, especially BSD. That means that, from a software development standpoint, OS X and *nix/BSD are similar enough that, for certain projects, it's trivial to port them. However, OS X also includes a lot of software packages like Cocoa that have nothing to do at all with the various *nix flavors, and thus it's a bit of a unique OS.

What makes OS X so difficult to crash is the way Apple's hardware is designed. You can't take any ol' component and put it in an Apple-made computer. The drivers aren't there and the hardware isn't compatible. It's extremely proprietary, which has one main advantage: Stability. Windows crashes so much because of poorly-coded, vendor-made drivers. Hardware and drivers on OS X are more exclusive, which makes for less uncertainty when it comes to driver stability. However, this also, as Darth says, severely limits upgradability and customizablity. Apple is WAY more of a hardware company than a software company, and an Apple computer resembles a TV or a microwave rather than a PC, in that you can't tinker with the damn things. You do things one way, and one way only. This is fine for the vast majority of home users, but I've always thought of the PC as an open, upgradeable canvas rather than a "plug it in and it goes" TV set. Which is why I use Ubuntu Linux.

The lines between Apple computers and IBM compatible are becoming blurrier and blurrier, however. Apple computers of today are far more flexible than, say, the old PowerMacs of yesteryear. Sooner or later, we're going to look at Apple computers and IBM compatibles and see two flavors of exactly the same thing, and it's going to be even less of an issue than it is now. I think this will coincide with the advent of the "wired home", which is an interesting concept to me because a house in which everything from the refrigerator, microwave, TV, and lights are accessible via a single server is so fascinating. It's the logical progression, and a formidable challenge to implement. It will happen, however, and it's going to be a fun ride to watch.

And with a degree in CS, maybe I'll get to have a hand in creating these things. :)

i just hate how some streaming media files are difficult to view

i just hate how some streaming media files are difficult to view
I too have had that problem...