Why should I buy a PC rather than a Mac?

Over in the Mac Channel there is a very good discussion about 'Why I should buy a Mac over a PC?'. I am a long time PC user, but have recently become frustrated with how slow Windows is and the number of errors I encounter.  I have actually been getting the blue screen of death again, something I have not really gotten since before XP.  Any thoughts about why it would be a mistake for my next computer to be Mac?

Totally agree on your point re: windows go slow, highly annoying. But for me its simple, with the cost of PC's (and laptops) being so cheap its a case of running Windows Vista, XP whatever, and having a 'professional' machine that doesn't go near those nasty install programs, websites, P2P, etc, and another which is just for 'play'. And when this second machine goes belly up! I just wax the OP and install it again, clean and fresh without a hiccup. For professional use I've never had an issue with my main PC, but you've got to be sure of what your putting on it.

>>Any thoughts about why it would be a mistake for my next computer to be Mac?<<

Charlie Booker explained the reasons for more eloquently than I possibly could.

But Charlie's comments aside, I really don't think that it would be a mistake. PCs and Macs are equally easy to use, price points are almost identical and application availability (choice) is now a non-issue.

That said, I'm not convinced the problems your are experiencing with your Windows installation necessarily constitute a good reason to switch to a Mac. While it's often claimed that Macs are more stable than PCs, I have never seen any empirical evidence to support this. Yup, you certainly see more mention of PC problems than Mac problems, but that's inevitable as there are far more PC users than Mac users. Macs can and do crash. And so do PCs. Whether one crashes more than the other, I really don't know.

Switching to a Mac may not improve your computing experience - instead, it may simply result in your having to deal with a different, but equally frustrating, set of problems!

I work on a Mac at work but have a PC at home. My work computer crashes, software locks up, etc. All the same issues you can have with a PC. And carrying out simple tasks on a Mac are quite different than on a PC. I had thought about buying a Mac at one time, but now that I work on one, I will stick with my PC for home use.

I agree, and its not just a case of home Mac / PC users feeling this way. In some pretty large multi-nationals that have Mac infrastructures I see just as many issues with instability, security and speed. Neither the PC nor the Mac has a right to boast of being the better platform and it is a horses for courses decision. However, to my mind the PC is too deeply rooted in our personal and technological psyche, people are familiar with the PC and the plug and play services they provide. What is more when you use a PC you know what you are getting, warts an' all, and can be fairly sure 'any' piece of equipment or software will run without a considerable need for compatibility troubleshooting.

But it is all subjective as I say. You will find some of the biggest firms in the world running Mac platforms and they employ highly technical staff, spending a lot of money in the process to make such a decision.