Let me start this post by saying that I don’t use PCs to do most of my computing. I’m on a Mac for the majority of the time. I still have a PC (And contrary to what you may think, it’s not a Dell! It’s an HP, thank you very much), but I use it pretty sparingly. I haven’t taken the plunge yet and installed Parallels, software that allows Windows to run on an Intel-based Mac. Although I hear that the newest beta release has a very cool feature called coherence mode, which does something very cool. But if you want to find out about that story, you’ll have to read this and see what life could be like running Windows on a Mac.

And I feel bad sometimes when people ask me what type of computer they should buy. My first response is always a Mac. But that’s just because I’m a sad little Apple fanboy who will line up and wait for days just to get a chance to buy the newest cool gadget that is released from Apple. It could also be the fact that life is inherently safer and more fun on the Mac platform, at least at this point in time. There has not been a virus “in the wild” that Mac users have had to worry about for years, spyware and adware don’t target Macs, and the system software just works really well with the hardware.

Don’t get me wrong, I get frustrated with my Macs at times. Although I do consider them better computers than most PCs, there are issues sometimes, but nothing as terrible as the woes of Windows users.

And before I go any further, let me say that I’m not trying to convince everyone to buy a Mac. You might not, and that’s ok. Macs aren’t for everyone, contrary to what some Mac addicts may say. For one, there is the price hurdle. Macs are more expensive than the PCs that the average person buys. People are out shopping for laptops and desktops that are under $500, and in the PC world you’ve got tons of options. For Macs, you don’t have any. The closest is the Mac mini at $599. And you don’t get a monitor, keyboard, or mouse with that little beauty. Just a computer. Granted, the mini can do more than any PC priced at $599, put the average computer buyer isn’t thinking about that. They want a bargain, they want a computer, and they don’t want to spend an arm and a leg to do so.

So price is going to knock Macs out for some of you. Another hurdle to cross is this: software. You use programs written for Windows at work, home, and for playtime. Whether it’s Office or Bejeweled or Chuzzle, your favorite programs are made for Windows. Many of them do offer versions for Mac, which can be kind of nice. But let’s take that one step further. With the help of programs like Parallels or Boot Camp from Apple, you now have the ability to run Windows on your Intel-based Mac. If you’re not sure what an Intel-based Mac is, it’s simply a computer made by Apple which uses an Intel processor. Apple previously used the PowerPC chips from IBM for their computers.

Even though you can run Windows on your Mac, price still becomes involved. Unless you buy your Mac from an Apple reseller and pay them to pre-install Windows for you, you’re going to have to cough up at least $200 for a full version of Windows to install on your Mac. Lots of people forget how much Windows costs since they are used to just buying it pre-installed on their systems. Windows can be expensive and you have to have a full installation disc to use either Boot Camp of Parallels. More money.

I can list the reasons why you won’t want to get a Mac all day long. And I can also list the reasons why you would want to get a Mac all day long the next day. You have to make up your own mind about the type of computer you buy.

My point that I have been trying to get to in this post since I started (and what a merry little journey we’ve been on since I started typing) is this: People want advice on the brand of computer that they should buy. Before picking a brand, do this. Pick either Mac or PC first. If you choose Mac, the rest is easy. Only one company makes them, so your choices are fairly slim. If you choose PC, then you still have a lot of work to do. But I’m going to make it a little easier for you.

If you choose PC, don’t make your selection simply by brand. Most of the hardware inside the PCs are the same or very similar. There are only two companies making chips for mass market these days, Intel and AMD. Video cards are predominantly ATI or nVidia. This pattern flows down the lines of most every major computer component. Very few manufacturers, lots of different brand name PCs.

What you need to do is determine what you want to be able to do with your computer. If you only need internet access and would like to send the occasional email, you won’t need a very expensive system. Definitely under $1000 and probably considerably less than that. Don’t use brand names as a guide. And don’t listen to your next door neighbor who has this “piece of junk that he bought from a store and now I won’t buy anything but a Dell!” All PC manufacturers have issues sometimes. Bad components, faulty wiring, somebody who wasn’t feeling well when they put your hard drive inside the tower. A million things can happen and they will.

Brands are not nearly as important as having the computer that you need to meet your requirements. It’s your money, get the system that works best for your needs. For me, that’s a Mac. Actually, two of them.

What computer will meet your needs? Only you can decide that. But if you need some help, don’t hesitate to ask.