Purchasing new Computer. Mac or No Mac is the question?.

Question

Okay, so I was recently using a PowerBook G4 for college work and have had it for awhile, but now the hard drive is dead. I have been asking around on what to do about the types of computers, by either getting a Mac or a PC and I do not know which really to get. I enjoyed having a Mac, but after that incident occuring to me at school as well as having a TON of assignments now that I must get done, I am unsure of what I should purchase. Prioe does play a part in this issue, but I do not just want to pay 400-500 dollars on a PC that is not even worth it and crashes on me. Any helpful advice at this moment would be much appreciated! Thank you.

Answer 1

There really is no down side in going with a Mac. As others have mentioned, hard drives fail... regardless of the machine they're in... and as you have a G4, I'd expect it's given you quite a few years of good performance. To be honest, if you were otherwise happy with it, why not just get a new hard drive?
Of course a new machine will give you much better performance and will allow you to run the most current version of the OS. Any current Mac will allow you to run Windows, so you basically get a "PC" with every Mac.
So far was problems with Windows, I am definitely not in the "Windows is not reliable" camp. I have had Windows machines up for months at a time without any issue. A fully patched Vista machine as well as Windows 7 will run reliably on current hardware.
All current computers use off the shelf components. Apple uses the same insides as other manufacturers. It comes down to which OS you prefer or need (as mentioned, not an issue on a Mac since you can run any OS you choose)... design (aesthetics can play a role in your overall enjoyment of a product)... and support (for which Apple is second to none).
You can purchase a reliable and powerful PC notebook for around $700 retail... and probably somewhat less if you look around for deals. You can get a PC with more current hardware as well as most PC manufacturers have started using the i3 & i5 processors... the newest from Intel. Apple will undoubtedly make that move as well, but they have yet to do so. While these processors are newer, the average user is not likely to notice any significant difference in performance, so it shouldn't be a deal breaker.
You really just need to decide what your needs are. A Mac is definitely a great option, but obviously not the least expensive. Today, an "inexpensive" computer does not have to mean "cheap" in quality.
You need to balance your needs and your wallet. I've got both PC and Mac notebooks (I have something of a nearly obscene addiction to getting new machines... but then I donate my old ones so that makes it okay... right?!?) If I were to have only one machine, I would want it to be as flexible as possible, so that pretty much leaves just a Mac as it's the only thing that can run OS X.
I don't care how many people say that you can run OS X on a PC as well... it's not nearly as reliable and it not supported by anyone (the manufacturer won't support it... and Apple won't support it).
You won't go wrong with either choice. Keep in mind, if you have had your G4 for all these years, you are probably quite comfortable with using OS X. If you're not familiar with Windows, you don't really want to have to learn a new OS when you're working on school assignments. You want to spend your time on the assignments, not trying to figure out how to do the simplest tasks in a new OS that you could do with your eyes closed on your Mac.