As an experienced user of both Windows and Mac systems, I'd like to voice my opinion here since there seem to be a lot of people in this thread with misconceptions about both platforms.
First of all, let's make sure we're talking about Windows XP and Mac OS X, the latest operating systems from each side. It's unfair to criticize Windows when your last experience with it was Windows 98; likewise, it's unfair to criticize the Mac when your last experience with it was with one running Mac OS 9.
I've used Windows from version 3.1 all the way up XP. In terms of stability, Windows XP is greatly improved over its predecessors, being that it's built upon the NT/2000 kernal (generally considered much more stable than 9x - Windows 95, 98, and ME). Windows is practically infinitely customizable, between included tools (Registry Editor, etc.) and third-party software. It has the widest support for peripherals, and the majority of software out there is made for Windows. Plug & Play support is much, much better in Windows XP than in previous versions - I've had almost no problems getting a device to work properly. XP is also great for people new to the computer - "wizards" walk you through lots common tasks.
The downside to Windows is that being the dominant operating system, it's the one most targeted for attack. Viruses, adware, and spyware run rampant on Windows - if you don't have a firewall set up, as well as anti-virus and anti-spyware software, you're probably asking for trouble. Windows XP SP2 addresses this (firewall is now on by default), but I haven't heard enough about it yet to form an opinion on how much it improves the situation.
In general, I've found Windows to require periodic maintenance in order to continue running smoothly. In addition to the anti-virus & anti-spyware software, it also helps to do a disk defragment, disk cleanup, etc. every few months or so. If you neglect to do this, the computer will slow down over time, leading many people to believe it's just "old" and needs to be replaced. If you take care of a Windows system properly, you can make it last much longer.
A lot of people ask what the advantages of using a Mac are, especially when they usually cost more than PCs.
First of all, Mac OS X is a brand-new operating system from Apple that is based on UNIX (FreeBSD 5.0). The "classic" Mac OS (OS 9 and earlier) has been totally scrapped - none of the code from these earlier operating systems is in Mac OS X. So do
not form opinions on the Mac's stability, etc. based on OS 9 or earlier, as they'll be entirely off-base.
OS X is extremely, extremely stable in my experience. I have never needed to restart my Mac due to a crash in the two years that I have owned it (with one exception of a bug under OS X 10.2 - 10.3 is the current version, which fixed that bug, and has been installed on my system for over a year). Unlike Mac OS 9 and earlier, all applications use protected memory, so if one crashes, it does not affect anything else running.
OS X's UNIX base means it's very easy to port apps over from Linux, and it has a terminal if you prefer to enter UNIX commands. At the same time, it has a beautifully designed, intuitive interface, and runs all the major popular apps found on Windows. So if you're into Linux, you'll be right at home on OS X; simultaneously, if you're a regular user who doesn't even know what UNIX is, OS X will work for you just as well.
Its interface is very easy to learn and (this is important) consistent, which is often not the case on Windows. When you learn how to do a certain task in one app, 99% of the time you can perform that task the exact same way in other apps. You don't have to learn each app individually.
There are ZERO known viruses for Mac OS X. Spyware is equally as nonexistent. Disk fragmentation is also not an issue. So there are almost no costs in maintaining a Mac system (at least for home users). The Mac that I'm typing this post on has been up for 9 days and 18 hours - I don't have to reboot to keep it running smoothly.
It's really the little things about the Mac that justify the extra expense. Icons scale perfectly from any size between 16 x 16 and 128 x 128. Exposé lets you very easily manage large amounts of open windows. The screensaver fades in and out instead of just appearing and disappearing. When you start an audio or video chat, music playing in iTunes automatically pauses. When you plug something in - a camera, a two-button mouse with a scrollwheel (which OS X has native support for, by the way) - it works. Immediately. No setup, no installing drivers, no rebooting. The manual for my digital camera literally said, "software installation for Mac OS X users is not necessary" (the Windows instructions for setting up the camera were a few pages long).
Little thoughtful touches here and there add up for a much more pleasant experience in the long run. You get the impression that the people who design OS X actually use it themselves. If you don't care about any of that stuff, Windows is a fine OS. But I personally feel that those little touches make OS X worth using, as it makes computing on the whole so much more friendly and easy.
The best thing to do, really, is to go to an Apple store and try out Mac OS X yourself. I've been using it for two years now in place of Windows, and I can do everything I've ever done on any PC I've had.
I think I've written enough
