As far as your Apple v PC question goes well, I use Apple at work and a PC at home.
If I was starting from scratch then I might consider an Apple at home cos they are a little bit better in terms of their operation and the fact that they never seem to get viruses etc.
BUT, Apples are more expensive to buy, you don't get many deals on new ones, and it does take a while to get used to the way they work.
I'm not sure that the benefits outweigh the effort of getting to know the quirks of the Apple.

I'm sure that lots of people, especially those who do lots of design work, sound manipulation or other 'arty' things will sing the praises of Apples, but for the average user I believe that the benefits are not that great.

All of the above are, of course, IMHO!!

K/van