Hmmmmm.

Well, anyway for me I still think the HP notebook PC was the best purchase ... for me anyway. BTW, I think it could match the Mac in the quality department (components, chassis and shell). Both platforms have been manufactured at various sites across the orient. But the Mac (as mentioned) certainly beats it in looks.

As for processing ... all I use it for is mainly photo work (quite a lot of foto work) and some recording. Niether are for business means ... which means speed is not of the essential. As I previously stated, I feel the quality of output from my PC is equal to the Mac. Tools I use are Photoshop, Picassa2 for photowork and Record Producer for recording.

As I also mentioned, the PC has come a long way in the last year or two in the way of sound processing, graphics and video. Up until recently the Mac would have been the route to go in regards to those 3 categories. Mac advertising as of late has been impressive. In fact this is what made me almost consider purchasing one. But, underneath it all it is advertising, some validity to it, some not. Take what you want out of it.

As for virus protection ... Giok pretty well explains it it all.

Janie ... your point I can agree with (very good it is) ... if I had to purchase the complete suite of MS works/office I might have reconsidered.

Overall ... I respect and appreciate each ones opinion ... I'm a Red Sox fan, some are Yankee fans.

biLL