The laptops offered by Apple are extremely overpriced when compared part for part against most other vendors. If you are ok with that, then the question is always about timing.

Mac releases new "refreshes" every so often to their products and does not usually change the cost during the refresh. So unlike other vendors where buying later equates to cost savings, Mac products are best bought up front as soon as they come out to avoid obsolescence.

It is tricky right now because the next major change coming is a new updated processor from Intel. The difference in power is amazing, and it will trickle down to every aspect of the computer's functionality. This means that network speed, processing, memory handling, graphics, and most everything else will become faster. Additionally the unit is cheaper to produce, so it will not cost as much. http://www.pcworld.com/article/213294/apples_switch_to_sandy_bridge_impact_for_gamers.html

The problem is that Intel has a product recall out for the new chip. The original estimate was that the refresh would occur in March or April. If you were to buy a computer now, it would have two months before it became "old". If you can wait, then you would have a "new" computer for a solid year. This is all speculation at this point, but the reality is, a refresh is due. http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#MacBook_Pro

The next major question, is where should you purchase the computer? Direct from Apple has its advantages. You can get a discount if you have certain affiliations. However, as with all laptops, it is usually best to pick up some insurance to make sure that the product investment is safe even if you damage it. AppleCare does a great job if the computer is defective, however it doesn't protect against accidental damage. The only place I know of that offers that type of warranty is BestBuy. Accidental Coverage ranges around $300-$350. http://images.bestbuy.com/BestBuy_US/en_US/images/global/pcontent/gs/btp/BTP_Computers.pdf?h=488

If you are determined to go forwards right now, you should understand a few things.

• Core 2 Duo processors are now based on 5 year old technology.
  
• Core i5 Processors are now based on 2 year old technology
  
• Core i7 Processors are now based on 3 year old technology (but refreshes keep there speed ahead of i5)
  
• Core i5 Processors are dual core with no hyperthreading
  
• Core i7 Processors are quad core with hyperthreading
  
• Laptops (especially macs) make CPU/GPU upgrading nearly impossible

If you run a lot of applications at once, or extremely intense applications, the i7 becomes necessary. If you run a medium number of applications and applications that simply don't use multiple cores effectively, the i5 should be sufficient. In order to be in the correct processor range, your current models are all Mac Pro units with retail prices of $1800 - $2200 before any warranty.

For comparison, I just helped a friend order an i7 ($2200 on the mac) based Windows computer. The computer, with a 3 year accidental warranty from Dell was $1475.

Also worth noting. I have a MacBook Pro that is 2.5 years old running a Core2 Duo. It is starting to feel a bit slow when compared to my i7 desktop and Xeon W3580 workstation. Still, it is great for most things... I'll most likely replace it in another 6 months when the next refresh comes out... well... work will replace it for me when I tell them I need it.

Alowishus wrote:

Also they are very good for music, composition, web design, editing etc.

Just to be very clear about the media issue. There is a 99% chance that if a product exists for a Mac, a PC alternative exists that is equally powerful. This doesn't mean that the same product exists for both, but there is almost always an alternative.

* High End Video Editing: Final Cut for example is only on a Mac, but on a Windows PC you could get Vegas, Avid, or Premier.
* Photo Editing: Photoshop and GIMP are available on Mac and Windows
* Music Editing: Logic Studio is only available from Apple, but FL Studio, Pro Tools, Cubase, Nuendo, and Cakewalk all work on Windows.
* Music Composition: Sibelius and Finale are both Win/Mac software.
* Web Design: Xcode can kinda do HTML, but if you want a real web IDE, then Aptana Studio, Dream Weaver, and Visual Studio are the real options.
* Productivity: Office 2010/2011 makes email, wordprocessing, spreadsheets, and presentations equal.
* Small Databases: FileMaker is cross platform, Access is for the PC.
* Music Management: iTunes works on Macs and PCs. MediaMonkey works on the PC.
* Photo Management: iPhoto works on the Mac only, but LightRoom and Picasa both work on Mac and PC.
* File Management: Spotlight and Windows Search both help with Finder/Explorer equally and can both be customized based on user preferences to search and index specific locations.
* Backups: Time Machine for Mac, Windows 7 Backup for PC. Alternatively Dropbox and Sugarsync work for both as well.

This list is provided to prove more things are equal than rumors would tell. Pick the platform you want based on your personal needs, experience, budget, and preference. Also, if you work for someone who demands a platform... that would be a good reason to be compliant.

I should also point out that DirectX is a Windows and XboX input/output API that will most likely remain inaccessible on Macs. This means that most games developed for the PC will never be ported to the Mac. Some developers such as Valve have been pushing for more OpenGL(Graphics competition to DirectX) development so that there can be more cross platform games. I hope that the platforms do balance out, but it is unlikely it will occur in the next 3-4 years with the sole exception of options such as OnLive, cloud based gaming.

It is also worth noting that OS X 10.6 does have the ability to bind to an Active Directory Domain. It can access most resources. However, the machines can't be easily managed using Group Policy or Powershell.

Syd Lexia wrote:

I believe MVC3 is the best of both worlds.

That would be the Fate of Two Worlds, not the best. And it is unfortunately missing from both aforementioned platforms.