Apple makes a really fine computer. Apple is legendary in their ability to design smart human interfaces. They are easy to understand and use. Some of the most creative people in electronics are from Apple. A number of the best most usable programs you can find for Windows were originally designed by Apple people or for Apple computers.
Apple is a very different company from Microsoft. Apple is a hardware seller. Microsoft is a software seller, although it is trying to become a hardware seller and not doing well. Think hard about this because it makes a big difference.
Apple computers use a proprietary operating system and Apple works very hard at ensuring that programs and hardware that can be integrated in an Apple computer are under Apple’s control – preferably producing a profit for them (they are in the hardware business). Microsoft, on the other hand, has built its company on the idea of an open platform. After more than 20 years of evolution 94% of the world’s billion and a half computers run Windows, and about 5% of those are Apple’s. The result is that products to be used with Windows exist in far greater numbers for much lower cost. It is also important to understand that if you assess the internal components of an Apple computer vs. a Windows-based computer, you will discover that there is little difference.
An Apple computer costs twice as much, or more. Anything you buy to use with an Apple will cost you more. Very few components and NO software that is designed for Windows works on an Apple, unless you invest in software to run on the Apple that will permit it to emulate a Windows computer, defeating the whole reason for buying an Apple to begin with.