How many times and how often would you plan to replace your PC? I began in 1995 by purchasing Photoshop and installed it on my desk top PC. Gateway, then HP, then Sony Vio. Each time replacing a PC that lasted about two years before seeing the Blue Screen of Death at least once a week if not once a day. Then in 2005, after three PCs, I purchased an Apple iMac. It's 2014 and that computer continues to sit on my side desk totally functioning. That's eleven years.

I'm now using a 27" Intel iMac, only because Photoshop changed its software to work only on the Intel chip, so I had to buy the newest iMac .. with the Intel chip. That was 2009, and that computer still functions perfectly, and I plan to continue using it, the same iMac, in 2020, or longer. Why not?

So Mac is more expensive, to purchase initially. But it sure is inexpensive in the long run. Oh, by the way, I've never seen a Blue Screen of Death in a Mac.

I also have a Mac Book Pro that I use to teach with. I initially began doing that when a dear friend of mine gave me her 10 year old Mac Book, which I began to use in my class for Power Point, actually Keynote which is Apple's version of Power Point. So I continued using her 10 year old Mac Book for three more years. When Apple put the Mac Book Pro on sale for about $1000, I bought it for peace of mind. But her Mac Book continues to this day, and about to become a teen ager. Do you see the pattern? Buy a Mac, enjoy it being very user friendly, and enjoy how well it works with Adobe products. And enjoy NOT having to replace it because it would stop working properly, because it won't. It just keeps working well. And it sure saves me money.

This needs to be said, because I spent an hour last night listening to a dear friend who is replacing, yet again, a monitor for her desk top. The actual computer was replaced last year. The prior PC tower laster her less than three years. I'll also add what my college students tell me. Their lap tops last them about two years before them become unreliable. Those who bring Mac Books to class tell me they've been using it since high school days. Get the picture?

Peace of mind is priceless.

I like the Apple system, and it's not difficult to learn, although dealing with iTunes can be frustrating. I went from a PC to a Mac with no diffuculty. It's fairly intuitive.

The problem with a Mac, especially the laptops, is that the memory that comes with it is the memory you are stuck with, so make sure, if you go the Mac way, that whatever you might get comes with the memory and storage you want and need. Yes, the Mac is more expensive, but, IMO, worth it. The Macs have fewer issues, OS X is less confusing than Windows 8.xx, and less subject to malware, adware and viruses. If you can afford the extra cost, I think it's a good way to go. I recently attempted to go with a Macbook Air, but junked the idea due to the limited memory and small screen. I just couldn't afford anything larger, but that's a different story. I do like my iMac desktop, though.