Aloha laddie,
Here's my switcher story. I used to be firmly in the Windows camp, so much so that I would refuse to even consider a Mac (just ask my wife - I used to laugh at the Mac geeks, because I KNEW that Windows was so much better). I was into recording TV, editing the video files, then archiving it onto DVDs. While recording Le Tour de France, I attempted to get some of the mountain stages, each around 6 hours unedited, onto a dual-layer DVD. I was using Nero to edit and burn the discs and was not really new at this process, as I'd been doing it since 2003 (this was 2006).
Out of seven attempts, I only had two successes, and at $2.50 a pop, I had just wasted $12.50 - not a great amount, but I absolutely hate making coasters. I knew there had to be a better way, or at least a more successful procedure I could follow, and that's when I started to give the Mac platform a fair shake. That was just the straw that broke the camel's back, with respect to the number of "issues" for which I had to create workarounds.
After objectively looking at the hardware and considering the software package that comes with each new Mac, my decision was made. To even further sweeten the pot, CompUSA (sadly, no longer around) had a great offer - get their charge card and use it for your purchase on anything over a certain amount of money, then pay it off within a 24-month period with no interest.. I bought my iMac then and there and have not looked back.
I also purchased 1GB RAM, as it only came with 500MB RAM, so once I got it home, I installed the new RAM, hooked up the keyboard, mouse, power cable, network cable, and fired it up. Once I got through the initial user account setup, I finally got to see my first Mac desktop. I noticed a window pop up and was shocked to read that updates had been downloaded and were waiting to be installed. I had yet to even think about setting up my networking!
Of course, there is a learning curve - I was used to doing things the "Microsoft way", but I've really gotten to appreciate the "Apple way" of doing things. You have a consistent look and feel, especially with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, with not only the appearance of the actual Apple application windows themselves, but mostly all app windows. Furthermore, most keyboard shortcuts are system-wide, although there are exceptions. As the hardware and software were both created to with in concert with the other, the computer operates in a much more smooth fashion than anything I've experienced on the Windows side.
As has been mentioned, the quality of the supplied software, combined with the quality and extreme attention to detail of the supplied hardware, make it extremely difficult to justify any other purchase. The TCO, or total cost of ownership, is lower than a comparable PC, primarily due to the lack of viruses/malware for the Mac, as well as the rather excellent resell value. The system requirements are also not as demanding as that of Windows, as the OS and its underlying frameworks much better utilize the existing hardware.
Lastly, but most certainly not in the least, is the OS on which everything rides. Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard has been certified as a UNIX, making it one of the most stable and secure platforms available, and it's only $129.00 for an OS upgrade. While PC advocates point out that Apple comes out with mere upgrades every year to year and a half, insisting that the total cost is more than one upgrade of Windows, the technologies utilized in the Mac upgrades is at least equal to what later rolls out in Windows upgrades. I was never so acutely aware of all of the little niggling aggravations with which I bothered on the Windows side, as I was at only two days into my Mac conversion. One of my first thoughts was, literally, "the shackles are off!" I am finally able to use my computer how I want, as opposed to how Microsoft wants.
I apologize for going on so long, but this has been the absolute best thing I've ever done in my computing history - switching from the Windows PC platform to the Macintosh platform, that is. If Windows is your thing, more power to you, but before you shut the door on the Mac, do a 180 from my former position and at least give the Mac a fair shot. Go to an Apple Store and get hands on with a Mac - after all, the store employees actually encourage it. Remember, once you go Mac, you'll never go back!
HawaiiMacAddict