In a nutshell, if you are really into computers ... Linux by a mile. If you want a no fuss tool ... MAC by a mile. If you play games, or don't know a dishwasher from a computer ... Windows.

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IMHO, MAC's are for people who do lots of intensive photo or video editing. And people that believe it gives them some kind of prestige. And for people that want to buy something that just works, with no fuss. For me, they're just too overpriced to be worth it, and I can't "have my way with them" to do whatever I'd like. But they are very good computers.

Linux is for computer knowledgeable people. "GUI? I don't need no stinking GUI!" However, newer distributions have put it into the hands of the less computer literate. And it works well there too. A computer-illiterate person will have no more trouble using a Linux box (with a GUI desktop) than a Windows box - for basic things. However, if that illiterate user wants to play games then they would need to stick with Windows (or take themselves up a notch, to "literate" status). Or if they are used to calling some helpdesk and paying $30 a minute for handholding by someone talking in a foreign language, they should stick with Windows.

Windows is for everybody else. It comes on just about every computer you can buy at retail. When it works, it's great. When it breaks, it's a nightmare. I find Windows to be very user unfriendly, although many say that Windows is the "user friendly" standard. I think that comment comes from people who only use Windows. It's all they know, so of course it is more user friendly than anything unknown.

Windows users generally know Windows, and that's it. Linux users usually know both Linux and Windows (and other OS'es as well). Linux people are often the "local tech support guru" that gets called when a Windows box breaks. MAC users generally don't mingle with other OS users (or vica versa, depending on how you look at it). I don't know why that is.

For general use, I'd say Windows wins. Even if you don't know what you're doing, your next door neighbor might. And if not, they have a cousin who might. And there is no end to paid support options for Windows - including drop-off/pick-up at your local technology store. Windows will probably cost you the most money in the long run. Even more than a MAC (which has a much higher initial purchase price). But MAC's generally don't break as badly or as often as Windows boxes. If you are not knowledgeable enough to fix it yourself, Windows will suck the life out of your bank account.

MAC's are for people who have enough upfront money to buy something that generally works, and works well, and doesn't break much. The downside of MAC's is that you better like it the way it comes from the store, because you don't have many options to change it yourself. For a work computer that just needs to work, MAC is probably your best bet, ... UNLESS you work in an environment where almost everybody else uses Windows (which is very very typical). Then you will perpetually be the odd man out, just like a Linux user would be in the same Windows-centric environment.

Linux is really best for computer gurus who like to have things work just their way, and are willing to expend the time and effort to educate themselves. It is also good for the people they support (there's always someone asking you to fix their computer!) If that person asking for help is the typical computer-illiterate and they treat you as their computer genius, just switch them to Linux (where you can trivially remotely support them) and they'll be in your debt forever. Linux-with-a-GUI (like Ubuntu) is just fantastic for your 80 year old Aunt Ethel. Email and web browsing are the only two things that Aunt Ethel knows how to do (and even then, it's pretty iffy).