Well...up to now I’ve only used a computer for Excel spreadsheets, Publisher, pictures (photos), WORD, email, internet.....don’t have a need for games capabilities.....
I’m not a computer geek....know enough to be dangerous...I’m trying to plan for the next 5 years...I am working with 2 others starting a communications/media company....so I might want to try and make sure it has good graphics capabilities...
I have always used a PC....not Apple...and don’t think I’ll wander off the “reservation”....unless I’m told it’s the VERY best thing to do....
Any suggestions would be helpful....thanks
If you want rock-solid stability and are willing to pay for it, go with Apple.
Linux is growing in popularity as more and more people discover that it can do anything Windows can do (and in some cases more) and that you can afford to put more money into high performance hardware - since the software is free.
Windows has the advantage of a huge user base. And a correspondingly large software availability. There are many games that will only run on Windows, but then you said that you were not a gamer.
If I were in your situation (as you described it), I would put my money into a fast processor and a lot of memory and use Ubuntu Linux as my OS. It comes with Open Office (it will read and write to Microsoft Office files - Word, Excel, Publisher, etc.) and is an excellent alternative to Microsoft Office. Microsoft Office may have some fancy new bells and whistles in its newest versions, but Open Office will do all the basics). And best of all, if you do not like Linux, you can always go out and purchase a copy of Windows 7 and Office 2010, because Linux has not cost you any money - except for the minimal cost of media (CD or DVD).
For that level of use, anything will work, as noted in the posts above this one.
A Mac is likely going to give you the lowest total cost of ownership in the long run, at the cost of a higher initial price. Subjectively, Macs tend to hold their value better than the others with minimal maintenance.
A Linux machine will likely be the least expensive up-front, and is often a good choice for putting onto lower-end hardware. While the UIs have certainly improved, it still helps to be moderately savvy about system maintenance. Then again, if I was sticking with the stock install, I’d likely not have to do much to keep one running, if it has a built-in package manager/update utility (like Fedora and Ubuntu, among others, have).
On the whole, I can’t recommend Windows for anyone who doesn’t need it for one or more specific programs that are unavailable on other platforms. If you go with high-end hardware to extend the computer’s life, you might as well get a Mac. If you want the lower entry cost, a Linux machine will suffice. It’s kind of the problem with trying to be everything to everybody — you generally are second-best (if that) across the board. The biggest cost of moving away from Windows is getting used to a new interface, but given how often Microsoft revamps their interfaces, it’s a lower cost than you might think.
In any event, save yourself money by using the OpenOffice suite instead of MS Office, regardless of platform. For 99+% of the users, it does everything you need.