Gee, Mac Users, look familiar? Thank you PARC and the Alto. The only difference between Jobs and Gates is that Jobs had the idea to steal it first, then claim it as his own and have Mac users protect it with almost Scientology-like fever.
Owning and using both, I find the Mac superior only in digital manipulation and non-linear editing. And then, only by the smallest of margins. Photoshop for Windows is just as powerful as for the Mac. AfterEffects remains the killer app for Mac, in my opinion. I find the Mac OS unstable quite frequently, and not nearly as reliable as Windows 2000.
While I enjoy the Mac, there is a reason that 95% of the population prefers Windows, and price and business practices by Microsoft are only part of the story. As a complete package with the ability to exploit everything you want your computer to do, Windows remains the superior product. I've been using beta XP for almost four months, and find it to be the best version yet. While I'm concerned about the licensing arrangement, and possible sniffer software, I believe XP will be flying off the shelves.
Mac had better adapt, or it will die. Fancy titanium cases are cool, but coffeehouse prices and closed architecture are leading it down the same spiral as another superior product that should still exist - the Amiga.