Hi, I run a training / consultancy business and we've standardised on Mac's, running 12 laptops, 2 desktops and a mail server. In 5 years, we've had one hard drive failure on a laptop, on machines that get used hard pretty much every day.
We work with a lot of big businesses, and have to produce stuff that is compatible with their PC's - occasional font resizing problems with Powerpoint aside, no problems there.
No downtime on virus, software update, or much in the way of user problems.
We use the built in video editing software to make short training video's; first one we did ( a 15 minute interview on negotiation approaches) took us about 3 hours of editing to produce something very useable indeed, in HD DVD quality.
Also manage a full website from them, create marketing materials and brochures, run a customer management system on a server based database, watch video's listen to music, watch TV.....The house iMac runs a home entertainment system, driving a surround sound amp and a projector, allowing full wall TV and sound, DVD's etc plus radio, kids homework, photo store...
My wife is a UNIX user and is happy getting under the hood of the macs - the OS is based on a UNIX core, so the technies can really get to play at a detail level.
We handle backup via the server, which backs itself up over t'internet although I use an Apple Timecapsule at home for backups.
My business partner took some convincing when we set the business up, but he won't go back to PC's now - says he just doesn't notice the machine any more unlike his experience with PC's.
I guess the telling point is we don't have an IT tech; one guy drops in occasionally to work on techie bits on the server and on the one PC we have to run the accounts package. That one machine takes more maintenance than the other 14 machines together. That, by itself, pays for any price differential ( which I don't believe exists on an equivalent spec basis).
Am I an Apple fanboy? you bet, but they have earned my support.
regards
Mark
www.positivepurchasing.com for the website !