i guarantee that if pcs were the industry standard for audio recording, the name-calling would be a lot worse - os x is so stable that i can count the number of kernel panics i've had in 5 years on one hand.

I find the "Macs are more stable than PC's" argument entirely unconvincing. It depends on the Mac, the PC, and the user. Windows can run stablely in the right hands, and OS X can freeze constantly in the wrong ones.

I hate to say it, but I haven't had a blue screen on WinXP, ever. The worst thing that happened was explorer crashed, but it came right back and never missed a beat. I think M$ may have actually achieved a decent level of stability this last time around. Pre-XP, though, is a totally different story.

I can't say anything about MACs since I don't use them, but the fact that OSX is so close to Linux makes me believe they are very stable. I've never gotten into a situation where my Linux machine just hung or froze or any of that. But you know what they say... Linux is free as long as your time is worth nothing.

Both at home and at work I use Macs. Work is a blue/grey G4(ugh old((( ). At home I have a MDD Dual 1ghz G4. Still works quite nicely for me, though I would love a G5 and the 30" monster.

My wife has a PC at home, that I keep updated for her.

Like others have said above, the stablity of the computer depends on each machine and its user. My fellow creative here at work is always crashing her Mac. She ethernets her Powerbook through her work Mac. I keep telling her its Key Operator Error. She laughs and keeps having issues. I get maybe one kernal panic every 3-4 months.

Work - eMac G4/max'd out RAM/OS X 10.3.8
- only system I've ever used that keeps the entire Adobe CS going + Firefox, Acrobat 6, Eudora, and myriad other smaller apps going and it NEVER crashes
- no virus trouble that I know of, though I do have a Norton app running

Home - Dell P4 1.7Ghz WinXP
- I really only use it for Internet and Winamp, which is kinda ridiculous
- Ridiculously over-run with viruses and spyware and I have several apps going to protect it
- Hasn't crashed in a looooong time
- Can be a bit slow
- Can't simultaneously run the apps mentioned above in the eMac description, but was actually more expensive than the eMac

Band - G5 iMac OS X 10.3.8
- stripped down for Pro Tools
- with RAM max'd out, we haven't had any trouble recording yet, though we haven't done much mixing using this processor - we did have problems with capacity on the first G4 chip...

If I had the cash, I would probably move my Dell to a closet and use it as an MP3 file server and get a used iBook (used = purchased in '04), as that is what my gf has and she rarely has trouble with it.

KPH

I'd go mac if I could afford it but I can't so I'm still using the 1.3Ghz AMD system I built in 2001. My next computer will probably be a PC since I can do a lot more for less with a new Motherboard/CPU and memory to upgrade my current setup compared to buying a mac.

I have this same Dell with a 1.7 GHz P4 and 768 MB RDRAM and XP.

Right this second I have Photoshop CS, Foobar, DC++, Outlook, Excel, YIM, AIM, InDesign CS and about 20 Firefox tabs open and running with no problems.

In the three years I've had this machine, I've had exactly one virus, which was my own stupid fault for not sending up huge flags when my mother called me to tell me she had an email she couldn't open. This happens every so often, and my judgement lapsed on it. I had it fixed in a half hour.

Lock ups and reboots? Couple times a year, maybe.

buy a pc with Intel processors

Maybe WiMAX will save us?

that's my machine. can't wait for tiger, which is supposed to bump my speed.

I roll wit' a 2003 Sony Vaio PCG-FRV25.

Specs:
Pentium 4 2.66 GHz Processor
1 GB RAM
40 GB Hard Drive
DVD/CD-RW Drive

Accessories:
200 GB Maxtor OneTouch External Hard Drive (FireWire)
80 GB Edge DiskGO! Self-Powered Compact External Hard Drive (Dual USB)

All this, and I STILL don't yet have an iPod!!! (DAMMIT!)