Have to say I disagree with Zaskar on some points - the mac software availability isn't half as bad as a lot of people think it is. The PC has more software, sure, but that's taking into account several prorams that do exactly the same as other programs anyway.
I have no affiliation either way, I use a PC at home and both a PC and Mac at work. I was sceptical about the Mac at first, but I do prefer it in a lot of ways to windows based PCs.
Also, the bit about being on an "island" isn't really true either. Whilst most PC users are just casual everyday users, a lot of Mac users are rabid fans that know the system inside out. Plus, the Apple stores are populated by staff that have to go through a ludicrously difficult exam before being allowed to work there.
If I could afford a mac, (or had money to throw around) I'd probably buy one to be honest. Yes, they do work in a different way to PCs, but once you get used to it, a lot of it is very intuitive and makes much more sense.
However, there is a lot of snobbery amongst Apple enthusiasts, and yes, Steve Jobs and his cronies do milk as much money as possible out of the public.
In other words - there isn't a right and a wrong answer, but don't let PC enthusiasts say that Macs suck, and at the same time, don't believe Mac enthusiasts when they say that Macs are perfect
\
If you're sticking to a PC, the Asus boards are great, we use a load of them here and they do seem very reliable and up to the job.
However, I'd avoid maxtor drives. here at work, we've had a higher percentage of maxtor drives fail than any other brand. I'm not saying they *will* fail, but I personally wouldn't have them in my pc at home.