And because Unix was designed to be (relatively) secure whereas Windows is lumbered with the need to remain compatible with software that ran on the early versions with no security whatsoever.

Windows is improving, but it repeatedly gets hit by brain-dead decisions made many years ago. Automatically running random software from removable disks and loading DLLs from the current directory instead of the correct system DLL, for some recent examples.

Was too many posts to read the whole thing but if your still checking this thread Dotty for playing games your husband wants an Alienware laptop.
Do not get a Mac!
The reason they dont get viruses is because there is barely anyone using them. The people who create all that nasty stuff havent bothered wasting their time as they dont hold a big enough market share.
Im a graphic designer and have used Macs and Pcs and yeah Macs are ok but i would never work on one!
They are more for Apple fan boys really.

Most average Joes compare their way overpriced Mac with the cheap PC they bought.
The software available for a Mac is pretty lame. The commercial where they make Macs look like they work with every piece of hardware going is a lie as well. A couple of my colleagues had Macs and they had some horrible trouble getting drivers for older printers. We ended up replacing our printers.
The computers running crappy Vista had no such issues!
Also some of the network issues they had were unbelievable.

If you buy like for like in specs the windows machine will always work out cheaper. Macs keep on working because they are very simple. They are designed for people who dont really know much about a computer and are scared they will break anything if they do anything to it. For that kind of user a Mac is fine but from the sounds of it your husband is a gamer and probably likes to dabble on it.
I would go for the Alienware everytime. Even better just build his own desktop if he knows how? Check out a computer shop like memory express.
I used to work in a computer shop building computers years ago and it works out much cheaper to just build your own.

oh yeah and i surf the web all day and i have had no issues with viruses of any kind or Malware. I run avast on my machine. The free version keeps it running great but i upgraded to the paid version as i wanted to show my appreciation for a really great product.

If this was justification for a Mac, then its not very good, its would be a much stronger reason to buy a PC and install Linux

My wife has a Mac pro and an iPad 2 i have an HP laptop and the original iPad and also a Lenovo laptop at work...by far the worse machine is the Lenovo its brand new i7 spec but its so slow and keeps freezing all the time...the HP im impressed with it does exactly what it says but is beginning to slow down..the Mac pro is the best laptop its super fast, however its does have some compatibility issues and does take some getting used to. Best of all are the Ipads which we both use far more than anything else because they are convenient easy to use dont suffer any bugs..brilliant..in fact i mainly use the HP to stream TV programmes and movies to the telly and that's it.

absolute, complete utter garbage, do you even have any idea what you are talking about?

There are entire forums on the internet dedicated to the subject, "Unix" is a very vague term, I mean we're sat here going on about Apple OS v. Windows, but the Apple OS was based on OpenBSD. But there are tons of different versions of unix that run the gamut from total crap to decent.

As much as I despise it, the UAC in Windows does stop a lot of the stupidity built into Windows, but yes it's not very clever.

All I know is that when someone suggests Apple I'm able to point out the pros and cons of using it but with Linux you end up with a discussion about what flavour of Ubuntu is out today and endless tedious discussions about how to integrate it, get support for it and so on.

Apple needs to get up to speed with their security patch system though, people are starting to take advantage of their slowness to issue updates.

Hi there, I have been skimming this post, just in case there was any relevant info to my original question . Thanks for your first paragraph, my husband doesn't like Macs for that very reason.....which I think I mentioned earlier in this post's life. Still, it's been a giggle watching this post grow and grow and it confirms my suspicion that guys really DO love their gadgets.....

I agree, the Lenovo's are a bag of wank after a few weeks usage. I'm on my 7th one in as many years.

I use my new iPad much more than i expected. For most people looking to just surf the net and reminisce at photos and videos, it's great. Especially if you're of the older generation or technologically retarded.

Main use for me is:

Wanky laptop for work only

PS3 for games, movies, netflix, music, looking through photo's and videos

iPad HD for surfing t'internet, netflix, taking videos and pictures, reading books, newspapers, and magazines, skype / FaceTime, internet banking, investments, watching motogp.

The average joe doesn't need a swanky laptop of desktop these days, if at all.

How do you find using the iPad as an ereader? I struggled with this one after reading tons of pros and cons and ended up spending less and bought a kindle. I read a ton of books and the kindle works fine but wonder if the iPad would have worked as, like you said, I could ditch the laptop.

I think it's great. The new Retina screen gives it a great quality for me. I much prefer it to a real book.

The only downside is you can't really read it well outside in the sun since the glare makes it difficult to see. For that the Kindle has the edge.

Still, the visual quality more than makes up for it, especially with magazines and text clarity. My wife enjoys Vogue and the sharpness is astounding for me. It's pretty impressive.

For just reading books only i'd have probably gone with the Kindle but add the other capabilities in there and the ipad HD wins hands down for me. It saves having an e-reader and a laptop.

Just picked one up with Reward points and I concur.

Yup - there is that. The other slight was the weight and holding it like a book for long periods as the kindle is way lighter.

The downside to my kindle is reading at night - you need a light.

Thanks for the comments, gives me something to think about.

So you need a kindle/kobo for daytime and sunshine and a iPad for nighttime reading, as for weight just make a nest with your duvet and pillows and rest it against those, this is what I like most about my kobo, you only have to rest it, no holding pages open or anything FAB!

Oh i didn't realise they were illuminated at night. The iPad adjusts the brightness and illumination for you which is aces.

I don't really notice the weight but i'm not a 95yr old arthritic granny

Go on, treat yourself. You know you want to