Over the course of the last year or so, I've come to a re-thinking of what's appropriate for the average computer end user. I used to just look at the price tags, scoff, and say "WinTel, obviously".

Not anymore. For the expert user, that's probably still a good answer. If you are able (and willing) to put in the kind of system administration work that a Windows box requires:

• Firewall (not just the one that ships with the OS)
• Anti-Virus software
• Periodic scans with tools like Ad-Aware

If you are able to deal with all that, and can deal with anything that manages to get past you, then sure - by all means, get Windows and enjoy the larger selection of games that ship on the platform.

A friend I was speaking to last night is a great example of why a Mac is just a better answer for most end consumers though. And no, don't bother piping in with "Linux" here. The target I'm thinking of would be scared off by installation of the OS, and - even if it came pre-installed - it's simply not as end user friendly as a Mac is (or Windows, for that matter). His problem? He has the full complement of ad-ware installed on his machine, which gives him pop-up fits. Sure, he could get some help by switching to (insert any email client but Outlook here) and Firefox, but his problems would just vanish with a Mac.

It took me awhile to get past the price differential (a base level PC will come with more HD and more memory for a lower cost) - but for the non-technical, that doesn't really matter - most people want a PC to act like any other appliance - plug it in and just use it. Windows just isn't like that; it requires care and feeding. Apple doesn't have a perfect product (I had that whole stupid problem with the DVI plug, for instance), but it's a lot closer to being consumer grade technology than Windows is.

So do your friends a favor this coming year. Unless they are technologists, recommend a Mac to them when they ask for advice. Just consider how many fewer times you'll end up sitting in front of their PC swearing.