Although Macs and Windows machines have some real differences, the truth is that as microcomputers they are really far more alike than they are different.

If you are already familiar with either the Mac or Windows, you should probably stick with what you know. It doesn't really make particular sense to use the occasion of buying a Wi-Fi laptop to switch operating systems.

• Macs are more elegantly designed and engineered than Windows machines.

• Macs cost a bit more.

• There are fewer options with Macs, which is good and bad: Buying is simpler, but you have less choice about what you buy.

• Mac OS X machines work seamlessly with Wi-Fi, without any need for software configuration (this isn't always true of Windows machines).

• Mac mice don't have a second button or a wheel, which is too darn bad (particularly the wheel). Apple, please take note: We like our mouse wheels! The good news: You can buy a two-button mouse with a wheel for your Apple from third-party manufacturers.

• Some software runs only on the Mac, and other software (actually, more of it) will run on Windows but not the Mac. While most of the standard stuff (such as Microsoft Word for the MAC OS or for Windows) runs perfectly fine on either OS, you should check to make sure that there isn't some specialized program you need to run that requires one OS or the other. (Windows emulators running on the Mac work reasonably well to run an occasional Windows program on the MAC, but you won't happy with this if you need to run a lot of Windows programs.)