The time has almost arrived for me to replace my cranky old desktop with something shiny and new. I have always had Microsoft but I think I may have fallen in love with the look of the new all in one Mac.
Which do you prefer and why? The iMac sure is a thing of beauty but can the £1249.00 price-tag really be justified?

I have always had a PC...I used a MAC in school for my education classes but, other then that have ALWAYS had a PC. I have heard a LOT of great things about MACs though. I am kinda in the same boat as you...not sure what I am going to get. My Computer Savy S.I.L. LOVES her MAC!

Unless you're doing something heavy like video editing etc then I'd stick with a standard Windows PC.

Or be drastic like I did and replace PC with a Tablet - ideal if you only do web browsing and no games etc.

There is no right, or wrong answer, it depends what your usage will be, and how much you want to spend.

What other devices do you have? If you're already well into the Apple ecosystem with ipod, ipad etc... then the mac makes sense.

If you use a lot of windows software, then makes sense to stick with a PC.

You could even be really crazy and run an operating system like Ubuntu!

PC all day every day. I have owned 2 imacs and would never bother with them again. Expensive overrated crap.

I know a fantastic guy who does pc builds, he can advise you or you tell him every component you want and he will do it, just charges a flat rate build fee.

I think Macs are excellent for home use. The built-in versioning system, automatic backups ("Time Machine"), no worries about viruses or spyware, plus the really good bundled apps like iPhoto, iMovie, etc. are really nice features. If you have a lot of Windows-only apps or are a hardcore gamer, a PC is probably more suitable.

I always buy my Macs from the Refurbished section of the online Apple Store. Their refurbs are as good as new, come with the same warranty as new, but cost a few hundred dollars less.

Incorrect.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-57410050-248/mac-flashback-malware-what-it-is-and-how-to-get-rid-of-it-faq/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_BackDoor.Flashback

Of course there is malware that targets OS X, but it's not nearly as prevalent and therefore not something Mac users generally need to worry about. You shouldn't agree to install browser plugins when prompted by shady websites on *any* OS.

I support Microsoft computers for a living.

My home computer is a Mac.

That said, Mac's are pricey and you can get a nice workable pc for $500.00.

I liked my mac when I was doing programming and command line computing (I'm still bitter my husband broke it)... but lately all I ever do now is browse pinterest and play games online... so a PC would probably be what I get next.

Mostly because I want a lot of memory and hard drive space (for storing photos) and I can get it a lot cheaper in a PC than I could with a Mac.

^ This. 99% of consumers will be more then satisfied is all they plan to do it web surf and email then yes, save the $ and get a PC. The price difference is not justifiable. Now if you plan on doing some video editing, gaming, ect then IMHO one can start to think of spending the extra money. Sure they are really nice looking but for more then 1/2 the price you can get a PC that will do what you need for it to do.