Honestly, they say once you've gone Mac you never go back. I use a Mac and before this I had an HP and although it was cheaper I hated it's programing system. I found it confusing and inefficient. I also had to reboot it all the time and get it fixed often. The benefits of using a Mac is that it never gets viruses, its user friendly, they have a long battery life as well as a long over-all life.
If you are trying to save money, I would consider what you want to use your computer for because an ipad might meet all your needs and it would be significantly cheaper than a full computer.
Another brand of computer that I have heard good reviews for is lenovo. My brother, who is a tech nerd, has informed me that lenovo is the best price for the most reliable programming system. They are made well and have a simple set-up which makes them easy to use. You can check more out about lenovo products here. shop.lenovo.com/us/en/special-offers/overview?c...|se|google|845751236|Lenovo+Only+Control|IIP_NE_Lenovo+Only|65105264&ef;_id=Uv1IOAAAAEQoYBkz:20140414182536:s
