[link|http://www.apple.com/emac/|http://www.apple.com/emac/] ... I have installed quite a few of these machines at the campus and they are quite a pleasant compromise. I want a G5, no ifs ands or buts, but for under $1200, I can get a decent eMac with Superdrive (DVD -R/CD -WR)... I can make extra money doing friends weddings, etc. with iDVD and iMovie (already paid for my last Mac that way) with minimal investment in training.

I know this can't compete with low end intel boxen (shit, I just picked up a P4 2.4 Ghz with decent specs for <$600), but I can tell you, I'm much more happy about my Mac purchase.

Side note: from now on, make it a habit to always buy external Firewall peripherals (hard drives, DVD burners, etc...) and use them between both platforms. Mac users are very used to thinking outside the box because they have had SCSI for most of the Mac history and people learned... Plus, the original mac design require this torque wrench thingy that busted your fingers to hell...

Rambling now. Hope you give the Macs a good look.