Chimbu, we must be opposites. I have a lot of experience with Apple computers, but will never buy an Apple.
Pick an Apple machine and I've chances are I've had to work with it. Off the top of my head in the order I remember them: LCIIs, LC630s, Color Classics, IIvx, Peforma 5200s, Power 7220s, G3 iMacs, Newtons, PowerBook 100 and 1400 series, the Clamshell iBooks (mmmm, fungus!!), the second gen white G3 iBooks and the earlier G4s. Used everything from System 6 to OS X.
If you are unfamiliar with the short comings of Apple's computer products, do a search on "G4 logic board problems" for something you could relate with. I also take it you never used Mac OS 8.5? No Blue Screen of Death, but this (and similar error messages, shutDownAlert, etc) were enough to do my head in: 
I don't recall that kind of error though, I think it is a bogus! (but thankfully I had almost forgotten about those sort of things!!) If you were lucky and the cursor responded you could click restart. If not, you’d have to pull the plug on the bloody thing.
I’ll leave it there for now (until I bite again…I seem to take the freakin’ bait every time), but I will say I’m no Microsoft fan boy either. There are some things I like about Apple products, and there were many great games I came across for Apples. However, there is nothing an Apple can do that a Windows machine can’t for a poofteenth of the price. The last time I had a BSOD was around 5 years ago and I traced that to a crappy power supply unit. That particular machine was upgraded until replaced as my primary system by this one I’m sitting at now about 7 months ago, but is still running fine! My first Windows 95 (with Microsoft Plus! 
) machine is still running fine despite the best efforts of my relative's children who use it as a "play" computer. The only things ever to be fiddled with was a new CD-ROM drive when the first one died, and the RAM upgraded.
Really, both Operating Systems are about as reliable and stable as each other, I've found, but the fact that so many more people own Windows machines, you’re more likely to hear about Windows woes, rather than Mac Os ones.
I'm positive others on here would have more experience than me with Macs, or IBM 100% compatibles 
and come to a different conclusion, Chimbu you'd be one of them, but for sheer compatibility with the programs that a pilot would use and the places a pilot may find themselves in I strongly believe you cannot go past a sub $1k Windows machine.
Last edited by Led Zep; 26th Sep 2008 at 10:57.