Mac user needing advice...

[nigeljedi]

Hello, all! I am here seeking advice on making a semi-switch to Windows XP. You see, I am a Mac user by nature, but I'm looking into getting a Windows laptop for gaming, DVD's, etc. and I need advice on the matter.
I am selling one of my Macs (an iBook portable) due to speed and multimedia restrictions. I haven't messed around with Windows XP much, but am impressed with the media it's gotten in the areas of stability and reliability. Basically what I want is to spend less on a Windows portable ($2000 or thereabouts) than I would for an Apple portable (a minimum of $2500) so that I have a fast machine that can handle DVD's, CD-rewriting, and most of all, gaming. Is there a configuration available that will fit this bill? And, is XP the way to go for this?
Please, Xperts, could you shed some light on this for me? In essence, SELL ME ON THIS!!!!!

Thank you very much, and I appreciate any information you have!

[Disk_Contented]

Well... XP is stable, problems for me have been few and i have to admit to being impressed.

There are some very nice laptops i've seen for about £1800 that would fit the bill: P4 processor, 512 Megs of ram, CD/RW, DVD combo, and Gforce 4 video. The installed OS is XP. A very nice system indeed. (compared to £2300 for a lower spec mac)

Sounds like your thinking of the PC for the same reasons i did. For some things there's just no alternative, so really, the decision has been made for you

[nigeljedi]

Thanks for the advice. I finally narrowed down my search (mainly due to budget and who would give me a loan ) and bought a Dell Inspiron portable.
I've been reading up on XP and it seems the OS definitely HAS improved since I used it last (almost 4 years).
Again, thanks!

[MaxPower]

You can't compare a PC to a MAC.... CISC - RISC --- Whatever!!!
Too many experts today!!