[TriLUG] Macbook Curious

[matt at noway2.thruhere.net]

On Saturday, my mother's desktop began what looks like a long slow death
and she asked me to start looking out for a new laptop that will get Linux
dual booted on it.  The recent thread on Macbooks has gotten me curious
about them, as they seem to be really popular with the TriLUG crowd.

I would like to ask, what is it that you like about the MAC and what do
you see as its advantages over buying a Window$ based laptop, especially
considering the price difference?  I have been reading reviews comparing
them and they all seem to compare 2 gigs of ram vs 4 and 180 gig drive
versus 140 gig, etc; all stuff that may appeal to the masses where more
must be better, but really doesn't mean a whole lot.  The differences seem
to be more esoteric, so I thought I would ask the group.

Specifically, what about software and hardware compatibility?  The whole
reason for paying the M$ tax and getting Windows is so that you can run
programs like Turbotax, as an example,  once a year.  Is this an issue
with a Mac?  What about dual booting to get Linux? Is this an issue or is
it something that is supported readily?