[rexxfan]

I'm going to stay out of the platform wars. Windows, Mac and Linux all have their strong and weak points, but for many people they're just too complex. In general, if all you use a computer for is network-based applications (e.g. email, web browsing, simple word processing, etc.) then I'd seriously consider not getting a general purpose computer. If you don't need a physical keyboard, look at a tablet. Otherwise, consider a ChromeBook. Both are much less functional than a general purpose computer, but they're also much less complicated and therefore considerably easier to maintain. If you don't need all the flexibility they provide, you're better off with something simpler.

If you do need more, and you don't need to run any platform-specific applications, an Apple machine is a fine choice, but you're going to pay a significant premium over what you'd pay for a Windows machine (because the hardware and ongoing support is generally better, not to mention the MacOS operating system is arguably more secure out-of-the-box). If you want to save money upfront and can do your own support, go with Windows. Don't even consider Linux unless you're seriously technical, as adding new hardware and software beyond what came with your Linux distribution can frequently be a complex task.
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Bob C