Computer Questions, do they ever end?

[d-dave]

So I used to be really computer literate. I could be a sweet at windows 98 machine from the ground up...in 1999. As I've worked and gotten married, I've lost the time to catch up and now I am totally confused, and trying to help my wife decide on her next laptop is incredibly difficult. There are two parts to the equation: WTF is going on with the new technology? and Macbook versus similarly spec'd Toshiba/Dell?

First off: Have intel and AMD lost their minds making these new processors so difficult to describe to a laymen? I've looked up the specs for the new batch of AMDs and intels and I come away scratching my head and wondering how you're supposed to know which laptop to buy? Intel or AMD? This leads to the next part...

This is where the real "I have no idea what its doing" part of things. My wife is a teacher and she does a lot of multimedia work. From creating and editing audio/video tracks, to burning DVDs, to photo collages, etc. She's trying to go high tech for her students and as part of a project she's working on. So that makes me say "Get a Mac." I say that because their programs for audio and video rock and are supper easy. My problem comes up when I look at the price. The $1200 for the 13.3" with a core 2 duo processor (old tech I'm pretty sure) is kind of a tough pill to swallow when you can get a better, bigger PC for much less. My wife has had her toshiba for seven years (which I'm using because it won't attach files in her gmail), and it's really showing its age.

So Oh Huddle-Nerds-of-l337-knowledge, help an aging, confused, slightly drunk husband help his wife make the right decision. Her friends are saying macbook, and I can't disagree too much for her needs. Though I'd love for her to get a PC so maybe with the extra dough, I can get a new computer as my HP is a piece of garbage.

[g5jamz]

Tomshardware.com might help.

[SorthNarolina]

I love Macs but really they aren't worth the premium.

tomshardware.com is a great site to ask questions. But what you really want to look at there is their Deal sections

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/vizio-logicbuy-deals-core-i7-blu-ray,10993.html

heres the most recent one they have a 1,000 dollar laptop that will blow that Mac out of the water.