I had a MacBook as my work machine before I got laid off. I liked it just fine. My mom has an iMac -- when her old machine died, she was convinced to go Mac by my son, my two brothers-in-law, and me -- despite the fact that at the time *none* of us had Macs.

Now, for *my* money, I'd talk to my kid, get parts online or at Micro Center, and put together a Linux box (most likely Ubuntu). I can make a kickass machine for lots cheaper than any Windoze box out there (much less a Mac), and it has the added advantage of not touching M$ (which I won't have, yes it's a bit of a religious issue).