Recently I've been asked by a few people to offer advice on which Mac they should purchase.  These people  are usually not new to Apple, having experienced owning and iPod, and are interested in switching.

For a student about to enter a college.  First off, check if the University has a recommended computers list.  A lot of colleges nowadays actually recommend specific models of Apple computers for incoming students.  For example, the Engineering College of the University of Cincinnati used to recommend the MacBook Pro.  This is a very powerful portable machine.  The 15" model is a common favorite and both my wife and I own one.

In most cases colleges have discount programs with Apple where the student can purchase one on-line for a decent discount.  Some colleges include one with the first year tuition.  Also, Apple has launched the annual back-to-school programs which provide attractive pricing and other combinations of hardware and software.

There is also usually excellent pricing on Software for students.  When my wife went to college at The University of Cincinnati she was able to purchase a legal, licensed, copy of Microsoft Office for Mac OS X for $10.00.

And always check the Apple Education Store to see if you qualify for a discount.

If, like many students, you're on a tight budget, the MacBook is the way to go.  

For a working professional.  The question comes down to mobility and cost.  

If you are inclined to purchase a desktop computer, I really think the newest version of the iMac is a great solution.  They look good and provide a lot of value for the buck.  A friend of mine has one in is living room on an end-table next to the couch.  I recommended this computer to one of my brother's for his family.  It's a hassle free installation and I know I won't get a lot of technical support phone calls.

An inexpensive way for an existing Windows computer user to get a Mac is to purchase the Mac mini.  It retails for around $600 and allows the owner to use an existing display, USB keyboard and USB mouse.  I have a friend that has one and he loves it.

I prefer mobility.  The MacBook Pro is the way to go.  The 15" model is the most popular.  I prefer the extra "real estate" of the 17" screen if you can afford it and are willing to carry around a larger computer.  These notebook computers are the best on the market.

Options.  Disk space is always good.  Purchase the largest drive you can get.  I have an 80GB drive on my older notebook computer and have needed to add an external storage for all of my music and other support files.

Memory helps performance.  I think most models come standard with 1GB nowadays.  And that's actually very good.  However, go to 2GB if you can afford it.  Now a note of caution.  I've learned, the hard way, that matching the correct speed for memory chips to these newer fast computers can be difficult.  If the chips are not exactly correct, you can get random system crashes (just like when you run Windows).  As expensive as it is, I tell people to pay for memory from Apple when they purchase a computer.  I've had good and bad experiences with 3rd party memory in the past 5 years.  My time is worth more to me than the money I save on 3rd party memory.

If you purchase a notebook computer you really don't need an extra battery.  I used to do that, years ago.  Battery technology and power consumption on modern Apple computers has made it possible to run for 4 and 5 hours between charges.  Sure, batteries degrade after a year or two.  I buy a new battery only when I need one now.

For some of the Apple notebook computers you now have an option between a glossy or matte finish display.  I prefer the matte finish.  Here are some things to consider.  The reflective glare of the shiny screen really annoys me.  However, you can use them outdoors in sunlight.  The matte finish displays don't have a chance outdoors.  Most professionals I know select the matte finish but I have met one owner of the glossy screen that was really happy with it.

You won't need to purchase much or any software if you buy a new Mac.  The stuff included is amazingly useful.  Try it all out and look at 3rd party free software like Open Office.  Microsoft makes an excellent version of Office for the Mac.  In fact, many people don't realize that the Microsoft Word and Excel were originally written for the Mac.  Microsoft has always kept the Mac version of the Office products (Word, Excel) feature matched or ahead of the Windows release by 1 year.  Compatibility is not an issue.

A final recommend is that you really should purchase the Apple extended warranty.  Computers like these cost a couple thousand dollars.  With the extended warranty, although it's not cheap, you are covered for a lot of stuff that could go wrong for a much longer time period than the standard warranty.

Blue Ray.  The HD format war is over and Blue Ray HD has won (BD).  At this time Apple doesn't offer a Mac that burns BD discs.  I can't believe that will remain true for long.  It's speculation of course, but I believe that BD burning discs have to be available in Apple products sometime soon.

Intel Macs.  All the new Macs are Intel based.  And they are very fast.  The amazing news is that all these models can be used dual boot where, if you want, you can install Microsoft Windows and reboot your Mac and choose which OS you want to use.  The Mac OS X operating system is years ahead of XP and even Vista.  Except for application that cannot work on OS X, you're not likely to stray from OS X often.  However there are 2 excellent solutions that allows you to run the Windows operating systems in parallel with the Mac OS X system.  You run a single Mac application that has an entire virtual Windows environment running inside a single window.  It's an awesome solution, and here's the best part, if the Windows environment crashes, it's just a single application that exits in OS X.  The OS X system is not impacted at all.  And since these newer Macs are Intel based, performance of the virtual environments is outstanding.  I recommend you look at Parallels and VMWare.  We own a copy of Parallels.