Before I start I'll give you some background.

I have used PC's all my life and spent 2 years administering an NT network, so there is a tiny wee bit of PC bias in here - but I'll try and keep it under control!

I work for a web design co. as an account manager, and thus I need a Mac laptop. I have been living with it now for 4 months so here's the report so far.

The plus points are numerous. It is fairly quick and not too noisy and dead easy to cart about (it has a really nifty handle on the back) The battery lasts about 4 hours and it has an inbuilt USB port , network card and modem (later models have a firewire port)......

.....and yes, yes I admit it - it does look gorgeous! I get a fair amount of slagging for it looking like a handbag - but I'd much rather have that on my desk than a big beige box. Helpful tip for novices! Don't use it in a crowded airport terminal, as you'll be mobbed!

And the downsides?? Well there are a few minor ones such as the casing getting manky easily, the gorgeous Apple logo looking scruffy after a few months and the USB being on the "wrong" side for a right handed mouse-r like myself. However the really big deal is the screen. It is pretty small (compared to a PowerBook) and the resolution only goes up to 800x600. This means when viewing web site (which is mostly 800x600) you end up having to scroll left and right!

This can get annoying, as can the lack of memory noted by others. However I always find the best way to do this is to increase the individual program's allocation.

So the crunch question. Would I spend my own money on it?? Well if it was me I'd have a desktop and a PDA but if I really needed a laptop - this wee beauty would definitely be in with a should - it's not that pricey when you think of is as art !