i hate macs because there is very limited options and flexibility. you will never learn how to USE your computer if you own a mac. 
i don't know about all other pcs, but let me tell you, don't ever buy HP, they are not reliable, neither are they durable. i own a dell studio xps and i love it. it's been 2 years since i brought it and still runs like a champ. plus, dell's customer service is excellent. example: my lappy slowed down a lil bit, they gave me new hard disk, a plastic decoration on the side of screen got misaligned a lil bit and they replaced the whole screen with a new one! 
go for dell (cheap and good), or sony (expensive and good).