I’ve been considering the purchase of a new laptop over the past few months and have narrowed my decision between the MacBook Pro and the Dell Studio XPS 16. Unlike most people I am a Mac and I am a PC (where’s this commercial?), so I’m not scared of switching to another operating system. My decision stands on the benefits of each computer.

It’s interesting to be purchasing a laptop in this market. Apple is increasing it’s market share and this has been scaring Microsoft, it shows in their recent "I’m a PC" ads featuring "regular people" all purchasing new laptops under $1,500. Advertisements are nice but they do not sway my opinion. Neither does Lauren or Giampaolo (see video after the jump). "This is so sexy, but Macs to me are about aesthetics more than they are about the computing power," Giampaolo says in the new advertisement, and ends up choosing an HP (actually a HP HDX). Prince McLean (Apple Insider) debunks many of the myths presented in the new advertisement by comparing the computer Giampaolo buys and the Mac he was considering. Even with this comparison, PC’s are generally cheaper than Macs, an argument that trumps a lot of reasoning in hard economic times. So how do you choose?

It’s about the features baby!

The decision is going to come down to features. Although I’m definitely spending more than $1,500 on a new computer; the system is going to support a lot of my needs. I need a system that can handle a lot of heavy duty tasks, from web designing and programming to DJ’ing and music editing, to new tools to help feed my social media habits! While software is a concern, a majority of the software I use exists on both Mac’s and PC’s. I need a system that will last for more than a year or two. Mac seems to have PC’s beat in this arena, as much of their offerings are tied into the system such as the iSight camera and included software of iLife. For less than a Mac, I could get a Dell Studio XPS 16 with many features that are similar to the MacBook for less with a larger hard drive.

Dude! You’re getting a…

At this point I’m swaying between both systems. I even asked my friends to help sway my opinion, but they haven’t been helpful. Most of them say there isn’t a difference between Mac and PC’s (where’s peer pressure when you need it?) The MacBook’s are sexy, because they provide a lot of features, computing power and ability. I believe the Mac OS is a better operating system than XP or Vista. However PC’s are cheaper, and may add more value for your dollar and they do come very close. This is a tough choice, I wish there was a way to compare both systems for a month each, and then compare my computing life with each one (if there is a way, I would do it!)

My decision is going to require a deeper investigation.