About a year ago I bought a new laptop for DDs as I use my computer for work all the time. I bought a MAC book too and we absolutely love it! Unfortunately, the FTP site we use for transcription is not yet compatible with a MAC.

Additionally, I have to use Word and sometimes when you type in word on a MAC and pull the document in a MS environment you get some funky things. There is a program that helps with this but since I don't use it for work I didn't purchase it.

All in all I love the MAC computers (used one when I went back to school and now have our laptop). We have had no problems with it at all.

EDIT: AZJanie Compusa does sell used/refurbished computers that you can get with XP on them. The prices aren't too bad at all.