I would buy the Macbook, myself. It's true that you don't get as many features for the money, but the quality is top-notch on a Mac, and unless the Dell has something indispensable for you... what do you need a ton of add-ons for? As for knowing your way around the Mac, yes you will encounter frustration at first, as when learning anything new. But when you're done you'll be able to run both Mac and Windows, even at the same time (with virtualization software called 'Parallels') or at different times (with the built in Boot Camp).

Any competently configured PC (and Dell is a PC) is nearly virus-free anyways. There is always the risk, but there is always the risk of a head-on collision when you go out driving. BTW - Macs *can* get viruses too ;) If the price is the same, then I say stick with the one that makes you happier. If you go with the Dell (or any PC) then get yourself a decent anti-virus program. Not Norton or Mcaffee; a *DECENT* one! Avira, Avast, Kaspersky, or Bit Defender.

go for macbook pro it will be a joy to use it.it might be worth waiting until september to buy one,apple release the snow leopard mac osx 10.6 os which will be another great improvement on performance for the macbook pro you say you dont know your way around a macbook its made to be simple and easy to use with a minimal learning curve you will wonder why you didnt get one ages ago.

Virus' should be your last concern here. Your first concern should be to find a computer that will do what YOU want it to do, whether it's a PC or a MAC. Whether you get a PC or a MAC, you NEED to get a good anti-virus program subscription because BOTH can get infected with virus'. I'll leave it to you what to get. I run Norton and XoftSpy. There are several good ones out there, some even free. (See jerv's answer: http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/7131449) Be aware, though, the Norton IS a memory hog. It can slow your computer down, especially when it's running it's virus checks. (You can set it up to do these automatically whenever you wish.) You will find people who like or dislike any particular AV program, but the MOST IMPORTANT thing is that whatever you get WORKS and that you keep your subscription paid for so that you will get the latest updates to your anti-virus files. XoftSpy is an anti-spyware program. It runs about $30 for a two year subscription. It' provides protection against adware, spyware, pop-Up generators, keyloggers, trojans, hijackers, and malware. (Which means it's also in part an antivirus program.) However, since it works differently than AV programs, I've had no problems running both it and Norton together, like I hear you can have with trying to run two dedicated AV programs on the same computer. XoftSpy also has a registry cleaner as well, to keep your registry streamlined and uncluttered. https://paretologic.com/products/xoftspyse/ I HIGHLY recommend that you have BOTH a good AV program and a GOOD antispyware program on your computer. What slips by one will more likely be caught by another. You don't have to use what I do...but you DO need protection! I hope this helps.