The problem with Mini PC's is that you've got a choice between desktop Linux and Windows. The beauty of a Mini Mac is that you've got OSX. Windows may be "usable" -- but the flip side is that you get to worry about what might come along to destroy your machine. Yes, even the most recently patched XP SP2. You have a valid point about your expensive software becoming unusable when switching to a Mac... until you realize that you'll be asked to purchase new software if and when Microsoft ever finishes Longhorn and forces you to upgrade to it. Either way, you're shelling out. You have to ask yourself how much pain you're willing to tolerate in the meantime. I switched in mid-2002, before the adware/spyware/security problems got really bad. I switched because I could simply do more with OSX. With each release of the OS, Apple widens the gap. Switching was the most practical thing for me to do.