A battery for your notebook will likely cost somewhere in the realm of $100. The battery on any laptop, Mac or PC, tends to die within a few years unless you take perfect care of it (not leaving it plugged in past the charging time, not charging it unless it's fully depleted, etc). I have had the battery die on a Mac laptop that I used for work. It's not a PC independent problem.

This site has batteries for all makes of computer. You can look up your laptop model and find out what you would be spending:

http://www.batteries.com/_/N-/Ntt-compaq?Ntk=All&searchTerm=compaq

A new PC laptop would be anywhere between $400 and $1200. They're easier to fix, easier to upgrade and more compatible with external plug-ins like monitors and mouses, so if you plan on docking your notebook, that could be a problem. They can get viruses, but only if you're stupid in your browsing and downloading. I got Google Chrome, and it has built-in virus checks for websites. Heck, you can buy a really awesome virus detection program and the laptop for less than the cost of the Mac. So keep that in mind.

A PC will do just about everything but major graphic programs. Unless you're a graphic designer, you probably don't NEED a Mac. Well, really, nobody NEEDS a fancy computer to begin with, but we all like them, don't we? ;)

If your dad is the one buying, he's the one with the say-so. If you're buying, then there's nothing stopping you. Maybe if you're really set on getting a Mac and he's buying the computer, you can have him set what he thinks is a reasonable price limit and you can top up the amount that a Mac would cost.

Thanks so much!(:

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My name is Amanda and I'm 26 years old. I'm currently studying electrical engineering. Armed with a fairly odd sense of humour and a sunny outlook on life, I'll take on just about anything. I'm also cussedly stubborn, which has its ups and downs. Things get tough sometimes, and I've never been one to run from it.

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