Mac...hands down...especially if you want quality and ease of use without Shista hassles, or Crappy Dell construction.
Sony...meh...they are overpriced and full of their own extra BS.
Mac, not as pricey as Sony, not as cheap as Dell (don't let those "extreme markdowns" fool you, Dell grossly exaggerates their deals).
Educational discount with Apple is about $100 off the mid to high spec MacBook and about $200 the MacBook Pros.
Educational Pricing
So, if you want straight up quality, are willing to live on the edge to learn a new OS, and ease of use go Mac. I used to work for them, I'm pretty good at troubleshooting anything Mac related. Also, with a Mac, you get international coverage for service. When you call Tech Support, its someone in the US and if you are near any of the Apple Retail stores you can bring your Mac to them for advice, help, tech support and service. You don't get that from Dell, Sony, HP, Gateway (their retail stores died a loooong time ago) or Best Buy (the geek squad is overrated). IM, PM or e-mail me any questions or if you just feel like it.
UNECOM 2010...1st Year is OVER!!! Woooo HOOOOO
