Getting more computer for your money

The simple answer to that would go with a PC.  The best answer is go build your own.  It really isn't that hard anymore.  Anyone that can use a computer could do it now, if you can't then you probably have a friend or relative that can....me being the friend or relative in my circle of life, lol.  There are so many great websites out there that offer awsome deals on PC components such as frys.com and newegg.com.  You can build a Quad Core 2 pc for under $1000, I did in December of '07 and prices are even lower now.  If you took that same $1000 and tried to get an Apple you have 3 options: first the entry level macbook with hardly any bells and whistles, secondly a mac mini which isn't much to shake a stick at, or lastly a used mac you can find on ebay or craigslist.  And when that mac is outdated in 2 years, there's no upgrading it just replacing it.  With a name brand PC you dollar goes further still, and upgrades are possible such as RAM or a better videocard but usually doing so on your own can void the warranty.  With some name brands for $1000 you can get something with a Blu-Ray burner or a Quad Core 2 cpu.  But to get your dollar to go the furthest you have to build your own PC.  By doing that I have a system that has a Quad Core 2 cpu, a Blu-Ray burner, 4GB of RAM, an 8600GTS videocard, a 500GB Hard Drive and more USB ports than I know what to do with.  It's all about finding the best deals and there are sales all the time.  Buying everything at the same time isn't necessarily the best thing, somethings like the hard drive and video card go on sale quite often, while the cpu and optical drive (CD/DVD/Blu-Ray) don't drop in price as often or as quickly.

About the worst thing you can do to limit your dollar is to buy a Mac, don't do it.  The famed Macbook Air as limited and simple as it is still costs $1800, quite a lot for not much of a computer.

Buying a name brand PC is great, just try to stay away from the boxed sets at shops like Best Buy and other such stores.  Try to order online, usually shipping is minimal or free above a certain price bracket depending on the manufacturer/retailer.

Building your own PC has always been the best way to go and with all the help you can get online and from friends or family it's never been easier to do so.