Which is not to say that there aren't plenty of real reasons to select a computer that runs Windows, even after you've investigated all your options. As a confirmed platform agnostic whose home is overrun with both Windows machines and Macs, I find myself recommending Windows machines to about half my friends and acquaintances who seek computer-shopping advice, and Macs to the other half. So I was happy when PC World asked me to write this article and a --and I had plenty to say in both instances.

Here's my list of the eight most compelling reasons to buy a computer whose operating system hails from Redmond. I've ranked them in order of importance as I see it. But as always with anything relating to technology, your priorities are almost certainly at least somewhat different than mine.

You can buy a portable Windows computer that . Or that stretches the definition of "portable." Some Windows computers are ; others are . There are ones for , for , and for . In short, you can almost certainly find a Windows PC aimed at you--and usually a bunch of them competing for your dollars. By contrast, Apple has a grand total of nine different Mac models, none of which cater to specialized audiences.