I'm currently running Snow Leopard on my MacBook Pro and it's flying.
I decided to do a full wipe and install as it hasn't had one since the original Leopard OS came out.
I've had several GB's of much needed disk space back, it boots, sleeps and wakes from sleep way quicker. The Finder seem *much* snappier (about time Apple overhauled that).
The text selection out of PDF files has already been useful and the new quicktime is handy for editing and converting stuff quickly (specifically the footage off my little HD camcorder).
Very pleased. A 30% average increase in performance for £25 is the cheapest performance upgrade ever, much better value than new hardware.
Martyn: Your problems sound software based, so there's no point in buying a new Windows machine, it comes with the same software after all. New hardware (ie new laptop) won't fix your problems. It's all about the config of what you've got.
On a side note, In the last 3 years you've spent the same on these cheapo laptops as buying a Mac. The combined cost of those 3(?) machines would be the same as a refurb Mac direct from Apple and it would still be working and valuable today. As you've not saved any money (frankly it's cost you more) and only had headaches I really don't understand why you're looking at spending yet another two or three hundred pounds on another piece of no name junk running the same dodgy software that you don't know how to fix.
I'm writing this on my 3 year old MacBook Pro which I've had while you've bought about 3 machines. Granted mine was a high end machine when ?I bought it so big $$$, but it's still worth £700ish today according to ebay prices...
I just don't understand your logic, it has cost you the same (or more if you account for resale value), has caused you nothing but hassle, yet you keep doing it?
I'm not saying go and buy a Mac (I don't care what you do as it doesn't impact me), I'm just curious as to how you think buying yet another cheap PC running the same software is going to solve your problem. That's what I don't understand. I have to respect PC owners eternal optimism that a new machine is somehow going to solve their woes. It's admirable.