If he's just using it for internet, a netbook would be a good solution. It's lightweight and great for travel with built-in wireless. It's also cheaper.
Macs are status symbols. Someone in my family (not me) impulsively bought a Mac because their perfectly-fine XP laptop wasn't stylish enough. I can do the same things on each, editing photos, videos, presentations, etc. The only difference is the cost: Macs are just as, if not more, expensive overall.
If your friend buys a Mac, make sure he buys the Apple Protection plan. It's a bit pricey, but well worth it when things break. (My family member felt that buying the Plan for an extra $200 at purchase was beyond their budget. Really, really bad choice.)
Macs have hardware issues and Apple intentionally prevents cheap workarounds for lasting very long in their well-intentioned endeavour to keep their computers "standard." While there are plenty of alternatives to fixing a broken Microsoft computer, there are very few places to take a broken Mac. Unless you have an Apple store/service center nearby, you'll have to ship and send the computer out for repairs. (There are some independent Apple-certified repair shops, but check with the local Better Business Bureau - some are better than others. Some are dreadful and take forever to "kind of fix" things.)
For example: our Mac's Ethernet port suddenly stopped working. It wasn't dropped and the port was rarely even used because we have a wireless network at home. Because the port is soldered onto the main board, Apple will have to replace the entire main board. Without the Plan, it's close to $1,000, but they'll fix other problems as well, including the plastic casing that's discolored and cracked in spots. (That's from poor materials/manufacturing - we take very good care of computers around here. Occupational hazard.)
Your friend should also be aware of the ongoing cost of the operating system. Unlike Microsoft Windows free "Service Packs" and updates for their product, Apple releases upgrades very regularly and they cost about $20-30 for each update.
To fix our ethernet port problem, we could just use a USB-to-Ethernet adapter that cost $25. Buuuuut, we must first upgrade two OS releases (minimum $30) to get the adapter to work. Still, the workaround is less than $100, compared to the $1,000 repair quote.
If only the impulsive buyer had spent $200 at purchase time to get the repair plan....
She's still using her old reliable XP computer, though. It just keeps on going...
The non-Apple Mac boards say that it's just a matter of time before Apple realizes that people are using that workaround and they put code in the Operating System to shut it down unless you have the Mac model they created the adapter for originally. Shame on me for trying an inexpensive workaround instead of chasing a $1,000 repair.
I don't get the complaints about Microsoft computers constantly freezing, getting infected, etc. I work in computers and other than one virus attack (thanks to the same impulsive Mac purchaser) I haven't had any problems on my three MS XP comptuers at home. I do keep my computer's virus protection up to date, scan regularly (including Adware), and run operating system/software updates just a little behind schedule.
Since most businesses use Microsoft products instead of Macs, there are more viruses and other threats designed to attack Microsoft computers. However, interest in the hacker community has turned towards Apple because they realize that people who are careless about security and non-tech savvy tend to use Macs. That makes them an easy target and there have been a few attacks already. Intego is a Mac virus-protection software vendor, if you're interested.
There are several reports about virus-laden OS 10 upgrades for sale on eBay. Be careful when you buy software/upgrades to be sure you're getting the real thing and not a hacked version.
The computer security sites are warning of more Mac Attacks in the future, so don't get lulled into a false sense of security thinking an Apple computer will be immune.
One more view of the future: Microsoft Vista was NOT well-received, much as the Microsoft Win98-to-Win2000 effort tanked. People just didn't upgrade their XP computers to Vista. Microsoft is now working on "Windows 7.0" which is scheduled for release next month (Oct 2009) but will probably reach the streets in late 2009/early 2010.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/170342/upgrading_to_windows_7_why_bother.html
Many companies that are running XP aren't interested in Vista or Win 7 because of the security and stability issues.
