For a general-use laptop, is it worth it to pay a lot more for an Apple instead of a PC?

[Stuck in the Middle Ages]

And how is Windows 7 compared to Vista? For all the Vista problems I hear about, I've had relatively few problems with it on my desktop over the last two-plus years.

For the record, we use the computer for (1) connecting with our workplaces; (2) creating Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents; and (3) learning/practicing computer programming and learning how to create websites. Generally, we're not gamers who need great graphics, though decent graphics would be nice.

Thanks.