Title says it all. For someone new to the field, which platform would be the most versatile? I plan on using X-ways and some other open-source software. Thanks!  

With Mac you can use Bootcamp and run Windows and have the best of both worlds. That said, personally I prefer the configurability of WinTel and don't like how Apple tries to control your whole ecosystem. Therefore I'm much more inclined to build a powerful Windows system and buy a Mac Mini or something relatively cheap for when I need to work/test in the Mac environment.
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Tony Patrick, B. Inf Tech, CFCE
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I will vote for PC Laptop.

Here is what I bought this summer.
Thinkpad T420 (I need the trackpoint and classic keyboard) with ESATA(very rare nowadays)
I5 CPU, 16GB Ram, 3 Harddrives (OS=128GB msata SSD, Storage=500GB 7200rpm stock harddrive, Cache=256GB SSD in CDRom caddy) and a additional USB3.0 Express card

With this laptop, I can run EnCase v7 and FTK 4.0 without complaints. I dont think you cannot find any Apple Macbook providing the same flexibility and connectivity.  

I am also new to the DF field, however, have worked as a programmer and software testing, for many years. Please consider my input in that context.

I dont' see the choice as mutually exclusive. I like using my Macbook Pro as a host analysis system. From that box, I can run VMware (or an alternate virtualization app) and have Linux, Windows, and now OS X running in different versions and configurations. That said, I can see the advantage of also having a dedicated Windows 7 box for testing specific tools and situations, but, that would be a luxury at this point.

I have VMs that are themselves analysis systems (Win XP SP3, Ubuntu 10.04/12.04, SIFT, BT5, etc) I have sandbox VMs for Windows XP, 7, 8, and Ubuntu. With your preference for open source tools, having Linux available in a VM should be something to consider. The tools you will be using are cross platform (perl, java, python, etc) Windows has some limitations as does OS X. However, I can download and compile most open source on my OS X system.

What I am learning is it's about having the right tools for the job. These days, with the variety of devices and OS's, you will need an equal variety of tools.

Scott  

Thanks for the replies so far. I should probably throw it out there that I already have a beastly desktop PC that I built a couple months ago.  

Well, if you get a Mac, you can get the latest in a long line of fashionable, easy to use laptops that run both Windows and OS X. Plus, if you have an iPod, iPhone, or iPad, it will integrate beautifully with those.

On the other hand, if you get a PC laptop, you can get a machine with similar specs to a Mac, plus a new sports car for the same amount of money.  

- mr.mccartney

Thanks for the replies so far. I should probably throw it out there that I already have a beastly desktop PC that I built a couple months ago.

You've not supplied enough information to get a useful answer. What do you envisage using the machine for? What's important? Performance? Expandability? Weight? Screen quality? Cost?
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