I’m in the same situation as your Rachel. My xp laptop is running just fine, but I sure am tempted by the new mini mac. Only a few problems for me: having a laptop, I have no spare keyboard nor monitor.
I also like the right-click in windows, which I see macs lack.
Sure, I could get a laptop mac, but then here comes the final problem hitting me (as a student): applications prices. I have full versions of ms office, DW, topstyle, photoshop and a few other apps. Talking to the guys in the Apple store in London i found out that I would have to re-purchase all of my applications again, Photoshop CS and all. Great. Having just upgraded, I’m in now way able to afford to repurchase all of my software just to use it on another OS. I know thats my problem for being poor and a student, but thats my main roadblock to macland at the moment.
As i would love to be using macs, though, I have slightly prepared myself to the change. Im using AquaDock instead of the start button; although one major difference i found was the taskbar. In windows, you want to switch back to firefox from word. Easy, you click on Word. On a mac, you select some text in the corner, revealing a list of open apps, and move down to Word, then select that. Why the hastle!

Anyway, hope it all works out well in the end for you. Sorry for the slightly off-topic rant 🙂