Derek Cornish wrote:

I'm also a bit confused about the relative merits of
the different Mac models (let's assume all using Leopard). What models are people
using, and why?

Derek

A mid-scale white MacBook purchased mid-2007, but now running Leopard. Sorry, I don't have the exact specs (Core 2 Duo?) because it's not with me at the moment, but I use it on a daily basis mostly for planning, writing and numerical analysis, for which it is perfectly suited, usually with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and an external 22-inch screen, which it drives happily.

I wouldn't use it for gaming or video editing; for those I think a MacBook Pro or a top-end desktop would probably be required. But from the Scrivener forum I understand people have successfully run writing software such as Scrivener and similarly demanding apps on previous-generation, pre-MacBook laptops - probably more smoothly under Tiger rather than Leopard.