It is only a "political statement" if you wish it to be. If you are wanting to change from Windows to Mac simply because, as you say, you are "sick of Windows errors", then it is not a political statement, it is a personal choice.
A few years after buying my first computer in six years, (Windows), creating a home and small office network, building a couple of Windows based computers, one of which is the new Windows Home Server, I am regretting not making that first purchase a Mac.
I have far too much invested in Windows products now to make the change to all Mac products, and don't have the time to relearn and entirely new OS, but I do wish I had choosen a Mac three years ago.
Why? Basically for the same reasons you are considering changing over. All of the errors, the Windows Registry, and the security issues.
It isn't that a Mac if completely free of security issues. A Mac User needs to use security software/hardware the same as a Windows User. However, due to the more secure OS build, and the fact that Mac only has approximently 5% of the market, malware writters and attackers do not focus on Mac's as much as they do Windows.
Malware writers, and attacker's are into gain now instead of fame, when they write and utilize malware. These are criminals who wish to steal identities, personal information, sell that information, gain access to band accounts, open credit accounts in other people's names, take over computers and turn them into zombies and bot armies, in order to attack domains they have something against, or wish to break into security to steal the largest number of account information, etc.
So, as Windows based OSs have the largest market share, and are by far the largest number of computers in use in business and private computing, this leaves Mac computers much less of a target. That is the reason Mac's tend to be less infected, because the malware is normally written for Windows based computers, not Mac, and the way malware is written, what will infect a Windows OS, won't neccasarily infect a Mac OS.
However, Mac's are just as vulnerable to cracker attacks and there are infections written for these too, and so security must be a consideration, just not as high a consideration.
My sister has used Mac based computers her entire life, and she does not run any security software/hardware solutions (I try to convince her she should, but it is fruitless, untill one day she got a virus which killed her hard drive and she lost a great deal of information, because she hadn't backed it up either, thinking she was safe, as she changes computers every three years, transfering her data from the old to the new, long before the hard drive would die a natural death. She now uses security software, but hadn't for nearly twenty years!)
Now, I do think that Mac's have a much better platform than Windows. It is much more stable, and reliable. However, there is not as much software built for Mac's as Windows, because of that same small 5% market share the Mac has. Software vendor's tend to want to put their money into products which will bring in the highest potential earnings, and so, they tend to write for Windows based computers due to the 90% market share it has.
So, there is less software for the Mac, but it is much more stable and reliable, and to get rid of software, all you do is drag the folder it is in to the garbage bin. You don't need to run any uninstall routine, and you don't have to worry about fragments and other junk left behind. It cleanly removes the software simply by dragging to the garbage.
There are now software vendor's who write different versions of their popular software for Mac as well as Windows. Such as Microsoft Office, and Photoshop.
The major difference I see in a Mac verses a Windows based system is the stability and reliablity, while the Windows OS is better for more software titles, is the largest used OS in the world, which allows for compatibility issues when you wish to take files from a Mac and read or edit them on a Windows, as they are not compatible, less software, such as the Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger versions for Mac are pathetic. Most free software programs are not very good on Mac, because the companies which create the free software, such as Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, etc, put the most effort into Windows, as they dominate the market.
I would say that another benifit of Windows is the price difference, which is what made them the #1 computer in the world, but Mac prices have been steadily dropping, allowing for more individuals to buy.
You see, this is how Mac lost it's market share, when Bill Gates created a computer inexpensive enough for a great many more individuals could afford. This is also how and why the Internet and computers became nearly an every single household phenomena, the affordibility of Windows. So, Microsoft actually created a solid foothold and change for the better in the world of electronics and the computer and Internet as we know it today became a reality.
Before, only those individuals who could afford to spend several thousand dollars on a computer had computers. This kept the Internet from growing.
Now is a good time to change over from Windows to Mac. Prices are very simular now, and the Mac is using Intel chips, and software vendors are now programming for the Mac. The Mac's only disadvantage is slowly eroding, and I believe Apple's Macintosh will slowly begin to truly compete with Windows. The platform is stable and reliable, multimedia is as strong in the Mac.
The major issue is games. The Mac does not do games well. Most are built for Windows and they are too expensive to build for both. If you are an avid gammer, I would not change to Mac.
Also, Microsoft recently came out with the Windows Home Server, which is going to take networking to an entirely new level, and quickly. This Server for home networking is just simply the bomb. Take a look:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver/default.mspx
I am not sure if a Mac can be networked with the Server, but it may be able to. Check it out.
This Home Sever has come at a time when Microsoft needed to keep an edge over Mac. This product is built from the Server 2003, and for those who have any experiance with the full fledged Server 2003, they can access all of its power easily in the Home Server. There are so many ways to use this Server, and it is going to take even more households into the digital age.
Whatever you decide, do so fully informed, and please have a nice day.
*edit* Ok, I must say that Ubuntu may have some neat features, but it is very difficult to learn, having a very steep learning curve, and it does not support many multimedia applications.
About Vista: Vista is not any different than any other baby OS. By "baby OS", I mean one which is new to the market. Every OS has its growing pains. It has to be used, and gotten use too, and then changes can be made to it as Users requrest them. Everyone whines about how difficult Vista is, that it is a resource hog, etc, etc, etc.
However, with all of the new graphics, and games, and television, movie, music, and other multimedia needs of User's these days, we need a system which is strong, and of course all of these types of applications are going to need ever more resources to bring out the power and presitge of them. Games requre a lot of power, grapics and sound. The new high definition media types need power and resources.
Vista, just like XP, will grow up to be a vital and great OS. It is a personal choice for people to "downgrade" to XP from Vista. I don't judge them for doing so, it is their choice. My choice is to give Vista a chance, just as I did XP when it was growing up. I have two computers I use, and XP Media Center Edition I bought, and a Vista Ultimate I built. I also built my Windows Home Server. I have five computers on my home network. I enjoy learning how to properly use Vista, but still use my XP machine for my work. I also use my XP machine for my mutimedia center, and extend it from the Server to my television. I turn off the UAC when I please.
My major disapointment in Vista, is that Microsoft took away the Group Policy and ability to join a Domain from every version except the most expensive, Business and Ultimate. I think it was bad form and a rip off for Microsoft to strip down the Home Premium the way they did.
Make up your own mind on what will work best for you.