PC vs MAC laptop as music server

Smoffatt - how do you like your ARC dac7? i heard it at rmaf and it sounded nice. have you compared coax vs usb to see if there is any difference in the quality?

I'd be concerned about keeping an archive on either type of laptop. I've had harddrives go out on two of my laptop PCs and one of my PowerBook Pros. If you back up with a RAID (preferably wireless and automatically) then you'll be fine with either well selected laptop, IMHO. My Sony Viao is as expensive as a Powerbook but much better suited to audio, but either will serve your needs.

Dave

Mac - I'm just putting a music server together. I noticed that no-one answered one of the Smoffatt's requirements - i.e., 24 bit/96 khz playback from Hi Rez downloads from HD Tracks.
I've just installed a PCI card from M-Audio (Audiophile 2496) that inputs and outputs 24/96 data. I have it in my Dual 1.42 GHz Processor PowerPC G4 Deskside, running OS-10.5.7. I intend to insert 2 internal 1 GB drives in a RAID configuration - it will hold up to 4 internal drives (ATA/EIDE). My intention is to build up a HiDef digital library. I intend to transfer my thousands of records by sampling them at 24/96 from a very good vinyl playback system. I intend to sample the output from my $30,000 Audio Note DAC 5, rather than rip them from the CD - I'm hoping this will produce better sound thru the 24/96 DAC than I would get thru a cheaper CD-DAC when I sell my DAC 5.
I don't know what music library management system to use. iTunes won't hold the 24/96 audio. I also plan to purchase all future music from HD Tracks (HDtracks.com) in 24/96 format (FLAC because of it's error correction capabilities for downloads & lossless compression on my HD). I don't know what s/w will convert the FLAC to 24/96 on the fly as I play the music. If I can't find such an on the fly converter, I may have to store them on my HD in the full 24/96 format, which will take up substantially more space.
I don't know for sure yet, but I think my 24/96 M-Audio card will also playback 24 bit/88 kHz as well as 44 & 48 kHz and iPod music.
Any thoughts on any of the above would be appreciated.
Music library/playback server s/w - FLAC convertor - Audiophile 2496 capabilities - ... - all for a Mac - PC is not an option

I would like to close this thread with an update. I have acquired a MacBook Pro. More convenient to me than a Mini. I have downloaded some albums from HD Tracks into Itunes. Playing those through Ipod>Wadia dock>ARC Dac7.
Sounds pretty darn good. I have yet to play the 96/24 tracks i downloaded. Need to convert them to AIFF first so i can play via Itunes.

Next, i would like to hook up my Mac directly to my Dac7 via USB to assess the sonic differences vs Ipod/Dock.
Thank You All for the feedback.
Nice thread.