My desktop runs on Windows 8 while I have a MacBook for school work. I only recently purchased the MacBook but I am quite satisfied with it thus far because it works well with my other Apple products (iPhone, iPad, iTunes, etc.), considering they sync with each other through iCloud. I had used Microsoft's OneDrive in the past but instead of it backing up my files, it was deleting them.
But yes, using a Mac takes a bit of a learning curve, especially if you are like me and had used Windows for most of your life. But after exploring around, it is quite straight forward to use.
Of course, price is a major factor for a lot of individuals and Apple products do not come cheap. For the activities you named, I do not think you necessarily need a Mac but if you are looking for something different than Windows, it could be the right choice for you. You have to head back to Best Buy and play around with it some more. And I recommend watching some how-to YouTube videos to get a sense of it, perhaps even some Mac v. Windows videos so you know exactly what you are getting.