The short version:

If you are not sure, get a PC computer or an Android based phone or tablet.
If you are already running an Apple product, replace it with an Apple product.
Similarily, if you are already running a PC computer or an Android based phone or tablet, get the same.
Switching from one platform to the other should only be done when you need to use what family or work is using. Even then, do it under protest because there is a very, very steep learning curve. If you don't have the patience or time to re-educate yourself, stay in your lane.

Switching from one platform to another is extremely painful.

Similarities between platforms

Overall lifespan is the same. You can find examples where either platform lasted forever or failed before it's time.
Day to day reliability is similar. PC products are more susceptible to junk or malicious software being installed simply because they are much more popular. They are target one for the bad guys.
Difficulty operating the devices is the same. Contrary to popular belief, nothing is "intuitive" about either platform and it only gets worse the more they "update" things.
General hardware features are similar. Apple has this irritating habit of changing or eliminating popular connection types and making you use their own products.
The Apple products tend to have a solid "feel" to them. The higher priced PC's have a similar "feel". The cheapest PC's and Android products are all bad.
They are both highly technical devices with the normal day to day problems. It can be an operational issue or an actual failure of some sort. Whatever you go with, you'll have problems and questions.

Apple products are much more expensive than PC's on a dollar to performance/feature basis.
Apple products are very proprietory, making repair much more difficult and expensive. This is getting worse as time goes on.
On the plus side, since Apple is so propriety, their features and product lines are more consistent.
Apple products tend to be less vulnerable to junk and malicious software simply because PC and Android products are so much more popular. Bad guys focus on the majority.
Android phones vastly outnumber Apple phones. However, features are far more consistent with Apple simply because Apple products are built by Apple only, where Android is used by many manufacturers that all add their "special sauce".
The way you run Apple and PC computers, phones and tablets are very, very different. There is little similarity. If all you've worked with are PC's, you will be totally lost on a MAC, and vice versa.
On a personal note, taking apart and servicing late model Apple phone and tablet products are a nightmare. However, Android based phones and tablets are quickly moving up from miserable to nightmare. Because of this we no longer disassemble phones and tablets. However, we still configure and set things up.

All your friends, family and work use Apple products.
You use iMessage religiously.
Printing from your phone is critically important. Apple has much better printer support.
Money is no object.
You love the Apple styling, both hardware and visual.
Your previous phone or tablet is an Apple product and you liked it.
Your existing phone is an Apple product and you're looking for a tablet, or vice-versa.
Feature consistency year over year is important.
Gaming on your phone or tablet is crtically important.

All your friends, family and work use PC's or Android products.
You use Gmail and all it's features religiously.
Printing from your phone is not important.
Cost is important. You want the fastest performance at the lowest cost.
You're okay with changes to the "look and feel" of the computer or phone. PC's seem to change often.
Your previous phone or tablet is an Android product and you have not had trouble.
Your existing phone is an Android product and you're looking for a tablet, or vice versa.
Gaming is not important. There are plenty of games available, but it seems like the best ones are part of the Apple universe.