<human>: Can you condense the text into a few key points?

I'm hoping reddit can help me **BIG** on this one. I was recently let go from my previous position of three+ years of Help Desk work. Before that I worked in a PC repair shop for 5 years.  Needless to say, I haven't worked with Macs or OSX a terrible amount.  

Now I have an interview set up in 3.5 weeks with a company to do field service work (basically trouble-shooting copiers and such).  It's not my dream gig, but at least it will provide some income for my family. When I called to ask more about the position, I was told that it required "firm knowledge of Window XP (check), Windows Server 2003/2008 (check check), and Windows Vista/Windows 7 (easy-peasy). Also Mac OSX (oh piss)." Apparently many of the clients are art houses that only use Macs.

It's been far too long since I was able to regularly use OSX, and the last time I did, to say I fumbled like an idiot child would be an overstatement. I'm up for buying a new PC, but I simply can't afford the "Apple Tax" in light of recent events. Even the refurbs I have found are insanely high.
 
I've also kicked around the idea of putting together a Hackintosh, but I'm afraid that by them time I get the parts, build it, and have it functional that there will be very little time to use it for its needed purpose.

My only other PC I can't really chance something happening to it on a Hackintosh load due to it being my main/only job hunting tool at the moment. 

Is there anyone that help me find an affordable Mac ~~computer~~ laptop so I can train myself up on basic functions enough to be able to talk my way through this interview? I'm looking for anything here. I've never been unemployed, and having a family that's relying on me now, it's really making me freak out.

Thanks for reading
<bot>: I'm recently unemployed and the only gig in my field I can find requires knowledge of OSX, which I'm mostly in the dark on. Looking to find an OSX box on the cheap to learn ASAP