Ahh, the age old questions debated since the dawn of time…cats or dogs, left or right, Jobs or Gates, Beatles or Stones,
Mac or
PC ? Few other topics may divide the tech community as much as the question “Mac or PC?”
The camps used to be easy to split. Graphic artists and designers liked Macs, and “other” business people usually worked on PCs. There were always file compatibility issues and learning curves that came from the two very different systems if you went back and forth. That was when the battle was merely taking place on desks across the world. We’ve even seen the stereotypes exacerbated on TV where Mac commercials portray the PC owner as frumpy and out of touch, and the Mac owner as younger, hipper, and cooler.
Now it’s not so clear. With the emergence of the iPod, laptops and Macbooks, mobile phones and tablets, the lines have blurred. Apple has moved its way into most of our lives with one product or another. Where most of your friends used to be PC or Mac, now most of your friends have probably (including me) been seduced slowly into the iWorld with one gadget or another, whether it’s a music player, phone or just iTunes on a PC.
The good news is both of you Mac and PC fans are right! The lines between Mac and PC have blurred a bit, and there are more similarities between the two platforms than there have been in the past. But in a lot of ways, it still comes down to what you’ll be doing on a day to day basis, and what you want to spend on a system.
A recent post at
Wisegeek points out that speedwise, PC and Mac are pretty much on even ground, with both integrating Intel “Core” i3, i5, and i7 CPUs. Wisegeek gives the gaming advantage to PC, mostly based on game availability and the ease and choice in upgrading PC video cards. Mac wins out in the apps department, with cool choices like Garageband, and is still often seen as the go to choice for editing and graphics production, according to Wisegeek.
Macs have always been lauded for their lack of virus issues as opposed to PC, but Macs are beginning to have more issues with infections than in the past. Mac virus issues have been in the news of late, with the Flashback virus potentially infecting some 600,000 Macs.
Windows PCs often seem to be more “crash prone” than Macs. There are more PC users out there, and hackers are trying to attack the majority of computers and users that happen to be using Windows PCs. Who can forget the Windows 98 crash years ago embarrassing Bill Gates on live TV?
PCs are often seen as more affordable than Macs. You’ll see a lot of customized PCs, where that’s not as much an option in the Mac world. Macs come much sleeker looking out of the box, but they’re not as easy to upgrade as a PC. PC wins out in the selection battle as well, as there are just more models and variations of PCs out there than Macs. Many companies pump out PCs, but only one company makes Macs. Obviously the market share leans much more into the PC column.
Macs are often said to be easier to use than PCs, that they are more intuitive. If you make the switch from one to another, there’s a definite learning curve. Mac always seems like a slicker, cooler, experience, while PCs usually seem…efficient.
Macs are known for their sleek and cool design and packaging. Most Apple products have not only great functional, ergonomic design, but also tremendous aesthetic appeal. Admittedly, PCs have gotten sleeker and cooler looking, but Apple is still a (if not the) leader in the design category. Apple also has the advantage of providing great service. Stories from the Apple Store of service are nearly awe-inspiring. Drive by any Apple store and you’ll often see a crowd shopping, and sometimes even a line out the door!
As far as refurbished products, Apple is the leader as well. Apple refurbs are known for being completely and reliable re-checked, re-built, and warranted. PCs aren’t known for the refurb quality that Macs have. You hear more people looking for refurbished Macs than refurbished PCs. Apples are also built by Apple with Apple components. (As a company in the business of selling a great number of refurbished PCs, do we want to be saying this in this way?)
Macs still seem to have the advantage when it comes down to working with digital video, graphics, music or multimedia. Macs offer a range of music, photo, and video editing capabilities and applications not comparable in the PC world.
Then there’s the “cult” moniker association with Mac and Apple. I see all kinds of Apple stickers on cars, but I don’t see stickers for PCs. Apple has extreme customer loyalty associated with the brand. There’s no denying Apple and its products have always been cutting-edge and groundbreaking. PC just can’t win in the mystique battle – it’s no contest there.
So when it comes down to the bottom line, Mac or PC, what are we looking at? This
infographic sums it up pretty well.
Mac wins in stability, security, and reliability. Macs are better for working on multimedia projects, working with typography, and color-matching.
PC wins out in affordability, selection, gaming, big screen connectivity, software compatibility, and 3D rendering.
So if you’re looking at buying a PC or Mac, figure out what’s important to you. What are you wanting to do? What do you want to spend? Both PCs and Macs can do the same stuff, just differently and with different efficiencies. You can browse the Web on both, you can work with documents and projects on both, you can play games on both, and you can edit music, graphics and movies on both.
I’ve found that the bottom-line factor when buying a computer is what you’ve used in the past; whether you’re used to Mac or PC, at work or at home.
At the end of the day, whether paint brush or power saw, computers are tools for creating something new or getting a job done.
So what is it for you? Mac or PC? Why one over the other? What else should be considered when making the choice? Share your thoughts!
