MAC or PC..... why?

bzmommy34

My Toshiba laptop just died on me after only two years. The Dell before that lasted about that long as well. I've always been a PC girl but am I missing out by not going MAC? Any opinions and/or advice appreciated!

runnercheryl

I've used both, but would only ever buy a PC. Macs are media computers. I need a good all-rounder.

dancingdeer

I've used both and prefer a Mac. It's more intuitive and I like having the iCloud feature - if you have an iPhone, all your photos and calendars update automatically on all your devices. Take a photo with your phone - automatically have it on your Mac at home. Pretty cool. Also works for the iPad.

katesnewbody

Macs are superior systems because they are simply BUILT BETTER. They are built to last, and they are built to do it beautifully, at that.

My friend received an older Macbook for her graduation gift. It is now close to six years old and runs WAAAY faster, and can run more programs at once than my mom's one year old HP computer.

Here's a list I'd find helpful in your situation!
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/101-undeniable-reasons-why-mac-is-better-than-pcs/

lmkelly679

I bought a macbook pro almost a year ago and i'll never go back to a pc. Mac's are amazing! It wasn't hard adjusting to it either, i just sat down with it for awhile and played around with it. The guy who sold it to me also showed me a few things in the store after setting it up for me. It does cost much more than a pc but its worth it, it'll last much much longer. Also, whenever windows comes out with a new version it costs a ton to update it. With mac it was only $30 through the app store and took 15 min to update. Go into an apple store, play around with them and talk to one of the employees.

elcieloesazul

Once you go Mac, you never go back. But, seriously. It's user-friendly, fantastic for digital media/arts, fast, well-built, and sleek-looking. I got one for school; it's one of my favorite purchases.

Elleinnz

I've used both, but would only ever buy a PC. Macs are media computers. I need a good all-rounder.

Absolutely not true - I work as an IT Project Manager, and use a Mac - there is nothing a PC can do that you can't do an a Mac - it is as much an alrounder as a PC - and the Mac is much cooler, very easy integration with my iPhone, iPad through the iCloud - and yes - it is very nice for editing and playing with my hobby - photography.....

That said - if you have never used a Mac you do need to learn the few "tweaks" that is different from Windows machines - but to me that was all part of the fun .......

Yes - I am a Mac Girl through and through :-)

fionat29

If you are a PC person, the only thing I'd say is that the Mac takes A LOT of getting used to!! We replaced our PC with a mac last year and although I used to use the PC all the time, I'm rarely on the Mac because it is SO different. Husband has put parallels on it so that we can still use some of the old PC programs on it but even so it's a bit scary. If you want to cross over to the dark side (Ha ha!!) I'm sure you'll get used to it if you immerse yourself totally, me? I'm still using my trusty Advent.

jcmoffitt

You have to pick the right tool for the job. If you want something to do general computing such as browsing the web, e-mail and basic office documents then either the PC or Mac will do. If you need a tool for video or photo editing then a MAC would be the way to go. I tend to encourage people to spend the extra bucks to get a Mac. Why? Two main reasons. Reason one is that they just work. Reason two is because Apple provides stellar customer service. They go out of their way to take care of the customer. Just recently I learned that with Apple Care on my new iPad that it also covers accidental damage. If I drop it and crack the screen they will replace it . You have to pay 50.00 deductible and they will replace it twice for accidental damage within the same one year period. Most folks shy away from Mac because it is different and they cost more. I have been in the I.T. industry now for the last 22 years and I have used both Mac and PC. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages for owning a MAC is that there are much less viruses , malware, crippleware, trojans and the like to infect it. MS Windows is a huge target and most folks spend more time focusing on breaking into the Windows OS since it is so full of security holes. Ok, I have blathered way too long, saw the question and had to say something.

theoriginaljayne

I've used both, and they both have their pros and cons. It really depends on what you want out of a computer.

Macs will do what they're designed to do, and they'll do it well. They're intuitive, aesthetic, and I rarely have difficulty with them.
PCs are a little more "down and dirty;" sure, they have more problems, but they also have more customizability.

So which one are you?
You go to your computer to listen to music, write an essay, and check your email = Mac.
You go to your computer because you have the insatiable desire to test-drive some radical new software = PC.

(My preference? I own a Mac – I just like it better – but I'll use my school's PCs on occasion.)

Edit: Of course, there are many other computers and operating systems, which I'm ignoring for simplicity's sake.

Celeigh12

I just switched to a Mac and I love it. It wasn't hard at all to learn the differences for me.

10036

Bought an iMac because I was a graphic design student. Now I'm a programmer. Still prefer the Mac.

The good thing is, your Mac will come with Bootcamp, which allows you to boot into Windows whenever you want (if you have bought the OS and installed it of course), so if you play games or absolutely need Windows for something, it's there. I use Windows on my Mac a couple times a week for games hehe

Saruman_w

Neither. Assuming "PC" is referring only to Windows.

I use Linux.

skierxjes

After burning thru a Dell desktop and 2 Dell laptops within 5 years, I bought a MacBook pro and it's running the same as when I took it out of the box.. 2 years ago.

10036

Neither. Assuming "PC" is referring only to Windows.

I use Linux.

OoooOooooo :P

I had Ubuntu for a while on my laptop. But my University uses some stupid software that you need to use their internet, and it wasn't supported. So I had to switch to Windows. Sad sad.

Spinach_Brigade

Here is my anecdote for you:

I used to work in an office of sixty people or so. Mac or Windows usage was pretty evenly split.

*Everyone* complained about their damn computers.

Even though the IT department ostensibly supported both platforms, they seemed a lot more efficient and resourced when solving Windows/PC problems than Mac issues. In fact, they seemed downright friendlier and more helpful when dealing with the PC peeps.

...Which made sense, because *they had to deal with each other all the time.*

The Mac users, on the other hand, interacted with the IT people once or twice a year rather than every week. They didn't really understand the process because it was so seldom relevant to them.

So, like I said, *everybody* whined -- but only the PC people knew the names of the people in IT, because they had to count on them so much.

jeepyj93

We have both and my DH is always saying I hate this Mac as he uses it. Well if you hate it so much go use the PC but no he is on the Mac, we are not very computer savy but we both love the Mac he just won't admit it.

halobender

This is a perfect trolling thread.

I prefer a Windows machine because you can do whatever you want, not what Apple decides you want to do. There are many differences mostly due to the fact that anyone can build a Windows PC, but only Apple makes their PCs (PC just means personal computer, so you know).

As only Apple makes their PCs they're the only ones who can add onto it, as opposed to being able to do whatever kind of maintennance/upgrades you would like on your system. I know there are some things you can do, but you don't have the versatility of a PC.

Long story short, it really depends on what you want to use your PC for and the level of customization you would like to have.

In regard to comments about there being more viruses on Windows and such, of course there are. More people use it. A Mac will automatically boost your hipster cred, though, if that's important

ironanimal

PC all the way. I need to be able to upgrade my computer, and Mac simply won't run a lot of the things I want on it. And my PCs don't die early - you just need to know how to de-crap it every once in a while and not let it fill up with malware. The only time I replace one is when the mobo is so outdated that upgrading the other components becomes problematic.

ashleab37

PC. Macs are great for people who have NO IDEA about their computer and need it to walk them through everything, and who don't mind the fact that their PC isn't always compatible with everything.... So in my opinion, "art students" and people in their seventies.

I work in IT, we all hate macs. Useless trash!

Athena413

PC - because I'm not rich, I don't have the time for their BS, and because my husband is an IT guy and refuses to have Apple products in the house...

MACs are good for video/photo editing, and that's about it. They're way more expensive and not very compatible with most other devices. Unless you're in to graphic design, I'd go PC.

Nopedotjpeg

PC because I'm not going to pay twice the price for OSX. People who want Macs because "they get less viruses" need to get their porn from more reputable websites.

kimi131

I have a Mac and I absolutely love it. I'll never own another PC. I use a PC for work and it's not nearly as user-friendly. I think PCs are for more math-oriented, structured people. Macs are for the more creative people out there. Heck, thanks to my Mac I have my own beautiful website. I'd have no idea how to do that on a PC.

kittymoney

ordered my mac last friday and hubby is picking it up today and will have it tomorrow. i have had a dell for 6 years did me good, but don't like having to pay for anti-virus update every year and it still isn't 100% because need IT specialists to get rid of viruses on the back end that I don't know how to do.

i got the mac air so light and easy to carry for traveling

kaetra

PC - because I'm not rich, I don't have the time for their BS, and because my husband is an IT guy and refuses to have Apple products in the house...

MACs are good for video/photo editing, and that's about it. They're way more expensive and not very compatible with most other devices. Unless you're in to graphic design, I'd go PC.

I agree with this. And I'm in IT. We do own an iPad, a "toy" my husband just had to have - but it's basically just an over-sized phone-gaming system, a Netflix viewer and we occasionally use it for Skype (oh, I do like MFP for the iPad though hehe). HUGE waste of big $$$. It's pretty, but for the most part, pretty useless.

Macs have serious compatibility issues. I would never, ever buy a Mac.

engineman312

jewol

Au contraire, it is PCs that are junk. Had it not been for Apple to show them how, they wouldn't even have Windows, which is an out-and-out ripoff of the Mac desktop -- an inferior ripoff, I might add. AB:PIP:BA -- that's the kind crap PC users used to have to type in to transfer a file. Go with the user-friendly innovators: Choose a Mac.

vingogly

I've been in the software development and IT business since the late 1970s; I first encountered the Mac in the mid 1980s when I was working on my MS in computer science and the internet meant Usenet on dumb terminals connected to mainframes. I've also used Unix machines since that time period, and have used Windows machines since 3.x.

It's simply not true that Macs are "media machines" ... there's absolutely nothing you can do on the PC that you can't do on a Mac. There are some packages (I use Articulate Suite at work for elearning development) that are only available for Windows, but you can run Windows on a well-equipped Mac with a package like Parallels or VMWare Fusion.

It's also not the case that there is less malware on the Mac because its share of the market is smaller. The Mac OS is operationally more secure than Windows for a number of reasons. OS X is built as a layer on top of Unix, which was always a multi-user OS; this meant you needed to be logged in with administrative permissions to make changes to the core files. Windows originally was built so everyone had admin privileges. On a Mac, you have to tell the OS to install something ... on older Windows systems, it just installs crap and you may never know what's been put on your system.

This situation was exacerbated by the use of ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer, and MS's decision to tightly integrate Internet Explorer with Windows. Hackers can use ActiveX controls to take over your computer or make it do various nasty things ... and you may never know you've been hit until it's too late. There's no equivalent of ActiveX controls on the Mac.

Yes, there are many more Windows machines than Macs and they're a more tempting target ... but Mr. Gates and company decided years ago to hang out a big "Hackers Welcome!" sign on their operating system. That said, things have gotten much better with Windows 7 which is a pretty good OS. And remember: if you practice safe computing when browsing and reading email, use anti-virus software, keep your Windows machine up to date with security patches, and avoid downloading those cool little bits of software people send you which more often than not contain nasty surprises, Windows computing can be just as safe as computing on a Mac.

Regarding cost: initial purchase price and total cost of ownership over the long haul are two different things. There have been many articles over the years that have crunched the numbers. Google "mac total cost of ownership". Here's one older article from CIO.net:

http://www.cio.com/article/127050/Eight_Financial_Reasons_Why_You_Should_Use_Mac_OS/1

ariant23

In a former life (now i'm a stay at home mom) I had and used my UCLA computer science and electrical engineering degree. We have PCs in our house. Assuming you are doing basic web stuff, and maybe some office suite things, that's really all you need. A MAC will do fine, but you'll spend twice as much. There is also less software (if you like computer games, and non-mainstream software).

The virus comments are true, but I'm pro PC because it is more open, I see apple as a controlling socialist government. you can only produce things to be run on our hardware/OS that we approve of. very stifling to external competition and innovation. so that's the "personal" side of it for me.

but basically, it's cheaper to go PC, and unless you had extraordinary needs, that I assumed you would have mentioned, there's no need to spend the extra cash for shiny Apple products.

ashleab37

Au contraire, it is PCs that are junk. Had it not been for Apple to show them how, they wouldn't even have Windows, which is an out-and-out ripoff of the Mac desktop -- an inferior ripoff, I might add. AB:PIP:BA -- that's the kind crap PC users used to have to type in to transfer a file. Go with the user-friendly innovators: Choose a Mac.

Actually, Apple stole the idea for a GUI (Graphical User Interface) from Xerox who were the first by MANY MANY YEARS.

Don't try to get technical when you have no idea about the details.

ariant23

PC because I'm not going to pay twice the price for OSX. People who want Macs because "they get less viruses" need to get their porn from more reputable websites.

LOVE THIS!!!