Mac or PC
Replies
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You'll pay for a Mac...a lot more for the name. I tell people this. Figure out what you want it to do. Look at the most demaning piece of software you want to run. Look at the recommended requirements and shoot for a little higher.
Most people these days completely over buy for what they really need.
You do pay more for a mac but then again you get what you pay for. It costs 30 buck to upgrade a mac operating system verse 200 for a pc. Mac lasts much longer. I have 3 at my house. 1 desktop and 2 laptops. They are more than worth the money.0 -
I have 2 macs and 2 PCs. Which do I prefer? Both.... but you CAN run Windows programs on a mac if you install a program called parallels,0
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This pretty much says it all. If you do go PC, good antivirus is a must. That's the biggest drawback. I'm sure all the virus's are written by Mac users! :grumble:
There are viruses and malware which affect Macs.0 -
*sigh* the great debate again...
PC laptops can have SSD drives in them too. My Lenovo ThinkPad does and it will handily beat any MacBook Pro out there (i7, 16GB, OCZ Vertex3 SSD). There's not much you can do to upgrade a laptop, PC or Mac, besides the hard drive, memory, internal optical drive (if your manufacturer has the option), and if you have the gaming PC laptop that can do it, the video card.
Macs, while pretty, sleek, chic and very appealing to the eye, seem to adhere to the motto "fashion over function" and have done so for the past decade. PC laptops have undergone a consumer revolution as of late when it comes to style, and aftermarket support has also followed suit.
The whole virus thing is a joke. Of course you hear nothing of Macs getting viruses, but that's because Macs only populate 10% of the world market, and even less so in the corporate world. In fact, most of the big-name viruses you hear hit corporate email servers and only occasionally hit home users nowadays, especially since all the web-based email servers scan their hosted emails with PC-based anti-virus software.
Apple is 'closed' technology, as they are the only company currently making an operating system that will only run on its own proprietary hardware (although it's Intel who provides the CPUs now to Apple). Dell, HP, Acer, and a whole bunch of others clone the 'open' PC technology, thus paving the way for more products, better prices and more selection. Microsoft, the maker of the PC operating system dominating the market, is readily compatible with these manufacturers' offerings, although there's more support for Linux-based OS's now. And speaking of the 10% Apple market share, the peripheral support market share closely follows that too, but maybe more like 15-20%, thus limiting product selections.
Customer support is hit or miss with either manufacturer. It may depend on who you draw on the other end of the phone or at the store. I've talked to Apple Store employees who were about as knowledgeable as their Best Buy counterparts, and their interpersonal skills are about the same. You should focus on the warranty instead. Neither Mac nor PC has an indestructible CONSUMER product for your use (I am alluding to the MilSpec arena = $$$$$ yes up to 5-figures), and you probably wouldn't want one anyway.
Apple's marketing strategy has been to cater to the crowd that wants to be different from conformity, almost to an elitist level. While this has also lead to the price-dictates-quality mantra, do you really get what you pay for though? I've got a MacBook Pro that was given to me by my last employer, but I preferred my Lenovo over it because I could do so much more 'real-world' work on it than the Mac. I can edit movies, photos and music with the best of any Mac program out there (I grew up with SAWplus and ProTools), so don't believe the hype when everyone says Macs are better than PCs for the arts. Not so much anymore.
You have to ask yourself, why are Macs so expensive anyway? Their internals are that of a PC now more than ever. In fact, I can show you how to put a Mac OS on a PC desktop, so is it the OS? Is it the simplistic nature of MacOS? Have you tried Windows 7 yet? Windows 8 is even better and it will be here soon! $50 for an OS upgrade, but is it really an upgrade when it should've been a Service Pack release, like Microsoft issues out for FREE? Aesthetics maybe? I guess when it comes down to it, one MacBook Pro/Air now will equate to 2 or 3 cheap PC laptops, but all in the same 5 year span, right? But each successive PC laptop will outperform the previous laptop it replaces, which the original one will have been directly competing against the aging MacBook Pro/Air, right?
PC = most compatible, cheap to own
Apple = stylish, high entry price
Linux = gaining ground, but for advanced users; same price as PC, maybe cheaper0 -
3 LETTERS M A C it is the best0
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I've owned three laptops, two PCs and a Mac. Laptop 1 (a PC) was purchased in 2001. Despite expensive Antivirus Protection, gentle treatment, and an extended care plan, it was full of viruses and unusable within a year.
Laptop 2 (a PC) was given to me brand-new by Best Buy in 2004 when they finally recognize Laptop 1 as a lemon and honored the expensive warranty I'd purchased. It was a "top of the line" PC laptop. Despite expensive Antivirus Protection and gentle treatment, it was unusable within a year and a half.
Laptop 3, a bottom-of-the-line Macbook, was purchased in 2007. It's still running like a champ... and on the original battery. No viruses ever. No hard drive crashes ever. It is fully compatible with my dSLR, phone, printer, non-Apple MP3 player, non-Apple external hard drive, and my non-Apple external monitor and keyboard.
All laptops had virtually the same sticker price.
That's my experience. Hope it helps. Happy shopping!
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Def. Mac!!! I 've been a mac user for about 10 years now. When my last one died, I opted to get a dell only b/c my money wasn't on point. BIG MISTAKE!!! HUGE!!! It didn't even last me a year. I ran out and got a macbook pro and I couldn't be happier. Believe me, I learned my lesson, and i'm never going back.0
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All I can say is what in the hell were you doing to your computer? I visit all the sites you shouldn't (see pirating sites). I used to download just about all cracked software. My AV warned me about 99% of the malware in the package. There was ONE that basically forced me to reload my OS. Mind you, this is 100% my fault.I've owned three laptops, two PCs and a Mac. Laptop 1 (a PC) was purchased in 2001. Despite expensive Antivirus Protection, gentle treatment, and an extended care plan, it was full of viruses and unusable within a year.
Laptop 2 (a PC) was given to me brand-new by Best Buy in 2004 when they finally recognize Laptop 1 as a lemon and honored the expensive warranty I'd purchased. It was a "top of the line" PC laptop. Despite expensive Antivirus Protection and gentle treatment, it was unusable within a year and a half.
Laptop 3, a bottom-of-the-line Macbook, was purchased in 2007. It's still running like a champ... and on the original battery. No viruses ever. No hard drive crashes ever. It is fully compatible with my dSLR, phone, printer, non-Apple MP3 player, non-Apple external hard drive, and my non-Apple external monitor and keyboard.
All laptops had virtually the same sticker price.
That's my experience. Hope it helps. Happy shopping!
Windows Security Essentials and Malwarebytes (which are both free) are sufficient for most people and normal browsing.0 -
"All I can say is what in the hell were you doing to your computer? I visit all the sites you shouldn't (see pirating sites). I used to download just about all cracked software. My AV warned me about 99% of the malware in the package. There was ONE that basically forced me to reload my OS. Mind you, this is 100% my fault.
Windows Security Essentials and Malwarebytes (which are both free) are sufficient for most people and normal browsing."
Nothing out of the ordinary... I never streamed movies, never downloaded music. Just used it for research (I'm a journalist), e-mail, and Word. No malware or illicit sites. No kids played on it or anything.
I'm not a hacker and I never took it into the bathtub.
My mom and brother had the same experiences with PC laptops... they worked great for a year and played out around the 18 month mark.0 -
My old laptop, which I recently replaced went for about 4 years without a OS reload."All I can say is what in the hell were you doing to your computer? I visit all the sites you shouldn't (see pirating sites). I used to download just about all cracked software. My AV warned me about 99% of the malware in the package. There was ONE that basically forced me to reload my OS. Mind you, this is 100% my fault.
Windows Security Essentials and Malwarebytes (which are both free) are sufficient for most people and normal browsing."
Nothing out of the ordinary... I never streamed movies, never downloaded music. Just used it for research (I'm a journalist), e-mail, and Word. No malware or illicit sites. No kids played on it or anything.
I'm not a hacker and I never took it into the bathtub.
My mom and brother had the same experiences with PC laptops... they worked great for a year and played out around the 18 month mark.0 -
*sigh* the great debate again...
PC laptops can have SSD drives in them too. My Lenovo ThinkPad does and it will handily beat any MacBook Pro out there (i7, 16GB, OCZ Vertex3 SSD). There's not much you can do to upgrade a laptop, PC or Mac, besides the hard drive, memory, internal optical drive (if your manufacturer has the option), and if you have the gaming PC laptop that can do it, the video card.
Macs, while pretty, sleek, chic and very appealing to the eye, seem to adhere to the motto "fashion over function" and have done so for the past decade. PC laptops have undergone a consumer revolution as of late when it comes to style, and aftermarket support has also followed suit.
The whole virus thing is a joke. Of course you hear nothing of Macs getting viruses, but that's because Macs only populate 10% of the world market, and even less so in the corporate world. In fact, most of the big-name viruses you hear hit corporate email servers and only occasionally hit home users nowadays, especially since all the web-based email servers scan their hosted emails with PC-based anti-virus software.
Apple is 'closed' technology, as they are the only company currently making an operating system that will only run on its own proprietary hardware (although it's Intel who provides the CPUs now to Apple). Dell, HP, Acer, and a whole bunch of others clone the 'open' PC technology, thus paving the way for more products, better prices and more selection. Microsoft, the maker of the PC operating system dominating the market, is readily compatible with these manufacturers' offerings, although there's more support for Linux-based OS's now. And speaking of the 10% Apple market share, the peripheral support market share closely follows that too, but maybe more like 15-20%, thus limiting product selections.
Customer support is hit or miss with either manufacturer. It may depend on who you draw on the other end of the phone or at the store. I've talked to Apple Store employees who were about as knowledgeable as their Best Buy counterparts, and their interpersonal skills are about the same. You should focus on the warranty instead. Neither Mac nor PC has an indestructible CONSUMER product for your use (I am alluding to the MilSpec arena = $$$$$ yes up to 5-figures), and you probably wouldn't want one anyway.
Apple's marketing strategy has been to cater to the crowd that wants to be different from conformity, almost to an elitist level. While this has also lead to the price-dictates-quality mantra, do you really get what you pay for though? I've got a MacBook Pro that was given to me by my last employer, but I preferred my Lenovo over it because I could do so much more 'real-world' work on it than the Mac. I can edit movies, photos and music with the best of any Mac program out there (I grew up with SAWplus and ProTools), so don't believe the hype when everyone says Macs are better than PCs for the arts. Not so much anymore.
You have to ask yourself, why are Macs so expensive anyway? Their internals are that of a PC now more than ever. In fact, I can show you how to put a Mac OS on a PC desktop, so is it the OS? Is it the simplistic nature of MacOS? Have you tried Windows 7 yet? Windows 8 is even better and it will be here soon! $50 for an OS upgrade, but is it really an upgrade when it should've been a Service Pack release, like Microsoft issues out for FREE? Aesthetics maybe? I guess when it comes down to it, one MacBook Pro/Air now will equate to 2 or 3 cheap PC laptops, but all in the same 5 year span, right? But each successive PC laptop will outperform the previous laptop it replaces, which the original one will have been directly competing against the aging MacBook Pro/Air, right?
PC = most compatible, cheap to own
Apple = stylish, high entry price
Linux = gaining ground, but for advanced users; same price as PC, maybe cheaper
GREAT.
POST.
:drinker:0 -
if you want the easiest thing i'd go mac. i bought my first mac a year ago and i'll never go back to PCs ever again. i have a mac mini which i LOVE. it's hooked up to the huge flat screen and it's great for movies and games, etc. and i have a macbook pro, which is just an all around awesome laptop!!!!0
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Just got a MacBook Pro a month ago after using PC's for forever. Best decision ever. I can't imagine going back to a PC.0
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Well, 010010011111100101010, sounds like you got a pretty awesome sauce PC lappy there. Hold on to it. Bring it flowers and candy. Complement it's mother. Yours is a match made in computer heaven. 0
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I've used PC's all my life. Love them. My wife uses a Mac at work. She loves it. When she brings it home and has troubles, I sit there cursing at the thing wondering how to do the simplest things. They drive me nuts. Simple things on the PC are not so simple with a Mac (IMO).
My advice (FWIW):
- if you are computer literate, get a PC
- If you are not computer literate, get a Mac0 -
All I can say is what in the hell were you doing to your computer? I visit all the sites you shouldn't (see pirating sites). I used to download just about all cracked software. My AV warned me about 99% of the malware in the package. There was ONE that basically forced me to reload my OS. Mind you, this is 100% my fault.I've owned three laptops, two PCs and a Mac. Laptop 1 (a PC) was purchased in 2001. Despite expensive Antivirus Protection, gentle treatment, and an extended care plan, it was full of viruses and unusable within a year.
Laptop 2 (a PC) was given to me brand-new by Best Buy in 2004 when they finally recognize Laptop 1 as a lemon and honored the expensive warranty I'd purchased. It was a "top of the line" PC laptop. Despite expensive Antivirus Protection and gentle treatment, it was unusable within a year and a half.
Laptop 3, a bottom-of-the-line Macbook, was purchased in 2007. It's still running like a champ... and on the original battery. No viruses ever. No hard drive crashes ever. It is fully compatible with my dSLR, phone, printer, non-Apple MP3 player, non-Apple external hard drive, and my non-Apple external monitor and keyboard.
All laptops had virtually the same sticker price.
That's my experience. Hope it helps. Happy shopping!
Windows Security Essentials and Malwarebytes (which are both free) are sufficient for most people and normal browsing.
I have to agree with this. I have had my PC laptop for over a year and never had a single issue with a virus but then agian I do the proper maintenance on my PC. Run scans on it on a regular basis to remove malware and I have a VERY good AV on it (and it's not Norton or any of those other crappy super expensive ones they try to sell you). I was actually just talking to our IT guy about this but people have the misconception that macs are somehow superior because they can't get viruses and it's not that they can not get a virus, it's that when a programer writes a virus they want it to affect as many people as possible and more people have PC's than Macs, so they write viruses for PC's. Anything apple related is overpriced and not worth it IMO0 -
Thanks everyone for your advice. I am still not sure which one I will go with, but I love all the comments! You all rock! :flowerforyou: :drinker: 0
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I have used both for years, but simply put...if you plan to use it online and want to avoid all the problems and hassles associated with viruses, get a MAC.0
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Mac0
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Mac.
Or should I say, NOT an HP at least.
Paid $2,000 for an HP thinking that it would last a long time. It ended up defective, but HP would not help me. Eventually it blew up (literally) just after the one year warranty. I contacted HP and they again refused to help. Then my mom found out from a friend that HP had defective units they sold and mine was one. When I contacted HP about this and told them this information, they "forwarded" me to a representative. The guy never picked up the phone, and I left numerous messages (around 10 over a 5 months span). I tried telling customer service that he was never responding, but they too refused to help me.
My Mac broke a couple weeks ago. All I had to do was take it to an Apple store and they took care of everything. Also, I bought my Mac in the United States and am in Japan. The coverage is international and Apple stores are near-everywhere. It's great if you do a lot of traveling. Also, the people who work in the stores I've visited always seem really well-educated and cool.
Good luck in your decision!
ps: I just want to add that anyone looking for a tablet...I have a $150 Coby Kyros that runs Android. I love it just as much as my Mac. It's my child
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