PC vs. Mac

[poeticeclipse]

I'm looking into buying a new computer but i'm not sure what I want! I've had PC's since forever but a few of my friends are now on the other side of the fence... they love their Mac's! I'm not sure what is best and I really don't understand all of the differences between PC's and Macs. Thanks in advance!

[Tygger7]

I'll do my best to answer your question. :mickey:

PC (Windows based) -
Advantages: Most commonly used by businesses, and offers a lot of productivity applications; very easy to find programs and you can get a decent computer or laptop pretty reasonably.
Disadvantages: A lot. First, I believe all new computers offered now will have Vista operating system on them. We bought a new computer earlier this year, with Vista, and it's been nothing but trouble. Programs that are supposed to be compatable with Vista are not running properly, and the system crashes on a daily basis. We've had numerous problems syncing our iPods to our Vista computer, and even now, it still doesn't play nice with iTunes. Vista is WAY more unstable (at least at this point) than Windows XP, and it may be nearly impossible to find a system with XP on it. Another big consideration is security. There are tons of security vulnerabilities with Windows and Internet Explorer, and it's hacked all the time.

MAC -
Advantages: Very easy to use & navigate, and designed more for "non-business" users. Their photo and video editing software packages are awesome, and it's very easy to manipulate pictures and videos and create your own DVD's. Mac still offers productivity software, and in fact you can get Microsoft Office Suite for Mac. They are very stable, almost never "crash", and very secure. I can't tell you the last time I heard of a Mac OS being hacked. And, if you have an iPod and use iTunes, you will have seamless compatability.
Disadvantages: Cost. Mac's are slightly more than regular PC's. But, when you consider all the time you save trying to rescue data that was lost when your pc crashed, it's worth the extra cost.

My vote (and many other computer geeks I know would vote the same): Go Mac and you'll never go back. :thumbsup:

[Stan]

I thought we were supposed to avoid religious discussions on INTERCOT. :rotfl:

[mttafire]

Well, I owna Pc However, I WILL be getting a Mac in the future. I have used a mac before and LOVED it. Others have stated it already.. Clearly, Mac is better. :thumbsup:
Shawn

[JPL]

One big disadvantage with any Apple rpoduct is they are mostly sealed units meaning any little thing needs fixing and it has to go an APPLe dealer.

[poeticeclipse]

So, what system does Mac run on??

[JPL]

Mac has their own operating system I believe they currently are using OS 10 or higher.

[disneydave4479]

Mac's run OS X which the underlying operating system is a UNIX derivative, so yes, very secure and stable. Their photo and graphics applications are top-notch and used by lots of people in the photography and graphics design businesses. It's very easy to use, and you'll probably never run into any problems with it. Cost is high, but well worth it.

If you want to avoid the whole Vista issue at present on Windows PC's, you can always get one from DELL pre-loaded with Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu is very stable, secure, and comes with tons of applications. If you're more used to Windows, the interface will take some getting use to (same thing for a mac), but cost will be much cheaper on this one. You won't be able to run your current PC-based software on either one of these without an emulator, but more likely than not you'll be able to find open-source variants of your favorite applications to do everything you did in the windows world (most of which will be pre-installed).

I'm a fan of Linux, as I use it at home, and I work with it at my job. Sometimes takes a little bit more work to get it to do things as it is not as "user-friendly" yet as windows is, but once it is up-and-running the way you want it...it'll stay that way, and you won't need to upgrade for quite a while.

If I had the money, though, I would invest in a mac. I'm in to photography and my DW is into photography/graphics work, and I know we'd make use of the powerful graphics tools on this system. Maybe in the future though.

I say go to a store, and try out a couple different systems...see what you like. You may end up liking Vista...just be aware of the incompatibilites that were previously mentioned. They are working on a service pack (I believe due early 2008) that should help correct most issues. :thumbsup:

[CAS]

It depends completely on the application. As an a long time end user I can tell you that I love both, but Macs definitely don't have a place in business. Similarly, PC's have a tough time keeping up with usability at home compared to Macs.

In general, if you want the (and please excuse the term, I mean no offense at all) "computers for dummies" setup then I recommend a Mac. I also like the "for dummies" setup for a variety of reasons; video editing and ipod integration being the primary.

But if you like being in control of your computer so everything isn't a "one button" or "drag and drop" feature then a PC is more your speed. My greatest problem with Macs are that with the mere click of a button it'll carry out 20+ different functions...18 or 19 of which I didn't want it to carry out.

My verdict: If I'm processing media of any type then I want a Mac in front of me. Everything else I'd prefer a PC. Since I do very little media beyond home movies I'm behind a PC at the moment :thumbsup:

Oh and Mac OS is their operating system, OS X Leopard being one of the latest.

[poeticeclipse]

WOW! A lot of this is just giberish to me. haha. My husband got a new Dell last December and has Vista. I really don't mind Vista but I have had some issues with it being a bit slow and it's not quite as "user friendly" as I would like. So, is OX thingy is basically the "Vista or XP" for Macs, right?

Visually, what are the differences? When it comes to being on the net and doing basic everyday things... how different is it? I LOVE editing photos and making videos but I find the quality of them sometimes to be lacking and my camcorder is top notch so I know that it can't be that.

[caryrae]

PC (Windows based) -
Disadvantages: A lot. First, I believe all new computers offered now will have Vista operating system on them. We bought a new computer earlier this year, with Vista, and it's been nothing but trouble. Programs that are supposed to be compatable with Vista are not running properly, and the system crashes on a daily basis. We've had numerous problems syncing our iPods to our Vista computer, and even now, it still doesn't play nice with iTunes. Vista is WAY more unstable (at least at this point) than Windows XP, and it may be nearly impossible to find a system with XP on it. Another big consideration is security. There are tons of security vulnerabilities with Windows and Internet Explorer, and it's hacked all the time.

I am surprised you have alot of problems. My wife has an Ipod and it has worked just fine on our PC with Vista. We have had for a year or so now and it has worked great. We started with Mac and switched to PC because we mostly use it for internet and games and it's way easier to go into lets say a Target or Walmart and find games for windows than Mac's. Also so far everthing we have printers, Digital camera, ect have worked without a glitch. I guess it depends on the computer. We actually had more problems with our iMac crashing, so far no crashes on our laptop *knock on wood*.

[amorillo]

We actually had more problems with our iMac crashing


Really? I've used Macs since high school. And in 13 years I could probably count the number of times all my Macs have crashed on one hand.


And as far as viruses... "what are viruses?" :cool: Never had one!

I'm a Mac lover... and wouldn't have it any other way!

[caryrae]

Really? I've used Macs since high school. And in 13 years I could probably count the number of times all my Macs have crashed on one hand.


And as far as viruses... "what are viruses?" :cool: Never had one!

I'm a Mac lover... and wouldn't have it any other way!

Probably just one of the lucky ones. I remember getting sick of how much it would crash and freeze. I think either is good for basic things like internet, pictures, music, games but I know Mac's are way better for like editing software.

[Anborn]

I'll chime in with my 2 cents. I currently manage a helpdesk that services about 800 machines, split 50/50 pc+mac. Been using PC's for about 12 years, with mac support/experience for the last 4. That was just so you know where I'm coming from.

Historically if anyone asked me which platform to get, I would have volunteered PC's without 2nd thought every day and twice on Sunday. But recently (the last 2 years... since 10.3 came out)... that line is blending. You can really do anything now from a mac that you could on a PC. Either with open source software (NeoOffice) or Mac versions of the software (MS Office for Mac) or through virtualizing a whole PC setup using either Parallels/VMWare or Bootcamp.

The one thing that is very attractive with Macs (outside of the way they look) is their desktop is a little more intuitive for the average user. Also you don't have to worry (yet) about the massive amounts of spyware/malware/virus that plague the Windows world. You do pay a bit of a premium, and any hardware that needs replacing/updating (except RAM) really has to be done at an applestore or authorized specialist. Unlike a PC which you can open and mess with on your own with little trouble. 10.5 (the new mac OS) is very nice and is unquestionably better than Vista (imo).

I'm not due for a new personal machine for another year or two... but when that day comes, I'm already considering a Mac.

[jodijo]

MAC!!!! I love my mac!!!!

On the internet the are all the same. The only difference is that mac does not support internet explorer (that is the e you might click on to get onto the internet on a pc). Mac has safari for its internet browser. You can use Firefox for both pc and mac.

[jedigrrrl]

Let me just say that I have had a Mac laptop for almost 4 years and it still works like the day I took it out of the box. Better even, due to automatic updates and such.

In the same time I have gone thru 3 PC desktops. THREE! For the simple fact that Macs NEVER get viruses alone, it is worth the extra money. And Macs DO NOT slow down! My Mac starts up in the same amount of time it did day one. And I don't have to wait a year for programs to start and firewalls to load and anti-viruses to scan and all the other nonsense that PCs do.

The only reason I even still have a PC is that my Tivo was only compatible with PC, if not I would not have one. I bought the cheapest desktop Dell was selling that had a DVD burner($400). thankfully, Tivo and Mac have come together and I am dying for a New Mac Desktop. No more bulky towers!

GO WITH MAC!!!!

And Mac does support Internet Explorer, BUT Firefox is better.