Fashionably Techie: Mac Vs PC

January 15, 2009 4:00 pm     Posted in Wired  Donyae - University of Maryland g+ page

mac-vs-pc.jpg[Like a magpie, you gravitate towards things that are shiny: cell phones, TVs, anything that allows you to play Rock Band. But just because you love ‘em doesn’t mean you know much about ‘em. That’s where we come in.


By Donyae

Every week we will be highlighting the best, coolest and shiniest in technology. Consider us your personal Geek Squad. And let us tell ya; with CC on your side, geek has never looked so chic.]

So thanks to some clever advertising by Apple, Mac vs. PC has become a sort of pop culture reference point now. Right up there with “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!â€

Anyway, the real question is: what’s all the fuss?

Some people are partial to Macs. Others, like myself, (and any other sane person) enjoy their PC’s.

During the early days of the war there was a huge difference in the two products, but now they’re pretty comparable as far as features and software goes. At this point it’s pretty much a matter of personal preference.

The real difference in them isn’t what they do or what they have; anything that a Mac has a PC has, and vice versa. The difference is who makes it. Everything in the Mac is made by Apple. Everything in a PC is not made by one company. On one hand, having many companies contribute to the computer is beneficial as it allows you to replace parts as they break down or need to be upgraded easily and cheaply. On the other hand, your parts are made easily and cheaply, and therefore need to be replaced more often.

It is true that Macs last a tiny bit longer than PC’s on the average. Well, laptops, anyway. Macs don’t have a large variety of desktops (there is basically only one), unlike the wide range of PC desktops.

As always, it’s about what you’re planning to do with your machine. If you plan on editing a lot of video footage then you might want to go with a Mac. If you plan on playing a lot of WoW then you might want to think about that PC. If you want to spend more to buy into a brand, go with a Mac. If you are looking to save a little money, a PC is the way to go.

PC’s are entirely customizable and basically disposable. Macs are, well, easy. And that is pretty much the bottom line.

34 Comments on "Fashionably Techie: Mac Vs PC"

  1. andy says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 200911:06 am 

    Mac all the way!

    They are way more user friendly

  2. rach says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 200911:24 am 

    i am all about my new macbook. it makes life so much easier. and they are way less likely to get a virus. i had to wipe my PC hard drive once a year when i was in school for one reason or another.

  3. ashley says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 200911:47 am 

    I'm sorry ,but you are mistaken. The difference between the two is much greater than personal preference. There is overwhelming research that Macs are superior products. Perhaps you should do your research before making assumptions.

  4. Carla says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 200912:16 pm 

    yay macs! somehow, mac users are so patriotic about macs, coz theyre awesome! they just work! =p

  5. S says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 200912:40 pm 

    It's not quite true that PC's are cheaper than Macs. Macs in general have a longer lifetime than PC's, so you find yourselves buying PC's at a faster, even if it's for a lower price.

    Then, right before finals last semester, my PC got infected with a virus and died, something that would NOT have happened with a Mac – and not only because people don't really make Mac viruses. (I go online pretty safely, too – probably more so than the average computer user.) The Mac operating system has more safeguards against user error than Windows does. It was a major hassle reinstalling Windows and all my programs, and personally, if paying a little more for a Mac means I don't have to deal with that, that's great. Not to mention that Apple has a much better warranty program in general than basically any PC company.

    Also, where's Linux in this post? It's not very common, but if money is an issue (as it always is for college students), Linux should be mentioned as a very possible alternative to Windows.

  6. Jess says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 200912:41 pm 

    I wonder how they had auditions for who to be the mac and who to be the PC.

  7. Jacks says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20091:12 pm 

    Also, I wouldn't call a computer "basically disposable". Even if a PC is cheaper than a Mac, it still cost hundreds to thousands of dollars and isn't exactly biodegradable.

  8. Jen says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20091:52 pm 

    I'm a mac fan for it's simple features. I'm a sucker for hot corners instead of minimizing everyone of my screens I simply drag my mouse over to a corner and can get anywhere I want. Likewise things like Time capsule (where it saves all my information over a long period of time) and the easy projects and quality of Iphoto easily sold me on Macs. I suggest researching what you want and what fits. I love my Mac. We are bffl.

  9. Lauren, University o says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20092:18 pm 

    I heart my mac. The only problem with macs (that I have found) is that when they break or need service you have to send them in and it takes FOREVER.

  10. Arf says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20093:17 pm 

    Seriously, this article was oversimplified. Macs are far better for a variety of reasons which were totally disregarded.

  11. Denice says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20093:39 pm 

    i love how mac users are so proud-to-be mac users.

    i've had the same mac for almost four years now and it's my baby. i've never had a virus but my hard drive didn't break once. it was fixed pretty quickly though. the people at the apple store are really helpful and awesomely awesome.

  12. Samantha says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20094:23 pm 

    Every post on here is pro-Mac. That clearly says something.

    As far as Mac and PC having the same functions and features…all I have to say is do your research next time. There is a reason most musicians and photographers choose Mac over PC.

  13. Emily says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20094:49 pm 

    also, not all Mac parts are made by Apple. The processors have come from AMD and Intel (I dated an Intel engineer and learned a lot more than I wanted) as well as many other parts.

  14. Kay says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20094:54 pm 

    Weeeell… I have a PC, and I like it.

    Macs are alright, but not special enough to justify spending the extra money, in my opinion.

    It's like paying an extra few dollars at the supermarket for a box that says Kleenex (c) instead of a generic. They both do the trick.

  15. ASHLEY MARIE says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20095:01 pm 

    I've always been a PC user, but now I'm ready to become a traitor and buy a Mac. I'm tired of my PC because it seems like it is always acting crazy and it takes too long to do simple tasks and start up.

    I only bought it a year ago and there's constantly problems with it. I've used Macs before and they are so much better in my opinion! They may cost more, but atleast my laptop won't be slow and need repairs all the time. I'm seriously about to sell my PC and save up for a Mac.

  16. Jacks says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20096:11 pm 

    Honestly, safeguarding against viruses is probably the biggest reason to get a Mac, and you completely left that out.

  17. beeks says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20096:27 pm 

    Hmm… I, too, have used PC's my whole life long, and after my last laptop died a horrible death, I thought I'd take a chance on a mac for the first time. Truth told, so far, I do think that macs and pc's are pretty comparable, but here are some things I prefer about the mac:

    - the new macs can run windows software, but pc's can't run mac software. So, just my point of view, but I think macs are more versatile.

    - I like that the casing is one piece of aluminum. The fact that it's aluminum means it's not so prone to overheating (according to the dude at Best Buy). Also, the casing on my last laptop (a Gateway) randomly started chipping away at the corners and falling apart! Yikes.

    - I'm super lazy about updating my antivirus stuff. Not a concern with macs, at least for now.

    - I like that I haven't had to install anything. My mac was pretty much good to go straight out of the box, whereas my previous two laptops (both pc's) had to be set up manually.

    I don't think macs are prohibitively expensive anymore, either. Mine is a macbook and it was very reasonably priced, and I don't feel I'm lacking anything for not having shelled out for the pro or air kind.

  18. C says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20096:30 pm 

    To those people who think theres a giant difference between mac and pc…theres not. My brother is a computer tech and pretty much knows all there is to know about computers, and there used to be a huge difference, but theres not anymore. He says (and I agree) go with Mac for a laptop but for a desktop go with PC. Why do people have to be so bitchy and opinionated over this? You don't see people arguing about whether one brand of beer is better than the other. They both have their merits. This argument is tired and Mac keeps dissing pc just cause they can't get enough sales just by their product alone. Lame in my opinion.

  19. Kelly says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20097:18 pm 

    I got a PC laptop a year and a half ago and I get frustrated with it almost everyday! It will restart itself and add updates when I'm in the middle of something, takes 10-15 minutes to start up, and I have to do virus scans every other day. Once I save enough money I'm going to purchase a Mac and solve my troubles.

  20. SL says:
    Thu, 15th Jan 20098:07 pm 

    I have a macbook (one of those old 13″ screen ones…).. I’ve had it for 3 years now.. and it’s amazing…

    the reason i decided to get one was that my university used macs in their music department.. and as i planned – and still plan – on having a music career, i use a LOT of big composing, editing, sound and video software… which runs far more smoothly on a mac than it does on a pc (i did try a pc before… not as good..).

    bonus is that i’ve never had a virus..

    … and I’ve even dropped it from a height of about 5 feet… and its still working… with nothing broken… amazing!

  21. Beth-Frosh says:
    Fri, 16th Jan 200912:46 am 

    my PC laptop does everything i need it to do, quickly and effectively. Im a broke college student and Macs are expensive. Maybe ill invest in one when the likelyhood of it being stolen isnt so high.

  22. Erin says:
    Fri, 16th Jan 20094:48 am 

    I grew up using PCs. I knew Macs existed but never had to use one because my home and schools all had PCs. When I got to college the only computers that had the software I needed for class were on Macs. (I was a music major.) It took a while for me to get the hang of it, but Macs aren't that bad. I still prefer PCs because that's what I know, but if I had to use a Mac I wouldn't be upset.

  23. Sarah - East Carolin says:
    Fri, 16th Jan 20096:15 am 

    I love my Mac! Like with any kind of technology, it has some issues, but I'm so glad I got it! It really depends on what type of things you plan on doing with it. Macs get a bad rap, but they're really pretty awesome, and I wouldn't go back to a PC.

  24. Sarah says:
    Fri, 16th Jan 20096:51 am 

    I own a Mac and personally, I love it. I just wanted to mention, however, that PCs are best for PC gaming, whereas Macs have a significantly smaller selection of games. The games Macs do have available (like WoW), work just as well on Mac as they do a PC, so that point was a little void I felt. Also, PCs do have the ability to operate a Mac OS…just Google "Hackintosh" if you want to see what I mean.

    As far as Macs vs. PC goes, I agree that it's a matter of preference. I personally hate dealing with the constant updates and virus vulnerability that goes with owning a PC, so I opted for a Mac. It's definitely worth it as a procrastinating college student whose teachers don't accept "MY COMPUTER CRASHED LAST NIGHT" as an excuse for not turning my paper in on time.

  25. Sarah K says:
    Fri, 16th Jan 200911:38 am 

    I've had PCs all my life, and I wouldn't switch. Sure, Vista's clunky, but once you take the time to switch a few settings and uninstall a couple things, it works swimmingly. Plus, with Windows 7 on the way, the OS issue shouldn't be a problem.

    Also, sure, Windows has more viruses, but if you've got decent virus protection software, you should be fine. There are plenty of great (FREE!) programs online that'll protect you from a lot of the bad stuff. I've got a laptop, and I got to some, er, less-than-safe sites, but I've never had a problem.

    Macs are nice and pretty and to be honest, I kinda want one, but PCs just give you more options, as well as more bang for your buck if you treat it well.

  26. Sarabeth - Universit says:
    Fri, 16th Jan 20091:23 pm 

    i used to be a pc, until i got to college for film and found out that industry standard for film editing is final cut pro.

    but i love my mac. i didn't realize how frustrating my pc was until i got my mac and didn't have nearly as much to put up with.

    the slow start up

    the viruses

    my video editing software freezing every time i tried to save.

    and you have no idea how much i love apple care. my boyfriend's macbook has had some problems (like any piece of machinery will), and he got it taken care of in a day each time.

  27. Winnie says:
    Fri, 16th Jan 20096:45 pm 

    I like PCs just because you can tweak it more easily. My little brother works on hardware components while I work on software–thus creating a sweet computer. I love customization and gaming

  28. S says:
    Sat, 17th Jan 20095:39 am 

    I have been a macbook user for about 2 years and i love it. It is easier to use and runs a lot faster than my sisters PC. I have even drop it twice and it still work just as great as the first day i got it.

  29. andrew says:
    Sat, 17th Jan 20098:16 am 

    personally, having used PCs my entire life, a mac just seems plain weird to me. Most mac users were ppl who used VISTA and started dissing Microsoft because they thought it was awful. Vista actually is the best OS ive seen from Windows. Macs are more media based anyway, and i play a lot of MMOs, one of which I know WONT work on a mac without bootcamp. Even though a PC has more viruses, its heavily cusomizable. If you try to custom a mac it'll freak out and cant be used anymore.

  30. dustin says:
    Sat, 17th Jan 20093:02 pm 

    sounds to me like someone wants a mac haha. I used PC for over 18 years, and I’ll never go back, And as for any “sane” person who likes Vista, thats just buying into a brand thanks.

  31. Lyra says:
    Sun, 18th Jan 20091:28 am 

    so. basically, most PC's (make that all) are FUG-LEH.

    i wear killer outfits.

    why ruin it all by towing an ugly a** computer around?

    that'd be like wearing chanel with crocs!

    GASP

  32. Lyra says:
    Sun, 18th Jan 20091:29 am 

    oh, and that whole environmentally aware thing that apple's got going on? I LIKE.

  33. Hanna Kassis says:
    Sun, 18th Jan 20097:37 pm 

    There are two known viruses to Apple's Mac computer models.

    You're right, there really is no difference… it's just the control system – Mac's are weird to use at first, but if you use one long enough, you won't be able to imagine ever having been comfortable on a PC.

    Mac's are just a smarter, better programmed computer (but I don't have one, because it's out of my price range)

    =)

  34. Stu says:
    Tue, 13th Oct 20098:36 pm 

    The whole Mac versus PC battle is almost like a religious war. There are ups and downs, pros and cons for both sides. For all the people who need yet another source of reasoning, check out this article about buying a college computer: Mac vs PC

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