Mac vs. PC

As with everything where people have a choice to make, the best option depends on the customer's needs.

PCs fill a huge need and still have a vast majority of the market. People tend to avoid change and stick with what they know. Macs have increased marketshare, but they are still a minority player, and their products cater more heavily to people in the creative arts rather than business applications.

I think the Windows pushback in advertising is stupid on Microsoft's part. It's like RC Cola's old ads where they show that people prefer it in blind tastings over Coke and Pepsi, and then Coke going on an advertising rampage about how Coke is what people like to drink (Coke didn't do this, but imagine how petty they'd appear if they had).

Microsoft is in a position of strength but playing from a position of perceived weakness. They're basically legitimizing Apple's advertising by stamping their feet and shouting "NUH UH!" Unfortunately, I doubt they'll stop their "I'm a PC" ad campaign until they realize it's giving Apple free advertising, because every time you see the commercial, it reminds you of the Apple ads (haven't seen many of them lately, have you?).

I will answer this in two aspects, from a consumer point and from an associate point.

As an associate you should purchase which ever will fill your needs because ultimately its not about the battle of PC vs Mac but the simple fact that you are spending money on hardware to fulfill certain aspects.

As a consumer, Mac over PC anyday, not only do I think the "I'm a PC" ads are stupid when compared to the funny Mac ads, Macs are very versitle in their own right. I would disagree that PCs are more so for a business stand point, as many many business are switching over to Mac use especially in the medical field.

The reliability, the performance, the support is found in the Mac camp not to mention the real innovation (not counting open source on Linux) happens on Macs.

I can do anything and more than a Mac with my PC.

I feel that a common problem with PC and ease of bashing vista is that major companies, dell HP mass produce computers with*****py core processors, E2200 ie, with other decent stats and sell them for so cheap! Then causing the end user experience to be so poor. I hand built my last pc for gaming, DB and programming stuff and it handles as much as I can throw at it. And it still costs less than a mac desktop.....

Not everyone games and 95% of the general public cannot build a PC, heck they barely know how to turn it on and off. A PC gamer will always stick by PC but for most everyday users Mac increasingly becomes the better choice.

Not exactly true, if people were to spend the same amount of money on a PC as they have to on a mac, you should see equivalent hardware and performance. In the end it comes down to what you want to do, what level of computer user you are, your operating system preference and amount of money to spend. Now that mac's have intel chips, the hardware can be directly matched and OS's can be really compared and it boils down to what OS you prefer more.

I will agree that out of the box, mac > vista even on same hardware for end users with an average knowledge of computers.

I bought my mom a mac.... for the specific reason that she can't mess it up with out some serious trying. It's kind of like saftey sisscors for kids, but now she actually thinks her computer is better than mine because of those commericials!

I use both Macs and PCs, Macs at home and PCs at work. Macs won the usability battle years ago. Think Vista looks like the Mac operating systems. You are right. GUI environments, the mouse, pointing and clicking all came from the Mac (via Xerox PARC) as early as 1984. The Mac OS is far more refined and seamless than Windows. The only argument is about the price of the electronics. There PCs have a significant advantage. If the Mac system could operate on a PC box there would be no discussion. My company uses PCs only because all we do is spreadsheets, word processing and communicating with the internet. And for that it is far cheaper to buy 5000 PCs than 5000 Macs.

At home, however, I use a Mac because of all the very high quality software that come with it. iPhoto, iMovie, iTunes, Safari, Mail, etc. all let me do anything I want with digital photos, my iPod, making CDs and DVDs. The are several free office suites which duplicate MS Office available from the internet. Since I only buy one computer at a time, the price difference is almost irrelevant. I prefer steak over hamburger. The PC is the McDonalds of computing.

Steak.

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dxdwzy3&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&kc=productdetails~desktop-studioxps-435mt

 

Hamburger.

http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MB871LL/A?mco=NDE4NDIwNA

 

For the price, the dell smokes the mac in price. Not to mention you get a 23 inch HD monitor. Just because windows doesn't have a bar menu at the bottom with rollover graphics that my 5 year old can use does not make it hamburger :P

Free office suites or office software is probably going to be easier to find, better supported on windows. All those applications you mentioned are just as easy to find for PC if the default vista values are not enough for the end user. Bottom line is price imo, I am not going to pay more for an apple because maybe they created something first.

 

I think it comes down to the reliability of use. Like you stated before using a Mac is like giving a child safety scissors, sadly but truly when it comes to electronics that is what people need. They dont want to deal with hassles or problems, they want it so easy a 5th grader could do it, and they dont want to be able to screw the pooch by hitting something they have never seen before.

Once again like I said before when it comes to electronics 95% of the general population have trouble turning an item on,off and using the remote. Its hard to believe but its true. This is why Macs are soo appealing regardless of the price point, typical Joe and Jane Doe dont plan on buying a computer every 5 or 6 years, and unlike a gamer who either buys a new one every 2 years or upgrades it every 1 1/2 years.

Don't get so bogged down in partisanship that you miss the point! I started on a PC a couple of decades ago, but working as a graphic designer I found the Mac to be more versatile. They are two totally different machines - a Mac is right brained and a PC is left brained. For bean counting and data-basing the PC rules, but for creative endeavors the Mac takes the prize. I find both to be quite useful (and yes, for gaming I do prefer the PC, but a large part of that may be the massive proliferation of PCs making for a larger user base for game designers.) Both have their appropriate niches, and I wouldn't want to do without either one!

YANKEES! RED SOX! COKE! PEPSI! TASTES GREAT! LESS FILLING!

mordeq said…
Don't get so bogged down in partisanship that you miss the point! I started on a PC a couple of decades ago, but working as a graphic designer I found the Mac to be more versatile. They are two totally different machines - a Mac is right brained and a PC is left brained. For bean counting and data-basing the PC rules, but for creative endeavors the Mac takes the prize. I find both to be quite useful (and yes, for gaming I do prefer the PC, but a large part of that may be the massive proliferation of PCs making for a larger user base for game designers.) Both have their appropriate niches, and I wouldn't want to do without either one!

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I have both but its usually PC owners that claim Macs are worthless.

With the Windows Emulator on mac's doesn't that allow u to run all the windows platform games?... If not one could always partition part of a mac's HD and load out a boot commander and windows OS.

I have a PC and though I wish I had some of the features of a mac, when I have tried to use a mac at friends houses etc, I was totally lost. Seemed to make no sense once you get used to a pc environment. Like others have said, I guess its what you are used to.

I just wish the two systems were more compatible. I think it's ridiculous that I would have to buy a different version of my computer if I were to buy a Mac.

It also depends on what computer environment you are working in.

If you are working for a Windows-based computing company, the IT department will have less information about maintaining your MAC than your average Apple Computer Salesperson.

But, if you are working in a MAC environment, that poor machine will either be a stand alone machine - relegated to doing spreadsheets or a GREAT Windows Browswer site "compatibility" tester for a Web development group.

LOL!

And, different computers (operating systems) have different software development company offerings.

If you do website authoring or maintenance, for hardcore coding - HomeSite for Windows and BBEdit for the MAC.

If you like automated development, by all means Dream away with the Macromedia (Ope!)/Adobe product.

I like the Ads...

They're light and easy to watch.

Although that Lollipop ad, for Dells, is as confusing the latest time, as it was the first time I watched it.

I get so hungry, after that ad plays...

Browsing/ers.

Just inventorying the fridge.

The Dell commercials are pretty sleek but I still wouldn't buy a stock PC Dell

Macs are WAY overpriced for the hardware you get.

end of line.

Don't hate, Macs are very efficient and make everything seem cooler. :)

PC!