Deciding between a Mac or a PC can be a difficult decision. After all, both companies have excellent marketing campaigns and each has a strong following of dedicated users. As such, finding accurate information to help you decide which is right for you can be quite challenging. Similarly, separating fact from fiction can be a trying experience, as there is a great deal of propaganda that must be sorted through. When it comes down to it, deciding between a Mac or a PC is a personal choice that is based on your personal preferences, but here is some useful information that will help you decide which one suits your needs the most.
Operating Systems
There is no doubt that the Windows based PC received a great deal of negative attention after launching Windows Vista, which had a number of bugs and general usability issues. When comparing Macs to PCs, however, it is important to remember that the PC operating system Microsoft Windows has moved on to the Windows 7. This is a very good operating system, as is the Snow Leopard OS system used by Mac. Therefore, when comparing operating systems, you should think in terms of the Snow Leopard OS versus the Windows 7 operating system, both of which are very good.
Cost
There is no way around it: Macs are more expensive than PCs when it comes to purchasing comparable systems. Even so, those who are looking to purchase a higher-end computer tend to gravitate toward the Mac. In fact, Apply has 91 percent of the premium computer market share. In other words, 9 out of 10 computers purchased in 2009 with a price tag of more than $1,000 were Macs.
Software Options and Concerns
If you are looking for the system with the greatest availability of software, the PC is the right choice for you. The simple truth is that there is more software for PC than there is for Mac. If you only need specific software applications that are available for the Mac, however, this may not be a concern for you.
It is also important to keep in mind that Apple makes both the Mac hardware and the software that is used by the computer. Therefore, you generally will not experience software compatibility issues with Mac as you will with PCs. Although Microsoft does a great job with making its software compatible with the thousands of different computer manufacturers and parts manufacturers in the industry, compatibility issues still do arise.
Viruses
There is a myth that Macs do not get viruses, but this is not true. It is true, however, that Macs do not get as many viruses as PCs. This is not because PCs are more susceptible to viruses. Rather, there are more viruses made to affect PCs because PCs are used by 90% of users while only 10% of computer users are Mac users. In other words, if you were creating a virus and you wanted to affect as many people as possible, the obvious choice would be to create a virus affecting PCs because more people use PCs than Macs.
So, what’s my personal opinion? In short, I like both. In fact, I have a MacBook Pro laptop as well as a Windows 7 desktop. I have noticed, however, that I tend to use my Mac more than my PC. I think this is largely because I like the simple designs of Apple products.
The bottom line is that there are no simple answers to this question. So, if you are still not sure which system is right for you, send me a message and tell me a little about yourself, how you plan to use your computer and your budget and I will do my best to help you decide and to help you find the best deal possible.
For those of you who already have experience with Macs or PCs, what is your opinion on this issue? What types of experiences have you had with one or both systems?
