PCs vs Macs

[BelieverX]

PCs vs Macs

Since the 1990s, hardcore PC and Mac users have been waging an epic food fight over which system is better. In the old days, PC users poked fun at the underpowered processors and buggy software that Mac users had to endure. Mac users needed only to counter with "Windows Me." Today, the argument is more philosophical: who's good, who's evil, who's more brainwashed. Let's take a fresh look at PC vs. Mac and see who's winning the battle (if not the war) in key categories. Depending on your needs, it might help you make a decision.

1) PRICE

Winner: PC

Some of the highly engineered Ultrabooks have finally caught up to or dipped under the $1,000 entry-level price tag for MacBook Air. But most PC users can buy a perfectly good laptop or desktop for around $500. If you walk into an Apple Store with $500, you're still $100 shy of a Mac mini.

2) DESIGN

Winner: Mac

Many devotees appreciate that Apple spends years sweating design details. If you want a space-saving all-in-one desktop - and actually want to look at it all day - the iMac is the only choice. However, demanding design pros also know that the inside of an iMac can handle the most intensive tasks. You won’t find many staunch PC advocates defending their laptop trackpads against MacBook users. On-the-go PC warriors learned a long time ago to pack a mouse.

3) OS

Winner: Tie game

Both OS X and Windows become second nature for users with a little experience. Now three years old, Windows 7 offers PC users superb speed, stability and functionality - with very few problems. Mac users have the option of installing and running Windows with the Boot Camp tool. Both operating systems are heading for a slimmed down, touch-based, mobile-influenced future.

4) SOFTWARE

Winner: PC

For the average user, this may be more of a tie. But if you're a finance person or a gamer, you know the Mac finishes a poor second. Microsoft Office hasn't gotten around to optimizing Office for the retina display. Besides that, the productivity suite for Mac is every bit as functional as the Windows version. Adobe programs and other major software titles are very similar or identical on both platforms. Mac versions of Quicken and Quickbooks Pro, however, have long been considered poor substitutes to their PC counterparts. And pity the poor Mac gamer. He's been wandering the desert for years. If a game-maker even deigns to make a Mac version of a title, it will come out months after the PC release. PC gamers enjoy a vast library of games and can take advantage of extreme graphics cards tweaked for gaming performance.

5) CUSTOMIZATION

Winner: PC

The compromise you accept when you choose Apple's super-sleek design aesthetic is that do-it-yourself upgrading is impossible unless you're an expert. You can't even replace the RAM in a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro with retina display because the memory is soldered to the logic board. With PCs, it's easy to swap out drives and sound and graphic cards, or even build a custom PC from the ground up, if you're reasonably handy.

6) SECURITY

Winner: Tie game

High profile malware attacks against Macs this year should have shattered the illusion that Apple computers are inherently more secure than PCs. You're not safe just because you haven't been attacked or are attacked less frequently. You're secure when you have antivirus software installed - and can withstand a hit.

So the tally for now, with ties factored in, is:

PC - 3 1/2
Mac - 1 1/2

Choosing to buy a PC or a Mac is only half the battle. There are still dozens and hundreds of form factors and hardware configurations for each. You should check online to find out which machine is best for you. There are several excellent sites that offer knowledgeable tips on what to watch for. In Google just type in "choosing the right computer", or visit your local computer hardware store.


source: Kim Komando - edited by: BelieverX

 

[WalksWithChrist]

PCs vs Macs

Since the 1990s, hardcore PC and Mac users have been waging an epic food fight over which system is better. In the old days, PC users poked fun at the underpowered processors and buggy software that Mac users had to endure. Mac users needed only to counter with "Windows Me." Today, the argument is more philosophical: who's good, who's evil, who's more brainwashed. Let's take a fresh look at PC vs. Mac and see who's winning the battle (if not the war) in key categories. Depending on your needs, it might help you make a decision.

1) PRICE

Winner: PC

Some of the highly engineered Ultrabooks have finally caught up to or dipped under the $1,000 entry-level price tag for MacBook Air. But most PC users can buy a perfectly good laptop or desktop for around $500. If you walk into an Apple Store with $500, you're still $100 shy of a Mac mini.

2) DESIGN

Winner: Mac

Many devotees appreciate that Apple spends years sweating design details. If you want a space-saving all-in-one desktop - and actually want to look at it all day - the iMac is the only choice. However, demanding design pros also know that the inside of an iMac can handle the most intensive tasks. You won’t find many staunch PC advocates defending their laptop trackpads against MacBook users. On-the-go PC warriors learned a long time ago to pack a mouse.

3) OS

Winner: Tie game

Both OS X and Windows become second nature for users with a little experience. Now three years old, Windows 7 offers PC users superb speed, stability and functionality - with very few problems. Mac users have the option of installing and running Windows with the Boot Camp tool. Both operating systems are heading for a slimmed down, touch-based, mobile-influenced future.

4) SOFTWARE

Winner: PC

For the average user, this may be more of a tie. But if you're a finance person or a gamer, you know the Mac finishes a poor second. Microsoft Office hasn't gotten around to optimizing Office for the retina display. Besides that, the productivity suite for Mac is every bit as functional as the Windows version. Adobe programs and other major software titles are very similar or identical on both platforms. Mac versions of Quicken and Quickbooks Pro, however, have long been considered poor substitutes to their PC counterparts. And pity the poor Mac gamer. He's been wandering the desert for years. If a game-maker even deigns to make a Mac version of a title, it will come out months after the PC release. PC gamers enjoy a vast library of games and can take advantage of extreme graphics cards tweaked for gaming performance.

5) CUSTOMIZATION

Winner: PC

The compromise you accept when you choose Apple's super-sleek design aesthetic is that do-it-yourself upgrading is impossible unless you're an expert. You can't even replace the RAM in a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro with retina display because the memory is soldered to the logic board. With PCs, it's easy to swap out drives and sound and graphic cards, or even build a custom PC from the ground up, if you're reasonably handy.

6) SECURITY

Winner: Tie game

High profile malware attacks against Macs this year should have shattered the illusion that Apple computers are inherently more secure than PCs. You're not safe just because you haven't been attacked or are attacked less frequently. You're secure when you have antivirus software installed - and can withstand a hit.

So the tally for now, with ties factored in, is:

PC - 3 1/2
Mac - 1 1/2

Choosing to buy a PC or a Mac is only half the battle. There are still dozens and hundreds of form factors and hardware configurations for each. You should check online to find out which machine is best for you. There are several excellent sites that offer knowledgeable tips on what to watch for. In Google just type in "choosing the right computer", or visit your local computer hardware store.


source: Kim Komando - edited by: BelieverX

I'll comment on two things. First, software. iLife, which comes standard with OS X, isn't even mentioned here. Windows comes with...very little. WordPad! Who needs more than WordPad, right? I frankly don't care if Office isn't optimized for OS X or Retina since I use Libre Office on my PC and would on a Mac if I had one.

Security. Um, what? PCs have been historically unsecure. It wasn't until Windows 2000 (I'm not listing NT because that was really just for workstations) that Windows had any security whatsoever. Mac OS X has been built on a well-secured platform since its inception. I ran a Mac until the end of last year. I never once installed anti-virus and didn't experience a single infection or malware attack.
Try that with a PC for even five minutes. Go ahead! See what happens.


Here's a thread you'll like. I put some time into this one!
http://www.christianforums.com/t7681230/

 

[Gnarwhal]

This debate is purely subjective to the Nth degree. I prefer a Mac because it does what I have to do without any issues.

I do HD video production which is darn near one of the most processor-intensive tasks you can subject a computer to, and try as I might, whenever I would edit on a PC the machine would crash at least 2-3 times throughout the duration of the project. I only used a PC to begin with because I was working for someone else who preferred them. One time just for my own curiosity I edited the same amount of footage on the same program but on different platforms (Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, Windows XP and OS X) and the Mac didn't crash once while the PC crashed and lost the project (thankfully I'm in the strict habit of backing up projects, especially when on a PC).

Now I know PC's are the machine of choice for gamers and such because of the reasons you listed above, but that's just as subjective as my reasoning to use a Mac for video production. It's all opinion and preference, nothing more.

I would say my reasoning for using a Mac is twofold: I trust the hardware, it's well designed and constructed to integrate seamlessly with the software; I trust the software, I don't worry about crashes, viruses (the one reason I'm thankful Apple has a relatively small market share) or other malware like key logging programs as often as I do on a PC, if ever.

I just can't say my experience has been the same with PC's.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

This debate is purely subjective to the Nth degree. I prefer a Mac because it does what I have to do without any issues.

I do HD video production which is darn near one of the most processor-intensive tasks you can subject a computer to, and try as I might, whenever I would edit on a PC the machine would crash at least 2-3 times throughout the duration of the project. I only used a PC to begin with because I was working for someone else who preferred them. One time just for my own curiosity I edited the same amount of footage on the same program but on different platforms (Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, Windows XP and OS X) and the Mac didn't crash once while the PC crashed and lost the project (thankfully I'm in the strict habit of backing up projects, especially when on a PC).

Now I know PC's are the machine of choice for gamers and such because of the reasons you listed above, but that's just as subjective as my reasoning to use a Mac for video production. It's all opinion and preference, nothing more.

I would say my reasoning for using a Mac is twofold: I trust the hardware, it's well designed and constructed to integrate seamlessly with the software; I trust the software, I don't worry about crashes, viruses (the one reason I'm thankful Apple has a relatively small market share) or other malware like key logging programs as often as I do on a PC, if ever.

I just can't say my experience has been the same with PC's.

I guess it boils down to how much a given user cares about a certain aspect of computing. Care about security? Mac. Don't care about what software comes on the computer, but still want choices? Maybe a PC. Care about stability and performance? Lean towards Mac.
Price??

Yes there is much subjectivity. But there are also objective factors to be considered which I have mentioned in both my postings here.

 

[NiobiumTragedy]

I never once installed anti-virus and didn't experience a single infection or malware attack.
Try that with a PC for even five minutes. Go ahead! See what happens.

I'm so tired of ignorant comments like this by Mac users. It's obvious you're using a scare tactic in your argument that Mac is superior, but it's complete rubbish.

No, you won't get a virus from running Windows without a virus scanner.
No, connecting to the internet without security won't give you a virus in 5 minutes, despite what Best Buy employees will tell you.
Yes, people who say things like this have no idea what they are talking about.

My recording studio has no virus scanner on it, however, I run one once about every year for this exact reason: to prove people who say things like this wrong. I've never once had a virus on any studio computer I've had.

If you're smart about your computing habits, you're fine. Don't execute software that comes in emails that look suspicious and don't download a bunch of pirated software expecting it to be safe. It's really that simple.

Oh, and stop going to porn sites.

 

[BelieverX]

Location is also a major factor. For example: Germany is one of, if not the biggest, computer consumer in Europe. PC users by far outnumber Mac users. The reasons are:

• Recommendation/reputation
• Price (in Germany Mac hardware costs twice as much as PC hardware)
• OS (Windows and Linux dominate here)
• availability and variety of PC hardware
• knowledge of PC hardware (many users build their own systems)
• gaming (PC gaming is a massive industry in Germany)
• service (either by a professional or a friend)
• access to free or copied (pirated) software

Macs have made progress as far as availability and service, but if you walk into Gemany's largest computer store you will see that Macs are restricted to a small section of the sales floor.

 

[C-Man]

I'm a PC guy for a couple of reasons:
1) I build my own systems, and I like to know exactly what's going into them. As for look and feel, hey, take a look at the Cooler Master HAF 912 case. It's not expensive, and it makes Mac look like a kid's toy.
2) Software and gaming. Most of the stuff I run either doesn't have an equivalent for Mac or doesn't exist. It will work in Windows, and mostly in Linux.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

I'm so tired of ignorant comments like this by Mac users. It's obvious you're using a scare tactic in your argument that Mac is superior, but it's complete rubbish.

No, you won't get a virus from running Windows without a virus scanner.
No, connecting to the internet without security won't give you a virus in 5 minutes, despite what Best Buy employees will tell you.
Yes, people who say things like this have no idea what they are talking about.

My recording studio has no virus scanner on it, however, I run one once about every year for this exact reason: to prove people who say things like this wrong. I've never once had a virus on any studio computer I've had.

If you're smart about your computing habits, you're fine. Don't execute software that comes in emails that look suspicious and don't download a bunch of pirated software expecting it to be safe. It's really that simple.

Oh, and stop going to porn sites.

Try that again without all the ad homs and I'll give a detailed reply.

Location is also a major factor. For example: Germany is one of, if not the biggest, computer consumer in Europe. PC users by far outnumber Mac users. The reasons are:

• Recommendation/reputation
• Price (in Germany Mac hardware costs twice as much as PC hardware)
• OS (Windows and Linux dominate here)
• availability and variety of PC hardware
• knowledge of PC hardware (many users build their own systems)
• gaming (PC gaming is a massive industry in Germany)
• service (either by a professional or a friend)
• access to free or copied (pirated) software

Macs have made progress as far as availability and service, but if you walk into Gemany's largest computer store you will see that Macs are restricted to a small section of the sales floor.

I didn't know that about Germany. Interesting.

I'm a PC guy for a couple of reasons:
1) I build my own systems, and I like to know exactly what's going into them. As for look and feel, hey, take a look at the Cooler Master HAF 912 case. It's not expensive, and it makes Mac look like a kid's toy.
2) Software and gaming. Most of the stuff I run either doesn't have an equivalent for Mac or doesn't exist. It will work in Windows, and mostly in Linux.

I recently parted with the last PC (still have Windows 7 laptops) in the house recently. So no more upgrading! No more yearly rebuilds! *sigh*
I'll miss that. But on the plus side, I gained space where the computer desk was!
Have you seen Windows 8 run on a Mac? I saw it on my friend's MacBook and it ran extremely well. I was impressed. I played Diablo III on it and I was in heaven.

 

[BelieverX]

I didn't know that about Germany. Interesting.

I did a price comparison to demonstrate the differences between PC and Mac.

Apple Mac Pro:
4-Core Intel Xeon Prozessor E3-1235 (3,2 GHz), 6GB ECC RAM, AMD 5770 video card, 1 GB 7200 HD, MacOS X Mountain Lion, iLife '11 (umfasst iPhoto, iMovie und GarageBand)

Price in Germany 2499.- Euros

Self built system:
Same hardware except for: case (Corsair Vengeance C70), Video card (AMD 6770 upgraded because the one in the Mac was obsolete) and software (Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate and Microsoft Office Home and Business 2010). You can add to the software package open source applications such as Inkscape, Gimp and MyPaint. These are excellent graphic and photo tools.

Price in Germany 1374.- Euros

If you were to use only open source software such as Linux and Open Office then the system would cost 907.- Euros

Many government offices such as the city of Dresden have gone completely over to open source software. This saves the city a lot of money in software licensing and hardware upgrades. Linux can run on older hardware much better than Windows or Mac OS X.

 

[m.a.r.X]

What I hate about Macs and Apple products in general is that they are costly. I can get a better PC with the same price point here.

 

[Gnarwhal]

I'm so tired of ignorant comments like this by Mac users. It's obvious you're using a scare tactic in your argument that Mac is superior, but it's complete rubbish.

No, you won't get a virus from running Windows without a virus scanner.
No, connecting to the internet without security won't give you a virus in 5 minutes, despite what Best Buy employees will tell you.
Yes, people who say things like this have no idea what they are talking about.

My recording studio has no virus scanner on it, however, I run one once about every year for this exact reason: to prove people who say things like this wrong. I've never once had a virus on any studio computer I've had.

If you're smart about your computing habits, you're fine. Don't execute software that comes in emails that look suspicious and don't download a bunch of pirated software expecting it to be safe. It's really that simple.

Oh, and stop going to porn sites.

WalksWithChrist is right, a response shouldn't be given until there's a post without any personal attacks, regardless I don't see anything ignorant about his post. You think we're making these comments without any basis for the conclusions? We both own/owned PC's, it cannot be denied that windows based computers are more susceptible to viruses and malware than other OS based machines. I know PC users try to say "just install Linux if you're worried about viruses" but that's not always a pragmatic solution.

The reality is, a user doesn't have to be as concerned about possible malware and virus attacks on the system when using a Mac, that's my (or should I say our?) experience. Neither of us are idiots either, we know how to properly operate a windows based PC but that doesn't change the fact that unwelcome items still make it into the system.

I'm a PC guy for a couple of reasons:
1) I build my own systems, and I like to know exactly what's going into them. As for look and feel, hey, take a look at the Cooler Master HAF 912 case. It's not expensive, and it makes Mac look like a kid's toy.
2) Software and gaming. Most of the stuff I run either doesn't have an equivalent for Mac or doesn't exist. It will work in Windows, and mostly in Linux.

Understandable.

What I hate about Macs and Apple products in general is that they are costly. I can get a better PC with the same price point here.

I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for". That's not to say that custom-built machines aren't well made, I've seen some nicely made custom PC's. I just personally believe the cost of the Mac comes through in its build quality and performance.

-------

I already said it but I'll say it again, PC's are great gaming machines - I'm not denying that. I do highly prefer Macs for creative work like photo and video editing. I've been through quite a few studios in LA and they all widely use Mac hardware and many used their software too.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

[WalksWithChrist]

I did a price comparison to demonstrate the differences between PC and Mac.

Apple Mac Pro:
4-Core Intel Xeon Prozessor E3-1235 (3,2 GHz), 6GB ECC RAM, AMD 5770 video card, 1 GB 7200 HD, MacOS X Mountain Lion, iLife '11 (umfasst iPhoto, iMovie und GarageBand)

Price in Germany 2499.- Euros

Self built system:
Same hardware except for: case (Corsair Vengeance C70), Video card (AMD 6770 upgraded because the one in the Mac was obsolete) and software (Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate and Microsoft Office Home and Business 2010). You can add to the software package open source applications such as Inkscape, Gimp and MyPaint. These are excellent graphic and photo tools.

Price in Germany 1374.- Euros

If you were to use only open source software such as Linux and Open Office then the system would cost 907.- Euros

Many government offices such as the city of Dresden have gone completely over to open source software. This saves the city a lot of money in software licensing and hardware upgrades. Linux can run on older hardware much better than Windows or Mac OS X.

I wish more countries would adopt that model frankly. And I wish Apple would also offer *just* the hardware so you can install whichever OS you like. I'd love to see an Apple product sold "bare bones" then running some form of Linux. I know it can be done! My cousin ran nothing but Linux on his MacBook for a while.
At the same time I do understand why Apple doesn't do this, and I respect that model as well.

I work for an agency that just runs Lenovos (*shudder*) and Dells. They are mostly sluggish and have all sorts of problems. I know because I work IT. I'd do a backflip right now if they would at least *experiment* with Linux or Mac OS.

WalksWithChrist is right, a response shouldn't be given until there's a post without any personal attacks, regardless I don't see anything ignorant about his post. You think we're making these comments without any basis for the conclusions? We both own/owned PC's, it cannot be denied that windows based computers are more susceptible to viruses and malware than other OS based machines. I know PC users try to say "just install Linux if you're worried about viruses" but that's not always a pragmatic solution.

The reality is, a user doesn't have to be as concerned about possible malware and virus attacks on the system when using a Mac, that's my (or should I say our?) experience. Neither of us are idiots either, we know how to properly operate a windows based PC but that doesn't change the fact that unwelcome items still make it into the system.



Understandable.



I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for". That's not to say that custom-built machines aren't well made, I've seen some nicely made custom PC's. I just personally believe the cost of the Mac comes through in its build quality and performance.

-------

I already said it but I'll say it again, PC's are great gaming machines - I'm not denying that. I do highly prefer Macs for creative work like photo and video editing. I've been through quite a few studios in LA and they all widely use Mac hardware and many used their software too.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

^^ This. You said what I would have almost word-for-word on all points. Thank you very much.

 

[EphesiaNZ]

I'm so tired of ignorant comments like this by Mac users. It's obvious you're using a scare tactic in your argument that Mac is superior, but it's complete rubbish.

No, you won't get a virus from running Windows without a virus scanner.
No, connecting to the internet without security won't give you a virus in 5 minutes, despite what Best Buy employees will tell you.
Yes, people who say things like this have no idea what they are talking about....

Oh, and stop going to porn sites.

The truth of the matter is that no operating platform is safe from attack, either from the internet or from inside on your network. With the information I have, I can compromise a Windows 7 PC in about 2 minutes (with my Black Hat on).

Microsoft has always been unsecure by design although, it has improved its game in the later Windows releases but is still let down by Internet Explorer and third party apps like Java - but to name a couple.

Mac is probably more secure than Windows solely due to the fact that it has a UNIX kernel which is pretty secure by default but like Windows, is let down by some pretty shabby apps like Safari - which appears to be the Swiss cheese of Internet browsers.

Linux is pretty secure, again due to the Linux Kernel design but can suffer from root-kit attacks (which the above suffer too) which can be found by employing a root-kit scanner - I have not suffered from any in 10 years of use. The biggest threat to Linux is probably from its source code which is freely available and could be modified to inflict damage - unlikely but a possible scenario.

No operating system is secure from idiotic usage or an unsuspecting user visiting a site with malware embedded into it. I have seen lots of people get hit just visiting cookery and handicraft pages which have been compromised - porn is a favourite for malware but by no means the only sort.

As most malware/virus content out there is directed at Windows based machines then it is true that Mac and Linux are theoretically safer on the Net but, there's always a chance that you will come face-to-face with one targeting Mac/Linux users.

 

[EphesiaNZ]

I'm a PC guy for a couple of reasons:
1) I build my own systems, and I like to know exactly what's going into them. As for look and feel, hey, take a look at the Cooler Master HAF 912 case. It's not expensive, and it makes Mac look like a kid's toy.
2) Software and gaming. Most of the stuff I run either doesn't have an equivalent for Mac or doesn't exist. It will work in Windows, and mostly in Linux.

I'm now starting to explore the "small is beautiful" path now - just tired of listening to all those fans whirring, which is not good if you have tinnitus

Just purchased an Intel all-in-one Mini-ITX board for use as a home server. Fanless dual core plus hyperthreading 2.16GHz CPU which does the job and produces zero decibels except for the PSU which is standard but will be probably replaced by a PICO setup.

I tried the Intel motherboard as a Linux desktop for a few days and it was great albeit for the onboard video which stuggled a little with YouTube videos running in HD resolution - still ok if you don't mind the odd stutter here and there. That issue could be fixed by utlising the only PCIe slot and fitting a fanless video card.

The bosses (wife) computer is next, will get a Mini-ITX board but this time with a low powered (35 watts) version of the Intel i3 CPU and an Antec ISK110 case to squeeze it into, very similar to this system.

My system will no doubt go the same way before long I guess - no more big boxes and a few dollars less to the power company each month.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

I'm now starting to explore the "small is beautiful" path now - just tired of listening to all those fans whirring, which is not good if you have tinnitus

Just purchased an Intel all-in-one Mini-ITX board for use as a home server. Fanless dual core plus hyperthreading 2.16GHz CPU which does the job and produces zero decibels except for the PSU which is standard but will be probably replaced by a PICO setup.

I tried the Intel motherboard as a Linux desktop for a few days and it was great albeit for the onboard video which stuggled a little with YouTube videos running in HD resolution - still ok if you don't mind the odd stutter here and there. That issue could be fixed by utlising the only PCIe slot and fitting a fanless video card.

The bosses (wife) computer is next, will get a Mini-ITX board but this time with a low powered (35 watts) version of the Intel i3 CPU and an Antec ISK110 case to squeeze it into, very similar to this system.

My system will no doubt go the same way before long I guess - no more big boxes and a few dollars less to the power company each month.

I'm going for simplicity too. I was *carrying* my PC to work on the weekends to game (it gets slow at work sometimes) and now I just carry a laptop. Ironic since now I've got the laptop and I'm not really wanting to game much. Moved on to bigger and better things like studying for this Network + exam.