By coliveira

The Mac is much more stylish than the PC. You don’t want a computer that just looks like a box that you need to carry around. You want a computer that can be a productive, creative tool that can support your work and lifestyle.

A computer shouldn’t be a source of problem, but a source of pleasure. That is what Macs try to be, using good style, well thought interfaces, and simple to use hardware.

This clever Apple ad isn’t lying! As a college student at Miami in Oxford, Ohio, I know first hand that college students are obviously leaning toward Macs. For the most part, the only students that have Windows PCs are those who are required to because of their major. Young Americans seem to be much more attracted to the ease of use and cool flair of Macs. After all, isn’t college where the smart kids go? Looks like Mac is the SMART choice.

by Michael Hansen

Is the Mac really better than the PC? This seems like an age-old, devisive question and there really isn’t an answer that will satisfy all people. Yes it is and no it isn’t is probably the best answer anybody can give you on the subject. There are a lot of factors involved in judging which system is best for you.

Do you work on a Mac now? If so, then you obviously think that the Mac is better than the PC. Until Vista was released, Mac OS X was arguably the more elegant of the two systems. I personally believe that the Mac interfaceis prettier and more intuitive than any flavor of Windows.

Viruses are a big concern for Windows PC users. Are Mac users immune from viruses? Absolutely not. But, there are fewer viruses and worms on the Mac platform than there are on the Windows platform.

PCs are cheaper than Macs. Well, this is an urban legend. What’s true is that you can get a cheaper PC, but that doesn’t mean that a comparable PC is cheaper. When you compare a Mac component for component with a PC, you’ll see that often times, the Mac is cheaper. The expensive Macs are expensive because they have premium parts built in, like a large, separate graphics processor with lots of memory, built-in video cameras, larger hard drives, etc. It’s important to compare apples to apples (no pun intended). You can’t say, “Well, the MacBook costs $1,100, but I can get a Gateway for $400,” because the specs are completely different.

Macs do graphics better people say. I think they do, but that doesn’t mean Windows does graphics poorly. Adobe Photoshop is Adobe Photoshop whether you’re running it on a Mac or a PC.

There are so many other factors that you have to think about when worrying about this subject. At the end of the day, however, which one is better really comes down to how you want to use your computer. If you want a computer with all the bells and whistles in a stylish case, get the Mac. If you are a serious gamer or just want a cheap computer, get a $400 PC. Just remember that with today’s Intel-based Macs, a lot of Macs are better at running Windows than PCs are. I guess Macs are better than PCs.

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Basically, Windows does a lot of things well, but Macs do them better. Whether it is Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, or the actual Windows OS, Mac machines run it better.

-Richard Jeremy Hooks

There are hundreds of reasons why Macs are better than PCs – they’re more reliable and more creative for a start. We’ve put together a definitive list of eight reasons as to why your next computer should be a Mac not a PC.

Macs can leave you happier and more productive than you would have been if you’d bought a Windows system, and feeling you got good value for your money even though a Mac is never the cheapest option.

So I’ve put together a list of 8 reasons why you should choose a Mac over a PC. So I’m not seen as biased, I also put together 8 reasons why a PC is better than a Mac. So read both articles and make up your own mind.

1. Macs are consistently consistent

Windows Vista reminds me of a haunted mansion – they type of place with endless wings and far-flung rooms connected by twisty staircases and secret passages. And every time Microsoft does a redecorating job (also known as an upgrade), it moves some stuff around for no apparent reason.

OS X’s logical, minimalist interface simply involves fewer things that must be learned and relearned, and Apple messes less with it in new releases such as Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Bottom line: it’s easier to get stuff done.

2. The joy of predictability

Anyone who’s ever suffered the indignity known as a Kernel Panic knows that Macs aren’t bulletproof. But logging thousands of hours both on Windows PCs from multiple manufacturers and on Macs has convinced me that the average Mac is meaningfully less flakey than the average PC.

In my experience Macs crash less, suffer from fewer inexplicable slowdowns, deal better with tight memory situations, and boot up and shut down quicker and more reliably. Also I suspect it doesn’t hurt that Apple is the only company in the business that writes its own operating system and designs its own hardware.

3. Who needs security headaches?

If the internet’s bad guys ever decide to pummel OS X with the same intensity that they’ve pounded on Windows for years, the free ride for Mac fans may end. But for now, this fact is indisputable: a Mac owner who uses no security software at all runs less risk of being infected by spyware or a virus than a Windows user who obsessively protects his or her PC.

4. Crud, or the lack thereof

Windows is an infinitely better operating system when it isn’t smothered by the demoware, adware, and other unwantedware that so many PC manufacturers splay onto the Start menu, the desktop, and the System Tray.

Macs are utterly free of such junk, as well as native-to-Windows irritations like word balloons burbling out of the System Tray, Windows Activation, and User Account Control.

5. Details count

You can buy a perfectly pleasing Windows PC that matches a Mac’s CPU speed, RAM, hard-drive space, and other specs for a lot less money. But it won’t have an AC adaptor with hooks that let you wrap up the cord for travel, or a MagSafe connector that won’t get damaged if it’s accidentally yanked out of the computer.

It won’t have an oversized touchpad with multitouch gestures that help you navigate through documents and around the web. And it will probably be heavier and bulkier than a comparable Mac.

6. Apple is one of the world’s best software companies

Forget about all those Macs, Apple iPods, and iPhones for a moment: Apple‘s applications are useful, enjoyable, and innovative, from the iLife creativity suite (whose presence on every new Mac is in itself an argument for the platform) to industrial-strength tools such as Final Cut Pro.

Most run only on OS X. (The Windows versions of iTunes,Safari, and QuickTime are okay, but Apple does its best work on its own operating system and hardware.)

7. The Apple Store’s Geniuses rock

Buy a Mac, and you qualify for free in-person technical support from a patient rep with a deep knowledge of your system. I’ve had Geniuses do everything from reinstall my OS to replace broken keys on the spot.

Microsoft has announced plans to train ‘Windows Gurus’ to provide similar customer care at other retailers; it’s worth trying, but there’s no way it’s going to replicate the Genius experience.

There are simply too many PCs from too many companies running too many variations on Windows for any one person to be an expert on everything.

8. Hey, Macs are PCs

By which I mean that Leopard’s Boot Camp feature – and better yet the Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion virtualisation utilities – let you run Windows, and Windows applications, on a Mac.

I’m listing this last because I ultimately see running Windows on a Mac as a last resort: it’s usually not necessary, and it degrades some of the other virtues of the Mac, such as protection from Windows security risks. But when it’s valuable, it’s really valuable.

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For those of you who like specific reasons, there you have it. There are 8 different reasons you may have never even thought of. From the actual machine, to the service you get in the stores, your Mac experience will clearly surpass your Windows experience.

by MG Siegler on July 23, 2009

“Our goal is not to build the most computers. It’s to build the best.”

That was Apple COO Tim Cook two days ago during Apple’s quarterly earnings call. Sure, it may sound like spin from an executive who doesn’t have a better answer as to why Apple isn’t competing in the low-end of the market, and thus, gaining market share. But it’s not.

You need look no further than numbers released today by NPD to understand Apple’s strategy. Its revenue share of the “premium” price market — that is, computers over $1,000 — is a staggering 91%. This means that 9 out of every 10 retail dollars that is spent on PCs in that price range, goes to Apple, as Betanews’ Joe Wilcox points out. That, for lack of a better word, is insane.

Analysts and journalists are often quick to point out Apple’s relatively low overall market share (less than 10%). But that completely misses the point of Apple’s Mac business. If Apple wanted to make a range of low-end computers, it absolutely could. And such machines would sell like crazy, boosting Apple’s market share. But there would have to be some trade-off in quality, and perhaps more importantly to Apple, to its high margins. And as it has proven time and time again, it has no desire to give up either.

Instead, Apple is content to keep churning out its high-quality, high-margin machines, and watch the profits roll in. If it happens to gain market share as a byproduct of that, that’s great. You can’t be so naive to think that Apple doesn’t care about that at all, of course it does, but it’s clearly a secondary goal, which most people don’t seem to understand.

It’s a metaphor that’s often used, but a way to think about it is if Windows-based PCs as a whole are thought of as a top selling car like the Toyota Camry, Apple’s Mac computers would be more like a luxury car, like a Porsche. Porsche sales are just a fraction of Camry sales because it does not sell any models in the low-end price range. But at the same time, Porsche makes more money on each car sold and maintains a premium branding. If Porsche started selling cheap cars, it would move a lot more units, but it would no longer be the Porsche brand that we know.

That’s not to say the Camry sucks or that the Porsche is perfect. They’re just two different cars that cater to different markets. And they represent the two different goals that most Windows-based PCs have (market share) versus Apple’s Mac computers (high-end revenue share).

And that’s why Microsoft’s recent Laptop Hunter commercials really never made a lot of sense. Sure, from a marketing perspective, I understand the idea: It’s a down economy, lets play up the fact that our computers are cheaper. But in many of the spots, the shopper’s stated desired computer was simply not something that Apple even made. In the famous first commercial, Lauren wants a laptop with a 17-inch screen for under $1,000. Okay, Apple doesn’t make that product. So of course she’s not going to buy a Mac.

The real point is that people who are shopping for computers where price is the key factor, were never going to buy Macs anyway. They never have. There is a reason Apple still has less than 10% market share. Did Microsoft need to spend millions of dollars on commercials to tell us that?

Instead, those commercials set up a narrative around the bifurcation of the computer-buying public. And today’s NPD numbers are the perfect ending to that story. If you’re a consumer looking for a bargain computer, you’re happy to save money buying a PC. If you’re looking for a premium computer, you’re happy to spend more money buying a Mac.

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What I have gathered from this article is that the only reason you buy a Windows PC, is because of cost. If you want a machine based on performance and ease of use, then you buy a Mac. The statistics show that 9 out of every 10 computers sold at higher than $10,000, are Macs. This basically tells us that if someone is willing to invest in a really good machine, they will just about always buy a Mac. Mac sales are geared toward those who want Quality. Windows only cares about sales Quantity. Take your pick. -Richard Jeremy Hooks

Many Windows users are thrilled about the new Windows 7 release, but for many, Vista was the last straw. More and more people are making the switch to Mac. Windows just keeps messing up, and hoping that its users will stick it out until the system is “ideal”. It’s like cheating on someone for the 6th time and hoping for another chance. Well, this year, I too became fed up with Windows taking advantage of me, and switched to Mac. Looks like I’m not the only one!

Sincerely,

Richard J. Hooks

Both Windows and Mac operating system users will cordially agree that Windows Vista was an epic fail. One of the main issues was incompatible drivers. After shoving out money to get a new system, your Vista system basically forced you to get all new necessary hardware, unless it was compatible with Vista… which was unlikely. Apple prides itself in creating systems that seamlessly work with the gadgets you already have. If you want to put pictures into your iPhoto Library, just plug in your camera and go. This makes life a lot simpler with so many electronics that can be connected to personal computers. Another big issue in Vista was that many applications proved to be incompatible with the new operating system. Vista seem to be a hastily programmed system that hastily grew a negative reputation.

Apparently, the new Windows 7 is supposed to fix all of Vista’s inherit issues. I wouldn’t bet money on this one. Windows 7 looks and smells like Vista. Windows users are likely to be in for another letdown. Even if there is a drastic improvement, isn’t it kind of absurd to put out a faulty product, and force people to pay and get the fixed one? I think so. I’m guessing that Windows users should just buy a Windows 7 sticker and put it on their Vista box. Cheaper, but just as effective. Just another broken promise from Windows.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Hooks

Don’t you just love it when you’re finally cruising through that English blog assignment at 12:50 am, and suddenly, your computer freezes? Well, I don’t, that’s why I have a Mac this school year. The Mac OS X is well equipped to handle the use of several applications. Carrying the workload at which a PC freezes up in confusion, Macs groove at a smooth seamless pace. Having used Windows operating systems for most of my life, I sort of grew accustom to the occasional “a problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer”. After so many times, you think of it as a necessary evil, but believe me, the grass is greener on the Mac side. Since the purchase of my MacBook Pro, I have not experienced one “freeze-up” incident. The other hand, several of my fellow Miami University campus residents suffer many nights in the study room, trying to get work done in between glitches and malfunctions. Of course, there are times when a Windows PC will run smoothly, but sometimes is NOT ENOUGH! So just slam those old, hard to use “Windows” of yours, and leave the “freezing-up” for the cold, lonely streets.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Hooks

Your grandmother was right! Apples do repel viruses… computer viruses that is. The built in security features of the Mac OS X is virtually intruder-proof. With so many common functions of American life based on the internet, viruses can pose a serious problem. They slow down your processor, take up memory, and and put the most secure files on your computer at risk. Anyone can get them, just by being connected to the internet…well, that’s if you have a MicroSOFTY (did I call it that out loud?). Experts say that by the end of 2009, there will be over 1 million known viruses that can infect Microsoft PC’s. The Fort Knox-like security on the Mac operating system has proven itself superior to its Windows counterpart. Unless you want to get a virus as soon as you connect your brand new laptop to the internet…DONT GET A WINDOWS PC! It’s like leaving all of your “Windows” open while on vacation.

-Richard J. Hooks

Sincerely,

Richard J. Hooks

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