Mac vs. PC

*Originally published on 9/18/09



Among computer users, it boils down to whether you prefer using a Mac or a Windows PC. At first, I wasn't a fan of Macs. For all of its faults, Windows seemed easier to deal with. With Macs, you always have to make sure that software is Mac compatible, with Windows you can buy something with little worry that it's not going to work.

Still, people swear up and down by their Macs. I kept hearing about how much better it was than Windows and how it's a miracle machine that does wonders. So, when my laptop was having technical difficulties (hardware, not software related) and HP was taking forever to send me the box to ship it out to them, I decided to buy a Mac (I needed a desktop anyway). I can honestly say that it's a good computer, it's not an amazing wonder that blew me away, but it's a solid product that was worth the money.

I attribute part of this assessment to the fact that I haven't really toyed with some of the programs. I have no use for garage band and I haven't used iMovie yet, though when I have the money for a camcorder that program might be put to some use. A lot of film and music makers use Macs so apparently, those programs are uber-helpful on that front. I mostly use my Mac to write and surf the internet, which I could easily do on a PC. As such, my impression of the computer is that it's a computer.

It does take some getting used to though. The one button mouse is probably the biggest adjustment. The general set up is slightly different, everything is lined up along the bottom, unlike Windows where the icons are all on the desktop. Another thing is that closing a program doesn't really close it. You have to go up to the tool bar at the top and close it, even after hitting the x button. You also can't just pull a flash drive out like you do with a PC, you have to go up and "eject" it before you reach back and pull it out.

Also, if you're a gamer, you'll definitely want to go with a PC. There are some games for Macs, but generally, it's not a gaming system.

Macs major selling point is the lack of viruses and spyware. This is true, however, even on my PC I run scans about once a week and clear everything out then, deleting all the temporary files and running disk clean up and de-fragment. It's not much of a nuisance to me. Still, it's a nice relief not having to worry. My roommate attests that people are developing viruses for Macs, but I have seen nothing of it. I try to clear out the web history about once a week, but that's the closest thing you'll have to do as far as running scans.

People give Vista a lot of flack, but I haven't had any trouble. Aside from a long loading time when you boot up, it's not that bad.

You'll be fine buying either one. Of course, there are differences, so depending on your interests and intent, you'll want to pick whichever one works for you, but as far as general computing goes, there really isn't much difference. Whether you end up buying a Mac or PC, you won't end up regretting it as long as it does what you need it to do.