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Mac or PC?
- Thread starter gaudenti
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I've had experience with both, and I would just go ahead and get a PC. Much more reliable, as proven by my eMachines which is going on 12 years old now and still running great(abeit extremely SLOW). It's essentially the same hardware as a Mac, a hell of a lot cheaper, and compatible with more programs. I'm a fan of Linux myself. Does that count as carrots?
First, to the OP. Mac all the way. Here is why...
Macbook Pro, with 4GB of ram and a 256GB SSD, 13", aluminum case, trackpad with gestures and OSX 10.7 Lion for $1199 at apple right now.
Microsoft office is available for OSX now. Comes stock with iLife, iWork is cheap as chips, less intrusion for spyware and viruses (there are some, but you have to try REALLY hard to get them), easier to use OS, simpler backup tools, better warranty, dual boot with windows if required, Thunderbolt support, Firewire support... The list goes on and on...
As for how are they better... They are. For video and photo software, I have found Final Cut Studio and other programs far easier to do MORE on, with the apple. As for recording, Logic is intuitive, easy to use, clearer interface with IMHO more hardware options (IE better) and it just works better... Think of it this way. Logic was designed to use the Mac and all it's hardware together. Hardware companies like MOTU, specifically design hardware to function with the mac and faster I/O (firewire 800) not to mention Thunderbolt. While many people think of Apple as a limitation, it is liberating.
Sure, you cannot pickup the latest software or hardware at walmart, or other chain stores, but you don't need the latest anti-virus, or new this or that.
Resale value is through the roof YEARS later. The hardware stands the test of time and will last her for years. And when it has run it's course, it will still function as a basic internet machine that she can take places, or sell it and get almost triple what a 5 year old laptop will get on the used market.
Get a mac... You will not regret it. New versions JUST came out last week. Hardware updated, software updated. Find an Apple store, and go play. You will leave with one for her, and you.
You can get a non-apple laptop with those specs for maybe 4-500USD. Why pay overprice for hardware?
Office is also on PC, so that's a moot point. I don't know what iLife and iWork are, so I can't argue those. You wont get viruses if you know what you're doing and are running any decent firewall and antivirus (even Windows own stuff is decent if you can't get anything better).
Which OS is simplest is completely subjective and can't be used an argument. I get completely confused when using OSX but can find my way around Windows systems fine.
How are backup tools simpler? One button and off it goes on the PC.
Warranty is usually a few years for PC, dont know of any extended warranty for macs.
Don't know what Thunderbolt is, and Firewire is standard on all computers nowadays.
Most of this stuff is available for PC as well, and if the companies for some reason dont want 85% of all the computers in the world to use their stuff, there are alternatives.
Can't argue away good resale value. The hardware is OUTDATED already. Just look at the desktops. Theyre running graphics cards from 2009! No other company builds computers with that card for even a quarter of the price of a mac!
Any computer can work as an internet machine. I could probably get my old 486 from 1994 to browse talkbass if i really wanted.
This is a good point actually. Windows computers lose their value very quickly because the focus is on how new / cutting edge the hardware is, within 6-12 months half the value has gone. Macs hold their value much better.
You're coming at this from a computer gaming perspective. If you want to play the latest games then yes hardware specs are important, but most Mac owners don't really play games.
What Mac owners care about is the user experience. I use both Mac and Windows computers (I've been using Windows boxes since 1993, Macs since 2006) and I do enjoy using Macs more - Apple definitely benefit from being the supplier of both hardware and software, they can provide a more integrated experience. It's difficult to put a specific value on it but it does add a lot of value, IMO.
It's also important to note that Mac OS X is a Unix operating system with the best desktop environment. If Ubuntu catches up in the UI stakes (and it might, unless Apple crushes them with patent lawsuits as soon as they start to look like a challenge) then there will be a much cheaper alternative, but for some people a quality Unix computer is what they need, and Windows is always going to be second rate for them.
How can you NOT care about that you're buying outdated hardware for what was already an overprice when it was new?
What do you mean with "integrated experience"?
How is it the "best" enviroment? I doubt anyone here is going to do any really deep stuff and what type of OS they run is pretty irrelevant as long as they are familiar to it.
What do you mean with "integrated experience"?
How is it the "best" enviroment? I doubt anyone here is going to do any really deep stuff and what type of OS they run is pretty irrelevant as long as they are familiar to it.
Mac. Easy choice, IMHO. I've used Macs since they came out around 1984, and Apples since 1980 or so. I've never had a virus...never really had any sort of problem worth mentioning, actually, and I can probably count the number of crashes I've had in the past 27 or so years on just my fingers. Their durability has been nothing short of amazing, especially given the beatings that my laptops take. My MacBook Pro is coming up on three years old and still running strong, no need to replace it anytime soon. Once upon a time a few years back I had to buy a PC laptop for work, and despite all the right software and support along with a reliable and respected manufacturer, the thing was as useless as an anchor on land in less than a year - seething with viruses, sluggish, shedding bits and pieces of keys and other plastic bits, then finally gave up the ghost with having the screen die and refusing to boot. As a final note, Macs can run either OS - OS X or Windows - while PCs run only Windows. That fact alone should make it a no-brainer. Do we need to get into how well they integrate with other Apple devices that many people use regularly, including iPhones, iPods, or AppleTVs?
Mac all the way!
Mac all the way!
People often complain about Macs being overpriced but you have to remember that there's more to a laptop than hardware specs. You get what you pay for as far as build quality. Sure you can get a PC laptop with the same specs for $500 but I guarantee it will feel flimsy. I've never used a laptop that feels as solid as the aluminum MacBook Pros. To me, Macs feel like luxurious items. I've often used many Windows laptops of the same price range that felt flimsy. All my friends brag about how much better their Sony Vaios are yet almost every single one has some kind of crack on their cases, whether big or small. I've dropped my MacBook more times than I'd care to admit to, and it still looks great. Now, keep in mind I'm only making a counter-argument about the price. I still think the OS is a matter of preference. My desktop is a custom-built Windows 7 pc that I use primarily for gaming and video encoding, but I use my MacBook for pretty much everything else.
Mac. Easy choice, IMHO. I've used Macs since they came out around 1984, and Apples since 1980 or so. I've never had a virus...never really had any sort of problem worth mentioning, actually, and I can probably count the number of crashes I've had in the past 27 or so years on just my fingers. Their durability has been nothing short of amazing, especially given the beatings that my laptops take. My MacBook Pro is coming up on three years old and still running strong, no need to replace it anytime soon. Once upon a time a few years back I had to buy a PC laptop for work, and despite all the right software and support along with a reliable and respected manufacturer, the thing was as useless as an anchor on land in less than a year - seething with viruses, sluggish, shedding bits and pieces of keys and other plastic bits, then finally gave up the ghost with having the screen die and refusing to boot. As a final note, Macs can run either OS - OS X or Windows - while PCs run only Windows. That fact alone should make it a no-brainer. Do we need to get into how well they integrate with other Apple devices that many people use regularly, including iPhones, iPods, or AppleTVs?
Mac all the way!
How do you manage to make keys fall of your laptop? Were you banging it into the floor or something? I've never ever seen or even heard of that happening.
The viruses are probably a cause of going without any antivirus software running. As I've said maybe 5 times in this topic already, even a basic one is all you need and that barely drains resorces, something you will have plenty of if you buy a PC and invent in performance instead of looks.
The Build quality should be good on a plastic laptop aswell. The aluminum sucks for making heat go away, making stuff overheat as soon as the fans start collecting dust. Just look at the Macbook air, Apple even refuses to admit they did something wrong with the design when they removed the air vents to make it a little bit thinner!
And if you drop your laptop all the time, maybe it's time to look up a Toughbook instead?
I agree. The build quality on plastic laptops should be good, but in my experience most just aren't. As far as heat goes, mine barely gets warm. I frequently watch HD videos and do other activities that really get the CPU going. Even as far as Macs go, my MacBook is cooler than all my old plastic iBooks and PowerBooks. I can kind of understand how the MacBook Air, but I've never used one so I won't make a comment and call it fact. I will say, however, that I haven't heard any complaints from my friends with Airs.
that's like saying all that matters in a car is what engine you're running. some cars just feel great to drive. i'm an average college joe, and i enjoy using my mac for average college joe stuff. PCs feel like unwieldy vehicles to me, even when they have higher specs.
You are trying to argue a point about which you know absolutely nothing. Do a little research, or at least Google something before you try to belittle a superior system. My first computer was an IBM XT, and I only switched to Mac about six years ago. I've only been able to keep one PC running at all for six years before, and it was a dog after one. My iMac is just as fast now as it was then, and is actually a little quicker, as I can address more RAM now. Since you don't know what an integrated experience is, and don't know what Thunderbolt is (it's not just a quidditch broom anymore), and don't know what anything else on a Mac is, how can you possibly have an opinion on which is better? That's just like saying, well, I've never had a peach before, but sugar tastes better and is better for you.
What parts of what I said were incorrect? And no, I don't keep track of every buzz word Steve Jobs comes up with, so could you try to explain them to me?
Edit: I looked up Thunderbolt, and it's a new interface for connecting stuff to your computer. I also went to Newegg to check out what support there is for it, and NOTHING SUPPORTS IT. Pretty cool stuff when there is aboslutely no use for it.
Flip a coin. Seriously. If you've got the cash for either, you really can't go wrong. However, if you do get a PC make sure that you know how to take care of it (i.e. virus protection, regular defragmentation, and general housekeeping). The fastest way to end up with a junked PC is to act like it can take care of itself.
Fix'd. With a theoretical maximum transfer speed of 10GB/s it's more a matter of when, not if. Be very careful about sounding so sure about technology based on what is available now because tech is always moving forward and very quickly at that. Also, take note that Apple, as proprietary and expensive as it is, does not invest in failures. They only put money in when they see themselves making more. Look at the ports on any Mac machine before Thunderbolt came along and tell me which ones are not some sort of established standard? I won't say that Thunderbolt will be the next USB 2.0 but I doubt that it'll go unsupported for much longer.
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