Why did you chose a Mac over a PC?

[thedon1]

I'm a current PC user, bought my computer about 3 years ago, quite cheap at the time and feel it's time for an upgrade.

I've heard good things about Macs but one of the main reasons i want one is that great looking screen. I also love how little space it takes.

Mac cost a lot more than their similarly specced pc counter parts. What made you pay the extra and want the pac?

[zaffle]

the operating system.

then again that's not entirely applicable to me since i've grown up with macs and have used mac os since system 7.

in 2003 i bought my first pc as i needed windows for schoolwork etc, but as soon as i went to university i realised how much i missed mac os and promptly bought a macbook.

the pc these days is used as a very noisy media server, and in my opinion is all it's good for anymore. i've had so many issues with it over the years, something i cannot say of the 8 macs i've owned/had use of in my lifetime.

[Mr. McMac]

I love the operating system and the look and feel of macs. That said, I still use a Dell Inspiron 531 running XP pro with a GeoVision GV-650 8 Channel Video Capture DVR Card for my home security system. It's been running flawlessly 24 hours a day for the past 3 years.

[Stevamundo]

Basically it's a personal choice.

I love the look and feel of a Mac and OSX.

I know how to run Windows too. However to me Windows' GUI was made by a drunk.

I gladly pay more for Mac and OSX. Also basically I had no major problems with my Macs. I've been a Mac owner for about 30 years.

[lexvo]

I have used PC's since 1986. (In 1987-1988 I used a Mac too.) Altough all my PC's were quite reliable, I began getting tired of unexpected crashes, complex way to install/tune things etc. So last year I bought an iMac and I was pretty surprised how easy things like setup were. And I love the big screen and the fact that it is very very quiet.

I think PC's have caught up with the newest Windows version, but I love my iMac now.

[cocky jeremy]

Macs work. No viruses, you can just USE your computer. You don't have to waste time with maintenance. The OS. The applications. All of it.

[old-wiz]

I spent years using Windows at work all the way back to Windows 3.0, and got simply fed up with registry problems, virus scanners taking over the machine, applications that were hideous to learn, system crashes, and whatnot.

Now that I'm retired I switched to a Mac and have had zero system crashes, zero viruses, and apps that don't drive me to drink.

[iBookG4user]

I've grown up on Macs, I know them inside and out so it has never crossed my mind to buy a PC. I've never had any big problems with the OS, so that's what has kept me with Mac OS X.

[UltimaLink]

When I switch it'll probably be for college.

Reason being it comes packaged with iLife, and I can get iWork for less than microsoft office.

I plan on going to college to be for animation and graphics design, so yeah.

For now I use a PC so I can play video games.

[CraigB3]

Macs work.

That pretty much sums it up for me. :)

[DisMyMac]

1) no viruses

2) LACK of software... ie. a selection process occurs such that only worthy Mac software gets made. (No Darwin pun intended.)

[iSaint]

Not much can be added to what's already here. My five year old Powerbook G4 still runs like a dream. I upgraded the harddrive to a 250g and it does all I need. Still, I'm drooling over a new unibody!

[thedon1]

1) no viruses

2) LACK of software... ie. a selection process occurs such that only worthy Mac software gets made. (No Darwin pun intended.)

What do you mean with your second point?

[sharkync]

Never had one before and decided to try them out.

Glad I did, but Apple's been scaring me lately.

[Tymmz]

because of the OS

windows actually gives me a headache, not kidding

[slicecom]

I'm an UI fanatic and I greatly prefer the UI of OS X to Windows. When I got my first Mac (12" PB in 2003), it was running 10.2 and I haven't looked back since then.

BTW, I still use my 12" Rev.A Powerbook DAILY.

Sent from my 27" i7 iMac.

[zaffle]

2) LACK of software... ie. a selection process occurs such that only worthy Mac software gets made. (No Darwin pun intended.)
um, no. have you used office for mac? awful. that's just off the top of my head.

[slicecom]

um, no. have you used office for mac? awful. that's just off the top of my head.

??? Most people prefer the Mac version of Office and its widely considered to be the superior version.

[iBookG4user]

um, no. have you used office for mac? awful. that's just off the top of my head.

I dunno, Office for Mac seems to work pretty well for me.

[DisMyMac]

What do you mean with your second point?

To put it another way: quality over quantity.

[mrmarts]

I'am also a first time Mac user, Here's my reason for taking the plunge:

1. Got tired from using Windows Vista constant crash dump screens, os preformance got worst overtime with updates.

Oh and that useless windows vista firewall, windows search, disk restore and superfetch which I had to turn off because it drove my hard drive crazy.

Have not fiddled with Mac osx setting os is like a dream.

2. The space no more full tower cases that drone sounds in my ear.

3. The IMac is so Quiet I can hear myself think and without a mouse scroll wheel it is even more quieter

4. No more jumbled wires.

5. No viruses, no need to download useless anti virus software.

6. Dowloaded Heaps of apps candybar, roxio toast
Plus games: world of goo, bookworm deluxe, bejeweled 2, etch a sketch, UNO undercover, boogle and Warcraft 3 which i played to death on pc still works, can't wait for Starcraft 2

6. Mouse and keyboard small and easy to use

7. No more flashing activity lights.

The only complaints I have is no blu ray drive, hard to find programs to burn DVDs and to unlock the regions.

[Tallgrass]

because of the OS

windows actually gives me a headache, not kidding

Ditto. I have left my office early on more then one occasion with a pounding headache due to my PC freezing. At least I can be headache free while I'm at home.

[SXR]

I agree with whats being said here a lot , you pay the premium for the attention to detail and the OS . I love Mac OS X , I would not be able to go back to windows again... although im typing this on a windows laptop right now lol.

I would pay a premium for that OS anytime.

[opera57]

They just work.. they don't seem to slow down as much as PCs. When I had my PC I would have to format at least every 3-4 months to keep it usable, but with the mac I have managed over 12 months without an OS reinstall (probably could have managed longer but wanted a clear out due to still being set in my windows ways..). They also have an excellent backup system (time machine) which is built into the OS which automatically backs up everything and can restore the entire system, or just a single file!
http://scottty.com/imgs/signature_silverapple.jpg

[thejadedmonkey]

??? Most people prefer the Mac version of Office and its widely considered to be the superior version.

What are you smoking? Have you even used Office for MS Windows? Maybe Office 2004 vs Office 2000, but there's no comparison between Office 2008 and Office 2003/2007/2010

To the OP: It's a personal preference. I switched over to OS X when Vista came out, and was getting horrible reviews. Meanwhile, I had gotten used to a $500 mac mini (had I known about the refurb store, I could have gotten it for less). The choice to get a MBP was easy, especially as it was my parents' money.

Now, seeing that a base mini costs $700, apple's business practices, and the like, plus the fact that Windows 7 is leaps and bounds better than OS X, I switched back to Windows. My current laptop costs less than a refurb mini, and is just as capable.

So like I said, it's all about personal preference.

[kazmac]

and at the time, Macs were the primary machine for graphic design use.

I continue to use Macs all these years later for their ease of use and less hassles than my PCs at work. It really boils down to the OS and ease of use for me. I'm willing to pay a little more for that ease of use and peace of mind.

I'm not a Microsoft fan at all. I'm reminded why M-F at my job.

[einmusiker]

because I think macs are helped me with my bad grammar

[SXR]

because I think macs are helped me with my bad grammar

thats the best reason I have ever heard why someone has moved over to the bright side. lol.

[iLikeMySelf]

I choose a Mac because by buying a PC I would go to the DarkSide ;)

[Mr. McMac]

because I think macs are helped me with my bad grammar


Really?

[SXR]

I choose a Mac because by buying a PC I would go to the DarkSide ;)

and that's another one, lol.

[GCardoso]

The force is deep in macs.:D

[Kebabselector]

Almost 4 years ago I decided to 'try' a Mac. I bought a Mac Mini on the assumption I probably could get 75% of the value back if I didn't get on with it.

Initially it was a struggle, especially only having 512mb. Rosetta emulation of Photoshop was fairly bad. Anyway after a few weeks and a memory upgrade I've not looked back.

I still have a couple of PC's, but they're only around for legacy things like my SCSI film scanner.

[ValSalva]

I'd used PCs for a decade but all the pundits and web designers I followed used Macs. I wondered what all the fuss was about; how could they be that much better. So I bought a MBP and now know why Macs and OS X are better. It would hurt to go back to PCs completely.

[hismikeness]

My dad had one of the old early version macs, and the very first mac laptop. My grandpa was always a mac guy. So I had some experience with them. My conversion was for three reasons:

1: I really like the look of the lineup. I have a MacMini as a media center, and it takes up the least amount of footprint of all the other devices on my shelf (external DVD burner, wii, speakers, xbox360)

2. My brother is still using a G4 mac pro, which is approaching 12 years old, I think. The guy he bought it from is a tech head, so I guarantee it was top of the line at the time and well maintained throughout his ownership, but either way... hard to find a still functioning 12 year old PC.

3. My wife had a laptop when we met, bought a new one just before we got married, and a third about 3 years ago. XP, XP and Vista respectively. All three of them had some issues. One broke the toggle switch for the wifi antenna on/off, another fried the motherboard, and the third was running Vista. I bought her the most recent MacBook update, and she has had no problems at all, and loves it. So yeah, for a similarly spec'd PC I would have paid less, but, if this computer lasts the 6 years of the previous three, then the extra couple hundred bucks was well worth it.

[neonmd]

Because I got tired of reformatting my hard drive and re-installing windows.
Every Mac I have bought for the last 8 years still works. Seriously.

[entatlrg]

Mac notebooks have much better displays.

[J&JPolangin]

...because right now I'm going thru 43 driver updates to try yet another "fix" to what was originally a $2149 ultraportable Sony TR3a laptop 6+ years ago...

RAM replaced under crucial lifetime warranty, new Toshiba 60 Gb 1.8" HDD, new Mobo and a fresh winXP install that didn't automatically load any device drivers...

If it works, it will still be cheaper now as a repair than purchasing a "new" netbook and the screen at 1280x768 is still a great panel!

...winVista was really a bomb but win7 is at least on par or better than OSX depending on what tasks its being used for...

[Wrathwitch]

I have always had PCs also. The quad core 27" iMac is my first and I LOVE IT.

Why? some of the more simple reasons:

It takes less than 30 seconds to boot up from full shut off.

It doesn't pester me constantly for security updates and force me to have to restart it.

I have never had anything on it lock up and have to use the equivalent of task manager to shut it down.

It looks beautiful and I love the screen.

Sure it was a bit of a learning curve to go to Mac from PC and I have never bothered with paralells or putting windows on it. I still have an Asus laptop that I can use for other things but I almost never turn it on.

Those are some of my reasons. It never ceases to amaze me how well it boots up, works, sleeps and doesn't pester me.

WW

[ProwlingTiger]

Because it didn't come with the **** known as 'Windows.' And pretty much every other reason listed here.

[rkaufmann87]

Mac cost a lot more than their similarly specced pc counter parts. What made you pay the extra and want the pac?

This is one of the major misconceptions about Macs and isn't really correct when you consider the total cost of ownership. Which include money spent for malware protection and resale. BTW this isn't scientific by any means and can be easily argued.

Let's say you spend $1000 for a really nice desktop PC and $1700 for an iMac. With the PC you need to factor in getting Antivirus and anti malware software every year to stay up to date, this will probably cost about $50 year or $150 over 3 years. With the Mac you don't need to spend a dime because there currently zero virus's for OS X.

What is a 3 year old PC worth, I think most agree it's going to be pennies on the dollar. But let's be an optimistic and say it's worth $450. I paid $1700 for my iMac 3 years ago, the other day I checked on both Ebay and Craig's List and the configuration I have is getting between $900 and $1200 dollars so let's shoot on the low side and say mine gets $1000, that means I really only paid $700 for it. When I do the math that comes out to:

Mac $1700 + $0 (antivirus costs) = $1700 - $1000 (resale) = $700 / 36 months = $19.44 month.

PC $1000 + $150 (antivirus costs) = $1150 - $450 (resale) = $700 / 36 months = $19.44 month.

So is a PC really less expensive than a Mac? And what price can you put on OS X, less down time, less noise, and for most a better user experience etc..?

Regards,

Roger

[Abs1nth3]

Because I'm a sucker for good hardware. :)

Just picked up my first mac. A 27in iMac, and honestly, I'm pretty happy with it so far.

I'm a Windows Systems Admin, have used Windows/Dos for over 20+ years, and this is my first Mac I have ever purchased. I've never been anti-mac, just never saw the reason to purchase one over the other considering price difference. But having a 27 inch screen at 2560x1440 w/all the components built in and no tower is very nice!

As for the OS, it's all preference, I use Windows exclusively and will continue to because that is my business, but having OSX is fun too.

This way I have the best of both worlds.

[Horus]

Macs don't come with stickers, enough said.

[Spulture]

Because I was born into a Mac using family.

In the early 90's, my dad was a journalism teacher at a high school that used Macs. He liked them enough to purchase one for home use and to work on a local newspaper with my mom. This was my first Mac, a Macintosh Performa 575. From then, I've used a myriad of Macintosh computers growing up... from Classics to PowerMacs to eMacs to iMacs to MacBooks & MacBook Pros.

I choose Mac over PC simply because of my familiarity with them. I've been a Mac user my whole life, I grew up with them. In fact, I don't even think I knew that there was anything besides a Macintosh until I was older! Using a PC was, and still is, a very foreign experience. I only know how to work with PC's today, because my elementary, middle, and high schools only had PC's. But I've never liked using them.

Also, the Performa 575 still works!

[mikepas]

I've used both Macs and PCs for going on twenty plus years now and I see the pros and cons of each platform.

I just "retired" my custom built PC running Windows 7 and got a refurbished 27 Core i5 iMac. Why?

I got tired of many issues with Windows such as driver issues, registry bloat, and other assorted maladies that are inherent with that platform. With Mac OSX I do not have those problems and the experience is a much more "streamlined" one. For those times I want to play my older games I've got Windows 7 installed via Boot Camp and I'm planning to install either Parallels or VMWare to access the Boot Camp partition on the very rare occasion I may need to use a non-game software package that is not available on Mac.

That and you can't beat the look of the Mac hardware and I just didn't feel like building a new PC.

[Heilage]

Wanted to try it four years ago, back when I bought my first Mac. Now I buy it simply because I like using it more than Windows (which I also use a lot).

Try it, figure out if it's for you. :)

[Fishrrman]

"Why did you chose a Mac over a PC?"

The OS.

It's that simple.

Using Windows on a PC has never entered my mind.

[R94N]

I got a Mac because of the OS, and because of the design. They're gorgeous.

[opeter]

In the past I used Macs (had four of them in 7 years) because of the OS.
Now I am back on a PC with Windows 7.

Apple has simply no desktop computer, made for my pocket.

[jerry333]

Because the Mac has a Unix base, which is inherently more stable and secure, and also has both commercial and open source applications.

Previous to switching to Mac I used SGI (I haven't used Windows since 1991 when I got tired of having to restore from tape twice a week). When SGI stopped supporting desktop systems I started switching to Mac. In many ways the 1998 SGI (my last SGI, which I used from spring 1998 to summer 2007) was far superior in speed, stability, and ease of maintenance than the Mac Pro that replaced it. However, having to compile every application was a pain after the vendors stopped software support for the IRIX O/S, so when it had a hardware fault I switched my last SGI system to Mac.

If anyone is wondering why I didn't switch to Linux, it's because I want to use my computer--not fiddle around with system administration. Like the SGI, Linux requires you to compile every application (or trust someone else's compilation) and there are few commercial apps.

[jsalzer]

I'm in agreement with everyone who is telling you that it's all about the operating system. I use a Mac and a Windows XP machine side-by-side every day. When I'm on the Windows machine, I feel like my focus is on using the machine to perform my tasks. When I'm on the Mac, my focus is on performing my tasks.

Here are a couple of key pieces:

a) The Mac respects your muscle memory. The menu bar is always at the top of the screen, allowing you to get to the File and Edit menus without having to hunt for them. Items that you keep in your dock are always in the same place (to get that in an XP task bar, you need to open your programs in the same order every morning - and if you don't, there is no way to reorder them).

b) I am constantly annoyed that the XP machine feels like it needs to get my attention and get a tummy rub every time it does something that I expect it to just do, versus the Mac, which only bothers me if there is a problem.

-"Hey - I successfully printed that document for you - please click my balloon acknowledging that I'm a good boy, or I'll keep it on your screen and in the way. Click my balloon. Click my balloon."

-"Hey - I added more virtual memory space for you - please click my balloon acknowledging that I'm a good boy, or I'll keep it on your screen and in the way. Click my balloon. Click my balloon. Pant, pant, woof!"

c) While this is changing and I believe under the control of the software companies, the entire document window within a program window concept has always bothered me and is a constant source of support headaches. "You're not seeing the bottom of the document because you're scrolling the outer scroll bar - you need to scroll the inner scroll bar."

d) Duplicate. Why does Windows and why do most Windows programs not have a "duplicate" command. It's such a time-saver over copy and paste. Whether duplicating a file in Finder or duplicating an object in a document, it's a must-have command.

e) Font smoothing. Reading text on a Windows machine would drive me batty. (Is this better in Windows 7?)

f) Horizontal and diagonal scrolling. And now scrolling with momentum. I feel handicapped mousing on the Windows machine.

OK - so now I'm getting into the little things. Back to the big picture - after the adjustment period, you'll find that the Mac performs as an organic extension of you - rather than a machine with which you interface to perform a task. That allows you to be more creative and productive in the long run.

[/V\acpower]

This is one of the major misconceptions about Macs and isn't really correct when you consider the total cost of ownership. Which include money spent for malware protection and resale. BTW this isn't scientific by any means and can be easily argued.

Let's say you spend $1000 for a really nice desktop PC and $1700 for an iMac. With the PC you need to factor in getting Antivirus and anti malware software every year to stay up to date, this will probably cost about $50 year or $150 over 3 years. With the Mac you don't need to spend a dime because there currently zero virus's for OS X.

What is a 3 year old PC worth, I think most agree it's going to be pennies on the dollar. But let's be an optimistic and say it's worth $450. I paid $1700 for my iMac 3 years ago, the other day I checked on both Ebay and Craig's List and the configuration I have is getting between $900 and $1200 dollars so let's shoot on the low side and say mine gets $1000, that means I really only paid $700 for it. When I do the math that comes out to:

Mac $1700 + $0 (antivirus costs) = $1700 - $1000 (resale) = $700 / 36 months = $19.44 month.

PC $1000 + $150 (antivirus costs) = $1150 - $450 (resale) = $700 / 36 months = $19.44 month.

So is a PC really less expensive than a Mac? And what price can you put on OS X, less down time, less noise, and for most a better user experience etc..?

Regards,

Roger

For 1000$ you don't get a nice PC AND a 27' 2560x1440 IPS Display.

[JohnRN]

I switched over 4 yrs ago and have never looked back. I'm not an IT guy, I don't do design, I'm a simple grad student in nursing. The reason I switched was I was fed up with windows and all the problems it had. From the constant need to update antivirus and antispam and anti this and anti that. Then there was windows, with the constant registry problems to the corrupted random .dll files, and defragmenting the hard drive, etc. When I had to reinstall windows for the second time in a year I got my first mac. I've never looked back.

[tunerX]

I chose a Mac over a PC back in 2006 when Vista was becoming the big thing. I was spending a bunch of time relearning the windows OS that when it was time to upgrade my wifes computer, I figured since she had to relearn the OS that she might as well try out Mac. I bought the white iMac and my wife was hooked. Then I upgraded the iMac as soon as the quad core came out.

I still use PCs but the home computers for the family are all Mac.

[Rorynichol]

Cos windows is a bag of w@nk

[Man-Droid]

First computer was a G3. I have never owned a PC. All of my software is for my Mac. I have been happy with every Apple product I have owned. Couple problems, no more than any other electronic device I've owned and nothing so bad to make me switch.

I originally bought a G3 because I really liked the small community. I didn't really like how big Microsoft had become. Apple engineering was a big reason for me. They designed their machines to run their OS and it showed. It didn't just feel like a compter but a machine created by artists. There is something about the design of a Mac that is elegant and simple without the loss of complexity and sophistication that is required of a computer.......

......And since we are in the iMac forum, there isn't an all-in-one computer that can match the look of the iMac. Aesthetics may not be a selling point for many but for me it elevates Apple above the competition because they treat form and function equally. I still have not seen a PC that manages to nail the simplicity of a Mac/iMac. In fact the PC appears to be more about how many lights and buttons rather than the simplification of those lights and buttons. Yeah it's a computer but what about the artistry behind it?

There have only been a couple times that a piece of tech has blown my mind. The first time I pulled my G5 out of its box I crapped my pants. I doubt I'll ever switch to PC's. It just doesn't have the same appeal. I'm not an Apple loyalist but as of this moment I couldn't imagine owning anything but a Mac.

And to anyone that complains about price..... People buy what they want, not what they need. What I spend my money on is relevant to only me. Same for anyone else.

[worldtraveller]

just got a mac after 10 year with on a PC and i love it never go back to pc!

[JoelMarcey]

1. Product Quality
2. Apple Support
3. Well made applications
4. .... oh and you can run Windows on it too.

So the question really should be: Why would you choose a PC over a Mac?

[nzacl0]

My 2c worth:

A long time Windows and Linux user, I bought a Mac for the following reasons:

- Stable environment, less issues with incompatible drivers and the like - I just switch it on and use it.
- Development environment (XCode) - because development is what I spend most of my computer time doing.
- With Windows, every time a new O.S. came out I had to upgrade the hardware, not the case (yet anyway), with my macs.

Because Apple control the hardware and software, the systems are more stable. If Apple had licensed the O.S. like Windows, Apple would have the same issues as Microsoft does today.

Overall it seems that while Macs cost more, I get more out them because the 'whole package' is better suited to what I do and want. Not to say that's the case for everyone.