Honest Mac vs. PC Question

[mdgolom]

>>great support

Nope. In my professional experience, Dell beats any competitor in this regard, including Apple.

Remind me to write ComsumerReports and tell them their recent review of computer support that rated Apple #1 was incorrect.

The ONLY advantage with Dell is if you buy some of their support packages, they will do it in-home where as Apple will with fix in the store or send off and you have to wait a couple of days.

 

[superlatic]

Also take into account that with Apple, if your computer has applecare you can just take it to a genius bar in any applestore or any other apple authorised repair centre and they will repair it for you, and you can talk to a person face to face.

With dell, the basic warranty is a collect and return service and even for the extended warranty (not 100 percent sure on this so correct me if im wrong) but they outsource their 'in home repair service' to a third party company.

 

[flyfish29]

>fewer viruses

Yes, but if you have an up-to-date anti-virus software installed on your PC, that argument is irrelevant.

>great support

Nope. In my professional experience, Dell beats any competitor in this regard, including Apple.


>fewer problems in general

That simply is not true. Macs use the same technology as your average PC, and they fail as often as any other PC in the same league.
.

Yes, but you need to purchase and subscribe to up to date virus software so there is an added cost to PC ownership right there.

Consumer Reports would argue against the Dell customer service. I am not saying people don't have problems with Apple service- certainly every company has issues and bad customer service employees, but statistically Apple is at the top! (and Consumer Reports bases their info on tens of thousands subscribers that respond to questionaires about companies, products, etc. CR is 100% non-bias too- they accept no products from companies and purchase everything they test from the store- not manufacturers for this reason)

As far as reliability Apple was hands down the leader in reliability for desktop models, they are tied with Dell on laptop models for reliability. CR says that no company stood out in the laptop market as more reliable- statistically speaking- I assume most of this is due to the abuse that laptops take.

CR also ranks the apple products at the top (or very near the top) every single year! Currently Apple ranks at the top of all three laptop categores- the only Dell which made their list was a 17" model. Toshiba was second on one list and up near the top on another.

 

[feflower]

my thoughts

Get the Mac and think about 4 years if you are not a heavy user (video, audio processing).

I switched to Mac because I was always asking my brothers to fix something on my PC.

My main focus is low-maintenance and convenience. Because Mac OS is supposedly more stable and easy to fix I switched to Mac. I haven't approached them for advice since (Ok, I've phoned Apple Service once, and posted a few on Mac Discussions).

Then again, I'm in music and there are a lot of good music applications for Mac. I don't know if there are specific applications you will need to use for dentistry.

The only thing I don't like about Mac is their lack of a mini, or netbook--but this might change soon!

 

[EmperorDarius]

I'd get a Mac. Hardware is wasted with Windows.

 

[Eidorian]

I'd get a Mac. Hardware is wasted with Windows.

It's tough to say that when you're facing off a Core 2 Duo against a Core i7.

Mac Pro need not apply.