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Mac or PC?

prdxparadox

prdxparadox

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 16, 2007
3
0
US
:apple:I'm in the market for a new laptop. I've been considering a MAC. I've had a PC all my life. My first piece of equipment was a Commodore :eek: then IBM, then HP, and now Gateway. I would use the laptop mostly for research/writing, not necessarily games, although I do enjoy Tetris.:)
Can anyone give me a list of pros/cons of the Mac vs. PC? It would help me make an informed decision.
Thanks!
 
What is your primary use for the computer? is it just web browsing, email, music, and pictures?

Do you have any PC software that you will want to use? although now with parallels that isnt that much of an issue, but some software wont have the performance that you might require.

A little bit more information and we can give you some better advice.
 
prdxparadox said:
:apple:I'm in the market for a new laptop. I've been considering a MAC. I've had a PC all my life. My first piece of equipment was a Commodore :eek: then IBM, then HP, and now Gateway. I would use the laptop mostly for research/writing, not necessarily games, although I do enjoy Tetris.:)
Can anyone give me a list of pros/cons of the Mac vs. PC? It would help me make an informed decision.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

One word: Quinn
 
well, i like vista more than osx. now i know that's heresy on this forum, but i really think it has something to offer.
 
So you don't think you're going to get a biased answer on this forum?

...nah why would you :D


oh yea...get a mac.
 
Mac.

I have both a Mac and a PC. I have only turned on the PC once in the last 2 months, and that was to make sure it still worked after I dropped it.
 
Do what I did.
I got a mac with the thought "If it sucks, I can just alot 95% of my hard drive to XP and use it like a pc, whereas if it's good, I come out on top"
There's no risk in whitching, as you can still run windows if you dislike the Mac os.
 
freeedge369 said:
Do what I did.
I got a mac with the thought "If it sucks, I can just alot 95% of my hard drive to XP and use it like a pc, whereas if it's good, I come out on top"
There's no risk in whitching, as you can still run windows if you dislike the Mac os.
Click to expand...

Bootcamp has been an emergency back-up plan for new switchers, but I doubt many of them rely on it too much once they discover the abilities of OS X. The only reason one would need it is if a program doesn't run on OS X (and that list grows shorter everyday).
 
Mac laptops start at 1099 bucks, so if this is within your budget, then I would definitely recommend getting a Mac. You could also get a older, cheaper one on ebay of course. Anyways, here is my take:

Mac
Pros:
  • Great OS, plus the ability to run Windows apps via programs like Parallels or with Boot Camp.
  • Stylish, powerful hardware.
  • iLife is great for video editing, photo management, music, and more.
Cons:
  • Fewer choices of hardware when compared to the multitude of PC's out there. This is only a 'con' is Apple doesn't offer something you want, like a 13" laptop with a dedicated gpu for example.
  • Some peripherals are incompatible, or do not yet have Mac drivers.
  • Less diversity of software. If you buy Parallels, this isn't a problem.
The only reason not to get a Mac is if you've found a laptop that suits your needs better and Apple doesn't offer a comparable machine. To me, it sounds like a Mac Book would suit you just fine. I would encourage you to look at other laptops and directly compare them to what Apple has to offer. Enjoy your new computer, what ever one you decide on.:)
 
I think all other mac computers are overpriced spec-wise, but macbooks and macbook pros are very competitively priced compared to other PC equivalents. So if you are considering laptops, I would recommend apple laptops over any other PC brands out there, without any hesitation.
 
If you need a laptop go with a PC. I've owned a Macbook (cheap feel, very blah) and a MacBook Pro (kinda big, I prefer smaller laptops) and neither are good. If they made the pro in a smaller version, it would be perfect!

If you are looking for a desktop type computer, the 24" iMac that just came out is awesome! I use 2 now at my shop and they are worth every penny.
 
Thank you all for your responses ! I do like the chameleonic aspect of the MAC mentioned in the thread by byakya and freedge369. I will keep this in mind.
 
Get a MacBook (probably the higher-end white one), upgrade the RAM if you have the cash, download bootcamp for free and add XP instead of Vista. Vista has so many problems going on with it at the moment that it really isn't worth it. The most hilarious problem i thought with Vista was the one where if you listened to music and your internet slowed down :eek:
 
Just make sure you wait another 4 weeks so you get Leopard (the next release of OS X) included for free with your mac. Saves you $129 by waiting...
 
I've never considered myself a "die hard" Apple fanboy. There are a few things I don't like about Apple, mainly pertaining to customer service and the whole bogus "Apple Care" "Product line". If my friends are complaining about their computers I'll make some tongue-in-cheek or off-the-cuff remark, but that's pretty much the extent of my fandomism.

However, I'm really starting to think that I should be more die hard, thanks to my recent experiences. I'm no stranger to XP or PCs in general, I spend 8 hours a day on one at work, writing code and typesetting financials. While it's been a while since I've had to configure one, I'd say my PC knowledge almost rivals my Mac knowledge, and my PC experience easily outweighs my Mac experience.

I recently installed Bootcamp with XP to play Half Life 2. The hardware runs like a dream, I'm able to play even Lost Coast with my graphic setting at full and nary a hiccup to speak of. But, even getting to play was a hassle. To start with, I had to hunt down and disable somewhere around half of the "functionality" XP has. This is something I haven't had to do on my Mac. Since I bought it a month and a half ago, I think I've changed two of the settings from default -- I've turned full keyboard support on, and recalibrated the monitor. I customized some icons to give the computer the "look and feel" I wanted it to have. I spent more than twice as long slogging through XP settings, and not to make XP more sexy, just to make it work reasonably well at all.

Oh, that's not true. I've changed three settings on the Mac. I changed the default start disk to the XP partition -- since if the computer is off, it's because XP crashed, and I have to change boot disks a whole lot less frequently. XP has crashed 4 times since I installed it. OS X, zero.

Now for some bullets!

  • I've gotten in the habit of using Ctrl+X instead of Ctrl+C because Windows seems to have a habit of not actually performing the task, and Ctrl+X provides a visual of all your highlighted text being deleted, sucked into the inky black void. This is one of many "quirks" I've attributed to a history of crashes and inconsistencies, there are many more.
  • I used to run tech support for my folks about once a month for their PC. When the Mac Mini came out, I talked them into buying one, even though they insisted they were computer illiterate (and rightly so), and couldn't adapt. I took 20 minutes to show them the very basics, and I have been called once about it. Even though they've had it for only two years tops, they're much more proficient with it then they were with a PC, which they had had for almost ten years. They were so thrilled by it they bought one for my little sister as an apartment warming gift.
  • Macs are fookin' sexy.
  • Using XP now at home has really cemented the idea that OSX truly does "just work". When you're not having to configure XP from scratch you tend to forget just how much of a pain it was to get the darned thing to work properly in the first place. I think the reason we have so few probles at work is because everything has been disabled and locked up by administers.

Note: I'm typing this on a PC running XP, IE6.0. IE crashed once while typing this; but I'm so used to that I've been backing up into a notepad file every couple of paragraphs.
 
Well, just say it took me 2 hours to find drivers and install a BRAND NEW HP printer on VISTA (no, I'm not PC illiterate). That pain has driven me to move to MAC. I will be getting a macbook right after the update. :)
 
I use both due to my particular needs.

I have no problems with either a Mac or PC. They are both good.

The people that bash PC's are those with little true current experience, as Windows XP Pro SP2 is a very good OS. Windows Vista on the other hand is not debugged just yet, therefore there are issues.

The claim that a Mac is superior to a PC was true several years ago , however times have changed. If someone is having continual problems with a PC then that same person would probably have problems with a Mac.

That said my personal preference is a Mac by a wide margin. Why? Because I simply enjoy the wonderful design, and the look and feel of the current Tiger OS. This is why I pay a premium for a Mac. That is one thing that cannot be denied if one compares equally equipped Mac laptops to PC laptops. In my case I have a MacBook Pro and a ThinkPad T60 of equal configurations, exactly. I purchased both within weeks of each other and the Mac was a full $700 more expensive than the ThinkPad.

While the ThinkPad my not be as stylish or "cool" it's every bit as durable as it's built with high quality components. So when one buys a Mac you must understand and be willing to pay a hefty premium. I do because I can. However I'm paying purely for the name. I have yet to find a mac longer lasting or more durable than a ThinkPad. The overwhelming majority of Fortune 500 companies use ThinkPads, not Macs. There is a reason for that and I'm not bashing a Mac. After all I just said they are my favorites.

The difference is that I'm reporting from a neutral position as I'm not married to any brand, after all it's just a computer.

For some odd reason a Mac seems to bring out the Zealots, the people that drink the Kool-Aid. Cult like in their particular behavior, they let their emotions take over and reality jumps out the window. They also seem to have anger issues as they personally attack anyone that disagrees with them, as though there is only one computer brand that is any good, the Mac. Their rants and behavior is very juvenile. And quite entertaining from my perspective. It's hilarious. This is simply an observation of mine over the years that I have enjoyed using a Mac laptop as my main personal machine.

Good Luck to you with your decision.....:)
 
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