Mac vs PC

[robbie2618]

Hey Mac users, I have been using PC's for 10 years(5 Pc's) every pc I have had I have had stupid problems here and there. I am a simple user, only emails, read articles on the web, watch DVD's and thats it. No games, no this or that, dont need hardly anything fancy. I have herd that Macs are easer to use with less problems. What is your guys take on this? I really think im going to give a Mac a try here soon, I just want a computer to work every time. Whats the pro's and cons for a simple user like me?

Thanks

[Lone_wolf_S117]

well. I am a hard core PC fan, so i would tell you everything thats wrong with a mac but since your not a gamer, thats a different story.

PC pros> Can run Games, supports a hell of a lot of hardware, can be upgrade if needed and software and controls 90% of the market. (if i am wrong, please correct me)
PC cons> Can get a virus, can be hacked, can over heat and/or catch fire.

Mac Pros> Greet at movie making, very easy to use if you only going on the web and checking e-mail and other websites like myspace. and theres almost now virus and haclers don't bother mac users
Mac Cons> Can crash randomly sometimes, If ya delete a important system file, your screwed. Not alot of programs work on it and your can't upgrade most macs if the need comes up.

this is from past incidents that have happen to me or friends of mine. I am still a PC fan and i don't think i will be getting a mac soon, even tho i think it be cool to have both a PC and a Mac

[RandyL]

Tootech I deleted your post because I deleted the Sollynaljesony post for adding spam. He added spam to his signature.

Lone wolf makes good points but I'm not a Mac user. I think Tootech knows a bit about Macs though. A good subject. Good and bad about both. I'll step aside now.

[Tootech]

No worries Randy.

BTW - I don't use a Windows PC anymore.....at all......ever lol.

Got myself a Macbook Pro and really happy with it. It's a bit of culture shock to not have some of the utils Windows has - I don't miss them really.

There's good and bad in both IMHO, and after working on Windows PC's problems for a good few years I needed a change

[Plastic Nev]

Although not Mac myself, I can see one very relevant thing. There aren't many posts in this the Mac section, and even less posts with actual problems to do with Mac's
Yet the rest of the forum is all PC with faults and problems on every conceivable part of a PC.
I reckon that tells it's own story.

[James10]

I'm totally into PC (10 years now already), I had to use Mac for a couple of times - I just cant get used to it, it so...not like PC. The biggest problem is the soft of course, what can you say when there is even no decent file manager for MAC (i mean like total commander), Finder just beats the £%$ out of me Whats good about MAC is that when you buy one, you buy a computer that WORKS, you dont have to worry about anything. It's a good platform for development and designing as well, yet the PC is no worse i think..

[Synapse]

Whats good about MAC is that when you buy one, you buy a computer that WORKS, you dont have to worry about anything

That's my take on it.

Took perhaps 6 to 8 weeks to get used to my MAC, course I don't know it a well as I did Windows, but I don't need to.

Software support is getting better, its the small Windows apps that I do miss now and then, but actually you soon realise you don't really need them.

I'm sure both platforms will be around forever, and I guess that must be a good thing

[Dalo Harkin]

a MAC in my eyes is more for specialist users such as graphics editing etc.

a MAC PC/lappy are very different from windows and because of that the 2 cant really be compared.

MACs until a few years ago were very hard to get help with and software too, but as people have stated it is getting better.

The MAC OS's are extremely reliable and for that I can see the attraction, but I think that its hard to compare the 2 against one another as there are pro's and con's for both

[theitman]

I have used both windows PC's, and mac's in the past and found that even a free antivirus installed on a windows PC is better than a mac OS, even with their own security systems. Their security systems are still identifying viruses by their name, size, icon, etc. Where windows and any security systems mainly built for windows uses MD5 signature identification. MD5 hashes are like fingerprints for programs, and cannot be hidden, changed, or misused in any way or form. This means the identifying, and deleting of the viruses is 100% effective and 120% more effective than a mac's security. I have tried and vigorously tested both and the PC is better.

[Synapse]

found that even a free antivirus installed on a windows PC is better than a mac OS

Thats a fairly strong comment, would you care to elaborate on your findings and how you measured them, thanks.

[wellies]

Although not Mac myself, I can see one very relevant thing. There aren't many posts in this the Mac section, and even less posts with actual problems to do with Mac's
Yet the rest of the forum is all PC with faults and problems on every conceivable part of a PC.
I reckon that tells it's own story.

It might be that Mac users would be more likely to go to centres of knowledge that are geared to them. Most of us here may not have the large knowledge-base that exists on dedicated Mac forums. That could be a reason why Mac users wouldn't post here. Another reason for few Mac posts might be because of the percentage of MS Windows computers in use compared to Macs. More Windows users would mean more Windows-based posts I suppose. A visit to a Mac forum shows that Macs too can have their problems.

[wellies]

Whats good about MAC is that when you buy one, you buy a computer that WORKS, you dont have to worry about anything.

Apart from the fact that the operating system needs additional security care, I think the same can be said of Windows 7. If left alone like Macs probably are, Windows 7 just works. If you don't start trying to tweak or change this or that in W.7, it will run your games, word processors, spread sheets, art and photo programs or any other kind of software you want to install.

This has been my experience with various MS operating systems and not just Windows 7. I might have learned a few things about browsers, the OS and other programs out of interest. Mostly though, I've looked after the security and then just got on and run the installed programs. How is that different to a Mac? It seems to me that by going to a Mac, you end up with a different breed of computer but not necessarily one that will run programs any better.

[tenshin5426]

i currently use both, windows and apple for my work and i must say i really am swaying towards the mac, its a very simple interface thats easy to grasp the mac touch pad is genuis and works fantastic for me in cs5 and things just work, say plug in my canon photo printer, no disc just plug it in apple auto found all needed drivers and installed them so by the time i was read to print my first page it had all self installed and was work a treat! and aperture photo editing suite is so brilliant i would probably would go as far as saying its better than photoshop! and safari works a hell of a lot better than IE

[patrick]

We use PC's in our office, and I have been a PC user for well over 2 decades!

Recently an iMac was thrust upon us by the boss! I have used it a few times, and quite like it.

I must admit that as soon as I get a bit stuck, I run to my laptop!

But a few things can help the switch, I find...

Enabling the right click for a start!

In terms of pros vs. cons, this is what I find (although it's just my opinion!):

* Pretty quick boot time
* Less malware or viruses (or should that be Virii?!)
* Looks neat! hahaha
* Screens are high quality on iMac I feel, similar to iPhones I guess! Kinda solid feeling
* If you use Linux at all, the command line stuff on Mac is very similar, due to being Unix based (I believe, although tech guys, correct me if I am wrong!)
* Once you get used to them, they work really well, less clunky than many PCs
* As (again, I believe, but may be wrong) all the hardware is designed by Apple, it all just 'works' together much better, whereas with a PC, the mainboard may be from one company, graphics card another... soundcard a different one still, etc... Not necessarily all totally compatible).


Cons...

* Some specialist programmes may not be available on Macs
* Repairs may cost more... or at least harder to 'user repair' or 'user upgrade'
* The OS is a bit different, and will take some getting used to
* Perhaps the worst Con, is you will have to admit to all your PC mates that you have joined 'The Other Side' !!!

​Hope that helps!

[gas0line]

* Some specialist programmes may not be available on Macs

Well, you could use Boot Camp for compatibility issues.

[Cyprus Hector]

With the new iMac due to go on sale in December 12, does anyone consider the Mac to be a good way to go for a not to savvy user like myself? It's the "it just works' tag that attracts me.

[gas0line]

With the new iMac due to go on sale in December 12, does anyone consider the Mac to be a good way to go for a not to savvy user like myself? It's the "it just works' tag that attracts me.

Get a Mac and you will never go back! I used to be a PC user with so many problems (see older posts). Once I got a Mac, I stopped visiting tech support sites like this...

[Cyprus Hector]

gas0line
Thank you for your advice.

[Synapse]

I do too, I had one for 4 years after years of messing about with PC's.

I've gone back to Windows as I can't afford a MAC at the moment, but if you can, you won't regret it. Also, consider that even though they are lots more expensive to buy, resale value is good, so if you can afford a new one, it won't depreciate too much.

It has to be said though, Windows 7 and 8 are much much easier to work with than older versions, and so perhaps the points of comparison/ dispute have reduced.

Don't forget to buy the Apple warranty....