Pro PC
Scott Bullock
There are 3 things you can bring up in any circle of nerds that will become a hot debate and are likely to leave at least one or two people bleeding from their pocket protectors: Whether Han or Greedo shot first, Who was a better captain – Kirk or Picard, and which OS is best, Mac or PC – and I will say this immediately; the terms “Mac or PC ” are rather inaccurate. “PC” stands for “Personal Computer” and, as any Mac user can tell you, a Macintosh computer certainly qualifies as a personal computer. Which is why, for the rest of this article, I will refer to the titular “PC” as what it really is, the Windows OS.
There used to be a distinction when comparing Mac and Windows; back in olden days of yore, using a Mac was far different than using Windows. They looked different, they acted different, and overall they felt different. Nowadays? Not so much.
Over time Windows has adopted the attributes people liked about Mac and Mac has adopted the things people liked about Windows, until both in essence became extremely similar. Anyone who has used both Snow Leopard and Windows 7 know what I mean. They look (and act) a lot alike. Honestly, for the average user, one is just as good as the other.
Like I said, for the average user.
Some people are not average users. For example: gamers. A Mac is damm-near useless for someone who takes their PC gaming seriously. People will tell you “Oh, Macs can play games. You’re just exaggerating.” No. I’m not. I’m really really not. Pro Mac people (henceforth known as iSheep because, y’know, they’ll buy anything if Apple made it) will point out games like Diablo II or Starcraft II as examples of games on the Mac, and while these are great games, but are two examples out of how many? Hundreds? Thousands? You get the picture.
You can play damn-near any game on Windows and many computers that are built specifically for gaming come with Windows pre-installed. This is not only because every computer other than a Macintosh comes pre-installed with Windows, but also because the vast majority of Mac games are things like “Bejeweled”, “Cube Wars”, or “Crummy Puzzle Game Intended for Middle-Aged Housewives and 6-year-old children”. Oh hooray, I get to break groups of three similarly colored things in an endless string of mediocre games. Fantastic. Y’know what games I like to play? Games like “Modern Warfare 2”, “Splinter Cell Conviction”, and “Assassin’s Creed 2”. Guess what system can’t play them.
Furthermore, even hardcore games that can be played on the Mac run nowhere near as well. Face the music, iSheep; your beloved system (at least the hardware it comes installed on) has absolutely inferior graphics cards, sound cards, and doesn’t run DirectX. Your system is built to hate gaming. Case closed.
And we can’t forget that Macs have awful, awful security. I can already hear the masses of iSheep wailing and gnashing their teeth, “NO! MACS NEVER GET VIRUSES! BLAH BLAH BLAH I WANT TO BE STEVE JOB’S SECRET LOVER.” Do you know why they never get viruses? Because if you make a virus, meant to infect as many computers as possible, why would you build one that targets only 5 percent of the computers out there? Normally, you wouldn’t, but as Macs get more popular Mac viruses become more prevalent, and let me tell you, Mac security is like a picket fence compared to Windows’s Great Wall of China. The only reason said picket fence is not routinely crushed is because it only needs to scare off a couple of nosy kids; Windows has to hold back the Mongol hordes. And when those Mongol Hordes come a’knockin’ on that picket fence, god help you all.
This is the part where I become a pacifist. I spent 3 years using a Mac as my primary mode of computing, and it did what I needed it to do. It surfed the internet, word processed, and IM’d just as well as Windows. But eventually I broke down and realized that while it could do what I needed, it couldn’t do what I wanted. What I’m trying to say is this: If you have money to throw around and don’t care about gaming or the ability to upgrade your machine, Mac will do just fine for you. But, all in all, the Windows Operating System is: more versatile, more powerful, and more customizable than the Mac. So suck on that, iSheep.
Pro Mac
Adam Sidiali
What are the benefits of Mac over PC? This is a question that pertains to various uses that a person would use their computer for. Mac and PC both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Here are just a few of the positive qualities that Macintosh is famous for engineering; on the other hand, if the below descriptions do not fit your desires—there’s always PC! Beginning with Mac, you will observe that there is a lot to fall in virtual-love with.
Security
When you are looking for easy use, the Mac will meet your needs. They are set up with rock solid Linux-based software that prevents changes from happening on accident.
With the unchangeable programming, it is nearly impossible for new or curious users to change the main functions of the computer. This helps with viruses, programs being deleted or altered and other security issues you would find in many computer settings.
Down time
Because of the solid programming base, you will find that there is significantly less downtime involved with repair, reprogramming, reformatting, etc. This is great for businesses, school settings and users that are new to the way the programming of a computer works.
Mac is not perfect. There are some problems that can occur as with any other mass-created technical device. However, the problems are very minimal in comparison to PC versions of the computer systems.
Sound and Graphics
It goes without saying: everyone knows that Mac has higher quality sound and picture than PC. If you are into graphic design, gaming, photography, virtual scrapbooking, or anything that includes music/video—Mac is the way to go.
Price
The price comparison between Mac and PC are very similar. There are some cheaply created PC version computers that cost much less. However, keep in mind that you will get what you pay for. In the long run, it is better to pay a little more to get a better product.
Software selection
Just about anything you can get for a PC, you can get for a Mac. A misconception among many people is that there is a limitation to the software available for Macs; this is untrue. Rather, there is simply a wider range (quantity) of PC software on the market—remember that quantity does not necessarily equal quality!
Platform compatibility
When you inspect compatibility between Mac and PC, you will find that there is a great deal of effort made (by Mac) to create an easier assimilation for “previously PC users.” They want to create as smooth of a transition as possible for all consumers.
Deciding what type of operating system is best for you is a tedious and time-consuming process that may take a few tries to get right. Make sure you know what you’re looking for in a computer as you search for the right OS to fit your needs.