Mac vs. PC
Over the past two and a half decades the argument in the technology industry has been, should you go with a Mac or a PC? People tend to overcomplicate things and focus on how much RAM one has or the pixel count in the screen, in this blog we are going to focus on simpler down to earth things to consider when making your choice.
The most down to earth topic is your budget and it happens to be the topic that generally steers your decision. To save budget focused readers time we are going to get price out of the way now and say if finding the lowest cost is your mission you should be looking at a PC. Since arriving on the market 40 years ago Mac has been on the higher end of cost, even today averaging almost 25% higher price than an equivalent substitute.
With price out of the way we can start comparing the real differences between Mac and PC. Home users are going to have a different list of what they find important in their computer, you may be focused on premium network security while your son is worried about breaking the screen. That is why we broke the two down in what we believe to be the 5 most important categories to help you finally make the choice between Mac and PC.
Program Compatibility
Security
Ease of Use
Entertainment
Durability
Program Compatibility
Figuring out whether or not a program will run on your computer used to be a big deal. Today most programs are web based meaning they can generally work on any operating system. Even with programs beings web based they are still developed with an operating system in mind and usually the system in mind is PC(Windows). A program being designed for PC does not mean it won't run on a Mac, most programs are compatible with both PC and Mac with emulators like "Wine" to run any "PC only" programs.
Conclusion: If you are worried about specific programs functioning on your device but do not have a way to check the programs for compatibility you should look for a PC. A PC is able to run the widest variety of programs without the need to learn how to use tricky emulators.
Security
We have all seen the emails for the so called Nigerian Prince that needs money wired to his account to make bail and maybe an unsuspecting member of the family has clicked on a link within the email, now your data is potentially up for grabs to hackers. PC and Mac have different methods when it comes to securing your device. PC has third party options like Macafee they offer to protect your system from threats or the option to leave your computer unprotected. Mac systems are built with internal security programs protecting the user right out of the box. Based on our 20 years of experience in the computer support business Mac has a large edge over PC when it comes to security.
Conclusion: Security has a varying level of importance determined by what you plan on doing with your computer. If you are purchasing a personal computer for checking social media and watching Netflix you may not need the added protection a Mac has. If this is a family computer with kids in the house having a Mac can protect your information from random google sites and spyware from pop up clicks.
Ease of Use
Macs and PC's have similar graphical interfaces when comparing relative models, however the average user has grown up using Windows software on a PC. The familiarity allows users to more intuitively find the programs they are looking for. When a user makes the switch to a Mac which has a more user focused system designed to effortlessly move files and change programs it can have a little bit of a learning curve.
Conclusion: This really comes down to what you are used to and what other devices you have in your home. If you grew up on Macs you will be more comfortable staying on a Mac OS but the switch to PC is simple when compared to changing from PC to Mac.
Entertainment
Computers are starting to be used more and more for entertainment over a TV or Gaming System. The option to be able to watch Netflix, Play an online game, or work on your spreadsheets for the big meeting tomorrow is understandably attractive but which system is better designed to entertain you? Choosing between Mac and PC depends on kind of entertainment you use your computer for. Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu can be used on both systems easily as well as lower end internet based games. Users who are looking to play high end online games that take a lot of processing power generally better on PC computers.
Conclusion: Choose the services you use the most for entertainment to make it easier to figure out if you need a Mac or a PC. Netflix, Hulu, and streaming users can save money by buying a lower end PC because they do not need any extra features or power. Gamers should look more towards the PC world, it is much easier to make sure your PC has the specifications needed to run higher end game. Mac does offer systems that can run high end games at a higher cost when compared to PC and without the ability to upgrade parts in the future.
