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Ever since Apple launched it's AD campaign in the nineties, we've been led to think MAC users are cool and PC users are not.
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| Exhibit A-Women's version. |
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| Exhibit B- Men's version. |
I promise, whichever team you're on, we can still be friends!
Monday, March 26, 2012
I Need A New Computer: MAC vs PC?
Despite concerns, I have not taken the month of March off. Well at least not on purpose. Much of the blame can be attributed to my PC.
And...the weather. Sorta. I had what appeared to be allergies, which then turned into something else altogether Chest congestion, coughing, blowing my nose by the box. I was averaging a box per day. The kind of sick where you can't stand your own company and absolutely wouldn't dare to inflict yourself on others. But I did. My daughter got sick too. Mr. A&A has been traveling. Of course. These things only happen when he is gone.
The stupid computer has acquired magic powers. It can now make all sorts of things disappear. That is when it's not shutting down for no apparent reason. I'll probably have to do this post at least twice. I am an awful sick person and an even worse tech person.
Ever since Apple launched it's AD campaign in the nineties, we've been led to think MAC users are cool and PC users are not.
Recent AD's and cartoons do nothing to dispel this notion, but there is the added implication that age is a factor!
I'm not one to care about such things, but will acknowledge simply from a design point of view, a MAC would probably look much prettier on my desk! That not withstanding, please help me decide???
What was the last computer you bought? Do you love it? Why?
I promise, whichever team you're on, we can still be friends!
Ever since Apple launched it's AD campaign in the nineties, we've been led to think MAC users are cool and PC users are not.
I promise, whichever team you're on, we can still be friends!
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I have both: Mac for everything except my accounting software, which is PC program. I prefer the Mac for many reasons. Faster, more intuitive, iPhoto is great if you don't know photoshop (especially for blogging!) AND it is pretty on my desk! ;)
ReplyDeleteI am an engineer - so all my corporate work is on a PC. But I bought a Mac for home and ADORE it. Beautiful graphics, seamless to do everything - just small things like a built in Google brower on your internet browser. I also love the ease and elegance of the iphoto progam, and the built in tools to make Christmas cards and calendars. I know people do this all with the PC, but the Mac seems simpler and more elegant. I have Office for Mac and don't love the format as much as the PC version. I also love to drag photos to my desktop - can you do this on a PC? I use my 24" Mac screen as a constant inspiration board with all my photos on the screen...
ReplyDeleteIt would depend on what applications you want to run for business - whether you can get for Mac. Also, some of my programmer colleagues feel the Mac is more limited - restricted operating system and such, but I never get into the brains of my computer. I save the programming and geekery for the office.
xo Terri
After being a PC user since 1989...I finally switched to a Mac 2 years ago and kick myself every time I think of all the years I spent paying someone to recover lost data from our PC's. Mac's are a pleasure to use and are so user friendly. I too do alot of programs for my business that requires windows...but you can load a program called Paralells onto your Mac, enabling you to run any Windows program directly through your Mac. That way there isn't a learning curve trying to learn the differences in a Mac version of that program. Life is so much simpler on a Mac !!!
ReplyDeleteI love my Mac! As an art director and designer it is a no brainer that I would adore my Mac. I was initially trained on a PC. The Mac is so much more intuitive, user friendly, and it never crashes or gets buggy. Do yourself a huge favor... get a Mac. You won't go back! -Allison
ReplyDeleteWell darn, I just emailed you saying I hoped you had been enjoying the weather, and here you've been sick! I hope you are feeling better now that some of the pollen is gone.
ReplyDeleteAs far as computers go, I use a PC, but most photographers would laugh at me for saying that. Almost every designer, graphics person, artist, or photographer I know swears by their MAC. Ease of use, truer colors, seem to be something you hear over and over again about the MACs. When it comes time to replace my PC (which my husband always builds), I may just have to suck it up and pay the extra money for a MAC.
Kat
I "went" Mac a couple of years ago. Incorporating software that allows me to do word and excel documents made the transition (mostly) seamless. Highly recommend it! RD
ReplyDeleteI still have a regular PC. I figure a Mac was one more thing I had to learn and I'm not a tech person. I'm not even interested enough in computers to want to spend time on them lerning how to use them. It's a tool where I've learned the basics and I'm happy.
ReplyDeleteFeel better kiddo!
XX
Debra~
I am a total creature of habit and was a PC user for years and had my old faithful (well not so faithful) Dell and my husband and kids were bugging me to get a mac and finally one day my husband buys me a mac and i am hemming and hawing and I even after owning it for 4 days say i want to return it but then something happened and voila.....it was like there was no turning back!! I cannot imagine EVER going back to a PC! The graphics, speed, NO VIRUS factor, clean look on my desk, ease of transporting, lack of wires/mess, design/attractivness, just blows the pc out of the water.....it truly trumps it in every way. I have yet to have a single virus in owning it now over a year and a half!!! With my Dell it was a virus a month. The graphics and Iphoto are just amazing! I cannot recommend it highly enough....best of luck and so sorry to hear about your illness and really hope you are on the mend soon!
ReplyDeleteMAC is definitely the way to go. No worries about viruses and things like that. I bought my MAC two and a half years ago, and when I did, I bought the extended three year Apple Care Protection Plan. My hard drive crashed last week, and they gave me a new one at no cost to me (as it was still under warranty) and replaced the entire keyboard which has a few chips here and there from my clumsiness. I thought it would take a week, but it was back in two days. The service was excellent. The Apple Store near me is always busy, the service is always first class, and they offer assistance with many things you'd be unsure about. For example, I saw a lady who was at the very least in her 80s learning how to make a movie on her new MAC. That is just fantastic!
ReplyDeleteYou certainly get what you pay for, and I would gladly pay more for Apple products. There is no going back. Take a trip to your local Apple store. I think you'll like it!
I am totally in love with my mac and would not dream of using a pc. I had trouble a week ago and had to live without my computer. It was horrible, so I feel your pain.
ReplyDeleteYou couldn't beg me to use a pc now. Well, maybe for my embroidery work.
Hope that you feel better.
Teresa
xoxo
I've been a MAC girl since the black & white 9" screens. Yes, I am that old. MAC is elegant. A PC is clunky. If you are artistic, the MAC is a muse.My husband's office (all accounting types), can't believe I'm a MAC freak....until several of them bought Ipads, you know for their kids. Can't tell you how crazy the fighting has been for the Ipads. You know, when Mom has to travel. MAC is the future. The PC not so much.
ReplyDeleteMac, Mac & Mac! We have 3. Our last pc was mine years ago) and the hugest drawback was watching the virus software fight the computer it was made to protect. I will never ever buy a pc again. Hope your allergies are better.
ReplyDeleteMAC all the way. I was a holdout for a long time, but 3 years ago got my first MAC and I'll never look back. I'm a convert for life.
ReplyDeleteI purchased a Mac about three months ago. There was an initial adjustment period during the first few weeks trying to figure out how to do the simple things I could accomplish without thinking on the PC, but now that I have that figured out, I absolutely LOVE my Mac. If you are offered tutoring with the Mac, I would highly suggest accepting that offer. I am still learning.
ReplyDeleteJudy :)
After having the third hard drive crash on our top of the line Dell laptop, we got a Mac desktop and love it. We've become a Mac family-iPad, iPhone and we are looking at getting another Mac laptop. We did buy the Microsoft Office software for the Mac for our word processing. Macs have wonderful tutorials online to help with the learning process. Good luck shopping!
ReplyDeleteWell I have a definite opinion on this one. I have always been a PC person - I'm in sales so most of the programs I use require windows. While MAC has their own version it's slightly different. Exchange is similar to outlook and the word and excel are similar but the differences were just too much for me to use. Three years ago I decided to buy the macbook pro. The ONLY reason why I did was because I could run windows xp operating system on the MAC with office. You can either boot up on what i say is the mac side or the windows side. YOu can use VMware or Parellels (I think VMWare is better) so that while you are on you MAC you can open windows without rebooting and run them side by side. I admit this is the BEST of both worlds. My only complaint about the mac is that my USB died twice, my power cords died and my cd / dvd thing (whatever it's called) had to be replaced. When they replaced it (mine was under warranty) they bent my lap top. I was so frustrated with the process. I am a business person first - I cannot be 24 hours without my laptop and had issues with turning in my computer to someone. I have a boyfriend that does IT so when anything goes wrong with my PC (not mac) he can fix it. Anything. I like having that control. With that being said - i love the look and feel of the mac and i love the way the screens look. I was just running out of room on the windows side and was using it 90% of the time because I didn't have the downtime to learn the mac that I really needed a PC. I would have bought another MAC but I got an HP - which looks exactly like the MAC for half the cost for more hard drive space and speed. While that may not be important to some it is to me. It was sooo cheap that when MAC comes out with their new lap top I would consider it again. My suggestion is if you have never used a MAC before to try it - BECAUSE if you hate it you can load windows onto your computer and it will operate just like if you bought a PC. I would suggest having the MAC store load the operating system and office for you it's easier. This will give you the opportunity to try both systems and have the BEST of both worlds. I could NEVER blog if I didn't have Live Writer which you cannot use on the MAC. Therefore, all my blogging was done on the Windows side and now on my HP PC. I will always be a PC girl at heart because I'm a business person first but get the fascination with the MAC but I do like the ability to use both. Give it a try you can have both. Just make sure you buy the three year extended warranty because trust me you will need it.
ReplyDeleteMmmmm, MAC. We love ours!
ReplyDeleteLove, Love, Love my Mac! It just works better for me than the PC the rest of the family uses. (I started on it) The system just makes more sense to the way my brain works. I have windows loaded on it as I have to use that program for my work. I use the windows side for the work program, and Mac for everything else.
ReplyDeleteI can't thank you all enough for this information, it's incredibly helpful!!!
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested to know if most of you own the largest MAC screen?
Definitely a Mac...like comparing a Mercedes to a Fiat.
ReplyDeleteI would never waste money on a PC. My last Apple laptop was trouble free for more than eight years. Then I succumbed to the new MacBook Pro. There's just no comparison. In sixteen years, I've never had a Mac crash and take my work with it. When I have to use the much-loathed Word and it inevitably crashes, my Mac offers up a more complete recovered doc than Word does.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, so very sorry you have been feeling ill. Nothing worse!
ReplyDeleteAs for computers...I love, love, love my Mac. I have a laptop (kind of old) and my new desk top which makes me so happy. I know there are fans in both camps....but I would highly recommend an Apple!
Hope you're feeling better! (And, yes, we loved D.C.!)
xoxo Elizabeth
Oh sweet R! Sooo sorry you have been sick...I imagine the pollen got you on your way. For next time look for (Whole Foods has it) QBC Plex (Quercetin Blomeline, Vit C). It works wonders for allergies...I actually order it online, it's maker is Solaray.
ReplyDeleteOn the computer....I'm a MAC girl and had no problem switching from the desktop PC. I've had this laptop for around 4 years now. My son has a huge desktop MAC with the big screen, he bought it about 4 years ago as well and has had no problems. He even recorded a music cd of his own music with his computer. He layered the voices and music!
xx
HI Rebecca, It's not just about hard drive and speed--it's about user interface, ease of learning, amazing graphics and fabulous help on phone or at the genius bar. Once one Apple computer entered our home, we changed them all. Remember, MIT is an apple school! They are fabulous. I have a computer geek son in college now--I highly recommend the Mac. Linda
ReplyDeleteWE love MACS, and compatible with iPads! and everything apple... the graphics are AMAZING..you won't be disappointed.
ReplyDeleteNancy
Powellbrowerhome.com
So many comments... and yes, I too recommend a Mac. I have the 24" screen, which isn't made any more. I have two friends with the huge, 27" screen, which I really think is TOO large. They need it for textile repeats. But for most people, and when my present computer bites the dust (not far off...) I will go with the 21" screen. Plenty of room on that one!
ReplyDeleteABsolutely no question for me - get a MAC. I promise you will love it and there will be no turning back. The operating system is just so easy and intuitive as are all mac based programs. It really is the best for any creative minded person!!
ReplyDeleteI make software for Windows for that reason
DeleteReally, if you know anything about computers, it's that if you know how to use Windows, it can be as good. I had a Macbook Air before I threw it out and I hated it with a firey passion.
I have both and also like both
ReplyDeletethe many people complaining about pcs crashing have all bought a pre-built pc, most likely equiped with cheap parts! when you build a pc yourself it can be cheaper and more reliable than a mac, and what is this about graphics? if anything that should be THE LAST THING you consider when buying a computer. What you should be looking at is performance, reliability, compatibility and so on. Now people say pcs are not reliable, but is it fair to compare that $400 netbook to a $1000 macbook. most of that extra money IS ON THE HARDWARE NOT THE OS. My recommendation is to build a pc and get windows 7. if you have trouble choosing parts, there are many sites that can help you choose. also for those who complain about computer viruses, you should try to pay attention to all the warnings from your browser and anti-virus before you click ignore. Only reason macs arent as prone to infection as pcs is because barely anyone bothers to develop viruses for macs.
ReplyDeletetotally agree-hate macs and theyre overpriced
DeleteI agree too, built my PC 7 years ago and has always worked, only had to spend $750. Windows is just as easy to use, (IMO easier) and cheaper.
DeleteMacs are very "user friendly" and "intuitive", but not at all worth the price tag. They're basically for rich folks (or those living beyond their means) who are too lazy to use something that doesn't think for you. As an artist, I prefer PC because I can do what I want with my artwork instead of letting the Mac do it for me and screw it up. Personal preference.
ReplyDeleteAnd also: http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/581495_178945308907706_319465553_n.jpg
Go with a mac.
ReplyDeleteI know that this post is probably long dead, but I guess the beauty of the internet is that anything you put up is alive and well someplace - even after you delete everything. To answer your questions though, It's less about the disparity of hardware these days - my Toshiba Satellite has better specs than my wife's macbook pro (if you overlook the retina display) - both bought early this year. She grew up using macs and I grew up using PC. They both used to be mutually exclusive tools used for much different purposes, but now that hardware is even across the board, it's all about the software. My current PC - this Toshiba has several operating systems on it, I boot into a choice of Linux Mint15, Ubuntu 12.04, Lubuntu 13.10, Windows 7 or GParted. I even at one stage had a modified version of OSX running successfully - but took it off out of principle (I didn't own it). My win7 has programs that can search and read files from Linux and visa-versa aswell, so if I go for a Mint session and need a file from windows I dont have to reboot and save to a storage device...
ReplyDeleteWhile I have no complaints with my PC, my wife has had several mainboards replaced on her mac - she would not swap it for any PC in the world however - she loves the retina display for her work as a graphic designer, she gets a constant 7 hour battery life and so far has not had any machine killing updates like the one I received a few months back on my 'old' win8 PC.
I guess that the best way to compare would be on price points.
you can often get a netbook for as little as $200 these days. You can run a free and fast OS like Lubuntu, get every comparable program to both OSuX and Windoh's 99% of which are free and open any file type from any other OS.
A decent windows laptop usually starts at around $800 depending on your needs. Windohs is pre loaded (usually a limiting home or enterprise edition) but so is a whole lot of bloatware and subscription offers. The case will be plastic the graphics ordinary (shared GPU) the same with the audio and camera experience. The keys will not be backlit and these days, with windoh's 8 being the preloaded OEM, you are probably going to be locked out of installing another OS without a large degree of difficulty (As I found out). I opted to downgrade to win7 because of a win8 upgrade that killed my machine - but I had to do it myself and M$ has forced the issue by locking the BIOS in UEFA mode...
A solid performer PC that for all intents and purposes would be a great clone of a good macbook pro may cost around $1500 - 2100. For this price, I'd just save a bit more and buy a mac, that start at around the same price point. Sure the upgrades cost a bit more and you can't do anything with them yourself anymore , but if you think that you need to spend big for a computer you're probably a douche that deserves a mac (my wife just hit me)
You really should have a go at any flavour of Linux though. I can't sell it enough. First it's free. Second, it can be loaded alongside any OS you have, or just run from a CD or pen drive, even an SD card for that matter. It has a small footprint on your machine, is virus free (and not just because the user base is limited). You have unlimited customization possabilities and each release is getting better all the time.
this sums it up nicely
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImfIi468Km0
I love macs, but I am a huge gamer, and, I don't know if you guys know this but, almost only 3-5% of computer games are for mac. I still prefer mac though do to it's smoothness, and it's curves. I mean I have only had this macbook pro I am typing this for two years, and I use it every day. I use it for everything. I type ALL of my school work, and even stuff like informal postcards and letters. What I think I would like most is if they combined Mac, Windows, Alien ware, and Linux to make a invincible computer that is more powerful then any other.
ReplyDeleteALIENWARE IS WINDOWS ALREADY. Felt the need to say that.
DeleteGreat post your given information does help me a lot knowing that you have shared this information here freely.
ReplyDeleteLenovo - 15.6" Essential Notebook - 4 GB Memory - 320 GB Hard Drive - Matte Black
Lenovo - 14" ThinkPad Edge Notebook - 4 GB Memory - 500 GB Hard Drive - Matte Black