the arguments used for PC vs Mac

[Depot Denizen]

I sell and service Apples and the high-end Dell laptops. I use Mac and Windows on a daily basis at work. I have my own custom built desktop at home.

Mac hardware is proprietary and you would be hard-pressed to get a third party replacement that worked. While you can install 3P memory into an Apple, if something happens to it Apple usually blames the memory. The MacBooks are all about aesthetics - there are precious few user replaceable parts, and even the techs have a hard time getting at some parts. Also, you cannot run OSX on any other hardware unless you break the license agreement. They did however allow their hardware (only *after* they changed to an Intel chip) to run Windows natively. When are we going to see OSX on a PC? Never.

I like Macs, they are indeed easy to use and generally don't fuss much. When they break, however, the results tend to be catastrophic, and replacement can get expensive. Spill water on the MacBook? $800 to get it fixed through Apple. Apple does not offer accidental damage protection, which is how they make a fair bit of money. With repair costs (and granted, I went with their Tier 4 repair, which is the worst) nearly equating to the cost of replacement, it sucks for the consumer.

Now, Windows. In order to be compatible with endless combinations of hardware, it has to have a gargantuan driver database. If you have a home-built desktop like myself, this means that if the disk doesn't have the drivers you need, you'd better hope that you have your driver CDs. This makes a reformat take several hours: driver installation, program downloading, general tweaking of the system. But it's fun, I have control over the behavior of my computer.

Pre-built machines tend to have less problems because the software is geared to work with the machine. At college we have disk images for the comps that we sell. Virus or OS FUBAR'd? No problem. Hook it up to the network and BAM image is downloaded. Works with Mac and Windows, too!

[protege]

Here's one argument I'm surprised hasn't showed up. That the Mac is better because it's less susceptible to viruses and hacking. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. What I do know, is that more people use Windoze-based computers than Macs. If someone was going to cause some havoc, wouldn't they attempt to infect as many people as possible? I sure as hell would. *That* is why nobody is writing viruses and attempting to infiltrate OSX. Simple numbers

I too would like to try out OSX. However, I'm not about to spend money on *another* computer for the privilege. Also, I like being able to upgrade or repair my own computer, without a trip to the Apple store and getting hit with expensive repair bills.

[Greenday]

Here's one argument I'm surprised hasn't showed up. That the Mac is better because it's less susceptible to viruses and hacking. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. What I do know, is that more people use Windoze-based computers than Macs. If someone was going to cause some havoc, wouldn't they attempt to infect as many people as possible? I sure as hell would. *That* is why nobody is writing viruses and attempting to infiltrate OSX. Simple numbers

That's something I've talked about with friends. It's simple numbers. Hackers like to cause havoc. Less people use Macs so there is less reason to create viruses for them.

[Pedersen]

Less people use Macs so there is less reason to create viruses for them.

Now that can get into a whole other discussion. First, note I didn't argue the money cost of an Apple. That's because Apple is the most expensive personal computer on the market.

However, what goes into making an operating system secure relies on a number of things:

Strength of the code. Properly written code will be harder to attack than improperly written code.

General computer knowledge level. If the users of the computer system are properly educated in computer security practices, and implement them correctly, the system will be harder to attack.

Total number of users. Yes, there's a reason I listed this last. If the above two are true, then it doesn't matter how much attackers want to create havoc, they will find themselves unable to do so. There will be more reason for them to attempt to do so with higher numbers of targets, but that does not give them any guarantee of success.

There are other factors I've missed, I'm sure (and I expect I will be informed of them). But the total number of users argument is the weakest argument as to which operating system is more secure than which other one.

[Depot Denizen]

However, it is true. People write viruses and malware for Windows because it has by far the largest market share. Viruses exist for Mac - granted, it is based on Unix, but code is code.

Computer viruses spread because of bad habits that users have, and general lack of concern for safety. Since Windows has roughly 91% of the market share for consumer OSs it is much more economical for virus writers to write code that is going to infect a large chunk of the computers out there.

[Dreamstalker]

Windows does not work for me the way I want it to work. And I can't make it work. Not for lack of trying, I can tell you. And everybody around me (including my ex-wife) would tell me that I was, basically, an idiot for thinking that Windows sucks. After all, with so many people using it, how can it be bad?

It's bad in the same way that a Black & Decker drill is bad. Please, go read that. I'll still be here.

Precisely.

I screwed up my first Knoppix install, I blamed only myself and read man pages and books until I figured out how to get it right. A lot of users prefer having a safe, handholding machine over something they actually have to read books/do research/pay attention to to use.

I'm tutoring a friend of my mom's who recently got a MacBook and knows almost nothing about computers. Yes, I had to "unlearn" a lot of stuff because I primarily use Windows (not totally by choice), but the tutoring has been a lot of fun. Things that would take me a few hours to explain on a Windows machine, she can grasp in a few minutes and she loves it.

[protege]

*is trying to figure out why the B&D drill is bad*
Mainly because mine does exactly what I need it to do--poke a hole in something. No more, no less. Oh, and it's built similar to the Hole Hawg--side handle, not as heavy though.

I see Windows as roughly the same. Sure it has its annoying quirks, but it does pretty much what I need it to do. Also, it doesn't really matter if it takes hours to do a reformat--there are TV shows to watch, kitties to play with...and my other computers to play GTA on.

[Difdi]

When a member of my family asks for my advice on whether to buy a PC vs a Mac, I tell them this:

Owning a PC is like owning a minivan. You can go just about anywhere, but adding fancy wheels to a minivan just results in a minivan with fancy wheels.

Owning a Mac is like owning a really HOT speedboat. Trouble is, you live in Kansas.

[Slytovhand]

My turn...

I gotta agree with Boozy (I think...) - once you're used to Windoze, Mac's look really weird. Though I haven't had much time with them...

Which is partly because of popularity (lot easier to get PC's than Macs around here - but that's merely marketing and all..), and the fact that I like to do my upgrading myself. I don't buy names, so I go generic (well - mostly...). But either way, I like having some control as to what hardware is in the thing (esp when it fails... like my DVD drives atm). Pull out, put in... done. Don't need to buy a new system.

But, from what I've heard, I'm much prefer if I could do that with a Mac....


Slyt (in green )