Tech Blog

[#1]

For my second post I thought I'd do a nice, safe, uncontroversial post: Mac or PC (or Ubuntu/Linux?). The Mac-PC debate comes up a lot in tech circles. Yes, we all like to take pot shots at each other, but the question you really have to ask yourself is: which computer do I like using more?

I was looking through the forums for some inspriation (though I knew this post you come out some time) and sure enough the "Which should I get, Mac or PC?" question was right there. I figured I should just take the bull by the horns and open this can of worms (and perhaps mix a few more metaphors in to boot) and give you my take.

Right now I'm writing this post on my 15" MacBook Pro that I bought last November. Yes, it's one of the sleek unibody ones and I bought the model with 4 gigs of RAM. Why? Because my way, way under powered PC laptop (also with 4 gigs of RAM) couldn't handle the load that I was putting on it using Lightroom. Like overheat and shut off kind of not handle. I love my MBP, but...

I still have the old laptop and my fiancé uses it. I also have a netbook running a trimmed down version of Ubuntu. There are also two extra PCs here, plus my PS3 which is begging to be turned into an Ubuntu-powered machine too.

Oh and on my MBP, I have VMWare Fusion installed with both Vista and Ubuntu virtual machines as well. Confused yet?

Here's the history. I started off using an Apple IIe, which at the time, 1983, was more like a PC than a Mac. I got used to using word processors (Word hadn't been invented yet), drawing programs, oh and games. When I went to university I got a Mac SE with a giant 20 meg harddrive. Yeah one CD (700 MB) would hold over three of my first computer's harddrives. I got a Mac because that's what the school encouraged. Over the years I became pretty hard core Mac. Price be damned I liked being a Mac user. I went from an SE to an SE/30 to various other machines (including a couple Mac clones), but in 2003 I got my first PC.

I had be using PCs since my grad school days and even supported them when I was a tech support person. So I PC wasn't really that strange. I had been using one at work as my primary machine for years, so why switch? Cost. It came down to cost.

Yes, Macs are more expensive and back then I couldn't lease a Mac while I could lease a PC. That one financial factor made a huge difference. I think I became Mac jealous in those days. I went through about 3 laptops between 2003 and 2008, all PCs.

Okay then, which is the machine to choose?

Honestly, it's the machine that you can get things done on and works best for you. Yes, PCs are cheaper, yes they have lots of software (a lot of which is crap of course), yes you can get all sorts of stuff off the rack for PCs. But that comes at a cost of the additional things you do have to worry about (viruses, spyware, software and driver conflicts) I've had few problems with this Mac in the past six months. I don't think I could say the same for a six month old PC. My netbook? Well I'd love to say that Ubuntu is awesome and you should just jump to Linux, yeah but that would be a lie. It's still a pretty geeky thing and one of my friends who had Ubuntu installed on her laptop does run into issues of being able to easily do things with her laptop (like use her Rogers Rocket Stick). My Mac? Yep a lot is more expensive. My fiancé would like a 13" MacBook now and yeah that's a lot of money. But I have found that I am more productive on my Mac than I had been on my PCs for a long while.

Going into the store how would I pick? I wouldn't. If you have a PC, maybe try a Mac. If you have a Mac, chances are you're not going to switch back (since we can run Windows on our Macs even in BootCamp)..Netbooks? Love mine, but more as something to tote for short bits of work, not long sessions of work. There is a lot of rhetoric going around about one being better than the other, when frankly what matters is what you like and are comfortable with.

Compatibilty isn't generally an issue, but if the primary piece of software you need to use is PC, then a Mac might not be the best choice. Yes, you can use virtual machines, and I do for testing, but they are slower than the real thing.

Try the machines. Look at what you're going to use it for, and decide with what fits your budget, your fingers, and how you work.

Now, I have to remember where those boot DVDs are, I have to fix my PC laptop for my fiancé

Message Edited by Laura on 05-29-2009 02:52 PM

Message Edited by ElizabethS on 07-26-2009 12:43 AM

Message Edited by Laura on 08-21-2009 04:51 PM

[#2]

I think you nailed it when you said "it's the machine that you can get things done on and works best for you.". People get so passionate about "their" computer of choice (the same is true for the "consoles war" ) but never understood why. The important thing is to have something that works for you.

Also, the "Mac VS. PC" debates aren't very heated on the English forum. You should see the ones we get on the French side

For me, the main reason (other than price) to go PC has always been gaming. Both Macs and PCs works fine when I need to do "non gaming" stuff.

Over all, nice blog. I'll be sure to catch the next one.

[#3]

Well put! As you say, it's especially important to consider the ongoing support of whatever system you select. Too often that's not covered in the product advertising.

Having a  friend as a 'personal PC Guru' to help you make your system selection and provide advice / support down the road can help ease the decision.

[#4]

Great post, Tris.  Nice to see a balanced and realistic comparison from someone who understands technology.

It seems that people too often treat "Mac vs PC" as a very black and white, yes or no, discussion.   But it actually varies considerably from person to person.

I can't remember the last time I had a virus on my PC, for example, and yet many "Mac people" insist that viruses are inevitable.  Likewise, many "PC people" insist that Apple is still not much good for productivity unless you're a graphic designer, and yet I know of accountants, lawyers, and programmers who use Apple equipment and software without a problem.

And, of course, not all Macs are created equal, nor are all PCs.  A PC user who switches to the "wrong" Mac might be incredibly disappointed and frustrated, as would a Mac user trying certain PCs.  There are plenty of overpiced Windows machines and plenty of under-powered Apples...

It's like wine.  Take away the snobbery, biases, and pretty labels and it comes down to:

You like what you like.  Try everything you can and ask lots of (very specific) questions.

[#5]

@bryanm: thank you and well said. A basic MacBook will look great, but won't serve a graphic designer well. A MacBook Air might drive lots of people crazy with the lack of ports. A netbook would drive a touch typist insane if they try to use all fingers to type with.

Before I bought (and switched) this MBP, I shopped around. I planned on buying a PC, but seeing that I'd wind up spending about the same amount to get the right config for me, I decided to switch. I'm glad I did, but I do have VMWare Fusion installed for the times I need a "PC" for something.