Which is better: Mac or PC?

Question

Which is better: Mac or PC?

Answer 1

if you just need a laptop, DEFINITELY go for a PC.

you can get a good one for just a few hundred dollars, and you don't need any of the extra stuff.



sometimes a Mac is better than a PC. Macs come in very limited and specific specifications. if you want a computer with the exact processor, HDD, etc that a mac has, it's often (but not always) a better deal to buy a mac than a PC. however, most people DON'T need everything that comes on a mac, and it's better in that situation to buy a less powerful PC and save money. this is especially relevant for laptops.



for you, you don't need a fast processor, high end video card, or lots of ram. you just need a basic laptop with a moderately sized HD.



if it is a desktop, i ALWAYS recommend building your own PC. that way it is entirely customizable and upgradeable while costing a lot less.

Answer 2

Sure Mac is nice looking and has some really nice solid hardware but what happens when you need to buy new CPUs and motherboards? Yes people say that Macs are great for graphics and video, but isn't that software that could be ported over to a windows PC? Sure maybe it's proprietary and contracts prevent such things from happening, but what does that really say? Buy a Mac for this even though a PC can do it! So all that does is inflate prices. YAY! Every have problems with itunes? I sure have. same company. emotional BS aside the PC is a easier to maintain, upgrade, fix system. So I choose PC

Answer 3

Lol PC mate, no comparison, PC times 10. Macs can't even play video games, they can't handle them, PCs are f**king capable of almost anything, trust me, you get a Mac and you'll regret it. PC, one of the best inventions ever made.

Answer 4

None is better than the other. It all depends exclusively on what you're going to use it for. Many buy a Mac because they like the OS and prefer it over Windows (Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, etc). Others buy PC because they are perfect for heavy daily use, gaming and have no compatibility issues. Apple has a very limited line up with the same exterior designs while Pc offer a great variety of laptops and configurations.



I own a monster of a PC computer for gaming and a MacBook for all my schoolwork and photoshop.



If you simply need a laptop "for internet and music" only, you'll be fine with a MacBook or any decent Windows computer. I recommend over 2.0ghz and a decent amount of hard drive place for media.

Answer 5

Wow, first there are many of these questions already.

And second, this is one of the worst questions to ask, because you can start war with this kind of question.



Now, your question's answer. PC by far.

People who have no experience in computers and have no life and for that reason, don't really use computers well, they use Macs.



Macs are incomparable to PCs.

Compare ants to humans.

PC=human

Macs=ants



Humans can kill the ants any day just by one good step on it.



Macbooks are crap and have very low capabilities, too.



Macs are meant for only Internet browsing, making documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), and for taking pictures, and making movies. Those boring stuff.



So if you like to have fun making charts on Excel and practicing to spell and write on Word, then by all means, go get a Mac.

If not, and you might need those tools, the making charts, and typing and so much more abilities, then go with a PC. PCs can do everything a Mac can do, however, Macs cannot do everything a PC can do. Don't get a Mac. PCs are the only computers out that play games. Besides, you don't even need to follow the crowd. Get the better.

Why follow the crowd when you know you'll end up with the lower.



So, from here on, I am going to trust that you are getting a PC.



Now from which manufacturer should I get my PC from?

- HP, Dell, or ASUS



HP - Entertainment, Gaming, Work, Online Browsing, Powerful Speed and Performance, plus many other things.. Basically call it an All-In-One PC Manufacturer. Another great benefit is that, they can put all this into portable sized laptops and, furthermore, make those laptops look stylish and great.



Dell and ASUS - They are very similar because they each create PCs separately for each and different categories of PC usage. Meaning, they build one for gaming, one for entertainment, one for work, etc.



-Dell - Dell can overprice many of their products, and is a reason why I would rather go with ASUS. Dell doesn't fail however, I still tend to not like them. If you're looking for an average computer, they're best computer, yet, is their Aspiron 15. You won't need their Alienware.



-ASUS - I like ASUS and HP. ASUS can make great computers and they can even make All-In-One PCs too, depending on how you treat their computers. They do make great gaming laptops, great entertainment PCs, laptops used for only work, or they can make all-in-one's, but not as great as HP. ASUS's gamings laptops, are built with many great parts in the market to give you a great gaming experience, for why they call their gaming laptops Gaming Laptops.



So, now that you got the info on the manufacturers.

Go and look for that right PC just for you.



Now with Windows 7's release, required specs may have changed and I will give them to you:



Minimum:



Memory - 3 GB RAM (4 GB Recommended)



Hard Drive - 250 GB RAM (320 GB + Recommended)



Processors - Any Intel Processors that rate over 3 stars. This includes the:

Intel 2 Core Duos

Intel Quad Core

Intel i7's or i5's. Soon to be i9's.

Warning to you, do not get Pentiums, especially Pentiums under Pentium 4.



I hope I helped you with all this information. Good luck finding that PC.

Answer 6

For your purposes get a PC. "Better" is an opinion when it comes to this and better for you would not be spending $1000 on a Mac. Get AVG anti-virus (free) and Windows 7 and you will have no problems with viruses or crashing. You can optimize you PC with things like quad core processors and tons of RAM and it still might be cheaper than the base Macbook. You can get tons of music programs on a PC including itunes and there are tons of free and paid media editing software at par with or better than iLife. Safari is also available for Windows.



Don't confuse good looks with performance or quality, because macs are far from perfect.

Answer 7

they both have their ups and downs, macs are gonna be more expensive than pcs, they are better if you are gonna be editing a lot of video and music and stuff, but if its mostly basic stuff then for the price you really cant be a pc, macs are really nice too though, play with some friends and you'll figure out what u want

Answer 8

If your a gamer then PC, but if you like music and movie editing and stuff of that nature than Mac. Hope that helps

Answer 9

pc

Answer 10

PC for the following... * you may not need all the heavy details but it doesn't hurt to have some backing as to why* People can say whatever they want, but you need facts



PC=Variety of specs, options, quality, prices, vendors, support

Mac=One vendor, limited options, still more expensive. Look below for more information..



Today, Macs use a subset of PC hardware. Why spend extra to get the same CPU chips, graphics cards and OS X isn't as secure as you think..



Don't believe the lies that Macs are better than PCs at graphics/animation.. Dreamworks Animation http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/ under studio click on Technology of Animation, an independent film maker I know uses PCs, a graphic artist I used to know uses PCs also.



A number of PCs can also run OS X (Mac OS) http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=os+x+on+pc&btnG=Google+Search&aq=0&oq=os+x+on+ as well just that Apple makes it illegal in order to get Market share.. The reason why Mac can run native Windows is because it is using a subset of PC hardware,



If you decide to buy a Mac for running Windows, you will still have to get the same virus/spyware protection, and run into the same issues as a regular PC.



Now is a Mac worth buying for OS X?



I say: NO... for the following reasons...



SECURITY

Mac OS X was hacked in 2006 less than 30 minutes, and within 2 minutes in a contest in 2008, and within 10 seconds in 2009. In 2008, Linux and Vista were not hacked until another day when restrictions were lowered. Vista was next, and then Linux. In 2009 Windows 7 fell shortly after the Mac but Linux was unscathed.

Macs are standardized with Cameras, if your Mac gets hacked, the hacker can turn on your camera with more ease.

Please Note: All OS's have vulnerabilities.

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Mac-OS-X-hacked-under-30-minutes/0,130061744,139241748,00.htm

http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/03/27/Gone-in-2-minutes-Mac-gets-hacked-first-in-contest_1.html

http://www.infoworld.com/article/09/03/19/Researcher_cracks_Mac_in_10_seconds_1.html

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-Finds-Irony-in-Mac-OS-X-Getting-Hacked-Before-Vista-SP1-82135.shtml



QUALITY/PROBLEMS

Contrary to belief, Macs are not better quality. Apple also has been changing suppliers to try to "lower the price" and thus lowering quality. Even with the lower prices, Macs still cost more, they spend a higher percent of budget trying to make it look pretty, and marketing.



Sample of problems: Deleting your Data (Snow Leopard), Overheating Macbooks, OS X- not responding to keyboard, some units with 16bit screens, etc. Apple statistics are misleading since Mac users with problem machines are more likely to go out and buy a new computer than PC users. Apple is lowering prices which means you can expect lower quality than in the past. Apple had switched the manufacturers producing parts. OS X also has problems slowing down.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=5006

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10020263-17.html

http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/01/apples-quality-dwindling-my-macbook-pro-sob-story/

http://www.appledefects.com/

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/os-x-operating-system/107748-mac-os-leopard-running-slow.html

http://cybernetnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/reliable-laptops.jpg



Repairs are more expensive than PCs since the IMac, Mac Mini are compact units, and Apple charges a premium for their services. Some repairs can be done by another repair service but the compact design of the computer causes problems.

With an IMac, if the problem is with the monitor, the whole computer would have to be brought in.

IMac and Mac mini lack expansion.





VIRUSES

Mac OS X has viruses (and significantly on the rise), a friend of mine has a virused Mac. As more users use Macs, more viruses will come out for it. Especially when users think "they are safe".

http://infosecurity.us/?p=4005

http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2008/07/malware_authors_take_aim_at_growing_number_of_1.html

http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.php/archive/poll_have_you_noticed_an_increase_in_malware_viruses_etc_on_your_mac/





ADVANTAGES WINDOWS :

Aprox 90% of the market is Windows and most PCs have windows already pre-installed.

1) Some websites require Internet Explorer, to run IE on Mac you really get ies4osx which is the Windows version of IE running really buggy and illegal if you don't have a legitimate copy of Windows.

2) Supports more devices (printers and other things you hook into the computer).

3) More business software/games

4) Want the dock on OS X (Mac)? google/yahoo rocketdock, objectdoc.

5) Used by businesses.



ADVANTAGES LINUX :

1) FREE (most versions are)

2) Install software by either 1) Synaptic Package Manager, 2) Add/Remove 3) Opening a .deb or .rpm file (depending on distribution)

2) Like the Mac OS X effects? go yahoo/google COMPIZ FUSION which can do any cool effect a Mac can do and many ore....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Fbk52Mk1w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3gkX9HDfEE (there is no flickering when you use it like on the video, not sure why the person has the flicker)

3) Mac OS X Doc? google/yahoo Avant Window Navigator.Cairo Dock, http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3rf5q_cairo-dock-mac-os-x-leopard-dock-on_tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0hzi22g2DE

4) It is FASTER/MORE SECURE to surf on the internet

5) Some Windows programs work with Wnehq/Crossover (also avail on Mac, but why pay $$$)



Instructions how to download, burn and boot http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/

Dual Boot Instructions http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_windows_xp_and_linux_xp_installed_first.htm



PRICE

A similar equipped PC is much cheaper to purchase than Mac. Lets use Dell (but you can compare with another PC Brand if you like)



**(LAPTOP)

Dell Inspiron Laptop Price Starting: $550 Ending Opt A: $854 Ending Opt B: $954

15" Screen (SAME)

CPU: (upgrade to) 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (SAME)

Graphics: OPT A: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD (WORSE) Benchmark: 1243 http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Graphics-Media-Accelerator-4500MHD-GMA-X4500MHD.9883.0.html

OPT B: 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD4330 (BETTER) Benchmark: 4969 http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-ATI-Mobility-Radeon-HD-4330.13973.0.html

Memory: 4GB 1033GHZ DDR3 SDRAM (SAME)

CD DRIVE: 8X CD/DVD-RW

Hard Drive: (upgrade to) 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm (SAME)

Battery Life: (upgrade to) up to 8 hours (BETTER)

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=DNDWZA3&s=dhs&fb=1



Macbook Pro Price Starting: $1700 Ending Opt A: $1850

15" Screen (SAME)

CPU: 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (SAME)

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics Benchmark: 3263 http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-9400M-G.11949.0.html

Memory: 4GB 1033GHZ DDR3 SDRAM (SAME)

CD DRIVE: 8X CD/DVD-RW

Hard Drive: (upgrade to) 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm (SAME)

Battery Life: up to 7 hours (WORSE)

http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MC118LL/A?mco=MTM3NDcyODk





**(DESKTOP)



PLEASE NOTE: I compare Apple Mac's vs Dells best deal. If you really want an all-in one the Dell all-in-one has more ram, wireless keyboard and mouse and equivalent to $400 for free making the Imac still more expensive when you matching specs. Personally I don't think the All-in-Ones are a good choice, and consider them overpriced, lack expandability and repairs both more expensive and require the entire computer.



PS: Apple knows that they need to make Macintosh look different than PC so all Macs except the Mac Pro will not have a tower option. Apple's low end lacks expandability but it makes the Mac "look different", if Mac had a tower for low-end, more people would realize the similarities between the two.



Dell XPS8000: ($1018)

CPU: I-7 2.8GHZ (SUPERIOR ) RANK 12= http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i7+860+%40+2.80GHz

SCREEN: (Upgrade to) 21.5inch Screen

MEMORY: 6GB Ram DDR3 Dual Channel 1033GHZ (MORE)

HARD DRIVE: 640 GB (LARGER, FASTER)

OPTICAL DRIVE: 16x DVD/CD Read/Writer (FASTER)

GRAPHICS: ATI Radeon 4350HD 512MB (SUPERIOR)

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dxdzkv1&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&m_2=SXI7860&mo=2~SXI7860&kc=studio-xps-8000



The Mac Mini since it has no monitor, keyboard, mouse, very skimpy on options and setup and is not the best deal... The IMac is better price than the Mac Mini.



IMac ($1200)

CPU: 3.06 GHZ DUAL (2 Processor) CORE (MUCH SLOWER) http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=Intel+Core2+Duo+E8435+%40+3.06GHz

SCREEN: 21.5inch Screen

MEMORY: 4GB Ram (LESS)

HARD DRIVE: 500 GB hard Drive (SMALLER, SLOWER)

OPTICAL DRIVE: 8x DVD Reader/Writer

GRAPHICS: Nvidia Geforce 9400M (WORSE)

http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MB950LL/A?mco=MTM3NDc2NDc



ILife Equivalents

http://www.jakeludington.com/ask_jake/20070830_ilife_for_windows.html

http://www.xsellize.com/showthread.php?t=20518



FREE Windows Stuff

http://www.comodo.com/products/free_products.html

http://www.iobit.com/

http://www.ccleaner.com/

ANTI-VIRUS

Avira Antivir (FREE) rated best detection/2009 (Free version=no realtime protection) and here http://www.freewaregenius.com/2009/04/07/the-best-free-antivirus-a-comparison/

http://www.free-av.com/



Avast (Free- Click under Free Software and download Avast Home Edition) http://www.avast.com/



ANTI-MALWARE

Malware Bytes-(Free version=no realtime protection).

http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html?tag=mncol

Super Anti-Spyware (FREE)

http://download.cnet.com/SuperAntiSpyware-Free-Edition/3000-8022_4-10523889.html?tag=mncol



LINUX INFO:

http://distrowatch.com/

http://polishlinux.org/

http://www.desktoplinux.com/

Answer 11

There are surprisingly quite a few people who are still die-hard PC fans. In my opinion PC simply stands for piece of.... The only reason I would get a PC is if there is no way you can afford a Mac. The extra money up front seems like a lot—but you get what you pay for. Mac is faster, easier to use, and even does all the gaming that everyone is complaining it "doesn't do". Apple is also constantly updating its product—staying well ahead of the curve.



The best comparison I can give you is Metric vs. U.S. Customary. Everyone knows that metric IS better but U.S. customary is so ingrained in our system that we don't want to bite the bullet and make the change.



The only reason you will get frustrated with a Mac is when it won't die after you've had it for many years and you want an excuse to buy a newer Mac.

Answer 12

Well, it depends on one's opinion. Mac has it's own software. (Windows is to PC as Mac's operating system is to Mac). sorry for being redundant. Also, Macs tend to get less viruses than the usual PC. They also are a bit pricey. Think about this...If you can get the same size hard drive, the same amount of memory, the same quality graphics card for a hell of a lot cheaper, Why not go with a PC????? It all boils down to your opinion. But the economic way is a PC. If a Mac is within your budget, go for it! but personally, I would choose a PC

Answer 13

It depends on the user. I prefer the PC and could never see myself using a MAC. To know for yourself, head to a computer store and try both, buy the one you like. They both come with pros and cons. The best indication of which to buy is also the software you want to run. If it is only supported by a PC, you buy a PC.

Answer 14

Ok if you want A computer that Never gets a virus adn is fast but not so hot with gaming you should get a mac. If you want a computer that is good for gaming (pacifically Alienware) get a pc there are some good pc like alienware but there super expensive. i am getting an alienware laptop for gaming i already have a mac for everything else

Answer 15

I'm sorry but....Isn't a MAC also a PC? As PC stands for Personal Computer this would include MAC, Windows, LINUX (and likely other) operating systems.

Answer 16

I have had both computers, and I have to go with a Mac. Mac's are faster, never have viruses, and are easy to use. If you need to, you can even run Windows ON a Mac.

Answer 17

pc is faster, better programs and easier to use. macs are good at being a slim, slow piece of plastic

Answer 18

Check out the awesome commercials. :)

PC VS. Mac.

:)





Mac won, by the way.

Answer 19

well for faster, and better for music type things id choose a mac

much better platform ( that's if you aren't interested in gaming )



its just all around more stable

Answer 20

mac, by far. faster, has very good webcam.

but more expensive

Answer 21

All your questions answered.



http://www.apple.com/getamac/

Answer 22

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=DNDOZM1&s=dhs

Answer 23

mac maC mAc MAC