What is the difference between a MAC and a PC? And what features do you get in a mac?

Question

What is the difference between a MAC and a PC? And what features do you get in a mac?

Answer 1

The person above me is clearly a pc lover and someone trying to confuse you into hating Apple.

To clear a few things up.... it is not illegal to run a Leopard OS(mac operating system) on a PC computer (Dell,Hp,Toshiba,etc...) by any means.... The reason it does not happen more is because the PC's are not compatible with many of the drivers that macs come loaded with, so compatibility would not be good. As well with that PC's use Intel as well as AMD processors, while Mac has gone to only Intel. Because macs use Intel instead of their old "Power-Pc" processors they are able to run Leopard,Windows, and even Linux.... I current am on a Macbook Pro with it triple booted to run all three. He seemed to have an issue saying Mac's are overpriced... Well here is a couple of things to consider.... All of Apple's parts are either made by them or they have contracts so that the parts in them are ONLY going to Apple, not to other brands...They also come preloaded with alot of Programs, while PC's with windows are very dry....many with trials that are more of adware then anything. Mac's come with built in bluetooth, wireless 802.11n instead of g wireless, multi touch technology already integrated into their touchpads, backlit keyboards, and many other features. And the person above me is also dumb because they come preloaded with Leopard just as PC's do with windows, and are ALOT easier to set up for someone who may not be too computer intellectual. Bottom line, your going to pay more for alot better quality of a product that you will enjoy alot more and get more out of! You can email me if you have any other specific questions and want some good answers

Answer 2

First of all, do yourself a favor and search YA for the vary question that you are asking. This has been asked MANY times. You will find MANY answers to read. Allot of answers (90%) will be biases one way or the other. You may end up more confused then anything else. There are so many variations of all different kinds of computers (Mac and PC) that are on the market. If you are searching for a computer to buy, whether its your first or third, don't ask any questions related to comparisons.



The worst question to ask is one that allows biased opinions, like;



"Which do you like, PC or Mac?"



or



"Which is better, Mac or PC?"



The important question to ask yourself is "What will fit my needs?". Put on paper what you need the computer to do. Think of as many things as you can. Then, "How easy is it for me to understand and interface with?" and maybe "What do I want it to look like (this is if your into making a personal statement about yourself). Put a price to it. Don't forget to add things like cost of repairs, upgrades, warranties, accessories, etc. Get with computer sales reps that can help you translate what you want into what type of hardware you will need. Mac or PC, makes no difference. Don't get bogged down with the differences or the specs. Stick with what will work for you.



Do this with several sales reps. Some may try to sell you the top-of-the-line computers (which may not be what you need) and some will actually try to sell you what will work best for you. Take someone that is knowledgeable about computers and that you trust (and that is unbiased) with you when you shop.



In the end (if you mind isn't in a gel like form), after you have reviewed the options of what will work for you, the final decision will be a personal one. Don't worry about what people may say. There will always be people that will say you should have gotten the "other" one. As long as your happy with your choice and what you have works for you then what does it matter what the differences are?

Answer 3

I'm not a computer genius so I couldn't give you specifics, but a lot of people will tell you that Macs are totally protected against viruses. That isn't true. It is a lot more difficult to get a virus on a mac, but still possible.



I have a macbook and I love it! It's a lot easier to me. No copying and pasting things into folders and stuff, you just put it there! No slow start menu, everything sits on your dock. It's just personal preference.

Answer 4

well your prolly not going to read this, but this is my discription, btw i have a new macbook pro and a vista desktop. First I see Mac as kind of a state collective government. lets compare mac to soviet russias Economy. In both there is little to no competition between the apple and third party software. Though this way your relying on apple(or russia) more to provide great applications for example. i life(i movie, i photo, garagband) are all uncontested apple products. Every aspect of the system seems to work together smoother than lets say a free trade economy (PC). Though your pritty much stuck with i tunes for a music player which is only compatible with an i pod, which means your going to prolly eventually go all out for russian made products, i mean Apple :( lame!The PC I see it is the Free Trade computer. It has tons of brands, software, way more options way more competition, customization, just seems like more freedom too. Apple works so great as a team though. I mean you have a few options at what kind of laptop you want! Its quality, like the new click pad alone is worth getting a mac lol. I must admit before I actually used a mac, I was a hater, but in my opinion computer collectivism is better.



1.media--Mac wins, but i need to get an ipod, lame!

2.Movie editor- I movie crushes WMM, Plus macs have firewire 800.

3.Compatabillity- mm prolly windows wins this one, but i would say apple works best within itself

4. options-- windows wins, bluetooth, way more options++

5. Ease of use, user friendly, helpful+neat inovations-mac hands down.

Overall get a mac book pro if your interested in artistic media stuff and want it to be rippin fast. Though it's far more expensive than a pc it's worth it.

btw the difference is on the mac website, just faster and better& watnot

Answer 5

MAC



iSight Camera

Built in Web Cam that you use with PhotoBooth which is a fun camera application that come with all Macs.



Mail

Mail simplifies email with smart organizational tools. It also incorporates convenient notes and to-do features.



Address book and iCal

Similar to the one on Windows



Time Machine

Backs up your files and if for some reason something goes wrong you can restore your files.



iChat

Now you can video chat with up to three people, deliver presentations with iChat Theater, and of course, send instant messages.



Boot Camp

For those times when you need to run a Windows application, Boot Camp lets you start up your Mac in Windows. You will need to buy a copy of windows to install on Boot Camp.



iLife

iPhoto- Edit Photos

iWeb- Create Websites

iMovie- Edit Movies and add cool effects.

Pages- Similar to Word on Windows but better and FREE!

Numbers- Similar to Excel and also FREE!

Photobooth- a fun application that you can take awesome pictures with the built in iSight Camera.

GarageBand- a fun application that you can play instruments with and record with.



Macs don't get viruses



Macs are always super fast.



MacBook vs. MacBook Pro



The MacBook Pro has a 17 inch screen and the MacBook has a 13 inch screen. The MacBook Pro has more memory and all macs have the above list of awesome features. The MacBook Pro is a bit more expensive than the MacBook.



Personally I think that a Mac is a much better than a Windows computer.

Answer 6

MACS are much more user friendly i have a MAC OSX (imac) and i love it! you will too! macs are much faster, slimmer and have cooler programs and looks there are many more features for the mouse.. and yes you can set the mouse to have a right click just like the PC. MACS are also now HD so if you make videos they will be in HD, pics too hope i helped!



xo, Kooka

Answer 7

I think you are asking the wrong question...

the difference between a mac and a pc:

-mac is made my apple, a pc is made by any other computer company

-macs come in two colors, a pc can come in any color

-macs are usually one piece aluminum, a pc is usually plastic

-you can try to open a mac to upgrade ram but its not the easiest thing to do, a pc can be a DYI computer, just the way you like it



i think it is wrong to make mac=os x, and pc=windows

becuase a mac can run linux, windows or os x

and a pc can run linux, windows, or os x***









***I AM NOT ENDORSING THIS!!!

***YOU SHOULD BUY A REAL MAC IF YOU WANT OS X

Answer 8

I think you should surf Apple.com for your answer as to what Mac has.



Basically, Mac has most of the features of a higher end PC, hence the usually heftier price tag that comes associated with a Mac.



MacBook and MacBook Pro, one big difference is the FireWire ports on the side. MB does not, and MBP has, along with Express Card slot.



I'm sure there are other differences between MB and MBP when processor and memory is involved, but I'm not your butler. Do your own Googling.



It'd be asking what's the difference between Mercedes E350 and S550.

Answer 9

Macs run mostly software made by Apple, so they feel more tightly integrated and tend to be more user friendly. They are also virtually invulnerable to the virus/spyware/malware problems on Windows.



Windows has a much larger installed user base, so it is more common to find other people using Windows. That doesn't necessarily make it better but it means that if you are going to rely on people to help you they may not be familiar with the Mac. (but then again odds are if you have a Mac you're not gonna need help!)



Cheerio,

-n8

Answer 10

Mac, more specifically operating system, is a Unix based language system. While PC is DOS based language system.

Answer 11

The only thing you get with a Mac is OS X allowed to run legally... OS X has ILife which contains Ichat, Iphoto, Garageband, IDVD, IMovie... There are alternatives (free alternatives as well) on Windows and Linux... You pay significantly more for a Mac and get significantly less hardware.

Macbook is 13inches, slower cpu, lower graphics cards, and a lot cheaper... but expensive for what you get.





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

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



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.



Today, Macs use the same hardware as PCs. Why spend extra to get the same CPU chips, graphics cards and OS X isn't as secure as you think.. Look below.



WINDOWS ADVANTAGES:



Aprox 90% of the market is Windows. Most PCs include windows already pre-installed.

1) A number of websites still require Internet Explorer to view and IE for Mac Stinks (it is really ies4osx which is the Windows IE version running really buggy on OS X and illegal if you don't have a legitimate copy of Windows, too many problems with it).

2) More supported peripherals (printers and other things you hook into the computer) on Windows.

3) Many more games

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



Install at least Free Versions of Avira AntiVir, Avast, Comodo Firewall on the Vista.



LINUX ADVANTAGES:



1) Install Linux, and then get tons of software for free.Update software easily and automatically. (Checking a checkbox in either two ways to install (Add/Remove or Synaptic Package Manager), search for something you want, check a box and click apply)

2) Like the Mac OS X effects? go yahoo/google COMPIZ FUSION. It can do just about any cool effect a Mac can do and more...

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) Like the Mac OS X Doc? google/yahoo Cairo Dock, avant window navigator.

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. Surf the internet and even run some windows programs with Wnehq/Crossover..



LINUX OS

If you are worried about viruses, spyware, security, Try Linux (it is free), I have included some information about Linux and links so you are not lost if you decide to try it.



Easily turn your system into a Dual booting computer with Linux, fast, safe and secure, easy to use (contrary to belief). You then get the best of both worlds (Windows with all of its supported products, freely go online without the worry)



Installing Linux in general is very simple and much more secure than OS X(Macintosh) and free.

Also, most Linux distributions have a LiveCD which means you can try without installing...

UBUNTU, KUBUNTU, FREESPIRE, PCLINUXOS, etc.. all have live CDS.

All you have to do is..

A) to download .iso file off the internet from the Linux website

B) burn the .iso file to a CD or DVD (Make sure your burning software can burn an ISO or get InfraRecorder http://infrarecorder.org/ )

C) restart the computer with the CD in the drive

D) As computer is restarting, press on F12 Key a bunch of times to get a boot menu

E) Select the option to boot from CD or DVD.



Click on this link and follow instructions up to the point of "Once the system has started up...", (the rest is how to backup windows) for an easy picture guide for steps A-E above http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/

For easy instructions on setting up Dual Boot http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_windows_xp_and_linux_xp_installed_first.htm



ANOTHER QUICK NOTE: People have been able to run OS X on a PC since the PC and Mac use the same hardware. This is not legal and I would not recommend it for security and legal reasons, the purpose is to show that there is nothing special about the MAC.



A)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 $849 dropped to $799

15" Screen

CPU: (upgrade to) 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100

Memory: 3GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM

Hard Drive: 320GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm

Optical Drive: Blu-ray Disc Combo (DVD+/-RW + BD-ROM) - WRITES DVDS,CDS, READS Blue-Ray Disks



Macbook $1349 just dropped to $1224

13" Screen (SMALLER)

CPU: 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (SAME)

Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 (SAME)

Memory: (upgrade to) 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (LESS RAM)

Hard Drive (upgrade to) 250GBSerial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm (SMALLER HARD DRIVE)

Optical Drive: (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) - (Writes CDs, DVDs, cannot read Blue-Ray) (WORSE AND 1/2 SPEED)



**(DESKTOP)



PLEASE NOTE: I'm comparing Apple Mac's vs Dells best deal. If you decide that you must have 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 upgrade the Imac to try to match. 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 must 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: (Right Now) Specs Below costs $809

CPU: 2.4 GHZ Dell Inspiron QUAD (4 Processor) CORE

SCREEN: 20inch Screen

MEMORY: 3GB Ram

HARD DRIVE: 500 GB hard Drive

OPTICAL DRIVE: 16x DVD/CD Read/Writer

GRAPHICS: (upgrade to ) ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO 128MB



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



IMac ($1400)

CPU: 2.4 GHZ DUAL (2 Processor) CORE (SLOWER CPU)

SCREEN: 20inch Screen

MEMORY: (upgrade to) 2GB Ram (LESS RAM)

HARD DRIVE: (upgrade to ) 500 GB hard Drive

OPTICAL DRIVE: 8x DVD Reader/Writer (1/2 speed)

GRAPHICS: ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO 128MB



**END OF DESKTOP



B) SECURITY:



Mac OS X was hacked in 2006 under 30 minutes, and hacked within 2 minutes in a contest in 2008. Linux and Vista were not able to be hacked until another day when restrictions were lowered.

All macs are standardized with Cameras, if your system gets hacked, the hacker would more likely be able to turn on your camera.

Please Note: All OS's have vulnerabilities.



C) VIRUSES



The argument that OS X has less viruses is true, but that is against XP, BUT Mac OS X has viruses (which is 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".

Viruses on Mac are rising significantly.



Google/Yahoo Mac Viruses





D) WINDOWS LICENSE is discounted with PCs



You do not pay the full price, for instance Dell -> you pay $50 or less for Vista Home Premium If you buy a Mac and want Vista, you pay full price.





E) EXPANDABILITY & REPAIR...



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.





F) PROBLEMS



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

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

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

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/

http://www.ubuntu.com/

http://www.kubuntu.org/

http://www.freespire.org/

http://www.pclinuxos.com/

http://distrowatch.com/

http://polishlinux.org/

http://www.desktoplinux.com/

http://xwinman.org/gnome.php

http://xwinman.org/kde.php

http://www.linuxalt.com/

http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/

http://www.linuxfoundation.org/en/OpenPrinting/

http://www.avast.com/

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

http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SwitchingToUbuntu/FromMacOSX

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SwitchingToUbuntu/FromWindows

Google/Yahoo OS X on PC

Answer 12

Mac is now opening up bit by bit as lessons from PC's open nature nearly drove them to the ground one time, but a lot of the stuff is still closed and that translates into empty wallets for us, why I have yet to go for an Apple Computer product.



Anything PC can do Mac also, but somehow easier as in less reading of manual. Games is one that is not favouring Mac for Macs empty wallets to scare out anyone who's not loaded, as a result inferior but pricier products only for Mac gamers.



But speaking gaming regarding standard business notebooks are just... idiotic. I have rarely raised nary an eyebrow on Mac hardware news since Power G1.

Answer 13

well the NEW macbook pros has 2 graphic cards (one for bettery life and 1 for better graphics. the 17 inch macbook pro has a longer battery life ( batteries dies after a certain amount of charges) the macbook pro, obviously is faster, bigger and heavier. many will consider to buy the macbook pro for gaming, graphic intenese apps.



the macbook is a standard macbook. even the plastic version does OK (with 4gb ram) on evrything, but the new alu one is a upgrade.



mac vs pc.

its a hell lot of difference.

one of the significant features in mac are that u get a ilife suite for free (making movies, podcast, music ,web pages applications)

and its a lot simpler. if you want to install a application, just drag the file to the applications folder. uninstalling is just dragging that file to the trash.



visit apples mac 101 for mre details.