Mac vs. PC

[ellie811]

I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts on a Mac vs. PC.

When I was an undergrad I had a PC, but I never took it to class because that wasn't common back then. Now, everyone has their laptop in class (or so says my husband who is in law school).

I don't need anything fancy out of a computer, just basic word processing for taking notes and writing papers, and the internet for research. Also of great importance is a long battery and lightweight for biking. I couldn't care less about the Apple "image" or "cool factor".

Thoughts? Comments?

[psychgurl]

If you don't need "cool" or "trendy" features, a PC would be much cheaper than a Mac. I have a Mac, and I love it. If you really don't care about the extra features, though, then I can't see how a Mac purchase would be justified.

[arcoventry]

I am pretty loyal to Mac. They are sleek, easy to use, and easy to transport (the Macbook Air weighs about 2 pounds). Then again, the cost could basically kill you. I paid $2500 for my Macbook Pro when it was brand new, and for a comparable PC I could have easily saved a grand. I am hooked on Apple products and recommend them to anyone, simply for the reliability.

The new Apple OS is clean, beautiful, an comes with the App Store so you can buy compatible programs with a click, no going to the store. Their customer service is also second to none. You get what you pay for.

PCs are going to be heavier and less cute - although check out the new Asus that one is tiny like the Air - and you might have more frustration with crashes, viruses, etc. I would compare and contrast a bunch of the newer "lightweight" models with the new Macbook air and decide what you are willing to pay.

[SofieCat]

I am not a tech person, nor do i care about trendy or cool gadgets or the "cool" factor (for example, I'm happy with my pre-paid 10 dollar cell phone using technology from 1999). I bought my first macbook a year ago and I have to say...I will probably never buy a PC ever again. I absolutely love my mac.

Here are a few reasons:

1. This computer will probably last me 3x longer than any PC would have

2. It's incredibly intuitive and easy to use for non-tech savvy people

3. It's made my life easier.

I won't go into details but compared to all the PC's I have gone through in the past, the macbook is a more reliable and better option.

I was in the peace corps and my PC's (netbook and laptop) were exposed to an exaggerated amount of elements we see from normal day-to-day usage (tons of viruses, environmental elements-heat, humidity, dust, etc) and both computers died during my two year service. This was the norm for most of us with PC's out there...yet I didn't know any volunteer who had problems with their Mac. I think Mac's are just better built computers, inside and out. Does that justify the huge price tag? That's up to the individual consumer to decide. For me, it was worth paying the extra money to avoid the headache i inevitably get when using technology that I either can't figure out, or dies on me.

Edited March 19, 2012 by SofieCat

[ladybug3]

I HAD to buy a Mac for my program, however right afterwards I changed programs and now have a Mac for a pointless reason.

My boyfriend's computer is twice as good as mine and was the same price, which says a lot because I got one of the best deals around on my Mac since I bought it through a rather large school discount.

I recommend PC. They are more compatible, they allow you to get far more software, accessories are cheaper, and if you had one already, you'll have an easier time learning the features.

Also, I got a Macbook (the white one) and the casing and cords are poorly made. I have cracks in the USB ports without ever having dropped my laptop and my charger doesn't work half the time; when it does, it gets far too hot.. the only reason I would ever recommend a Mac is if you need Mac specific software (for some odd reason) or you want long lasting battery power - I do enjoy that my Mac (on low settings) still gets just under 10 hours of battery power after nearly 2 years of use.

[mswhopeful2012]

MAC MAC MAC!!!! Base 13" MacBook Pro will save you SOOO much time + iWork and you are set!!!

[mswhopeful2012]

P.s buy AppleCare and you're basically (except for ridiculous physical damage) guaranteed to have a working computer for 3 years which will get u through the program!......do NOT buy a PC unless you want a major headache trying to meet deadlines!

[psychgurl]

I am not a tech person, nor do i care about trendy or cool gadgets or the "cool" factor (for example, I'm happy with my pre-paid 10 dollar cell phone using technology from 1999). I bought my first macbook a year ago and I have to say...I will probably never buy a PC ever again. I absolutely love my mac.

Here are a few reasons:

1. This computer will probably last me 3x longer than any PC would have

2. It's incredibly intuitive and easy to use for non-tech savvy people

3. It's made my life easier.

I won't go into details but compared to all the PC's I have gone through in the past, the macbook is a more reliable and better option.

I was in the peace corps and my PC's (netbook and laptop) were exposed to an exaggerated amount of elements we see from normal day-to-day usage (tons of viruses, environmental elements-heat, humidity, dust, etc) and both computers died during my two year service. This was the norm for most of us with PC's out there...yet I didn't know any volunteer who had problems with their Mac. I think Mac's are just better built computers, inside and out. Does that justify the huge price tag? That's up to the individual consumer to decide. For me, it was worth paying the extra money to avoid the headache i inevitably get when using technology that I either can't figure out, or dies on me.

Very true. I am still using the same MacBook 3.5 years after my purchase. No problem yet. This would def not be the case with a PC!

[roxyshoe]

Mac's seem to hold up a lot better, though I have only had mine for 8 months...it is still in great shape and holds soooo much more on its harddrive than my p.c did. I went through so so many problems with my p.c (it was an H.P) that I ended up paying more than I would have for a Mac in repair costs. I finally gave up and got a Mac, and I love it. It is also WAY lighter. I could never bring my H.P to class because of its weight, but I bring my macbook pro everywhere

[TypeA]

Not in social work, but for what it's worth, I'm another staunch Mac user, despite the price tags. However, I would agree that if you go with a Mac, it's imperative that you purchase the Applecare insurance. Mine paid for itself more than twice over during the three years I was covered under it (which I think is less of a reflection on the product quality, and more of a reflection of how clumsy I am). I had the hard drive replaced twice under Applecare and they fixed some issues to the tune of $800 that arose after I spilled a bit of tea into the machine (note: Applecare isn't supposed to cover liquid damage; there must not have been sufficient evidence of it).

In addition to the tea, my Macbook Pro survived a Mountain Dew spill (I had to pay $200 to replace the keyboard) and the general wear-and-tear of my life as an undergrad (I took my computer everywhere with me). It's about five years old, and while the battery is totally shot (and replacing it doesn't help), it's still totally functional.

To be fair, I did go through a number of expensive chargers, because the ends of the cords would start to pull away and wire would be exposed. But! Those are covered under your first year's warranty (and possibly under Applecare? I don't recall) and the new design seems to rectify the problem a bit. Also, I probably wouldn't have had the issue if I had wrapped the cord like you're supposed to, around the little "feet" that pop out of the power brick. A word of caution: if you do need to buy a new charger, do yourself a favor and spring for the real thing from Apple. I bought a knockoff from Amazon for about 1/3 the price, but then... it melted.

[citychild]

I know this is an old thread but I am a dedicated Mac user as well. I had an ancient, super old PC laptop and had 2 kittens that tore the entire middle portion of the keyboard off when they were 6 months old. My MacBook Pro is amazing. No problems, ever in the 1.5 years I've owned it. Starts quickly, easy features, you've heard it all.

But I will say that if you are concerned about breakage, a lot of insurance companies offer the option to write a seperate policy for high end items--like a MacBook. I did it to mine, it costs about $30/year and if you break it, it gets stolen, you still wine on it--whatever... it will be replaced with a $0 deductible. Just something to consider if you don't want to worry about that!

[ellyk]

I sell Apple products so I'm a bit partial, but I personally think owning a Mac is well worth the investment. The most significant difference between Apple computers and PCs is that Apple owns the hardware and the software, so if anything goes wrong, they know exactly how to fix it, rather than having to figure out who fixes what on a PC. With AppleCare, you'd be covered for 3 years, which covers everything except accidental damage (dropping it, spilling something on it). For portability and everyday usage, the MacBook Air is a great option (I have the 13" Air) because it will do everything you need to do and it's a very well built computer that will last you a long time. Also, if you have any other Apple products (iPhone, iPod, iPad), with iCloud, you will have access to your contacts, notes, calendars, photos, documents (using iWork, not Microsoft Office), and more on every single device, all linked through your Apple ID. This will come into great use if you're reviewing for an exam and left the file you needed on your computer and it's something you can easily pull up on your phone when you're out of the house. As far as compatibility between Mac and PC, you're going to find that a majority of the things you would need to use a PC for you can do on a Mac, and if there are specific Windows programs you need to use, you can always use Bootcamp or Parallels to boot up Windows right on your Mac without a problem.

In your case, the 11" or 13" MacBook Air would be great for your needs. You'll get the long battery life and portability and it's a great computer for your typical everyday usage. Unless you're doing something that requires more processing power, such as video editing or making music, you don't need a Pro. The Air doesn't have a disk drive, but most companies are doing away with needing disks anyway, and there are many workarounds if you do need to access a CD from your computer using a nearby computer that does have a disk drive or by using the portable disk drive you can purchase from Apple that plugs in via USB.

[jeffster]

I really have a hard time understanding getting a Mac. I got my Windows 7-based laptop, an Acer, well over two years ago. It cost $650 on Newegg, brand new (17" screen, 4 gigs of ram). I've never had a single problem with it, and Windows 7 usage is easy as cake. I have friends with Macs that are less powerful than my laptop and have smaller screens, which they paid around $2000 for.

Even if you were to accept that Macs don't break as often as PCs, I could replace my laptop with a brand new one three times over. And I still would have paid less than they did for their Mac.

If you're really a non-technical person, or maybe fall easily for phishing scams and such, then a Mac could be better than a PC. Most people use PCs, thus most malicious software is written to exploit PCs. Also, Mac makes great looking products, so I guess there's that. And the magnetic power cable is pretty cool. And you might save one pound in weight. But is that worth over $1000 extra? As far as I'm concerned, not even close.