The debate of PC versus Mac is as old as both computers themselves. Ever since Bill Gates and Steve Jobs built their respective machines and empires, consumers have argued over which is better. To my eyes, the winner is clear: only one of these companies is greeted by massive lines outside it's stores for a new product release.
Apple understands consumers, devising game-changing new products coveted by people well before they decide they need them and creating new markets where they never existed.
When first introduced in 1984, the Macintosh was one such disruptive device, being the first personal computer as we know it today, with a screen containing windows and a mouse with buttons. Today's Macs are descendants of that machine, and offer many pros against their Windows based counterparts.
For one, Apple is the sole maker of Macs, exercising control over the entire process of designing and building the computer. The software has been perfectly created to fit the hardware, which is constructed out of the highest grade materials. In a PC, the software is made by Microsoft, and the hardware made by Anybody, Inc. Would you start a drawing and give it to someone else to finish? It would never look as good as a unified piece done by one artist with one vision.
The next PC problem: where do you get it fixed? As there are so many manufacturers of PCs, there is no one definitive place to get a repair. There are big names like Best Buy and Geek Squad, but there is also your aunt’s friend’s son, Thaddeus, who thinks that just because he can pop the screws open on your laptop, he knows how to fix it. Yes, anyone can crack open a PC and mess about, but it certainly does not mean anyone should. Got an issue with your Mac? No problem, pop by the Apple store, and a Genius who has been trained extensively and exclusively to work on Apple products will help you out, one on one. They are called Geniuses for a reason.
This same obstacle also appears in the software. Yes, most software is actually built to run on windows (that is one reason why it is better for certain things, such as gaming, I concede). It also means that most viruses are meant to run on windows, as well, making your computer far more susceptible to the nasty stuff from the seedy side of the Internet.
What about upgrading said software? Well, upgrading on a Mac is as simple as going to the Mac App Store and clicking "Update." Just to add icing to my fancy aluminum cake, the updates are also free. Windows doesn’t have a constant naming scheme for their updates. For example, Microsoft seems to think that the number line goes 7,8,10. No, 9 doesn’t exist anymore. Bill Gates bought it and is keeping it for himself.
Yes, while there are tons of PCs out there to choose from, for most users, there is no better option than a Mac. It’s beautiful, it’s simple, and it’s intuitive. Oh, and this column was proudly written on a Mac.
