Mac vs PC

[.mazda.speed.]

Which is better?
Looking for a laptop for school.

 

[el_Don]

Mac

hands down. You can run xp or vista (yuck) with it so you're not held from windows programs.

 

[Metallic36]

I have an iMac (although not a laptop), and I love mine. It's always quick on the Internet, you don't have to worry about viruses, spyware, etc. getting on your computer, and if needed, you can always partition the hard drive so that you have Windows XP/Vista. That's how mine is set up.. that way if I have software that requires Windows, I have it, and for the most part I stay on the Mac side 98% of the time to do work, Internet, etc. My vote would be for the Mac. I currently have a laptop on the way, a PC with Windows XP, but the main reason I got that was so that I can tune my SS AFC (wink) and for basic school stuff if needed.

Which is better?
Looking for a laptop for school.

 

[JCell]

its a preference thing, i prefer pc mostly because im very confortable with them, cant deny the sexyness from the mac air or their reliability

 

[mckraut]

Here is what you're going to hear from this thread. PC people are going to root for PCs, Mac people will root for Macs. End of story.

It comes down to what you're comfortable with. This can't be the first computer you've ever used. Have you used a Mac? A PC? Were your experiences positive?

 

[Dparks7]

i got both. my pc is a year old and i spent 4000 on in. my mac is 5 years old and cost 1200 not one problem and still as fast as it was outta the box. only problem is my macs battery only lasts about 30 min

 

[.mazda.speed.]

im comfortable with pc, i have used one all my life.
But if macs are better it is easy to get used to it.
I want a laptop thats is good, fast and reliable,
not one that is going to start slowing down after a year, and getting virus's

 

[Dparks7]

you just described a mac there buddy

 

[RallyeRedSi]

If you want something that just works get a mac, if you know what you're doing get a PC. Both my computers run fast (xp and vista) and never had a virus.

 

[808MP5]

i got a Macbook Pro unibody...
and i run both XP and OSX FTMFW

 

[Metallic36]

(2thumbs) Definitely a Mac if you want something that's not going to give you any flucked up issues.

 

[GoFast]

i want a mac i am just so afraid of trying to make the transition. take photoshop for instance. there are so many shortcuts that i use that i would have no clue how to do on mac.

 

[808MP5]

plus you get a 15% student discount at the mac store on laptops... well atleast here you do...... i got $200 off of my macbook pro...

 

[RallyeRedSi]

(2thumbs) Definitely a Mac if you want something that's not going to give you any flucked up issues.

Misconception

 

[bgibb68]

ok...i'm a pc guy....but what are you gonna be using it for....some things truely run better on macs...some on pcs....what are you gonna be mainly using the computer for???

 

[bgibb68]

run down.....graphics go with mac, video editing go with mac, programing go with pc, just basic use(ie surfing, notes, printing, yada yada yada) go with pc. you can get a much better pc laptop cheaper and upgrad to the max for what you can do with a mac but if you wanna do any kind of graphics just get a mac and you will reap the benefits.....

I worked in sales and know both......if you don't take my word on what i just said ask around.

it's the same with a car....if you plan on having a fam would you by a rx8 as your only car or a 4 door( and pipe down in the back peanut gallery)

 

[jred321]

neither is better. it's a matter of preference. a mac can get a virus and can slow down from spyware and other crap just like a pc (the weak link here is the user not the system). a pc can do graphics and videos just as well as a mac. they both do the same thing they just do it slightly differently so it's really which do you feel more comfortable with.

if i were shopping for a new computer now i'd be looking at a smaller windows laptop. small and light is key. for home i would have a monitor, docking station, keyboard and mouse. windows because it's cheaper for general usage (many good options sub-$1,000 that surf the web and do normal computer functions just fine). if i actually needed the extra processing power that would put price closer to that of a mac then it'd be more of a tough choice but me and 90% of most computer users will be perfectly fine with any of the $600ish laptops out now.

 

[eg6motion]

I work in IT and can say that its really user pref. Neither is better as each has pro's and cons. The hardware and warranty for Apple is generally top notch. You will not find another computer manufacturer that you can simply walk into a store and swap computers if yours has hardware failure...this happens quite often at the Mac stores. On the downside, you are very limited with where to get it fixed outside of warranty, and they are not as easy to work on...so I suggest apple care if you buy one. Mac's also run windows via parallels or bootcamp just fine...but then again most laptops can run osx...but thats another story. Its really up to you. If cost is a major factor, go with a PC. Hands down you can get them cheaper and have a much greater selection of designs and peripherals for them.

 

[MazdaSpeeder]

I like PCs because, while I am not a computer wizard by any means, I am a bit of a DIYer. On this PC I have swapped out memory, optical drives, installed a ton of new system software, and upgraded the HD, and it still runs like it is a brand new computer (it's maybe 4+ years old). I like the flexibility of PCs for component repair and upgrade. I hear from most guys who work in IT that it really is a preference thing (not what Mac would want you to believe).

Additionally, the growth of open source programs like Firefox and Thunderbird have eliminated the need for some of Microsoft's crappier programs like IE. Plus, if you buy a higher-end PC, video editing is a snap. I worked in a TV production house a few years back and our AVID editing suites (top-notch pro editing software) were all PC.

So, my vote is for a PC, but I am a PC guy. Also, let me point out that Macs aren't perfect...my brother's year and a half old Macbook had a hard drive failure that resulted in the loss of all his data and his DVD drive is now acting up on him. If I had that issue, I could just buy another on ebay for $50 and swap it out. Happy hunting!

 

[genericuser]

I don't like Macs much.

You are at the mercy of the apple store to repair your machine in the event anything goes wrong. Upgrading hardware is also difficult unless you buy one of their higher end machines: see g5.

If you get a mac laptop, you'll be able to do the RAM and maybe the hard drive.. that's about it. From my experience working at a major university IT department, apple warranty support is abysmal. Translated? If anything goes wrong with that puppy and you need a hardware component replaced, prepare for a battle.

The no viruses on macs is complete BS.. I've seen students bring in mac laptops that have been crapped up worse than PCs. Don't let apple's marketing fool you.

I'm very biased in this matter, mostly because I've had to deal with most major manufacturers in my line of work. I've dealt with them all. IBM, HP, Gateway, Apple, Dell etc. While nobody is perfect, I've had the most problems dealing with Apple!!!

While it is true that percentage wise, they have less hardware failures, when the DO have hardware problems it is either A) computer over or B) a royal PITA to get any sort of warranty support.

So in my experience, with an apple you pay more for the same problems you'll get with a PC. That's just what I see on a 20,000+ student campus.