Are Macs really worth it? Selling points for choosing Mac vs. PC

No crashes….
No BSOD….

Well I will finally get to experience all of this on my own Mac and get the full satisfaction since I can’t change anything on the school Macs. But I will still have my PC because I still love it ;)

Anonymous Coward – Hmm…your name fits you well. Anyways….there are only a few things on the list that “normal people” won’t understand, and the things they can understand are enough to help convert them (and for some of the more technical things there are links to what they are all about). But your points about actually showing people are true, but since this is an article, that would be a bit difficult :p

Markus,

I appreciate your comment even if you have a different view on some things. As I’ve said before, I like a good debate every once in a while. I would like to respond to some of your claims…

In the 3 years I’ve had my MacBook Pro, I’ve only encountered a single kernel panic. It happened during the first week I had it and was easily fixed by repairing permissions. Not to mention that it was caused by a piece of 3rd party software, not the OS itself. No one else I know with a Mac has ever encountered a kernel panic even once. Blue screens are far more common and difficult to diagnose in most cases.

9. I don’t have much experience with Boot Camp so I won’t comment on that aspect. However, the virtualization programs like Parallels and VMWare are fantastic! It’s really amazing what they’re able to do to make the integration so seamless.

11. & 12. A lot of people care about the environment and might even be more likely to buy Apple products just because of their excellent track record. Apple’s setting the standard for green products and it’s likely they will serve as a model for other companies to do the same. Every little bit helps and once more people join in, it will have a significant effect.

22. & 23. You just proved my point. The fact that the stickers and endless amounts of crapware need to be removed from brand new PCs at all (and take 2-3 hours to do so!) dilutes the customer experience. You should be getting right to work and having fun with a new computer, not spending hours cleaning up the junk right off the bat. No, this alone doesn’t make a huge price difference worth it, but it does contribute to the overall value.

36. Yes, it was meant to be a joke.

I work for a school district that has about 50% macs and 50% windows xp. All in all we have a few thousand of both types. (and the occasional Linux running here and there, on both apple hardware as well as other vendor hardware)

I’m fairly experienced in both mac and windows although more from a support perspective than an end user perspective.

Apple hardware breaks just about as often as other vendor hardware. Mac OS X has software/application issues just as much as windows xp does.

Each platform has its place. When choosing which one to buy, honestly it comes down to user experience and aesthetics. Most of the stuff on your list is generalized.

#2, yes there are viruses / malware / spyware for OS X. There are just so few of them in comparison to windows that it doesnt even register as a blip on the radar, and the underlying structure of OS X makes them much less likely to be installed or do damage. (just trying to correct a misconception, but it does deserve to be on the list)

#13-15, also readily available on machines made for windows.

#21, same for windows (example http://www.opensourcewindows.org/)

#22-23, many smaller vendors that you can buy from that dont put stickers or software on the machines.

#31, I’m pretty sure its compatable with windows as well.

#32, works in windows as well.

#33, yup, its in windows, and very easy as well.

Basically, your list would be better if it did not list stuff that is also the same in windows as a selling point for a mac over windows, or by trying to mislead people into thinking that windows is lacking a feature that it isn’t lacking.

I alwasy had an underlying dread using my PC for my business. As I was never really sure when things were going to go wrong next. Then Vista came along and trashed my profile, which it seems in turn trashes al my settings, all my software installs etc etc.

So I thought, sod it and got a MacBook Pro… That was two years ago. I still use the same notebook as my primary machine (except i put a 500GB drive in it ::myself::) and now th ewhole of my business is on Macs… Except my accounts as Sage requires windows. Which is fine as I have a Boot Camp partition which VM Fusion is only too happy to run virtually for me and sleep when not needed.

But, the most important thing is, in two years and four macs of different types I have only had to worry once! And that was due to a faulty nVidia chipset, which Apple fixed the very same day.

The total lack of stress when it comes to our computer requirements is worth so much more than the extra few hundred quid I would save for a PC instead.

#32 is a point that Apple should REALLY make a point of telling people.
I am a teacher and I usually use OSX at school. One day, I was running a demonstration how to use Powerpoint on my Windows XP. When my students came into the classroom, I tried to wake the computer from sleep mode with no effect. It totally ruined my prepared lesson and I lost over ten minutes setting everything back up again.
If I were a businessman and it was a business presentation, I’d be looking for a new job.
It really made me ask myself why any business would use Windows when a sudden system problem could be the end of a possible business deal.
From that point on, I started telling my students about my story. Some have actually come up to me and asked about which Mac they should buy.

I honestly think that Mac pricing is beyond a joke.
I’m currently looking to buy a new laptop as I will be using it to run CS5 amongst other software I want a fairly powerful computer.
I have customised a Sony Vaio to a suitable spec as Sony’s are one of the most comparable to Mac’s in terms of build quality. The price;
£1290
The price of a Mac to almost as good spec (I couldn’t actually get it up to the same spec);
£2490
That’s as good as twice the price, for what?
Mac’s OS is good I admit, but is it worth £1200? No. Especially now that Windows 7 is out which is actually a bloody good OS itself.
I have been running the beta and now the full version of windows 7 on my desktop for well over a year now and it has never crashed.
Finally a big problem for me is Mac’s reluctance to add simple things which make life easier, such as;
A right mouse button, I don’t care what any Mac users say, I’ve used both systems a lot and a right mouse is a good thing and makes work flow quicker.
An eject button on the DVD rom. When I was at uni a fellow student had his coursework on a dvd in the drive of a Mac and his deadline was later that day, the Mac crashed and died (yes it does happen) We spent ages trying to get the Mac OS to boot so we could eject the dvd with the keyboard button but it wouldn’t. On a PC this wouldn’t have been a problem as the eject button is mechanical to the drive and can be used as soon as there is power going through the machine.

Rich, its funny you bring up the Magic Mouse. Yes it has a right click which is awesome, but it’s not comfortable at all. It’s very hard to use for a long period of time before my wrist and ring/pinky get sore. I am not the first to say this either, Apple mice just have horrible ergonomics. Being able to right click and use the mouse like a touchpad is a huge plus, but not worth the rsi.

If Apple only worried about comfort over appearance…..

Peter,

I appreciate you adding your thoughts to the mix, but I do take exception to the validity of your comments. Hopefully my responses help you see the points I was trying to make with this article.

1. Windows 7 Ultimate is currently $270 on Amazon, or $180 for an upgrade. Mac OS X 10.6 is only $29 and all previous versions were $129. Clearly Windows is more expensive – even the full Home Premium.

2. Even “decent” security software occasionally lets a virus or two through. No anti-virus program is invincible. Regardless of the cost of this software, system resources are taken up by running it. More importantly, why be bothered with it at all? Regular folks who don’t know much about computers have no idea how to guard themselves from malware. They shouldn’t have to worry about it.

3. I challenge you to find Windows software that matches the functionality, ease of use, and integration offered by the iLife suite. It doesn’t exist at any price.

4. Mac OS X’s UNIX foundation doesn’t need to be readily noticeable to be beneficial. It makes for a more stable & secure system in the background so the user never notices it at all.

5. Indeed, some do have backlit keyboards for high-end machines. But it is by no means a standard feature like on Apple’s MacBook Pros.

6. The overwhelming majority of Windows laptops have cases made of plastic and are thicker & heavier than the aluminum used in MacBooks. Not to mention, most are tacky and have overdone designs as well.

7. You didn’t make a point, so I’ll skip this one.

8. Multi-Touch gestures are certainly not gimmicks to those who have used them on Apple’s laptops. They increase productivity and even make simple things like right-clicking easier than the small trackpads & poorly placed buttons on PCs. Your preference of a mouse is your own choice, of course. No one can challenge you for that.

9. An overwhelming majority of Windows PC cannot run Mac OS X. Those that do are mostly netbooks and require hacking to do so. Even then, certain drivers & functions are lost. Windows runs on a Mac flawlessly with no messing around, so non-technical people can do it easily.

10. The article never stated the Mac community was larger than the PC community. That would clearly be incorrect. But there is a misconception that very few people use Macs and therefore there is nobody to help or guide newcomers. That’s simply not true – Mac users are very passionate and extremely willing to help others.

11. No point made.

12. Actually, Apple’s product packaging is the opposite of extravagant. It’s minimalist so nothing that doesn’t need to be there is there. That makes for a more pleasant experience, especially for people who don’t know where to start when they first open it.

13. What if it’s a laptop? You can’t easily upgrade the network card on a PC in that case.

14. Many PCs under $1000, and even some of those above $1000, still do not come with Bluetooth as a standard feature. It’s shocking, but true.

15. At the time this article was written, 802.11n was not widespread on new PCs. Of course, almost 2 years later it is now.

16. Many PCs, especially those cheaper than Macs, do not come with LED displays. You can certainly upgrade to one, but they don’t come standard. Those that do come with LEDs are usually poor quality, especially in regard to color gamut and brightness.

17. Similar to #15, this was written 2 years ago – before webcams became common in PCs.

18. There are no other stores that offer a shopping experience and great post-purchase support like Apple Stores. Even the “Guru Bar” in Microsoft Stores aren’t as helpful and knowledgable about their products as those at the Apple Genius Bar, because there are too many types of PCs out there to support.

19. Yes, there are plug-and-play devices for Windows. But drivers (either on a CD or the manufacturer’s website) are still needed in order to get a lot of common devices like printers to work reliably in Windows. It’s rarely needed in Mac OS X.

20. I’ve never heard of AlienRespawn before, so I did some research. It is in no way similar to Mac OS X’s Time Machine. AlienRespawn merely reinstalls Windows from factory settings and saves programs & files to a backup folder. Time Machine is always connected, automatically saves multiple versions of files as they change, and can restore either the entire system or individual files as needed. It also puts them back where they were, rather than throwing everything in a separate folder.

21. Again, much like #10 there is of course more software available for Windows PCs. However, the quality of software is much better for Macs. I’d rather have 2 or 3 quality software choices than 20 mediocre & complicated choices.

22. The point is to illustrate that users shouldn’t have to remove stickers when they buy new computers. It cheapens the experience and usually leaves residue. A new product shouldn’t be a billboard for itself. You already bought it – what are they advertising the operating system and hardware specs for?

23. On cheaper PCs, trialware is how the manufacturer actually makes money on the machine. Some have resorted to charging the customer extra to remove this unwanted software for them, otherwise the customer must do it themselves. That’s pretty ridiculous.

24. That’s true, Google is a great resource for both PC and Mac tech support. But a lot of folks don’t want to deal with it or don’t have the knowledge to troubleshoot themselves. They need to buy from a company with good customer service that can make things right. Apple’s tech support is the best in the industry.

25. Unfortunately, the Windows activation issues don’t end after you type in the product key. Windows Updates must be downloaded for genuine advantage verification and sometimes those updates break legitimate copies of Windows. The user must then call Microsoft to fix it. Reinstalling Windows – a common necessity – brings the product key into play again as well. It’s a hassle.

26. Sony does not make a comparable laptop thinner than the new MacBook Air, nor does anyone else.

27. The value of Windows PCs degrades much faster than Macs. You can still resell a Mac for a good portion of its original price a few years later. PCs are so common and such a commodity that they aren’t worth much at that point.

28. Windows is configurable and customizable, but it is certainly not open. Apple has contributed a lot to the open source community, even though other parts of their products are proprietary. Internet Explorer 9 still doesn’t support open web standards like Webkit and other browsers.

29. Why download slow, buggy, and insecure software from Adobe or Microsoft when Mac OS X already includes the functionality for free in a much better way?

30. Sudden motion sensors protect your hard drive from getting damage when the system is in a free fall. People drop their laptops all the time, so this is very valuable. Many hard drive manufacturers are building similar technology into the drives themselves so PC manufacturers don’t need to put it in the computer.

31. It’s a common misconception that Macs cannot view or create Microsoft Office documents. It’s inclusion in this article is meant to show that is not the case.

32. Windows sleep mode is not as reliable as Mac OS X’s, especially when Vista was the primary version of Windows. Even today there are less bugs and wakeup time is faster for Macs than PCs.

33. People often think Macs can’t network well with Windows PCs, so including it meant to show they can. And networking between Macs is so much easier (with little to no setup) than networking between Windows machines. Screen sharing is built into Mac OS X, as well.

34. Installing software on a Mac by dragging it to the Applications folder is much more simple than going through an installation wizard with confusing checkboxes and options requiring “Next, Next, Continue, Next, Finish” in Windows. With the Mac App Store opening in a week or two, software installation will be even easier. Just one click.

35. Considering how popular iPods and iPhones are, better integration is a big selling point for Macs. In fact, the halo effect from those devices is part of the reason Macs are making such big market share gains.

Paul,

Glad to hear you’re weighing the pros and cons of switching to a Mac. Unfortunately, I think you’re putting too much emphasis on directly comparing hardware specs and not considering the other benefits Macs offer. The first benefit would be Mac OS X, of course. Not only is it more intuitive and requires far less maintenance than Windows, it’s actually cheaper. OS X upgrades are only $29 and come more frequently than Windows upgrades. That’s more new features & software advancements at a price that’s at least $100, if not over $150, less money than PC operating systems. No money needs to be spent on maintenance or security software either.

Apple’s excellent customer support should also be considered. Their stores are convenient places to find advice and get your Mac repaired, should a problem arise. And their phone support is fast, helpful, and US-based.

Consider the design of their machines as well – especially notebooks. Their aluminum and glass construction is more rigid and durable than the plastic most PCs are made of. In general, they’ll last longer and be more reliable.

Back to the topic of hardware, I would strongly recommend you take a look at Apple’s current offerings. The $1199 MacBook Pro has a 2.3 GHz i5 processor with 4GB RAM and 320GB hard drive. But like I mentioned before, these basic specs are not the best way to judge value. Don’t forget the large Multi-Touch trackpads that make navigating the system much easier. If you’re a designer, you’ll appreciate the bright, vivid LED display that blows away most Windows machines. The battery life on Apple’s MacBooks is often 50%-100% longer than PC notebooks too.

I guess the bottom line would be that if you’re someone who builds his own PCs, you’ll likely always struggle to see the value in Apple’s integrated approach. They take care of things so you don’t have to. Yes, it’s more expensive and will always be. Apple doesn’t compete on price, they compete on quality and value beyond basic hardware specs. There are plenty of little things that quickly add up to make the Mac worth the investment.

I just bought my first Mac ever. I have always had a PC. I never understand why people would go on and on about Mac’s. Well, the set-up was so much simpler with the iMac. It was almost worth the price for that alone. I just have the bottom of the line iMac, so I do not think it is any faster than my Dell. Unfortunately, I cannot use that computer anymore because of all of the damage done to it by virus’s while I had an anti-virus program on it. The Mac looks better and is easier to use. I just enjoying using it more. It is just that simple. If you are going to build your own computer, go ahead, stick with the PC. I am never going back, though.

Alyssa,

I can see how mentioning stickers like that could be misleading or ironic. I just wanted to point out the difference: Windows PCs have stickers on the machine itself. They make the computer look like a billboard for products you already bought. Not to mention they’re ugly and a pain to remove.

Apple’s stickers are placed in the box, which means you can use them anywhere you want (lots of people put them in their car windows) or simply throw them out. So in that sense they are a bonus, not a hassle like PCs.

1-One full-featured version of Mac OS X.-Actually there is the Server version as well, and the IOS version. And the Apple TV version.
2-No viruses or spyware, however if you torrented CS5.5 you probably turned your Mac into a rogue DNS.
4-Solid and secure UNIX foundation,which Apple tries its best to hide from view.
5-Backlit keyboards-exist on PC’s too!
6-Unibody aircraft-grade aluminum notebook casing. Magnesium is lighter and stronger.
8-Large trackpads with Multi-Touch gestures windows does this too!
9-Ability to run Windows natively or virtually the only real reason so far. This is why I own multiple macs. Because I can’t instantiate an OSX VM on Windows. And I need both.
10-Large and helpful user community. I actually find this to be a joke. I am much more able to find info about Windows than Mac with a simple google search. Mac community has a love it or leave it attitude. If people express frustration when posting to the apple, macworld or macrumors forums, they often get dogpiled for “dissing” macs. Quickly followed by a dismissive “typical clueless windows user” slew of comments.
11-Environmentally friendly. Really? Do you think they make gorilla glass with organic free range silicon? There isn’t a computer on earth that is environmental. It is a poisonous industry, period.
12-Superior product packaging-This is really some fanboy nonsense.
13-Fast Gigabit ethernet ports, except not on more than half of the laptops.
14-Bluetooth. Yes, every computer has bluetooth nowadays.
15-802.11n wireless cards-are old.
16-LED backlit displays-Yeah, HP has this as well as Asus.
17-iSight web cams and easy video chats-This is actually a good point. It ismuch easier to use facetime or iChat than any Skype client.
18-Apple retail stores-Are tourist magnets for some reason.
19-Plug-and-play peripherals (no driver headaches) Whomever makes this assertion has not used any serious professional audio or video hardware. Or tried to set up a networked printer.
20-Automated backups with Time Machine-Time Machine is pretty to look at, however, backing up every hour over the network is ludicrous. I have had to install a 3rd party app to be able to use Time Machine in a sane fashion. Only backing up our macs after hours.
21-Large selection of free or cheap third party software-You are kidding right? Linux and Windows have about 100 times more of this.
22-No tacky Intel or Windows stickers-Agreed!
23-No crapware (pre-installed junk software) While some will say Mail is crapware, I think they need to buy a Lenovo or HP laptop to see what bloatware is really like. Out of the box one of these mainstream wintel laptops will have about 100 processes running without any actual apps started up.
24-Helpful & knowledgable tech support-hahahha, no really. Don’t you mean sales staff?
25-No operating system activation hassles-This might be true, but more importantly Apple doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for OS upgrades.
26-Thin, sleek, and lightweight hardware design-there are actually some pretty decent contenders in the wintel market.
27-Excellent resell value-somewhat.
28-Built to support open standards (Webkit, OpenCL, UNIX) except Apple does everything it can to neuter Unix. However I do appreciate not having to install programs the Unix way!
29-Built-in .PDF and .DOC creators/viewers. Sadly Microsofts answer is XPS.
30-Sudden motion sensor-every windows laptop has this too.
31-Microsoft Office compatible-not really. Try opening publisher or acces docs. Or advanced Excel docs.
32-Easy file and screen sharing among networked computers. Windows does this much better, with far more control over sharing rights!

Tell me again how your mac is better than my HP Envy hahahah,any apple computer thats even comparable cost 500 dollers more.

In my opinion, I finally give up using Windows because the windows system have a big design problem – the dll.

Programs in windows shared dll files, it is ok at the beginning.
but after keep using windows for a year, those dll files bring a big problem to the windows.

I need to reinstall windows every 1-2 years, in order to clean it up.