Mac V.S. PC – What you need to know before you buy
Aysë Stenabaugh
Jesters Computers
(1/2022) Determining whether or not you should get a Mac or a PC is a personal decision. As a repair technician I often find users feel pressured by family or friends to switch to a different platform. It’s easy for a long time Apple user to say that Macs are better than a PC. A user who is more comfortable on a PC is likely to say PC’s are better, so which is it? The truth is there are benefits of using either operating system and those are not the only options, many new devices come pre-installed with yet a third alternative - Google’s Chrome OS. Having a little background knowledge on what to consider can be helpful while deciding what is right for you.
Know your limitations
Windows computers are going to provide the most flexibility because there is a much larger market of compatible hardware and software. Mac users often find the support offered by Apple to be superior to alternatives with Apple stores and Apple Care extended warranties. Not all software available on PC is available on a Mac, it is advised to know ahead of time what you’re going to need and to ensure that you will be able to obtain any specific software that you don’t want to part with. Chrome OS will offer the least flexibility since it will only run Google apps. If you’re already using Google Chrome’s web browser and don’t require any software outside of Chrome the limited OS is a great affordable option.
Switching to a new OS
Whether or not you’ve had any experience with a different operating system, you will have a learning curve when getting acclimated with the features and differences between the various systems. For example on Mac OS users will find themselves with access to a variety of preloaded software including Safari, Apple Mail, Photos, iMessage, Facetime and iCloud – all developed and designed by Apple. Those who use Windows will find similar Software developed by Microsoft that provide the same basic functionality – Edge, Mail, Photos, Teams and OneDrive.
The features that the software contains are different and those who are already iPhone, iPad users will be familiar with functions and software installed on Mac OS but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Windows users don’t have access to the same or similar functionality. Windows doesn’t have iMessage (which syncs your messages between devices) but it does have My Phone which similarity lets Android users sync messages and notifications between devices. Determining which OS is right for you may be easier if you think about the compatibility between that and your other devices. If you are not planning on using your computer in conjunction with other devices, we wouldn’t recommend making your decision based on things you won’t use or need.
Avoiding Problems
It is a common misconception that Apple computers get no viruses and don’t ever fail or crash. In reality, all devices that are connected to the internet have the possibility to become infected. As for system crashes and issues, the most common issues among Mac users recently have been due to increased security. Macs with older OS’s either can’t meet the requirements to install newer compatible versions of web browsers or due to a software glitch they weren’t installed properly which has caused users to be unable to visit secure websites. This means that for those users you can’t visit banking websites do online shopping or even access email in some cases. While I deal primarily with PC users I’ve had a lot of Mac users lately who have become frustrated with the lack of support for software that would run on older Mac OS’s but not newer ones. Both Mac and Windows PC’s have offered free upgrades to the latest OS’s on compatible devices. Time and time
again I see users frustrated with the changes that new operating systems bring, since 2001 when apple first released OSX there have been an additional 17 OS’s that have been released. On Microsoft’s end, Windows XP was released in 2001 and there have only been 6 operating systems released since that time. Windows 11, Microsoft’s latest OS has recently been released and for at least the first year we won’t be recommending upgrading or purchasing new devices with Windows 11 pre-installed.
