Mac vs PC

[Evil D]

The last time i got a blue screen was around '98 on a computer that had 256mb of ram and a 366ghz processor. I literally have not had a single crash issue since that was Windows related. I've had about a dozen hard drive failures though. I just don't get all the drama over blue screen of death.

[jtoler_9]

I have been looking at the Mac Mini and am sorely tempted. Problem is that I don't have a monitor and keyboard ready. If I add that cost, the price is around a iMac.

If it was between the 2 and you don't already have a monitor. I would defiantly go with the Imac. I have wanted to buy one for a while because I love the screen on those things. I'm rocking the Samsung TV/Monitor and let's just say I wish I had a better display. Especially for the photo/video editing I do. The Imac does have a very nice looking display. As for price of service. Wish I could tell ya. I do all my own service in house. It's probably expensive no matter which way you go, once the warranty expires. Labor rates are the killer. It might be faster to go online and check out a youtube vid on do it yourself before you take it in for repairs.

[D1omedes]

Evil mentioned building his own computer. How many of you guys have done this? I'm kind of intimidated by doing this but I like to learn new things and believe myself to be more intelligent than most.

The way I see it, if I have PC problems then I will take it to a custom shop for repair anyway (Dell stinks and I've worked at Best Buy and know the Geek Squad is made up of morons). Is it feasible that a guy who has no specialized training with computers build a reliable computer of his own?

I found this website and it's got me in an "empowering" kind of mood. :p

[Blerv]

You can easily with some understanding. I possess none of this :p .

Fact is by finding the right shop, usually gamers with tons of tattoos, you are going to get a great deal. Shop around for quotes and ask for the best place to have one built.

My wife's friend is a programmer who has built his own comps for 10 years. We gave him our build sheet and he said it would have cost him more to do it for free. My guess the discount they get on components is just silly.

Was a pretty cool process, we picked the huge case, all the USB slots we wanted and all the goodies. They gave suggestions and not a single blue shirt was involved .

Note: ours was done about a year ago with the intent to beat it with art software. With two 23" led monitors I recall the bill was $1600. If you want something reasonable and find the right place I bet the stats will shock you.

[Macaulay]

Building a computer is easy with some instructions and common sense.

As to the price of a Mac vs a PC, Macs are simply more enjoyable. Maybe I'm shallow and immature or something, but doing any sort of work is just more enjoyable. I just feel like getting things done when I use a Mac. It feels cleaner, less crap in your way.

Having said that, I allocate different amounts of money to parts of my life based on how much time I spend on them. I'm about to have a loaded semester so I'm getting a Mac because doing hours of coursework will piss me off less. Also if I were to get a PC it would be in the $800 range anyway.

EDIT: Laptops

[Slash]

What on earth are you doing with your computer to get so many blue screens and kernel memory dump?

must being running 10 different porn sites at the same time.

[jtoler_9]

Evil mentioned building his own computer. How many of you guys have done this? :p

It really isn't as overwhelming as you might think. I have built them before. I got all the parts for the build online at places like zipzoomfly.com and newegg.com. My wife wanted to learn way back when, so I walked her through building my parents computer. If she can do it, you can. My only discaimer is you might find that the sum of all the parts is probably just as expensive as buying a prefab or name brand box. It might even be more expensive. It used to be much cheaper to build your own, but now days all the name brand stuff comming out of asia is so stinking cheap. There is almost no margin in hardware today. So building your own isn't the most cost effective from a price point today. Once you get your first built, then upgrading becomes much cheaper than buying a new PC. It's the first one that costs the most. The next build will be better, because you can reuse parts from your first build. I can do a part list for you if you are really interested, just so you can see all the different pieces of the puzzle you need. As for tools, all you need is some screw drivers.

[Zencowboy]

I've done IT work/computer repair work and know both PC and Mac world to a fair degree. I TRULY find Apple's operating system to be soooooooo much more intuitive and easy to find/tweak stuff. More seamless software/applications installs. Rarely any hiccups and use my MacBook Pro 10+ hours a day. I respect both companies but to me, you get what you pay for in the short And long haul!
Just my $.05 (inflation)

[Don Ellis]

I read the first page but couldn't go farther in this old debate -- just checking in to say I have the best of both worlds (for me): I run Windows 7 on a 17-inch MacBook Pro. In the office, I use a stand for the computer and an external keyboard and mouse.

I considered using Mac OS, but there isn't a good extended clipboard program -- as there is with Clipmate for PCs (I've tried them all for my wife who uses an iMac and Mac OS) -- and that's a program that I use a hundred times a day, perhaps more.

Which reminds, me it's all up to your personal usage. As was said earlier, for simple tasks like word processing and browsing, nearly anything will do, including an iPad. :)

[casey1]

my moms 2008 macbook just failed. did apple replace it? NO. they made her pay 400 to fix it. are macs any more reliable than nice pc computers? Nope. get a 700 dollar Sony E Laptop or a nice 700 Dell lappie and get great CS and great price. why pay 1200 for a facebook machine? It's like getting a custom knife and using it as a box cutter. Not that apple has the quality of custom knives imo... but either way i recommend macs to certain people, although most of them are girls who can spend the money.

you won't see problems with a pc :) and think: that extra 400 bucks goes toward a few spydercos! A para 2, stretch zdp, sage 1, and a delica zdp could be yours!

[Jay_Ev]

This.

[jtoler_9]

That's one expensive operating system.

[Blerv]

Boom! Nice Jay. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words; that one is worth about $5k

[Don Ellis]

you won't see problems with a pc :)

Good to know. :rolleyes:

[Pinetreebbs]

All things considered, browsing the web and working a spreadsheet requires:

• Browsing software and they all work pretty much the same.
• Microsoft Excel, there is no other serious spreadsheet and Excel comes in both Windows and OS X versions.

Both run fine on either operating system.

Over the last 25+ years I have worked both with and on computers with Apple and Microsoft operating systems. You can make either one reliable and bullet proof. Just as you can them both fail. Try a Google search for things like OS X beachballs or iTunes lockups etc. I have run windows boxes month after month without a reboot, the same for OS X.



Today they both run on Intel chips, Windows also runs fin on AMD and OS X can be coaxed into running on AMD too.

That OS X is immune or safe from trojan and virus problems is a myth. The bottom feeders that write them are interested in criminal acts. There are vastly more Windows PC out there to attack. Keep the OS/browser/AV application updated and stay away from sketchy sites or 'free' software and you will be fine.

Some specialized software applications may run better on one platform or the other. If you must* use one of them, by all means go with the flow.

*i.e., it makes you money

The computer I am using to type this post is a hackintosch, OS X running on PC hardware. OS X is OK, but very inflexible and intolerant, by design, not function, of any non $$Apple$$ parts. Too often the 'solution' is something like, "Well I hope Apple issues a fix for this." or your hardware is no longer supported, you will need to purchase a newer Mac.

To make a honest comparison, spend as much for a PC as you do for a Mac.

If you are just going to surf the web and write a few letters look into Linux, it's free.

IMO, some Apple fan boys take their dedication to a religious/cult/gang level. Don't bother talking to those folks, their mind is made up and nothing you say will change their mind.

[defenestrate]

For web surfing/email/office type apps, either machine would suffice. Macs no longer run on non-PC hardware, so what you are paying for is style, the Apple name and the operating system. MacOS X will run on many machines built for running Windows and the hardware quality is often comparable at this point. A Mac will be simpler for many folks partially because of its out-of-the-box configuration, partially because it is hard to clutter up as easily (the Windows model and much greater availability of software are both factors) and the underlying framework is based on a UNIX-based OS with a consolidated developer model (FreeBSD). Take away the advantages (and disadvantages) of each OS and you pay a premium for Apple design and the feeling of community that many Apple folks have. Is it worth it? I can't answer that for you. I use PCs but I usually run FreeBSD or Linux and I would just as happily run FreeBSD on a Mac if I got a good deal.

[jwingfie]

In all actuality, price difference is going to be negligible from a PC tower to Mac mini. You can get a 21" LCD for around $100, non-apple wireless keyboard and mouse for another $50-100. Add a PC tower or mac mini for $600 and you are only in $800 for a desktop set-up.

You need to decide what you want and don't let anyone else decide for you. That's the great thing about this world we live in. We have the option to choose. I like american cars, other like imports, we like Spyderco, others like Benchmade. Apple vs. PC. Neither is correct, its all personal opinion.

[JNewell]

FWIW...

I have been using PCs since the very first IBM PC, and have used Macs since the SE - we are talking +/- 30 years. I am very comfortable tearing apart electronic devices; I have built radio transceivers as a hobby.

I have owned and used Android and iOS phones and tablets and last year came to the conclusion that as far as I was concerned Apple mobile devices, though not perfect, we so much better than the comparable Android devices that I got rid of the Android tablets and phones and went with Apple/iOS. (The gap between Android and iOS was much greater in tablets than in phones; I think Android phones vs. iOS phones is a much closer call than it is with tablets.)

So, with that as background I recently needed to replace and upgrade my notebook. I really, really, really tried hard to persuade myself that I should go with a MacBook Pro 15" and just couldn't get there. I went with a kludgier, slightly bigger Dell notebook that is much less satisfying to the hand and eye than the MacBook because (1) it equals or in some cases greatly exceeds the MacBook Pro and (2) it does so for about a third of the cost. It is perfect or perfectly better? Nope. But I have one kid still in college and just couldn't bring myself to pay the premium for the MacBook Pro.

Obviously, for long term flexibility, repair, upgrade, etc., and therefor for long term cost of ownership, a desktop is going to be a vastly better choice than a notebook.

YMMV, just as it may with knives. :)

[Bradley]

I've used pc's all my life, but when I leave for college i'll be bringing a MBP. Reliability, dual boot, battery life, security, seamlessness with my phone, easy/cheap to update, lifespan. All my reasons for going with a Mac. To each his own.