Mac or PC? Who is winning the battle? I gathered some information from LI professionals and would like to share it with you.
«I would say Windows is still dominating, especially in the business world. Mac is a great platform but lacks some of the flexibility of Windows. This debate could go round and round but it comes down to feel. I personally like the feel of Windows but would rather not deal with the spam and security loopholes. Mac feels tighter but is a bit more challenging to customize or extend if the software doesn’t exist already. My take on it is, I love my Windows XP Pro laptop for work and I love my iPhone 4 I think they are both brilliant. So maybe combining both systems in the short run is the optimum way to go. Also, I don’t believe Macs have domination in the creative market for any specific technical reason. I just tend to see creative people liking the stylish and trendy Mac look and feel, but they run the same programs like Photoshop, Aftereffects, etc on both platforms. So don’t be fooled when making your choice that for some reason using Photoshop on a Mac is far superior to using it on Windows, it’s the same…»
Mike Taylor
Senior SAP Consultant
«It depends on your needs. Mac still holds ground on creative software. If you are use to Windows or have low on budget the Windows base computers typically cheaper. I personally would be buying Mac laptop but Windows base Desktop.»
Yuliya Skripchenko
Coordinator
«I use the Windows PC for playing games, the Mac for things that require lots of reading (beautiful fonts), the MBP when I have to work at clients and to write on the balcony, the Windows PC to program (My development setup and everything is already there). PCs are cheaper and you can get higher specs for the same price, but Macs have gorgeous design and really high quality screens and don’t seem to crash too much. I’ve become really multiplatform.»
Irune Itoiz
Experienced PHP contractor
«Apple’s products are hip and fun to use, but can be very lacking in basic facilities. Especially in the business world. I guess it depends on your needs. If you’re a person using a lot of multimedia, watching a lot of movies, wants to connect your iPod to the sound system in your car, and so on, Apple products are amazingly easy to use and compatible with each other. However, for technical people, it has a lot of limitations. I’m a software developer working mostly with .NET technology. For starters, I can’t even use a lot of applications I need daily without running some sort of virtualization which enabled me to run Windows on an Apple machine (which is hypocritical in the first place if you ask me). Then there’s pricing. It still baffles me how a perfectly fine laptop from, let’s say, HP or Asus, is twice as cheap as a Macbook variant with the exact same hardware specifications. If a Macbook or iMac breaks (which DOES happen, I’ve seen it too many times), no way in the world you’re going to be able to fix it yourself. You’ll be relying on an often tiring customer service process which may even cost you a lot of money, should your warranty be expired. And last, but not least: bugs, viruses and security holes. Aside from my early computer days in the Windows 3.11 and a bit later the Windows 95 eras when I was little, I’ve yet to get my first virus in Windows. It’s a matter of usage. True, Macs might be EASIER to use than Windows. It depends on the person using it. I’ve fixed too many computer which were infected with spyware, malware and even viruses, simply because its users open every stupid e-mail they get, download and open everything they see and click that ‘Execute’ / ‘Trust’ / ‘OK’ button a little bit too often for comfort. Yes, there are vastly more malicious programs for Windows machines, but that’s only because its creators know that it’s the biggest audience. Should the market share of Mac users ever grow steadily, OSX too will become a more tempting target for virus writers.»
Leroy Gerrits
Managing Director
«As a professional web developer, I have to say Windows. In order to best serve all of our clients I use Windows 7 as my main OS. I am the most flexible developer in our shop and can perform the most tasks. Not to mention my PC is many times more powerful and reliable compared to everyone else’s iMac. When something goes wrong with my PC I can fix it cheaply and quickly, something you can’t really do with a Mac. If you look at it objectively, PCs are light years ahead of Macs. Macs are for fan boys and posers. There is nothing in a Mac that makes them “better at multimedia”. And people, please stop saying Macs don’t get viruses, that is completely inaccurate and you are just making yourself look foolish.»
Chris Putnam
Web Developer
In my opinion this question really only has one answer: consumers. With that being said, what is your favorite? Who do you think is winning? I’d love to hear your comments!
