Finally an honest comparison between Macs and PCs in 2021. Which do you think will win?
If you are looking for a new ultrabook or desktop or notebook computer, you will be faced with a difficult choice: Mac or PC? If you search the internet, you will find very opposing and contrasting opinions, many for PC, and many for Mac. Who do you believe? What’s the truth about the eternal Mac vs PC debate?
If you are already a die-hard PC or Mac fan, this guide may not change your mind, but it may influence what you think of the two computers. You may agree, or you may disagree. Fortunately, I have learned enough about technology and the two systems over my decades of experience as a developer, computer builder, and technology connoisseur to give you true and unbiased opinions that probably both sides will agree with.
History of Mac vs PCs
Let’s first give a little background on Macs and PCs – so bear with me for a moment if you already know this. Mac is short for Macintosh, it is an operating system adapted by Apple. It exclusively uses a single operating system: MacOS. Macs can run Windows though as a dual-boot type of solution called Boot Camp, but it isn’t native and it isn’t as fast, since the computer has to use resources for emulation.
PCs on the other hand refer to computers that do not use MacOS and which also are not manufactured by Apple. Whereas Apple produces only a few types of of computers which exclusively run their own operating system MacOS, PCs on the other hand can run any operating system (including Mac with “Hackintosh”), and usually run on some version of Windows. They also can use various forms of Linux and UNIX, such as Chromebooks which run the Google Chrome OS, or Ubuntu – by far the most popular and well-known of the Linux distributions.
We don’t need to get into specifics about Linux in this article, since any PC not containing Windows is quite rare, and those wondering the differences probably will not get a computer with a Linux or UNIX OS. Unlike computers running Mac, such as Macbooks, which are produced by Apple, PCs are made by a wide array of completely different manufacturers.
About The Operating Systems: MacOS vs Windows
MacOS is simply a UNIX-based operating system for which Apple adapted a UI overlaid on the free operating system. Nearly all UNIX and Linux operating systems (which are fundamentally the same) are free and open source, with only a few exceptions (RedHat, I’m looking at you).
Apple made an awesome and amazingly profitable business model by not only charging high prices, but by taking a free operating system, modifying it only slightly to make it marginally more user friendly, and then releasing it as their own software. Apple did not write MacOS, although they have made a lot of changes to it over the years. The original developers were never compensated. In taking an open-source software, Apple was able to reduce their development expenses to near zero, while not owing any royalties to any third parties.
Apple does have something to be commended for for this clever and borderline-unethical business strategy. Most Linux and UNIX based operating systems have historically been limited when it comes to drivers (software which makes the operating system compatible with the hardware). This means that most regular users cannot use Linux because they do not know how to compile drivers or use the command line. Apple solved this problem mostly but creating universal hardware and then writing these drivers specifically for their hardware, and then by creating a UI (User Interface) which is easy enough to use for regular people.
Windows on the other hand is not UNIX-based.
Before Bill Gates was a megalomanic bent on world domination, literally buying up half the farmland in the United States and boasting about “injecting genetically modified organisms right into little kid’s arms” and “shooting it right into the vein”, Bill Gates was another kind of megalomanic, breaking the law with by creating monopolies thorough putting all his competitors out of business using shady tactics – and was being investigated by the Department of Justice over antitrust lawsuits and allegations.
Early Microsoft had a dark history, and while Steve Jobs was innovating and creating new and awesome technologies, Microsoft was looking to develop their own GUI, which means, Graphical User Interface. Both companies saw the value in creating visual interfaces that are easy for the layperson to use, and by 1985, Microsoft released their first version of Windows: Windows 1.0. Windows was historically based on DOS, combined with their own flagship programming language, BASIC. Even today, Windows still uses Visual Basic as part of their operating systems.
Through the years, Windows underwent several major iterations, namely, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP which was arguably Microsoft’s best operating system ever, and Windows 7, skipping over Vista which was a flop, as well as “Windows” 8. Today, there is “Windows” 10, but Windows 10 is not really Windows at all, just like “Windows” 8 which is also not Windows, although it carries the same name.
In my opinion, Windows 7 was the best Windows operating system ever made, because while XP was the most solid Windows operating system, Windows 7 brought in the visuals that every PC user and enthusiast craves. Windows 8 and 10, however, were rebuilt from the ground up. I had a friend who worked at Microsoft in Seattle who told me that Microsoft had gone back to the drawing board on Windows 8, and rebuilt an operating system with the intent to compete with the mobile market and apps. Unfortunately, it failed, as did Windows 10.
The only reason people use Windows 10 today is because Microsoft literally conspired with AMD and Intel, who make the processors used in nearly all PCs, not to create any more drivers that would allow Windows 7 to work on newer processors. This shady tactic alone is enough to hate Microsoft, but both Microsoft and Apple are deserving of hate – albeit for different reasons.
So, now that you know some history and some of the dirty schemes used to generate profit, it’s clear that Microsoft is the more evil of the two. But which of the two, if either, is the better choice? Let’s discuss some of the major problems and issues, and go one by one and compare them.
1 Mac vs PC: Price
Price is one of the main dividing points between Windows and Macs. It is undeniable and completely impossible to claim that "Macs are faster than Windows", because the truth is that at the same price point, Windows are several times faster than Macs, because Macs are overpriced in an enclosed ecosystem run by a monopoly of Apple products, whereas PCs are manufactured in a free market with competing devices. This makes PCs by far the better value than Macs. The only way to deny that is to put your fingers in your ears and close your eyes.
Winner: PCs by a mile
2 Mac vs PC: Forced Updates
One major issue is that of forced updates. It used to not be a problem on Windows, but now is at the point of crisis. Apple is a big fan of pushing forced updates without the permission of the owners of the devices that bought it, and continue to push forced updates. This is worse on mobile devices, although those can often be hacked ("jailbroken"). It can be disabled though.
Microsoft does forced updates now too, so forced updates can only be avoided by hacking Windows 10 or going back to Windows 7 by using older hardware. Macs on the other hand, have a closed and proprietary OS (even though they didn't even write the majority of the OS); however, it's actually easier to prevent updates on Macs than it is on Windows 10. So, Apple kind of gets a win on that front.
Winner: Apple
3 Mac vs PC: Coolness Factor
A major reason people buy Macs is either because they are misinformed by Apple marketers that Macs are "better", or because they want to be "cool", because Apple has so cleverly branded Apple products are premium brands.
Yet, Apple doesn't simply take a win, because unlike Macs which are no longer innovative or special, and which have single, universal colors, PCs on the other hand have a huge variety with features that Mac users could only dream of. Let's list some examples:
- Lightweight - some PCs are even more lightweight than the Macbook Air, while boasting a bigger screen.
- Bigger screens - PCs often have bigger and richer screens. Macbook and their "retina" display is merely fancy marketing.
- Speed - PCs can be extremely fast. Macs can be fast as well, but unless you are a sultan or oil tycoon, good luck affordingtheir top of the line computers.
- Keyboard - while Macs often have backlit keyoard, so do PCs. But some PCs boast RGB multicolor backlit and individually backlit keys that simply blow Macs out of the water.
This is a short list and there are many others. While Macs live on their brand name and same-ness, PCs have way cooler and unique computers. So, if you're going for maximum cool, it depends on what you want. Do you want to be the envy of your techie friends, or do you want to feel rich with an overpriced laptop? Who wins is up to you, but both can be "cool".
Want to be unique? If you have a Mac, the only way you can do this is post a few stickers, because basically all Macs look the same. PCs on the other hand have so many varieties including custom builds that it's in another world. PCs win by a world over Macs when it comes to uniqueness.
(Pictured is an ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo with yes - a second screen that yes, also tilts. This is of course, a PC.)
Winner: Draw (depends on what you think of as cool)
4 Mac vs PC: Expandability
Macs are notoriously incapable of being expended. What you get is what you get. Bought a 128GB Macbook with 4GB of RAM and no dedicated graphics card? Well, you're stuck with it until some other sucker buys it.
PC on the other hand allows maximum upgrades .Of course it depends on the device you buy. Some PCs also have the hard drive and/or RAM soldered to the motherboard; and PC laptops cannot upgrade their graphics card because that is also soldered.
But most laptops will allow upgrades to the hard drive or RAM, so your old PC can have new life for many years to come. If you're talking desktops, you can basically upgrade everything. You can even build your own. Not so with Macs - you'll need to purchase it from Apple. How drab. PC wins here, hands-down.
Winner: PCs by a mile.
5 Mac vs PC: User Friendliness
Apple touts that their computers are user-friendly, but it simply isn't true. Macs prevent you from even being able to use non-mac monitors without special adapters (sold by Apple of course, and for a ridiculous price), and UNIX-base operating systems like Mac are not exactly easier to use than Windows. It's just different.
Overall, Macs and PCs are equally user-friendly by those familiar with it. If a PC user switches to a Mac (look of horror), they'll have a tough time navigating. And, if a Mac user switches to a PC, they'll have a tough time navigating - at first. After a few days of use, it's no longer a problem once you learn where everything is.
So, user-friendliness is a draw.
Winner: Draw
6 Mac vs PC: Viruses
Yes, Macs can get viruses too, but it isn't as common. This is because Apple chose a really good operating system base to use - UNIX. UNIX and Linux are compartmentalized operating systems that make it difficult for viruses to infect the system. It's also because there are less people using Macs, so virus creators target their viruses for Windows users.
Meanwhile, PCs running Windows are very susceptible to viruses if they don't have an antivirus. And the antivirus can often slow down the computer. Yet, computer-savvy individuals, such as myself, never even run an antivirus and don't get viruses, because we know what now to click, and we know how to lock down our computer against threats. I do run an anti-malware software though, Malwarebytes, but it's very hard for my PC to become infected by a virus, because it's so secure.
Yet, your regular user won't know all this and they can get viruses. So, that would make Mac a winner over Windows - but not PCs. Remember that PCs can run Linux? Well if you put Linux on your PC, it's probably even more resistant to viruses than Macs, so, I'll call it a draw.
Winner: Draw
7 Mac vs PC: Longevity & Reliability
Macs are touted for their longevity, but it's hardly true. Too many times you go to the Apple store for a minor problem and they just tell you to buy a new $2,000 mac and say it's unfixable, when really it's a simple issue. The build quality is not as good as it used to be, and because they're overpriced and not upgradeable, they become underpowered and outdated fast.
Some PCs definitely have a lower build quality than Macs. But at the same price point, you'll be getting the high-quality PCs that are equally or even more reliable than Macs. You can't take a $500 HP laptop and compare it to a $1500 Macbook Pro. That is simply not a fair comparison. If you spend $1500 on a high-quality PC laptop, it comes with a long warranty, and if you do your research you can easily find one with spectacular build quality.
Both Macs and PCs can be equally as reliable, but PCs are cheaper with the same reliability. Both have a tendency to break down due to misuse or overuse; but if treated gently, both can last for many years.
Pictured is a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon.
Winner: Draw
8 Mac vs PC: Gaming
If you like to game, you should get a PC. First of all, PCs as mentioned earlier are cheaper than Macs for the same hardware; and secondly, they are upgradable. But even more, game developers develop mainly for PC, so you'll have far more games and they will be way better supported than Macs.
Pictured is the MSI GS66.
Winner: PCs by a mile.
9 Mac vs PC: Graphic Design & Video Editing
Fancy art schools try to claim that Macs are best, but I suspect some foul play - perhaps Apple has paid them off. Again, you can get a PC that is cheaper and more powerful, and just as reliable; but even more, there are more fantastic graphic design software supported on PCs but not Macs. They also run more smoothly on PCs which are well-tuned, and faster as long as you're not running Norton or McAfee (please remove those if they're on your PC).
But the same exact software on the same exact hardware will run identically on PC or Mac, give or take milliseconds? It is total nonsense and BS by uneducated and biased sycophants for someone to claim Mac is better for graphic design or video editing. My entire career the only time I used a Mac for graphic design was in grade school, and that's simply because that's what they had. I prefer PC hands-down for graphic design and video editing.
I'm going to call this one for PCs, because PCs can support more software, and for the same price have way better performance. Your regular user cannot afford a $10,000 Mac that is equally as powerful as a $2,000 PC.
Winner: PCs
10 Mac vs PC: Programming
Another suspicious entry. There are some programming schools and programmers who claim that Macs are better for programming because they're similar to Linux. What nonsense! Windows, especially Windows 10, all support every single piece of software, but do it faster, and have even more software than Macs.
The only people saying Macs are better for programming either are being paid by Apple and should be investigated by the FTC, or have never even used a PC, or don't know how to use a PC. Windows support everything, especially when you run a stack like LAMP or WAMP. Ruby and all the other main programming languages all are supported on Windows, and you can even use the command line in Windows.
But if you're a die-hard programmer, you shouldn't be using Windows or Macs, you should be using Linux. I still use Windows, and not Linux, but only because Linux doesn't support half the software I use. I'm considering getting another PC only running Linux. And I manage dedicated servers (which run on Linux) all the time, so I already have my fair share of Linux usage, unlike your everyday programmer.
And remember - Macs run Mac. You can put Linux on it, but then why would you have an overpriced Mac? Might as well have a PC which is more powerful for less price. PCs on the other hand run both Windows and Linux - and you can even set up dual boot.
Winner: PCs
11 Mac vs PC: Business Use
Macs are ok for business use, especially if the company pays for it. however, there are also potential problems, because the most widely-used office exchange software is a Microsoft software, and includes software like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, and Outlook. With Windows, it easily integrates into the operating system, but with Mac, although you can use it on a Mac, you miss out on a lot of the functionality, if it even works.
Microsoft also bought Skype, and other business software also may work better or only be compatible with PCs, which make up the bulk of the computer share globally.
Windows on the other hand does have potential issues with breaches, but a well-built IT department can control the company's windows systems easily from a central location to help mitigate viruses. Macs on the other hand are not built for networking, which is why (besides cost) most companies use Windows.
That brings us to cost. Most companies wanting to distribute computers to the whole organization will also be money conscious, and PCs win hands-down when it comes to cost effectiveness.
Therefore, PCs can be considered more robust as well as more affordable for business use, and therefore take the winning position. With few exceptions, an educated IT team will simply not recommend Macs if they really have the company's best interest at heart. They will recommend Windows.
Winner: PCs
12 Mac vs PC: Thin & Light
Macbook Air is super light and thin at about 3lbs. The latest version in 2021 has shaved off a tiny bit at 2.8lbs. At the time, it was revolutionary, but not anymore. My Thinkpad X1 Carbon is even lighter and thinner at 2.5lbs, and also faster with far more storage and speed.
You can add a 2TB SSD for it, and mine has 16GB of RAM. There is even a 32GB model now. It doesn't have a dedicated graphics card, but my 4 pound MSI GS65 with an RGB multicolor backlit keyboard does, and it's one of the most powerful laptops on the market, and has basically every cool feature you can think of. And talk about thin and light for a gaming laptop, it takes the cake.
Macbook Air can't compete with the MSI GS65 for thin power, and the 13" HP Spectre (pictured) gives the thinness of the Air a run for its money. And yes you can get 4k screens and touchscreens too on these. There are many other similar laptops that defeat the best Macs. This is the nature of the free market.
Winner: PCs
Do I really need to keep listing more? I think you get the point. It is my opinion that PCs are better, but Mac can by just fine too, if you’re rich. If money is no object and you really don’t care about cool features, cool looks (arguably, since Macs do look clean and sleek), gaming, or high performance (at a reasonable price), and all that matters to you is to be “cool” with the other plebs who also have macs, then go ahead and get a Mac. If money is no object, you can do most of the same work with it, and it is fine (although annoying) for programming, graphic design, or video editing (at a really high price).
If you just need a regular laptop, a PC is a better value. If you need the maximum performance laptop or desktop, then PC is the only thing to get if you are not insane enough to pay $10k or even $20k for the top of the line Mac. This may be my opinion, but it is backed by facts.
Still, some Mac users will resist ever even trying a PC, and that’s tragic, although perfectly acceptable. It’s their money, after all, so let them be.
What do you think? Would you get a PC or a Mac? Which do you think is better?
If I had a nickel for every senior-age peer I’ve helped bail out from Windows to Apple OS I’d be able to pay off their San Diego home mortgage. The details in your article can be helpful and important but from experience I’ve found Apple Macs to be far more user-friendly and far less “buggier” than Windows-based devices. The journey from learning DOS on the original IBM home computer to my consistent upgrading from Apple’s Quadra line to its current MacPro M chips has been filled with Apple’s tech-leading innovations, connectivity and dependability. Albeit . . . Steve Jobs is missed.
I used to the a big Macintosh fan because let’s face it, Apple was innovative while Jobs was still around. It isn’t anymore and it hasn’t been for some time. Their PCs (let’s face it, Macs are PCs too for all purposes and intents), are overpriced, period! However I hate Microsoft. Only use it at work because I have to. All my personal tech is now Linux. Manjaro works like charm, but MX Linux is also very useful and dependable; a Debian server and a Raspberry PI mesh networked via Tailscale give me all the “cloud” I need without having to use Dropbox or Google Drive or OneDrive. Screw Big Tech, they disgust me for what they’ve become and especially for using their power and money to force their woke ideologues on the world!
I was looking to switch to Mac because I just switched from Samsung Galaxy s22+ to an iPhone Pro Max. I need it to communicate with my Starkey hearing aids. After reading this I am staying with my PC forever.
Thank You so much.
Some will say you’re biased. I have read this article 3x and STILL can’t find ONE WORD that isn’t true/accurate. Daughter bought a MAC. Said is was SO much easier to use, just like using the phone. So much better than a PC. However, whenever she needs ANYTHING done other than send emails and write papers…..me and my little “PC” gets the call. Been doing this for decades. PC is better than ANYTHING Apple can come up with. It’s a simple fact of life. They have their “niche”, they have their purpose. But the SERIOUS technology user will ALWAYS go for PC. Thanks. Great article.
Microsoft was the first software platform used for mass surveillance and spying on the whole world of online computers. For this facility Billy Gates was rewarded with US government protection against monopoly lawsuits. Then MicroSoft spyware came second to the Apple iPhone iOS spyware. The Boston marathon bombers were caught quickly because every smartphone in the vicinity had already been interrogated by government spyware without the need to ask permission of the iPhone owners.
I still wonder if Steve Jobs was bumped off via his sudden aggressive pancreatic cancer illness to expedite the manufacture and distribution of “the spy in your pocket” new iPhone.
I started with PC computers in the 80s. I had windows 3.11. I’ve built numerous PCs over the decades and gone through laptops from every manufacturer (my first one had a monochrome LCD screen that could do 16 shades of grey).
Windows 11 has me seriously looking to jump ship to apple. Microsoft’s privacy policies are a disaster. What they’ve done with widgets is almost criminal. You can completely disable it or you can put up with a newsfeed that cannot be turned off.
Want to run the weather widget and pictures widget without the newsfeed? NOT ALLLOWED.
Previous iterations of Windows had their own irritations but always were under control of the user. This is simply no longer the case as Microsoft has moved hard to monetizing content delivery and sees Windows 11 as a platform for them to deliver content not an OS that is managed by the user.
Apple, on the other hand, has taken real steps to put privacy controls in the hands of its users that are actually robust. Their profit margins on their app store are obscene but the upside for consumers is that Apple hasn’t seen the need to turn their customers into a product that they sell to 3rd parties.
M1 silicon is also a paradigm shift. Macbooks simply get dramatically longer battery life than intel or amd at the moment and perform, often, an order of magnitude faster for the same energy budget (they are staggeringly better in some workloads with Macbook Air M1s crushing PCs that are 3x their price–and PCs that come close or beat them do so using 3x as much energy). Windows is held back by its x86 legacy and the need to support software from way back–for businesses this legacy support is important and for a long time it has been a plus for Windows–but for most normal users, they will actually get better performance from an M1 (or M2) and ARM instruction sets.
And now the problem in 2022. Was a PC user for decades. Have used flavors of Apple for about ten years and I’m tired of the issues with them including dropouts to the internet on my MacBook air. They’re too expensive. AppleCare Support has become an oxymoron and isn’t worth the cost anymore. In the old days, it was a good reason to go with Apple.
Problem is I can’t find a PC without Windows 11 (per a review here) with 16GB RAM. I don’t know why 8GB and less is so pushed in the market. I know W11 comes with the dreaded MS Edge embedded in its OS to force us to keep upgrading the OS with each new release. It’s ridiculous and one of the many reasons I’ve had it with Apple and Safari.
Need help, folks. I’m IT literate (worked in the field).
Well, hurray for me and you. I worked in IT and remember Tandy computers. I started on mainframes at IBM so used PCs (watched OS/2 and Warp come and die quickly, too). But PCs were infamous for Graphic Program Faults (GPFs aka “the blue screen of death”) and it drove me bananas. So, since I had worked on Apples (towers at work and the older flavors years before) and they didn’t GPF, we started buying them for home use. There was enough sw that worked on them finally (more than 5% of the market). I have one that’s >10 yrs old that I use to play games on but it’s still working. Not true of their current OS systems, though, and I’m getting worried about the possible mass expense coming soon as their OS and Safari fail more than they do now…
Then my complaints began. They’re all in this blog. I hate the expense, the fact that we can’t upgrade memory on a 21.5″ iMac anymore. Apple even removed their 27″ iMacs where you could upgrade memory to a 24″ where you can’t). Safari is embedded in the OS and in the early days of ownership, I called support, they had me replace the OS for a newer version of Safari and it wiped out everything. I understand PCs are now doing that, too with whatever browser they use). It’s a forced herding mentality to constantly push us into newer products by obsoleting the old ones.
I know it’s built on open source and Unix but they somehow don’t allow many Unix commands to even work. So, it’s messier and also made me a little nuts.
I’m looking for a PC after using Apple for about 12 years. Macs just aren’t cracked up to what they used to be and are hideously expensive. I’m looking for a PC with a good antivirus/malware.
I have a PC still running Windows 7. I was thinking of getting a Mac but now think I might just keep using the PC I have. I use an Anti-Malware program by Emsisoft. Very good and low cost.
I work with both a HP laptop and a desktop iMac. I don’t understand what you mean by a forced update . I’m always asked to update both computers. Can you explain ?? Also I find it more difficult to navigate the windows11 laptop than the iMac.
I do not recommend to use Windows 11. If you can still use Windows 7, I recommend that. if you have to use Windows 10, then I recommend to run many programs to strip Windows 10 of all its updates and firewall capabilities as well as removing the extensive spyware built into the computer.
Everyone will find a different interface more difficult to navigate than what you are accustomed to. If you had never used a computer before, the PC would be easier to navigate. Mac users will find it hard to switch to PC at first, but get used to it. PC users would find it hard to switch to Mac at first (rarely happens), but would get used to it. The only reason it’s more difficult is because it’s a different system that you haven’t used yet.
Good article. Thanks for the information. I’ve owned two Macs – a desktop and a laptop. When I bought them in the early 2000s I intended to use them for graphic design and other creative pursuits, and bought into the idea that they were somehow better for that. I need a new machine, but I’m no longer a “creative” so I don’t need those capabilities. Now I’m more interested in affordability and versatility. After reading your article I’ll definitely give PCs a good look. However I’m still wary of viruses, and I’m not tech savvy, so having a Mac had provided some comfort. I want some kind of small, lightweight laptop or pad, probably with a keyboard. You mentioned that I could install Linux on some PCs. What would be the hardware and software requirements for being able to do that? Are there any pads, or small laptops you could recommend on which Linux could be installed? Many thanks again.
Thank you for helping me finalize my decision on an Apple vs. PC laptop. You’ve made many good points. Apple excels with its iPhones, iWatches and iPads. But, you’re quite right, the Apple laptops are way overpriced compared to PCs, IMO. I find it very annoying that, after all these years, Apple products are still not really expandable. I had this problem with my first Mac in 1980s. Unfortunately, they haven’t improved their business model since then.
Agreed. However, to be fair there are two things that Apple has going for it.
1. There are some high-end PC laptops are also overpriced. e.g. Razer, Lenovo.
2. Apple’s M1 chip is a real innovation. So, I have to be fair with Apple on that.
In the end, it comes down to you. But, it does seem that PCs have a lot going for them and a lot of advantages; and this is understandable since there is so much competition. Competition keeps prices fair and inspires innovation. Apple is in its own world, and isn’t really a direct competitor of PCs, since it has its own independent ecosystem that is (by design) not compatible with the PC world.
Until seven years ago (I’m 58) I used only PCs, both at work and at home. However, after I bought my first Mac I never looked back. My 27 inch iMac, 16 inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max all work wonderfully together. I used to build PCs but now just want my tech to work and you can’t beat Apple products for that. I’m still forced to use PCs at work and spend a fair amount of time troubleshooting my wife’s Windows laptop. For everything else, it’s Apple products.
Switching from mac to pc. (Yikes!)
Thank you for such your informative comparison. I have been an iMac user for years. I am coming to the end of my 3rd iMac. Each one lasted about 8 years before grinding to mind numbing slowness and had to be replaced. This is where I’m at now. (Beach ball rarely off screen these days). My 20 year old son is agreeing with all you have said. He is encouraging me to convert to a PC this time. (He was raised on Macs, but switched to a pc for gaming reasons several years ago. He has since built his own pc and would never return to Macs). So I am up for switching to a PC despite the horror of navigating a new system. I am concerned about the virus vulnerability of PCs. I would appreciate your suggestions on how to protect my PC from viruses bearing in mind I am not a very techie person.
Yes I recommend Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to protect you from viruses, and be careful about what you download and what sites you visit.
I do very much appreciate the time & attention you’ve given to such a helpful comparison & summation. Huge thanks and gratitude for posting!
-It’s just the nudge needed for my urgent laptop replacement. Cheer, and blessings to you, indeed!
:^ )
I would prefer a higher-end PC laptop with touch-screen functionality over a MAC laptop.
I am not sure why MACS do not have touch screens. After all, we are talking about the company that revolutionized mobile wireless devices with iphones and ipads. What I find is that I can work more efficiently with a touch screen rather than directing with the built-in mouse.
I don’t like the metallic casing of MAC laptops. I don’t like how cold they feel when I hold them or when I place them in my lap to work. I don’t like how the device overheats and then suddenly turns too hot. I don’t like the dents that form when I accidentally drop the MAC laptop. MAC laptops are not designed for accident-prone, clumsy users like me.
Apps just open much more quickly in PC as well.
I have used Macs in professional roles for many years. I am not a fan of them anymore.
The PC has innovated more and has a better price point for sure.
Macs don’t have a touch screen because a computer with a touch screen is pointless. I’d actually hate having a touch screen on my computer. There is iPad for that.
The metallic case is what gives Mac their strong structure. Sure, they dent you toss them around, but imagine what would happen to a plastic casing with such an impact that bends aluminium…
How fast a computer his depends on the power of its processor and various other things, it all depends on the model.
From the advent of M1 on Macs the price has fallen and now they are at the same price of PCs for the same performance.
A computer with a touchscreen is not pointless. Not only can you touch which is another method of navigation, you can flip, do presentations, do art and drawing, do physical writing which some people like, drafting, and many other uses. The downsides of a touch screen is a glossy screen (if you prefer matte), and sometimes it’s more expensive or has less battery life. It’s a little bit heavier than non-touch, but not by much.
“Apple made an awesome and amazingly profitable business model by not only charging high prices, but by taking a free operating system, modifying it only slightly to make it marginally more user friendly, and then releasing it as their own software.”
So by this logic Google stole Android from Linux?
So Darwin (kernel+shell of macOS) was/is open source, with big chunks done by Apple employees. Everything else was written by Apple.
The difference is that Android is still open source, while MacOS is closed source. They are charging for modifying an open-source that they locked into closed source. Whereas Google, who by the way I am no fan of at all, did keep Android open source (as evidenced at https://source.android.com), and as a result it has changed the world and allowed competition on mobile operating systems. Google used to be good. Android is one of the last good things about Google.
Yea and look at ALL the problems and bugs and the extremely slow process of getting regular updates and bug fixes, and don’t talk to me about changing the world if APPLE didn’t innovate with the first iPhone you wouldn’t have smartphones the way we do now and if Apple didn’t invent the APP store you wouldn’t have GOOGLE period they would have just been in the search and map business. Android is hot garbage because it has to cater to 1000 different phone, tablet, and Chromebook manufacturers, whereas Apple has only a few. Apple designs its own hardware and software which means it OPTIMIZED for its devices and there able to squeeze more power more battery with less RAM and PROCESSING power for those who want to make the ridiculous claim that you get more ram with other smartphones/tablets/laptops without pointing out that they NEED all that extra memory because their devices aren’t OPTIMIZED whereas Apple devices are. Then there’s the Ecosystem, now anyone who wants to make fun of Apple fans for this you may want to tone it down because Samsung and now Google is dumping money hand over fist trying to replicate what Apple has done but will never succeed because of android because they will never be able to fully optimize Androids software to Samsung hardware. Tell me this if Apple is such garbage why in the world does EVERY tech giant copy them? Want some examples? iPhone headphone jack EVERYONE made fun of Apple for doing this and what did Samsung do with their new lineup not too long after? Promoted the shit out of their galaxy buds and REMOVED the headphone jack from their flagship S line up. Then no more chargers again EVERYONE made fun of Apple for that then what did Samsung and the rest of the tech world do THEY REMOVED THEIRS TOO. Then came the AirPods I can’t count the hairs on my head as to how many companies copied the ever-living ish out of Apples design. Apply started designing their own silicon and put out benchmarks that the ENTIRE tech world laughed at, then reviewers and the rest of the world got their hands on them and Apple turned the world on its head. Apple is the most copied company on the face of this planet and for good reason. I understand if you prefer Android but don’t come on here with half-assed assumptions based solely on your bitter hate for something. I happen to love Samsung phones I also happen to hate that their using android I really believe if they weren’t plagued by android and had their own OS that was uniquely optimized for its hardware they would be on par with Apple. I happen to like gaming and I know as of right now Apple hasn’t really done anything as far as integrating capable GPUS in their MacBook line up, however, that’s all changing now EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE is going ARM because of what Apple was able to achieve with the M1, M1 pro and Max, Intel, AMD, Microsoft, and Qualcomm are all developing ARM chips now, Microsoft is already starting to transition their servers and Surface pro laptops to ARM architecture. Apple already dominates the gaming market with 1.5 billion iPhone users you seriously think the AAA gaming industry doesn’t want to have that kind of exposure on a platform of that magnitude? Google, Apple in talks with AAA game developers and read those articles, the gaming industry is already going mobile and it’s about to go ARM, and Apple already has the upper hand that’s why they have a 3 TRILLION dollar market cap that no other company on the face of this planet has achieved. They must be doing something right!
You did not mention the ease of device integration. I like the Mac because it seamlessly links my iPhone, iPad, and Mac together. I know that PCs can link other devices as well, but, in my opinion, not as well as Mac. What are your views on this subject?
In the same way that it’s easy to integrate Mac, that’s only if you are willing to pay 4x the price for the Apple version of the peripherals. If you already have peripherals, it’s much harder to use them on Macs, and sometimes won’t even work because Apple intentionally makes it so you have to buy their overpriced stuff instead of the much more affordable, better features, and more versatile things that work universally with non-apple products.
extremely bad, mac-hating review with lots of errors
I see that you’ve been using mac products exclusively for over 15 years, since I found a post with your same email and name that posted on the Apple forums saying you’ve used nothing but Mac for 15 years. Tell me, how do you know if this has errors if you have not even used anything but Apple products for 15 years?
It sounds like you are the biased one.
The air m1 owns any PC laptops in tdp and no laptop PC screen comes close for that price in resolution+color accuracy.
Windows 10 is mediocre and 11 should have never been released in that state.
macOS is not perfect but miles better.
Btw, I’m using windows.
Thank you for the very interesting article. Originally I used a Windows PC that I built with a friend and used it for many years. But over 15 years ago my dad bought me a 24″ iMac and I’ve never looked back. I think saying that PC’s are a better value and that Macs are overpriced is not giving a complete picture. Here’s why I say that.
1. If you were to spec out a Windows and Mac laptop with the same Intel CPU, GPU, and RAM, the Mac would only be slightly more expensive, not exorbitantly more.
2. It is true that you can purchase a Windows Laptop for under $200 but there’s just one major problem, the laptop will not be able run the Operating System that’s installed on it let alone anything else, not efficiently or effectively anyway. Everything you do on the laptop will take an incredibly long time, and be aggravating. The laptop will also most likely suffer a premature death because Windows will overtax the Hardware and the laptop will burn up prematurely. Personally I would never recommend that anyone purchase a Windows laptop for anything less than $700, and would rather see them spend at least $1,000 or more. Why? So they have enough SSD Space, RAM, CPU and GPU horsepower to not only run Windows, but any other programs they wanted to use as well. Not only that, the laptop would work more quickly which really improves the user experience.
3. I will concede that for an entry level laptop, Macs were a complete rip-off with the Intel powered MacBook Air. However, with the introduction of the M1 Chip I think this is no longer the case. The M1 MacBook Air runs faster and more efficiently in pretty much every way than the previous Intel powered 16″ MacBook Pro at less than half the price. It runs cooler which will lengthen its life, and the battery lasts 4 to 5 times as long. Apple has definitely broken new ground with their M1 Chips not only when it comes to battery life, but also what they’re capable of.
5. I think macOS is a much more user friendly OS than Windows. Why? For one thing, everything you do in Windows and Microsoft Office usually seems to entail at least two to four steps or Clicks, whereas macOS and iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) entails one to two steps or Clicks. This cuts down on the time it takes to do things by quite a bit and makes macOS easier to use. Also, changing the OS settings is way more straightforward on macOS than Windows 10. If you open “Settings” in Windows 10, you do not have access to all of the OS’s settings, many of which are pertinent to the functionality of the computer. Several key settings are buried in “Control Panel” which seems to entail memorizing the chart of the elements to find since it is hidden and not readily accessible. In Contrast, every macOS setting is contained within “System Preferences”. Not only that “System Preferences” looks like any other window in macOS, whereas “Control Panel” looks nothing like “Settings” in Windows 10! “Control Panel” and every setting within it looks like Windows 95 or older.
6. macOS is much prettier to look at than Windows 10, in my opinion anyway. Most things in macOS are usually pleasant to look at and things look smooth and streamlined. Even the Apps that are made to work on it look this way. Windows though looks more boxy and chunky looking at least to my eyes, and the Programs that run on it look the same way. This of course is just my personal feeling and tastes, I cannot speak for everyone.
For the above listed reasons, I personally would recommend that most first time or replacement computer buyers purchase an M1 MacBook or Mac mini. In most cases I’d recommend the M1 MacBook Air. It will be able to run most any major Program you need to use, including being able to natively run Microsoft’s complete Suite of Office Apps. You also won’t have to wait too long to do anything you want to do on the M1 MacBook Air since they’re really fast. You won’t have to be constantly worried about battery life either since the M1 MacBook Air’s battery life is around 20 hours or so.
In contrast, if someone is primarily interested in gaming, I definitely would recommend a Windows computer since most premium games do not work on macOS. Also, if you want to use a niche Program like Brothers Keeper or other specialized Programs, I would again recommend a Windows computer over macOS computer.
Thank you again for your article, I really enjoyed it. ?
I’ve been using a Mac and when they want me to upgrade new software, a lot of the time I have nothing but problems after I do. I love PCs but am afraid of viruses. You said not to get McAfee or Norton. Which do you recommend getting for a PC?
Don’t get McAfee or Norton, they just slow down your computer. Windows can get viruses but so can Macs. The big thing is learning basic web etiquette like not opening email links, etc; but even then, still it’s possible, even if you are on Mac.
What I use is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. I do not use an antivirus and have not for many years. Partly because I know how to remove a virus if I did get one. But for regular people, first you should know that Microsoft has free antivirus built into Windows 10. For Windows 7, you can install Microsoft Defender for free. For an alternative to Microsoft, I might suggest something like Bitdefender, Avast, or AVG Free, but note that I haven’t done research on antivirus in a long time, so take it with a grain of salt, I am not telling you to use these necessarily.
Right now if you’re curious we are working on hiring a team of writers so that we can post very regularly on TechReader just like the other big tech sites. One of the posts we could write about is what’s the best antivirus in 2022.
For now, I would recommend checking out Cnet https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-antivirus/
Basically, any site which puts McAfee or Norton at the top of their Top 10 list, you know you cannot trust them because either they did not do any real research and just posted the most popular ones, or they are biased because they are being paid by the antivirus companies. So be careful who you believe when you see top 10.
Some things never change and most get more invasive in time. When McAfee and Norton came out, I was working in IT and made the mistake of putting them on our PC (Windows something). They were hogs and horrible.
I’m on Macs now (another story) and a sibling had an additional license to one or the other and offered it to me. I turned her down. Using Avast and cycling through various antivirus trials.
I’m also very leery of may advertised websites and don’t trust them. But then, I found your article and it’s so amazing I sent it to my sibling (a cybersecurity geek now). I asked for help deciding what to do (tired of Apple) and was told to follow my heart. No, I found your article and am following it. She uses PCs and I will if I can find a non-W11 pc with 16GB of RAM. That may be impossible at this point… so if W11 ever does get fixed, please let us know.
Antivirus programs don’t work and they hog CPU power. Norton and McAfee are the worst and should never be installed for any reason at any time. I have not run an antivirus in 20 years on my Windows computers and I have never had a virus. I did not just get lucky, there is no use for them. If you are smart online, block anything from installing, and use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, then you will never get a virus, hacked, or anything else.
PCs are completely safe to use for intelligent people, without any antivirus, just that one anti-malware program and blocking any setup programs from running so nothing can be installed on your PC unless you explicitly allow it. I also disabled Microsoft’s built-in antivirus and anti-malware and deleted it from my systems. It isn’t easy to do, you have to hack windows to get that junk out. The only risk from using a PC is the risk of Microsoft collecting your data, which you can block with a little bit of know-how.
How do you stop microsoft from collecting your data ?
By not using Microsoft
fun cannot be rewarded with money
Can you elaborate on this? What do you mean?
Pretty much agree on everything here.
Thanks for the overview. I have been a mac book user for at least a decade, for my personal use. I’m at the end of life on my second macbook. The speakers on my second Mac are shot, I understand the speakers are integrated and not repairable, the thing is 5 years old, and it’s frustrating to listen to the dang thing.
My prior macbook stopped working because the battery under the mouse pad expanded enough that the mouse was always in the “click” position. I did replace the battery in that macbook but the drive and memory were too small to be useful. Agree that the build quality is does not match the price point.
My anecdotal experience with the mac is in agreement with your points. I was a PC user professionally – both programming – and using the MS office tools. I did find that a many hardware developer tools for microcontrollers (DVK’s etc) are written for exclusively PC, not mac, another draw back.
For my personal use, I need to figure out how to migrate all my personal Mac files like photos and itunes over to a PC. Are any laptop PC’s better at importing Mac files, does windows have a utility for importing Mac formatted files? Not really excited about the spend for another Mac.
A very honest review. Some people say that Mac is better than PC, however they don’t check their price difference. People buy Mac for 5k and then compare it with 400$ PC. What nonsense.