What Computer Should I Buy? - Mac vs PC

Last week we discussed how your budget should be the first thing you take into consideration when buying a new computer and gave some general budget guidelines. Today we will give insight into the never ending debate of Mac vs PC.

As much as individuals argue that one is better than the other, it all depends on your needs, your budget, and your business.

Price

Macs cost more than PC’s. The physical hardware will cost more, the peripherals tend to cost more, and so does the software. PC’s that are equivalent in processor, RAM, and hard drive storage will almost always cost less than Macs. Outside of hardware, you must take software price into consideration as well. Unfortunately there are not many good open source alternatives to commercial software for the Mac. This means you will most likely end up spending more on software with a Mac than you will with a PC. PC’s (running Windows) have many free programs that work just as well as programs that you buy and with as many features.

Ease Of Use

Using both a Mac and PC on a daily basis I find the Mac is so much easier to use. If you have never used a Mac it will take a little time to adjust, but afterwards you will love how simple it is to do many things compared to a PC. For example, installing an application requires you to drag the application to your Application folder. No more running setup.exe and clicking Next, Next, Next… Uninstalling software for the most part is just as simple as deleting the application.

Software

As mentioned above software for the Mac tends to cost more and there are not many free alternatives as with PC’s. The other issue is that many applications needed to run your business will only support Windows. Also companies that you may outsource tasks to, such as billing or accounting, will most likely want you to use Windows as well. Be sure to research the software options available to you for your business and what other companies will support if outsourcing tasks.

Peripherals

Printers, scanners, portable hard drives, keyboards, mice, etc - whatever device you need, you can find it for a PC. The same peripherals exist for Macs, but not all of them are compatible. If choosing a Mac, with each device that you purchase you must make sure that it specifically states it is Mac compatible. While some devices will work even if this is not stated, you will be better off not taking chances.

Support

Die-hard Mac fans will tell you that Macs do not need support. Unless you are a techie you will need support at one point or another. There are a plethora of support options for PC’s that range from small businesses and independent consultants to major corporations. The problem lies in the fact that many PC support professionals are nothing more than power users. They know more than your average user, but have difficulty in resolving complex problems. This can lead to disastrous results which could have possibly been avoided. I really cannot comment on the Mac side of things, except for the fact that there are not as many support options readily available.

Integration

As mobile technology advances more individuals want their devices to seamlessly integrate. Contacts, tasks, memos, and email should be readily available on the computer and phone. While BlackBerry’s have provided this functionality for quite some time on PC’s, the recent release of the 3G iPhone makes the decision for some a little more difficult. The iPhone integrates seamlessly with Macs, the web browser is really good, and programmers are creating great applications that make you more productive and keep you connected in this world of unlimited information.

Conclusion

Hopefully this article has given you insight into some of the things you should think about when deciding on a Mac vs PC. As you can see, the answer is not as simple as many think, and there are several factors to consider. Some of this may change over the next year or so as many individuals continue to switch to Macs. We will back next week and help you decide on whether you should purchase a desktop or laptop.