Mac vs. PC: Who reigns supreme?

The long standing debate for the top computer operating system has long been between the PC and the Mac. Typically, people have a lot of opinions on which operating system they see as being the top. However, each has their qualities they do better than one another. So let’s go over the differences between each platform, and which works best in certain circumstances.

Design
Apple computers have always been designed under one company, allowing for greater control of how they are designed. Lead designer Jonathan Ive has been the brains behind the success of the sleek and clean designs of the iMac and the Macbook Air that have been so successful with the public. When buying a Mac, people take into account the coolness of the product. With PC’s, they all come from different manufacturers, so it is a little harder to control the design of them. PC’s typically follow a utilitarian design, as they are synonymous with the corporate world. While you can find some sleek designed PC’s, Apple typically comes out as the winner in this category.

Price
A huge difference between the two, this is often one of the major reasons why people choose PC over Mac. Apple products typically sell for over $1000, while PC’s have a wide range of price points that can appeal to all consumers. Despite this, the reason for the price difference is the difference in operating systems, as well as the premium design that is customary with Apple computers. Despite this, most people purchase a computer to surf the web and use word processing, so PC’s take the win for this category.

Choice
When it comes to choice, there is a wide range of different configurations you can purchase when it comes to PC’s. With the large amount of companies currently manufacturing PC laptops, the available variety is quite big. On the other hand, Apple currently offers a handful of unique computers to choose from. While this isn’t seen as a weakness when it comes to Apple, for the regular consumer, it can be seen as detrimental when shopping for a computer. PC’s take the win.

Software
This is the main difference between Mac’s and PC’s. PC’s run Microsoft’s operating system, currently on Windows 10. Mac’s operating system is called the Mac OS, and is reminiscent of their iOS software that is present on iPhones and iPads. One significant feature that is standard with Mac’s is the Boot Camp software, which allows Microsoft operating systems to be booted on an Apple computer. This allows you to have the functionality of both operating systems, while retaining that sleek design and quality. PC’s are a little more difficult to do this with, so the winner here is the Mac.

Security
The difference in the level of security you can find in both PC’s and Mac’s are drastically different as well. Since the majority of the world’s computers run on Windows, PC’s are a lot more susceptible to viruses and malware. In order to protect your data, it is necessary to run antivirus software on your PC. With Mac’s, it is rare for a user to experience a virus or any type of malware. There is some risk that will always be there, but in the end, a Mac user who runs no antivirus software is still at less risk than that of a PC user. The Mac’s take this round.

In these five categories, Apple takes the trophy home when pitted against PC’s. Does this finally settle the ages old debate between Mac and PC? Absolutely not. However, hopefully this gives you some idea of what you’re getting into if you’re looking to buy a new personal computer and are torn between the two operating systems.