For those considering whether a PC or Mac is the better computer for their needs there are 5 reasons to buy a PC that everyone should remember
The argument over whether a PC is better than an Apple Mac is one with a long history and is unlikely to ever be completely resolved or agreed upon. Both have their fans and critics and both have their pros and cons. There’s no doubt that for some people a Mac will be a better choice than a PC but there are five good reasons to buy a PC instead that are worth considering.
1. More Manufacturers = More Choice
There are definitely advantages to Apple being the only manufacturer of the Mac, such as ensuring quality standards, and Apple explain this in detail on their Web site. But it also means buyers are limited to just a few models, no matter how well designed and built they are, and the same range of options are simply not available.
For example, it’s not currently possible to buy an Apple Mac with a Blu-ray drive fitted as standard or even available as an option from the company’s online store. And unlike the many choices available to buyers of a desktop PC, someone wanting to buy a desktop Mac can choose only from a low-end Mac Mini, an iMac with a screen they may not need or a very costly Mac Pro,
And Macs are only available in white.
2. A PC is Cheaper
Pound for pound and dollar for dollar there’s no doubt that an Apple Mac is considerably more expensive than the equivalent PC. For example, a MacBook with a 13.3-inch display, 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM and 250GB hard drive sells on the Apple Store today for $999. By comparison, on the Dell Web site today a laptop with a 14-inch display,a better 2.4GHz Intel Core i3 CPU, 3GB RAM and 320GB hard drive retails for under $700.
The price difference is even greater for buyers choosing a desktop computer. The Apple Store currently sells an iMac Pro with a 2.8GHz Intel quad-core processor, 3GB RAM and 1TB hard drive for a costly £2,499, whereas by comparison it’s possible today to purchase an Alienware PC from Dell with a similar processor, the same RAM and hard drive but a superior graphics card for under $1,600.
3. A PC is Better for Games
If playing games is a major reason for buying a new computer, a PC is the logical choice. With the exception of a few top titles like World of Warcraft and Starcraft 2, the selection of games available on the Mac is very poor. Mac owners wanting to experience the latest action games, for example, like Call of Duty: Black Ops will be disappointed if they expect it to be released on the Mac.
It is possible to install Windows on an Apple Mac and have access to these PC games but many Macs are simply not powerful enough to run many of the latest titles, either because their processors are too slow or they have underpowered graphics cards. A Mac Mini, for example, is not a good choice for playing games and nor are some iMacs as their graphics cards can’t be upgraded.
Find out more about why the PC is the best games machine.
4. More Software Available for the PC
It’s not just games that the PC has a greater selection of. It also has the greatest selection of productivity and creative software. Each new version of Microsoft Office always debuts first on PC and the critically acclaimed Sony Vegas AV editing software is exclusive to the PC. The industry-standard financial software for businesses from Sage is also exclusive to the PC and so too is most of the financial software from Intuit.
A key consideration then is that the software that someone uses at work on a PC may not be available for them to use at home on a Mac as well, which could be a problem if they need to share files.
Of course, it is possible to run PC software on a Mac by installing Windows but why buy a Mac if many of the games and other software someone wants to run are exclusive to the PC? It a buyer is considering switching from PC to Mac, they need to consider the additional cost of purchasing alternative software if they want to run native Mac software only.
5. Windows is Equal or Better than the Mac OS
As well as the hardware, Mac owners will often cite the operating system as another major advantage over a PC. Although this was formerly true, especially with all the reported problems associated with Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows 7 is a very highly regarded operating system with many great features. It is intuitive to use, stable and fast.
In fact, when UK magazine PC Pro posed the question “Can Windows 7 convert a Mac user?” to long-time Mac user and blogger Chris Brennan, over the weeks he trialled the new OS in 2009 his comments included “it’s quicker than Snow Leopard” (the Mac OS X 10.6 OS) and “Microsoft seems to have married a well-designed interface to a solid and useable platform“. High praise indeed!
The Ultimate PC Upgrade is a New PC
Despite the reasons given above to buy a PC, there still remains many reasons why some people will buy a Mac. They are undoubtedly well designed and manufactured computers and if cost is not a consideration, or playing exclusive PC games or other software is not a factor, a Mac remains a viable option, especially for the style conscious.
But the savvy buyer, when choosing between PC or Mac, should consider all the reasons above before making their decision.