Mac Vs PC
Oh, the great debate about Mac vs. PC. My view on the subject may not be a popular one 
We have all seen the Apple commercials where Mac looks like the cool kid on the block and PC a whiny, geeky hypochondriac with severe allergies that was denied fun by his parents. Ok, so I read a lot into the commercials.
The debate between PC’s and Macs has gone on since the Lisa was first introduced in 1983. Back then it was the GUI interface vs the command line interface.
Ok, so let’s get down to the nitty gritty dirty stuff, but first let me just say I am not prejudiced towards either one. I love all computers. I have both PC’s and Macs in my house as well as linux machines. And I not only have all of these but use them all regularly.
I am a network / security engineer by trade and let me just say that for that type of stuff, the PC has many more tools available. Linux falls a close 2nd right behind Windows. It seems Windows has a big jumpstart on the tools I need to my job. All of those years prior to the Mac OSX operating systems put the Mac way behind because it lacked a good networking system.
Now that OSX is based on a unix kernel, the development of such networking tools would be much easier. There are tons of unix tools already out there and it would not take much to port them over to the Mac, at least in a command line form. And, now the Mac can run X-windows. But so far, there have not been many ports yet.
So, from a perspective of doing my network jobs, a PC is a requirement. I mean you cannot get tools like Solarwinds, the checkpoint dashboard, etc. on a Mac. At least not in native OSX. I do not want to delve into Parallels or VMWare Fusion. They may solve what I am talking about.
From the perspective of the office tools, I use both, it all depends on what else I am doing. For example, if I am using my Laptop doing some regular work I will use the PC. My main email is on an Exchange server. I do like Outlook better than Entourage. Although I will use Entourage if I am on the Mac.
For development tasks, I use the PC more than the Mac except if I am working on web pages. I use both for developing web sites. You can code in php, java, flash, etc just as easy on either platform. I use Dreamweaver which is available on both platforms. I think I am a bit more familiar with Dreamweaver on the PC but Dreamweaver on the Mac is easy too.
Now, I do a lot of photo work and video editing, I do all of that work on the Mac. There is in my opinion no better editor than Final Cut. I have used lots of them and Final Cut is a step above the rest. The Mac really shines in the graphics and video world and has for a long time. In fact that was a stigma that the
So, I know I sound like a politician, not taking sides. Why would I take sides, I like them both. As I mentioned before I also use a lot of unix (mainly linux). That is probably my favorite operating system. However, I do not use much XWindows. For the nice gui interfaces I stick with the Mac or the PC.
So which one is better? You could use the numbers that are published by Microsoft and Apple to determine that, but according to them, they each think they are better and winning. I do think there is a platform shift going on right now. I think the Mac is gaining ground.
A couple of years ago I got my mom to purchase a computer and get on the Internet. She is not computer savvy at all. She has Windows XP and I keep it updated for her. If I had to do it again I would probably have her get a Mac. I do think they are much more intuitive than a Windows system.
So that being said, what is the right one for you? There are a lot of factors that need to be looked at. First of all, what are you going to be using it for? If it is going to be just a home machine for the family to use, a Mac is a great choice. It is easy for kids to use, it is intuitive for the new computer users.
Macs are also come in some nice packaging forms now. The iMac is self contained. All you have is a monitor, keyboard and mouse with one power plug. The Mac is a complete system that includes matched hardware and software. Unlike a Windows machine where the hardware is made by Dell but the operating system is provided by Microsoft. If you have a problem you have one place to call for the Mac.
Now, I just talked up the Mac, now lets talk up the Windows platform a little bit, afterall, I like it too. First let me say, I am not a huge fan of Vista. I like XP better. I agree that Vista looks prettier, but like your prom date, it is what is on the inside that counts.
I have much better luck with Windows XP than Vista. Just my 2 cents…. Ok, so if you have specialized needs that require Windows or you are already used to Windows, there is no reason to switch. Unless you are getting tired of blue screen of death (BSOD) crashes.
Windows is not too hard to figure out. Windows does support a much larger selection of hardware and has a ton more software available for it than a Mac OSX does. More games, more productivity software, etc.
Ok, now you are convinced a Windows machine is the way to go right? Afterall it has all of this software, lots more than the Mac does. Well….. What if you could run all of the Mac software AND all of the Windows software on one machine? Are you saying to stop teasing you, oh stop confusing you…..
Well, with Parallels for Mac or VMWare Fusion the Mac can run Windows programs too. In fact, you install Windows inside of your Mac. Now, this is only a good option if you have a new Intel based Mac. the older Mac that used powerPC chips had to run a program called VirtualPC which runs very very slow. Not something I would recommend.
On my 8 core Mac Pro I run VMWare fusion and have Vista and Windows XP running and they run better than if they were on their own dedicated hardware. You ask why VMWare Fusion over Parallels? Well, I have another review of the 2 products coming out soon, in there I describe the 2 products. Let me just say you can have drag and drop between the operating systems as well as file sharing. It is awesome.
Ok, so now you are confused. Sorry…. Deciding on the right computer for you can be confusing. The first thing to look at is your budget. If you have the money, I can recommend a Mac with VMWare Fusion running Windows. You will have all bases covered and you will love the solution. The Mac has easy to use video editing and other tools that blow windows away. If you decide on a Mac, check out a .mac account, there are some really cool features you get with a .mac account.
What about Windows for a new machine for the family? Well sure, it will work just fine and you will save a few bucks over a Mac. Shop around, there are some great deals out there for Windows PC’s. I like IBM hardware, I am not a big fan of Dell Laptops but they make good desktops.
Now that I have probably completely confused you, the bottom line is I think both platforms are great platforms and each has their advantage over the other, but I think the Mac has more advantages over Windows when it comes to hardware and software integration . But you will not be making a horrible choice with Windows.