Mac vs. PC - A User's Perspective

I went into the Mac world kicking and screaming, but my boyfriend assured me that once I got over the learning curve, the question of Mac vs. PC would be answered. And, he was right.

In November of 2010, I had my second coming - now, I don't mean this to be an affront to the religious types out there, but it really was an awakening for me. John, the said boyfriend, walked into the house with a shiny new Macbook Pro under his arm and a huge griin on his face. He knew that I'd been debating buying a Mac for ages and just wouldn't step over that line on my own. You see, I was a staunch PC user (Dell, thank you) and thought Mac users were, um.....not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier. Well, little did I realize that their light shone brightly - well above the PC users out there and I was about to join in their ranks.

Apple MacBook Pro MC700LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop

Any one of these Apple Macs would be a fabulous Christmas or Channukah gift are the laptops which vary in size from 13.3" to 17". Other good stuff varies too, like hard drive size and a slightly faster performance on the largest laptop.

Click any link to see the very best pricing on Amazon.com.

Apple MacBook Pro MC700LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop

Apple MacBook Pro MC723LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop

Apple MacBook Pro MC725LL/A 17-Inch Laptop

Although I had a pretty steep learning curve when I started to use the Apple Mac, and I suffered a lot of post-partum depression for my Dell PC (which I'd just bought in June of 2010), once I got the hang of using the Macbook, I was off and running. The below is my take on Mac vs. PC - and, this is only my take. Your mileage may vary....

1. Mac vs. PC boot up and shut down speed. The Mac wins every single time. There's no more PC Window spinning and spinning on startup. The thing just springs to life. And, for those of us impatient people (I just outed myself...), there's nothing better than having the Mac ready to rumble before I even get a sip of coffee in.

   As far as shutting down the system, once I figured out exactly how the heck to do that on the Mac, I was incredibly pleased at the ease and speed of the system turning itself off. The PC labors on and on and on by comparison.

2. Mac vs. PC reliability and service. John kindly bought me the highest level of service and protection for my Macbook (yes, I've been known to drop my PC...frequently), so my Macbook is fully covered. The few times I've had to call for help (generally user error) have been painless. I dialed 1-800-MY-APPLE and got through to a Mac representative in no time flat. This, coupled with the fact that I can always understand them means the world to me. The PC, by comparison is...well, there is no comparison.

   At this point, the Macbook Pro and PC are on par for reliability but that's only because I haven't turned on the PC since November of last year...

3. Mac vs. PC ease of using the programs. Again, hands down, the Mac wins. With various operating systems available on both platforms (I'm on Snow Leopard still as I don't see any need to go to Mac Lion - if it ain't broke, don't fix it), software programs in the PC world may have different feels depending on if you're on Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, etc. When I first started working on the PC back in the day, programs were easier. Anyone remember WordPerfect and reveal codes? Today though, as the computer operating systems have evolved, so has the programming.

   My take on the ease of using programs on the Mac vs. PC is that, again, the Mac wins. Most programs have the same toolbar and you can always find what you're looking for. Programs on the PC, on the other hand, have varied in my opinion. Preferences is not always under the "Tool" menu, sometimes it's under "File" or "Edit."

4. Mac vs. PC for music use. Ok, here's one that I think the PC wins on. I just hate having to go to iTunes for everything. It seems to me that the Mac world has gained enough momentum and play a little nicer in the sandbox when it comes to downloading music. I can't seem to get a handle on iTunes and find it very confusing. Now, that said, I haven't really tried very hard as it frustrates me each and every time but I do like the PC for working with music files.

   Please correct me in the comment section below if I'm wrong. I can take it.

5. Mac vs. PC for photo editing. I'm a bit torn on this one as, although the Mac is much faster when working with pictures, it seems to me that iPhoto (which comes with each Mac system) is not a very robust photo program. It also took me forever to figure out how to retrieve my photos. I worked on Photo Explosion and/or Photo Elements on the PC and, yes, I can load a Mac version of Photo Elements but, darn it, I think my Macbook should have come prepared to do what I need it to do, photo wise. iPhoto limited tools may be enough for some but I like to mess with my photos a bit more.

This should be fun as both sides of the fence are adamant that their side is the best. I'm a Macbook girl, through and through, now but I was adamant about loving my Dell PCs there for the longest time. What's your take on the situation?

Anyone who reads this lens may vote so get on it, will ya?

Are the Apple Mac computers better than the PC world?

Apple is not quite as prolific in different styles of Mac computers as there are in the PC world but they wanted it that way. The below are the most popular Macs on the market. You will spend more in the initial investment when you decide on a Mac but, in the long run, you'll be so very glad you paid a little extra for these gems.

Apple iMac MC508LL/A 21.5-Inch Desktop - this is the ONLY desktop worth owning and at a good price too

Apple Mac Mini MC270LL/A Desktop - this is the hard drive only but still a great bargain for a starter Mac

Apple MacBook Air MC968LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop

(NEWEST VERSION) - The smallest of small, the MacAir competes against notebook PCs

Apple iPod touch 8 GB

(4th Generation)

Apple iPod classic 160 GB Black

(7th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod classic 160 GB Silver

(7th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod nano 8 GB Pink

(6th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod touch 64 GB

(4th Generation)

Ok, we know that I am in love with my little Mac but how about you? Are you a staunch PC lover? Please leave me comments - the good, the bad, and the ugly are accepted.