Why I don’t care about Mac vs. PC
In: Technology
1 Jun 2009
A friend and I were having a hall way conversation this morning. I purchased a second laptop, a PC to supplement my Macbook Pro, and after getting it all set up and using it this weekend, I came to a realization. With a few exceptions, I could care less if I am using a Mac or a PC.
At home I have several of each and move fluidly between using them. I don’t have to adjust to different shortcuts, I don’t bang and curse either because it does something differently, I just use them.
There are a two things that come to mind that determine which type of computer I choose to use explicitly. If I am blogging, I will be using a PC, Windows Live Writer is just that good. If I am writing and recording music, I’ll be using a Mac, Logic Studio is just that good. Outside of those two activities, I just don’t care.
When I picked up a new laptop this weekend, before I ever turned it on, I stuck a Windows 7 RC DVD in it, and the first time I used it, it was a squeaky clean install of Windows 7 with no crap ware and it was beautiful to my OCD sensibilities.
It’s a Tool Man
There are several things I use a laptop for. Writing, communicating, research and a little web site maintenance. The thing is, I can do pretty much all of that stuff on either, and it doesn’t effect my experience or efficiency by choosing one over the other. When I set up a new machine, Mac or PC, I install what I need to get by:
|
Mac |
PC |
|
| Browser | Firefox | Firefox |
| Chat | Adium | Pidgin |
| FTP | Cyberduck | Filezilla |
| WWAN | Live Mesh | Live Mesh |
| Productivity | Office 2008 | Office 2007 |
| Blogging | Ecto | Live Writer |
Of course I install other software, and do other things, but when it comes to what I need to do, that covers most of it. So if I can do it both, and I don’t get a reduced experience on either, who cares?
Forget about which case you like better, throw away the crash/virus spin nonsense that the media loves to exaggerate, they are both reliable and usable platforms, it doesn’t matter what you use, as long as you use it.
Parting Note
If you are a die hard Mac user, check out Windows 7, if you can take of your Steve Jobs colored glasses for a few minutes, you might be surprised how good it actually is.
- Tags: Mac, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, PC
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Jason Burns is a technology enthusiast, Microsoft guy, photographer, musician and all around geek. This blog is the general rambling one, check out the links for the specific ones!
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3 Responses to Why I don’t care about Mac vs. PC
Scott
June 1st, 2009 at 10:37 am
This argument makes sense if you already _own_ both a Mac and a PC, but I think the argument is around what to _buy_ instead of what to use. You could replace Mac and PC with BMW and Mercedes in the table above, but it doesn’t help me choose between them.
I agree with you that for 90+% of users, they’ll be equally empowered on a Mac or a PC. But, IMHO, $1 can buy a lot more empowerment on a PC vs. a Mac (disclaimer: I work for MS).
Jason Burns
June 1st, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Oh, I totally agree Scott. I intentionally did not mention price in this because the point I wanted to make was that as someone who regularly uses both, there is no functional difference between them for me in most cases. Beyond that, there is no real handicap to style, usability or comfort either. The read between the lines message is yours, for your money, get a PC. If you want a Mac, desire a Mac or in certain circumstances need a Mac, go for it. But don’t argue that it’s better, more stable or anything like that.
Online Printing
June 26th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
I’ve heard a lot of reviews about Windows 7. Is it really good? But I don’t know if I’m ready to let go of XP already…
For me, the only difference between a PC and a Mac is that the PC is very susceptible to viruses compared to a Mac. That’s it.
… oh, and a Mac is way more expensive. So that’s actually two differences.