I'm thinking of buying a mac laptop (iBook). What are the advantages and disadvantages of mac rather than PC

Question

Looking for detail please! I cant really find this specific question on the internet - but I'm looking to use it for media stuff like photos and film etc. Something around the £700 area

Is it worth me buying a PC or a Mac?

Answer 1

Operating Systems are different. Programs available for these systems differ greatly. Macs have historicaly performed better for audio, video and photography editions.
However, the macs are usually more expensive because they use higher level parts. Keep in mind that you can find windows to perform as good or better than a Mac if your willing to spend the money.

NEVER buy a Mac for gaming. Good luck finding the games!

Answer 2

Get a Mac definitely, the new Macbook is amazing, Mac just make life so much easier, everything is right there, you don't have to spend hours searching for it! The operating system is different so if you have always worked with pc's then it can take a bit of getting used to but after about 5 seconds you'll have the hang of it!

Every one thinks pc are better because they are more readily available and more people use them, but that also means that there are lots of different manufacturers who make them and a massive difference is the quality available. With a Mac you always know what you are getting cos they all come from the same place and the iLife suite which comes as standard has some pretty funky photo, DVD and music capabilities.

Answer 3

Its hard to say. I much rather have a PC other then a mac for many reasons. I took the courses and I dedicate my life to computers. I have used both but I would never buy a mac. I dislike laptops because you cannot upgrade them as much witch is all I do.

If your not into gaming and such you could get a mac but the way I see it unless your into high quality photo and video mostly video edited you don't need a mac.

PC's can use more software and when it comes to Pictures or videos that's basic PC stuff anyhow plus you have the option to upgrade more better later on. I really hate macs and I dislike laptops but I think laptops are more for pictures and videos anyhow.

If I were you I would spend around $1300+ on a PC laptop.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Macs are more stable. Less suceptible to viruses. FASTER than PC's with the same CPU speed. Made with top-quality components. They use OS X operating system which is rock solid, built on a UNIX platform, and doesn't have as many problems as Windows.

If you needed to, you can actually run Windows XP on a Mac using VirtualPC software. I've heard that Macs run Windows XP faster and more stable than a PC. ;)

If you purchase a copy of MS Office, you'll be able to create files in Word, Excel, etc. that will also work correctly on PC's.

Macs cost more, but it's like buying a Ferrari instead of a Hyundai.

One more recommendation... Buy the AppleCare Protection Plan. Laptops are VERY difficult to fix if anything goes wrong, and AppleCare will fix it for you if something does go wrong.

Answer 5

I've used both for years. PCs grudgingly, in my boring day jobs, and Macs, happily, for study and creative work. So yes, I'm biased!
PCs are, of course, much more widespread. More companies make software and hardware for them - some of which works well, some which doesn't.
The thinking that PCs are better for business use while Macs are better for graphics/creative use is a bit of a myth - only partly based on fact!
For me, Macs win hands down because of the operating system. While Windows is starting to look more like a Mac environment with each release, only Mac OS X is based on the Unix code. It's rock solid reliable, logical and easy to use. And it's constantly being improved. There's a great wealth of support and info available through the Apple site.
Apple computers come with Apple software - iPhoto and iMovie are good basics for your media work. If you're serious about film editing, you'll want to get Apple's Final Cut (Express or Pro).
I can only suggest that you hook up with some Mac users, or pay a visit to an Apple store, to see what a joy they are to use.

Answer 6

You can pick up a PC notebook cheaper that an apple but less viruses are written for macs. Macs dont have better processes they use the same Intel chips that are put in PCs! Now you can actually run XP on a mac so when it comes down to it its more just personal preference, personally I use PCs exclusively. The whole virus thing really isnt that big of a deal because as long as your care full and run anti-virus and spyware programs you will be fine so if your on a tight budget I suggest a PC.

Answer 7

the new macbook is the one to go for, you can run both operating systems (tho not at the same time of course). The mac is a superior machine, user friendly, far less prone to viruses and has better security. The only downside is the price of software and it's not as readily available as pc software.

Answer 8

If you going to use it for media then the Mac would be your best bet. All of their media files, I-photo, I-DVD, I-movie, etc are easy to access from one another and the movie effects are much better. If you plan on using it more for word processing then I would say a windows computer, you have more available programs to use.

Answer 9

The reason I got one was that I got fed up with Windows. This computer hardly ever crashes (and when it does it's because I use a beta format of an internet package) and so the data doesn't get gradually corrupted like it did with my Windows-based desktop. Other than that, I don't think there's much difference really - and you pay slightly more for a comparative model than you would for a non-Apple laptop, but I think it's worth it.

Answer 10

There are little or no disadvantages of buying a Mac. Several reasons being: No virus problems, better performance, and the list goes on and on. Oh, by the way, the list is here: http://www.apple.com/getamac