PC users: Would you switch? Why, or why not? What would it take for you to switch?

Question

I'm a Mac user, just wanted to do a little poll. I want to know what's keeping people from switching to a Mac. Price is high? Not compatiable with other computers at school/work? Not sure if you'll know how to use it...etc? Keep in mind Macs now pack intel processors enabling you to boot up in Windows if you wanted to.

Answer 1

Mac commercials make you think that PC's are bulky, repetitive, and way behind. What's ironic is that Apple recently ditched IBM -- the decade-long manufacturer of their CPU technology. They balked at their original claim that IBM's CPU was superior, then switched to Intel and the "x86" platform. So much for being "unique" and "innovative". That move really shed light on the assumption we PC users have had all along that Apple has been chasing the PC.

The truth away from the propaganda in their commercials is that there's nothing a Mac can do that a PC can't.

Though Macs are generally better out of the box, by no means are they more powerful. How can it be, especially now that it has the same CPU? The debate isn't about the hardware anymore, it's about the operating system and software that's available for it. You will find more offerings with the Windows platform, and most importantly, it will be easier to find help from a friend, relative, or online when you need it.

Plus, if hardware in a Mac breaks down, good luck repairing it yourself. Most of what's in a Mac is "proprietary" (that means non-standard). With a PC, you can replace parts yourself for cheap and for the most part is easier to do. That's a side of the story you don't hear often. Buying replacement parts from Apple can get quite expensive.

Macs do have one thing going for them -- the Mac operating system OS X. When compared to Windows, it's arguably easier to learn and navigate, and can be just as powerful to customize. For someone with little or no PC experience, it can be the better decision if you want to get started in multimedia (audio & video) right away. Also, there are a lot less threats and vulnerabilities to worry about, since it's not a big target right now by script kiddies and hackers. That will change soon though, as Apple gains more of the market share over time. But for now, it's a pretty good alternative in that respect.


Nothing against Mac's overall - I just feel they're more of a pretty package with hidden maintenance costs.

_______________

I recently read an article in Maximum PC (I think the July issue) that benchmarks the latest Macs with x86 CPUs. The results were a bit interesting. For a long time now, we've been wondering if the Mac OS can run "Mac-friendly" applications like Adobe Photoshop (CS2) faster than XP can with the same CPU. Not surprisingly, it couldn't. WIth XP loaded on the same Mac, just about every application ran faster in XP.

Just some more food for thought...

Answer 2

I've seen plenty of information on how some Macs are starting use both Mac Os and Windows XP,which is cool.I really love that way it looks (sexy!).But,its just I don't want to switch now because I only had my Gateway PC for three years,and I'm worried if I use some of my PC games will able to work even if Windows can be used on Macs.

Answer 3

I have a feeling you work for Mac. If you do, great product. I use a PC because it is what i am used to now. I do know Mac is much more user friendly. So much so, that a monkey could get on it and make it work (ha ha). But, PC just had better marketing, and, because of it, everyone was using it. and Mac just wasn't compatible with everything (may be different now). I guess a PC is just what I am used to now, and old habits die hard.

Answer 4

Never! Mac creates compatibility issues when trying to work cross platform. They are cumbersome and take much longer to start up. IBM loads faster and programs don't get stuck as often. You can load up an IBM to do the same things faster and better. Sometimes, the colors on the mac don't print out true to the screen. I think they are obselete. I can create everything that the people at my job do on the mac on my IBM and do a better faster job of it at that. The windows interface is so much easier to use and makes so much more sense.

Answer 5

I've seen all the Mac commericals and while they're funny, they don't show any reason to switch. What can I do with a Mac that I can't do with a PC? And What PC features will I lose if I go to a MAC?

Answer 6

I won't switch because it isn't broke. A proprietary system is what Apple was all about, their software on their systems. I need options, the more the better. PCs offer me many more options than an Apple ever will.

Think about it, if everyone used a Mac don't you think there would be just as many problems with their systems and software as there is with the PCs? If not more because of their proprietary system?

Answer 7

ive always felt like the pc has been more user friendly and since most everyone has one its easy to get help if its needed without calling tech support. compatibilty and gaming has been a priority of mine. i do plan to purchase a mac as my next computer to work on music production and video, which i hear is better to work on a mac instead of pc.

Answer 8

I would switch, to Linux! Why go from being a windows slave to a mac slave? Do you want to upgrade a Mac? It is easy just throw it out and buy a new one.

Answer 9

I just bought a notebook recently, and did heavy comparison betwen Sony and Apple. I was really close to snatching up the Apple macbook/pro, but it just wasn't the form factor I needed (my case, however, is an outlier).

Answer 10

MS Outlook is the only thing. I guess I don't want to spend the money on Mac Office X. I dunno. But, I do have a Mac Mini that I tend to play on a lot.