What are apple notebooks good for?

Question

I'm a college student and I need a laptop. I can't decide if I want an apple or a PC. What are the advantages and the disadvantages of each?

Answer 1

Most people who use pc's have never spent much time using a mac. Their opinions are based on things they have heard or assumed, and are generally wrong. The Mac vs PC question appears on here all the time, and every time I see clueless people saying complete rubbish about macs. "You can only use one mouse button on a mac" "You can hardly get any software for a mac" "Macs are for people who don't know how to use computers properly" "Macs are only good for graphic design" Etc etc. It's all total rubbish.

The only person who's going to give you an objective answer is somebody who's spent a lot of time using both.

99.99% of the people i know who have spent a lot of time using a mac prefer them, 99.99% of the people i know who prefer pc's have never used a mac. I prefer macs and have used pc's for over ten years. The best things about a mac can only be discovered by actually using them. It's not just to do with the technical specifications or software you use - it's about the whole experience of actually using the computer. Everything about macs is cleverly thought out, even after using them for years I still find new features all the time. For me life on a mac is just so much better than life on a pc. I really find it hard to understand how people can put up with using windows. Using it just makes me want to throw my pc out of the window.

On my mac I can do everything I could do on a pc (and more) and it's so much easier to do it. If you buy a device like a printer or digital camera, you just plug it in and it works. No need for drivers. If you decide to format your computer, it's a simple and hassle free process on a mac. It's a nightmare on a pc, trying to find all the drivers and stuff takes ages. Thinks like getting on the internet or setting up a network are much easier on a mac. I bought a wireless modem and had my mac on the net within 30 secs of taking the modem, it took about half an hour of installing software and messing around to get my pc on the net. All of the software and hardware is designed to work together, so there's never time wasted trying to get things to work, it just works.
I can't really think of any reason to buy a pc. Macs can be more expensive, but you get what you pay for. Macs are not made out of the cheapest parts, like most pcs - macs are built to last.
I just read something the other day where someone had compared the new macbook to the most similarly specced Dell laptop, and the Dell was actually more expensive. So money is not the issue here. Macs come with loads of stuff as standard that pc's don't tend to come with, like bluetooth and wireless. If you take all these things into account Macs are not expensive at all. The fact that macs can run OSX and Windows means that you are effectively getting a mac and a high quality pc for your money.

People say that macs aren't upgradable, but most of the major parts can be upgraded, particularly on new macs. What percentage of people actually upgrade their pc anyway, most people just use it for a few years untill it gets clogged up with crap then throw it away and by a new one. By the time a pc needs upgraded your better off buying a new one. Most people are too scared to even do something like change the RAM on their computer, so they are more than likely gonna have to pay loads of money for someone else to upgrade it anyway. My work still uses 8 year old imac and they run the latest version of the oparating system, where are all the 8 year old pc's?
From my point of view there is loads of great software for the mac that you can't get for the pc, but i can't think of anything that is pc only that there isn't something the same as or better than on the mac.
If i wanted to play games i'd just buy a games console or install windows on my mac.
You don't have to worry about viruses or spyware on a mac, crashes are virtually a thing of the past. My Macbook Pro has never even come close to crashing. I find anti-virus software slows your system down a lot, so it's great if you don't have to use it. Even after several years without being formatted my G5 mac still runs like a dream, it never freezes, slows down or needs restarted.
It is possible to have a stable, fast pc - but it's a lot of hassle. You'd have to spend a lot of time looking after it, keeping software to a minimum, keeping it away from the internet, keeping your hard drive clean and tidy, and you'd really have to know what you were doing. Running antivirus and a cleanup wizard is not enough to keep your pc at it's optimum performance, particularly considering the way most people treat computers. It's something that you don't have to worry about on a mac. Another advantage of macs is that most software is contained entirely within one file or icon, it doesn't install bits and pieces all over your hard drive, so if you want to remove a program you just click on it and press delete and all traces of it are gone! It's far too difficult to remove all traces of something from your pc, and it's far too easy to delete something thats really important.
Apple have one countless awards for innovation and design, many of there products are considered design classics. I've yet to see a pc that actually looks good. Most pc's that have been customised to look "cool" just look really cheesy. The equivelant of people who buy a crap car and spend loads of money customising it with stickers, huge spoilers, fancy lights and various other tasteless crap. Macs look great straight out of the box.

There's loads more stuff I could write but this is getting a bit long as it is, so just do a search for mac on yahoo answers for plenty more info, or see the "get a mac" section on the apple website.

At the end of the day pc's are still alright, and loads of people are happy using them, but loads of people don't know any better. The fact that most people use a pc doesn't mean they are better - McDonalds is the most popular restaurant in the world and I wouldn't eat there if i was paid.

I'd really like to hear one good reason to buy a pc, I really can't think of any.

There is also new software out called crossover which lets you run pc applications in Osx without having to use windows. I managed to run an .exe file straight from my desktop the other day.

Answer 2

The apple chips are faster, the interface is more intuitive, you're less likely to get viruses. They are the industry strandard for graphic designers.

Though Apples do come with an apple version of windows, you may still have issues with compatability, especially if you want games on, or have PC software(like MS Office) you already own and want to install on your machine. You cannot upgrade them the same way you would a PC.

PCs are generally cheaper, but shop around.

Answer 3

One word: media. Apple is best known for it's media options whether audio or video it's still leaps and bounds ahead of the PC crowd. So unless you are going into this field (animation, sound recording, film) I'd go with the PC since it has more universal usage and thusly more applications available.

P.s. The only toss up would be Architecture (AutoCAD is quite popular on Apple too) you would have to decide which applications you want or what your minor would be. Check with your professors if you still can't decide.

Answer 4

Mac's can do just about anything PC's can do. The software may be slightly different, but they all do the same thing. Apples have great programs which are really easy to use, such as movie editing (iMovie), DVD burning (iDVD), creating songs (Garage Band), easy photo viewing (iPhoto). PC's have this software available, but most of it you have to purchase, where as it comes within the package with the mac. Also, macs are practically virus free. They do not get viruses, where as PC's do. I dont know all of the technical details, but go to www.apple.com and search for it, it gave me an insight as to what macs are like and persuaded me to buy one, and im happy with it. If you arent satisfied with all of the answers on here, u can go to www.macosx.com and ask questions there, as they specialise in Apple products. I have been using a PC my whole life and i got used to my mac in a matter of weeks. Its easy to use, so if you are a bit hesitant when it comes to knowing how to use it, you learn quick. Overall i recommend you get a Apple, it has so many advantages. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Apple computers are dumbed down computers. PC's are more of an industry standard, so they are easier to care for and upgrade. But it is really up to you and which you will prefer.

I am a college student as well and I would be lost without my HP laptop (that's a PC). I suggest a PC, but that is just me.

Answer 6

They're very good for content creation (editing movies, creating music, etc.) because they're remarkably reliable (UNIX based OS :) and require little maintenance (virus and spy-ware prob. cuz of diff. OS architecture); plus you can make your mark in the world by not fattening uncle Bills wallet (though you can go the open source way with a UNIX box and tell both Jobs and Gates to go screw themselves!)

Answer 7

what aren't they good for?! media wise they are incredible, they come with amazing software (check out apple.com for all the details) they are almost virus free and with the new computers apple just released and the software options you can literally switch your apple from the standard os mode to using windows.

Answer 8

go with what you know.

If you are used to the mac os, then get an apple

If you are used to windows, then get a pc

If you are used to linux/solaris/netware, then get a pc

a pc is more versatile from what I have seen (but then again I have not tried to do much with the mac because I didn't know how to use it.)

personally I have a HP 19" sidescreen laptop, and love it.

Answer 9

Get the Apple. Hackers don't bother making viruses for them, or so I heard. They are bad ***.

Answer 10

there only good for paperweights, get any PC besides an apple

Answer 11

good for graphics, video, music stuffs. also good for not getting viruses. best for those who working as graphic designers, animation artists, commercial artists DTP