PC or mac?

Question

I was thinking of changing my windows PC soon but i am not sure wheather i should buy another PC or wheather i should buy a mac, i heard that it is highly unlikeley to get viruses on a mac.

which would u reccommend?

Answer 1

Unlike what another respondent wrote, Macs are supposedly easier to use than PCs. And as you wrote yourself, you're much less likely to get viruses on a Mac because it's a less popular type of computer than Windows-based PCs and therefore less often targeted by writers of viruses.

But there are some plus sides to choosing a Windows PC as well: they are typically a lot cheaper because there's much more competition among the suppliers of such computers, and (I think very importantly) you're already used to using a Windows PC. It may take you a while to get accustomed to Macs.

The bottom line, really, is that no matter what type of system you use, you need to learn what risky behavior is, and how to avoid it. Because even though it's 'highly unlikely' that you get a virus on a Mac, it's not impossible.

If you do decide to go for a Windows PC, then here are some tips:
1) once per month, update your version of Windows. You can do this by starting Internet Explorer (IE), and choosing the menu option Tools, sub option Windows Update. Follow the instructions on the screen.
2) install a virus scanner. AVG is free and good.
3) get a firewall. Some are available in software but I prefer routers with built-in firewalls.
4) NEVER open attachments in e-mails that you don't expect. Only open the attachment if it's accompanied by a note from a sender who you know to be trustworthy. The note should also be in the same style as that friend always uses. If he typically starts his e-mails with "Hey, Pal!" and all of a sudden he starts it with a very generic "Hi!", don't open the mail. In general, it's typically a good idea to ask for a confirmation ("Did you really send me an attachment that I should open?")
5) when you download and install software, only download from sites/companies/organizations you trust. This implies that if you download software that you know is produced by company X, you should try to download it from company X's website directly.
6) when you receive an e-mail that invites you to go to a site where you're asked to enter your user name and password that (e.g.) you use to access your bank account, don't do that. It's called phishing, and the people behind the site will use your access code to steal your money. BTW: Firefox warns you when you're about to access such a site (not with 100% accuracy, though, so stay alert!).

Less importantly, security-wise, but still useful: replace as much software from Microsoft for other software. Microsoft's products (Windows AND other products such as Office) are often targeted by virus-writers. You could replace

7) Internet Explorer with either Firefox or Opera. With point 1, above, in mind it means that you'd only use IE when you're updating your version of Windows.
8) Outlook (Express) with an e-mail client such as Thunderbird.
9) Microsoft Office with OpenOffice.

For download links, see the source list below.

Answer 2

More advertising, a stronger marketing team, simple design, homogeneity. PC is basically any computer not a mac, and of course they will run the gamut in quality/price/design. Therefore the only thing that Macs really have over every PC is that they can run Apple proprietary software. There's also an image thing that I'm noticing with Macs. Due to their branding and advertising Macs are identified as "cooler" than their PC counterpart in certain subcultures. I'm seeing that a lot of you put down 'virus free' as one of the major pros of a mac. That however has to do with the Unix based operating system run on the Mac rather than the Mac itself. If PC users are so inclined, they can also get a virus free operating system in one of the many Linux flavors.

Answer 3

Two of your answerer's said that Mac's are hard to use and they are both wrong, Mac's are much easier to use than PC's and Macs are infinitely superior in quality to almost all PC's. Mac's are bespoke machines used by professionals in the media industries. Macs are a joy to use. Macs do not normally get viruses because at least 99 per cent of viruses are written for PC's. PC's tend to be chosen by sheep. Mac's tend to be chosen by creative individuals. With the right software Macs can do anything a PC can do except perhaps handle certain interactive web sites that do not support the Mac operating system. If you have any creative ambitions relating to the media industry I would definitely suggest a Mac. Most Mac users swear by Macs, I have a G5 and it's awesome. The obvious thing to do is to tell some Mac users what you intend to use your computer for so that they can tell you if Mac's can handle those tasks. If the answer is yes then get a Mac because once you get used to it which will not take very long you will probably fall in love with it.

Answer 4

Definetly get a Mac.
I'm a new convert, I loveeeee it.
And if you're feeling a bit windows sick... the new Mac OS is going to allow you to partition a piece of your hard drive for windows, and then allow you to run mac as well. You switch between them with the click of a mouse! I don't know why one would want windows polluting their mac, but you get my drift :-)
It's coming out this year sometime. Macs are so easy to use everything is drag and drop basically. They're amazing, make the switch, you won't regret it.

Answer 5

I would go with a Mac if getting viruses is your main concern. The learning curve is not as steep as some people think it is. The only main difference besides the OS, obviously, is the price and software that comes with a mac usually has a solid purpose or job such as photo editing and such.

Answer 6

Macs are VERY easy to use, reliable, great quality, competitively priced with SIMILARLY SPECCED PCs. They don't suffer from viruses/malware at the moment.

If you really miss Windows you can install it on the latest Intel Macs anyway and get the best of both worlds.

Get a FREE Mac here.

Answer 7

You can go for PC only.

First reason is that you are habituated in using a PC.

Second, virus can affect anywhere either PC or Mac.

To protect your PC from virus, get the latest anti virus software.

May you enjoy all the 364 days of this new year in infinite peace and infinite bliss.

Answer 8

Get a PC, because if you are not familiar with Mac, you may have to spend a year getting used to it.

Answer 9

1

Answer 10

Buy an intel based mac so you can install Windows as well if you want. You can even dual boot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel-based_Macs