are apple pc's better than pc's ?

Question

and can i play games on a mac

yeah wolfy cause i'm a pc gamer and i hear all this stuff about macs " once you go mac you never go back" haha i love my pc games. but the macs seem to do better.

Answer 1

i've already posted an answer to a similar question here.the complete answer will make up a thick book,but i'll answer your's differently....i have to tell you now,my answer is long...:)

i'm a multi-platform user.i've got XP(upgrading to Vista soon) on a Sony Vaio and a MacBook PRO with osx 10.4 Tiger(upgrading to Leopard when released) installed.

my desktop machines:
windows machine i assembled myself.
another pc with Linux Obuntu installed.
a macG5(planning on getting the macPRO quad core 3.0ghz)



so,let's do an UNBIASED comparison.both operating systems have strong and weak points.sometimes a pc is better at a specific job than a mac,or inversely,a mac may do a certain job better than a pc.so it all comes down to what you're mainly going to use the machine for.

software:

macs don't have the "registry problem",and dll file problems.usually you can run a program without installing it in osx.installation is usually just dragging the icon into the applications folder.if you don't need the program anymore you just trash it,drag it into the bin.end of story.no registry hassles.(although for some programs you need to put some files into your library folder,but still easy to delete).and programs errors are usually not system wide in osx.when a program stops responding you just "force quit" it.the entire system is not affected,unlike in windows where most of the time program "hangs" and "freezes" affect the whole os,making it unstable or just freezes the whole system,requiring reboot.well sometimes the "end task" command in task manager works,depends on how the frozen program hogged the windows system,but most of the time the only thing to do is to reboot windows sometimes losing whatever you were working on.

osx has a bundled software called iLife.you can do a lot of things with it straight out of the box.
if you are going to use the computer for your personal video footage editing,for example,osx is better because of the bundled software.windows movie maker can't hold a candle to iMovie.and if your going to use a third party movie editor for windows,like adobe premiere,it's going to cost you a lot of money.
music software is the same,macs handle these files better than windows,and faster too.if for example you want to do some music file format conversions,or use music editor softwares,mac are way faster and more stable.
you also have garage band which is free and comes with iLife, if you're into writing and/or mixing your own music.with windows you need third party software for that job,like cakewalk etc.

so with macs,with the free bundled software,straight out of the box,you can already do a lot of things.you don't have to buy or look for and download the basic software for your photos,videos and music.windows is bundled with a calculator and a clock and solitaire games.

but the positive side of windows is you get a lot of choices for compatible software which is not the case for the osx.and it's the same case for all programs.because windows is more popular,more software is available for it,a program for any job,be it a video converter or editor,mp3 and music software,image editor,spreadsheet program,file sharing software,database software,compiler,hex editor,any program for any job,there is one(or more)available for windows.
and still for the same reason,because windows is more popular,there are more viruses,malware,trojans and spyware that affects it.unlike macs which don't have the same problem.

macs with osx are unix based machines,but can run multiple OS's like linux and win XP on compatible machines,either virtually or natively.

but windows has better networking capabilities,in spite of it's security issues.

hardware:

the sweet thing about macs is you just plug in your peripheral and it works,digital camera,scanner,printer,usb devices,etc,..it just works.most devices don't need drivers like in windows.
only thing is mac lacks usb support for cellphones.because cellphone manufacturers write their software with windows in mind.but with the built-in bluetooth on macs,it more or less,resolves the problem,if your cellphone comes with bluetooth capability.and it's a big issue now because cellphones are now a basic part of our lives.especially with all the modern cellphones today with their cameras and vid cams and games and built in mp3 players.

but macs are usually more stable than windows machines because of hardware-software compatibility.with windows,the hardware is usually made by different manufacturers from different countries.so there is a very large margin for software errors and compatibility issues,like drivers etc. macs use their own hardware built specifically for their machines.

but macs are not upgradable.very limited on what you can upgrade on a mac.unlike windows machines where you can upgrade anything and everything-even build your own system from motherboard,cpu,vga card,sound card,etc..you can even personalize your windows machine - have you seen a pc with transparent case with lights and fancy stuff?even the fans spin with colored lights.it's called "modding".

and for gaming,windows is better.
still for the reason that it's the more popular os,more progammers and game developers make more games for it,while manufacturers make better hardware and devices for these games,like faster video cards with more built-in memory,high resolution-lower dot pitch screens with faster pixel response time (in ms),in hard-core gaming,pixels in monitors require faster pixel response because of the speed at which the game(with textured dynamic backgrounds)is diplayed at very high resolutions.and that is just to mention some among many other things.

support:

macs usaully cost more than windows machines.but the with operating system itself,windows cost more.also with the free included sofware on a mac,you end up paying less.but a lot of people out there use "cracked and hacked" windows OS's.
because of the "activation" that microsoft introduced with XP.and that policy is giving a lot of people headaches because everytime you do a hardware upgrade - change your hard disk,increase and change your RAM chips or any hardware change at all,windows need to be "re-activated".
microsoft is too paranoid about copies on mulitple machines of their os,understandable but often exagerated.macs don't have those issues.
tech support for macs is better than windows,whichever country you reside in the western hemisphere.

bottom line - you can do a lot more with a windows machine.
really lot more.
but with some jobs that you can do with windows,if
your mac has the right program to do them,it will do
them alot better and way faster....except games.
(two machines with more or less equal specs.-
processing speeds,bus speeds,HDD latency and
access time...etc.)
sorry for going too technical on you.got carried away
because i do benchmarking too.
most people find it hard using the linux os,but when
you do learn it,it will leave both os in the dust,but
osx(mac) will not be very far behind.....windows last.

you can get a mac and have boot camp installed
to have a dual boot machine - osx and xp.
but for really serious gaming,nothing will beat a
gaming-dedicated windows machine which cost
more than a mac,or you can build your own system.
cheaper that way.

so now, i hope you have a clearer perspective on both machines,both their strong points and shortcomings.maybe someone will tell you more,but for me,in my experience,that is all i can tell you now.

also everything in windows Vista was copied from the mac OSX,(specifically the gui - the aero from aqua)modified so as not to seem too obvious.and that is the plain truth.although,this has no bearing whatsoever on the subject,i just felt i had to mention it.
to anyone who says otherwise,study computer history and look up "lisa".the first macintosh was built A YEAR BEFORE any pc,called IBM machines then.

but,whichever machine you choose,treat it exactly as it is - a machine.it was built for you,not you for it.it was made to make our lives easier,not tougher.so if the machine you choose,gives you more grief than joy,try the other one.(if you have the financial resources which not everyone has,unfortunately).

hope that helped.cheers.


note-my brother is a system builder.we own a chain of shops here i italy.i'm an computer science (is that IT in the u.s.?) graduate and i help my bro in building systems - SOHO machines and rack 19 server machines with unix and windows server software and office networking for both windows and mac environments.

Answer 2

God, you people really do eat up Apple's "trendy" ad campaigns, don't you? Hehe.

The truth is: The common Mac is better than the common PC based on price alone...BUT!...(there's always a "but)

...if you have the money to spend on a Mac, you would be much smarter to use that money on a quality PC which could run circles around a Mac at the same price.

Here is where everyone's errors lie:
You guys are comparing the common PC to the common Mac, which are, respectively:
1) A crappy eMachine that cost about $400 or so new.

2) A MacPro or even MacMini that cost at least $1300 new.

Now let's do a REAL analysis. Go to the HP website and customize a computer with the following specs:
-2GB RAM
-80GB Harddrive
-512MB Graphics Card
-Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
-Windows Vista Home Premium (which includes Media Center and Voice Command)

Now, go to the Apple website and customize a computer with the SAME specs...(obviously not with Windows, hehe).

You are now looking at a computer that costs THOUSANDS of dollars more than the HP, and doesn't offer Media Center (OS-based "Tivo", etc), doesn't offer Voice Command (which I use constantly), and isn't compatible with 95% or more of the software out today. If you have a job that isn't with Pixar, and requires ANY specialty software (Matlab, HyperChem, Goldwave, etc), you're out of luck.

Congratulations...you've made a horrific financial decision.

But it's OK, because the Apple commercials are so cool, they deserve your money even though they've just ripped you off for a computer than can't do half of what a Microsoft system can.

Answer 3

I have both a mac and a pc and if your a die hard gamer,then most people to go with pc's but, with boot camp on you mac, you can dual boot mac os x and windows. So it really is a matter of what you do with your machine. Macs are stable running machines and well built as well. They capture most artist from every aspect, and more colleges are using them as well. They are good productivity machines as well. I not say that windows isn't good at productivity but, a system crash hurts. Really it doesn't matter what you use, but to have non-stop action, put windows on your mac and use it as a dedicated gaming partion and for the apps. that you like in windows. I also like what other's stated, more apps are for windows. So if you are a light gamer but with a need for productivity. Then sure stay with windows. I'm not going to lie, I like my windows media centers and dedicated gaming machines; however, a mac makes everything really user friendly, so if your not that tech inclined get a mac, if so then get windows or try linux.

Answer 4

Do research, research and more research.

Most people will tell you "Go with a Dell' or something.

A computer is as good as it's operating system.

What do you want to do with it?

Gaming, internet, video production, code writing?

Look around, see what's out there. Check prices.

Please do your research and make your OWN choice wisely.

Yes, you can play games on a Mac. You can run Window's XP on a Mac. You can run Linux on a Mac.

With a Mac you can put almost any OS you want on it. You can write your own Apps for it, on it.

With a PC, initially your forced fed Windows. Then you can erase it and put Linux or DOS on it.

A Mac is the Bently in a PC Ford world.

I've been a Mac lover since the Mac SE. From OS 6.0.4 all the way to Tiger 10.4 on a G5. And still loving it.

Answer 5

There are some games that will run on a mac....but most games are designed for a PC

Answer 6

When I first got an Apple they were ideal for what I wanted (graphics and music) and I loved the easy user interface. I have a MAC and PC now and really there isn't much to choose. It depends what you want to do.

However, personally I still love MACs, as the guy said . . 'they are special'

Answer 7

It all really depends what you put inside the box. PC's are cheaper and easier to customize. Macs can be great too, however, its more costly. Top of the line, Mac, really moves, though.

Answer 8

Most people who switch to macs switch to it due to an ignorance in their usage and knowledge in general, the same people who just figured out that that "cup holder" is actually a CD tray.

Answer 9

pc is perfect for most ppl, but the mac is special! :-)