Why do most if not all PC technicians discourage people from getting a Mac computer?

Question

I've had my fair share of pc problems including viruses, trojans, spyware, and adware despite having paid for virus and antispyware protection, so much that I replaced my last computer just 2 years ago, and the replacement so far has cost me $300+ in repairs cumulatively. So, I told the technician repairing my computer that I'd get a Mac next time around despite the extra cost, and he tried to convince me not to because he said the operating systerm is hard to learn or something like that. He said that if you learned on a pc, it's harder to switch over to a Mac and the repairs cost more than for a pc. He's just one of a few IT people I've spoken to who downplay the Mac. Is it because he/they are looking out for his/their business? Or is there a genuine reason for not going for a Mac if you can afford it? I'm basically a novice computer user so I don't know if there are some obvious reasons why a Mac wouldn't be a good choice. Any ideas? Thanks.

For the person who said I need to learn how to use a pc, I had my virus protection professionally installed, I run scans weekly, and I don't open e-mails from people I don't know and I have no clue why I've gotten any viruses. I use my computer for buying mp3s, for checking e-mail, and for researching reports in the past, and I burn cds and I've made a few Muvee dvds of photos, but that's it. So I guess I just think that it's a bit ridiculous to have so many problems with pcs when I'm using them for reasonable things. I know other people who have had lots of problems with their pcs as well so I know I'm not the only one, but before I make the leap and buy a Mac, I wanted to see if there was a legitimate reason why they're not a good option.

Answer 1

It all depends on what you're used to. Mac users say the operating system is easier to use, but as a PC user I find it thoroughly confusing. Mac software is also much more expensive and harder to find than PC software. Computer stores carry only a small selection of Mac titles, and Mac software almost never goes on sale or offers rebates as PC software often does. Macs are good computers, but if you're switching from a PC you need to be prepared for a learning curve in the beginning and a higher cost of ownership in the long run.

On the other hand, the upside of the limited software availability is that there are fewer Mac viruses. I don't think the Mac is necessary less vulnerable to viruses and other malware, but the people who create malware generally target PCs because there are so many more of them.

Answer 2

Depends on what you plan to do with your computer, but I would recommend Macs for home use. Since I switched from PCs to Macs a few years ago, I've owned an iBook, a Macbook, three Mac Minis and am buying a Mac Pro in the new year. Macs are, in my opinion, easier to use and set up. The hardware is consistently well-built and lasts well. I still get 5 hours of battery life from my 3-year-old iBook. In terms of the operating system, OS X "Leopard" is a cut above Windows XP and Vista. * OS X is very secure and I have never had a single virus or piece of spyware. You won't need antivirus software * OS X has a practically instant search facility that will search through files, emails, Word documents, PDFs etc. * OS X has a built in backup system that will keep a backup of your whole system, and you are able to roll-back files, folders etc on an individual basis, or restore your whole system from backup very easily * OS X has a beautiful user interface and accelerated graphical features like Expose are genuinely useful rather than being eye-candy * OS X supports pretty much every software and hardware standard that Windows does, and in some cases has better support There are some advantages of a Windows-based PC - you'll be able to upgrade components like graphics cards on a cheap PC, but not on a cheap Mac (on a Mac Mini you cannot upgrade the core components at all - only the monitor, keyboard, mouse etc are interchangeable), but it's worth noting that you can select from many hardware options when purchasing a Mac. PCs have access to a much larger selection of games, and an arguably larger selection of business software. But there are extremely good alternatives on the Mac - in particular it's worth noting that Microsoft make a fully-PC-compatible version of Office for the Mac. In terms of cost per performance you'll find that Macs are much closer to PCs these days. In fact, if you have a student discount, Macs are generally more affordable than PCs, comparing like-for-like performance, software and hardware.

Answer 3

PC's have a lot, and I mean A LOT, more software, and they are cheaper for the same hardware.

Windows programs tend to be married to each other, which means they run at optimal speeds because they all share the processing speed, but when one crashes... the whole system stops responding. It has happened to me plenty of times.

Whereas Mac's do not marry programs, which means they assign a certain amount of processing speed per program. This causes them to run much slower than a PC, but they are more reliable in the sense that if one program doesn't respond, you can use the other programs.

Also, Apple likes to take advantage of the fact that Mac's do not have viruses and spyware. The only reason that is true is because it would be a waste of the creator of the virus's time to make it for Mac. There is much more potential for damage with Windows, because the programs for PC's outnumber programs for Mac's exponentially.

Most new software comes out for Windows first, and Windows is also the standard in the business world.


I am not saying I favor one over the other, these are just facts.


Amrit

Answer 4

well , i think first and foremost they're trying to protect their business. macs have always proven far more user friendly than pc's. i learned on pc's then switched to macs when i got to college. whe i was in graduate school i had a fellowship as a lab tech repairing and imaging both pc's and macs. and let me tell you, the pc's used to drop like flies with viruses and spyware of every kind. meanwhile the only problems we'd typically have with the macs were trying to keep the obsolete machines running on new server software.
the big difference between macs and pc's is that pc's are idiot proof. they're designed for the novice user who will probably never make any modifications and just use the computer as is. macs are much more friendly to people who like to make modifications to the hardware and software. while macs do have some security flaws apple is usually much faster at fixing those flaws whereas pc's are rife with security holes and are constantly releasing patches only to have them prove useless a few months later.
as far as user interface, the main difference between macs and pc's is that macs still rely a lot more on keyboard shortcuts whereas the pc uses the 2 button mouse to do most of that stuff. but you can still use a 2 button mouse with a mac (they just don't come with one, you have to buy it from a 3rd party vendor) and they work great. or you can just learn the keyboard shortcuts. i acutally prefer that way because it keeps me from relying to heavily on the mouse and getting carpal tunnel syndrome.
the repair costs do tend to be higher with macs because there aren't many local palces that can fix them. they're all pc people. so often a mac will have to be sent back to the manufacturer or shopped out elsewhere and the shipping adds to the repair cost. but since i got my mac 4 years i had the hd crash once right after i got, it was repaired under warranty and i haven't had a single problem since.
another great thing about macs is the availibility of open source software. from office suites to photo imaging software, if you can buy it for the pc, you can download it for free for the mac. there are many pc equivilants as well but i've had much better luck finding full service, non-shareware software on the mac than the pc.
all in all i think the mac is a better, more stable computer. it does have a bit of a learning curve but it's much more user friendly and secure.

Answer 5

Mac makes great machines... Less prone to virus and popups, less prone to adware and web junk. They are awesome for multimedia applications. They offer a wide variety of compatibility. I enjoy using a mac when the chance arises.
I also have been a P.C. tech for about 11 years. I love building and repairing P.C.'s. The cost of mac repairs are not as bad as one thinks. Most of the parts are the same as a P.C. add-on parts are the same. If you use Apple parts you could spend quite a bit more for repairs. P.C.'s are a cheaper machine repairs wise.
Good luck with your new Mac...The OS is easy once you get used to it.

Answer 6

First of all i would get a mac. But the reason why they say not to get it is that before mac couldnt run windows programs, they were not compatible with it you would have to by special stuff just to get programs like windows for the mac, but now mac can run with windows programs. They also say because mac's are harder to fix or they cant fix at all so if one would go bad then you'd have to find someone that is in that sort of field.

Answer 7

A. They don't know anything about Macs.
B. Job security. They will have very few Macs coming across their desk.

Carnaby: Good post, but Macs have been coming with multifunction/multi-button mice for over a year now.

Answer 8

If you have anti-virus/spyware and your PC has to go to a repair shop for $300....you need to learn how to use a PC.

Answer 9

no a mac is a good choice. the OS is very easy to learn and it does not get viruses, spyware, or adware. all the pc techs i've talked 2 discourage geting a mac as well.

Answer 10

I guess because more soft wares are available for PC than Mac and more people know how to fix PC than Mac. I like mac though.