Pc or MAC?

[lottie63]

So ... I m still searching for a family computer. Can anyone tell me if they re are any advantages/disadvantages of MACS v PCs? I have an iphone, my daughters have apple shuffles and ipodtouches.

Me and dh use laptops for work with windows on

Which is better?

[niceguy2]

It depends on what you need to do and your budget.

I have an imac as my primary computer. The reason I love it is because:

• It's all in one. The only cable is the power cable.
  
• It's more than fast enough for what i need. I don't really play games.
  
• The screen is simply sublime and I need that for accurate editing of photos.
  
• It rarely crashes and I don't need to worry about viruses etc
  
• It sleeps and wakes up religiously unlike Windows which is a bit of a lottery when using sleep modes.
  
• It looks fantastic.
  

What I dislike is:

• Not all applications are available for the mac. There are quite a few programs I want to use but cannot without installing Windows. That said, if all you want to do is surf the web, listen to iTunes etc then it's fine.
  
• It is more expensive than an equivalent PC by a few hundred quid. Apple products are never cheap.
  

There's no real advantage/disadvantage of having a mac if you have an iphone/ipod.

[TapselteerieO]

I think price and quality are the main differences.

A mac is more expensive, to me it is much easier to use, more intuitive and just better looking than any pc, no virus problems, plus so far my mac has lasted years - I only have a mac mini, my mum has an imac, both are 6 years old and still going strong - worth every penny.

Our next purchase will be an imac. I still have loads of cables though - speakers etc.

[flatpackhamster]

You've already gone quite a long way down the Mac route with all your gadgetry so the next logical step is to buy a Mac.

Of course you'll be spending twice as much on your computer (at least) as you would on a PC, but if you have that kind of disposable income and you have no software that requires a PC (such as Sage Accounts for example) then why not buy a Mac.

Personally I think they're a waste of money for a home user, but it's your money.

[milktraylady]

Mac mac mac
I got a mac laptop over 4 years ago (the white one) and it works as perfectly as the day I bought it. What pc can you say that about eh?

Yes it is way more expensive than a pc but there are other good things-
Screen quality is beautiful
iPhoto is great
iMovie super for making mini DVDs (this would cost lots to buy on a pc)
Useabilty is a dream.
Works beautifully with all the other maccy gadgets

Have a play with pc & mac in pc world- most have a mac section now with a bored mac bod happy to show you how they work.

Obviously apple does do annoying things, like making you pay for software upgrades, not supporting old kit. But my laptop is grrrrreat!

[Chopstheduck]

Mac, no question about it! I refuse to use windows since getting one.

[Bunbaker]

If it is to be a family computer will your DCs need it for homework? You would need something that is compatible with the software the school uses, so a Mac might be a little impractical.

If you want photo editing software there are some free ones you can download or you can buy Photoshop Elements (which is what I use).

[Chopstheduck]

I've never had any compatibility issues. Macs are getting increasingly popular, so developers do need to ensure their software is compatible.

[NulliusInBlurba]

I think for a majority of people, once they go over to using a Mac they never want to go back to using Windows - it seems clunky and inelegant. It's a bit like comparing a video recorder to a DVD (although Windows devotees just can't see that).

The only problem I have right now is getting my printer software to work with the most recent OS update 10.8, but that happens to Windows systems too.

[StackOverflow]

About the availability of software for Macs: you can in fact install additional operating systems on a Mac, i.e. your Mac is capable of running Windows (or Linux) and hence all Windows applications.

Installation is pretty straightforward; there are a gazillion user friendly tutorials online. Mine currently contains three different operating systems.

On the other hand: IME support at Apple has worsened as popularity of their products has increased, and their repair service is ridiculously expensive. For a family computer, this is potentially relevant. If you have any concerns about your kids spilling their drinks on it: be aware that you can buy a brand new PC for what Apple will charge to repair liquid damage.

Also: their geniuses usually aren't.

[PedroPonyLikesCrisps]

Macs are far more expensive than they should be for what you get. If you're used to windows then the Mac is NOT intuitive, nothing is where it should be, there's only one mouse button (presumably because you're not allowed options) and the whole Apple ecosystem is terribly restrictive. Oh and don't believe what you hear about viruses. It's all typical Apple marketing faff. What they say is "Macs don't get PC viruses". Go figure! They get Mac viruses. Macs are also regularly proven to be easier to hack into.

[lottie63]

Okay.. Am almost persuaded. But... PAY for software updates??! Can someone explain how much and how they get away with it?

[StackOverflow]

"If you're used to windows then the Mac is NOT intuitive"

Trouble is: neither is Windows8!

[Bunbaker]

"Trouble is: neither is Windows8!"

You are so right there StackOverflow. OH installed it on his laptop and uninstalled it a few days later. He gets a computer magazine mailed to him every month and this month's issue shows how you can customize Windows 8 to work like Windows 7. Trying to find the shut down button is a joke isn't it.

[milktraylady]

Pay for software updates- they updated the snowleopard to lion (or the other way round) it cost £10. I didn't bother as I like they way it runs. My dad did update & didn't see a huge difference.

Also the new improved version of iPhoto was £10, I did get that. And it's just about worth it. But really not that necessary. (I do quite alot of photo editing & store all my photos in iPhoto so I wanted the new functionality)

[milktraylady]

Btw snowleopard is the mac operating system name, like windows 7 etc.

[Happypiglet]

Hi can I ask some thick questions? My DH wants to move to a Mac and I am not sure.
I am the major home PC user and use it mainly for e mail (via outlook express), Microsoft word and excel and photo downloading and minor editing before uploading to snapfish. The kids have a few maths Cd rooms from school that they use. I also print off loads od documents sent via e mail I. Word and PDFs.
Can most of this be done on a Mac?

[TapselteerieO]

Yes, all of those can be done on a mac, you get word for mac etc too.

I don't understand the comment about the mouse - I have an ordinary non-mac mouse plugged into my mac, it is pc compatible, has both buttons - left/right click.

[NicholasTeakozy]

Anybody who says there are no viruses for Mac is misguided. There are loads. The virus writers nowadays use a program that asks your computer which OS it uses and installs the compatible virus.

I have a pc and it's virus free. I use a free antivirus program that updates automatically, and occasionally run a (free) antispyware program. And CCleaner.

Save your money and get a PC.

[StackOverflow]

Happypiglet

I don't think there is Outlook Express for MacOSX. It hasn't even been used on Windows since Vista came out. MacOSX does ship with its own mail client, though, which is just as easy to use.

There's definitely lots of photo editing software for Macs - both pay and free, the same goes for PDF viewers. You can get both MS Office or Open Office for the Mac as well.

Whether learning software is compatible will really depend on the vendor. A lot of them are - but I have come across stuff that was based on Microsoft .NET, so that won't work.

As mentioned above, you CAN install Windows as a second operating system on your Mac. This will obviously take care of any compatibility issues.

[Cahoootz]

We have a house full of IPhones, Ipads, shuffles, a mac book and an iMac. Although I love the way they all sync with each other I didn't find the IMac as intuitive as I thought I would. I am a confident computer user but it has taken me a little while to get used to the IMac.
So far, all our well used Apple products have worked perfectly every single time

[flatpackhamster]

NulliusInBlurba

I think for a majority of people, once they go over to using a Mac they never want to go back to using Windows - it seems clunky and inelegant.

Depends on your definition of 'inelegant'. I consider the Mac OS to be inelegant and frustrating and almost devoid of useful troubleshooting information when there's a problem.

It's a bit like comparing a video recorder to a DVD (although Windows devotees just can't see that).

No, it's a bit like comparing a 2-seater £50,000 sports car to a Ford Focus. The first is amazing - at what it does, and what it does it is fact quite narrowly defined. The second does a bit of everything reasonably well.

The only problem I have right now is getting my printer software to work with the most recent OS update 10.8, but that happens to Windows systems too.

Occasionally. But I have far more compatibility issues, on average, amongst my Mac-using clients.

[Chopstheduck]

It took me a little while to get used to a mac too, but it wasp worth every minute!

I've no doubt macs do get viruses, but we've had ours three years andnno probs. the kids windows laptop was reformatted 3 months ago and already has spyware andntrojans on it.

[NicholasTeakozy]

Chops your kid is either unlucky or visiting dodgy websites. My pc is clean. The only time I got anything was via a p2p file sharing website, so now I don't use them. Can't remember which one, sorry. Also, I use NoScript which disables JavaScript unless you allow it.

[niceguy2]

Well Windows 8 is very confusing, even to me and I'm a total and utter geek.

The update thing is a non-issue really. You have to pay for a major update just like you do for Windows. You can always stay as you are. I havent upgraded to the latest version on my iMac just because there isn't anything on there I really want. Mac updates are usually very inexpensive.

I must admit I like the parental controls on the mac too. They are basic but built into the mac and it makes it easy for parents to use.

Lastly I like the fact I have a mac at home and the kids use Windows at school. My kids are now able to switch between both operating systems without even batting an eye lid. That has to be good for their ICT skills.

[PedroPonyLikesCrisps]

Windows 8 uninitiative? Actually I beg to differ. I love it. It's much more sensible than previous versions. All the functions are now more generic across the board. E.g. of you want to search for something, anything, you can do it all from one search screen. Like with any version of windows you are better off customising it to your liking, but at least you can do that! I'd take windows 8 over a Mac any day.