“Shopping for a computer would be easy, if it weren’t for that whole Windows-versus-Mac thing,” Rob Pegoraro writes for The Washington Post. “Fortunately, that may be a simpler choice than you think — and making that call first can greatly simplify the rest of your home-computer shopping. Apple is making a strong pitch these days. The price to switch can be little more than $500, the cost of the Mac mini. That and other Macs ship with an outstanding set of multimedia programs — iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD — and continue to be free of viruses, spyware, browser hijackings and many other Windows diseases.”
Pegoraro writes, “Meanwhile, Windows XP, despite a stream of patches from Microsoft, remains a shaky structure that many users struggle to maintain. When even playing a CD can get a computer infected (as buyers of Sony’s ‘copy-protected’ CDs have found), things need to change. But XP’s replacement, Windows Vista, won’t arrive until the fall of next year and possibly later. The choice between these systems is often phrased as ‘why get a Mac instead of a PC?’ But given Windows’ painful history of insecurity and dysfunctionality, it’s worth flipping that around: Why not use the safer, more reliable system?”
“‘Because everybody uses Windows’ is neither relevant nor true. There are other possible reasons, but you need to decide if they matter,” Pegoraro writes. “One is software: While you can find at least one Mac application in pretty much any category of software, the selection of Windows programs is dramatically superior in a few categories (most obviously, games). The Windows market also offers a far wider variety of computers. Apple makes some fantastic machines, but its lineup skips categories that you might like. For example, it doesn’t offer ultralight or big-but-cheap ‘desktop replacement’ laptops, and its cheapest desktop runs about $100 to $200 more than the starter PCs of other firms.”
Full article here.
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A few caveats those considering switching or adding a Mac: Pegoraro writes that the selection, meaning the quantity of software, for Windows is dramatically superior, not the quality. The best-in-class applications are all there on the Mac side from Adobe and other well-known software makers. Microsoft Office for Mac is also available and generally considered ahead of the Windows version; its files are also compatible with Windows. If you create a Word document on a Mac and give it to someone on a Windows box, they’ll be able to open and use it just as if you’d created it on a Windows machine. Same goes for Excel and PowerPoint. Also, most of the basic tools are already included on the Mac: a better browser, better photo management, better movie-making, better email client, better calendaring, better music-making, better DVD creation, etc.; plus a dramatically superior quality operating system: Mac OS X with Spotlight searching, system-wide dictionary, Dashboard Widgets, rock-solid stability, zero viruses, etc.
There are currently over 20,000 software titles for Apple’s Mac OS X and more are added each day. If you spent just a day to learn each one (obviously not enough time for most), you’d be done in about 55 years (not counting all of the new applications introduced over the five and a half decades you’ve spent learning). Explore your Mac OS X software options here: http://guide.apple.com/
The other main thing to remember is that you get what you pay for: Macs actually cost less than most Windows PCs, by the time you add all of the extras to make it approach what the Mac already includes. Try it for yourself by matching features and pricing out Macs vs. Windows PCs online and you’ll see what we mean – just remember that with the Windows PC, you won’t be able to have Mac OS X, iLife and many other Mac-only applications. Lastly, how much is your time worth? There are no viruses, spyware, adware, or other malware on Macs. Macs just work.
Get a Mac today. You’ll thank us tomorrow.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple Macs are less expensive than Dell PCs – April 24, 2005
Apple Macs are far easier, cost less to manage than Windows boxes – March 02, 2005
Want to switch to Mac? Mossberg answers common questions – November 10, 2005
Windows PC retailers face tough holiday season, meanwhile Apple stores are packed as Mac sales surge – November 09, 2005
Analyst estimates over a million Windows to Mac switchers during 2005’s first three quarters – November 07, 2005
Windows sufferers: It’s not your fault, but it is your problem – switch to Mac – November 07, 2005
Tech writer: Windows PCs highly vulnerable to zombie hijacking; get an Apple Mac instead – November 06, 2005
Windows switchers, now’s your chance: Apple Mac mini with Mac OS X Tiger for $379 – November 03, 2005
Computer columnist: anti-virus software purely optional for Apple Macs, not so for Windows – November 01, 2005
Microsoft apologists and why Apple’s Mac OS X has zero viruses – October 24, 2005
Mossberg: Every mainstream consumer doing typical tasks should consider Apple Mac – October 13, 2005
Mossberg: Switching from Windows to Mac – software not an expensive proposition – September 30, 2005
$500 bounty offered for proof of first Apple Mac OS X virus – September 27, 2005
Symantec: 10,866 new Microsoft Windows virus and worm variants in first half 2005 – September 19, 2005
Hackers already targeting viruses for Microsoft’s Windows Vista – August 04, 2005
16-percent of computer users are unaffected by viruses, malware because they use Apple Macs – June 15, 2005
Mossberg offers resources for Windows users interested in switching to Apple Mac – August 18, 2005
ZDNet: How many Mac OS X users affected by the last 100 viruses? None, zero, not one, not ever – August 18, 2005
Intel CEO Otellini: If you want security now, buy a Macintosh instead of a Wintel PC – May 25, 2005
Mossberg: Apple’s Tiger ‘the best, most advanced personal computer operating system on the market’ – April 28, 2005
97,467 Microsoft Windows viruses vs. zero for Apple Mac’s OS X – April 05, 2005
Stick to graphics Own Mac and PC ,English isn’t your strongpoint! I said the DIFFERENCE in speed between the Mac and PC makes no difference.
You have said more than enough to reveal your true position. And of course you have every right to it. Just face facts and admit that:
– Windows suffers from viruses, trojans, spyware etc etc etc
– Windows is hard, time consuming and expensive to maintain (well)
– Windows is considerably less intuitive than OSX
– Windows goes awry far more frequently than OSX
– And in the final analysis Windows has been trounced by OSX
In other words don’t bother to go defending the indefensible.
Over and out. Moved on…
I am so happy for all the wonderful XP experiences so many of you have related here.
My “video-gaming” son brought his new $1400 Dell to its knees in under a week. It has taken two weeks to bring it back to life and it’s still sucking.
My wifes 400 MHz Grape iMac (6 years old) and my daughters 500MHz Blue iMac (4 years old) are extremely reliable and working great without intervention. My daughter is a Pre-Med junior at University of Missouri. She regularly makes PowerPoint presentations crafted on her old iMac and delivers them on University PC hardware.
I tried to convince my son to consider a Mac but he was determined to get a Dell (the power of advertising). Unfortunately I can’t help him much with figuring out what’s wrong with it (I’m just a really stupid Mac user
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />. Last week he had our home phone tied up every afternoon trying to get Dell support to work out the problems. He spent all his savings on his new Dell and now can not afford a new X-Box.
Microsoft Office on the Mac is the least reliable piece of software I own. About half the time when I fire up Word my machine does something wierd. If I don’t use Office I have no problems.
This sent me back to Appleworks. It starts in about 2 seconds and types letters just fine.
I wish they would give Appleworks a serious update.
Yes, of course, Macaday and Pee Sea are the same person.
Macaday – do you even own a PC?
If so, could you please describe it? How old, processor, OS, etc, etc.
And your Mac, please describe it.
What do you use your computer for? From your putting down OMAP for using his mac (and pc) for graphics I wonder what you do with yours?
Randy Thompson
Graphic Artist
(Who also has a Mac and a PC)
I am absolutely NOT the same person as Pee Sea!
I use a TiBook (2001) 400Mhz G4 with 768mb RAM. I have given over to family members my G5 iMac 1.7mhz with 1 gb RAM and 12′ Aluminium PowerBook 800mhz.
I run a library of about 13,000 photographs and website (my own material), I publish a monthly technical newsletter for the insurance market and I look after a small business where I installed Dells on a network 2 years ago and maintain today. The Dells we have kept virus free (with very strict rules on usage) apart from one occasion and they have had 2 hard disk failures. I regularly go to reinstall corrupt HP printer drivers, other “stopped working” instances of accessing insurance company networks and other typical nuisance Windows activity. I also get called on like many others by: “our computer has stopped working” to be faced with the appalling mess peoples home pc’s get into. I also see a local PC repair shop near me doing fantastic business with queues to hand over PC’s.
Not always simultaneously, I typically run: Photoshop CS2; Dreamweaver; Entourage; Excel; Skype; Dejal Simon; Notetaker; iView; Adobe Bridge (for RAW nef file processing); iTunes; iPhoto (just to produce Books); Safari; Pages; Keynote; Word (less and less) and a few utilities like YASU.
I may not be the greatest expert alive Randy, but I reckon I have enough experience to feel I can determine the real life difference between running Windows and OSX. I have no doubt if I were using a Windows PC I would have it running sweetly and without viruses. I simply know that I can do that on my OSX without ANY effort on my part. I typically only reboot on software upgrades.
Why we need to have this discussion I’m not sure. The pre-eminent IT reporters in the US have been saying this for months..it isn’t anything new, and it isn’t rocket science!
Funny places these forums: I found the following gem below… (I ran a quick check on Own Mac and PC’s input to the forums and it seems he’s been the stauch defender of Windows since time immemorial!).
Read this and say well done Charko!:
Charko Apr 29, 05 – 03:44 pm
Although I’m 57, I’ve never owned a house or a car (don’t have a license and never wanted one).
I borrowed €10,000 four months ago and bought Apple shares with it. When the shares fell recently, I scraped together another €1500 and bought more Apple shares.
Everything (the little) I have is in Apple.
Of course my estimates of Mac sales are my opinion – I didn’t say I had proof, but Amazon is one of many indications that lead me to this conclusion.
It doesn’t matter how many Macs Amazon sells, it’s the proportion of the computers that are sold that is revealing.
And I see these indications all over the Internet and among my friends and aquaintances in Europe.
That’s why I have risked so much.
Comment: From: Stockboy Apr 29, 05 – 04:46 pm
Charko – First rule of investing: never put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify.
Mmmmmm. I see that Own Mac and PC has been saying he’s in the market for a new Mac….since ’03. And some-one thought there was something fishy about him THEN!
“
Comment: From: me Jan 03, 05 – 06:42 pm
Own Mac and PC said: “My next purchase of a computer will be a Mac – maybe the fictional cheap Mac people are rumoring about or the dual 3+Ghz whenever that comes out”.
That’s quite the contrast. Either a base cheapo or top of the line… sounds fishy…
You appartently have a problem. Step away from this website. Get a life.
Are you a stalker?
You are now getting scary and weird.
Macaday – don´t you realize that anyone can use any name and not be the same person???
I am the eggman, koo-koo-ca-choo!
Tis the season to be a fruitcake!
I love PCs, I just made all the mac love up.
Do not believe any of the Macaday comments made in the last 5 posts, I, Macaday, did not write them.
Note how I always say Dells suck and full of viruses and then I make the comment above:
“The Dells we have kept virus free…”
What, me a hypocrite, untruthful???
We wish you a Merry Christmas!
The pro machines are expensive because they are the worlds fastest, most powerful personal computer.
You must be talking about dual dual-core Opterons, as AMD quads continue to put a hurt on G5 quads just as their previous processors have done for so long.
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/fabien.corrente/MR.htm