It’s no surprise that the war between Mac and PC users has been going on for ages. But now- a- days, Ultrabooks (the PC world’s answer to the MacBook Air) are getting better day by day. Models such as the Asus Zenbook, HP Envy and Dell XPS are a credit to the breed. We will take a closer look to evaluate the important features and technical specifications of both the Macs and the PCs.
OS
Winner: Tie
MAC into a PC (and vice verse)
A MAC can run Windows on it(By installing software like Boot Camp) whereas Apple does not allow the use of its operating system on non-Apple hardware. So a Windows PC cannot run Mac OS X.
Winner- Mac
DESIGN
Apple spends years sweating design details. As a result Macs are known for their elegant designs and stunning lines. Attractive colors and curvy looks make the MAC aesthetically more appealing than the PC. PCs have also come a long way in changing their looks. New generation ultrabooks are getting its looks closer to that of the Mac but it depends upon the PC manufacturer.
Winner: Mac
User Interface
The most noticeable difference between Macs and PCs is in the user interfaces. While both have a graphic user interface, Mac was the pioneer of the GUI technology and still continues to be the masters of it. But here we cannot say PCs have bad GUI, it totally depends upon personal preferences.
Winner- Tie (depends on user preference)
Gaming
Traditionally PCs have had the upper hand when it comes to gaming because more publishers developed games for the PC platform and PCs have also provided more powerful processors and speed is an important criterion when it comes to gaming.
Winner- PC
Hardware
Winner- tie game
Software
Both systems support most open-source software’s. Software for both systems is user friendly and easy to learn. For the average user, this may be more of a tie. But if you’re a finance person or a gamer, you know the Mac finishes a poor second.
Adobe programs and other major software titles are very similar or identical on both platforms. If a game-maker even deigns to make a Mac version of a title, it will come out months after the PC release. Instrumentation and general application software’s are generally made for PCs.
Winner: PC
Connectivity
PCs and Macs can usually share peripherals if they connect via USB, FireWire, or Bluetooth, Most popular applications for Mac and PC use the same file formats, making it simple to exchange documents with friends and coworkers or move existing files from a PC to a Mac.
Winner- tie game
CUSTOMIZATION
When you are choosing Mac then you accept a compromise that you cannot upgrade your Mac. You can’t even replace the RAM in a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro with retina display because the memory is soldered to the logic board. With PCs, it’s easy to swap out drives and sound and graphic cards, or even build a custom PC from the ground up, if you’re reasonably handy.
Winner: PC
SECURITY
Mac computers are inherently more secure than PCs. Macs are rarely the target of malware attacks and no notable virus has been written specifically to attack the brand. The reduced number of its users also allows the company to focus much of their strategy on excellent technical support and security measures while PCs have maximum number of users and hence maximum virus are made for PCs. Yet you’re secure on a PC when you have an antivirus software installed – and can withstand a hit.
Winner: Tie game
PRICE
Some of the highly engineered Ultrabooks have finally caught up to or dipped under the Rs. 55,000/- entry-level price tag for MacBook Air. But most PC users can buy a perfectly good laptop or desktop for around Rs 30,000/-.
Winner: PC
Conclusion
Mac computers are most widely used in the creative professional market, including journalism and desktop publishing, video editing and audio editing, and have also made inroads into the educative and scientific research sectors. PCs are also used with some of the video and audio editing and research purposes but are found largely as the Home or Office Computer. PCs are also widely used in gaming due to a wider variety of games available for the Windows platform.