PC Versus Mac Debate

The PC versus Mac debate is raging in my house. We have both available for use so hopefully the opinions presented by those around me are at least somewhat based on actual experiences. So why are their opinions so polarized?

I have an aging iMac desktop machine at home that works just fine for all the things that I need to do. Which includes the usual email and web browsing but also serves well for video editing and photo management. At work I use an Intel based PC that is just amazing for all the applications that I need to run there, usually 5 to 7 at any one time. I couldn't ask for a more capable machine. It has lots of RAM and a nice big 21-inch LCD screen. I love it.

My teenaged son on the other hand wouldn't touch a pc unless a gun was pointed to his head. He and his friends seem to think that the pc or anything Microsoft is something to be avoided like the plague. Although they do seem to go mute when I point out that the Xbox they are playing is a Microsoft product. Selective preferences seem to be okay for them when it suits their entertainment needs.

For me having capable computing power when and where I need it is much more important than the relative cool appeal of whatever type of machine I have available. I couldn't give a rats behind whether or not the machine has any kind of sex appeal. As long as I can get it to do what I want ask of it. If I could make an old Commodore 64 do what I needed then that would be okay with me. I suppose I just don't look at my computer as any sort of status symbol.

I look at computers as appliances, just a means to an end. I don't expect my toaster to add anything to my social status beyond making toast when I put the bread in. And it's no different when it comes to computers. They are there to do our bidding. Nothing more. If a Mac is better at running graphics software then that is the platform to use. And if a PC is better suited when it comes to business applications then that is great too. It's just an appliance! If it does what you are asking then what more do you need? My car is an aging Toyota Camry (also an embarrassment to my son) that will easily exceed all posted speed limits so why would I need something faster? To me the car is just a necessary transportation appliance. Nothing more.

Why then do so many have such strong opinions on the PC vs Mac systems? Is it just marketing? Or maybe the wanting to belong to a community of like minded individuals. I don't think you can ever underestimate the power of the herd mentality. If all your friends think that the Mac (or PC) is the only way to go then it becomes very hard to buck the flow and go your own way. You run the risk of having to justify your choice to your peers with the possibility of great ridicule. As if it really matters in the end what type of processor does the work for you.

What I have noticed however as a distinguishing point is the relative lifespan of the two platforms. As I mentioned I have an aging Mac at home that still works as well as the day I brought it home. My PC friends on the other hand seem to be in a constant need of an upgrade. Over time their pc's just get slower and slower. This is despite all there efforts using firewalls and virus scanners. Things that are unnecessary with a Mac of course. At least for now while the Mac has only about a 5% market share that leaves little incentive to write those viruses for so few. Does that really make the PC an inferior platform for our needs?

Not at all. The PC is still the choice of most of the worlds users of the desktop computer. The huge array of software available for the PC is just one of the many reasons why it is king. There are a huge number of companies providing both hardware and software that use the Windows operating system. Resulting in a highly competitive marketplace that has because of this competition kept the prices at astonishingly low prices. You can now buy a good laptop complete with Windows and other companion software for under $500.00! And desktop computers can be had even cheaper. Just try to get a Mac for anything less than double that.

The cool appeal certainly is a huge factor. Macs have that in spades. Even with the higher price of entry they have a rabid fan base. Mac users are so dedicated to their machines almost to the point of obsession. They believe this strongly for reasons that could only be rooted in loyalty to Apple's vision of a unique alternative to the Microsoft near monopoly. There will always be a segment of the population that feels the need to rebel against a successful corporation. I know people that refuse to drink a Starbucks coffee and not that they will likely admit it but I suspect it is just the fact they perceive the company to be just too corporate. Too successful. Microsoft is all of that. A large very successful corporation, therefore they must be hated.

It's all good of course. It makes for a healthier marketplace to have some competition for the large dominant corporations. There is always room for more choices available to the consumer.