[blackwasp]

Some topics of discussion tend to get argumentative, and the Mac OS vs Windows is one of the most debated out there (of course, next to Android vs iOS (Android vs iOS : Which do you prefer and why?) ). On one side, we have Mac OS, where the manufacturer has complete control over the hardware & software, while on the other hand we have Windows, which is a software that runs on machines made by other manufacturers. This thread is to discuss the merits and demerits of each, and help others take an informed decision on what to pick.

Mac Pros & Cons:

• More expensive to buy, although I will say Macs last longer. As an example, I'm typing this post from a 9 year old iMac. I don't know of too many 2011 Windows laptops still running. At least not smoothly.

• Tighter control over the hardware and software ensures a seamless experience for the end user. Most people will agree that MacOS provides a cleaner, purer experience.

• Less software support. If you get a Macbook, odds are that some of your favourite software don't run on it.

• A spec-war might not show a Mac as the leading choice for a given budget, it's the overall functionality that matters. A Mac requires lower system resources to deliver the same output.

• Top class display quality.

• The newer Macbooks sadly don't offer any possibility of user upgrades. E.g. the RAM is soldered on.

• Further to the previous point, customisation options (hardware) are almost zero.

• Bundled free apps include an office suite, but you will still need MS Office.

• Out-of-warranty repairs are eye-wateringly expensive.

• Even with the extended warranty option, the max you can get coverage for is 3 years. In comparison, many Windows PCs offer you 5 year warranties.

• iOS and Mac OS integration allows you to seamlessly continue your work from one device to another, if you are an iPhone / iPad user.

• Usually, less issues with drivers, blue screens etc. Even the software updates are hassle-free.

• Macs "sleep" better and "wake up" without a fuss.

• Certain creative apps are Mac only, especially from the Audio / Video / Music industries.

• Superior security and higher stability due to the control over hardware + software.

• Your choices are severely limited in the Mac OS world. As an example, if you wanted a laptop, there is just the Air, 13" Pro & 16" Pro. With Windows, you probably have 500 options.

• You can run both (Mac OS & Windows) on your Mac, if you so wish, thanks to BootCamp.

• Apple's computers & laptops (especially) enjoy good resale value. You can still get a healthy price for your 4-year old Macbook. Try that with your Dell or HP.

• When it comes to gaming, Macs are at a disadvantage. Most advanced gamers consider Windows for their choice of rig.

• Last but not the least, Macs are really, really beautiful computers. They look fabulous.

Windows PC Pros & Cons:

• An almost unlimited choice of brands, and something for the budget conscious as well as loaded customers.

• Going by Microsoft's market-share, odds are that 80 - 90% of BHPians are already familiar with Windows. There is no learning curve if you buy a new Win computer.

• With very few exceptions, you won't get as good company support for your Windows laptop as you would for an Apple computer.

• You could buy two premium Windows computers for the price of 1 high-end Mac.

• Due to a larger market share, most of the apps / software and games first come to Windows. Many times, they don't go to Mac OS at all.

• Many machines come with touchscreens, pen inputs, etc. catering to a wider audience.

• Hardware choices are innumerable and users can pick and choose the exact components they need.

• Hardware can usually be upgraded from time to time across the ownership period.

• Superior VR and 3D support.

• Windows is the preferred choice for gamers, offering a larger pool of games than Mac OS.

• Sadly, Windows is more susceptible to viruses. You can't be using a Windows computer without an anti-virus running in the background.

• 5 year warranties possible from most of the big brands!

• Almost all new PCs come with bloatware from the factory. No such issues with Mac.

• You can still use old stuff like traditional USB ports!

• With few exceptions, Windows computers & laptops just don't last as long as Macs.

• PCs get slow with time & there are innumerable bugs, BSODs & driver issues.

• Some of the new offerings (especially the Dell XPS range & Lenovo X1) score big on aesthetics.

• Out-of-warranty repairs are usually reasonably priced, and you will receive ample support in just about any corner of the country.

• Windows desktops & laptops usually have dismal resale value, unlike Macs.

[GTO]

Been a Windows user for 2 decades & am getting tired of the unreliability, bugs, software headaches, lack of stability, sleep & standby issues etc. Of the last 4 Windows computers I have owned, 3 have been troublesome.

I wish there was a "Toyota Innova" of Windows laptops as the default choice. I now also realise why "Maruti" is the default choice for lakhs of Indians. They just want something that is dependable & works.

I am buying a new Macbook Pro very soon. Hopefully, it brings better uptime & reliability (related thread).

[Amien]

Beautiful bondage versus chaotic freedom. Its not so much about what is better but about what you value

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Have both - MAC for personal desktop use and official and personal laptops run Linux. Personal laptop used to run licensed Windows before the shift to Linux, and I'm surely not going back to Windows again.

As for the MAC - Love it for the big, clear screen and compact size factor - the keyboard especially feels a class apart. BUT - If not for the form factor that wife loved - would never have purchased it for the asking price. Overpriced is an understatement - like most other Apple products.

Personally - Linux machine offers the best of both worlds IMHO. Reliability of MAC and value proposition of everything non-Apple.

[hondafanboy]

It seems blackwasp has a phd in conducting polls 😀. As for this poll, PC always. Mac in my opinion is expensive, complicated and a bling thing.

[hridaygandhi]

After using Windows laptops for over a decade (4 in total) , I decided to switch to MacBook Pro 13" in 2016. All the Windows laptops I was using were also flagship ones, the last one being a Sony Vaio i7 Processor, 1 TB hard disk and 8 GB RAM purchased in 2013 and running only on licensed software, making the comparison between them and Mac only fair.

When I switched to a MacBook Pro 13" in 2016, the i5 processor was "technically" a step down. However, in reality, the MacBook has been a delight to use. It is super quick in waking up from sleep and for all the regular purposes (I don't remember the last time I switched my MacBook off). The trackpad shortcuts are a breeze to use, and once you get the hang of it, are very productive.

Also helping the cause is the fact that I am part of the "Apple ecosystem", having an iPhone and an iPad, which individually may not be the best out there, together are a wonderful package. If connected to the same Wi-fi, it lets you answer and make calls over MacBook (using the iPhone carrier), which is very convenient. Recently, my sister had so much trouble transferring a 4 GB video shot on her iPhone, to her Windows PC. The AirDrop feature made it so seamless to get it on my MacBook. Another software advantage is the fact that unlike Windows, it lets you upgrade to the latest software for free.

Though Windows laptops have come a long way, they tend to get slower and troublesome in 3-4 years' time, making you start contemplating an upgrade. My MacBook, now in its 5th year, still runs as smoothly as it did on day 1. Except the battery which might soon require a replacement (it still works for 6-8 hours on a full charge), which will set me back by 10-12k (which is not bad at all, and will give it a new lease of life for about 3-4 years more at least), there have been no hassles whatsoever, justifying the early 6-digit figure paid initially.

While the software tells you how you should do a task instead of letting you customise it, more often than not the process is user-friendly giving you no reason to complain. It does cost a little extra, but the overall cost of ownership might just work out to be at par, if not lesser than a cheaper Windows counterpart, due to greater reliability and durability. The only itch with a MacBook is that it is not as shortcut friendly with Excel as a Windows laptop is, but apart from that, having used both Windows and MacBook, there is no way I am going back to Windows anytime soon.

[Rachit.K.Dogra]

Macs for me now. I have an 8 year old macbook pro on which you can still download and watch a movie in 1 go just on battery. The performance is still within 5-10% of when it was new and hardly any perceivable drop.

Here are some factors that work for me:
1) Aesthetics and fit and finish is superb.
2) The OS is super smooth and user friendly and do not need any maintenance tasks like Disk Defrag or anything to keep the performance same.
3) The in general concept of workflows in MacOS and associated software take a couple of months to get used to, but once you are used to, you wouldn't miss windows way of doing things for the most part.
4) Reliability and Security is just on a different level.
5) Yes, the initial cost is high, but Apple bundles a lot of software with a new machine like an office suit, which honestly I use and is pretty easy to use for basic stuff. A basic video editor, A basic Photo editor and a pretty comprehensive music player/organizer etc. In windows world, you will have to buy these softwares.
6) App store is very useful and the innovation in apps available is again superb.
7) Backup and restore used to be miles ahead of windows, But I think windows might have caught up a bit. Not sure.
8) All softwares upgrade free even after 8 years and atleast 3 different generations of OS.

I paid 1.3 lakhs for this laptop when I bought it. Ideally in 8 years I would have spent a similar amount on windows machines to have similar performance, as I still get from it.

I will say just one thing, if tomorrow I get to know about an earthquake, my macbook is the only thing I will pick up before running. Partly because I fear I wouldn't be able to spend the same amount again on an laptop and anything less wouldn't please me. And this is the biggest drawback for me.

Rachit

[Turbanator]

Windows running on Mac via Parallels for me. I love the search functionality on the default mail client on Mac and use Outlook on the Windows. Display of MacPro 16 is very soothing on eyes. Not from an IT Background, am not comfortable beyond Mac/ Windows.

[NaXal]

I am sorry but you have asked a technically wrong question.

First of all, PC means personal computer. MAC is a product name for a Apple made PC, just like Think Center is a product name for Lenovo made PC.

Secondly Apple MAC PCs are perfectly capable of running Windows OS. Similarly, there is Hackintosh Project allowing certain assembled PCs to run MacOS !!

If there has to be any discussion, then it has to be done on Apple MAC OS vs Microsoft Windows OS

Thanks.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by NaXal

First of all, PC means personal computer. MAC is a product name for a Apple made PC, just like Think Center is a product name for Lenovo made PC.

Let's keep this discussion on Mac computers vs Windows PCs and avoid any further off-topic posts please. While Windows can be run on Mac computers, they form a small % of Mac owners. Thanks.

[RedTerrano]

Voted "Others"

I suppose like everyone else I started with Windows. Over the years suffered multiple OS issues like BSOD, virus et al. Eventually managed to put aside enough money to purchase a 13" white Mac, ended up with 4 Macs, the latest being the 15" Macbook Pro .

What initially attracted me was the fantastic engineering as well as the cool OS. Sure it is a costly product but back then, it was totally worth it.
Sadly, nowadays it's a different story.
My last Mac has the butterfly keyboard which has caused me immense grief. Keys which just won't type or keys which will type multiple times even if you press them once. And the worst? The faulty keys seem to magically change almost every day! Sometimes its the B, sometimes the period key.
The latest snafu to drive up my blood pressure is the Flexgate issue.
Both these issues stem form Apple's insistence of thinning out the hardware.
All this has left an expensive bad taste in my mouth.

As of now, I have decided, my next machine will be Ubuntu. IMO Ubuntu offers the perfect balance between Mac/Win.

[Jeroen]

I got my first Mac in 2009. It was one of the first things (after buying my Jaguar on Ebay) I bought when I arrived in Kansas City, USA. In those days Macs were still relatively rare and certainly we did not have Apple shops in Europe at the time. So visiting an Apple store was quite the experience too!

I’m only onto my second (MacBookPro) now.

Originally my main reason for going the Mac way is color management. Being an enthusiastic photographer, color management was very important to me. (Not that my images were any good, but that is besides to point). Mac used to own all the fancy color management patents and certainly in those days Mac color management was superior to any Windows PC. It was one of the reasons that all the creative folks, such as professional photographers, editors, publishers at the time worked on Mac’s.

It also came with very user friendly programs, such as iWeb and MobileMe. Which was a very easy and convenient way to build and maintain your own website. As we had just moved to the USA at the time I kept a website to show family and friends what our American life looked like:

https://jeroendorresteincom.ipage.co...n/Welcome.html

These days I don’t think there is a difference anymore when it comes to color management. And applications are available for both platforms

But I stuck to Mac. I have never had any major problems with my Macs. It does not slow down (or only very marginally), I don’t need to buy endless (expensive) upgrades), it doesn’t slow down after an upgrade, I never have to update the hardware.
I still enjoy the form factor of the Mac book Pro’s a lot. I like that hefty solid feel, over these typical plastic one.
Also, I have never had a virus on my Mac. (touch wood and yes I have a virus scanner on my Mac). Nor has it ever got stuck.

It is very rare for me to run into programs that don’t run on Mac, with one notable exception: Almost all car workshop manuals will only run on Windows!

So very happy with my Mac! Still using Windows PC for work and for reading my car manuals! And yes, always issues in them slowing down, getting stuck, upgrades are tedious, although a lot better than before. Oh and viruses!

When buying a Mac or a Windows PC I always go with the same Mantra: Get the most powerful one, with the most storage and the most features! In the end that will always pay off. Even more so on a Mac as they last so long. So when I bought my latest Mac Book Pro it cost an eye watering Euro 4000!! But then again if that last me 7-10 years it is likely to work out better than going the Windows PC way with endless hardware and software upgrades during the same period.

I also like the full integration of all my Apple devices (iPad, iPhones). Not sure to what extend similar functionality is available with a Windows PC?

Jeroen

[Hayek]

Have always been a Windows guy for PCs. Used two Vaios over the last 13 years, and recently bought a HP Spectre during the lockdowns. The Spectre is arguably better looking than the Mac - what remains to be seen is how reliable it is over time. My experience with the Vaios was great - even the original one I bought in 2007 still works

[haisaikat]

To me it boils down to the price point and the purpose. If it's some hobby like doing multimedia work then Mac's where I get reliability for the additional money. Mac's come with excellent internal DAC chips and make listening music on them a pleasure and adds other convenience like low form factors even for the power adapter. Now the reality, I have never owned a Mac or used a Mac because I have no such hobby where spending on a Mac justifies, for music I have dedicated more high end setup at home.

However, for all other purposes, it's Windows for me largely for lower cost of ownership and ability to get support more easily be it hardware or software and being IT guy I can maintain most of it myself, most of us have learnt to survive with the issues or niggles.

If I have to buy something for the kid for example, I will certainly buy the lowest priced one that does the job and will last for some resonable period rather than pampering him with an iDevice as he does not get to utilise the benefit of it as his age.

[creative420]

Voted for Mac. Would have voted for a PC 3-4 years back when I used to game a lot. Mac is just so good for productivity, especially for a writer and a part-time editor like me. The updates are timely. The keyboard, although not as good as Thinkpad's IMO, is still quite amazing. They are expensive, but they just outweigh the cons by lasting for so long, if taken care of properly. And a well-maintained Mac fetches a decent resale price too. Sold my wife's MacBook - 72K in 2012 for 25K in Feb this year.