What are the pros and benefits of a Mac?

[Megacherv]

You know the slapstick comedy trope where someone's doing something mundane and simple and yet everything they try seems to just explode in their face? That's what I imagine you're like using Windows 7. My only Windows 7 issue is retroactive, as it doesn't boot as fast as Windows 8, and it's pretty damn petty. Everyone I know who's used Windows 7 (except for one genuinely-idiotic Apple fangirl who hates al Windows on principle be side she's a tard) has had no issues with as much as you have. The snap is such a wonderful feature and adds fluidity to the experience. Big changes between versions is because releases are much further apart than OSX releases are, and they change to accomodate the needs of the market (Windows 7 was creating a smoother experience after how bad Vista was, Windows 8 is to have an SSI-style shared OS and to break into the modern tablet market)

The snap feature of Windows is also a incredibly amazing tool if you need to examine two different windows side by side as I myself often have to at work, when we used XP it was a total pain in the backside having to alt tab between the two different windows just to see the relevant info.

It is a gift from the gods, I use it all the time to compare code between projects, and I even use its lesser known form of Win+Arrow-key when I'm using 2 monitors

It's the best upgrade that I have made to a PC ever. It's an essential upgrade in my opinion. Fully loaded windows in 25 seconds? Yes please!

Or Ubuntu in 7 seconds. Seriously, my Ubuntu partition on a hard disk loads as fast as Windows on an SSD.

I get the same with Windows 8 on a standard HDD on my laptop (excluding BIOS), friends have reported insane speeds for it on SSDs

 

[triggrhappy94]

Wait you built your own computer, but you don't know the difference? You have an odd set tech knowledge.

Macs...
Pros:
-You get to watch all your Windows using friends try to figure it out
-Good at phone/video editing, and the internet
-Great for old people
-Only has one mouse button
-Doesn't get viruses easily
-Tends to last long as long as you take care of it
-Doesn't run most games
-It's next to impossible to build you own and Apple might sue you
-More expensive
-Your money goes to Apple

Spoiler: I feel like this sums it up pretty well

 

[Slayer_2]

For a PC of the same price, you could have a machine with twice the power. It's like buying a Lamborghini, it's not really that much better than a $100,000 car, but it costs $250,000 because they can and because they have a reputation.

They have resistance to most but not all viruses (I work in IT, I've seen a few Macs killed by viruses), and when they do get a virus, it's incredibly hard to get rid of, since there is less anti-virus tools, and I'm generally worse with Macs.

Windows gets hit by a few more problems, but it usually gets back up and running a lot easier and cheaper. Unlike Mac, where you may be forced to take it to an "Apple Genius" and pay through the ying-yang... again.

Windows supports more applications, and is far more open and free, where as Mac is controlled and very totalitarian. Might not bother granny McApple who only need to check her email once a week, but it annoys me to no end. Also, I find the UI disorienting, being a Window's user, although that is personal preference.

A lot of it is personal preference, but I find I can save money and avoid headaches by sticking with PC.

 

[Megacherv]

For a PC of the same price, you could have a machine with twice the power. It's like buying a Lamborghini, it's not really that much better than a $100,000 car, but it costs $250,000 because they can and because they have a reputation.

They have resistance to most but not all viruses (I work in IT, I've seen a few Macs killed by viruses), and when they do get a virus, it's incredibly hard to get rid of, since there is less anti-virus tools, and I'm generally worse with Macs.

Windows gets hit by a few more problems, but it usually gets back up and running a lot easier and cheaper. Unlike Mac, where you may be forced to take it to an "Apple Genius" and pay through the ying-yang... again.

Windows supports more applications, and is far more open and free, where as Mac is controlled and very totalitarian. Might not bother granny McApple who only need to check her email once a week, but it annoys me to no end. Also, I find the UI disorienting, being a Window's user, although that is personal preference.

A lot of it is personal preference, but I find I can save money and avoid headaches by sticking with PC.

I must point out a glaring error in your post there, one that I cannot simply let slide...

...it's yin, not ying...

Also, can people stop saying that Macs have better security against viruses? They don't. They don't have any, they're just immune to Windows viruses because they run totally differently in the same way that a Windows Phone app works differently to an Android or iOS app (don't get me started on Android, a phone needing anti-virus is just fucking stupid...)

 

[Slayer_2]

I must point out a glaring error in your post there, one that I cannot simply let slide...

...it's yin, not ying...

... FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! I'm not correcting that, I hope you know, I'm never wrong

 

[Megacherv]

It's the best upgrade that I have made to a PC ever. It's an essential upgrade in my opinion. Fully loaded windows in 25 seconds? Yes please!

Or Ubuntu in 7 seconds. Seriously, my Ubuntu partition on a hard disk loads as fast as Windows on an SSD.

I get the same with Windows 8 on a standard HDD on my laptop (excluding BIOS), friends have reported insane speeds for it on SSDs

That's likely because windows 8 doesn't actually shut down and instead uses a form of hibernation when you click "shut down".

Sure does, and it's one of the best ideas they've had for booting. It's a hybrid of shut down and hibernate that I think Mac OSX uses, so one less advantage that OSX has

 

[Megacherv]

I use a Mac because the GUI is easier to use and there is less chance to get viruses. even with porn

Build quality mainly, the slaves at Foxconn are top notch!

It's way more locked down but with apple software anyway more stable.

this, all of it.

All you need to know is that Steve Jobs is a Prophet and his products are Godlike and you should buy his products.

I hate fanboyism like this.

Might just be because I grew up on Windows but the GUI annoys the shit out of me. Got a C programming class where they're requiring that I use a Mac and it's making me want to break things.

Oh...bro...I'm so sorry...I had no idea such horror exists in this world...

Can you not take your own systems in to do work on?

 

[I.Muir]

As everybody knows mac is 4x as expensive as the same in a PC and that's all there is to it really

 

[UsefulPlayer 1]

Everyone on college campuses has one. So if you wanna take notes in class, make sure its a mac. I once sat at a round table where all five of us had macs mounted on it, and we didn't even need computers for that class.

 

[Kikosemmek]

The main advantage I see in Macs is the design of the actual cases. They look hella pimp.

Otherwise, no, just use a PC. You get regular-priced hardware and the freedom to custom-build as you please. Windows 7 is an alright OS, and if you keep it updated along with Security Essentials (and, of course, use mandatory script/flash blockers and act smart on the webernets) security should be fine. If you wanna go really secure, you can use a boot with openBSD on it and encrypt all your outgoing IM's in GPG. But again, you're a small fish in a big pond, no worries.

 

[bl4ckh4wk64]

Essentially it's just extremely simplified. It's a scooter, very easy to learn to ride but you can't really do anything with it. On the other hand, the Windows platform is harder to learn, but it can be a whole lot faster and more fun to mess around with.

Edit: Also, wait a second... Is the title Pro's and benefits? You mean cons?

 

[Proeliator]

You get the Macintosh OS installed already on the computer and you get an apple symbol on the side/top of it. Otherwise, the computer itself is the exactly the same, but more expensive. Honestly, I can't understand why Mac's are so much more expensive for the same type of computer. It was something like a 100% increase in price for a Mac instead of a Dell.

 

[Jegsimmons]

well considering the fact they are more expensive, less compatible with other things, cant play games well, cant truly claim 'for artist and muscicians' with a straight face anymore, and cant be customized or upgraded, and if it gets a virus (becoming more common) you are completely screwed.......id say....no advantage what so ever.

hell, windows is easy to operate if you have a brain and figured out 'safe mode'.

im building a custom made PC for gameing, video editing and graphics (photoshop ect) along with sound producing (im a man of many talents) and because i already have an older emachines all i need to do is switch out the graphics card, processor and motherboard, and memory cards for only about $360. saving me from buying a 1200 dollar desktop. actually just getting windows seven for it will be the biggest cost.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

They look nice.

There are plenty of drawbacks and cons, but you didn't ask about them, so...

they look nice.

And the subwoofer unit on the 20th Anniversary Macs (the ones Steve Jobs hated so much) pack quite a punch. So... there you go.

For six years and counting, one can install Windows on Apple hardware. That's a plus for Apple users, but it's obviously not something to impress you with.

As to the benefits you're losing out on when building your own Win7 rig: No, there are none beyond the good looks and the shiny Apple logo.

 

[wizzy555]

Oh, and Manufactuer's Bloatware. Screw you if you dare not build a machine yourself. And good luck trying to get rid of it all.

Sorry, but this is something Macs are just as guilty of, if not more so. My last work iMac had a taskbar full of iTunes, Garage Band and all sorts of other useless crap - and then the one time I actually needed to do some basic video reviewing work (y'know, the stuff Macs are supposed to be good at) I still needed to download VLC.

If you buy a name-brand PC then absolutely, bloatware can be a problem (though there was relatively little of it on my Toshiba laptop when I bought it a few years ago) but you can hardly pretend Macs are innocent in that regard...

Well macs are less guilty in so far as their bloatware doesn't run at boot. That means the boot time is quicker and it's generally using less memory, the bloatware is just dead space on the harddrive.

PC bloatware typically wastes boot-time and memory (and possibly causes bugs).

 

[TomLikesGuitar]

I'll start with the cons..

- The ratio of cost to power is shit.

- With the right technical know-how, you can do ANYTHING better on a PC that you can do on a Mac. The opposite is not always true.

- Software usually exists on PC first.

Now the pros...

- The interface is sleeker and much easier to figure out with no prior technical knowledge.

- A lot of design/music programs tend to be either Mac exclusive or pander to Mac computers. There is ALWAYS a pc equivalent that can be made to run better, but as far as cost effectiveness goes, you should go Mac for artistic endeavors.

- Mac's are generally more secure. Viruses and malware are often rooted in some sort of advertising and/or money making endeavor; regardless, they are usually intended to hit the largest audience possible. As a result, most of this crap is made to take on PCs instead of Macs.

 

[Imat]

The apple operating system is more polished than windows, and also is far less likely to be affected by viruses. Other than that, social status. Yes, if you look at the hardware only you are obviously better off going pc, but please think outside the box people. This is coming from a pc user.

I question the description "more polished." In my estimation they have the same amount of polish, just in different areas. Macs tend to look really pretty. PCs tend to run faster. Macs have a nice, simplistic interface. PCs allow for more advanced features without any digging. Neither is better than the other, it simply depends on preference. If you think that Macs look more polished, I will tell you that I believe you care more for the looks of the GUI than the functionality of the computer. The two are very different. And it is okay to prefer either one. Sometimes the GUI is far more important than all the hardware.

And when it comes to buying a computer, hardware should be the only question. There is no box. I refuse to pay greatly inflated prices for a logo and a somewhat prettier interface. I'm going to pay for the most power-per-dollar. That's not to say I am anti-Apple. I'm just anti-Inflated-Prices-Apple. If they start offering comparable prices for their hardware, I'll start paying attention to them.