Mac vs PC?
Jun 18th, 2008 by contributor
What makes a person choose a Mac or PC, and what are the advantages? This question has been the topic of many heated debates since the nineties. One argument is people buy what ever they originally learn on, and never go back based on switching cost. As Apple has always been a proponent of education and providing discounts to schools, teachers, and students; this has obvious benefits of learning on a Mac at a younger age. Many folks in the design and marketing arena seem to use a Mac (often switching from a PC), but do they really add that much more value for a designer? I personally use a PC, but that is only because it is what work provides for me. A majority of the business and enterprise software only runs on Windows, which plays a role in the reason PCs are often considered the corporate computer. I do think that the aesthetics and sleek design that goes into a Mac and it’s packaging has appeal to a designer. Likewise, for some reason Adobe software, which is the staple for most designers, does always seem to work better on a Mac.
I am excited to see how Boulder-based branding and advertising group, Crispin Porter + Bogusky tackle this on-going debate with their newest client Microsoft. This creative group of Apple-based users has quiet the challenge ahead of them, to transform the tech industries perceptions and to reverse the effect that thousands of video spoofs have had on our pop-culture. I wonder how much creative freedom CP+B has, and how far they will go? What would be more exciting is to see the proposals that Microsoft turns down. Traditionally, Microsoft has always been very reserved in their marketing approach. Are they after a new type of customer and target market? Are they launching some new innovations or is CP+B stuck with the typical “Blah” of Microsoft.
I ask the developers, designers, business professionals and computer users at large; Why are you using the computer you are? What are your reasons and opinions of why people choose what they choose?
I am currently working on a Mac and I really enjoy it.
I was a PC user and made the switch; however some of the industry specific programs that run on PC have not run my Mac.
For me the switch really heated up when I bought the Iphone.
July 11th the new 3G phone comes out for 199.00
How about a trade up program for current Iphone users?
I grew up on a PC, as far back as I can remember we had at least two computers in our house. Every once in a while my step father would bring home a Mac and it always seemed so strange. That was in the eighties and through all of the nineties we never had one in the house. As I began to get interested in design I became more interested in macs but could not afford one. I settled for a slew of Window based machines knowing that they would crash every six months or so and require a fair amount of maintenance to keep them running. About four years ago I finally made the plunge and bought a Powerbook. WOW what a difference, everything just worked, the operating system was so intuitive and elegant. Four years later I have three Macs in my household and my step-dad has switched over entirely to Apples as well. They are just easy to use and work all the time. Cost is not so much an issue as the price of an Apple machine has gone down considerably and can be viewed as competitive with a PC. I am now in architecture school and go back and forth between a Mac at home and a PC on campus and I cringe using a PC it just does not feel as good to use. Apple is really constantly evolving and developing amazing software. Sure the products are beautiful and well designed but I use Apple products because they are reliable, functional and easy to use.
If I had children I would certainly have a dual boot Mac computer at home to give them the opportunity to learn both operating systems.
I personally use a PC. I think a Mac is certainly a more durable computer, less susceptible to viruses, and they hold their value much better than a PC. However based on cost, and the fact that after 2 years your computer is outdated anyways, I choose a PC.
What would a computer that Mac and Microsoft jointly designed look like? The concepts that a computer can cost 300.00 and be distributed in third world countries is awesome.
I am interested to see how CP+B approach Microsoft and expand the market. any ideas?
in regards to the microsoft approach. i think it takes convincing the PC crowd how cool or sophisticated that they really are.
Mac people are mac people with a small contingency of those on the line of PC and Mac; however there is a larger population of people that use PC’s. Changing the brand image is going to be more difficult, but convincing people they are in the know because they use a PC will not be as hard….