In what way is a Mac better than a PC?

[Chronology]

<p>psydent, I can be more lenient when deciding the ways a Mac could be better, but I am not. There will always be a PC with the same specs down to the case/weight, and the only differences of the Mac may not outweigh the pros of the PC.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Since quality cant be accurately measured, I claim that Foxconn as a company makes bad products because of their high DOA rates. The Mac can last as long as a PC, but the whole point of a “premium” computer starts with the components. A Mac is basically slim box of tangled wires that works fine, but if any of the wires breaks, good luck untangling the mess to find the wire and fix it. The PC, on the other hand, is a neat box of wires that is easier to repair. Both perform the same task the same way and the average user wont repair the computer themselves, but this still doesn’t change the fact that Foxconn components inside of a Mac are of lower quality than ASUS components inside of a PC(Most PC manufacturers still use Foxconn components, but I am talking about “premium” PCs that you would find for the price of a Mac).</p></li>
<li><p>I have also used 3D modeling software, and it works fine on a trackpad. My point is that it is more efficient to use a mouse for basically any software on the Mac/PC. I honestly do believe that masochists will enjoy using a trackpad. My point with the MagSafe cable was that it can corrupt hard drives, its just common sense, not a scare tactic. Once again, you dismiss my argument because you thought it has a fallacy in it.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>“For slot-loading disc drives and backlit keyboards, these don’t fit into just ‘Ways in which Macs are better’. It was presented as a pro for all Macs while it is a pro for some PCs that can be configured with them.”- It cant be a pro for Macs only if the PC has it too. It sounds as if you think that it is a benefit for good ideas to be mandatory. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>That first quote was sarcasm… Also, my goal isn’t to prove that Macs are worse, my goal is to prevent them from being presented as better. This is why I’m challenging everyone who attempts to come up with a reason instead of just accepting everything without questioning. This leaves only the strongest arguments alive, making the undisputed statements the only true benefits.</p></li>
<li><p>If you don’t own a surge protector, you shouldn’t have a computer. However, lets say that the power supply breaks and takes out my CPU and motherboard with it(happened before). I just send the parts back to newegg, and get a replacement quickly. If the newegg guarantee period is over, I send the power supply back to the manufacturer, and in some cases I get compensated for loss of other components. In the case of a laptop, I just send the whole thing back to the manufacturer and wait for a replacement. If you get a PC with all working parts, the bathtub curve wont apply until 5+ years until one of the part(heavily overclocked CPU goes first) starts to fail. By that time I would have upgraded my CPU 5 times. I doubt that anybody will use a computer for such a long period of time without gradually upgrading components. I have 3 computers from 2005 that are still working today as F@H machines. All of them are heavily overclocked and properly cooled, and have been running 24/7 for the past few years. The only time when a computer would fail is only if it came with a broken/damaged part, and even then the manufacturer covers such damages no matter what time the final break occurs. There was one time when I got a bad batch of Xeons from Intel, and all of them failed within 1 year of heavy use. Intel gave me a full refund, and I was able to buy the newest ones that same year. >Reddit</p></li>
<li><p>It takes 20 minutes of work, but I can get OSX running on my PC without a problem. Sometimes if I need to diagnose a problem with a Mac, I use the PC running to recreate the problem. If I cant recreate the problem, it is most likely a hardware problem. If you are given a list of Unix distros, and you are forced to choose one for your needs (that don’t involve Apple development), which one would you choose? Using the Mac for its Unix-like OS is like using Damn Small Linux for its Linux-like OS. Sure, it gets the job done, but why not use a more realistic OS?</p></li>
<li><p>I used IDA to find out how software worked on both a Mac and a PC. I traced every action that I triggered to find out how fast and in which way a program fulfills the requested task. This is how I arrived at my original conclusion. Today I played around with IDA some more and found out that the Mac actually works better under a default configuration with unported software. However, as soon as I put in an outside part, the performance drops significantly.</p></li>
<li><p>Spending more on the PC gives you a higher performance increase for your money. People who care about performance will pay more for the PC because it’s performance increase is more noticeable than the Mac’s.</p></li>
<li><p>I did respond, big companies don’t want to spend money on maintenance, so they buy a Mac. However, companies that care about performance use workstation PCs. Valve software, for example. I know a few software engineers who work at Google/Facebook/Apple around the world, and they do use a Mac. However, they are the biggest hipsters that I have ever met, and they were hired because they were extroverts, not because of their programming skills. In college they came to me when there was a tough programming question they couldn’t solve. Two of them actually failed discrete math without my help, and somehow got an A after I helped them the following semester. I still find it funny how I was denied a job as a system admin at Google even though I had a perfect GPA in all math and science classes and was overqualified in terms of education and experience. If you think Google(or any other company with similar hiring methods) has any merit after that you are mistaken.</p></li>
</ol>

[psydent]

<p>“the only differences of the Mac may not outweigh the pros of the PC.” - Overall, in your opinion, ok. But based on the question you asked, this is not a which is better thread. Simply a thread that suggests ways in which Macs can be better. (That has escalated.)</p>

<ol>
<li><p>As previously pointed out, not all Foxconn parts are identical, thus why there is QC. “A Mac is basically slim box of tangled wires” - Again stating a distorted view. If you’ve ever looked inside a Mac, you’ll see that they’re better bundled than most PCs.
“The PC, on the other hand, is a neat box of wires that is easier to repair.” - More so for premium PCs, but there’s so many manufacturers this is not consistent and a premium gaming rig, one that would run circles around the best Mac, could internally look like it was assembled by a monkey. Macs are always put together neatly.
If you’re referencing that a Mac can be harder to repair because it is so compact and bundled, then please state that.</p></li>
<li><p>“more efficient to use a mouse” - Yes. But the Mac trackpad is better than a PC trackpad.
“the MagSafe cable was that it can corrupt hard drives, its just common sense, not a scare tactic. Once again, you dismiss my argument because you thought it has a fallacy in it.” - It had both fallacy and falsehood. Maybe this is why you weren’t hired at Google, but I guess you don’t know that speakers use magnets. Src: high school physics and [How</a> Computer Speakers Work | eHow.com](<a href=“http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4963948_how-computer-speakers-work.html]How”>http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4963948_how-computer-speakers-work.html)
Every laptop has something like this in it [Computer</a> PC Internal Speaker - PI Manufacturing Corp.](<a href=“Page Not Found - PI Manufacturing”>http://www.pimfg.com/Product-Detail/5090306)
For education [Can</a> a Magnet Zap a Hard Drive as Depicted on Breaking Bad? | PCMag.com](<a href=“http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407192,00.asp]Can”>Can a Magnet Zap a Hard Drive as Depicted on <i>Breaking Bad</i>? | PCMag)
With that cleared up, since the Magsafe was pointed out on this thread I’ve been coming to realize how awesome it is. Moving around (meetings and stuff) and plugging in/out is faster because I just put it in the general area and it snaps in, and then I can just lightly pull it out. The cord is also longer and everything (including charging block) wraps up smaller than most PC chargers I’ve seen. I predict you’ll respond saying Ultrabook adapters are smaller, but is the cord as long? I don’t know. I wouldn’t say Magsafe and Mac charger make a Mac better than a PC, but it’s one way in which Macs are better (it’s more convenient). And if the day ever comes where someone trips and pulls on your cord and the adapter pops out instead of pulling your computer crashing to the ground, then you might think that Magsafe made it worth it the extra hundreds of dollars you paid for the Mac.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>“It cant be a pro for Macs only if the PC has it too.” - That’s why I said, and you quoted “It was presented as a pro for all Macs while it is a pro for some PCs that can be configured with them.” No where in that did I say only for Macs. I explicitly said it’s a for PCs that have it.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>“my goal is to prevent them from being presented as better.” - We’re not trying to present them as better. We’re, o what did I say, “suggests ways in which Macs can be better.”
“This leaves only the strongest arguments alive, making the undisputed statements the only true benefits.” - I agree only the strongest arguments should live, but the undisputed statements are not the only true benefits, simply the benefits we agree on. This is not how argument works. [Fallacy:</a> Appeal to Popularity](<a href=“http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/appeal-to-popularity.html]Fallacy:”>http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/appeal-to-popularity.html)</p></li>
<li><p>“the bathtub curve wont apply until 5+ years” - Did you not see the Constant (Random) Failures line? The bathtub curve as a statistical representation always applies.
“The only time when a computer would fail is only if it came with a broken/damaged part, and even then the manufacturer covers such damages no matter what time the final break occurs.” - Not all manufacturers do this, whether for components on Newegg or PCs purchased from big companies (HP, etc.) or smaller premium builders. This is too much a generalization, which doesn’t make it false, so don’t respond by saying I’m wrong for dismissing your argument. I’m saying that this is false, because for your case of Intel replacing chips (great company), I’m sure one could find an example where someone wasn’t taken care of.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Before I assume, this means you are greater than reddit or something else? “>Reddit”</p>

<ol>
<li><p>You can get OSX running quickly, but not all people and computers can.
My unix needs are met by a Mac. But I can’t speak for other people. If you say “don’t involve Apple development”, then to be real I’d choose Windows.</p></li>
<li><p>So Macs (full package) run better with unported software. Putting in another component is a modification Apple tells you not to make for a reason. Their parts are compatibility tested better than most PCs. I could crap out a premium gaming rig by putting a different part in.</p></li>
<li><p>Generally, yes, we agree. But you’re using “People who care about performance” when you should be saying “People who care about getting the best/fastest performance”. I care about performance so I buy powerful ones and maintain them, but I don’t need to have the fastest computer in the room. (Disregarding cost for a minute) A high-end MacBook Pro is fast enough for me and I’ll just make sure it doesn’t slow down during its lifetime. I care about performance but don’t need or care for the fastest Ultrabook on the market.</p></li>
<li><p>So Macs are easier to maintain, and therefore some pros outweigh the cons. Not all “companies that care about performance use workstation PCs.” Much more important for someone working on 3d rendering and engines, etc. than working at a company that does a lot of resource intensive computing in the cloud. I think it’s likely that the less technical people at valve, maybe QA, probably HR, etc. use Macs. Or simpler PCs, but not high-end workstations.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>“they are the biggest hipsters that I have ever met” - Why do you have to include irrelevant judgmental crap? This is ad hominem, but then you add “they were hired because they were extroverts, not because of their programming skills.” - How do you know why they were hired? Did you hire them? By extroverts do you mean team players? Good communication skills? Were they hired for both being extroverts and programming skills?
Sounds like you’re bitter about some people you helped in college. I’m guessing you were the better programmer but they were more social? Also, discrete math was an easy A for me but I had to help my best friend through it. I couldn’t comprehend why, but I just helped him. These days, because of the job and experience he has, he’s a better programmer than me in many ways. Discrete math is no way to measure programming aptitude.</p>

<p>For the following, who said you were overqualified? So you’re saying companies who don’t/wouldn’t hire you have no merit? My ego is nowhere near that big.
“I still find it funny how I was denied a job as a system admin at Google even though I had a perfect GPA in all math and science classes and was overqualified in terms of education and experience. If you think Google(or any other company with similar hiring methods) has any merit after that you are mistaken.” - We find it funny too, sincerely the interwebz.</p>

[vonlost]

<p>“I had a perfect GPA in all math and science classes and was overqualified in terms of education and experience”</p>

<p>This can get you in the door for an interview, but it’s just an early step in the hiring process. Companies as popular as Google certainly have their pick of applicants with top GPAs, education and experience. It’s like Ivies being able to fill their classes three times with fully qualified applicants; they pick the ones they want the most, the ones that best fill their needs.</p>

[mccruz]

<p>For just the normal student who doesn’t know too much about computer specs, I would say my macbook pro >>>>>>> my hp laptop.</p>

<p>My HP was better for gaming and… well that is it.</p>

<p>It was heavier, louder, i accidentally dropped it once and the fan thing on the outside (i dont even know what to call it)- a piece of it broke off (not the whole thing) and then it had a huge overheating issue to the point where I couldn’t hold it on my lap anymore (and why would I want to- it was heavy). From that point on it became a laptop that stayed at my desk at all times. (What do you call that… a desktop? just a top? idk lol)</p>

<p>After about 2 years of it I think it was- the battery got so worn (after replacing the battery 2ce which I do give props to HP for allowing you to replace your battery) that it was on life support and the second that I unplugged my charger- it immediatley died. And during the summer, I needed to get a small desk fan and ACTUALLY NEEDED TO TURN IT ON AND BE POINTED AT THE LAPTOP at bottom of the screen where the keyboard and screen meet while I played games, otherwise it might turn off from overheating (wut lol).</p>

<p>The mousepad was also just plain old awkward, sometimes it worked very smoothly but othertimes it would be pain in the ass and not smooth at all which drove me to quickly get a mouse (I have never found a need for a mouse with my macbook). It was a pain to type during the night without lights because there wasn’t a lit keyboard like my macbook has. </p>

<p>Another positive of my HP laptop- Microsoft OneNote ( I LOVED THIS) shame there wasn’t a mac version, the other ones that are similar, just aren’t the same.</p>

<p>I love my macbook because of the aesthetics, I love it because of the the look and feel of software (I know Chronology you say you can “EASILY GET IT ON WINDOWS” but why would you lol- its a second hand copy and doesn’t function as well as it does on the macbook). Its like seeing a nice camera at a tech shop but instead deciding to go to Walmart and get the cheap knockoff of it which looks the same but is… well, poor.</p>

<p>I would imagine for programming, your not really at a disadvantaged for either mac or windows? Bootcamp anyone?</p>

<p>Basically my macbook after about a year and a half still almost looks like new… and I have had my fair share of accidentally dropping it (thankfully on carpeted floors), and I eat at the macbook sometimes (although I am diligent about not getting anything on it), and it still works 95% as fast as it did when I first got it (considering how much crap I have downloaded and installed since then, I am VERY happy).</p>

<p>After 2 years of having a HP laptop- you could very much tell how old it is, very slow- like I said it was on life support, immediatley shutting down when unplugged from charger (AFTER REPLACING BATTERY TWICE LOL I JUST GAVE UP), and all the complaints I mentioned above… It was pretty dirty aswell (and this laptop I kept at my desk at all times, unlike my macbook that I use on my lap while watching tv and what not).</p>

<p>Other macbook pros (hehe no pun intended):
-Itunes (better on macbook, although I don’t understand why- it just seems to flow better)
-Airplay (couldn’t be any easier to set up) // AND AIRPLAY MIRRORING – I LOVE TO USE THIS WITH MY APPLE TV, ITS LiTERALLY ** DA BOMB **
-iCloud (I don’t use it for documents or anything, but for music and videos)
-Mountain Lion (Notes & iMessages & Reminders & Find My Macbook) who doesn’t love being able to text message FROM YOUR MACBOOK???
-Sparrow (I love this emailing program, really looks and feels like it is a stock Apple program)
-App store (easily able to find programs that I am looking for without google’s help or anything)
-Multitouch gestures
-iFinder looks nice and works well, better than Explorer which was kind of ugly and slower
-Alfred (makes everything much more easier)</p>

<p>In the end, when you are using a macbook you feel like you are really getting an experience, it flows well- theres nothing to get aggravated over (never freezes randomly, never goes blue screen, no viruses (you can say that this is because less people use macbook so there are less viruses but I will take that reason happily and hope that it stays this way)). The laptop, the machine itself, actually has taste, it looks good. Windows computers are just dull, ugly, and boring no matter how many gigabytes of ram you have, its just an ugly dull computer- and the software gets boring too soon (I don’t know about Windows 8). </p>

<p>The Macbook really just works. TRUUU</p>

<p>edit: For any HP laptops out there reading this, I have nothing against you, I’m sure you are perfect. Keep doin wut ur doin. </p>

<p>mccruz out. deuces</p>

[Chronology]

<ol>
<li><p>I was referring to the difficulty of repairing a Mac, not the way it is assembled. The Mac only works with a limited amount of hardware, so if it ever breaks you only have a limited amount of parts to choose from that can replace the broken part. If your PC breaks, you have many more ways to fix the problem. Also, it is easier to find the broken part on the PC because you can actually buy replacement parts to test. Good luck finding a website that sells parts for Macs at a reasonable price.</p></li>
<li><p>My point is that anybody who actually needs a powerful $1000+ computer doesn’t need a trackpad. I can’t tell the difference between either of them, because their use is minimal. If it is a benefit, it is a very minor one, and I am not looking for minor benefits. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Funny how you didn’t mention that a hard drive itself had magnets inside of it. I was saying that a magnet can ruin a hard drive, not erase/corrupt its data. Even a weak magnet can permanently dislocate the head slider inside of a hard drive, making it worthless. </p>

<p>A cable is just a cable, and if you wanted something similar you can build it. Don’t forget that if you had a cheaper PC it would have been heavier and more durable, so in case of a fall the worst case scenario is a $100 chassis/screen replacement. I have had my Panasonic Toughbook fall more than 30 times and it still runs fine with only minor cosmetic damage. Looks like you are the one using a scare tactic.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I don’t care about minor benefits such as an easily removable cable, I want only the best arguments. Also, you probably live in a democratic country, so even bringing up the appeal to popularity sounds silly. It sounds as if you just learned about fallacies, and that is quite a coincidence after I brought them up a few posts ago.</p></li>
<li><p>The random failure line does not apply to electronic devices. If a device is manufactured and is sold at a flawless state, the lifetime of that device will be 6+ years if there is no outside interference. If a device has a manufacturing flaw, it would be covered under warranty of most PC manufacturers, and the user would be entitled to a replacement with or without a warranty. The people who aren’t taken care of don’t know where to look. Out of warranty or no warranty does not mean that your device cant be replaced. I purchase most of my parts in bulk, and most of them break after the 30-90 day warrant period. All companies except Apple give me a full refund, refurbished replacement or a discounted repair. The best offer Apple could offer me was a 5% discount if I rebuy all of the broken Mac Pros. </p></li>
<li><p>So a Mac’s only practical use is development for Apple devices(the Unix benefit is equal on both the Mac and the PC)? If anything, this is a negative aspect of all Apple devices because they don’t have PC programmers.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes, they run better together, but still a little worse(2%-5%) than a PC with the same specs. This just proves that you cant customize the Mac without it taking a significant performance hit, and anybody who wants to upgrade their computer in the future will not be happy about this.</p></li>
<li><p>The way I see it, you either care about performance or cost. If you want performance and cost, you buy the PC. If you want whatever the Mac has to offer you still buy the PC because its performance and cost outweighs everything else. A high end Mac might have the performance, but it definitely does not have the cost. Unless you are willing to pay 130% the cost of a PC for a few minor benefits you will most certainly buy the PC.</p></li>
<li><p>Valve custom builds and upgrades their PCs ever couple of months. The Macs that they own run Windows. Although I did cherry pick Valve software, most similar companies that require high performance computers buy PCs, probably because the most powerful Mac is outdated by two (and soon to be 3) generations of video cards and CPUs. Also keep in mind that no matter what point in time you choose, all of the Mac models will be outdated, even at the release date. This is because the PC counterparts will always allow you to choose better component than available for the Mac.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>If you haven’t realized it already, I’m associating Hipsters with Mac user. I know that they were hired because they were extroverts because the interviewer said so directly when I said that I work better alone or in small groups. I also noticed that the programming questions were very simple but theoretical, basically anybody who paid attention in intermediate computer science classes would know how to answer. Discrete math is a great way to measure your overall problem solving skills, and a good programmer has good problem solving skills. I came to the conclusion that I was overqualified because I had much more experience than recommended for the job. The same month after the interview at Google I found a management job offering almost three times the starting pay at Verizon, and I was hired solely based on my education and experience. The interview wasn’t even that serious, it was obvious that I was going to get the job even before I said a single word.</p>

<p>mccruz: Another fine example of an ignorant consumer buying a Mac. Do some research into your issues and you will find a easy fix for all of the problems you are having with your PC. Also, most of the pros you listed arent Mac pros, they are OSX pros. Even then they aren’t really pros because I guarantee that you will find better software on the PC 80% of the time. Keep in mind that you are limiting yourself to only an Apple environment, and you are not even considering the possible benefits of a PC based network. Come back when you can actually provide more information other than:</p>

<p>“i dont even know what to call it”
“plain old awkward”
“I love my macbook because of the aesthetics”
“the look and feel”
“looks like new”
“very slow”
“pretty dirty”
“it just seems to flow better”
“I LOVE TO USE THIS WITH MY APPLE TV”
“really looks and feels”
“kind of ugly and slower”
“The laptop, the machine itself, actually has taste, it looks good.”
“dull, ugly, and boring”
“ugly dull computer”
“software gets boring too soon”</p>

<p>What do you call that… a desktop? just a top? idk lol- A desktop replacement.</p>

<p>its a second hand copy and doesn’t function as well as it does on the macbook- My tests prove otherwise.</p>

<p>never freezes randomly- The PC can have SSDs too!</p>

<p>never goes blue screen- Surely there must be another error screen for the Mac. </p>

<p>no viruses- But more vulnerabilities. Microsoft actually patches their OS on a daily basis while Apple leaves well known vulnerabilities open for months and even years.</p>

<p>So far you fit under the stereotype of a “typical Mac user”. Not good.</p>

[vonlost]

<p>“13. The way I see it, you either care about performance or cost.”</p>

<p>I think this is the crux of the matter; for most Mac buyers performance and cost are not paramount. We just don’t care if there are faster and cheaper computers available. Instead, we care about the features that Mac users like, mentioned over and over by others in this thread. Any price difference amortized over four years is negligible.</p>

[mccruz]

<p>Chronology all the benefits you speak of in a PC only sound that good on paper… When you actually play it out in real life- these PC advantages or whatever you call them, are minuscule and a lot of the times unnoticed.</p>

<p>Do you think anybody will see a PC running faster than a macbook 2-5% faster and be in awe?</p>

<p>Second, I am not disagreeing that you can get a better-performing machine for the same money in a PC vs a mac. But you won’t see those PCs advertised in your everyday best buy or Costco or whatever. PCs have the same problem that Android phones have (used to have? since before the galaxy S3)- fragmentation. Apple has 1 kick ass version of each laptops. ONE Macbook Pro 17" (they make it easy for the common consumer to pick the amount of RAM they want installed but basically the same), ONE Macbook Pro 13". ONE Macbook Air 13" etc etc.</p>

<p>Meanwhile there are HUNDREDS of different names for each and every laptop/computer (thousands?) so if you buy one that happens to work really well and your friend says hey nice computer whats the name of it? “Oh its a Matsubishi HP Tomagachi 7000” “yeah… ok” Then he will go to the store and ask the sales person for the Matsubishi HP Tomagachi 7000 and the sales person will be like “yea… we don’t sell those at this Best Buy” or worst “yea… I don’t even know what that is”. So he will settle for another computer he never heard of that he tested for 2minutes in the store in the same price range and a lot of the times he will end up not satisfied because the PC performance is inconsistent. </p>

<p>Ok… I basically rambled a lot there. Summary; YES you could definitley get more for your buck with a PC, but NO you will not find those computers already assembled in your everyday Bestbuy and even if you can- the sales clerk will have no idea what the name of it is because they can’t be expected to know the specs and quality of 50+ different computers on top of all the other gadgets they sell. So you must know beforehand what you are looking for when you go buy your comp (which most consumers don’t unless they want a MAC). YES you can assemble them- YES you can hire someone to assemble a nice computer for you but… WHY put your trust into your local computer guy who has no credibility outside of that town when you can put your trust into the world’s biggest company that sells a nice laptop that everybody loves. And thats what people do. And they don’t regret it. And the cycle continues.</p>

[sumzup]

<p>Chronology: Just because you find something useless or unimportant doesn’t mean that others do. Let’s take my own example. I primarily use laptops. For me, a trackpad is one of the most important considerations when I am buying a new laptop. No matter how good the machine is otherwise, if the trackpad sucks, it destroys my whole experience. Apple trackpads are the best by far, and also offer insane gesture support that often allows me to perform tasks faster than with most traditional mice. To me, a quality trackpad is worth at least a couple hundred dollars. The only time a trackpad fails me is when I want to game, in which case I can just use a normal mouse.</p>

<p>Also- Are you saying that you, a self-described introvert and straight out of college, got a job as a /manager/ at Verizon making a couple hundred thousand dollars a year? That’s somewhat difficult to believe.</p>

<p>Edit: I guess you didn’t explicitly say you were a new grad, so it’s more believable.</p>

[Chronology]

<p>vonlost:
If you want to spend 130% the cost of the PC for a few minor benefits, go ahead. My point is that the every PC manufacturer comes with its own benefits equal to or greater than the Mac counterparts for a lower price. One ultrabook might have a longer battery life than a Mac, while another has better cooling efficiency. The Mac has its own set of benefits, but since it is so limited in terms of hardware configuration you don’t have many Macs to choose from. Until someone manages to find a major advantage that the Mac has over the PC, the obvious choice is the PC because of price/performance+PC benefits. </p>

<p>If you believe that “Any price difference amortized over four years is negligible.”, you probably don’t require a new powerful computer every year. If you don’t need such a powerful computer, you don’t need to buy a computer for the price of a Mac. I purchase a new set of laptops every year(every CPU/GPU generation), and over 4 years I have saved at least $10,000 by buying/upgrading a PC instead of a Mac laptop/ultrabook, and possible much more if I included my desktop in the calculation. If I were to purchase a Mac:

1. I would spend $2800 when buying a new Mac instead a $500 upgrade on the PC.
2. I would spend $2800 when buying a new Mac instead of buying a $2300 ultrabook with similar specs.
3. I would spend $2800 when buying a new Mac instead of buying a $1200 desktop replacement with better specs.</p>

<p>If you haven’t realized this already, the Macs CPU, GPU, SSD, RAM, and battery is overpriced before we even get into the price you pay for the Mac benefits.</p>

<p>mccruz:
“these PC advantages or whatever you call them, are minuscule and a lot of the times unnoticed.”- This is because you don’t use them or know about them. In fact, some of the truly unnoticed benefits(such as motherboard design) of the PC often prevent damage to hardware that would have otherwise destroyed a Mac.</p>

<p>“Do you think anybody will see a PC running faster than a macbook 2-5% faster and be in awe?”- 5% sometimes adds minutes or even hours to tasks such as compiling software, assembling a movie or building a 3D world. In fact, if you wanted a mobile workstation PC you can build one with multiple workstation GPUs, but the best you will get from a Mac is a single GT 650M. That 5% soon grows to 1000%+ in GPU intensive tasks.</p>

<p>The internet exists for a reason. If you buy any form of computer hardware at a store you are just asking to get overcharged, and chances are the store doesn’t have the computer you want.</p>

<p>Fragmentation as in storage fragmentation? You can always defragment a hard drive. Do you realize that the Mac has a SSD that doesn’t require defragmentation? Once again, the PC can have SSDs too.</p>

<p>It sounds as if a lack of choices is a good thing because you cant decide for yourself? Once again, ignorant consumers.</p>

<p>If you are looking for an exact model you buy it online. Also, buying something because a friend recommended it is one of the worst things you can do. I always research the computer that I will buy instead of trusting anyone. </p>

<p>If it has the same specs and it costs the same the performance should be the same. The only difference is what the PC manufacturer is known for, and based on that you should be able to make a decision. Buying a computer that you tested for a few minutes is never a good idea, and it is his fault for being an ignorant consumer and not doing proper research.</p>

<p>It is your job to do the research, so don’t blame the sales cleric. Most of the time they don’t even know a lot about computers/electronics and just ramble about how a monster cable is the best thing ever.</p>

<p>You can always assemble your own computer, or order a custom made computer online. Why do you trust workers in sweatshops assembling thousands of computers in China? Why don’t you trust the people at digitalstorm assembling your computers in small labs, carefully testing every component and running benchmarks to make sure that you get only the best quality components? Pick one:
[Digital</a> Storm Advantage - YouTube](<a href=“Digital Storm Advantage - YouTube”>Digital Storm Advantage - YouTube)
or
[Inside</a> Look At Apple’s Chinese Sweatshops! - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>

<p>sumzup: If you need the performance of a $1000+ computer you probably wont be using a trackpad. Of course, if you use the trackpad a lot it might make a difference, but so will the cost of the computer. $400 laptop with average trackpad or $1200 Mac? Now it doesn’t seem like a couple hundred dollars now does it?</p>

<p>Although I did graduate recently, I already had 5 years of experience
in a computer management position at the college I attended. A current Verizon employer recommended me, and is probably how I got hired.</p>

[vonlost]

<p>“I purchase a new set of laptops every year…”</p>

<p>And yet I’m the one wasting money buying a new Mac every four years!</p>

<p>Reminds me of the old Volvo commercial: “If U.S. cars weren’t so good, why would I buy a new one every year?” ;)</p>

[Chronology]

<p>If you don’t need a powerful up to date laptop you can always buy a $400 PC. I will still continue to spend $10,000 on video cards alone each year because I need the performance.</p>

<p>If you still don’t understand my point:</p>

<p>If you don’t need a powerful up-to-date computer you don’t need a $1200+ computer(A Mac).</p>

<p>If you do need a powerful computer you need a PC.</p>

[vonlost]

<p>The issue is what I want. Price is not an issue because I can afford what I want. Performance is not an issue because Mac is more than fast enough for what I want a computer to do. Mac is better for me because the overall experience what I want, what I like. It’s really okay that some of my reasons are irrelevant to you; why you prefer a PC is irrelevant to me!</p>

[Chronology]

<p>So then why are you attempting to contribute to this thread if you automatically assume that I don’t care about your response? What you want is not the benefits of a Mac, because chances are that you don’t even know that what you want may also be on the PC. How do you expect to compare the two when you only purchase a Mac every 4 years?</p>

[vonlost]

<p>You already said it in #65: “I don’t care about minor benefits …” I see minor (along with major) benefits, but even the minor ones add up for me.</p>

<p>I used a PC for years, and PCs are all around me here at work; I see what I’m not missing when a colleague shows me something. New Macs and PCs show up here regularly.</p>

[Chronology]

<p>So you have seen all kinds of PCs from ultrabooks to mobile workstations and you believe that the Mac’s benefits are good enough to justify the greater prices and surpass the vast amounts of configurations of the PC? If so, these benefits are worth noting, and if you manage to prove that the PC equivalent of those benefits are inferior, you just did what nobody in this thread could. Otherwise, the Mac is just an overpriced PC with a spurious image of ingenuity.</p>

[vonlost]

<p>The biggest Mac value to me (to me!) is MacOS X. I don’t value vast amounts of configurations. There’s nothing to prove; we have our opinions. Apple has somewhat fooled the marketplace with their spurious image; Forbes reports that sales of all Windows devices are down, and MacOS X devices are up (but Windows is still ahead in total numbers).</p>

[tigerash]

<p>mac doesn’t allow as many viruses as a PC does</p>

[sumzup]

<p>Chronology: Just because certain things aren’t worth it to /you/, doesn’t mean that they aren’t worth it to someone else. You are not the final arbiter on things.</p>

<p>There’s a reason why someone would spend more to buy something like the Acura MDX over the Honda Pilot even though they both offer the same general performance. People appreciate the bells and whistles, and if they can afford it, there’s nothing wrong in getting it.</p>

<p>Edit: This thread hasn’t proven that PCs are always better than Macs. All it’s really done is show how much Macs would suck for you. So don’t buy any.</p>

[Chronology]

<p>vonlost:
Tell me how OSX is better than Windows/Hackintosh.</p>

<p>tigerash:
“no viruses- But more vulnerabilities. Microsoft actually patches their OS on a daily basis while Apple leaves well known vulnerabilities open for months and even years.”</p>

<p>sumzup:
I’m asking for evidence for belief, and then challenging everyone who responds.
Are you implying that the Mac has more bells and whistles than a PC? If so, explain. </p>

<p>This thread’s goal isn’t to prove anything, its to disprove many common lies told by people on this forum. Also, we might eventually find a major benefit in this thread.</p>

[geek96]

<p>“OSX better than Hackintosh?”
Mate, Hackintosh is OSX… I guess you have a bad researching</p>