Windows

by Michael Wong

Created on: July 05, 2011

According to a recent analysis done by Canalys, the PC still dwarfs Apple’s 11% market share.  Although Apple’s worldwide sales have increased by approximately 19% in the last quarter of 2010, the common user still prefers the PC.  Everybody has their own reason for deciding which computer to buy.  A purchase could be based on the overclocked CPU performance or because it makes the person feel cool and part of the in-crowd.  Regardless of the reason, I will do a brief comparison of what I think the most significant technical differences are.

Hobbyists/Built for a Purpose

As a member of the IT industry, many of us build our own computers.  Sometimes we build them for work or fun, but we need the ability to design and configure the PC to specific parameters and preferences.  Apple’s technology doesn’t allow us to do this and I think it loses a large amount of sales because of it.

Hardware Limited

PC’s destroy Apple computers when it comes to processing power.  Across the majority of CPU benchmarking tests, the PC comes out ahead because of its raw speed.  Apple revolves around proprietary technology and in this instance it hurts them in terms of speed.  Unfortunately, they can’t just use the latest Intel or AMD chips in their systems.  They have to ensure their operating system works well with the new hardware and runs stable.

Web/Graphic Design

Apple has the software and hardware to support Colorsync technology.  Their color system is considered the industry standard and is the most accurate in representing the true color of an object on a monitor.  Unfortunately, the PC is not nearly as good in deciphering the complex process of how humans perceive colors.

Simplicity

I mentioned earlier that many technically inclined people like to build and configure their own computers.  However, the opposite also holds true for the technically challenged.  The Apple OS is designed to be more user-friendly.  All their devices, from the keyboard & mouse to iPods almost always work on the first try.  There are not many complaints of compatibility issues because Apple controls the design and manufacturing of all the products.

Software Limited

The PC obviously has the majority of the market.  If software companies know this, why would they develop for the minority?  If you’re going to use your computer for multiple things like gaming, creating office documents, and web surfing, you might be better off getting a PC because of the availability of applications.  Many of the most common applications like web browsers and text editors are already available on Apple.  They even have applications to mimic Windows systems so they can run PC based application on the Mac.  Regardless, the selection for PC software is considerably larger, more diverse, and more compatible.

Conclusion

If you’re going to use it to design websites, clothing lines, or graphic art, you may want to go with the Mac.  If you’re going to play the latest games, build a computer from scratch, or use it as an all-purpose computer for the family, you’ll probably get the PC.  As technology improves for both the PC and Mac improve, there’s no telling what you can do with either computer in the future.  However, for now the PC seems to be the best all-around choice because most people are not in graphic design and usually already familiar with PC because they used one in school.

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