International Mac Podcast

I haven’t written a post in a while (I’d like to say it’s because I was Getting Things Done, but that’s just not true. That isn’t my strong suit), and I don’t really want to right now. It’s not you, it’s me. Holiday stuff, having a Mac suddenly not boot, and making dinner, that kind of thing. Luckily for you, I have a little something I wrote, like my last What Will Got Done, for Journalism, about Mac vs. PC. It’s definitely not my best work ever, but it’s here, so you might as well enjoy it That said, let the enjoyment begin!

I’m a Mac, why are you a PC?

Apple’s Macintosh computer often is dismissed for being not as “serious” as a Windows PC. In fact, Apple has at least an equal focus on making their computers as easy as possible to use, with no geek training required. Another thing that people say about the Mac is that it is not enterprise-ready. While that has some truth to it, there are as many ways that a Mac is easier for businesses as there are that it is harder.

With Apple Inc.’s market share up to 20% in the US, some say the Mac is becoming a serious Windows killer. I say it always was. One of the things people most criticize Mac’s Operating System, OS X, for is it’s lack of many compatible games. Besides the fact that this could be considered a “feature” for increased productivity, it is true–to an extent. The Mac does have fewer games natively compatible, but it does have one killer feature: the ability to run Windows. Using the built in Boot Camp feature, it is reasonably simple for users to run Windows natively on their Mac. If they want to get more complicated, Windows can be “virualized”, and run inside OS X, and with CodeWeavers’ CrossOver and CrossOver Games, Windows applications can be run without the need to buy Windows itself.

The second main point users have against the Mac is price. PC’s, they argue, are available for as little as $300, or $500 for a good quality box. These same defenders argue that the fast graphics, built-in webcam, and other quality hardware are available on PCs, too. What they don’t say is that these two hypothetical computers are not the same. You can get a bare-bones, web-surfing-and-email-checking type PC for $300, or you can get one with all the features included in the Mac for much closer to the price of a Mac. Besides that, you get an excellent set of media management applications in the built-in iLife suite, and can instantly import photographs, edit movies, burn DVDs, and create websites. Apple’s office suite, iWork, is $79 to Microsoft Office ‘s $149.95, and bare-bones text editing can be done out of the box with TextEdit. Macs also tend to last longer, making that new computer payment come less often, and are easily upgradable in software. Apple has one version of their Operating System, available for $129 or $99 for five liscenses, eliminating that confusion for users who want to upgrade. Their computer line is equally simple. Two questions can usually determine which Mac is best suited to any person: Do I need portability? Am I a consumer, a proffessional, or a pro-sumer–somewhere in between?

Windows users have some ground when it comes to the enterprise market, though. Business owners are usually interested in two things when considering a computer: security and manangeability. The Mac can be seen as very secure or not secure at all, depending on what qualities you are looking for. By design Mac OS X is very secure, mainly becuase Windows is such a larger and easier target. However, there are security vulnerabliitles found regularly, and Apple does not patch them as fast as Microsoft. Additionally, while Microsoft has a schedule and classifications for Windows security updates, Apple releases them when the company feels they’re ready, and is generally very uninformative about their contents. They do provide a version for download on their website that is easy to put on a USB stick or access over a network to update many machines without downloading the updates for each, as well as an easy-to-access updater application.

While the Mac may not be ready for enterprise use just yet, it has well-developed integrateion into the PC world. It can see and transfer files from PCs on the same network, sends Windows-compatible emails by default, and if necessary, runs Windows-only applications by one of the methods I mentioned. If users are willing to pay $99 per year for Apple’s MobileMe service, data from a personal Mac can by synchronized with a work PC over the internet, along with other features. The Mac’s intuitive interface can be seen as both bad, because it’s just that much different from a PC, but also good as it allows for easier and faster navigation for users familiar with it.

Since the Mac is easier to use than, of a better quality than, and compatible with Windows, I’m surprised more people haven’t made the switch. “Once you go Mac, you never go back.” So if you value your computing experience, just try a Mac. The Apple stores have ample demo machines, so look at apple.com/buy/locator to see if you have a convenient store. Go Mac, then just try going back!