Are Macs or PCs superior? It’s a questions that’s as old as time (or at least the 90s) and has been fiercely debated by brand loyalists on both sides. The reality, however, is that the answer is complicated, so if you’re in need of a new computer and wondering what to get, check out this Mac vs. PC buyer’s guide.
Defining Your Needs
There will be a lot of points to consider from this Mac vs. PC buyer’s guide, but the first thing you should ask yourself is what do you need out of a computer?
If your answer is at all related to gaming, don’t bother reading the rest of this article because you’re going to need a PC (Windows). Mac computers are not designed for gaming and most computer games can only run on Windows.
But past gaming things aren’t so cut and dry. Let’s say you need a computer primarily for work or school and the usual Netflix streaming on the side.
Now you should consider the pros and cons of things like price, hardware and familiarity.
Familiarity and Myths
A legitimate factor to consider is what you’re already familiar with. If you’re comfortable using Macs and you have used them in the past, then you’re probably better off getting another Mac.
It’s not hard to learn how to use Windows, and the same goes for macOS, but unless you need or want to there’s no sense in changing things up on yourself.
It’s also worth mentioning on this Mac vs. PC buyer’s guide that the idea that PCs get more viruses than Macs is a myth.
More computers run Windows than macOS, so generally there are more viruses coded to target Windows, but for the average person a Mac is not going to be any more protected than a PC.
It’s more about how careful you, the user behind the computer, are when you’re online.
If you fall for a phishing attempt or you browse websites that aren’t safe, you’ll be just as vulnerable to viruses whether you have a Mac or PC.
Price and Brand
Price is another major consideration you should be making from this Mac vs. PC buyer’s guide.
A computer’s model and its hardware will greatly affect how much the computer costs. The newest model with nice hardware will add hundreds of dollars to the price compared to something just two years older.
Also, be warned that when you buy a Mac part of what you’re paying for is the brand. Apple products hold some weight in pop culture and some people will buy a computer (or phone for that matter) just so they have that Apple logo.
Apple is well aware of this and sets their prices accordingly.
However, that’s not to say that Apple doesn’t produce great products with unique features, they certainly do, but the reality is that you can buy a PC with the same computing power at a significantly cheaper price.
Hardware
Last on this Mac vs. PC buyer’s guide, let’s talk about hardware. Whether you buy Apple, Dell, Microsoft or Lenovo, what primarily determines your computer’s price and quality is its hardware.
There is a huge amount to consider when it comes to hardware but a general rule to follow is that the newer the hardware the better it is.
For example, a graphics card or processor that was released years ago is not going to be as good as the newest model available. But you don’t need to worry about this as much if you’re not buying a gaming PC.
If you just need a computer for general work or school then aim to hit the basic marks like 8GB of RAM, an SDD (solid-state drive) with roughly 500GB of space, and a processor (like an Intel i5 or i7) that was released within the past five years.
Below are some example computers that meet these specs.
Dell Inspiron 14 Laptop - $630 USD
Dell OptiPlex 5090 Small Form Factor Desktop - $959 USD
13-inch MacBook Pro Laptop - $1200 to $1400 USD
13-inch Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Intel Laptop - $783 USD
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 (Certified Refurbished) - $526 to $688 USD
