8 reasons why a Mac is better than a PC

Great article I read, so I just wanted to share it to those non-believers. I have both a Mac and a PC and have used both for quite awhile. I've always thought that I needed to have a Windows based PC just in case for compatibility reasons, but now, I'm switching completely over to the Mac, running only the Mac OS rather than both. I find no more need for Windows and here are some reasons provided by www.pcadvisor.co.uk. I can definitely think of more than 8, but this one is a good start. Read Read...

While PCs may be the most widely used computer platform in the world, there are still lots of extremely rational reasons to choose a Mac running Mac OS X over a Windows PC.

Macs can leave you happier and more productive than you would have been if you'd bought a Windows system, and feeling you got good value for your money even though a Mac is never the cheapest option.

1. Macs are consistently consistent

Windows Vista reminds me of a haunted mansion - they type of place with endless wings and far-flung rooms connected by twisty staircases and secret passages. And every time Microsoft does a redecorating job (also known as an upgrade), it moves some stuff around for no apparent reason.

OS X's logical, minimalist interface simply involves fewer things that must be learned and relearned, and Apple messes less with it in new releases such as Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Bottom line: it's easier to get stuff done.

2. The joy of predictability

Anyone who's ever suffered the indignity known as a Kernel Panic knows that Macs aren't bulletproof. But logging thousands of hours both on Windows PCs from multiple manufacturers and on Macs has convinced me that the average Mac is meaningfully less flakey than the average PC.

In my experience Macs crash less, suffer from fewer inexplicable slowdowns, deal better with tight memory situations, and boot up and shut down quicker and more reliably. Also I suspect it doesn't hurt that Apple is the only company in the business that writes its own operating system and designs its own hardware.

3. Who needs security headaches?

If the internet's bad guys ever decide to pummel OS X with the same intensity that they've pounded on Windows for years, the free ride for Mac fans may end. But for now, this fact is indisputable: a Mac owner who uses no security software at all runs less risk of being infected by spyware or a virus than a Windows user who obsessively protects his or her PC.

4. Crud, or the lack thereof

Windows is an infinitely better operating system when it isn't smothered by the demoware, adware, and other unwantedware that so many PC manufacturers splay onto the Start menu, the desktop, and the System Tray.

Macs are utterly free of such junk, as well as native-to-Windows irritations like word balloons burbling out of the System Tray, Windows Activation, and User Account Control.

5. Details count

You can buy a perfectly pleasing Windows PC that matches a Mac's CPU speed, RAM, hard-drive space, and other specs for a lot less money. But it won't have an AC adaptor with hooks that let you wrap up the cord for travel, or a MagSafe connector that won't get damaged if it's accidentally yanked out of the computer.

It won't have an oversized touchpad with multitouch gestures that help you navigate through documents and around the web. And it will probably be heavier and bulkier than a comparable Mac.

6. Apple is one of the world's best software companies

Forget about all those Macs, iPods and iPhones for a moment: Apple's applications are useful, enjoyable, and innovative, from the iLife creativity suite (whose presence on every new Mac is in itself an argument for the platform) to industrial-strength tools such as Final Cut Pro.

Most run only on OS X. (The Windows versions of iTunes, Safari, and QuickTime are okay, but Apple does its best work on its own operating system and hardware.)

7. The Apple Store's Geniuses rock

Buy a Mac, and you qualify for free in-person technical support from a patient rep with a deep knowledge of your system. I've had Geniuses do everything from reinstall my OS to replace broken keys on the spot.

Microsoft has announced plans to train 'Windows Gurus' to provide similar customer care at other retailers; it's worth trying, but there's no way it's going to replicate the Genius experience.

There are simply too many PCs from too many companies running too many variations on Windows for any one person to be an expert on everything.

8. Hey, Macs are PCs

By which I mean that Leopard's Boot Camp feature - and better yet theParallels Desktop and VMware Fusion virtualisation utilities - let you run Windows, and Windows applications, on a Mac.

I'm listing this last because I ultimately see running Windows on a Mac as a last resort: it's usually not necessary, and it degrades some of the other virtues of the Mac, such as protection from Windows security risks. But when it's valuable, it's really valuable.