Mac vs PC - get in on the debate!

Essential Linkage: The Apple Mac platform has come along in leaps and bounds in the last few years, but how does it compare to our beloved PCs?

Awful thing to admit - I love working on a Mac. As a work machine - especially in publishing - it's far and away my preferred platform. But for actually having fun, it's PC hands down. But these days, with Steam on the Mac, and the easy ability to swap between Windows and MacOS, the differences are shrinking.

So who's the best - if there even is such a thing?

That's what our friends over at PC Authority are wondering. Zara Baxter and John Gillooly have chosen sides, toed the line and squared up on the great Mac Vs PC debate, and they want you to join in too. So go have a look, and fight for your platform of choice!

Aliens: Colonial Marines in depth; Z-77 Motherboard round-up; strategy gaming special; Home Server tutorial. PLUS MUCH MORE - ON SALE NOW!

Ads by Google

36 Comments

Athlonite Jul 12, 2010 12:14 PM	Hi I'm a PC and I can do more than a Crapple Mac
Athiril Jul 12, 2010 1:35 PM	I had to use Macs for the past 2.5 years. I can't stand using them for any photographic or video work. I'm not sure if its the workflow or screen on the iMac that shits me the most. I definately can't stand using Apple's poorly designed editing software. Worst workflow ever.
nesquick Jul 12, 2010 1:57 PM	Its a mac thing you wouldn't understand....
tyft Jul 12, 2010 2:00 PM	Mac's are just overpriced PC's with a fancy Linux OS, and made by an evil dictator with an army of unhappy suicidals. End of story. Mac's suck. Btw I unfortuantely would love a Mac laptop, use an apple iPhone and wouldn't say no to any sort of mac really, go figure that's apple for you!
philo-sofa Jul 12, 2010 2:08 PM	These debates genreally don't end well. For my money I get the impression that Apple does give a valuable service. Even as an ardent PC user, I think the world would be a much poorer place without someone concentrating so much, and so successfully on the human machine interface - as evidenced by most of Windows' functionality still having been copied from a Mac and further evidenced by Apple's 'getting it right' with a touch-sensitive OS. As it stands for myself, I'm quite happy to have a level of enforced compliance with something like an iPhone, in order to get an ease of functionality, but I would never want that kind of restrictiveness/funactioanlity with my computer or home network. As someone with an IQ above room temperatur I also don't appreciate the 'look it had an LED flash for the camera now, wejust worked out how to do it in gen 4 - luls so nao go buy a new one' mentality that gives us an iPad without a USB port (seriously, no USB??) or the 100% markup on hardware. Macs have an important role as does Apple as a whole, and they do a damn job - and a good measure of just how amazing a platform the IBM PC AT/XT clone has grown into over the years is the market dominance still enjoyed by it inspite of Apple's skills and lame ads (albeit in part because of MS standardisation). I'm not going to be drawn into a subjective emotion either way - I'm glad Macs exist, I'm glad they don't have a market monopoly (shudder) - but if anyone wants me to get one to replace my PC?... You'd have to pry my three-button mouse from my cold, dead hands ;)
SceptreCore Jul 12, 2010 2:09 PM	Windows kick's the crap out of Mac. Most of us here are PC's. I like my OS's customisable, with a GUI that flows. And Windows just works. Apple products are dumbed down... and suck.
tyft Jul 12, 2010 2:18 PM	Philo: From what I can see throughout recent history Microsoft and Apple plundered a lot of things from each other or other companies, capatilism at it's finest! From one perspective, a lot of stuff that seemed innovative on Apple's behalf, Microsoft actually pioneered. Microsoft developed the sidebar and widgets, gestural interfaces and many other user interaction areas with their research programs. Apple just figured out how to make this stuff work, and sold it like Apple only could...kudos to them! At the end of the day the industry needs both these big players to keep innovation and competition active. It also provides a healthy competitive landscape for both big guy and little guys to thrive. Let's hope apple does start to open up a little now, especially after Microsoft's transformation this decade.
sirtrancealot Jul 12, 2010 2:26 PM	Microsoft would be hands down the best in anyones book if they were locked to a 1/2 dozen hardware variants. thats the only reason Mac's are stable as they are. but I prefer to customise my hardware, and my OS even moreso. I find OSX cumbersome, counter-intuitive, bland. yay it might be stable as a rock... but if i wanted a stable OS with a shit gui.. i'd use DOS!
sirtrancealot Jul 12, 2010 2:29 PM	philo, u need to get yourself a 5 button dude..3 button is so 1995... bind mouse 4 to knife = win!
philo-sofa Jul 12, 2010 2:57 PM	@ tyft - interesting reading. My beleif was that it was a largely one way street, so it's interesting to know that Microsfot pioneered those faces of how we interact.
somemadcaaant Jul 12, 2010 3:12 PM	In reality; Macs have a virgina and PC’s have a penis. Macs are soft, pasty white, slow and cuddly, PC’s on the other hand are tough, dark, crave unlimited performance and are resilient to cuddles. All depends on the personality of the person, always reflected in the tech they prefer. Bah every1 knows it's bind mouse3 for knife or alt weaponry, u must live in some augmented reality that deviates from my own screwed up reality. Mouse4 is for zooming or interacting, in the words of the Angry Gaming nerd - Oh yeah!
philo-sofa Jul 12, 2010 3:28 PM	@ sirtrancealot - on the G500 mouse 3 is great for knifing. Also have my back button mapped to keyboard '2' (change back to rifle quickly after AT rocket/GL firing), with 'forward' mapped to Vent and the 'stop' button mapped to ingame chat. So yeah... a one button mouse wouldn't quite cut it with us as gamers lol ;)
Karmicfloss Jul 12, 2010 3:34 PM	I had it expressed to me the following way. Macs are Ferraris that have the hood bolted shut, PC's are Holdens or Fords that you can modify and tweak to your liking. Linux is the car you built yourself. Don't know if I totally agree with it but, but I definitely feel that both Mac OS and Windows are shit. Seriously if cars performed as OS's do you wouldn't buy them. Buggy and, depending on hardware, slow and unstable they would both be categorised as lemons, let alone Ferraris ffs!
sirtrancealot Jul 12, 2010 4:06 PM	Sale of the Century.. best Mac game ever.... with included buzzer... no wait that's the stock apple mouse!
tyft Jul 12, 2010 4:55 PM	Mac is more like a VW, Mercedes or BMW. Dell/HP is a Holden and Custom built's are Fords! Then Linux is a Proton, lawlz.
SceptreCore Jul 12, 2010 5:09 PM	I agree Tyft.
xFOADx Jul 12, 2010 5:33 PM	I haven't used a mac before, but macs would seem to me to cost twice as much for half the spec
SavageD Jul 12, 2010 5:54 PM	/dons ragehat PC 4 EVAR! APPLE SCHNAPPLE! Multi-touch is for the touchy-feely and weak of knee! PC 4 EVAR!!!
Karmicfloss Jul 12, 2010 5:56 PM	Incidently I find that Mac's OS is incredibly slow and buggy, Windows just happens to be the less buggy of the 2 in my experience. Thus my rage is less in regards to Windows than Mac OSX or woteva.
Argotha Jul 12, 2010 6:57 PM	@Karmicfloss http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt11/Argotha/Random/Linux.jpg @philo-sofa Windows had tablets long before Apple did AFAIK. However it didnt use your fingers, it used a pen. And unlike the iTampon it ran on proper parts (albeit they were laptops). If you wanted hand written notes (so that you could include diagrams aroows etc quickly) they were great. MS Onenote was created for that purpose. @all As much as I dont like Mac desktops, I must admit that they are good products especially for 'the mindless masses' that dont want them to be hugely customizable. For many people I would recommend Mac, but personally I wouldnt touch them with a stick. (Except for the iPod. The only apple thing I own)
philo-sofa Jul 12, 2010 10:45 PM	@ Argotha – I know there were Windows tablets long before Apple made them; particularly as Apple has arguably never released a tablet. Liek most people I’m also aware they were a resounding failure as far as the general public went, and after using one I could see why. Trying to shoehorn a functional PC using normal PC parts and a slightly modified desktop OS into a tablet, with the attendant poor battery life, frustrating functionality and general sense of ‘god I want to have a mouse right now’ wasn’t a great idea (the odd exception such as writing things that paper is too old for being one). One area where Apple does excel (pun!) is in the creation of an end user experience, and they got that right with the iPad – whilst I was never likely to buy one I was frustrated at the iPad’s specs, and its use of the iPhone OS, but they were right. A touch screen device needs a touch screen OS, one that’s been if not built from the ground up as a touchscreen OS, at least fully thought through as one. Now one day, with fast CULV processors, great battery tech and a merged mouse & KB / touch OS, the tablet will have its day. But that day isn’t today, nor is it all that close, yet they’ve made a fantastic computing product that didn’t exist before so I have to chalk a major point up for Apple right there. Then deduct half a point for it not having a USB port, I mean seriously, what the fuck guys?
Argotha Jul 12, 2010 11:22 PM	hmm, I gave you less credit than you deserved. Sorry about that. Personally I never saw them being anyworse than any other laptop around at the time.
NobodyIsHere Jul 13, 2010 12:45 AM	i think this picture sum's up each sides views of each other rather well (pc vs mas vs linux) [link]http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/3817/macwinlinuxperceptionss.jpg[/link]
NobodyIsHere Jul 13, 2010 12:46 AM	pc vs. MAC vs. linux** wtb edit button! and damn link tags dont work in comments =(
Duper Jul 13, 2010 5:19 AM	The one thing to remember Nobody, is that Mac IS Linux now. (well, more technically Unix) Way back "in the day", the real debate was how fast either one was as they way they processed data. The "IBM" clones used parallel bit processing and Apple/Mac Or Motorola used single bit processing. But as of a couple years back (I think it's been 5 now?) Apple/Mac no longer use Motorola processors and use Intel just like any other PC. PC stands for Personal Computer, btw, but has been branded as anything other than Mac. These days it comes down to software availability and variety and how well you like the GUI. The GUI. Where this is concerned, Windows and Mac are for two very different people. It IS a Left Brain / Right Brain thing. If you are an engineer or someone who is very logically minded person, chances are that the Mac GUI is not going to be very appealing. If you are more artistically minded .. the artsy-fartsy kind like me the Mac GUI is going to make more sense than the Windows GUI. Of course this is a Generalization and not true for every last person. Both are robust hardware wise. Mac DOES use Scsi still, however and that in some instances is still faster. The debate on that is still out there and I need to do some research on the real numbers. Price. .. well. Yeah, Mac is more ... unless you go looking for a high end gaming system Alienware or something similar. Then the prices run about the same. You are, of course, paying for the name. But in that name is assumed quality. Most Mac/apples don't suffer hardware failures. Their manufacturing quality standards are nuts. ... unlike some Microsoft hardware experiments like the Xbox and the 360 which have chronic heating issues.. but that's another topic. ;) If you are going to bock at the price, then I would assume that you are a person that won't by a Bose stereo system. (I know I CAN’T afford one. :P) The mouse thing. Mac mice are 3 buttoned now. They are not just "visible". Pretty cool textile too. I own a windows computer. Home built; Windows 7 64bit. It runs great with the exception of the OCZ memory. It doesn't play well with the Intel processor I have. But when you get down to it, which is "best"? I don't think that hardware best is a factor anymore, but rather what a person "prefers". And I guess you can't really determine "best" by that. :)
flexx Jul 13, 2010 10:37 AM	selling point for a mac is....It can run Window$
brumby92 Jul 13, 2010 8:16 PM	oh god.. I really hate these arguments. I love and Use Both macs and Pc's. My mac has aged terribly, but its never had the sort of problems my Pc has had, both software and hardware. It amazes me how PC fags go on about the shittyness of OSX GUI, yet windows has stolen a metric fucktonne of its features. And don't go on about how your favourite program isn't on mac. All the programs I use are either on both mac and windows, or there's often a better alternative on mac. And the jokes about 1 button mice are old and pathetic. Apple has supported multi button mice out of the box since version 8.6 and contextual menu's (making shit pop up when you right click the desktop and such) since the first OSX.
ankita Jul 13, 2010 9:00 PM	Send your good taste to celebration by delivering our mouthwatering cakes to Mumbai and exotic flowers to Mumbai and leave a cherished memory with them. From http://www.mumbaionlineflorists.com.
alexdtree Jul 13, 2010 10:50 PM	i honestly think they are both two great platforms and the main issue for me with a pc is little bit of media and games games and more games. and at this point make doesnt quite accomodate as many games on its platform if mac did support all the games i can safely say i would probably go mac
Suxsuxsux Jul 14, 2010 12:58 AM	I have never used a Mac, but I did install Itunes once. It was slow to load, confusing to use, and made a complete hash of my carefully organized Mp3 collection. A lot of people get the warm fuzzies about Macs But I prefer PC's because I get to tinker under the hood, if only just to inject some of myself into the computing experience.
littlealien02 Jul 14, 2010 10:56 AM	I think the MAC is good for various jobs. For example: Graphic design and general web-browsing, but it is by no means as variable or as flexible as a PC. I believe that the difference between the two platforms is growing smaller and smaller. Over time I predict that MAC will simply become another Intel brand entirely and software will be able to be used over both platforms. MAC will probably be better known as the non-tinkerer's PC - the fool-proof addition.
smadge1 Jul 14, 2010 3:47 PM	Apples are just fancy PCs with a fancy OS these days. I'm happy using either, but it's a bit harder building your own Mac.
DDevine Jul 14, 2010 5:46 PM	I hate how people use the phrase "Mac vs PC". They are now both Intel/x86 based so really the article should be called "The overpriced but good quality PC running Apple OSX vs. the whatever-you-want PC running whatever you want." but that is a bitch to say. As for the intended "Apple OSX vs Microsoft Windows" debate I have to say that Apple definitely wins on the technical front (good, mostly open source tech under the hood), but loses on the gaming and usability fronts (Come on, the UI is shit). As for Apple vs. Microsoft - they are both equally evil and stupid these days. I have only recently purchased my first copy of MS Windows (7 Pro) so that I can play the games that do not work in Wine or look too shitty when not in DX10/11. Windows has been installed on a stand-alone machine which I refer to as "The Gaming Appliance". For everyday use I always use Linux; specifically Fedora running sweet sweet KDE. Why would you want to be Apple or Microsoft's bitch?
lukabs Jul 14, 2010 11:47 PM	The Mac vs PC statement. Forget about chipsets. They both are and have always been personal computers. Can you show me when the mac wasn't a personal computer? As for tweaking your OS. For those that say you can't, obviously have never really looked as you can & I have tweaked my version of OSX. The argument about who developed the GUI, Well Apple originally got the idea from the Xerox Parc. Xerox could have set the PC world on fire but sat on the technology until licenced by Apple. The argument about available software. For those that say there is more available on a Wintel (Windows-Intel) box, how much of the software do you actually use. When it comes to business and productivity software, the mac provides all that I need. For my hardcore gaming, I use a dedicated device, in my case a PS3 or my PSP. My final statement is that you can't argue over which is better until really have dived deep into both. Everyone will have their bias, mostly from not using one or the other. I, as a personal preference, use macs at home, but use Wintel boxes at work. I like both to a certain extent but still prefer the Apple platform and have done for years.
azamoth Jul 16, 2010 10:26 PM	Mac? Is that half a burger?
somemadcaaant Jul 19, 2010 4:21 PM	LOL @ azamoth - would u like a side order of penis or vagina with that? (refering to my previous post)

Comments have been disabled on this article.

Atomic Magazine

Issue: 137 | June, 2012

Atomic is a magazine aimed squarely at computer enthusiasts, gamers, and serious PC upgraders.

Every month we bring you the latest reviews of new technology and PC components, in depth features on everything from overclocking to console hacking, and gaming previews and interviews.

What's in this issue?