need help deciding between mac or windows?

Question

im in middle school and i cant decide. once i save enough, im gonna buy one. should i get the new mac or windows? please list like the prices, how user friendly it is and any other info u have. thanks

Answer 1

Aaron,



I am a parent who has a child not yet in middle school. I want to complement you on your goal of buying a computer and asking the difference between mac and windows. You will go far in life. We own two Macs, a laptop and a IMAC. I would suggest that you get what you can afford. A windows based PC is more affordable than a Mac. It works fine and has the ability to accomplish whatever assignment is expected of you to complete.

For the record, Macs specialize in advertising media and education. We live in a PC world, so the majority of what you would be exposed to are windows base PCs. For the money, the Mac is better. It starts faster than PC's as they get older, the operating software is not prone to virus attacks, they have a longer operating life than a windows based PC, and Mac hardware has a relevant service life of 5-7 years. On average a PC must be replaced in 3 years, because the operating software melts down and becomes out dated. The downside is that 1 Mac often costs what you can get for 3 Windows based PCs. If you become dependent on a computer like the most of us, you will spend the money for 2 or 3 pcs in a 5-7 year period of time.

At some point you may want to consider the Sony Vaio; a very good windows based PC, however, it is at the upper price point. Acer is a middle of the road PC, not to expensive, good capabilities and works just fine. Perhaps you may want to start with an Acer. If you have the money, I can tell you from experience, their is nothing in the world like a Mac. The company is top notch and so are their products.



I wish you the best in your decision.

Answer 2

Alright, its late at night but lets see if I can do this.



MAC:



Advantages:



- Definitely great for mixing and recording music.

- Always is a laptop (not sure if this is an advantage)

- Photoshop also works well on it.



Disadvantages:



- The price goes through the roof compared to Windows based PCs.

- Macs have the same hardware as Windows PCs with a logo on it.

- Not as many Mac users as there are Windows users, which means less compatibility in terms of different programs.



Windows:



Advantages:



- Used widely around the world.

- Much cheaper compared to a Mac

- Can run Mac OSX too on it if you really wanted too.



Disadvantages:



- Genuine Windows **** can get annoying but if you buy it legally it won't be a problem.

- Many people believe it is slower than Mac (namely the insane Mac fanboys.



In terms of User Friendly I would say they are both about the same. Well here you go. If I were you i would F___ it all and get Linux :D



ALSO a note to every other poster: Mac can be run on a PC and Windows can be run on a Mac. Not just one way.

Answer 3

I will tell you this now. I am PC biased as I have always had problems using a mac and am more knowledgeable on a PC's workings.



There are two major things you should consider when choosing a computer. What do you plan to do with it, and how much are you willing to spend?



When it comes to deciding based on what you want to do with your computer, the difference between Macs and PCs is slowly shrinking, but there is still a gap. People who lean more towards programming and gaming tend to choose PCs. More and more games have been adapted for Macintosh use, but they sometimes they come out considerably later than the original PC release date, if at all. Also, a majority of programming is done in Windows or Linux (The later being the system we use at my school), so science type people tend to lean towards PCs. On the other hand, Macintosh is made with the artist in mind. If you wish to work in artistic media, making the art for games or movies than a Macintosh would do a better job. The art department is full of apples.



As a student, you may want to check what types of computers your school uses. I found that trying to get files to work between the two is too tedious for me to bother with when it's Mac and PC. Once again while the compatibility gap is shrinking, it still tends to creep up at the worse possible moments.



The biggest thing you should consider though is how much you are willing to spend. Macs tend to be a tad expensive... most run an average of $1000 for a new quality laptop. PCs tend to be cheaper, but you have to be careful with them. They're a bit finicky and don't like to be manhandled. :) I've broken my fair share by leaving them to jostle around in my backpack.



Then of course, if you do narrow it down to one or the other, you must decide what kind of computer to buy of that type.



I would recommend a simple net book PC for a computer. It's good for school and simple things and inexpensive, so you get one faster. Nice and small. Granted... it is no gaming system, DVD player or CD player, but it will get you through your studies. :)



There are some sites listed below that might help.



Good luck!

Answer 4

Windows is a much more popular OS than the Mac's default operating system OS X. I may be mistaking, but OS X cannot run executables, which is the standard file type of all computer applications on Windows. Some of the programs you can run on Windows may not be runnable on your Mac. Also... If this were a debate over which OS to use I would recommend downloading Ubuntu linux instead of either one.

Answer 5

Windows 7 is your best bet. Mac crash constantly despise what you have seen in its advertisement. Windows have have every comparable features to Mac; you name any Mac feature, I can name Windows's equivalent. Unless you are paranoid about "thousand of viruses", then Windows 7 is the way to go. Get a decent security suite (even free ones) and use some common sense (don't click on FREE HD TV) and you will never have to worry.



Price wise, $1000 can get you a Core i7 Quad Core Windows 7 PC or Core 2 Duo Core Mac. What do you chose; 4 cores or 2 cores?

Answer 6

Let's put it this way. My mom wanted a computer 3 years ago. She was 73 Years Old. I got her a PC. It took a month and she was so infected - just from visiting sites and other popup nightmares.



2 years ago - we gave the PC to Charity - it got infected 5 to 6 times the 1st year. Then we purchased a MacBook. (Check out the new ones - they are so cool). Watch the video on the Apple Site!



Anyway - to this day - never a virus, never a popup - just pure Mac. That was 2 years ago. Today - she still uses the same computer - no issues - no problems. She 76 - and having a blast with her Mac.



It's a shame that Windows couldn't be this way!



Find Your Answers!

Answer 7

For a middleschool student I suggest a PC. Considering your buying ti yourself, a pc will cost less and be easier on your pockets for games and software. Find a good laptop.

Answer 8

Macs can also run Windows natively on a separate parition or they can run Windows within OS X inside a VM, so if you can save $1000, get the Macbook - it is the cheapest Mac

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook?aid=AIC-NAUS-K2-BUYNOW-MACBOOK-INDEX&cp=BUYNOW-MACBOOK-INDEX



If you like Windows and don't need any mac applications (which you shouldn't if you are in grade school), get a cheap Windows Laptop for $350 - it should last you till you graduate from high school

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstemplatemapper.jsp?id=pcat17080&type=page&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1~~q70726f63657373696e6774696d653a3e313930302d30312d3031~~cabcat0500000%23%230%23%2311a~~cabcat0502000%23%230%23%23o~~nf518||4c657373207468616e2024363030&list=y&nrp=15&sc=abComputerSP&sp=%2Bcurrentprice+skuid&usc=abcat0500000



Better Laptops under $500 - I'd get one of these if you can afford it.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+Satellite+Laptop+with+AMD+Athlon%26%23153%3B+II+Dual-Core+Processor+-+Graphite+Gray/9553896.p?id=1218123211002&skuId=9553896

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Gateway+-+Laptop+with+AMD+Athlon%26%23153%3B+X2+Dual-Core+Processor+-+NightSky+Black/9568611.p?id=1218125777907&skuId=9568611

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+Laptop+with+Intel%26%23174%3B+Pentium%26%23174%3B+Processor+-+Midnight+Blue/9555992.p?id=1218124206463&skuId=9555992

Answer 9

google