More to the Choice than Funny Commercials
The Mac people would like you to believe, or at least convince the teenager in your home with the true buying power, that a PC computer is old-fashioned, out-of-date and geeky – Dad wearing his housecoat and spectacles. In comparison, Mac says, their computers are for the young, modern and cool generation of computer users. The commercials are great; there is no doubt Mac has great marketing power. But are its claims legitimate? For answers, I turned to Justin De Vries of Valley Bytes and Graphic Designer Ian Howard. Both are familiar with Macs and PCs and were able to help debunk some of the myths that Macs are more modern than a PC (as in IBM compatible, understanding that PC stands for personal computer and a Mac is also technically a personal computer). Support The main thing about a PC versus a Mac, says De Vries, is the available tech support – it is simply not as accessible for Mac users. “The support locally isn’t there to help new users with problems or even fix the hardware. There used to be at least four stores in the Ottawa Valley (dealing with Macs) but not anymore,” he says. “So you end up having to ship your computer to Toronto or wherever to be fixed with a turn-around of a couple of weeks to get it back.” Design Capabilities A few years ago, if you asked anyone working in design, layout or print media which computer system they preferred, it would be a Mac hands down. In the mid-80’s, computer design software didn’t exist for the PC, which also featured low resolution screens. When Macs first came on the market, they showed us that computing could be fun and creative – launching the desktop publishing revolution. For the first time, users could place text and graphics wherever they wanted on the full screen page layout. With advances in print quality, resolution and software, Mac computers dominated the industry, leaving designers free from trying to create using light tables, bottles of rubber cement and Exacto knifes. However, in this area, PC is no longer behind the times, says Howard. “I started working designing on a Mac and then moved to another job that used PCs. After working with PCs in the graphic design industry for the past six years, I recently made the switch back to Mac. And although OS X is slicker than ever before when it comes to the extra features like iTunes and iChat, I’m really not noticing a huge difference in the graphic design applications,” he says. “And maybe that is why Mac is heading more and more into video and
sound applications and away from graphic design.” The Appeal to Teenagers Reminiscent of the way it launched the desk top publishing revolution, MAC is now doing the same thing in the music and video industry. This, of course, is where it has gained its reputation for being cool to teenagers who love to listen to their iPods, download songs and put videos up on YouTube. Macs have become the computer to use for fast seamless production of videos, thanks to programs like Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Motion and After Effects. For music lovers, or producers, Macs also offer Protools and Garage Band among others that allow for heavy production use. Overall Unless you are into music or video production in a big way, it is still more cost-effective for families looking to buy a computer to go with a PC. You can build a PC with many of the same options for a third of price and be able to use all of the latest programs and games without waiting for it to be released for a Mac system. You can also have it upgraded more easily, have more choice of software and, at least locally, have it fixed more quickly. This is just a small sample of the raging and ongoing debate between PC and Mac users – to read more or add in your two cents, you can visit any number of computer sites including http://macvspc.info/
Meghan Howard, B.J. Hons., is a professional journalist and website developer with Megram Consulting Services Ltd. in Renfrew, and can be reached through the company website. www.megram.com.