10 reasons why to go Macintosh"Why would anyone choose a Mac when they could have Windows?"Go to: First reason / What is a Mac? / Try a Mac / Which Mac? / Index
But one would presume, on the basis that several million seemingly rational people still keep buying Macs despite the many potential negatives – mainly coming from being a minority platform in a Windows world – there must be something about them worthwhile. It's advocates can't all be under some mass delusion, surely? So, what this single page here is intended to do, is look at some of the main reasons – in no particular order – why some people do choose a Macintosh.
1. "They just work" Probably the most common reason expressed, and forms a large part of Apple's own advertising campaign. It's the basic premise that Macs – with their tight software and hardware integration – are just less hassle than their Windows equipped competitors. However... ...a larger part of any perception of being "less hassle", would come from more familiarity with a given platform's way of doing things. Only when equally familiar with both can a personal conclusion be drawn. 2. "Security issues are not an issue on Macs" Viruses, spyware, and other types of malware have always been a major headache for Microsoft Windows. Being the biggest dog in the yard, and historically having an allegedly questionable standard security model, means those who use this platform, have always been a potential target; or victim as the case may be. Wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to bother with all that hassle?... Well, that's where a Mac comes in. Malware is nowhere! However... ...malware protection software alleviates most of the threat to a Windows system. Add in a healthy dose of personal common sense and caution, and the threat diminishes greatly. See also reason 24 – 'Macs get viruses, just like PCs do' – for a closer look at this. 3. "Macs are so easy to use" The main ethos' of the Mac, has always been ease of use. It is apparent that a lot of effort is put into nuances of the user interface's design, and deciding which complexities should be hidden away that only serve to add to confusion for the average user to achieve the task at hand. All this with the aim of making potentially complicated tasks, simple. However... ...obviously, just like the 'it just works' item, 'ease of use' is a very subjective opinion. One has to consider that the ability to adapt to the unfamiliar will differ from person to person. Computers are complicated, and only so much can be done to hide that fact. But also, for others, that same ease of use may be perceived as being too restrictive. As said, all very subjective. See also reason 13 – 'Macs are difficult to use' – for a further look at this. 4. "Macs are stylishly designed" There was a time not too long ago, when all PCs looked virtually the same. They were big beige (or occasionally black) rectangular boxes, with a standard beige CRT monitor, a standard beige elephant hide plastic keyboard, and a standard beige two button mouse. Dull, utilitarian slabs of metal and plastic. Apple were always a bit different. The original Macintosh was a bit of a departure from the normal form factor, but over the years after, even their boxes started to look boring and... beige. But then in 1998, they woke up. The original iMac made its appearance with (shock horror) curvaceous, colourful, translucent cases. The rest is history. Today, many PC manufacturers now have models that depart from the standard big rectangular box, but it is still largely the case that most PCs sold remain of the big dull beige (or black) box variety. Take off the label, and they'd be hard pressed to identify one box from another; something that you certainly couldn't accuse Apple of. No other mainstream PC manufacturer puts as much effort into making their PCs visually stylishly attractive, than Apple; proving PCs don't have to be dull, utilitarian boxes. See 'Which Mac?' for a brief look at current Macs on sale today. However... ...of course one should not forget that a computer is an appliance to get stuff done first and foremost. For all practical purposes, styling is of secondary importance, or arguably completely superfluous; particularly if that styling is at the expense of substance. See reason 2 – 'Macs aren't upgradeable' – for an example of potential downsides. 5. "Mac OS is beautiful and rock solid stable" Not only is Apple's hardware attractively designed, but their OS is too. The advent of OS X unveiled desktop graphics that made their competitors products of the time, and indeed their previous incarnations of Mac OS, look like something from the dark ages. But it wasn't all show and no go. Along with the eye candy, came a foundation of rock solid UNIX reliability, and 'proper' (pre-emptive) multi tasking; certainly compared to previous versions. And that remains today. No-one can seriously claim Macs are crashproof – no OS is – but a properly functioning one is certainly as stable as anything else out there, if not more so. However... ...OS X doesn't have exclusivity on good looks. Recently, Windows Vista closes the eye candy gap, as do various distributions of Linux. And as for stability, the more recent an OS update, the more bugs it will tend to have which could result in decreased stability. Relative stability between competing products, evolves over time. See also reason 12 – 'Macs are unstable and crash a lot'. 6. "Macs come with great bundled applications, such as iLife" This is often touted as much of the value in a Mac. Most brands of PC will offer some sort of software bundle, but not all bundles are created equal, in quantity and quality. A random splattering of pre-installed freeware and time limited 'nagware' you'll want rid of straight away is one thing, but an integrated suite of quality applications that a target market can best make use of, is quite another. The Mac's bundled iLife software suite in particular, is one of its main trump cards. And while there will be approximate mix and matches of non-integrated alternatives freely or cheaply downloadable for other OSs, there is something to be said of a PC which comes with much, or even all the software its buyer may ever need included and ready to use out of the box. However... ...Windows – particularly since Vista – also has bundled applications which replicate much of iLife's functionality. So only the gaps need be filled with 3rd party alternatives mentioned above, and only if an individual decided those gaps need to be filled. Reason 3 – 'Macs are too expensive' – also takes a brief look at this point. 7. "Macs' build quality is top notch" Check out any customer satisfaction survey of PC reliability and build quality, and you'll usually find Apple near to or topping the list. And while you'll always be able to find examples of someone with a horror story for any brand – including Apple – it does stand to reason that any PC manufacturer who avoids competing in the penny-pinching, disposable, budget box market, would be best placed to deliver a better built PC as their norm. However... ...quality does come at a price. If indeed Apple's hardware is built above averagely, then there inevitably will be a price tag on that, or be to the detriment of other aspects – such as specifications – to meet a predetermined pricepoint. Build quality is nice to have, but if budget is tight, one may be prepared to sacrifice some of it to get a bigger bang for the buck. And that's something Apple's current lineup really doesn't accommodate. Reason 3 – 'Macs are too expensive' – covers this point too. 8. "Macs run Windows too; best of both worlds" Minor differences aside, Macs are PCs. And just like any other PC, they can run Windows. But unlike those other PCs, they run Mac OS too. For someone who likes, wants, and prefers Mac OS, but balks at giving up the Windows applications they are used to – e.g. games – with a Mac, they can have both. However... ...the page 'Windows; Macintosh edition' takes a closer look at the pros and cons of this. 9. "Mac OS's UNIX foundation is geek nirvana" It's arguable that pre Mac OS X, Macs were seen as little more than toys. They took simplification to a level that people who were serious about their computers, couldn't really consider one a viable choice. For instance, they didn't have a command line interface (CLI). On that front, Mac OS X changed that. While it largely retained the customary 'ease of use' that comes from an Apple designed GUI, it added a CLI for those who wanted to get down and dirty with it. And not only a CLI, but a UNIX CLI. From this point on, no longer could a Mac be dismissed as a simple toy for the computer-clueless. It's now as simple or as complicated as you need it to be. And if it's got enough tinkerability for a UNIX geek, it's surely got enough tinkerability for anyone! However... ...Mac OS X is not the only OS with a CLI. Windows still retains its MS-DOS shell lurking in there somewhere. Or if UNIX is your thing, and hand holding GUIs are of less importance to you, Linux does it cheaper (or freely), is even more tinkerable, and runs on a wider range of hardware. 10. "Anything's better than Microsoft" Yes, as hard as it is to believe considering their huge market share dominance, there is a not inconsiderable malcontented sentiment about Microsoft and its products. Enough sometimes for people to stray from the flock in search of greener grass. Reason for this negative sentiment could be manyfold. Maybe it's their alleged historical questionable anti-competitive business practices, or their alleged blatant plagiarising of other company's innovation, or maybe simply their products are seen as designed by committee to be merely adequate but never groundbreaking. Or maybe it's simply just human nature to swipe at the biggest target and root for the underdog. Whatever the reason, as the perennial underdog of the PC world providing the main viable alternative, here's Apple only too willing to welcome with open arms, those with anti-Microsoft sentiments. And being as so few go back with their tails between their legs, must surely say something. However... ...that's not to say Apple doesn't have its own share of malcontents, each with their own personal criticisms of Apple, its policies, and its products; some of it well deserved. This whole site is devoted to some of them. But anyway, ask yourself, is boycotting a product on the basis that you don't like the company that made it, a particularly rational stance? If Windows suits your needs, who, how, and when it came into being, must surely be of lesser concern? It's just a big piece of software, not a cult! Go to: First reason / What is a Mac? / Try a Mac / Which Mac? / Index
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The main purpose of this site is to look at common reasons why not to choose a Mac. In other words, the negatives. As you'll hopefully gather, the significance and validity of these reasons are subjective, and indeed, some are complete myths that are deserving only of debunking.
