Mac or PC?
I'm in the market for a new computer and what I want, and what I can afford, are two different things. I've been wanting to switch to a Mac for a while, but didn't really need a new computer until now. My desktop PC has been fine. (yes, I said desktop) It's more than enough computer for me, but lately it's been running a little rough. No surprise though, considering it's six years old. That's a dinosaur in computer years! So, I thought I'd start looking to see what's out there. I'm definitely getting a laptop this time around, so I first took a look at PC's.
I could basically get everything I'd want in a computer for $799, but then I'd still be dealing with antivirus software which can add up. The benefit for me in buying another PC means I don't have to learn anything new, and I don't have to buy expensive software that I already own (ie: Photoshop and Quickbooks), also it comes with Microsoft Office which is essential to my business.
Next, I took a trip to my nearest Apple store.
The people that work for Apple are so knowledgable! After spending about an hour talking to one of their "experts," I felt crazy for even contemplating another PC! However, there is that pesky thing called price. If I went with the entry level MacBook for $999, and got the student discount of -$100, that would bring it to just $100 over the PC. It totally makes sense, until I start thinking about all of the software I'd need to buy, just to get the Mac outfitted with what I need. The extra cost for programs that I already own, could easily add $400 + to the total. Ugh! The benefit to owning a Mac would be no virus issues, and FANTASTIC customer service/support.
I'm sure the arguements are strong for both sides, but I'd love advice from recent PC to Mac converts. Also, would love to hear feedback from those who looked at Mac and bought a PC. Please, please comment away!
The big Mac or PC debate... What's a girl to do?
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Hi,I just started following your blog and enjoy your knowledge, passion, and commentary on fashion and romance. I'm not a computer expert but I do have some insight on laptops. Your conumdrum is one I kicked around before purchasing my Gateway laptop. I browsed the internet, went to several stores, and asked as many friends as I could about the pros and cons of the PC vs. Mac competition. Of the friends who swear by Mac, their number one reason for the purchase was the same as yours, they didn't want to worry about anti-virus. As for my friends who own PC laptops, and they far out weigh the Mac friends, they liked the variety the PC world offers. The PC owners were able to choose from price, screen size, memory, hard drive size, and other options from several different suppliers... very flexible. Another PC owner claim was they could always find someone; friend, friend of a friend, family member, or co-worker who could help them out if they ever ran into a problem with a PC easier than with a Mac. Having someone who knows how to work with computers can mean the difference between being down for an hour or two weeks or more. My laptop crashed a few weeks back, it was the hard drive but I only lost the OS and a few software programs from the C drive. The important things were safely stored on my D drive partition thanks to a friend. The same friend was able to help me replace the hard drive, increase my memory from 512Mb to 2Gb (much faster), and gave me windows 7, office 2007, Acrobat pro 8, and other goods, you gotta love fiends. Plus I only use Google pack, http://pack.google.com, to protect my computer and have had no problems. In addition, the great thing about the Goggle pack is its a free download online, perfectly fit my budget. I should mention that I have had my Gateway laptop for more than 3 years with no problems, and I initially paid less than $500 new at Bestbuy. I hope this information is useful to you. I use my laptop everyday and find it invaluable.
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
Nivek
Thank you so much Nivek! I'm sort of leaning towards a PC, because of the flexibility and the fact that I don't have to spend another $500 on software. But, I have an iphone, and love it so much! I'm wondering if I'd have the same experience with a Mac computer? If it's as amazing as my iphone, it might be worth the extra expense.
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