Apple Converts: Why Macs are superior to PCs

For the first-time buyer of a computer, making the choice can be like deciding which church to attend. People seem to belong to one camp or another, becoming either Apple Macintosh zealots or Microsoft Windows believers. It can be difficult to sort out what each operating system (OS) offers and which platform would be best for you. The truth is that both platforms offer a basic level of performance, ease of user interface ease, and application coverage; but beyond these reasons are others why Macs offer the more satisfying experience.

The Engine and the Body

From its inception in 1984, the Mac design has been based on a user-interface that puts the user first. While Windows is roughly modeled on the Mac OS, Apple has defined and refined its user-interface to the point where elegance and functionality is truly in the forefront of operation systems. If the operating system can be likened to the body of the car, then underneath the hood, Apple's system has also taken the lead in moving from a proprietary OS to an open source system called Mac OS X, based roughly on a former Unix system. The power of the open system allows for ease of application inter-functionality and a minimum of crashes. The “blue screens of death” seen in the Windows world are almost non-existent.

Applications

The Mac is compatible with all major applications, including the Microsoft Office suite of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Moreover, OS X provides built-in functionality and is bundled with many powerful applications. In addition to the underlying UNIX set of computer geek applications, Apple provides iPhoto, a fully functional photo application that catalogs photos that are input directly from a digital camera via the USB port. Other applications include iTunes, which, along with the popular iPod, is one of the most widely used application (even on Windows platforms) in the world. With iTunes, you can listen to, catalog, and create CDs of your favorite songs, and even download them from Apple iTunes online music store. Apple also includes online backup, a pop mail client called Apple mail, and other applications that make your life easier and are fully integrated into the Apple environment.

The User Comes First

Apple's first concern has always been the user experience. While the learning curve can be steep for some (many new users find Macs so intuitive that there is no learning curve at all), once a user learns his or her way around one application, much of the same functionality will work in other applications. Windows has followed the lead of Apple in much of its user-interface and application inclusion, but it is Apple's Macintosh that continues to lead the way.

By Chris Stuart