As someone who has used PC for years I decided to buy an iMac a year ago to see what all the fuss was about.
‘Problem-free, faster’ and ‘they just work’ were some of the comments from people who had converted, so I was looking forward to getting my hands on one as soon as I could.
If I’m completely honest, the main reason I bought the Mac was purely cosmetic. But let’s face it, that’s why most people buy them too. It took a while getting used to but as a lot of people had said, it seemed a lot ‘easier’ than a PC. I must admit though, I missed Windows.
Unfortunately, after roughly 3 months I turned it on one morning to find a white screen with an Apple logo frozen in the middle. So I took my new Mac (you know, the ‘problem free’ one) back to the shop to find out that it was a hard drive failure & the drive would have to be replaced. Perfect.
A week later I brought my Mac home (again). I missed it! Once you’ve used ‘Spotlight’ & ‘Expose’ it’s hard to live without them. The Mac is starting to become a must for all the designers out there.
After a few more months of use, it seemed to slow down a lot and as I am writing this I was faced with another ‘white screen of death’ last night which, thanks to a few reboots, slaps & harsh words, seems to be working ok again, for now.
But this is not to say I haven’t had my share of problems with PCs. I have. Fortunately, I didn’t put myself through the trauma of Vista as so many other people before me had, so that was one thing in my favour.
Mac within the business environment.
The Mac is purely about design for me and I’m not sure it will ever overtake Microsoft in the business world.
Macs would be wasted in a normal working environment. Imagine trying to explain to one of your staff, whose current job consists of using Microsoft Word, the benefits of ‘Expose’ and ‘Dashboard’.
Although, it seems ideal for designers. Photoshop, Filezilla & Cyberduck seem to be some of the most popular programs for all web designers.
I think it depends on your business & what you need from your system. It’s not a decision that should be rushed because you ‘just want a Mac’, that’s how computers get thrown out of windows!
So the question is…PC or Mac?
For me, PC is still my choice. Yes, the problems I have had with my Mac has made me slightly bitter but I guess it just comes down to the fact that I am just used to how a PC works. That’s not to say I wouldn’t buy another Apple product. I can’t wait to get my hands on the new iPad!
PC or Mac, there are always going to be good & bad points but it’s just about finding what you like using the best and what suits your needs.
