A Short Treatise on why Macs are Better than PCs

The timeless computer war over which operating system is the best and most powerful has been a central focus of the home computer industry ever since the industry took off in the 1980s. By that time two prominent companies, Apple and Microsoft, had arrived on the corporate scene, and both were poised for the upcoming battle over which company would attract the most hearts and minds of consumers in the following decade. Retrospectively, the answer is quite obvious. Dominating the global computing industry, Microsoft holds an enormous share of the world's computer operating systems, and its founder, Bill Gates, was known for many years by the epithet "World's Richest Man." However, one must not equate popularity with quality, a word which, I believe, rightly belongs to the Apple Macintosh line over anything else. (Just for the record, I am currently typing this blog on a MacBook.) The reasons for this "fact" are listed below:

1. Macs don't break (easily)

All computers, or rather, all electronic devices are subject to bugs, glitches, and malfunctions. This is a simple fact of life. However, there is no doubt that Macs receive far fewer viruses and break down far less often than their PC cousins do. I still have a PowerBook G4 computer soon to reach 6 years of age that has only broken twice in its seasoned lifetime. It continues to perform internet, word processor, and powerpoint tasks with ease and efficiency to this day, and I can see no end to its lifespan anytime soon. Perhaps this supposed invincibility is due to the fact that Macs, forming a much smaller market share than PCs, are less targeted by hackers rather than less vulnerable to them, but the fact remains that Macs are, on the whole, more stable than PCs.

2. Macs have a better user interface

Once again, I must take into account my own bias and my greater usage of Macs before I delve any further into this topic, but it should be noted that my family owns a Gateway computer in addition to three (count 'em, three!) Macs, and after using both types of computers considerably, I firmly believe that the Mac user interface is far more simple and aesthetically pleasing than the interface offered by Windows XP and Vista. Knowing that, I just think that the Mac interface is just plain better than that of Windows, no further questions asked!

3. Macs look cooler

OK, maybe sheer looks shouldn't be a serious criterion for whether an operating system is better or not. But all Mac operating systems are run on Apple computers, so not discussing Apple computers would be like not discussing the exterior of a Mercedes-Benz when making a judgment of the luxury car company. The Mac operating system and Apple computer are two halves of one whole, and the Apple half certainly pulls its own weight when it comes to doing a good job. On first glance at an upscale specimen of Appleness, one is allured by the shiny, chrome silver exterior, awed by the led-backlight keyboard, and captivated by the crystal clear monitor of many fantastic colors. In my eyes, such beauty and style can only be given the title and rank of "Mercedez-Benz of computerdom."

Whatever the reader of this blog's personal opinions may be, this wraps up my short study on the soon to be age-old "computer question". I have tried to combine fact with feeling, reason with passion, and I hope I have either enlightened, impressed, or even converted the heart of the reader in regards to my stance in this matter. One final note. There is no doubt that Macs burn a bigger hole in your wallet (even I lament at this sad truth) than PCs. One can easily get just as much, or even more hard drive, memory, and features on a PC for less than on a Mac, but, then again, it pays to have quality over quantity, right?