Some weeks ago I’ve took part in one hot discussion on flickr. The results are ambiguous: there are more amateurs of “ragged apples”, but discussion’s initiator finally buy a PC. Then I’ve decide to merge all my knowledge in this branch (I’m a computer engineer with 20 years experience) and to prepare this [almost] unbiased review.

Ease of Use - I give no edge here, because Windows and Mac OS GUIs are almost  same. Windows XP/Vista binary Plug-in-Play is no longer "Plug-n-Pray" and though technologically superior to Mac doesn't get the job done as nicely. By using nearly draconian and monopolistic threats, Apple has been able to maintain tight control over makers of third party hardware. What this means to you is an easier-to-use and most stabile system, but with much less choice in components.

Raw Speed - the PCs have a serious edge here. Where time is money, processor speed can be very important. In spite of how hard Mac advertising attempts to claim that the slower clock speed Macs are really just as fast as a PC, it a question of correct benchmarking. If you have the "need for speed" in gaming, software development, 3D rendering and other applications, Windows is the clear winner here.

Video Subsystem - Windows open architecture and AGP-bus allow a wide non-saturated video subsystem. Mac, though PCI, has a severely bottle-necked video subsystem so if you're into advanced 3-D rendering (inclusive gaming), Windows is the winner again.

Software Availability – when with general-purpose software all is almost the same for both platforms, with industry-specific software not. You just won't find it on the shelf or by mail order for the Mac, while you have several to choose from for Windows, maybe even for free or cheap as shareware downloads. When you computer activity is wider then image/video/publishing – forget the Mac family.

Typography - Mac's support of typography is a result of many years of participation with the pre-press industry. Type-styles rendered with a Mac just plain transfer better when submitted to a service bureau. You get what you saw. If you're into pre-press Mac is the clear winner here.

Color Matching - Apple is the only OS and hardware which supports Colorsync™, the industry standard for "what you see is what you get" color matching. If you want your advertising copy of an egg to come out of the press with the same yellow you saw on the screen, Mac is for you.

Web Design. In my opinion the clear choice here is PC. There are two reasons.

• More then 90% of the people surfing the Web use Windows on PCs, about 5% use Linux (on PC platform too). If you want to be able to design in an atmosphere where you see pretty much what that 95% sees, then Windows just plain makes sense.
• though many technologies are available for the Mac, Windows technology isn't and much of the Web uses this technology. If you want to take advantage of .NET technology or ASP, it's just way easier to implement from a Windows platform.

Quality and price. The old good times when Apple computers are made with highest-quality components are away. Now all computer components are produced in South-Eastern Asia, and may be on the same plants. Out of them last Macs are based on Intel processors. Indeed, Apple’s tight control to the suppliers reduces number of conflicts between hardware and system, but purchasing the PC with good brandname gives you same effect. In spite of same quality, the Mac costs extremely high. Typical iMac desktop with 1800 MHz, 512 MB Ram, integrated videochip with shared memory and 17” monitor costs in Austria about 1000 Euro. Typical PC with approximately same configuration by Hewlett-Packard you can buy for 600 Euro. Noname computer are even cheaper. The PC is a winner again.

Conclusion.Wintel platform (for novices: Wintel=Windows+Intel) got 6 points, Apple got only 3.  Yeah, you can use your own weight factors, but at the moment of time for Apple computers exist only one branch where it rules: professional typography.  

Last update: 18-03-2008 16:38