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General discussion

MAC vs. PC purchase

by ThomasoM Jul 7, 2006 2:07AM PDT

Hello fellow CNETers,

I am going to replace my 6 year old PC. Now that Apple is using the Intel chip I am wondering if a MAC would be a good choice. Is there a resource I could review that discusses the pros and cons.

The one thing I am most concerned about is that I support two Medical offices that run on the PC platform.

All assistance is appreciated.

Mike

Discussion is locked

8 Posts
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Definitely Buy The Mac
by d.allen Jul 7, 2006 2:28AM PDT

The new macs with the intel chip are essentially two computers in one. You can use the superior OS X operating system, but if you need to run Windows you can boot right into Windows as if it were a PC. The speed is comparable to that of most current PC's and you should have no problem networking with any PC.

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You forgot that....
by nathanpsz2 Jul 7, 2006 2:38AM PDT

...you need to buy Windows, which raises the price by $100+. That and the fact that Macs cost a lot for the hardware that you get.

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What will you use it for?
by nathanpsz2 Jul 7, 2006 2:31AM PDT

Games? Digital photos, movies, or music? Office applications? If you need to support offices that are using the PC platform, you should just get a PC. Intel Macs can run Windows, but they cost more than comparably equipped PCs, and you need to add to that the price of Window.

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Applications that I will use
by ThomasoM Jul 7, 2006 5:49AM PDT

I will use the new PC to run MS Office applications and some lite graphics work and also use it to remotely support my customers.

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(NT) (NT) Then get a PC
by nathanpsz2 Jul 7, 2006 10:30PM PDT
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Save your money
by TheyCallMeGeorge Jul 7, 2006 4:25AM PDT

Go for the PC. Not only will you not have the inferior OS X bogging down your system, but you will save a bundle of money in the process. By buying a Mac, you limit yourself to a single hardware retailer with no competition in that particular market. As a result, you will be totally screwed pricewise. It sounds like you wouldn't need Mac functionality anyway. You could easily save 2 grand by buying a PC instead of a Mac with similar specs. In addition, a PC can be upgraded much more easily, and for much less money.

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OSX is not inferior to Windows...
by nathanpsz2 Jul 7, 2006 4:41AM PDT

...in my opinion, OSX is a better OS than Windoze. You don't have to worry about viruses, and it's never crashed on me. Plus, it comes with awesome bundled software (read: GarageBand).

And now that Macs use Intel CPUs, they can also run Windows.

I'm not a Mac user, and I've never owned a Mac; this is just my opinion from the experience that I've had with Macs.

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Not quite...
by TheyCallMeGeorge Aug 19, 2006 3:08PM PDT

Just because an OS looks pretty doesn't make it better. That seems to be the chief argument that I run into with Mac users a lot. The viruses argument is also one that Mac users throw out a lot without checking the facts. First of all, I've used Windows all of my life, and viruses have rarely been an issue with me. It's not like seal off my computer from the outside world, either. I just use my computer in a smart way. It's really easy to avoid viruses if you know what you're doing. The other point about viruses is that Mac OSX doesn't not get viruses because it's a well-put together OS (from my experience, Mac OS crashes even more often than Windows). It's because not enough people use OSX to make it worth writing a virus for. If everybody switched to OSX, trust me, there would be just as many viruses for that system as there are for Windows. Bundled software? Sure, it's convenient, but you're paying for that when you buy an Apple. It's not like they're giving it to you out of the goodness of their hearts. They're just forcing you to buy it, whether you like it or not. I could buy a Dell with similar specs and pick and choose the software that I wanted, get comparable or better software than what's found on the Mac, and still end up saving about $500-1000.

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