Return of The Mac.

There you are, in a position to purchase a new computer. But you’re frozen, paralyzed by choice. What do you need it for? Will it run your favorite programs? How about affordability or longevity? The gravity of such a decision feels suffocating as you browse reviews, check prices and read a certain technical expert’s final column. Fear not however, as this life changing choice between buying a Mac or a Windows laptop really only comes down to a little knowledge and a lot of personal preference. Let’s go over why your decision may sway one way or the other!

The question of Mac versus PC has been a long-standing debate in the world of consumer technology. Often, what you grew up using is the sole deciding factor for most, as who doesn’t love familiarity? We should however, now that user experience is so important to those designing the operating systems we use on our desktops and laptops, look a little beyond simply our comfort level. Everything, Mac and PC alike, is pretty intuitive and friendly to use nowadays, with an incredibly gentle learning curve. Both have built-in hand-holding, guides and tips on how to get started using your new device, meaning operational knowledge is less of a barrier and can be gained as you find your feet.

There are those times when you’re objectively better suited buying one over the other. If you’re planning on playing even the occasional video game; buy a PC and skip the rest of this article. While the gap is (slowly) closing, Macs just aren’t well suited for gaming. It’s one of those things which can, technically be done, but only using fairly inconvenient methods. A PC will also offer you a broader range of choices for things like manufacturer, color, style, features and technical specifications. It’s more accessible to those seeking to tinker with upgrades and repairs, and with Windows being the most popular operating system on the planet, is more or less guaranteed to run whatever software you’re looking to throw at it.

This more tight knit and exclusive way in which Macs operate can be seen as a benefit for some however. MacOS, the operating system which Apple computers run, is tailor made to work seamlessly with the hardware, so the experience is generally faster, and stays faster for longer. A ten year old Windows laptop is usually garbage, while a decade old MacBook is usually still trucking along happily. Also if you’re doing any kind of creative work with videography, photos, content creation or music you’re absolutely going to want a Mac. Another nicety and something I’ve talked about in the past is how well Macs play with other Apple products. I can (and often do) start a piece of work on my iPad, then walk over to my iMac and seamlessly continue on the same piece.

Ultimately, that personal preference will dictate what you end up trading your hard earned cash for. While Windows machines do inarguably start out cheaper than their Apple equivalents, when you look at like-for-like machines from a performance and feature perspective, it’s pretty much a wash. If forced to pick a team, it would be team Apple for me, for the seamlessness between devices and general pleasantness to use. Had I a usage case where the Mac would be more work to own than its Windows counterpart though, you’d better bet I’d be trading it. Life’s complicated enough, without letting our brand loyalty get in the way of convenience.