Mariah RobinsonWhen you are purchasing a laptop for business (and maybe some personal use thrown in there too!), you may be wondering whether you should go with a good old PC or dive into the world of Mac. There are a lot of blog posts around; however, they tend to be biassed in one direction or another based on the writer’s personal preference.
This article discusses the pros and cons of each to help you make a decision on which will be more suitable for your business and needs, in a non-biased manner.
Windows
Microsoft and the PC are the grandfathers of computing now, but they have aged extremely well with the times, making constant updates to stay current. The Windows operating system is extremely powerful, simple to use, and flexible, although some of the older versions such as XP and 7 have a far bigger following popularity-wise than the later versions.
The one thing that can be irritating about Windows is that it is open to malware attacks and so keeping up-to-date antivirus software is absolutely vital for the health and longevity of your machine.
PCs are often much lower in price than Macs, and therefore offer much more flexibility in terms of budget. They are manufactured by multiple suppliers, and therefore there is a huge range of choices on the market, which is definitely a good thing as it opens up a larger range of specifications to buyers. However, it can make it more confusing when looking for the right specification for your needs, as there are so many options from so many manufacturers.
If you’re on the lookout for a new PC or laptop check out Lenovo who have a great range available for both personal and business use. One of the biggest selling points of a PC is that it is easily upgradable. You can easily purchase more memory, an additional hard drive, etc., and slot it into the machine. This makes them very flexible and often gives PCs a longer life span as you can upgrade it as necessary. It’s also very simple to do this at home yourself, or inexpensive to have done at a store.
Because PCs are manufactured by multiple different suppliers, there are a whole host of accessories out there that are generally a lot cheaper than their Apple counterparts. For example, most PCs have a standard headphone socket so you don’t have to purchase anything fancy to use them with your device.
MACs
MAC’s operating system is clean and user-friendly once you get to grips with the crazy amount of keyboard shortcuts to perform tasks. It connects seamlessly to other Apple devices, allowing you to take your Facetime calls on your computer, use your iPods, and more. MACs also rarely suffer from virus/malware attacks. It can happen, but generally speaking, the operating system is more robust in protecting your device.
One of the biggest downsides of MAC is the price compared to PCs. Apple is notorious for charging premium prices for their technology, and let’s face it, they have a huge share of the market with a product unique to them, so why wouldn’t they? The problem here is that they often price some consumers out of the market. Some people who would love to purchase an Apple are basically left with the decision of either buying a second hand device with no warranty, or reverting automatically to PC.
The same goes for Apple accessories; buying even a replacement charger for a MacBook is far more expensive than it should be. This is one of the biggest downsides of MAC. While there are cheap Chinese copies of most of their accessories on the market, they are often not safe for use, and there have been a number of stories of them even catching fire. When it comes to safety, you’re stuck with official Apple products which are costly.
MAC offers little in the way of customizations also. With a PC, you can pop to the shop, purchase some new memory and pop it in. This is next to impossible on a MAC. They probably do this to ensure people are continuously purchasing new machines, however, it means that whatever you buy you are stuck with. The device has little room for growth.
For most people it means that a MAC has a shorter life span than a PC.
For Business?
Let’s face it, both machines are fit for browsing, emailing, and easy tasks like word processing, but deciding on which is best for your business really depends on what your business is.
Apple is by far the leader in things like graphic design and any creative industry really, so if your business is in this field, you may be better off headed down the Apple road. This is primarily because many design software is only available on Apple.
That being said, Windows is catching up, with more software companies releasing design software for PCs. However, at present, it still lags behind Apple on this front.
However, if you are in accountancy, for example, a PC will work more than well enough for you, and at a much lower price tag. It is really a case of weighing up what your needs are and deciding which machine is going to match them best.
Whenever you’re not sure, it’s best to seek professional advice.
Summary
There are pros and cons to both Apple and Windows machines, and some of the decision is down to personal preference. However, the most important factor is matching the device you buy to the needs of your business.
Anything creative such as music production or graphic design is generally better placed on a Mac, whereas most other industries, and certainly anything administrational such as typing, data entry, etc., is more than manageable on a PC at a lower cost with the added flexibility of easy upgrades,
Seek advice if you’re uncertain what is going to work best for your business, and read lots of customer reviews before purchasing so you can get the opinion of consumers.
Hugh Hay
Patrick Soft
