It’s an argument that has been had by countless computer geeks, Mac OS versus Windows. Through the years, the two companies have battled back and forth to be considered the preferred operating system of computer users everywhere. This competition has pushed both products to improve rapidly and has led to some marketing campaigns from both sides that have gotten downright dirty. Will this post put this great debate to rest? Probably not, but what I can do is give you the information you need to be able to decide for yourself.
You’ve probably seen television commercials where both brands claim to be better, but don’t offer a lot in the way of specifics. The reason for this is that most of the choice comes down to personal preference rather than one being objectively better than the other. Computers are versatile tools and the way we use them varies widely from person to person. Here’s how the two operating systems compare when it comes to some of the most common uses for home computers.
Graphic design
One of the main reasons to use a computer is to release your inner artist. Whether it’s through photography or illustration, modern computer users have access to tools that were previously reserved exclusively for professionals. Both Mac OS and Windows support the current gold standard in image editing programs, Adobe Photoshop. Most professional graphic designers tend to prefer the Mac version, claiming that the simple interface makes it more intuitive and easy-to-use than its Windows counterpart.
Surfing the web
Of course, both operating systems allow you to get online easily, and most popular web browsers are available for both Mac and Windows. The only real difference is the browser software that is packaged with the operating systems. Mac OS comes bundled with Safari, the default Apple web browser. Safari is full-featured and simple to use, and a large percentage of Mac users keep it as their preferred browser. On the other hand, Microsoft Internet Explorer, which comes bundled with every Windows installation, is commonly considered the worst of all the popular browsers. This isn’t a huge deal, as it’s fairly trivial to download a browser like Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome, set it as your Windows default, and pretend that Internet Explorer doesn’t exist.
Creating and editing videos
This is one area dominated by Mac OS. Windows comes with the terrible Windows movie maker software which feels buggy, sluggish and difficult to use. On the other hand, Mac users get the free iMovie to put together their videos. iMovie is not only easy to use, it has as many features and effects as most paid applications. If you’re looking for professional video editing capabilities, the field is a little bit more level, but still a victory for Mac OS. Final Cut, the editing software used in most Hollywood production houses, only runs on Mac.
Playing games
If you’re more of a gamer than a creator, chances are you’ll be better served with a Windows PC. While both Macs and PCs are both very capable of producing eye-popping graphics, the fact of the matter is that there is simply more selection for gamers running Windows. Many games will be released for Windows first, and then Mac at a later time if it all. While there are solutions for running Windows programs on Mac hardware, this often causes glitches and other annoying problems.
These are all general ideas and you would be smart to try out both and see which one you like better. Important thing to remember is that the difference between the two is not as great as their marketing campaigns would have you believe. The bottom line is that they’re both good choices, spend a little time experimenting with the two, and you’ll have your own favorite in no time.
This post was submitted by South Nottingham College, who provide a range of IT courses in the UK.
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