Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Mac or PC?

Educated people, I am in need of good advice. My current laptop is akin to Jack Duckworth's spectacles & has a cracked plastic area near to the hinge mount as it's five years old now. In PC terms, that's like running a Morris Minor today.

I was over in Holland with some friends last weekend & had a bash with an AppleMac laptop of theirs, which I found half weird but very quick. The owner is a freelance photographer and loves the thing to bits, but I've been weaned on Microsoft all my life except for iPhone & iPad.

The question is, should I bin my current laptop & replace with a Mac, or replace with a newer Windows based laptop..?

Ought to add that I don't have to interface with commercial stuff any longer (thankfully) so it would be for home use only now.

Help!!

I switched from years of Windows PCs to Macs several years ago and wouldn't go back. I have tried a Windows laptop recently but hated Windows8 .....I won't go back.

Some hate Macs.....my brother in law with a vengeance so I guess it's each to their own. Price wise Microsoft beats Apple hands down but in every other respect Apple wins IMHO.

Only reason to me to switch is the seem less inter connectivity with an iPad, iPod, iphone and Apple TV.

Once you go Mac you never go back..

If you are already an iPhone & iPad user you are half way there.

Just do it, you won't regret it - and buy an Appple TV at the same time for the complete Mac integrated experience.

I'm a Mac convert: the Mac OS has a few irritations, particularly the file structure which took some time to adapt to. But it runs MS office perfectly well; I need this for work use. I have a company Dell laptop running Windows 7 Pro. It works but I use my own Mac when travelling in preference.

I have a Mac Book air, it is light, has long battery life, boots up in secnds and never crashes. Overall it is easy to use.

Yes, they are, compared to a PC, expensive. But look at residual value. A 3 year old Mac Book has real value, a 3 year old Dell or other main brand has little value and a 3 year old store brand laptop has no value.

I work with Apple, Samsung, MS, Nokia and many other vendors. I use most of them daily for my work. They all make great products. Don't just make it about the device, include the Apps, music tools, backup, integration if you are changing you phone etc. Apple does it best from end to end.

I use both, for work and play at home.

I built the PC for heavy duty office work and content creation using Powerpoint, Photoshop and other tools on a workstation grade PC with 5 monitors. Windows gives more flexibility at this level as the hardware is kit form. I use Apple for EVERYTHING else.

Over the last four years I have watched my customers go from a PC/Blackberry to >80% Apple at home. They are all tech savvy people from the IT side of their various industries. Apple starts with the iPad then goes iPhone, then Mac, then AppleTV, then all the rest flips because it is easy. If you ask someone how many Apple devices they have at home these days (partner/kids/iPods/Macs/older devices) it is usually over 10 desite the price. Take a look on the train. They do also feel better in use, they are just made well out of nicer materials.

Benefits of PC/Windows.
Cheaper to buy. More software available, not necessarily better at all.
Apple extras (video cables, power leads etc) very expensive
Office for PC better overall package for work integration.
WIndows 8 maybe okay on a Surface but crummy on most laptops. Buy a device with integrated touchscreen based on Windows 8Pro if you are going to do it. Most people I know have flipped back to Windows 7.
If you are used to Windows user interface it is easier to migrate to 7 but not 8.
iTunes is an expensive source for video and audio (but goes seamlessly across all devices, use Amazon and others) Windows lets you use more sources with less effort.

Benefits of Apple.
Same OS experience from iPhone to iPad and most of OS-X on Mac.
You get upgrades FoC (major releases as well as patches)
Don't need anti-virus and all the other clutter from Windows.
Hardware is so well built, battery life is better, it just works, always
You get Works (Apple equiv to Office) FoC
iTunes maintains your content if you lose a device
Apple do respect personal privacy to a higher degree than others in my experience
The OS protects your personal data to a greater degree
iPhoto and other stuff integrates really well across devices.
iCloud syncs stuff across all your devices so well.
Assume a 3 year device life which will give you all upgrades with no performance issues.
AppStore shows you lots of cool Apps and they tend to be sensible prices (WIn catching up here)
Installation of bits and extras tends to be simple with less support needed.
Everything runs wireless so cabling and placement is so simple.

Windows 8 drives me nuts, MS has lost the lead and now the plot. Little of the software out there leverages it usefully.

Add the price for
Extra cables and chargers (don't buy 3rd party/eBay)
Covers and cases seem to be expensive ! You will happily pay to protect the devices.
Printer with AirPrint (probably Wireless which makes it even tidier)
AppleTV to allow screen to be thrown and things to be shared and seen
Apple TimeCapsule/WiFi for automatic backup is great and well advised but expensive, it also acts as a media streamer to AppleTV for video watching.
iTunes Match allows your music to be spread across all devices automatically if you want to

Once someone explains the commands (2-3-4 finger) on the pad and you get past changing over to the user interface (full screen for apps and swiping between them) it becomes so easy. Assume it will take a bit of patience and have a person to show you or use the YouTube guides and you will find it is worth it.

Go Mac. Go Apple end to end. Then you don't really notice the OS just the apps and content.

MacBookAir, 13, 256Gb SSD, 4Gb RAM, cover to protect it.

Depends what you want to do with it.

If all you really want to do with it is to surf, type a few documents, sort out and do a bit of photo editing etc..
and if you need any computer maintenance, take it to the shop. Go Mac.

If you want to do all of the above, but be more experimental with stuff and interface with other systems more freely plus maintain your own computer etc...
Go PC

Both platforms and GUI's are annoying and a pain in the a*se at times, but personally I am not an Apple convert, so I have stuck with PC's...so far.
Bottom line is that if you go Apple you are probably best going Apple for everything, in order to not have technical issues.

I have migrated to an I-phone in recent times and much of my friends and family have either I-Phones or I-pads, but I am personally still not completely convinced.
I suppose I must be becoming a dinosaur, but i'm not fully comfortable about selling my soul to Apple.

Guys, thank you so much for the depth of replies.

I've just re-entered the earth's atmosphere after a serious morning of shed clearance & sat down reading these comments. The comments regarding feel & quality were something I hadn't immediately thought of but yes, that is an issue given that the portability of MY laptop. I may just have been blessed with Watford Gap Sausage fingers, though..

Northern Morgan - your last comments about selling your soul resonate with me too, although I'm just downright cynical!!

I'm feeling the love for Apple, then...so far...

Windows 8 is rubbish unless you have shares in a maker of screen wipes!

But, Windows 8 gives you a free upgrade to Windows 8.1. Do that, and turn off the screen options (plenty of websites tell you where to go) and download 'Classic Shell'. You then get a reasonably sensible laptop.

I've done all that, and this post is made from an October 2013 bought laptop.

No axe to grind about Apple, but you do need to spend a lot more money.

Just like a Morgan 3 Wheeler, then..!