Why do people love MAC computers? Are they really the best choice for your home business? To answer that question you need to understand the basic difference between MACs and PCs. A P.C., the acronym for “Personal Computer”, is the machine that most of the computing world owns. That actually should be the acronym for “Popular Computer”. You’re likely reading this from a PC.
How can you tell? Well MAC computers, manufactured by Apple, run on their own operating system, versus the PC which all run on the Microsoft Windows operating system, i.e. Windows 98, 2000, etc. That’s it…that’s the defining difference between the two types of computers. If you’re running a computer with a Microsoft operating system, than you have a PC.
Most media and creative professionals, who work in design or in the film and music industries, only use these computers. That’s the foundation of their business. But other than that, you don’t find them too much in many business settings.
Now I’ve never owned one, but I’ve worked with other business owners who have and I actually fiddled around with one a few times. Here’s what I can tell you….
MAC users LOVE MACs!!!!!! They’re generally like cult followers, they worship them and would drink a vial of arsenic before switching to a PC.
That in itself does say a lot! You don’t generally see PC users feeling the same way. I admit they are really hot machines, but since I’ve worked with PC’s for over 15 years I am admittedly biased. It’s really just a “comfort”, “familiarity”, “feels like a good ol’ shoe” kind of thing.
The truth is MACs are essentially better-made. Apple tends to “over-engineer” their computers, so that you can get by without an upgrade for a much longer time. It’s about eight to ten years, as opposed to the PC’s three to five year span.
Their operating system is superior to Windows and they have far fewer technical issues, especially relating to viruses. Macs only make up about 2% of all computers out there, so hackers don’t think it’s worthwhile to develop viruses that affect their operating system; hence computer viruses on MACs are virtually non-existent.
Not to mention computer hackers hate the fact that Microsoft has created a monopoly. Viruses are their way of creating a massive migraine for them…and unfortunately us as well.
Now on the other side, since there are fewer Macs in the world, not all software, especially specialty software, is available to run on their operating system. So you have to look into that before you decide to purchase one.
So if they’re so great, then why doesn’t everyone own one?
Simple…they are more expensive than PC’s. That’s the main reason why PC’s are more “popular”…period! You see “Popular Computer”…oh never mind!
Most businesses, especially small businesses, don’t need to spend the extra bucks on a computer just to run simple word processing and database programs…it’s really not a necessary cost. That’s an important concern when starting a small business.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider one. They’re really great machines and will certainly keep your business running at peek efficiency. And the upfront price may be worth the cost, because it may actually save you money on the back-end. The savings from not having to upgrade hardware every couple of years or having to update virus protection software will save you lots over the long-term.