To Mac or PC, that is the tech question

The 13th most common question that I’m asked is ‘Should I buy a Mac or a PC?’ The first 12 relate to food, why I made a pun or a combination of the two. I won’t repeat them but instead leave them to simmer for another day. I’ll start with my answer. In the nicest possible way, I don’t care which you buy.

At the same time it’s only fair to tell you what I own. I’m an avid Mac fan having owned a Mac since 2003. I am convinced that they are more user-friendly. But that is my entirely subjective judgement. You’ll find ardent fans on both sides of the divide who will tell you why their team is YAY! and the other side is BOO! so rather than add to the pile of those, I thought instead, I’d set out what I think you need to consider when deciding on a computer, whether or not you are looking to switch from one operating system to another.

Let’s begin by dealing with four of the most common points I have seen or heard in this debate:

Macs are incompatible with PCs

It’s a strange way of framing a question and probably speaks to the predominance of PCs over Macs. Wind back 20 years and there were real compatibility issues with commonly used applications. Microsoft Office for Windows and Office for Mac used different file types for Word meaning that you either had a file that couldn’t be opened or had to undergo conversion which could mean a loss of data, formatting or both. That is no longer the case. Files in most common applications are written in universal formats that can be read in both operating systems. Anything you do in a web browser is going to be the same on both a Mac or PC. Moreover, as more of our files move into the cloud (ie stored somewhere other than your own machine) they are designed to work on any device in any operating system.

What you do need to be mindful of however, are applications in your context that only work in one of the two operating systems or are significantly better in one. I realise that a number of readers of this article will be lawyers. Ask around about the applications you use. Are any of them Windows only? If so, that’s probably the end of the debate. Your hand will be forced.

Macs are expensive

They are. The cheapest Mac desktop and laptop have been and almost certainly will always be more expensive than a PC. The reason is down to supply. The only people who make Macs are Apple and they intend to keep it that way. PCs are an open format with lots of companies making components and devices. As a result, a PC will always be cheaper. But not every PC. Over the last decade or so, the high end manufacturers have decided to chase ‘Mac money’ and build slimmer, faster, better looking laptops with a price tag to match. It’s not as clear cut as it used to be.

From both personal and anecdotal experience, Macs tend to last longer. This may just be my experience, it might be changing, but in the words of a friend:

No longer are we riding the wave of innovation. It's not inbuilt modem then CD drive, then DVD drive, then CD Burner, then DVD burner, then enough memory for video streaming...A mac over a decade old can still tick all boxes. I know because I own one. And that's the biggie for me. 95% of people don't need a laptop for specs. They want one for easy of life. And pay more, it'll likely last longer too.

PCs are more adaptable

Yes. Yes they are. But have you ever upgraded your PC? Would you know how? Or will it get sold or recycled to another user when you decide to upgrade it. If you are the sort of person who owns tiny screwdrivers and scours the internet for details of the latest graphics card, then I suspect you aren’t reading this webpage. For the rest of us, while it is a factor, I’d suggest it’s unlikely to be a relevant one.

I don’t want Apple owning all my data in their proprietary closed system

Fair enough. Pick one of the others then, because they all own lots of your data. As to the second point, Apple do restrict what you can install and run on their devices to a much greater degree than you have on a PC. The upside is that you end up with far fewer incompatibility issues.

My mate works with computers and says I should buy a PC

I’m sure they have their reasons. Some of them might be the ones you see above. The overwhelming majority of IT departments are or try to be Windows only. Why? The devices are cheaper to buy and maintain, plus it’s easier for a department to support one operating system than two. Those however, are different considerations to you buying a single device or a couple of devices. By the same token, if they are good enough of a friend to act as your technical support and fix problems then just buy what they say and have them on speed dial.

Here are the five factors I suggest you consider:

1) A single ecosystem

This is perhaps more important than you think. In fact it might already be such a seamless part of your digital identity that you don’t think about it. Apple, Microsoft and Google are all keen for you to converge your devices into using their software as the backbone of your life. One of the reasons why I’m forever locked into use a Mac is that my photos, all 70,000 plus, are stored in the Apple Photos app. If I open any of my Apple devices I can see and search all of my photos with ease. That’s important to me. My passwords are synced across all of my devices which is a boon given that everything requires a password these days.

You can achieve a single ecosystem with any of the three companies above. The issue comes in migrating content from one to another. There isn’t an easy way because they want to keep you rather than risk you moving elsewhere. Where is your content today? If it’s scattered across several ecosystems then perhaps this is the chance to consolidate.

2) What are you used to and how willing are you to embrace change?

Macs and PCs do operate differently. The overwhelming majority of functionality is the same from application to application but you will notice little differences. Your willingness to spend time learning the differences and appreciating the pluses and minuses is key if you are going to make the switch from one to the other. Frustration that a keyboard shortcut or menus that are different is bearable if there’s a larger benefit to be had.

3) What am I going to do on my devices?

The reality is, if you mainly work on office type documents and surf the web, a laptop around the £1000 mark is going to last you 3-4 years. Spending a little more will eek out that longevity but by that point you might want something new and shiny anyway. I’d think twice before spending more on a single piece of kit if this is your use case. It’s only really processor and memory intensive applications such as video production that are going to stretch a £1000 machine. That’s where more power is important and either you need to increase your budget or consider a desktop over a laptop.

4) Which device(s) do I need?

I’ve deliberately used the word device throughout this blog because I’d like you to consider what you need to buy. The ubiquity and convenience of laptops and tablets means the humble desktop is oft overlooked. How many you need and what purpose they serve is worth considering before unleashing your credit card on a vendor.

Desktop

£ for £ (other currencies are available), a desktop is better value than a laptop. The core components are cheaper to produce. If you buy a laptop, hook it up to a giant monitor and leave it on your desk, then Mac or PC, you could have either saved yourself some money or bought a desktop that will last longer. Even if you do have a need for portability, consider a desktop with a tablet or lower cost laptop as a two device setup

Laptop

Screen size and resolution are as important as processor and memory. Think about the sort of documents you work on, the level of zoom and your eyesight. Better still, test this out in store. Even if you hook your laptop up to a big monitor, you are going to use the in built screen sometimes (or buy a desktop!) so it needs to work at the size you do.

Memory upgrades are cheaper and easier when you buy your machine. I’d suggest 16Gb as the sweetspot at the time of writing.

Tablet

I owned the original iPad and sold it a year on. Last year I bought an iPad Pro and it plays a key role in my setup. Sometimes it’s a way of reading books, on a Sunday night it plays the NFL, other times scrolling the internet and occasionally a second screen for my laptop. It could never be my primary device. I need both the power of a laptop or desktop to produce videos or just the comfort of a full size keyboard to type.

Phone

Probably your most used device. How much of a role it plays in your setup is useful to consider before you buy a tablet. I had an iPhone with a huge screen for a couple of years and it meant I saw an iPad as unnecessary.

5) Software costs

If you’re switching from PC to Mac or the other way, take note of any software you’ve purchased. You may need to factor in the cost of purchasing it again for your new device. Though if you have a ‘software as a service’ (SaaS) contract with a company, you may well be able to move your license to your new device and continue your subscription.

My setup:

I have a Macbook Air for work and it’s easily the best laptop I’ve ever owned, even if I account for the state of technology at the time of purchase. The combination of power, weight and price is remarkable. The only other device that came close was my 2003 12” Macbook Pro. My personal device is an iPad Pro with a keyboard that I happily surf, scribble and watch things on, plus produce the occasional video; my videos are fairly basic so I can get away with using iMovie. I have a iPhone that syncs with my iPad but not my Air because I keep personal and work content separate. But I could link them if I wanted to. Finally I have an Apple Watch because the marketing department in Cupertino are wired directly into my brain. iKnow right.