Why should I buy a Mac over a PC?

I have been a long time PC / Windows user, but have become particularly frustrated with my latest PC, Vista in particular.  I am in the market for a new computer, and am considering switching to the other side.  What are the advantages of choosing a Mac instead of a PC

I'm probably a little biased as the Mac channel editor here ;-), but here's my reasons for preferring Macs over PCs (and I've used both over the years). Ease of use is probably the biggest one, as it feels like so many things are easier to set-up, configure, and accomplish on a Mac. The system preferences make sense and are intuitive, unlike my experiences with Windows where I often struggle to figure out how to customize or change things. Many things on the Mac platform "just work", like  networking. I know this has improved with current versions of Windows, but I have memories of having a hard time getting PCs to join new networks, work with Wi-Fi, etc, and my Macs always just seamlessly connect. Stability is another one, I often go weeks without rebooting my Mac, but the last PC I had required very regular reboots and would often hang on me. I find the design of both the Apple hardware and most Mac software to be more elegant and pleasing on the eye, which makes my computing experience just a tiny bit more enjoyable. It's also true that security issues aren't as bad on Macs, I've spent so much more time dealing with viruses and malware on my PCs than I have on my Macs that there is really no comparison. Finally, the traditional reason for using PCs that there is more software available for that platform (or that you have to use certain Windows software) is no longer an issue, with Boot Camp from Apple and programs like Parrallels, and VMWare, it is now truly possible to run Windows and Windows apps on Macs with reasonable performance.

Give it a try, I bet you'll never look back!

Bruce

Hi Bruce, thank you for your reply, it was very helpful.  You have presented many of the common arguments that Mac proponents use when selling the values of a Mac.  I think that some of the arguments often get lost on many people though.  Ease of use and the fact that Mac's are considered to be more stylish and pleasing than PC's are things that being an engineer I can appreciate.  But another part of me, a part that is likely consistent with a good percentage of people that don't appreciate those things, can't help but say 'So What'.   I think there are a lot of people that don't really understand the value of such things and how it can tangibly improve their lives.  I also think there is a potential ease of use hurdle that people sometimes have to get over mentally regarding the new learning curve associated with switching from one platform to another.

Regarding things like security, PC's have typically gotten a bad rap for being insecure, but I have heard just as many PC proponents stating evidence that today’s versions of windows products are just as secure as any Mac.  I would give Mac the win on stability based on my PC experience and the whole complexities of so many vendors creating apps for the PC platform.  However, I wonder what that means as far as my selection of applications if I where to go with a Mac.  I also have this impression, perhaps in-accurately, that Mac's are a lot more money.

So, all that said, what I think would be really useful to readers would be a series of articles that dive into more detail on each of the wonderful points you make above.  I think it's hard for consumers to know what to trust in the barrage of information they get from both camps. I think that a clear, well written article for each of the points above, as well as others you may not have mentioned, would be really useful for readers like me that are on the fence.  Any tangible facts or references are always a plus.

Great points and suggestions for articles Josh, I'm on it.

And right after I posted my response I thought about how my "ease of use" point may not be so meaningful for someone who has spent years using Windows -- you're certainly right that learning any new platform will require some mental challenges, and even if the Mac way of doing something seems more intuitive to me, if you're learned and become accustomed to the Windows way, there's going to be a learning curve.

I also think you're correct that the Mac is still a more expensive choice (though I think that gap has narrowed in recent years). The PC/Windows ecosystem that supports lots of various hardware (and software) vendors has certainly resulted in more competition and better pricing for consumers, especially for those willing to go with off-brands or assemble their own systems. The "Apple way" of maintaining complete control over the hardware eliminates competition (although that could be changing, a company recently started advertising Mac clones and I suspect will end up challenging Apple in court over this), but the flip side of that coin is the improved stability of the platform that I think is a pretty widely accepted point. I suspect the better stability of the OS is a direct result of  Apple engineers knowing exactly what possible hardware configurations they have to support, and the fact that there's not very many of them.

Macs just rocks my socks. I always say" once you go mac you never go back"

It's weird there is this innate prejudice and hatin toward macs ( which is disappearing with clever advertising and the crappiness of the latest windows)

But once you try it sort of seeps into your system! I can't explain it!

I look at it two ways and ask the question, "What makes a Mac a Mac and why can't I call a PC a Mac too?"

You can run Windows XP or VISTA on a Mac and Mac OS X on a Mac at native speeds without the need for virtualization but rather under the Apple branded tool, BootCamp.  I can't necessarily do that on a 'PC'.  While a lot of attempts to make OS X run on a generic box have been made, only a limited handful have been successful.  I'll look at why that is in a moment.

If you're anything like me you need the computer you have to remain as useful as possible for as long as possible.  Macs tend to retain their value for an average of five years and a tricked out PC an average of 3.  Price isn't so much an issue these days as the Apple move to Intel chips in their hardware has significantly lowered the price of their computers.  So you CAN replace your PC with a shiny new iMac or Mac Pro tower.  I'm into portables so, replace the old space hogging clunker with a new Macbook Pro.  Load up your favorite version of Windows and also keep Mac OS X on the hard drive and be happy.

So if you were to go pound for pound on a PC portable with a Macbook Pro (and don't skimp) you'll find that a PC (any brand) will quickly run about the same or more than the Mac.  Plus with the Mac you get two computers in one.  You can't buy two equally powerful computers for the price of one- and you wouldn't want to carry them both around with you either.

So why can't you run OS X on just any brand of PC or compilation of parts?  Well remember what makes your PC useable to you is an OEM OS packed with custom drivers for every piece of hardware you have installed.  Now just try to find the drivers that will run under Mac OS X.  If you're a programmer you might be able to get something going but those projects are limited to running ancient versions of OS X.  There is little to any hope that the hardware will continue to work as expected after the next OS X update.  That's the hardware limitation- the legal reasons is that Apple refuses to license OS X in any form to anyone else.  If Microsoft decided to take this approach they'd have to begin producing their own hardware and trash their entire licensing based business model- aka, ain't gonna happen.

Don't switch to a Mac and feel locked up and torn away from all you love and know about your PC.  Instead think of it as embracing the value of a true two computers for the price of one scenario and continue using Windows AND Mac OS X on your new computer.