I know I am getting onto some shaky ground when I talk about this, but I couldn’t help myself after reading a column in a local business journal written by a would-be figurehead that owns a local computer store. So here I go. In the article the writer was really slamming hard on MAC’s and really putting them down. I found it kind of hypocritical of him to be trash talking on MAC’s because his store is supposedly an Apple MAC reseller. According to his website and his quarterly newsletter, he states how proud he is to be offering MAC’s to his customers because of the high demand and inquiries for them. In the last financial quarter, and this past year, Apple and it’s MAC sales have outperformed all other PC computer technology companies on the market… and IN a recession! Why on earth would any one bash and put down and trash talk something that would benefit them…and in the case of a business owner, make them money?

I have been a PC guy for the longest time, just 4 years ago I made the switch to MAC. I must say it wasn’t a painful one. All the things I could do on my PC I could do on my MAC and more proficiently. My productivity was higher and my projects got completed faster as well. I know what you PC guys out there are saying: "TRAITOR" "LIAR" "-insert badmouthing comment here-" ! Yes, I love using a MAC! But, I also still love using my PC. With the release of Windows 7 I found myself getting back into the swing of things with PC. But there is a looming question: IS PC better than MAC or vice-versa?

The computer industry can be compared to the Auto industry, in the respect that any make and model has the same fundamental parts. For example: All cars have an engine, a steering wheel, a gas pedal, a brake pedal, four tires, and it runs on a fuel of some sort. Take a look at computers, they all have motherboards, processors, memory, hard drives, optical drives, and an operating system. If they all do the same thing, why should you pay more? This question is really easy to answer … QUALITY!

Out there in the big box stores and in your local computer store, there are cheap $499 computers and then there are the expensive ones. So why would u buy a cheap computer? Granted cheap computers are affordable in this state of the economy, but studies have shown, that you will spend double the amount over the next 18 months in repairs and upgrades to finally get the computer running normal.

In the article as mentioned before, the writer states that ALL MAC’s are overpriced and low performance! This couldn’t be further from the truth. MAC’s have affordable systems, in fact their lowest priced system is $599, which out performs most all systems in that are in that price range. Yes, it is true that Some MAC’s exceed $1200 & $2000 but there are PC laptops that do also. I don’t think it’s really fair to say that MAC’s are more expensive than PC, when a PC that will perform at the same performance level as the MAC cost the same amount if not more. Really, you can’t say price is a factor to not buy a MAC…even in spite of financial success in a recession on Apple’s part.

Another silly falsehood stated by our writer with the feather in his hat, says "MAC’s don’t run a 64 bit operating system." This is another lie. MAC has been running 64bit as a standard O/S for about the same length of time that 64bit software has been mainstream. I could go more into this, but I think that what I have already said, says enough about 64bit computing.

The final issue that is up for debate is that MAC’s don’t get viruses. This is both a true and false statement. Realistically, anything running a software operating system can get a virus. Your cell phone can even get a virus! The better question is: "which system is more susceptible to getting infected with a virus, or malware, or a Trojan, or adware?" Hands down the windows based PC is more likely to get a virus than a MAC. This is largely in part that Microsoft and windows is a bigger target simply because the bigger share of the computing world uses a PC. To put it in perspective, For every 1000 infected PC’s, only 50 MAC’s are infected.

Prior to OS X, there were viruses written for MAC’s. Any operating system on which software can be installed at all is potentially vulnerable to infection from a virus, which is itself a form of software. An operating system cannot distinguish good software from bad software, this is usually done by anti-virus software. However, "viruses" are mostly targeted at specific groups or individuals, such as politicians and high-profile individuals, most of whom are non-technical users who will use whatever their employers provide (most likely Windows).

Most malicious programs in the wild are Trojan horses, rather than actual viruses. Besides Trojans, there are also a lot of malware and exploits that can infect a computer remotely, usually through a Web browser. Unlike viruses, which are written out of malice, these parasites are written for profit, and tend to target the platform with the largest install base..windows. There are in fact some Trojans written for Mac OS X, but no viruses. There are Trojans, viruses, and some spyware for Windows Vista, but criminals have been largely unsuccessful at penetrating Vista remotely. Exploits and drive-by downloading (remotely executed) spyware are basically problems facing users of Windows XP or earlier. There are some viruses in the wild with drive-by downloading capabilities, but most viruses attack via e-mail hiding in attachments like Word documents and PowerPoint slideshows, or pictures even.

No matter what computer system you get, you should ALWAYS install some sort of internet security with anti-virus onto your computer, whether it is MAC or PC.

In summation, what you purchase is decidedly up to you! What are you going to be happy with? The worst thing to do is rationalize yourself into buying a cheap computer simply because of the price. Be realistic with your computing needs. Don’t tell yourself that the only thing you’re going to do with the computer is surf the web and do email…because you are not. With all the content out there online and the ever evolving technology, there is no way the average user can get away with using a cheap, under-spec’d computer. Do yourself a favor, get a PC that is built to last, even if it means spending a little bit more