Apple vs Microsoft – Comparative Essay
Areej Aref Hassiba Macintosh vs. Windows Section: 13 g00041355[2nd Draft] Have you ever faced any difficulty choosing your laptop? Did some of your friends advice you to purchase Mac based laptops and others told you to buy Windows based laptops? We all go through this confusion when it gets to buying our personal laptop that we will be using for everything in our life including working on projects, studying, chatting with friends, playing games, etc. In 1984, Apple published its first Macintosh laptops and it achieved great success for its product.
All people loved the Mac laptop for its simplicity and development. A year later, Microsoft, Apple’s competitor, published Microsoft windows that achieved more success than Apple’s product (Macintosh). Both Microsoft and Apple are large and well known companies that have variety of products but have many differences concerning efficiency, security, compatibility, cost, and people’s interests. First thing a customer must consider before choosing a laptop that he/she will be using for a long time, is the laptop’s efficiency.
When using a Windows based laptop, you find that its efficiency is not that good since you face many errors and problems when using it. They’re also slow when you open more than one program together; the operating system’s memory can’t handle great usage. For example, if you were watching a high quality video, while opening a website and going through pictures, you’ll notice that the video will sometimes jam in some parts and then continue playing. On the other hand, Apple’s laptops, having Mac as its operating system, are more efficient than Windows based laptops.
You will never face even half the amount of errors compared to windows. While using Mac, you can open as many programs and windows as you like without having to wait up to 5 minutes till your laptop starts to function again. We all know that the internet is full of viruses and we try to avoid them as much as we can by having security programs downloaded on our laptops. When you search the web using Windows based laptops, the viruses will be automatically downloaded to your laptop if you’re not using an antivirus program.
For example, when you enter a web site without knowing that it is full of viruses, and you click on a picture or a link that you want to install, a virus will be installed along with the picture or link, and eventually your laptop will be damaged. The ability of the virus to be installed happens because of the software efficiency that is not being well secured by Microsoft programmers. Differently, fewer viruses will approach your Macintosh laptop for Mac is known for its high security against all types of viruses.
For example, when you download a picture from a site full of viruses, the virus attached with the picture will not be installed and the reason behind this is because Mac is well programmed concerning its security. All people need programs and applications for their laptops that make them enjoy using their laptops. These useful applications include windows media player, Photoshop, web browsers, windows live messenger and much more. These applications and many others as well, are compatible with Windows based laptops but not with Mac based laptops.
Windows offers many applications that are compatible with its laptops and that can be downloaded from the internet or can be bought from any computer shop. Apple doesn’t have this feature in its products, where you will not be able to get any application or program from the internet or from any computer shop. Mac based laptops have built-in applications that you might use instead, yet, people are not used to them and hence, less than 50% of the users will be using such applications.
They also have a very limited number of programs that you can purchase or download; they do not offer a variety of applications that are mostly requested by users. For instance, windows live messenger is not a compatible program with Mac based laptops but it is replaced by a different application, called iChat, that doesn’t offer enough options for users. The first thing you consider before buying a laptop is the cost of the product that you’re going to purchase. Windows based laptops are much cheaper than Macintosh based laptops.
The most expensive Windows laptop costs $1500. This laptop will have many options and features but will still have a low level operating system as I’ve mentioned above. Macintosh laptops cost a lot more, the most expensive laptop among the Mac’s family costs $2500 or even $3000. This high price is a good price if you think of the benefits that it presents. All competitive companies try to drag the costumers and convince them to purchase their products. But people are attracted to the company that has the hardware functions that the customer has in mind.
For example, a customer is looking for a good laptop with good functions and with a good price that he/she can afford. Most people own Windows based laptops for one reason, the price. A customer might say about a Mac based laptop: “Oh, this is a great laptop with great efficiency but I can’t afford buying it, I think I’ll go for the cheaper one. ” The customer doesn’t think of buying Mac based laptop even though its efficiency is the most important thing that he/she must consider.
Think of it in this way; you buy a cheap laptop, but because of the problems and viruses you face, you’ll have to take your laptop to the computer shop for fixing it every now and then, costing you not only extra money but losing time too. In this way, you’ll end up paying the same amount of the expensive laptop. So why don’t you purchase an expensive laptop that will last for a long period of time without facing many problems why using it? In conclusion, choosing a laptop that you want to use for a long time is hard thing to do, and I agree with that. Windows or Macintosh? This is the question that is always asked.
To answer it, you should answer the following questions first; are you looking for a fast laptop with few problems and good efficiency? If yes, then go for Mac. Are you searching for a laptop with a great number of applications and a good price? If yes, go for Windows. Obviously, Macintosh is the best type of laptops that a person should buy. Although Mac laptops don’t offer many programs and applications, but they present replaceable applications that you might use instead. I, myself don’t own a Mac laptop since its price is really high but I’m thinking of purchasing one as soon as I graduate.
