Apple Mac Or Windows PC? Which Is Best? [Fashion Bloggers Guide]

It’s a question and debate which has raged on for years, and it will probably continue to do so until the end of time. Everyone has their opinion, most have a preference, so I will be talking about which is best? Apple Mac or PC.

It’s a general computing question, but it’s also one bloggers often talk about, there’s always rumblings in the blogosphere about which is better, with everyone giving their less than experienced opinion.

Having a fashion blog like Michael 84 I want something not only powerful but stylish too. Design is important, Macs have them, but these days so do PC laptops too.

Back at the end of 2008 Apple released their first Unibody Macbook Pro, and I was looking for a laptop, so picked up the highest configuration model. I’d pretty much always used Windows, so was fairly new to Mac.

There were some good things about it back then such as the great design, portability, good battery life and power. It was quite unrivalled for all of those things, but now, almost 10 years later, the other manufacturers have caught up.

The invention of super portable and powerful Windows PCs also known as Ultrabooks, Apple’s Macbook range looks less and less attractive.

If You Like Mac OS, There’s Only One Choice

So let’s get this out of the way. There’s some people who love the Mac OS, they love the operating system and how it works, that’s fine. Some of them dislike and even hate anything Microsoft Windows, some don’t even have a really good reason for the dislike, but that’s OK.

If you like the Mac OS, then there’s no discussion, you should go for that. If you need Mac OS because you use exclusive apps or programs, then, once again there’s no room for manoeuvre. If you’ve invested in the Mac ecosystem and spent lots of time and money, then you may be hesitant to change.

Macbooks are good, and if you like the OS then you should get one.

Advantage Of A Macbook

• If you like the OS and the software, then it’s great. Everything works well, it all plays nicely together.
• The design is really nice
• The hardware is good – There’s plenty of power throughout the range
• The trackpad is possibly the best on any laptop or ultrabook, and has been seemingly forever
• If you have other Apple products, the Macbook can be integrated with it such as iPhone/iMessage, FaceTime etc.
• If you’re unfamiliar with computing and need to choose, there’s a limited number of Macbooks at pricepoints which are easy to understand
• Even if you like Windows, you can install it using Fusion, BootCamp or Parallels, so can have a Macbook running Windows
• There’s some exclusive software which you cannot get anywhere else, such as iMovie at the low end, and Aperture and Final Cut Pro at the high end for editing photos/videos

The Disadvantages of owning a MacBook

• The software – There’s a limited amount of software and apps, Windows has far, far more including apps you simply cannot get on a Mac
• The Hardware – You are almost bound to whatever Apple wants you to use; Build-to-order options are available, but are expensive, and there’s not a lot of upgradeable parts these days.
• The Price – Macbooks are premium hardware and come with a premium price; There’s no cheaper option, and not a middle option. Prices currently start at just under £1000 for the lowest spec Macbook
• 3rd Party Hardware Issues – Check out the Amazon reviews of computing products such as hard drives, printers and other devices. There’s always people complaining they don’t work, and they’re usually Apple people complaining they can’t get the device to work, or work the way they want with their Mac.

Macs Are Rock Solid…Or Are They?

The illusion is that if you buy a Macbook then it will last forever and be an investment, because Apple is a premium brand. In my experience, this is not true. My Macbook has a swollen battery, a problem which my iPhone 5 also has.

There has been recalls on faulty hard drives, graphics card failures and other problems in the past. That doesn’t mean that Apple is a fail, it just means that it’s just like any other manufacturer, which goes through the same issues.

Verdict

If you’ve already owned a Mac and like it, you’ve bought into the Apple ecosystem then you’ll probably have your mind already made up. If you want something different, then a Windows PC could be a good choice.

Windows PCs Laptops, Ultrabooks, Tablets And Everything Else

I do love Windows. I will not hide my bias, I just do. I tried out a Mac and while I didn’t dislike it, it just was not the same as running Windows, which was familiar, and I never had to second guess if something would work, or be available to use.

Back when I got my Macbook there were limited choices for Windows, very limited if you wanted something powerful, stylish, portable and at a good price, but that was almost 10 years ago. Time has moved on, Windows has got better, and so have the manufacturers.

I got a Dell XPS 13 and I love it, for me it’s one of the best machines on the market for the money.

Something For Everyone

You can get a Windows machine for under £200. That’s crazy!

If you told me 15 years ago that I would be able to buy a brand new, fairly decent usable machine for under £200 I wouldn’t have believed you, but you can. Sure, they aren’t powerful, but they’re available, which is something you can’t say on the Mac side.

Then there’s the middle weights, anything from £400 – £800 which can get you something pretty good, it will do most things you want it to do, and be fine for a general user.

Then you have those over £1000, that could be a gaming laptop or high end ultrabook. These are the heavyweights, the powerful machines, and there’s no shortage of those either.

There’s plenty of manufacturers, there’s Lenovo, Dell, HP, ASUS and Microsoft have their Surface Pro, Surface Book and Surface Laptop which are all great options. All the manufacturers have different spec machines, so there really is something for everyone.

Advantages Of A Windows Laptop

• Price – There’s a price-point for everyone
• If you like Windows, then most machines come with this pre-installed
• The good machines are good, really fast and come with a good spec
• The hardware is good
• Virtually all 3rd party hardware is built with Windows in mind, so works well
• Huge amount of software and apps available
• Will work across other Windows/Microsoft devices such as XBOX or Windows Phone

Disadvantages Of A Windows Machine

• If you prefer Mac OS or any Mac software, you can’t run them
• The trackpads aren’t as good as a Macbook

You Get What You Pay For! Comparing Macs To Windows PCs Incorrectly

One of the biggest gripes about those switching from a PC to Mac is they claim, “This Mac is far better than my last PC“. What they don’t say is that most of them had a low spec PC, and they’re comparing it to a high end, premium machine.

If you spend £300 on a laptop and £1200 on a Mac, the Mac is going to be better. If you spend £300 on a laptop and £1200 on another Windows laptop, that Windows PC will also be better.

Many people unfairly compare a low end machine to a Macbook, simply because you cannot buy a low end Mac; They see Apple is a premium product so will pay the money, but may not do the same with another PC manufacturer.

Verdict

Windows machines have got so much better. The designs are not only good, they’re better than a Mac in my opinion. The almost bezel-less Dell XPS which I have is far better than the Macbook in terms of design, there’s a huge number of beautiful ultrabooks and laptops on offer right now.

Not only that, but Windows has got better as an OS, it can boot up faster than a Macbook, which used to be an Apple party piece, and has the spec to outshine it too.

Overall Verdict – Mac or PC

10 years ago if you wanted something nice, light, which worked well and was a pleasure to use, a Macbook was one of the only options out there. As I’ve mentioned, these things have changed quite drastically. Windows OS is better, the hardware is good, designs fantastic and there’s plenty of options out there.

For usual tasks and blogging, or doing power user tasks, Windows machines are great. As mentioned, if you like the Mac OS then you have no choice, but if you can be swayed or like Windows, then I think the Windows machines are now better.