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The
Digital Age-old Question: Windows or Mac?
NOVEMBER 12, 2005
(Part 1 of a 2-part series)
THE
DEBATE
The digital age-old question has been "Windows or Mac?" There are many
varations, including: Which is better? Which is faster? Which costs less? Which is
more stable or reliable? Which allows one to be more productive? And on and on...
Today's questions lean away from those related to speed and purchase cost and more toward stability, reliability and productivity as vast numbers of Windows users have become innundated with problems they have often not been responsible for creating but are now responsible for dealing with, including virus attacks, adware, unwanted pop-up windows, keylogging and related serious security issues that threaten not only the privacy of their personal and financial data but their productivity and yes, even their sanity.
As one who has worked to fight the onslaught of spyware and adware programs (more generally called malware) currently infesting Windows systems, I can personally attest to the lost productivity and sanity issues even if the others are deemed impossible to answer.
Not only are spyware and virus-related activities harmful to Windows systems and data but they are proving harmful to their owners' pocketbooks as well. It is not uncommon for a full-fledged virus or spyware infestation to take many hours to resove completely and often it takes a professional to handle the problem. And, when it comes to computer system repair, time costs money. That cheap PC is no longer inexpensive once the costs of virus and spyware correction are factored in, even for a single incident. And, even tougher: what is the cost of lost data, whether it be a painstakingly written business report or those great digital photos from your spouse's Big 4-0 birthday shin-dig?
THE
ANSWER
It's never been easy to answer some of these questions, and it's even harder to find
real proof to questions like "which is faster". There have been many tests,
but the countless variables involved make it nearly impossible to prove speed superiority,
even with carefully planned testing. And in the end, such tests don't make it any
easier for most users to answer the "which platform" question for themselves.
On top of that, the thought of switching to an unfamiliar system can seem confusing
or just too scary to consider. For many, it just hasn't been worth the trouble to
switch. Until now.
Yes, it's true that Windows still holds the lion's share of the personal computer system market and it always seems easier when making a computer purchase to go along with the majority, especially when it's a computer you're investing in with your own funds. But, when your computer becomes painfully slow or useless due to unstoppable pop-up windows or worse, because your system is under the control of a hacker or a hidden program that is serving someone else's spam using your e-mail program, the argument for Windows loses some of its punch.
| UPCOMING: PART 2: ANSWERING THE LARGER QUESTIONS  THE REAL COSTS OF PERSONAL COMPUTINGTHE DEFINABLE WINDOWS-MAC DIFFERENCESWHO'S SWITCHING NOWMAKING YOUR BEST CHOICE |
RELATED ARTICLES
Mac takes bite out of Windows (Seattle Times, 11/7/05)
Mad as hell, switching to Mac (Network World, 5/23/05)
Switching to Mac easier than you think (Beta News, 6/25/05)
| "QUOTE OF THE
WEEK" "It is amazing that XP systems can get to a condition where it is easier to erase and re-install everything than diagnose and fix what's wrong." - Mark Gibbs, Network World |
RELATING COMPUTER PLATFORMS TO SOCIAL ORDER
Broken Windows (Daring Fireball, 6/4/04)
ON THE FUNNY SIDE
Mac to PC switcher movie (parody)
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