6 Reasons to Buy a PC Instead of a Mac

No Joke; As much as we love Macs, we admit there really are reasons not to buy a Mac. Here are my top six reasons to buy a PC instead of a Mac.

1. You only have $300 to get a new computer. There is no disputing the fact that Apple doesn't compete in the market for cheap, POS computers. Today, a refurbished Mac Mini is going for $519 from Apple. It only goes up from there. Counterpoint: you can always buy a good used Mac for cheap on eBay.
2. You like to build your own computer. Some people like to tinker, and Windows or Linux PCs are the best way to do it. You can't just march into Fry's and start buying the parts to make a Mac yourself. Counterpoint: Unless your time is worth $3 an hour, don't fool yourself into thinking you are saving money.
3. You plan to pirate your software and all your sources use Windows. There is no denying software piracy is running rampant and by virtue of market share, there are far more sources of pirated Windows software than Mac software. Counterpoint: Macs come with most of the software you will need for free. Also, don't be a thieving asshat. You aren't entitled to steal someone else's work, even if it's Microsoft.
4. You live for the latest video games. You also don't mind dropping $500 for the latest video card to play them. Facts are facts: Computer games come out first for PCs and sometimes never even make it to the Mac. I've been waiting YEARS for Half-Life. Counterpoint: Go buy an Xbox.
5. You need a program that is only available for Windows and a Mac counterpart won't do. There may be tens of thousands of Mac programs available to you, but there still are gaps in very specific software categories. Counterpoint: Run Windows on your Mac via Parallels or Boot Camp to access that program.
6. You want an ultraportable laptop. At this point, the MacBook is Apple's smallest laptop computer, and it really doesn't compete in the ultraportable category where screens are small and optical drives and battery life are shed to save weight. Counterpoint: Get a job where you don't have to travel so much.

I'm sure I missed some items for the PC die-hards. What do you think? Use the Comments section below to take your best shot, but stick to reality. As much as you can.

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You can also Right-click on a Macbook by putting two fingers on the trackpad and clicking the button.

This is an option you can enable in the Keyboard and Mouse System Preference. It's in the Trackpad section.

 TommyW
 07/22/2007  at  01:08 AM

I first believed I would be reading a legitimate article about some of the missing qualities that Macs lack compared to their "PC" counterparts. The article took a quick turn into a facade: laced with snide juvenile remarks and rash assumptions.

You call yourself the "Executive Editor" of this site, yet decide to plague your own site with tripe articles like this? While there are redeeming qualities for both sides (Mac and PC), illustrating such qualities in this unprofessional manner is wasteful.

 Michael
 07/22/2007  at  03:05 AM

Chris K I don't know what worries me more the fact that you use safari on a pc or anything else for that matter, or that you haven't discovered firefox.

PS Safari is worse that IE in any version which isn't saying much because IE is the devil.

 Havum Binphuked
 07/22/2007  at  11:27 AM

James - No AutoCAD. No SolidWorks? I guess it's just as well we don't live in a world full of CAD users.

Counter point: It's not necessarily Apple's fault which companies decide to release software for the Mac. I guess as more and more non CAD users come on board, more and more CAD software companies will take notice and think twice.

 Joel
 07/22/2007  at  05:50 PM

Sorry James, I just realised my comment should have been directed to TString.

 Joel
 07/22/2007  at  05:54 PM

I don't mind profanity myself, but if this site aspires to be a serious source for Mac newbies from all walks of life, don't use words like "POS" and "asshat".

 Sam
 07/22/2007  at  07:16 PM

very LOL The last opinion as a rule

 coffee*sponge
 07/23/2007  at  02:02 AM

All recent Macs (recent meaning the last 10+ years) support two button mice just fine, and recent laptops (intel ones at least) allow you to easily 'right' click using the trackpad, just open the trackpad control panel and read the options.

 Lewis
 07/23/2007  at  07:07 PM

Depending on how much credence you put in Consumers Union and their magazine Consumer Reports, their research, which is based directly on reader (read user) feedback by way of an annual questionnaire, places both the Macs lack of problems (what they refer to as brand repair history) and Apple’s tech support significantly above any other brand, including Dell. Take a look at their November 2006 issue, page 44. The differences appear to be pretty compelling. I say “appear” because some will ask if pro-Mac Bias comes into play -- the overriding question is the candor and honesty of CUs readership in reporting problems and tech support success. If you take into account the Mac zealotry factor, their results could be skewed in favor of the Mac. It’s impossible to know, one way or the other.

 Jerry Hastings
 07/24/2007  at  03:41 PM

I'd expand your list a bit further to include:

*You want to use popular professional development products such as Microsoft's Visual Studio, IBM Rational Rose, Internet Information Services, SQL Server 2005, none of which are available on the Mac. Is Borland available on the Mac?

*You want flexibility in peripheral hardware: your options for network cards, graphics cards, and many other third party pieces of hardware are more limited as there is not as much driver support for the Mac.

 AjaxNinja
 07/27/2007  at  09:53 AM

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