Since the start of computers there have been two different companies that have been competing: Microsoft and Apple. Microsoft created Windows, while Apple created Macintosh. Both created computers that are great in their own way. Below are five differences between Macs and PCs.

Design is probably the most noticeable difference between the two. They each look completely different, although they do have similar features. For example, most Mac computers are built as a single unit, whereas PCs have a tower and monitor.

After looking at each and noticing the difference in design you may have noticed the price. Macs are generally quite a lot more expensive than PCs. Macs come pre-installed with software made specifically for their OS (operating system). Because of this, as well as other factors, the price of Macs is higher.

Mac and PC each have a different OS. PC and Mac have similar functions, but use different codes to achieve the same objectives. As stated above, Microsoft created Windows. There are various versions of Windows from 95 to 8. Apple uses a variety of operating system versions as well, with each having a title that starts with OS X. Some examples include: OS X Snow Leopard and OS X Mountain Lion.

Because each uses a different operating system, they each have different software as well. Microsoft Windows commonly uses third-party software (software made from other companies). Apple OS X uses software made specifically for their operating system, by them. Major third-party companies have software for both Macs and PCs.

The level of security is also a key difference between Macs and PCs. Because PCs have more users than Macs, viruses are focused on PCs. As Macs become more popular, you are beginning to see an increase in viruses on Macs as well. Overall, PCs have more threats to security, but that might change in the future.
These are just five of the major differences between Mac and PC computers. There are many other differences as well. In the end, it is up to each individual user to determine which type of computer works best for them.

When it comes to computer systems, the debate has always been whether to purchase a Windows or Mac PC. Before you go out and purchase your next computer, you need to look over the different features and determine what is going to work best for you.

For starters, there is the price, and there really isn’t anything close to compare with. Mac computers have long been one of the most expensive options out there, and although you can find Windows computers approaching the same price as a Mac, if you want a less expensive computer option, you are going to have to go with the Windows computers. A low-end Windows computer is going to cost just a few hundred dollars while you’re still going to surpass $1,000 for a Mac.

Design on the other hand, is without a doubt, the best feature of Mac computers. A Mac computer is all design, and there really isn’t anything like it. From the quality of the product to the overall design, Mac computers take the cake.

If you are looking to customize your Mac, you better think again. There are a few ways to possibly increase the RAM, but outside of this, for most Mac computers, you are pretty much stuck with what you purchase. The Mac design gets in the way of the ability to customize and add on features, as everything is built-in and almost impossible to take apart.

For long times, security has been another selling point for the Mac. Macs have always had less viruses and this is still true, although Windows computers are starting to close the gap. Windows computers are more popular and sell more by volume (even though Mac computers sell more by brand name), so because a virus designer has to craft a virus for one or the other, they are going to create it for a Windows computer more often than not because they are able to infect more computers. However, when it comes to security, it is not about even.

Mac computers are starting to catch up with programs, but there are still more available on a Windows system.

Steve Jobs, along with partner Steve Wozniak, formed the Apple computing company with the idea of a “computer for the rest of us”. From the start, Jobs wanted to create computers that were well designed and easy to use. The Macintosh computer, released in 1984, exemplifies this philosophy.

The original Macintosh was introduced in January 1984. A now famous commercial which aired during the Super Bowl, “1984″, introduced the Macintosh to the public. Targeted towards the home, education and creative markets, with limited success. Though sales were sluggish, it became the first commercially successful computer with a mouse and graphic user interface.

The Mac project began with Jef Raskin, an Apple employee, with the vision of a computer that was easy to use at a low cost for the average user. The project eventually caught the attention of Jobs, realizing the Macintosh could be more profitable than the Lisa design. The development team Raskin put together designed and built the hardware along with initial Mac operating system.

The CEO took on a more active role in the design of the Macintosh. He introduced the Macintosh computer with “Insanely great”. The original design suffered from failed marketing, increasing competition and a high price tag. In 1985, the Mac was combined with Mac specific software and a laser printer. This combination allowed users to create printed pages with text and graphics. The desktop publishing market was born.

The Macintosh computer has become the computer for the rest of us that Steve Jobs envisioned. A simple design that works is what Jobs wanted from a computer. “Design is not what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works”, Steve Jobs, is what the Macintosh is all about. The Macintosh changed the idea of how people interact with computers.

It may surprise some people to know that the personal computer has been around for over four decades, of course during that time it has changed considerably from what we now see in front of us. With all the speed and capacity that the PC offers today, when you compared it to what it was, you will be astonished at best. What used to take up the entire desk (and then some) can now almost fit in the palm of our hand.
The start of something new.
Some might consider Hewlett-Packard as the PC pioneer of sorts, with the introduction of the Hewlett-Packard 9100A. Although this was actually a scientific calculator, it did give others the realization that this could lead to bigger and better things. Most experts in the computer industry, would think of the IBM 610 as the first true personal computer to hit the market.

Catching the wave.
The problem with the IBM computers would be the fact that few could afford it, which simply meant that exposure would be limited to the financially well off. To this end, the competition decided to produce affordable alternatives like Simon, Datapoint 2200 and the IBM 5100 Portable Computer which was available in the mid seventies. It was not until the early eighties that a price war developed and things began to get interesting.

A computer for every home?
During the 1980s several computers were introduced to the interested buyers, but the ones that really stuck out was the VIC-20 and Commodore 64. These units were so affordable and popular that they sold millions before being replaced by newer technology. Apple gained momentum with its Lisa and Macintosh (otherwise known as the Mac) and became a force to be reckoned with in the early 1980s, although still pricy at upwards of US2,000.

Necessary for our survival.
In the mid 1980s, Microsoft came into the picture with their Windows OS. Its popularity took the PC to a new level altogether, with affordable prices and an easy to use operating system. The PC is now as popular as the television, but considered more important by most.