# PC vs Mac Simply Explained **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 24, 2001, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284 "2001-03-24T05:03:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/341 "2001-04-22T03:39:46Z")
There’s been a lot of new stuff for me to discuss since the last time I looked in here. It’ll take me a while, but I’ll get started with this post. > [@](#): > > **What? Rebates aren’t valid? Money is money. Cost is cost. When I argue these cost issues with my buddies I let them throw rebates in my face (except MSN, AOL, Compuserv, etc.) and God knows, the Wintel world has a lot more rebates to play with than the Mac world… It’s not in the best interest of your argument to toss out rebates** I wasn’t saying that rebates aren’t valid in your one example, I’m saying rebates aren’t valid in a BENCHMARK prices. You see, not everywhere has the same rebates, some places may not even have rebates, so picking a system with a ‘Free’ RAM upgrade and a ‘Free’ printer and using it as a norm will flaw any and all comparisons. > [@](#): > > **It’s beside the point because it’s outside the skill and knowlewdge level of most PC consumers. You, my friend, are an outlier - not the statistical norm.** It’s not beside the point if most PC consumers cannot build their own systems. ANYBODY can get a custom built PC without having to touch a single computer component, and they can get a custom built PC in nearly any price range they are willing to spend. There is a large market for custom PC’s, and I would not be surprised if there are more custom PC’s than there are Macs. > [@](#): > > **You seem to think Macs are fixed entities. I’ve upgraded my graphics, RAM, hard disk, CPU, added USBs, mouse, and more on my Mac. I don’t see how your PC is any more beneficial due to it’s upgradability.** I don’t think you quite understand. A PC is customizable. A Mac is not. You may upgrade a Mac, but you cannot build a brand new one of your own. You are also more limited in what hardware will work in a Mac. So, while a Mac has limited upgradability, a PC is completely customizable. > [@](#): > > **I care because I create a lot of videos of my kids and I would like to save them to DVD for archival and send them to friends and family…On the other hand, the initial challenge was for “comparable” systems - that’s what I tried to establish.** While it’s nice that YOU might want to have a DVD-RAM drive, the fact is the majority of consumers do not. Hence, there is not a large market for them (Hell, I don’t even think there is a standard format for DVD burning, is there?). And since we’re trying for “comparable” here, I guess it is impossible - there are too many different factors. There is always something the Mac could have that the PC might not, so you can claim those PC’s aren’t comparable. However, that same PC could have many options that the Mac can’t have, so PC users can claim that your Mac isn’t comparable to the PC. See what I mean? > [@](#): > > **To do that, we would need to know how many of each individual configuration was sold** Average price spent per PC and the average cost of available PCs are two COMPLETELY different lines of statistical reasoning. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/342 "2001-04-22T04:59:39Z")
Quoting myself: > [@](#): > > I would be interested in finding someone who can counter the claim that Macs require less IT maintenence, and need less IT people. Or rather, that there is no difference in the need for IT help when a company switches over to PC. Any PC person willing to take this one on? ::drumming fingers on table:: ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/343 "2001-04-22T06:01:25Z")
**Babe** , before you demand a PC user counter that claim, I would like to see a Mac user prove (or at least offer credible cites supporting the claim). More responses from me coming up! (Aren’t you all thrilled?) ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/344 "2001-04-22T06:11:24Z")
Oh, and one thing…PC does not equal “Wintel”. AMD processors are more powerful than Intel processors, Linux is more stable than Windows…I hope you get my point. If you’re trying to argue MacOS vs. Win98, MacOS is probably better. If you’re arguing MacOS vs. Win2k, I’d put my money on Win2k. In a year or so, we’ll see about arguing WinXP vs. OS X. Hmm…what else… ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/345 "2001-04-22T06:29:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monster104 \* > **Babe** , before you demand a PC user counter that claim, I would like to see a Mac user prove (or at least offer credible cites supporting the claim). I have seen the cites (all on Pro-Mac sites, if I recall…) I can look them up (eventually.) But Joey cites his own experience, which I find _verrrry_ interesting. I mean, he has worked in a professional setting, and he’s _seen_ this with his own eyes. Has anyone seen the opposite happen? Anyone witness a drop in IT help when a company switched to PCs? I mean, of all the claims being exchanged back and forth here, I can’t recall I’ve _ever_ heard anyone claim that when an all-Mac business switched to PC, their need for IT help dropped. But I’ve heard the opposite claim made many times, from different sources. And while I hear that Win2K is pretty stable, how is it for an easy and friendly UI? Is installing hardware as easy as it is with a Mac? So much of my gripe about Windows (now, I’m not saying I _hate_ it, mind) is that the UI is irritating and clunky at times. Is Win2K dramatically different from Win98 in this respect? ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/346 "2001-04-22T07:06:08Z")
Win2k is not dramatically different, but it does have differences. While it probably isn’t as ‘easy’ and ‘intuitive’ as you would probably like, I know many Windows power users who much prefer some of the more subtle changes. Adding hardware is also a little easier (for example, when installing hardware, it can actually locate drivers automatically on the CD.) While it’s probably not enough to make you suddenly prefer PC’s over Mac, it does fix a lot of the stability issues and some minor UI quirks that have been complained about. This is one reason why I dislike the term “Wintel”. It’s a very innaccurate term. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/347 "2001-04-22T07:51:21Z")
As far as everyday use, Windows 2000 isn’t really different from Windows 98, except it doesn’t crash nearly as much. Adding hardware is pretty much the same. I’ve never really used Win98 or NT4, but Win2K is a lot better with hardware than Win95 was. It occasionally won’t detect my external modem, but I can uninstall and reinstall the modem driver with a few clicks. The main problem is that there aren’t any Win2K drivers available for many older devices. I never got my old Voodoo2 to work, and my parallel port CD-R and webcam were iffy. ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/348 "2001-04-22T08:23:31Z")
> [@](#): > > **But Joey cites his own experience, which I find verrrry interesting. I mean, he has worked in a professional setting, and he’s seen this with his own eyes. Has anyone seen the opposite happen? Anyone witness a drop in IT help when a company switched to PCs?** I find it interesting as well. Was that the last company to completely use Macs or what? 😉 (Kidding! Humor!) Seriously though, I can’t answer this question. However, I can provide some possibilities. It depends a lot on the OS. I know some companies are still using Windows 3.11. I know some companies (hell, even my school) that use Win95 (Version A or B). For example, my school uses Win95 on the client on the two older computer labs. These computers are horribly managed and the systems are in pathetic shape. However, the new computer lab with clients running Win2k has not experienced a single crash or subnet problem. So, the OS used predominantly in a network is one factor. Another factor is the competence of the IT personnel. There is a severe lack of trained IT personnel that some companies will quite literally hire the first person who applies with any kind of computer experience. When these companies keep having problems, they hire more IT personnel, and the problems still don’t get fixed in time. An offshoot of this problem is one my InfoTech 2 teacher at school has had to deal with. Sometimes an IT department is so horribly staffed that they start having to fix problems caused by the IT staff! Now, while none of these actually answer the question, I think it helps show that it’s not necessarily because the computers have been switched to PC (Although I will grant that poorly maintained PC’s will probably ‘break’ so to speak faster than a similarly maintained Mac will). ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/349 "2001-04-22T15:06:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monster104 \* > **Babe, before you demand a PC user counter that claim, I would like to see a Mac user prove (or at least offer credible cites supporting the claim).** Well, sure. I worked for 5 years in computer support at the local medical school. I was hired as the “Mac guy” at a facility of around 3000 computers, perhaps 700 of which were Macs. I taught myself how to troubleshoot and repair Windows PCs one year because I had to keep busy; the Macs just weren’t breaking all that much. So, for 700 Macs, I was the sole tech support guy, and I was a half-timer. By contrast, the PC folks had three full-timers and two half-time student assistants, plus me. Yes, we were woefully understaffed; I understand that the preferred ratio of computers to techs is around 50:1, and you’re pushing it at 100:1. We scraped by with ratios of roughly 500:1 on the PC side and 1400:1 on the Mac side. I hope you consider me “credible”… ---
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/350 "2001-04-22T17:43:03Z")
Monster: > [@](#): > > I wasn’t saying that rebates aren’t valid in your one example, I’m saying rebates aren’t valid in a BENCHMARK prices. I see your point, though I’m not sure simply ignoring them is the right solution, from a benchmark perspective. I think you need to somehow normalize them. On the other hand, as I said, in general there are a lot more rebates offered for PC systems than Macs, so maybe it’s in the best interest of my argument to rule them out. [wink] > [@](#): > > It’s not beside the point if most PC consumers cannot build their own systems. OK, but you have to change your rhetoric from “PCs are cheaper than Macs” to “You can build a PC from scratch cheaper than a Mac”. > [@](#): > > I don’t think you quite understand. A PC is customizable. A Mac is not. I understand. The point I was making is that the Mac may not be **AS** customizable, but it is customizable (and upgradable). > [@](#): > > So, while a Mac has limited upgradability, a PC is completely customizable. Sorry, I find that statement just a tad bit strong. There are upgrades and customizations that you can do on the Mac that are simply not possible on a PC. Also, there are customizations that you cannot do on any computer because of architectural constraints. I think you should replace “completely customizable” with “more customizable” [quote] Hell, I don’t even think there is a standard format for DVD burning, is there? Yes. DVD Multi. > [@](#): > > And since we’re trying for “comparable” here, I guess it is impossible - there are too many different factors. There is always something the Mac could have that the PC might not, so you can claim those PC’s aren’t comparable. However, that same PC could have many options that the Mac can’t have, so PC users can claim that your Mac isn’t comparable to the PC. See what I mean? Yes, I tried to make that point earlier, but I think it was lost in the flames… I think your argument all along should have been that the PC platform allows for much more flexibility and customizability, thereby allowing consumers to make choices for an optimally priced configuration. I do not disagree with this. Though I do point out that most consumers simply buy the configuration that the seller has determined to be the optimum and thus suffer from the same potential problem - paying for features that they don’t need… then on the other hand, most consumers are not particularly adept at planning for the future. I know several people who saved a few bucks when they bought their computers by leaving off the NIC - only to have to spend more to get a new NIC when they installed cable or DSL modems. Likewise I know a few that regretted their choice to get smaller hard disks or less RAM. > [@](#): > > Average price spent per PC and the average cost of available PCs are two COMPLETELY different lines of statistical reasoning. Please elaborate. I’m not sure what you’re getting at here. > [@](#): > > Oh, and one thing…PC does not equal “Wintel”. Granted and I admit that I have been sloppy in my use of the term Wintel to include other-than Intel processors, though I have not been including linux based OSes. yosemitebabe: > [@](#): > > And while I hear that Win2K is pretty stable, how is it for an easy and friendly UI? I may be talking out of my butt here - since I’ve not used Win2K yet myself, but there are a bunch of people at my site who are using it. Their claim is that it’s not significantly different than NT. However, I find NT better and much more stable than Win98, so if their assessment is correct (that Win2k is approximately equal to WinNT) then I think PC consumers are going to be pleased. For a Mac person using WinNT (and Win2K, I assume), I think you’ll still find it pretty “clunky” and “irritating”. Monster: > [@](#): > > If you’re arguing MacOS vs. Win2k, I’d put my money on Win2k. For what? User friendliness? Performance? Stability? > [@](#): > > Seriously though, I can’t answer this question. However, I can provide some possibilities… > > So, the OS used predominantly in a network is one factor. Predominantly WinNT with a gradual conversion to Win2K. > [@](#): > > Another factor is the competence of the IT personnel. Clearly a huge part of the problem, but it reinforces the point that it takes more technical savvy to maintain PCs than Macs. > [@](#): > > Sometimes an IT department is so horribly staffed that they start having to fix problems caused by the IT staff! Bingo, once again. There’s another big factor. Because there are so many stability issues with the software and compatibility issues with both hardware and software, our IT department locks the user out from making changes. In other words, users are not given administrator privledges on their own machines because they are deemed to be too dangerous. The IT department did not make this transition arbitrarily - they found, through experience, that users would tend to break their configurations too frequently, installing software or inadvertently messing with other parts of the OS. The consequence of this is that our IT department spends a lot of time installing things and tweaking things that a reasonably competent individual could do themselves. Another consequence of this is that the IT deaprtment has to spend some time figuring out which applications don’t play nicely together, in advance, so that they can try to prevent conflicts. If I need an application that no one else is currently using, it might take three or four months before that application will get installed, as it goes through it’s checkout process. Don’t get me wrong, we have more than our share of hardware problems. I’ve had several PCs “in the shop” multiple times over the last several years with hardware failures (one of them was sent back to the manufacturer and replaced). I contrast that with twice as many Macs that I’ve used over the same time period that have never had a hardware problem. I even have a 7 or 8 year old LCII that has never had a hardware problem and is still running strong. It has limited usefulness because of it’s memory limitations, but there a few games that the kids play on it that don’t work on PowerPCs and it works just find as a MIDI controller, which is what I use it for. There are other things that occupy our IT folks time, as well. Coffee breaks, cigarette breaks, socializing, surfing the web, etc… In fairness, the Mac admins used to do this too, but in fairness they had the time… I also want to point out another factor in Macintosh hardware stability (an often overlooked one). Many modern Macs don’t need fans. Most users only think of the noise implications of this… and I do have to admit that I’m sometimes envious of my kids’ iMac and it’s dead silent operation. However, there’s another piece of the equation. They don’t need fans because they don’t generate as much heat. They don’t generate as much heat because they use less power. They use less power because they are more efficient. In electronic systems poor efficiency, higher power consumption, and heat are killers. Also, an ancillery benefit - fans pull in dust and lint from the air, this builds up on the components and connectors causing them to fail (due to poor heat conductivity, electrostatic buildups, and more). Convection cooling dramatically reduces the amout of dust and lint in a computer system. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/351 "2001-04-22T18:14:33Z")
**JoeyBlades** : > [@](#): > > There are upgrades and customizations that you can do on the Mac that are simply not possible on a PC. I call your bluff, sir. What customizations might these be? > [@](#): > > I also want to point out another factor in Macintosh hardware stability (an often overlooked one). … They don’t need fans because they don’t generate as much heat. They don’t generate as much heat because they use less power. They use less power because they are more efficient. I would suspect that the lower clock speed and integrated devices are bigger factors. A single board with sound, network, and graphics is going to use less power than a motherboard and separate PCI cards, especially when the integrated hardware is less complex. For example, before installing a GeForce card, you’re recommended to have at least a 250-300W power supply… not because the card is inefficient, but because it’s blazing fast. Compare that to a cheap ATI chip that can just be slapped on the motherboard. My K6/233 system ran for months with a broken CPU fan that turned so slow I could watch it move. (Of course, it wasn’t very stable.) But meanwhile, my Athlon/1GHz system will burn out in a matter of seconds without [this monstrosity](http://www.thermaltake.com/du0462-8.htm). Speed = heat. > [@](#): > > Also, an ancillery benefit - fans pull in dust and lint from the air, this builds up on the components and connectors causing them to fail (due to poor heat conductivity, electrostatic buildups, and more). I don’t know about yours, but my fans blow outward. I wouldn’t mind a cite showing that air circulation is a significant contributor to hardware failure. ---
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/352 "2001-04-23T06:46:04Z")
Mr2001: > [@](#): > > I call your bluff, sir. What customizations might these be? Well, the most obvious ones would be the Mac G3/G4 multiprocessor PCI cards. There are also a number of QuickDraw3D accelerators. There’s the AirPort PCMCIA card for notebooks (takes advantage of the built-in antennas). There are a few PCI cards for digital recording. Oh yeah, let’s not forget those Pentium coprocessor cards that let you run WindowsOS in a MacOS window… I’m sure there are other examples, these are just the ones that popped into my head. > [@](#): > > I would suspect that the lower clock speed and integrated devices are bigger factors. These are contributing factors to the lower power consumption. > [@](#): > > I don’t know about yours, but my fans blow outward. It doesn’t matter which way the air flows (actually I’ve seen studies that suggest it’s slightly better to blow air in). Regardless, the air has to get sucked in from somewhere and the dust and lint comes in with it. The real culprit is a phenomenon known as laminate air flow. This creates a static charge across your vents, motherboard, and components. You see the effects of laminate air flow all the time - check out the dust buildup around AC and heating vents, bathroom vents, ceiling fans, etc…The static charge acts like a magnet for dust and lint. Lower air flows, such as with convection, reduce the charge (and therefore the dust buildup) dramatically. > [@](#): > > I wouldn’t mind a cite showing that air circulation is a significant contributor to hardware failure. It’s conventional wisdom for all electronic systems, but here are a few computer specific cites (since you asked): [http://a1computers.net/kcc/a1repair5.htm](http://a1computers.net/kcc/a1repair5.htm) > [@](#): > > NOTE:  This is a very important procedure!  Prevents the PC from overheating. If PC is in a dusty environment, this should be done every 3 months. [http://www.oit.umass.edu/publications/at\_oit/Archive/spring99/borichevsky.html](http://www.oit.umass.edu/publications/at_oit/Archive/spring99/borichevsky.html) > [@](#): > > There are two main items that will cause a computer to fail. These items are dust build up and overheating caused by poor air circulation inside the case. [http://www.learn2.com/05/0554/0554.asp](http://www.learn2.com/05/0554/0554.asp) > [@](#): > > When dust settles onto the circuitboard inside your machine casing, the efficiency of the electrical pathway is compromised, and performance suffers. > > Eventually, damage occurs, and expensive repairs become necessary. [http://www.allsands.com/Computers/computermainten\_vi\_gn.htm](http://www.allsands.com/Computers/computermainten_vi_gn.htm) > [@](#): > > Dust, indoor air pollution and even a buildup of static electricity can do serious damage to your machinery. BTW, another problem with dust is that it can cause failures with hard disks, optical disks, floppy disks, etc… Dust is your enemy!!! ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/353 "2001-04-23T07:40:47Z")
You are going to need more IT people whenever you change platforms, that’s common sense. I’m sure if the company I worked for decided to switch from NT to MacOS we would need a lot more IT people to handle the change. I’ve never heard of a company switching from PC to Mac, though… ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/354 "2001-04-23T07:53:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Badtz Maru \* > \*\*You are going to need more IT people whenever you change platforms, that’s common sense. I’m sure if the company I worked for decided to switch from NT to MacOS we would need a lot more IT people to handle the change. Why? I mean, I can see there being a brief transition period, when people are getting adjusted… But after a while, things should level out. Right? So why don’t they, when a place switches to PC from Mac? ---
**Author:** ![mikeymichaels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee7513/32.png) [@mikeymichaels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikeymichaels)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/355 "2001-04-23T09:30:49Z")
I only read the opening question and post and that’s what I’m replying to. When I attended a small computer college, we had about 200 computers, half of them were PCs [personal computers], and the other half were Macs [Macintoshes]. To clarify the main difference between them, the computer professors said that the PCs are basicly made for a business environment to serve business functions and a Mac is geared towards serving the needs of artists and graphic designers. When I read your opening question, I had the feeling that maybe this was the answer that you were looking for. I hope that my general answer solves your inquiry. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/356 "2001-04-23T10:17:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yosemitebabe \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Badtz Maru \* > > \*\*You are going to need more IT people whenever you change platforms, that’s common sense. I’m sure if the company I worked for decided to switch from NT to MacOS we would need a lot more IT people to handle the change. > > Why? I mean, I can see there being a brief transition period, when people are getting adjusted… But after a while, things should level out. Right? So why don’t they, when a place switches to PC from Mac? \*\* I don’t know that it would be any different if things were reversed. Does anyone here have experience with a situation where a company used PCs, and then switched to using Macs? ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/357 "2001-04-23T11:29:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Badtz Maru \* > I don’t know that it would be any different if things were reversed. > > Does anyone here have experience with a situation where a company used PCs, and then switched to using Macs? I don’t think you’re following. **If** a company needs a certain amount of IT help for one platform, and IF that company changes platforms, why _should_ (after the dust settles) there be any need for more IT help with the new platform? **If** (as some apparently want to claim) that PCs and Macs are equally easy to maintain, why would the need for IT people change from one platform to the other? There’s (apparently) no difference, right? So please explain why the change in platform would automatically result in a _long term and/or permanent_ need for more IT staff. I could see a company needing more IT help in the beginning of a transition, when people are getting set up and used to the change. But after a while, things should level off. And the IT help should return to what it was before the change. Right? If it doesn’t, that means (to many of us, anyway) that _something is different - and **more difficult** _ about the new platform. ---
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/358 "2001-04-23T15:11:24Z")
Badtz: > [@](#): > > Does anyone here have experience with a situation where a company used PCs, and then switched to using Macs? Well, actually… My company started out with PCs. Many of the PC admins were given new jobs when we switched to Macs. This, of course, was back in the days of DOS, so I’m not sure how relevant it is. ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/359 "2001-04-23T20:47:30Z")
> [@](#): > > **Well, the most obvious ones would be the Mac G3/G4 multiprocessor PCI cards. There are also a number of QuickDraw3D accelerators. There’s the AirPort PCMCIA card for notebooks (takes advantage of the built-in antennas). There are a few PCI cards for digital recording. Oh yeah, let’s not forget those Pentium coprocessor cards that let you run WindowsOS in a MacOS window… I’m sure there are other examples, these are just the ones that popped into my head.** Well, let’s see. PC’s already have multiprocessor motherboards that you can upgrade to. You can get dual processor motherboards for as low as $100. You can get quad boards, but those are outrageously expensive (They’re for PIII Xeon chips, with Ultra160 scsi controllers and all that nifty server stuff…but for about $2k). BTW, how much do the G3/G4 multiprocessor cards cost?. I’m not sure what the QuickDraw3D accelerators are, so I can’t come up with a PC equivilent. PC Laptops have wireless PCMCIA cards, some with antennas on them, others that use antennas built into the laptop (I’ve seen Sony models with antennas). PC’s have PCI digital recording cards as well, for audio and video, or both. The only thing I don’t think a PC has is a G3/G4 coprocessor card, and that has to do with Apple’s proprietary nature. Apple doesn’t permit any company to use it’s computer technology unless it’s for certified Apple products. ---
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2001, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284/360 "2001-04-24T00:23:22Z")
Monster: I was being somewhat facetious on some of these: > [@](#): > > Well, let’s see. PC’s already have multiprocessor motherboards that you can upgrade to. Well I meant G3 or G4 multiprocessor boards to run on a PC… > [@](#): > > I’m not sure what the QuickDraw3D accelerators are, so I can’t come up with a PC equivilent. It’s just as well, since I may have to retract that one. QuickDraw3D is Apple’s native 3D rendering and modeling library. Apple did port this to Windows, but I erroneously assumed that there were no PCI accelerators. However, I now believe that the ATI RAVE 3D PCI card for Windows does some level of QuickDraw3D acceleration… I haven’t been able to confirm this, but I’m not confident enough to say Windows DOES NOT have an equivalent. > [@](#): > > …others that use antennas built into the laptop (I’ve seen Sony models with antennas). I stand corrected. I have only seen the kludgy ones with “out-board” antennas. > [@](#): > > PC’s have PCI digital recording cards as well, for audio and video, or both. Sorry, I didn’t make that point very well. There are certainly a number of sound capture and DSP manipulation cards available for Windows, there are specific ones that only support Macintosh (and likewise others that only support Windows). The lack of portability tends to be driven more by the software than the PCI/hardware requirements, however if you’re looking for specific features, DSP filters, etc. you could be constrained to one platform or another. I was going to mention the MOTU PCI 324, specifically, however I just found out that it now supports Windows (with a limited software capability). For the longest time it was Mac-only. > [@](#): > > The only thing I don’t think a PC has is a G3/G4 coprocessor card… Again, you miss my point. I was suggesting that there are no PC cards designed to run PC emulation in a PC window… Possibly pointless, but I was getting silly by that point. After I went to bed I thought of another class of hardware peripherals that used to be exclusive to the Mac (and still are technically). These are the ADB devices and dongles… though today, similar capabilities are available via USB, so it’s somewhat moot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-vs-mac-simply-explained/59284.md?page=19)