The Windows platform is considerably the more dominant operating system on the market these days, but does that make it better? Apple has a monopoly over the digital music world and has revolutionized the cell phone and tablet industries, but what about their computers? Are they actually relevant and deserve your attention? The short answer is ‘yes' – if you haven't done so before, you should consider a Mac as a sincere alternative.
Microsoft made itself a household name with DOS and Windows by allowing 3rd party companies to design software and hardware for their specific platform. This resulted in a flood of products for the Windows operating system, which provided their customers near unlimited customization and potential. However, there is a major drawback with too many developers creating too many products – most components are designed without each other in mind. The resulting incompatibilities cause system crashes, data loss and incessant headache. This was true especially in the beginning, but things have improved a bit as time has passed.
Apple took the completely opposite approach. Keeping all product development in-house, everything works extremely well together but the customer can suffer as the majority of software out there is not available on the Mac. Mainstream titles such as Quickbooks, Photoshop and even Microsoft Office are available in Mac versions, but chances are that less popular titles cannot be found. It is this fact that has kept Apple computers out of the majority of the homes in the US – a lack of the software prevalence that Microsoft enjoys. This is unfortunate – in this writer's humble opinion, Apple by far has the better operating system and user experience, an incredible success mitigated by a lack of accessory. Apple is also the platform of choice for the majority of professional graphic designers and video editors.
Microsoft has grown into its dominant position by combining a powerful operating system with an expansive software market. While Windows has wide applicability, it is inherently not as stable and as well refined as Apple's OS. As evidenced by their innovations in the music, cellular and tablet markets, Apple is a company of fresh thinkers and game changers; while Microsoft's recent history appears to reflect a modus operandi of assimilation and imitation. Buyers who are interested in a reliable and competitive alternative should definitely give Mac computers a second look.
Oh, and for the record, I am a Windows user, while my wife and brother-in-law are die-hard Apple fans.
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