It's an age-old question: Mac or PC? This electronic rivalry easily competes with any rivalry across the board.
There are Macintosh people and PC people in this world. While it appears everyone has an opinion on the matter, the best type of computer is still under debate.
Information about Mac and PC can vary based on who is giving it. Although opinions can seem like facts, it is known that both Mac and PC have advantages and disadvantages.
Macs are known for being well built. Apple prides itself on having a new Mac ready to use straight out of the box. The average lifespan of a Mac is five years and battery life is seven hours. Macs also tend to get fewer viruses.
The pricing for a Mac is extremely high. Not to mention, once a customer buys one Apple product, the rest of their electronics are more compatible if they own only Apple products.
PCs are typically inexpensive. They are more compatible with foreign software and electronics, and there is more of a variety of brands to choose from. PC's hardware is cheaper and free software is available for download.Also, the processor speeds have more power than those of Mac.
"I think PCs are just easier to use," said Julya Welch, senior in pre-graphic design. "I want a Mac though, because they do more than PCs as far as having design programs."
Mac pulls in buyers by offering special features. A very useful element to some Macs is a backlit keyboard.
In February, Mac began producing Macbook Pros with Thunderbolt technology. Thunderbolt acts like a USB port, but while a USB is capable of transferring 3.0 gigabits per second, Thunderbolt is able to transfer 10.0 gigabits per second. However, since it is new, there aren't many devices that plug into Thunderbolt yet.
PCs have the option of playing Blu-ray discs with Cyperlink Power. With a converter, PC owners can also watch wireless television.
"Anything you can do on a Mac, you can do on a PC," said Nick Bradford, junior in software engineering. "That's why I like PCs."
The differences between the two systems can go as far as the imagination wishes. One of the most obvious is price.
Macs average about $1300 according to Cameron Cotney, an employee at the Best Buy in Tiger Town. The cheapest ones available are the Macbook and Macbook Air, which each cost $999. The most expensive is the 17-inch Macbook Pro that costs $2400.
PC has the upper hand in the pricing battle because there are numerous companies that make Microsoft computers.
The prices vary in the same way the brands do. Prices can run anywhere from $299 for a Compaq to $1300 for an ASUS.
"Every operating system has its advantages and disadvantages," said Scott Tisdale, Auburn IT specialist.
In February 2010, Auburn conducted a study for on-campus residents regarding wireless internet. Out of 559 students, 40 percent said they were using a Mac.
As small strides for each system continue, it's hard to say which is better.
It heavily depends on what the computer is needed for.
Auburn University, as a whole, uses PC. However, certain departments within Auburn use Mac because they are better suited for the assignments given.
Because of the variety of tasks for computers, Mac and PC users could argue for days and a winner could never be determined.
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