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Community Q&A

Maybe you're looking for your very own personal computer probably for the first time in your life or maybe the first time in a long time. Over the years, things with certain companies change. An example, most PCs you get now either have Windows Vista or Windows 7, and most Apple computers come pre-installed with Mac OS 10.8 (Mountain Lion).


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    Compare. First of all, you need to compare the two choices. You need to think carefully about what you will benefit from buying a PC or a Mac. Are you using it for entertainment purposes (music, movies, games) or for business or education purposes? What you're going to do with your computer should reflect what suits you.
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    Check the Price. Macs are generally more expensive, but usually need less maintenance (viruses, hardware malfunctions, etc.) However, PCs are usually less expensive but may have more costs (monitor - see below, hardware repair, virus repair) This is not to say that PCs always have hardware issues and that Macs never do, but it is less likely for a Mac to have the issues that PCs do. Also, if a Mac has hardware issues, you will probably have to have it sent away for repairs, whereas a PC is easier to open up and fix the problem yourself.
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    Consider other possible costs. There may be other costs to consider when buying a computer, like the cost of a monitor, speakers, microphone, or webcam. Most Macs have these features built in. Also consider space for peripherals. Macs usually have fewer USB/FireWire/Audio jacks than a PC does, warranting the cost for hubs and attachments if extra space is needed. Also, on a Mac, software for video editing, music production, website design, photo management, DVD production, video capturing, etc. is included. On a PC, some of this software is omitted or some of the functionality you would get on a Mac is not available in that program. Some may consider software like this unnecessary, in which case a PC would be right for you.
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    Macs are also very different from Windows. As a first time Mac user, it will be hard for you to adjust to whole different layout and functions, and Vise versa. Make sure you watch different tutorials and read more into Macs/PCs before buying one.

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  • Go to the Apple website to look more into Macs if you're interested in getting one.
  • The myth about Macs not having viruses isn't exactly 100% true. It's very rare to get a virus on a Mac considering the fact that most computer viruses are programmed to work with Windows.
  • You can run Windows on a Mac without any extra software besides a copy of Windows.

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Categories: Selecting and Buying a Computer


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