Do you know how many times I had to wait for my Mac to boot or shut down because it was updating? Zero. Macs do update, but it is not as intrusive or regularly occurring as a Windows computer. I feel as though I have more control over what my Mac is doing than my Windows-based machine. Also, if my Windows computer is downloading an update or trying to install one, forget to do any work on it.
I’m a web developer, and while Microsoft has become better with WSL, I started my career working on a Mac because it’s a POSIX OS with a Unix terminal.
I used to buy PCs/laptops. Something would break or not work after a year. Multiple crashes. The system would get slow after a year and a half, so I needed to buy a new PC. I switched to Mac and never looked back. The quality is amazing, and the support is amazing. I have a 5-year-old Intel MacBook which works perfectly fine for my demands. A couple of issues with the camera and keyboard were fixed at no additional cost by Apple. Any security issues are addressed immediately with software updates. They cost more for sure, but you get what you pay for.
I experience significantly fewer crashes on my Mac than on my PC. The user interface is easier to use, and there are a lot fewer errors when you try to install or modify files or programs. The ability to harness power on demanding projects and software was a huge seller for me. Also, if I need Windows badly enough, I can either boot in Parallels or BootCamp.
WHY I LIKE MAC
I love having multiple Apple devices because the Mac “ecosystem” automatically copies information across them, from multiple Macs to my iPad and my iPhone. Add a contact, phone number, and/or email address on one, and it just shows up on all the others. I make heavy use of the Notes app; the same thing. Create one or change one file on one device, and the changes automatically show up on another device. For book reading, I use the Kindle app, although perhaps iBooks might work similarly. I can read the same book across multiple apps, and Kindle updates my page location, or I can choose to read different books on different apps if I’m reading multiple books at the same time, or just switch whenever I want.
BUILD QUALITY AND PORTABILITY
If you want something small that you can carry with you anywhere with a long battery life and a good display that covers you for any type of work, I would suggest the MacBook Air.
If you don’t play games or have specific needs to run a Windows application, Mac is better:
- Better battery life
- Better software support
- Better security
- Better build quality
Any Mac, but for your use case, MBA seems like a good choice for portability. The window management on Mac is ridiculously good because of the trackpad. That’s worth the entry cost because I’ve never felt a trackpad work so well and be so versatile with any other OS. It makes controlling the computer fun. Other than that, the colors are nice, and the sound is great. There’s a mild adjustment period, but you’ll be fine.
If I’m going to be honest, macOS doesn’t get in my face with:
- Daily internet updates
- Constantly inserting itself into things with pop-ups
- Slowing things down
- Charging me money
ADVANTAGES OF MAC
Let me tell you my experience. I got a Mac and realized how much time I spent fixing bugs, and accepting things not working as intended. So many times, I realized that I had to Google search an issue. I stopped expecting things to work on Windows as they were supposed to. When I got the Mac, the absence of that bugged me at first. The software works as it’s supposed to. Calls from iPhone work. Transfer a call to the laptop and set the appointments on the calendar. Mics, audio, display resolution, and DPI work.
It blew my mind how broken Windows seems compared to Mac. I had Windows for over 30 years and just got used to things being partially broken, or incompatible, or simply not working. Drivers for GPU cause it to pull too many watts and crash the system, things like that. My advice: Windows has it tough. You can’t make software for every combination and expect no bugs. I get that. I don’t envy their position. Their invasion of privacy, their stance on dropping integral apps like Groove Music, and Windows Phone, and all of these things ensured I would never use a Windows machine as the main computer again. Get the Mac and have your life on it. Windows is for playing, and it’s great at that: games and VR. However, I wouldn’t trust Microsoft with one ounce of my data after the last decade. My life’s work is on a Mac, and it will stay on it. The overall experience is more smooth and “connected” with other Apple devices, and you can run Windows alongside macOS on MacBooks.
ADVANTAGES OF PCS
For web and creative things, a Mac is good, but if you get into many business applications or need software that only runs on Windows, it’s your only real choice. Even in cases where you could use an application in a browser, there are enough differences between the Apple and Windows versions that it can be a problem. The other reason is even simpler – Price.
Recently, my PC broke down because of voltage UPS and downs, and I had to change my SSD and power supply. I went to a servicing center, and they fixed my PC. As I had an old graphics card, they also asked me if I needed to change or upgrade any other parts. I could also get a new graphics card if I wanted without having my whole PC changed. My whole point is you can change any parts at a low cost rather than changing your whole computer. For that reason, a PC might be a good choice, but hey, you are not always going to be home. What if you have work outside or you’re traveling the world while having your computer with you anywhere? At any moment, you can get access to your work easily.
But in some cases, if you are wondering if you can easily upgrade your Mac, then sorry, you cannot. You have to look forward to buying a PC if you want easy upgrades over time. That’s the only reason you should choose a PC over a Mac. Also, you can do your gaming as well, but if you are someone who is dedicated to work and building up a career in any space you can find, then yes, MacBooks are pretty awesome, and productivity is top-notch when it comes to performance. It’s just too good.
