linuxhero27 :
I have been recommending PC's since the dawn of time. Only recently, after some inspiration from a dedicated Mac fan boy and a ton of research, I am leaning towards recommending Mac. My next laptop may even be a Mac.
On top of all the PC to Mac comparisons, my argument also goes against Microsoft themselves. From all the antitrust lawsuits to their treatment of employees to numerous conspiracy theories, I have grown to despise Microsoft.
I personally use Linux for all tasks other than PC games (which is because most of the games I play are not well done on WINE). For my girlfriend, she has seen Mac OS X, believes it to be way overpriced (which I proved otherwise), and not worth switching (which I have yet to prove).
So, I ask you...
1) How can I justify the price of a Mac to buying a PC that's half the price?
2) In what way can I prove Mac is more worth the switch?
3) What counter-points can be made in favor of Microsoft and PC's in general?
1. You can't justify this. I have to be honest. I recently bought an iMac and I knew at the point of purchase that I was paying for form factor and brand name. It was totally worth it to me, because I love my new Mac. But to be honest, this is like saying, "How can I prove to my girlfriend that its better to buy the Cadillac than the Chevy?" They're both going to do the same thing, its just the Cadillac looks a lot better, comes with a certain "prestige"(if you care at all) because people know its a luxury item, and generally the interior looks a little better, and is a little more plush(in Apples case, this would be OS X Lion). The Chevy is going to perform most of those functions, allow you to be able to customize it more affordably and comfortably(good luck tweaking any Mac, other than RAM upgrades on your own), and still come in at half of the price. If your girl is into luxury, the "Apple Tax" won't matter much. If she's broke, and just a tiny bit pragmatic(most people) she'll want to go with a Microsoft machine.
2. Again, the Mac is worth the switch only if you have the cash to burn, or if you are just plain sick of Windows, for whatever reason, and you want to try something new and cool. The real difference between the two is obviously the OS, of course, because thats Microsofts main thing, the operating systems. The most current version of Windows, Windows 7 is awesome, in my very humble opinion. Being a very wet behind the ears entry level tech, I really can't sit here and speak of all the in's and out of ever operating system versus another. But what I can say is that Windows 7 is super user friendly compared to previous versions, and if you do just a few things right, you can dramatically reduce the amount of headaches you might have. With all of that said, OS X Lion is a pure pleasure to use. Despite what people say, you don't "lose" your abilities with a Windows machine. Especially if you've been using them your entire life. You are going to remember to do whatever you want, assuming you knew how to do it in the first place. The switch isn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be. When I got my Mac everyone I knew asked the same two questions: How hard was the switch? and Can I try it out? Within few minutes you're pretty much good to go. Because thats the point of OS X. It really isn't just marketing material. It is super, super simple to use. It seems very childlike compared side by side to Windows 7. Windows seems like the grown up in a business suit, and OS X Lion seems like a young hip artist, or something. I was taken back by how simple it is in reality. I love that about OS X, but I could totally see what a lot of people wouldn't.
3. Well, Microsoft is awesome, really. You can build your own machine. That is so awesome. With Apple, even the choices they do have available are limited, and the amount of things you can add to your machine are regulated really strictly. And when I look at my iMac, it looks a lot more intimidating to open up and tinker with. That is my biggest and most serious complaint with Apple, honestly. I would like to be able to crack open my machine and tweak what I want, but its simply not so. Microsoft whens big when they allow you to build your own machine and use legit software to run it. Plus, Microsoft is everywhere, and if she is going to run into any OS, theres a huge chance it will be Microsoft. I would tell a complete computer neophyte to learn Windows first. I'm sure this isn't the case in this situation, but it is worth mentioning. We have to mention the price factor, again. Add in the rest of the stuff your average Windows fanboy would say, and there you have it.
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