Image: Dominic Preston / Foundry
Everything has its two sides: strength and counterforce, yin and yang, chilli con carne and adventurous digestion. Some opposites simply belong together somehow; they only form a complete picture in tandem.
So does this harmony also apply to Windows and the Mac? Certainly not! PCs are clearly superior to the overpriced designer boxes from Cupertino. Before I buy a Mac, I’d rather get an abacus and do the math myself. Seven reasons in favor of Windows — and against the beautiful appearance of Apple’s Macs.
Macs are overpriced prestige objects
Macs are always slightly more expensive than comparable Windows PCs, that’s the unwritten law of nature. But you get more for it. Or do you? I guess it depends on how you define “more.” You don’t get more performance. Nor do you get more choice, because there are countless more programs, hardware, and interfaces for Windows. But who needs that in a computer? In my opinion, the surcharge for a Mac mainly buys you an attitude to life and the satisfying certainty of being able to afford technology that is more expensive than it should be. Wow.
Maybe I’m just too old-fashioned: For me, my Windows PC is a work device and not a lifestyle bonus. Or maybe I just haven’t spent enough time in the walled garden to finish my brainwashing. Which brings me to the next point…
Further reading: Best laptops 2023
Walled garden? Why don’t you wall yourselves in?
Almost everyone knows the term “walled garden.” Even if you’ve never held an Apple product in your hands, you can’t avoid the buzzword. No wonder, as it is an absolute stroke of genius from an economic point of view: It describes the phenomenon that Apple products work harmoniously with each other, but tend to interfere with “foreign” hardware and software.
Cupertino has actually managed to draw customers so deeply into its own ecosystem that they have to buy all technology from Apple from now on. Whether smartphones, work computers, tablets, or earphones: If you want to interlink such gadgets, Apple customers don’t even need to look at Windows, Linux, or Android — products from these spheres don’t really find a way into the elite circles of Apple tech.
By walling off its customers in this way, Apple is achieving fantastic sales figures. Congratulations. But what do users actually gain from the fact that they are denied interfaces and that their options are dwindling? I would go out on a limb and say: nothing at all. I’d rather stay in the fenceless Windows universe, where nobody tells me that I should pay more to get less in the end.
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Acer Aspire 3
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Windows makes it easy for me to be productive
Groups in the taskbar, snap layouts, flexible anchoring of applications at the edge of the screen — if I want to work productively, Windows (11) immediately accommodates me when it comes to multitasking. And the Mac? It tries something similar with the Stage Manager, but it just doesn’t work as well as Microsoft. Stacking windows neatly or simply docking them in a specific place on the screen is simply not possible.
Further reading: 10 Windows 11 tips and tricks we use to customize our PCs
Hey, Apple, where are your PowerToys?
The PowerToys are a kind of software toolbox with which reasonably experienced Windows users can shift up two gears. Microsoft is continuously developing the free toolset, which was already on board in Windows 95. Today, we use it to shorten work steps, redefine window arrangements, or define any dock areas for work windows.
On my large work monitor, I can no longer imagine life without PowerToys. Key functions can also be changed with the keyboard manager and individual apps can also be controlled with selected key combinations without any problems. The batch processing of file names or image sizes is also child’s play. There are also OCR functions, screen rulers and PowerToys Run — a super practical hybrid function of search, input, and quick access.
With a little practice, you can use Windows as quickly and efficiently as if you had an octopus in your family tree thanks to PowerToys. And the Mac? Well…
Further reading: Supercharge Windows with Microsoft’s free PowerToys
I can build my own Windows computer
And not only is it a lot of fun, I can also choose between thousands of components from a wide range of manufacturers. I can customize the CPU, graphics card, motherboard, housing, or even the fans in the tower. A cheap computer for surfing and streaming? Quickly (and cheaply!) made. A solid powerhouse for thrilling gaming sessions at the weekend? No problem with the right combination of graphics card and CPU.
I can also assemble work PCs optimally for all purposes: from a simple typewriter computer for texting to a RAM monster with a powerful GPU for video editing.
Further reading: 6 reasons why you shouldn’t buy a ready-made PC
Gaming on a Mac: Hardly possible in the past and far too expensive today
The PC has always been better suited to gaming than, well, anything else: Games consoles have never been able to keep up in terms of graphics performance and loading speed, and for a long time Macs couldn’t even keep up. Modern games were practically unavailable and the graphics chips integrated directly into the main processor were not up to such tasks.
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Razer Blade 14 (2023)
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Admittedly, the tide has now turned somewhat and you can also play games on a Mac. The problem: If you want to enjoy modern and demanding titles, you have to dig deep into your pockets. While a solid gaming PC can be realized for $500 with a little skill, with Apple you easily have to pay three times as much.
Further reading: Best PC computer deals
Upgrade your Mac? But just a little, please
Have you ever tried to upgrade a Mac? It’s no fun: With a bit of luck, you can expand the RAM or increase the internal memory on some models — but that’s it. With a PC, I can replace every component individually and expand it as I wish. You can benefit immediately from the release of new CPUs, graphics cards, or motherboards without having to buy a completely new system (with a Mac).
Macs are so terribly similar
For some, the design line of Macs is a reason to buy the devices in the first place. But I’ve already spoken about such lifestyle snobs above. Over time, Macs would also become far too boring for me with their constant look: The stoic design is so desperate to look modern, clean, and sterile that it lacks any character.
With Windows computers, you have so much choice in terms of design, appearance, and features that you could get dizzy. We install water-cooling systems in transparent housings, throw on the motherboard disco with colorful LED lighting, or simply nail all the components to the wall, like this Imgur user, for example.
Conclusion
Finally, a conciliatory note: As we all know, tastes differ. Just as passionate as I am about the PC, others will certainly stand up for their Mac. Why not, the world is big enough for both systems (even if one is clearly superior).
This article was translated from German to English and originally appeared on pcwelt.de.
Author: Steffen Zellfelder, Autor
Steffen Zellfelder ist freier Diplom-Journalist (FH) aus Bonn. Als versierter Software-Experte begeistert er sich besonders für Apps, Tools und Zukunftstrends.
