I use 4 computers on a regular basis, 3 are PCs (an eMachines desktop and a custom build as well as an HP Laptop) and one is a new Mac. All four to pretty well most of the time, though the custom job has occasional brain farts, especially while communicating (or not) with its wired optical mouse, and occasionally eats up its entire RAM pool. The eMachines is a family computer, and while it isn’t the fastest, prettiest, or most user-friendly, like a family car, it’s been efficient and dependable…for over 6 years. The Mac is used for high-end graphics work and for the most part does really well, but it has a lot of rough edges and is not very customizable at all. Also occasionally locks up. Aside from those minor hangups, though, the user experience is nice within the range of what you like about its setup. If you don’t like part of it though, the OS isn’t terribly accommodating. Last but not least, I’ve got a 7 year old HP laptop that had a one time RAM upgrade from 512MB to 2GB. Eventually I switched from XP Pro to Ubuntu, mostly just to see how I’d like it. I do, and aside from a few games that are no longer compatible, I’ve been highly pleased. Overall, I’ve been 100% satisfied with the performance of this HP and have nothing bad to say about it at all, except that while the first RAM card is easy to access (under its own removable panel), the second was a real bear to get to, requiring removal of the hinge cover, the base cover, keyboard, and another separate panel.
Really, I’ve seen a lot of the Mac vs. PC debate and really I’m not sure I’d consider them competing products in anything other than a marketing point of view. If people would learn about what they want from a product before they buy, each one is clearly more suited for a specific type of user. There’s also this notion that Macs are somehow “better at graphics” than a PC, but again, anyone who knows computers understands that RAM is RAM, and 2GB is 2GB, and 2.3 GHz is 2.3GHz regardless of what logo is on the front of the case. Really, its much more a matter of interface and handling that creates a user experience, and different people will ‘click’ with different systems. For me, I like to tweak my own experience as I learn the system, and I feel that Windows, moreso than Mac OS and even Linux, allows me to do this. Linus would reign supreme if I knew more about coding, but while it offers more options up front, once you choose a distro, your biggest choice is made. Macs, to me, offered me the least opportunity to suit the system to me, instead seeming to compromise by offering a system that was mostly agreeable to most people.
This can also be seen in the smartphone arena, with the iPhone an extremely popular device, despite its flaws, because of the ‘cool’ effect, the winning form factor, and an OS that is agreeable and easily understandable to just about everyone. It has limitations, but most aren’t felt by most users, and even among the ones that notice, most arent severe enough limitations to warrant leaving behind the iPhone. For those that want the most flexibility, though, Android is the answer. Not always the most intuitive, but far more flexible (and arguably powerful) for the user that wants more control over their experience.
Just my two cents. I’m sure everyone has their own opinion. 