RIP Acer Netbook
Thank you for being by my side through the long restless nights that made up my MBA program for the last 2 years. Although you got a virus, were not hesitant to show me the blue screen and at times didn’t want to turn on, I am grateful for you. Your portability allowed me to carry you to the various states and countries I traveled, your slick all black appearance is classic, great price and aside from your few glitches your performance was great.
But I’m replacing you.
Should i replace my PC for a new and improved PC or invest in a MAC? For this purchase I’m considering cost, product selection, operating systems, customer service and security. So this is what i gathered:
|
PC |
MAC |
|
| COST | Wide variety of PC’s under $1,000 | Priced above $1000 |
| PRODUCT SELECTION | Wide range of product selection and customization | Nine basic variants |
| OPERATING SYSTEM | Windows 7 | OS X |
| CUSTOMER SERVICE | Varies by manufacturer | Apple has a more consistent reliability and service record than any of its Windows-centric rivals |
| SECURITY | Antivirus: $50 per year | Requires no antivirus |
Although the Mac is priced much higher than the variety of PC’s available I am persuaded by the higher quality of the Mac. It uses higher end processors, made mostly of aluminum cases instead of plastic, thinner and lighter than PC’s and long battery life.
Some might find the lack of product selection and customization a problem but I like the Mac slick, cool look. Fortunately if you get bored with the look which is always a possibility there are cases, sticker decals etc that add a whole new look to your Mac. FYI the nine options for Mac are: the basic MacBook laptop, the MacBook Pro laptop in 13″, 15″, and 17″ models, the MacBook Air ultraportable, the Mac Mini microdesktop, the iMac all-in-one desktop in 21.5″ and 27″ models, and the Mac Pro power desktop.
Customer service is a BIG deal for me. I have heard and experienced myself some frustrating customer service stories. (We’ll keep it at that-we’ve all been there) Family and friends that are loyal mac consumers have never had a problem that could not be solved with Apple customer service. This is great!
Having been a victim of many viruses I would like to avoid them as much as possible. Viruses in the end are expensive because if it involves a third-party you have to call Geek Squad (for example) which charge you ($129) just to diagnose on top of the cost of actual repair. Apple has the Genius Bar at Apple retail stores which diagnoses your laptop for free. That’s convenient. According to Harry McCracken “a Mac owner who runs no security software is vastly less likely to be the victim of a successful attack than a Windows user who’s protected up to his eyeballs.”
At this point I am leaning more towards a Mac and I will probably go with the Mac when i go to buy my new laptop in a few days.
In the end the decision of Mac or PC depends on your budget, taste and needs. Hope this post helps you in making your purchasing decision. 
