If you are interested in customising your workspace and your specs, getting to pick from an enormous selection of software and open source, or have a tight budget, then pick a Windows laptop. Long gone are the skeuomorphic elements that made up earlier versions of software from the Steve Jobs days of Apple, instead replaced with modern, minimal design appearances. Now, all that said, PC gaming lives on Windows; you won’t need to look through dedicated catalogs of games so long as your hardware is powerful enough to run anything. If you know what you’re looking for in your Mac and don’t mind paying for an older model, this can be a great way to add a second computer to your lineup for using Mac applications. macOS, meanwhile, was largely seen as a safe haven for those experiencing viruses and other attacks. In 2020, almost every device in our possession has some sort of ecosystem lock-in, creating a world where it’s best to stick with a single platform over spreading yourself out. What is OneNote? Competition only got stronger in the 2000s, with the birth of the “Get a Mac” campaign by Apple and the “I’m a PC” response ad by Windows. Allows a user to connect and use his own hardware. It is kept relevant with periodic updates, and the UI is modern and sleek. Compare PowerPoint features on different platforms, including PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2013, and PowerPoint 2010 for Windows, PowerPoint for the web, PowerPoint 2016 for Mac, PowerPoint for Android, PowerPoint for iOS, and PowerPoint Mobile. Active hours on Windows allows for most people to set their computer to restart in the middle of the night, but we’ve all made mistakes and lost work in the progress. Still, those security updates are good. Since Apple are the only ones who update MacBooks, they tend to keep the same specs in their laptops for years. Overall, Windows shoppers have a wide variety of options when it comes to buying their devices. Most windows laptops still have at least one of each traditional type of port, as well as some of them having a DVD drive (although nowadays this is less and less prevalent). Instead, let’s focus, for now, simply on what each operating system brings to the table in terms of everyday use and visual design. More than ever, a majority of software supports both operating systems, but you never know if you’ll fall victim to one side or another when you manage to grab the platform of your choice. Microsoft Windows supports both touch screens and the familiar keyboard and mouse setup, so it is available on desktops, laptops, and tablets. Both platforms also provide users … Finally, we previewed basic app usage, which includes everything from browsing to installing company software on your system. Putting aside the Mac Mini, every single macOS device breaks into f If you’re looking to buy a modern Mac product in 2018, you’re going to pay at least $1099 to get it. Better still are the laptops around the $900 -$ 1100 mark, which can handle gaming, photoshop, internet AND videos…at once! William graduated from SUNY Fredonia in 2016 with a degree in Video Production, and lives in Buffalo, NY. The platform you choose for your daily use grants you a certain level of expectations for the experiences you’ll receive from that device. The other major change included with Catalyst was the removal of iTunes, which has been split into three distinct parts: Music, TV, and Podcasts. Most of this guide is going to focus on the differences that exist when it comes down to looking at the software provided by both Apple and Microsoft, but first, it’s important to look at the hardware that both the operating system and the software built for each platform runs on. Each of these major semi-annual updates has given the operating system new features, but for the most part, the visual design has remained the same. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention two additional security measures on macOS. Most of this guide is going to focus on the differences that exist when it comes down to looking at the software provided by both Apple and Microsoft, but first, it’s important to look at the hardware that both the operating system and the software built for each platform runs on. Windows 10 has always had full touch screen support, and it offers a Tablet mode that lets you switch between using the screen and keyboard for inputs (provided, of course, that your laptop … When thinking about Mac-only software, GarageBand is one of the first platforms to come to mind. William has been with TechJunkie since 2017, writing about smartphones, games, streaming media, and anything else that technology touches in our current age. As far as official macOS hardware goes, those seven products are all that Apple offers for consumers to shop for and use. Nvidia’s own MaxQ series of graphics cards have become massively popular over the past year, helping to fit near-fully powered GTX 2070s and GTX 2080s in thin and light enclosures about the size of the 16″ MacBook Pro. Play Anywhere allows you to gain access to specific games after buying them once on either Xbox or PC, being able to play them on either platform for one price. Apple has built an incredible example in all of this, bonding the Mac and iPhone together is a way where some people refuse to switch to another platform just because of the ability to send messages from their Mac. Whether you’re looking for the most power you can get from a device, an aesthetically-pleasing piece of technology, or a combinatio… Snap has only gotten better in the decade since it was launched, getting faster with each update and basically allowing users to quickly resize windows into multiple sizes at once. Every product sold through Apple’s certified-refurbished store has been tested for additional defects and is ensured to look like new with no markings, scratches, or visual damages. Apple’s macOS and Microsoft Windows are two of the most popular operating systems in the world of desktop computers. Outside of Steam, Microsoft themselves have also made a commitment to supporting gaming on Windows. He also works as a video producer, writing and recording scripts for our video team and editing videos for TechJunkie's YouTube channel. There is much less plastic than in competitor’s laptops, and the keyboard has a smooth, ergonomic feel. Ultimately, Windows and Mac OS both have excellent designs and wide varieties of features. The Microsoft Store isn’t much better; in fact, it’s arguably even worse off. That’s pricey, and considering the number of solid mid-range devices running Windows for under $1,000, it’s difficult to justify the price. On the other hand, PC laptops enjoy the accessibility and universality of the Windows operating system, complete with easy­ to­ access menus, a straightforward folder structure and extensive customisation abilities. There are some solid apps, including the ability to grab iTunes and, for podcast lovers, Pocket Casts for Windows 10. For comparison, the lightweight MacBook Air laptop is Apple's cheapest, starting at $899. Windows 10 is about four times as popular as the newest version of macOS, and Windows (legacy editions to the latest update) is installed on more than seven times the amount of computers as macOS. Microsoft isn’t quite as synergized as Apple’s own platforms, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a solid ecosystem in its own right. The Windows ecosystem isn’t quite as airtight as what we’ve seen from Apple. Apple Arcade is a $4.99 per month subscription service that nets you access to dozens of games, many of which are exclusive to the Apple ecosystem. This is the definitive guide to Windows vs. macOS. Most other computers sold by Apple are either too underpowered for any serious graphics work or lack the pro-level ports and tools needed by most creators. These have top of the line graphics cards, 32+ gb of RAM, as well as gamer-friendly design. MacOS is an efficient, extremely fast operating system that is easy to learn and intuitive to use. The second reason all comes down to the wide variety of hardware that can run Windows. Although Apple announced their newest version of macOS, Big Sur, this past summer, it has yet to launch outside of a notoriously buggy beta version. It’s not just Microsoft and Apple: every major technology company wants you within their ecosystem, which allows for every tech company to continue to push new products to its users with the promise of everything working together in one seamless product. For the unfamiliar, Gatekeeper is a tool enabled by default in the settings on every Mac that prevents apps from being installed when they are either developed by unverified companies or when they’re from outside the Mac App Store. Don’t get tripped up in the confusion or sales pitches from either company—let the experts at TechJunkie walk you through where each platform succeeds and where they fall short. The cheapest windows laptops sell for under $300, and have basic functions, like internet browsing, watching videos online etc. First, we looked at content creation—that is, the ability to edit videos or photos on the platform while managing resources and getting things done fast. For this section, we decided to look at three distinct possibilities you may end up using your new computer for. The hardware might look like any other laptop, but the minimalistic, web-browser-based Chrome OS is a different experience from the Windows and MacOS laptops … The design is so successful that it hasn’t changed drastically in the past ten years, only getting slimmer and more refined. MacBooks are built to last, and it shows, so any MacBook will be a classy choice. ’, the updates for MacOS on it will be a nightmare. On top of all that, Windows updates are glitchy a lot of the time, and they reinstall previously uninstalled bloatware. Unsigned apps are blocked completely from being installed on a Mac with this enabled, helping to keep unwanted content off your PC. Even today, using a StatCounter page sourced from April of 2018 that tracks browsing data, one can determine about 13 percent of computers run macOS, while 81 percent of computers use some version of Windows (primarily, Windows 7 is still the most popular version of Windows, with Windows 10 not far behind). First up: buying Windows devices. And if ensures your device is set up with a secure password and other encryption to make sure your device never falls into the wrong hands. So, we see that windows can be much cheaper, or, it can be more expensive than a MacBook, depending on what you are looking for. Windows 10 goes a long way in terms of combatting that virus problem, too. It is kept relevant with periodic updates, and the UI is modern and sleek. That hasn’t entirely changed, but several ripples have caused Windows to become more common in editing rooms across the world. There is little room for customisation, since the only hardware that you can install and use on a MacBook is stuff that was originally made by Apple. That said, it’s fairly easy to breakdown the hardware offered by Apple for Mac consumers, simply because there are so few options in comparison to the Windows market, where hundreds of device models exist for sale today. First, Find My Mac allows you to locate your device anywhere in the world should it go missing. 2.Macs have a built-in security system while this is separately purchased for Windows. Outside of the Mac Mini, every Mac costs over $1,000 at their entry-level, with the iMac and MacBook Air both priced starting at $1,099 and the MacBook Pro at $1299. Of course, this is largely ignoring the wide variety of apps both platforms have that are outside of the main ecosystem. Though the company obviously sells both the Xbox One S and the Xbox One X for console gamers (the latter of which is powerful enough to essentially be like a small computer), Microsoft has promised that all exclusive games moving forward would be PC games too, as part of the Xbox Play Anywhere program. Big Sur is a huge leap forward for the Mac, in some truly interesting ways. That’s not necessarily a bad thing—it’s just important to understand the market Apple is chasing after here. Your email address will not be published. A bonus is that it is safer to use than Windows, , as hackers will target MacOS less much less often, Apple have continuously closed the gap over the years, Desktop Computer vs Laptop | Which To Choose. Still, macOS remains modern, fast, and smooth, and the new file system has proven to be a wise choice, speeding up computers from ages ago. Less than ten percent of computers in the 2000s were Macs, and today, Apple counts iOS and macOS together as one platform. Part of the problem stems from Apple’s exclusive use of AMD Radeon graphics cards in their devices. are the way to go. However, the two platforms have come closer together in many areas, memory among them. However, not all the functions are Mac OS supportive, which creates hindrance in your work. To make a long story short, the most noticeable difference between Windows vs Mac operating systems is their interface. The glory of Windows is that it can be licensed by basically any hardware manufacturer, from giant corporations like Dell or HP to smaller upstarts like Eve, which released their first consumer product last year as a competitor to the Microsoft Surface Pro. This collection of apps and add-ons is shockingly large and diverse, and it’s truly impossible to say how many Windows apps online are also Windows-exclusive apps. Dota 2, League of Legends, and Fortnite all provide players with competitive content to face off against random players and friends alike while getting good at the game, and Pillars of Eternity and Borderlands 2 are both excellent (albeit very different) RPGs to soak hours into leveling up and finishing quests. Usually the main differences are going to be the OS and the price, with more bang for the buck usually coming from a Windows-type laptop. Both sides have their advantages and disadvantages, which helps to make Windows and macOS struggle in competition with each other. Required fields are marked *. This isn’t completely inaccurate, and depending on the antivirus you choose, not having one can often be best for the performance of your computer. 1.Macs are made by Apple, Inc. while Windows is made by Microsoft. The second option is eBay, where you can often save a couple of hundred dollars on completely new MacBooks still in their sealed boxes, or you can purchase older models for just a few hundred dollars. It’s very different to compare the battery life between these brands, because it really depends on the specific laptop itself. Windows laptops are similar in their availability, but with some more options on where to purchase: Finally, there remains the option of building a PC on your own, with hardware pieces from outside companies. Let’s take a deep dive into what’s offered with these two major platforms. This is typically one of the drawbacks of changing over to a Macbook, as they often use different ports that what you might have been using previously. If Microsoft didn’t have macOS competing against Windows, Windows 10 wouldn’t be nearly as good as it is. The Windows Defender Security Center allows you to view all the functions of your PC at once, ensuring that you’re protected from threats. The design is so successful that it hasn’t changed drastically in the past ten years, only getting slimmer and more refined. Both macOS and Windows offer different experiences on each system, though each platform is becoming closer to parity with each other by the day. Viruses for Mac do exist, and it’s important to take the security of your computer with the utmost importance. In addition to these skills and abilities, you also gain access to a wide variety of tech products developed in-house by the same company. At the bottom of the display is the same dock-style taskbar that has existed since Windows 7, upgraded to look even better than before. For this section, we’re going to be putting ecosystems aside; that means no iMessage or OneDrive mentions here. Still, here’s a general idea of what you can expect to see along the way: These deals often go quick—in fact, the 13″ MacBook Pro offers sold out while we were preparing this article. Or, maybe, you’re just curious to see what a Mac can do better than a Windows PC. However, if you are planning to use some advanced functionality in Excel, you will find that some features just don’t work and there is no clear path for supporting that functionality in Office for Mac. The MacBook Pro measures 0.61 by 12 by 8.4 inches (HWD) and 3.1 pounds, while the Surface Laptop 3 comes in at 0.7 by 11.9 by … I’ll explain what an operating system is, so you can better understand the differences between Mac and Windows. What is the difference between Excel Windows and Mac? The constant updates and restarts are just one way that Microsoft works to keep Windows safe from viruses, malware, and other unwanted software on your computer. There’s software like GarageBand on Windows, but nothing compares to the real thing. It may be a big difference from the designers and programmers’ point-of-view, but most of it is just aesthetics. Laptops with windows are more likely to be targeted with viruses because of the sheer number of people that use the operating system. After all, you aren’t just buying a PC now—you’re buying into an ecosystem. Anyone who purchases a Windows license can install it on a compatible PC, including one of their own design. These are often known by their nicknames, including the November Update, the Creators Update (and the Fall Creators Update), and the Anniversary Update. That said, Apple finally stepped up with its new 16″ MacBook Pro, offering 4GB of dedicated graphics at the starting price and an available upgrade to 8GB. Since then, Jobs only considered letting a third-party company use macOS twice: once in 1999 with Compaq, then the most popular Windows PC manufacturer in the world, and briefly in 2001 with Sony for the VAIO brand of laptops. Not only is PC gaming more popular than it has been in the past 20 years, but it’s becoming popular enough for game publishers to retroactively introduce one-time console exclusives from last generation to the market (Sega has been the most successful here, introducing the original Bayonetta and the underrated speed-shooter Vanquish to Steam at the low price of $9.99 to great success). However, there’s a massive difference between the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go and the Apple MacBook Air 2020 chassis. The Mac App Store has been around for years, but plenty of critics have been vocal about the lack of support and updates for the App Store, the number of fake apps on the platform., and the problem with selling software through the platform instead of independently. While Macs … A student can likely make it with both Windows or macOS; office workers might need a specific app that’s only available on one of the two platforms. The Mac ecosystem also happens to be the Apple ecosystem. That lack of mobile OS, however, has caused Microsoft to fall behind in terms of an ecosystem compared to Apple or even Google. It’s not as major of savings as their refurb store (the price of the $1,299 MacBook Pro drops to $1,249, a savings of $50), but it’s a solid deal if you refuse to buy through the refurb market. Price is the most obvious and, for many, will be one of the deciding factors. In … If you ask someone on the street about the security preferences in Windows 10, they’ll likely either mention that Windows is prone to viruses, or that Windows 10 constantly provokes them with updates and prompts to restart their computer. Some will argue macOS doesn’t need antivirus software because your computer is already secure thanks to the above-mentioned items. Every major tech company wants users to stay in their ecosystem as much as possible, and that’s just as true for Mac and Windows. It certainly has a learning curve, but once you learn how to use Windows 10, you’ll be all set to start controlling your security experience. In the long run, this is great for Windows users, as you’ll never have to pay for an upgrade again once you’re on Windows 10. If gaming on your laptop is an important aspect of your decision, then a MacBook will do you a disservice. Like any modern operating system, Apple takes security very seriously when it comes to macOS. Gamers will want the freedom and availability to build their own computer within their own budget restraints, and musicians may want to have access to software like GarageBand. You won’t find The Witcher 3 or The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on macOS, but here’s a quick preview of some of the games you can play right now on a MacBook Pro or iMac: It might sound silly, but despite the limited market for games on Mac, there’s something here for everyone. Instead, Microsoft pushes updates on the second Tuesday of every month, giving security patches to its legion of customers and helping to improve the user experience along the way. Windows 10 gives this leeway in the configuration of the applications and other components and it provides more flexibility to update later on. They can handle everyday use. From the iPhones to the Macs, they all seem to blow competitor’s prices out of the water. But overall, the Microsoft Store is a worse-off version of the Mac App Store that has already been largely been written off. macOS has continued to be an excellent, modern take on a desktop operating system, with Apple’s own touches making it a great choice for anyone living in the Apple ecosystem. William Sattelberg William has been with TechJunkie since 2017, writing about smartphones, games, streaming media, and anything else that technology touches in our current age. Most windows laptops still have at least one of each traditional type of port, as well as some of them having a DVD drive (although nowadays this is less and less prevalent), , they tend to keep the same specs in their laptops for years. 2. Depending on the product you’re looking to use, buying a refurbished Mac can save you anywhere from $80 to $800, with the more expensive models gaining the bigger savings along the way. The mid-tier laptops have higher specs and can handle RAM-intensive uses well. We mentioned that earlier in the hardware section, but it’s worth repeating. Apple pours money into design. Like macOS, Windows 10 has several features that exist to try to make your life a bit easier. The best thing to do if you genuinely care about if each platform has the right listing of apps for you and your own personal needs is to write down what apps you need for school or work, then check to see if the software is Windows or macOS-only. Whether this makes it a wash or not is really up to you, but still, it’s worth noting a few more security enhancements put in place by Microsoft for Windows 10: All of this comes together to make Windows 10 an excellent experience for users and IT experts alike. This spawns from a few primary causes; first, the failure of Windows Phone caused Microsoft to all but pull out of the race to dominate the smartphone market. If you happen to own an iPhone as your daily driver, there’s a good reason you may want to consider moving over to macOS for your daily computer. That said, there are plenty of ways to save a few bucks on Apple products, and that starts with the secret to shopping Apple: buying refurbished models. So, let’s break things down and take a look at the different aspects of each model to determine which may prove to be the better choice. Despite seeing a small decrease in actual sales, they made more money thanks to the lack of a 30 percent fee charged by Apple for selling in the Mac App Store. There are some excellent apps on the platform, but largely speaking, the service has been ignored by both users and Apple alike. If you have a lot of gadgets, then you’ll have to buy converters and splitters to allow you to use them. When you’re deciding on getting a new laptop, the first thing you’ll need to really make a decision on is not really the brand, but the technology behind the brand. Features that have been around MacOS for years still exist, like the iOS-style Launchpad, which allows for users to select apps using a full-screen display, and Mission Control, which grants the ability to see all open applications in one easy-to-view layout. So, instead, let’s talk about some of the ways to purchase Windows devices, Windows software, and finally, the general prices you can pay for the hardware to build your own desktop. Both platforms have various ranges of hardware to choose from, but for most people, it’ll become obvious quickly which path has their preferred hardware experience. From the iPhones to the Macs, they all seem to blow competitor’s prices out of the water. At the top of the display, the classic macOS menu bar runs along the top of the display, offering users an easy way to control their applications when using them within the app. Macs have slowly been transitioned away from traditional ports for USB drives, headphones, and HDMI ports. It’s difficult to wrap up a guide as large as this one, but here’s our best shot. In practice, operability is not so different between Windows 10 and Mac. In conclusion, I would say that if you are looking for a fast, no-stress user experience on a robust, timeless laptop, and you don’t mind less choice in games and software, then get a MacBook. And when it comes to gaining access to your computer physically, newer MacBooks use a fingerprint sensor to stop unwanted users from reaching your data. 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With a MacBook, … Both macOS and Windows have come a long way since the early days of personal computing, and it might be tougher than ever to choose an operating system for your new computer. AMD has yet to counter with a similarly-powered product for laptops, leaving Windows machines to continue to fill the (fairly large) niche that is PC gaming. This is typically one of the drawbacks of changing over to a Macbook, as they often use different ports that what you might have been using previously. It’s no lie that Windows was a cesspool of viruses, trojans, and other malicious software in the 2000s. Of course, both OSes have their own advantages and disadvantages that make it a bit easier to choose between one or the other, but that’s the point. Time Machine makes it easy to ensure you never lose another file, and when you’re talking about a computer that likely holds everything from family photos to tax records to video projects, it’s important to keep as much of your data as secure as possible. So, we see that windows can be much cheaper, or, it can be more expensive than a MacBook, depending on what you are looking for. Both of these features work especially well with touchpads like on the MacBook or with the Magic Trackpad for iMac, but can also be used fairly easily with a mouse. It has high- end specs combined with a beautiful display to give the user a premium experience and is the most recently updated of the two main lines of laptops coming from Apple. As you can see, Windows hardware is a very different scene than on the macOS side. Macs are targeted, too, but not to the same degree. That aside, some people feel the most at home in a Windows environment, and that can be a big motivator to purchase Windows every time.