EAM Loc: Milwaukee W

I no longer have Tourette's syndrome, thanks to many years of owning a MAC

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

And in this corner...

The new M1 MacBook Air and Pro have gotten rave reviews. You can buy the base model and do virtually anything with it. And don't forget about the Mac Mini - with the same M1 processor.

Unfortunately, Apple is leading the "No Right to Repair" brigade. The way you buy an Apple product is the way it remains until it has a problem. You cannot add or change internal components, and the options that Apple sells are very, very expensive. Only Apple can repair them, but they will tell you to buy a new one because the price of repair is so high. In my opinion (aside from the high price), this is one reason to look elsewhere. I have three Macs (from 2012), so I'm not a Mac hater. The 2012 models can be opened up, and components can be changed and upgraded, unlike the new Macs.

Windows computers offer more choices and a greater range of prices.

Some of the links below are old, but there should be enough info here to help.

Memory -
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-much-ram-do-you-need/
http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-much-ram-does-your-pc-need/

Processor -
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/intel-core-i9-vs-i7-vs-i5-cpu/
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/intel-core-i5-vs-i7/
http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/core-i5-vs-i7
https://www.extremetech.com/computing/210703-intel-core-i5-vs-core-i7-which-processor-should-you-buy

Graphics cards -
https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/system-requirements.html
https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/system-requirements.html#gpu-acceleration
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-buying-guide,5844.html
https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/pc-components/how-know-if-graphics-card-is-compatible-3588810/
https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/239/~/understanding-system-requirements-for-nvidia-based-graphics-cards.

Setup -
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2861858/computers/7-critical-things-to-do-immediately-with-a-new-pc.html#tk.rss_all
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-set-up-a-new-windows-10-pc-perfectly-in-one-hour-or-less/

EAM Loc: Milwaukee W

Thanks for the repair info. Even if I had a PC I would have no clue how to change any component. I go into a tachycardia every time I touch a pc. It is not an intuitive machine. I dislike files. I need visual icons

BusterCrabbe Loc: Montreal

'Windows computers offer more choices and a greater range of prices.'
This is true and I hear this argument a lot. I suppose it depends on what you want out of a computer. If you like to tinker around with a computer, get a PC. If you don't and dependable long term functioning with minimal problems, is more important, it comes at a cost. I fall into the latter category. At the end of the day, both computers work.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

That is why I switched from Apple to PC in the early '80s and never went back. Apple has always been a closed shop and I like open source.

edrobinsonjr Loc: Boise, Idaho

You just had to post this, didn't you?

fetzler Loc: North West PA

I am a PC user for several reasons.

1. I have a lot of software that is only available for PC's. I have also had equipment that could only interface with a PC due to cards that fit in the PC slots.
2. In work environments, I have had macs misbehave badly. In a recent example mac based software change the definition of a CSV files. CSV predates PC and Macs and is useful for transferring data between computers and programs which may operate under different operating systems.Apple has no excuse here.
3. Windows has done an excellent job in maintaining backward comparability when upgrading the operating system. I have 20 year old software that works just fine and does the job for which it is intended.
4. At the present time, PC can be configured for better performance than macs.
5. PC are cheaper and are much easier to repair (laptops a bit less so). Apple controls repair parts and makes them unavailable to 3 party repair facilities. Things that could be easily repaired thus force purchase of new equipment. Apple uses serialized parts. If you but 2 identical i-phones and partially swap boards between the units neither phone will work.
6. While Microsoft is not always a shining knight, I have had decades for nearly flawless functionality with about 100 or more computers that I have used over the decades.
7. If you are dissatisfied with your Dell computer (just an example) you can purchase an HP or another brand. Perhaps you can just swap hard drives and be up and running right away. Remember what I said about serialized parts for macs.

As this is still America you can do what you please. No, I don't want to hear from Mac users. Point 1 is enough for me.

BusterCrabbe Loc: Montreal

Being from Canada, we also do as we please ;-)
And I too have old PC software....that I use on my Mac alongside my Mac and Linux software...

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

I have an old ipad. Tried in the early days to use it for playing around with photos but gave that up real quick. Too hard to use with any peripherals. Also too slow to use on the internet. Nothing Apple works on it any longer - built in obsolescence. Great for playing Solitaire on and a piece of mapping software works well though plus great for the odd kindle book.

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

I have dependable long term functioning with minimal problems and it didn't come at a cost. I use a PC.
Oh and I know how to use my brain.

Smudgey Loc: Ohio, Calif, Now Arizona

I have been a Mac user ever sense there have been Macs, There is no question that Macs are the better value and if you are into photography, then a Mac is a must. Most pro photographers and videographers use a Mac.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

And THAT is the key difference. Historically, computing has moved to open systems. The road to the present is littered with the remains of proprietary computer companies such as Sun, Dec, DG, intergraph, etc. Linux (open system) killed off almost all the proprietary Unix companies. Apple is the only remaining closed system company of any size. They are selling lots of IPhones and IPads, but they are not making inroads into the Windows platforms and Linux servers that dominate computing.

nlvhal Loc: North Las Vegas,NV.

If you have a Mac already then load Bootcamp and have a Windows partition-I bought my first Mac in 2011 added
Bootcamp and ran my favorite Window programs that I loaded from my old Windows (I had Windows 7).
When my old Mac could not be upgraded to run some of the new versions I bought a new Mac (2020) and migrated
my old Mac drive and upgraded Bootcamp to run Windows 10. I like having two computers in one . signed nlvhal.

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

So when one goes down so does the other ! Good value 2 for the price of 1.

Laramie Loc: Tempe

I am a Windows user since NT (I went from DOS to NT, then had to support 95). Almost everything I use is portable.Extract to a directory, run from there. Less mess, fewer troubles.