Let’s just say it: For the vast majority ofcomputer shoppers, buying a Windows PC doesn’t quite qualify as a decision.Around nine out of 10 computers run one version of Windows oranother, making it the world’s default option in operating systems. It’sopting for something else, like a Mac, that always represents a consciouschoice.
Which is not to say that there aren’t plenty of real reasons to select acomputer that runs Windows, even after you’ve investigated all your options.
As a confirmed platform agnostic whose home is overrun with both Windowsmachines and Macs, I find myself recommending Windows machines to about halfmy friends and acquaintances who seek computer-shopping advice, and Macs tothe other half. So I was happy when PC World asked me to write this articleand a companion piece about the virtues of Macs –and I had plenty to sayin both instances.
Here’s my list of the eight most compelling reasons to buy a computer whoseoperating system hails from Redmond. I’ve ranked them in order of importanceas I see it. But as always with anything relating to technology, yourpriorities are almost certainly at least somewhat different than mine.
1. Variety is the spice of computing.
You can buy a portable Windows computer that weighs a pound and slips in your pocket. Or one witha spectacular 18.4-inch display that stretches the definition of “portable.”Some Windows computers are lean and mean;others are loaded withfeatures. There are ones for hardcore gamers, for fashionistas , and for people who hate to type.
In short, you can almost certainly find a Windows PC aimed at you–andusually a bunch of them competing for your dollars. By contrast, Apple has agrand total of nine different Mac models, none of which cater to specializedaudiences.
2. The cost of admission is lower.
From the spin in recent Microsoft marketing, you’d think that Windows computersare inherently thrifty, and that Mac fans pay a punitive “Apple Tax.” Not true–the priciest Windows boxes will put a bigger dent in yourcredit-card bill than comparable Macs. What is entirely accurate–andvaluable–is that the Windows world offers plenty of PCs at every pricepoint, including the low ones that Apple ignores as a matter of principle. The cheapest Mac laptop,for instance, costs $999; BestBuy.com offers 78 Windows notebooks that costless than that.
3. Windows PCs have worthwhile features that Macs don’t.
Apple, (Nasdaq: AAPL) has popularized more important hardware innovations than any othercompany, from the mouse to Wi-Fi. At the moment, though, it steers clear ofmultiple useful features that its Windows-based rivals have embraced. WithWindows systems, for instance, built-in memory-card readers are standard,and HDMI connectors for easy HDTV hookups are becoming so. Wirelessbroadband, built-in TV tuners, and Blu-ray are all reasonably affordableoptions. In Macland, you can get some of those features only throughthird-party add-ons. And others you simply must do without.
4. The more software the merrier.
If you want to perform a task that computers are capable of helping youperform–from keeping track of your watchcollection to managing a pet store–a Windows application will help you do it. Usually several of ’em,including ones that cost little or no money in many cases. That’s becausemost companies and individuals that write software choose to do so for theplatform that offers them far more potential customers than any other.Third-party Mac programs are often terrific, but there are simply fewer ofthem, especially in exotic categories.
5. Windows users get preferential treatment.
Again, it’s a matter of companies chasing after the biggest user base. Forinstance, Windows users have been enjoying Google’s (Nasdaq: GOOG) Chromebrowser for seven months now, while their Machead friends and neighbors waitfor Google to wrap up work on its OS X version. And Kodak’s cool video cameras claim OS X compatibility but come preloaded withWindows-only editing software. Then there’s Microsoft’s own Office,which–surprise!–is slicker, more powerful, and more comprehensive in itsWindows version than on the Mac.
6. You get the chance to do it yourself.
No computer is more perfectly tailored to your needs than one you assemble rom scratch using hand-picked components. Building ahandcrafted Windows machine is so simple that plenty of people wouldn’tdream of settling for a store-bought computer. But while home-made OS X systems exist, they’re closer to being science-fairprojects than a viable alternative to buying a real Mac manufactured byApple.
7. Who says Macs have more fun?
Apple may have released an ad suggesting that Windows computing doesn’t getany more scintillating thantime sheets and pie charts. But serious computer gaming remains a seriouslyWindows-centric medium, with many major games making it to OS X only aftermuch of the excitement has died down…or not to OS X at all. And it’sWindows machines that are most at home in an entertainment center, withfeatures like CableCard-capable TV tuners,Microsoft’s Windows Media Center, and HDMI output. (Apple wants you to put an Apple TV in yourliving room, not a Mac, and it still can’t do everything that Windows MediaCenter can.)
8. Windows-only corners of the Web remain.
I seethe a little just thinking about it, but some Web sites still workproperly only in Internet Explorer. Take, for instance, the one belonging tomy health-insurance administrator, which shall remain nameless –it’s so archaic that it still has a”Download Internet Explorer 6.0 Now!” button on its home page. And evenIntuit, which sells Mac versions of QuickBooks and TurboTax, hasn’t gottenaround to making QuickBooks Online run onanything other than Windows. As ridiculous as it all is, there are timeswhen I’m glad–or at least relieved–that I’m able to fire up a Windows PCto get to a site that doesn’t seem to want the business of Mac users.