Point-Counterpoint
PRO: Evan Shields
This is a debate that has nearly torn apart every college campus across the nation. The eternal question of which operating system is truly better. And the debate is especially timely. Last Thursday, Microsoft launched its latest operating system, Windows 7, the latest version to come out since Windows Vista. There has been a lot of hype for the new system on Microsoft’s side, while Apple holds the belief that this version will have multiple things wrong with it. And this can be seen through the newest version of the "Hello, I’m a Mac," commercials trying desperately to get you to see all the neat things about owning a Mac. It’s obviously not hard to see which side I take on this issue. I have used both a Mac and a PC on multiple occasions. And although I have not tried the newest version of Windows, I still enjoy using a PC much more than a Mac. I find that a PC is much easier to navigate. It’s easier to find the things I’m looking for. And a PC has only the essential things I need. I don’t have a use for GarageBand or other stupid programs like that. Also, Macs are very unhealthy for the environment. According to Greenpeace, Mac "scores badly on almost all criteria," including the use of hazardous chemicals and recycling. Not only are PCs easy to use, but they are also user-friendly. When I first began using a Mac, there were no help screens or easy walkthroughs. It’s far more difficult to navigate. Although my generation prefers to use a Mac, I will be using a PC for a long time.
CON: Aaron Hommell
I own a MacBook Pro, which I bought in June of 2007. I bought it used. That’s right, used. How many pro-PC gurus can say they bought a used computer and then continued to use that computer for years after? If used cars were like used Macs, I think used car salesmen would get a better rap.
I have never had a virus. (I am holding out on the Swine Flu. Oink!) I don’t wake up in the morning and perform a security scan. Sure I love the "whirrrr" of the machine waking up in the morning just like anyone else, but I just open my Mac and I am on the Internet. It’s like looking at your phone (iPhone for sure): It just does what it is supposed to do.
For me, the choice is a simple one. I chose the Mac because it has a simple format that runs Windows systems like Outlook and Works better than PC does. I also get iTunes, GarageBand, a built in camera, Bonjour and a plethora of other pieces of software for free.
Windows 7 has just come out as the "end all to be all." Isn’t that what PC has been telling us since Windows 95? Honestly, Windows 98 worked better than Vista, and I hold little hope for Windows 7.
I use a PC at school, and of course use my trusty Mac at home. Because I have the opportunity to use both systems, I can tell you without a doubt that a PC is no match for a Mac, except in the price market. However, I would rather buy a good, quality product that won’t be obsolete in two years.
I once owned a PC. It was given to me in 2002; the same year my used iMac G4 was built. That PC has been dead for four or five years. My iMac G4 is still running like a champ.
