PC Versus Macintosh

In 1837, a gentleman named George Babbage used this fundamental building block to create the first ever automated device that was fully programmable. Fast-forwarding to the 20th century, the first digital computer was named the Atanasoff Berry computer and it was used to perform complicated arithmetic functions and parallel processing. By the 1920s and 30s, programmable computers had began to become popular in scientific learning centers and large businesses but it was not until the 1950s that the modern circuit boards and processors as we know them today began to take shape.

The company that led the modern computer revolution that we know it today was IBM (International Business Machines) which produced the first personal portable desktop computer in 1957. In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen formed Microsoft whose primary function was to write computer software for personal and business computers. Microsoft is best known for its operating system Windows and today, all Windows-driven machines are known as PCs or Personal Computers.

Elsewhere in Palo Alto California in 1976, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs formed Apple computers. And in 1984 Steve Jobs named his machine Apple Macintosh. Apple Macintosh computers were definitely rivals and competitors with Windows PC machines, not only for the market share but also in the software world since both used different operating systems. While PCs run Windows operating systems, Apple computers specialized in Mac OS which is based on UNIX, a rival operating system that is mostly used by businesses due to its more secure nature. Windows-based PCs and Apple Macs therefore came to be distinguished not so much by the way they looked, but by the software and user interface that they came with.

There are several fundamental differences between Windows PCs and Macs. The first difference is the one we've just highlighted, the operating system. PCs used Windows made by Microsoft, while Macs use their own called Mac OS based on UNIX. Mac OS has since evolved and now comes with stunning 3D user graphic interface that is extremely catchy to new-agers.

A second difference is in the market share. Even though Apple's labs are staffed with extremely brilliant techies who churn out state-of-art products, Windows PCs still have the lion's share of the user market with a whopping 94% of the market share. In spite of this, Apple has gained popularity very fast and is now the computer of choice for many techies. Apple's appealing graphic interface, 3D features and surreal color schema makes it the computer of choice for graphic designers and web developers worldwide even though most of them still own a PC.

Due to the fact that Windows PCs are more widespread, they are easier to use because they are encountered in more places and most people's initial experience with a computer is most likely with a PC. There is also more software written for PCs than for Macs and this is simply because PCs are more widespread and software makes have more to gain in terms of profits by serving the Windows market. It is therefore easier to learn how to use a PC than a Mac.

Another difference between PCs and Macs is the browser that each uses. Windows PCs use the legendary Internet Explorer while the Mac comes with equipped with Safari. While Safari boasts better security, Internet Explorer holds more popularity because more plug-ins are written for it and it is therefore able to support more web pages than Safari, which tends to discriminate. It is also good to note that even though there are differences in browsers, Internet Explorer does have a version available for Macs, as do other popular browsers such as Firefox.

While PCs may be more popular because of their Windows operating system, the Mac OS is more secure, boasting a lesser chance of being breached by hackers. Hackers worldwide have been able to compromise more Window's based computers than Mac OS-based machines. This has led Microsoft to create software patches that seal any loopholes in the source code. Microsoft has also recently upgraded the security features of its Windows XP operating system and has renamed it Windows Vista.

A final difference between Windows PCs and Macs is the way they look. While the keyboard may look strikingly similar, there are fundamental differences upon close examination, a fact which may confuse casual users who are switching from one to the other. Mac desktop computers have also began incorporating the monitor and the CPU into one unit as is seen in the case of the Apple G4 desktop. This is a concept that Windows machines have yet to adapt on a wide scale.