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Mac vs PC Design

There’s a big debate out there about which computing platform is best for design and development. While the professional world certainly seems to favor the Macintosh, thousands of designers still like to keep their PCs busy with their design projects and coding requirements.

The simple truth is that each platform can work as a design workspace, and easily carry out any required instructions. But that’s not what’s important. What’s important is establishing which platform is the most comfortable, simple, and which inspires productivity and output. Sure, you can design the same things on either, but you could also be designing on a Pentium 3 from 2001. This debate isn’t about ability, it’s about convenience and usability.

With that criteria in mind, lets get started:

Disclaimer: I’ve used both Mac and PC in the past for design work and don’t really have a major preference. I love the design of the Mac, especially the portable models, but I’m not about to swear my soul to Steve Jobs to write this blog post. Everything here is based on personal experience and empirical evidence, not annoying advertising campaigns and forum fanboys.

Interface:

Yes, OS X is beautiful, especially since Leopard and Snow Leopard popped onto the scene. The dock is much more attractive and clean than Windows Vista’s start bar, and accessing major programs is incredibly simple. If anything, the evidence of OS X’s superiority in its interface is the fact that Windows attempts to copy its greatest features at every turn. In stock form, we’ve got a clear winner here.

Where Windows really excels is in customization. Declaring Mac OS the winner because of the dock is stupid and short sighted. With free docks available for Windows, it takes all of 10 minutes to work it into your PC’s operating system, and the results are almost identical, at least in terms of appearance. This customization puts Windows side-by-side with OS X in terms of appearance and interface.

The verdict: In stock form, Mac OS dominates any form of Windows. However, with the many customization options available for Windows, comparing them in stock form is stupid. Pick whichever you’re more comfortable using, and don’t think that Vista doesn’t change from its stock presentation.

Usability:

Here’s a comparison where the Mac really comes into its own. It’s not a matter of better hardware or anything of the like, it’s simply the huge difference in corporate DNA and design philosophy. While Microsoft has a stranglehold on PC operating systems, Macintosh has a stranglehold on the entire hardware-software combination. This means that everything runs smoothly, everything works in tandem, and the hardware and software are built to coexist and work with one another.

Thing is, Steve Jobs is a stickler for user experience and simplicity. How many Mac apps can you think of that limit capabilities in exchange for simpler methods and instructions? When it boils down to it, Apple will always be about simplicity, and PCs will almost always provide greater rewards for people that are willing to invest time and effort in customizing them.

The verdict: Mac OS wins this one hands down, primarily because of the philosophies behind software construction. Add to this the fact that Apple controls both the hardware and the software, and you’re left with a system that works in tandem with itself to provide the ultimate in user experience and usability. PC users can always customize, but they don’t get the same out-of-the-box feel that Macs tend to have.

Performance:

This is where your PC tends to excel. Sure, you can get top of the line Apple performance equipment, but it’s not on the same level as the PC stuff, and it’s typically a little later down the line. Still, both sides do well here, with the PC having the slight edge due to ease of customization and availability and pricing of parts. That said, Mac OS dominates stability-wise, at least in popular opinion, adding to its value as a performance operating system.

The verdict: In terms of customization and performance, Windows wins fairly comfortably. While Apple has some high performance computers available, they’re more difficult to upgrade, more expensive for their relative performance, and less attractive to performance nuts and overclockers.

Overall:

Overall, it doesn’t matter. Both systems have huge advantages and disadvantages, both of which are conveniently glossed over by fans and anti-fans. It really boils down to what you want to use your computer for. If you value usability and simplicity over customization potential and raw power, Apple is by far a better investment. However, if you want a combination of affordable pricing and customization potential, stick with a PC.

There’s one more thing to note, which is difficult to write a comparison on. The average PC user is fairly unfamiliar with Mac software, just like the average Mac user isn’t too familiar with PC operating systems and software. As much as objective comparisons of software and hardware help get a feel for the computers, personal preference and experience will almost always be the driving force behind which you prefer. Familiarity counts for a lot, especially amongst designers, and it has a tendency to drive our preferences.

The final verdict: Stick with what makes you comfortable, productive and busy. Both systems have some major advantages and disadvantages, and it’s ultimately more about what you get out of each one than what goes into them.

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