Business | Technology
Rivalry between Macs and PCs are fading as software moves online
Just over 25 years ago, a simple television commercial, shown only once, helped solidify a growing rivalry that pitted the independent, freethinkers of the world against the corporate drones.
- By Scott Shuey, Chief Reporter
- Published: 22:16 September 18, 2009
- Image Credit: Bloomberg News
- A man looks over a new MacBook Pro following a news conference at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California. The trend now is to allow users to focus less on their computer model and more on the current choice of internet browser.
Dubai: Just over 25 years ago, a simple television commercial, shown only once, helped solidify a growing rivalry that pitted the independent, freethinkers of the world against the corporate drones.
Of course, seen from the other side, it might be a battle between the pretentious fashionistas of the world against the people who actually have to work for a living.
Whatever your stance, those who have chosen sides in the Mac versus PC war (especially those who side with Apple) usually have some pretty strong feelings about their preferred piece of hardware.
I have both a 13-inch MacBook Pro and a Lenovo T400, a lightweight laptop. For years I've sided with the PC camp, but I can't help but recognise that a number of changes on both sides have blurred the once stark distinction between the two.
Apple in 2005 announced that the company was switching to Intel processors, which meant that it suddenly got a lot easier to get the latest software titles - a big issue for a number of years - to run on a Mac, albeit usually in a PC-emulator mode.
On the PC side, Microsoft's Windows operating system has been evolving into a system that looks remarkably like Mac's OS X.
The newest version of Windows, due out later this year, even includes an "action bar" used to launch applications, very similar to the one Mac users are familiar with.
But if there is anything likely to put an end to the Mac-PC rivalry, it is the advent of "cloud computing", a jargon term to describe software that runs over the internet.
The trend is allowing users to focus less on their model of computer and more on their current choice of web browser.
I've tested computers by installing software that I commonly use, such as Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office and a killer for many systems - a graphics-intensive video game.
Now, I install nothing. Sites such as Adobe.com offer online editing of photos, while numerous sites offer word processing. Microsoft, too, seems to have seen the writing on the wall, and is releasing a cloud-based version of its flagship Office suite called Azure.
The growing use of the web-based applications is increasing competition in two areas: web browsers and operating systems.
While 10 years ago PC users were limited to using Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, Mac users had Safari. Today, Google's Chrome, Opera, Mozilla's Firefox (the reincarnation of Netscape) and even Apple's Safari are available to run on both Windows and Mac operating systems.
According to market share, Internet Explorer still ranks first with 66.97 per cent in August 2009, but Firefox now holds a healthy 22.98 per cent market share. Safari is third with 4.07 per cent, Chrome at 2.84 per cent, and Operate has 2.04 per cent.
However, there still remains some disparity between browsers, not in their capabilities, but in what a website requires. For example, many online applications on Yahoo! require Internet Explorer and Microsoft Windows to run, which seems to give Microsoft an advantage.
But while web browsers are increasingly used to get applications, operating systems still play a major part in consumer decisions. Microsoft learned the hard way that a poor operating system can cost market share.
Following the negative reception of Microsoft's Vista operating system, released in January of 2007, Apple has stepped up its marketing campaign, complete with a popular line of commercials that portray Apple users as the hip youngsters and PC users as the stodgy older generation.
While accurate statistics on market share of any operating system are hard to find, W3counter.com says that market share for the Mac OS has increased from 3.73 per cent in 2007 to 7.11 per cent in September this year. Market share (marketshare.hitslink.com) put Apple's market share in August at 4.87 per cent.
Perhaps a better indicator is Macintosh sales. Apple's quarterly sales in January of 2007, the same month that Microsoft launched Vista, showed the company sold 1.6 million machines. In July of this year, Apple's quarterly sales have increased to 2.6 million.
The company is predicting that sales this quarter could reach 2.8 million.
However, while the poorly received Vista may have given Apple an advantage, Vista itself is being replaced at the end of this year by Windows 7, which so far has received favourable reviews from beta testers.
Windows 7 isn't likely to draw away many loyal Mac followers, but it will probably stem the flow of users unhappy with Vista.
With differences between operating systems narrowing, how will computer manufactures differentiate the systems?
That brings me back to the two computers I have. Apple's emphasis on style has resulted in a laptop made out of a single piece of aluminium, with simplicity seemingly the key factor in design. Even on a 13-inch laptop, the keys are well-spaced for easy typing.
The only buttons other than those on the keyboard are the power switch and the touch pad. It's a solid, easy-to-use and attractive machine.
PCs aren't known for being quite so stylish, but a number of brands, including Acer and HP, have been designing more aesthetically appealing machines for years. Lenovo began grabbing attention about a year ago with the release of the X301 - a machine that compared favourably with Apple's Mac Air, lauded as the world's thinnest laptop. In both models you can see the attention to detail, such as in the well-integrated speakers and bevelled edges around the keyboard to make it easier to hit certain keys.
Basically, both systems offer users the ability to have a computer with good processing power and lots of storage in well-designed, stylish machines.
The one main factor left to consider is price, and while Apple is often accused of being overpriced, things seem to levelling off. The T400 retails for $1,980 (around Dh7,270). That is not a machine at the cheap end of the price spectrum. While there are laptops available for as little as $500, the latest laptops on the market usually start at around $1,200
By contrast, Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro sells for $1,199 and the 15-inch model for $1,699. Again, that is not "cheap" but it's not at the high end either.
With prices being more competitive and other barriers removed, it will be interesting to see if Macs continue to gain ground with consumers.
Increasingly, any rivalry between PCs and Macs is going to exist primarily in people's minds rather than in the machines.
Which operating system do you use? Which one do you feel is more powerful and reliable? Who do you think would win in a computer war?
Your comments
I'm using mac. For me, I like Apple because its very simple,and the graphics too. Macs would win on this war, lol
Bogart
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: September 19, 2009, 08:59
I switched to Mac a year ago and this is the best thing that happened to me. For one, I do not have to worry about (or have I been bothered once since I switched) virus issues and performance is rock solid! Macs run mush stable and fast. Anyone masters the very small learning curve of Apple will NEVER revert to PC again. Prove me wrong! Yeah folks, Macs are streets apart from PC's not just in performance but the concept itself is far superior!
Sean Barbet
Dubai,UAE
Posted: September 19, 2009, 03:12
I'm a loyal windows user from the last 15 years! But I've been using Mac operating systems too from the last 4 years being a graphic designer; but for me you really cannot rely on any machine on the face of this earth! I had two Mac hard drives crashed without any reason; MACs are too sensitive when it comes to networking and windows was never behind! So basically you cannot really choose a single OS, both have their own pluses and minuses. A PC cannot give you a performance like a MAC while working with Adobe products, and a MAC cannot load a flash website as quickly as a PC. And as far as the war concerns, it will continue for ever, and it should! They both have their own place and importance in the market and they both should remain there; I mean you cannot really choose between your arms and legs, can you?
Sheharyaar Saahil
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: September 19, 2009, 02:44
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