Kathleen!By now you are well aware of the competition between Mac and PC.I am a Technician and I own both.I have found through many years of experiance that if you want to be a writer or novelist that the Mac would be more to your liking.If instead you wish to be a techie than probably your best choice would be PC.Of course price is a consideration....Mac's are very expensive and you would not ever get what a PC could offer you for half the price.It's like buying a Chevy or a Ford....The Ford has great towing capacity but the Chevy has easy parts avalibility and almost any Chevy products interchange.My friend has a new Mac and he spends more money upgading it than anyone I know...he also spends alot of time trying to get it to do what he wants...I have been usings PC's since the Commadore...I have found that it is like a Chevy...upgrades are easy and cheap(mostly free)...and parts are easy to come by....Mac has complex hook ups and impossible software interaction.....Try and access them both and try them and see which one you like!!

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I think your only problem is that your in a remote rural area. I personally am an Amiga user but, the local university is upgrading their systems and selling their old Mac II's for five dollars which I have been buying for people who don't have computers yet(don't want them to start with bad habits). If your into buying a used computer I don't think that anybody can rationally argue that a windows 3.1 machine is superior to a similar vintage Mac. It's really not that difficult to find used copies of relatively new versions of Photoshop, Fractal painter, Quark ,Pagemaker etc. Industry standard applications that will still run on the older (68030) processors. Hell there are fairly recent versions of Netscape (4.08) available for free. There is even some used computer stores in my area that are selling alot of used Macs because a lot of people are getting sucked in by the cheap PC market. For example just yesterday I saw a complete Mac system, Power PC no less, with CD rom, Monitor, Color printer, modem, HD, Memory, working with loads of software for $150. That particular store is "Computer Success" Here in Columbus Ohio. Even with shipping that would be a hell of a deal. So, the moral is, as a new computer owner I would suggest looking for a older but more elegant and artist friendly Mac. Remember friends don't let friends use Windows!

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Why's the Operating System fo PC call windows? Because people that use it want to a window to jump from! trust me.. get a mac and you do not would never feel like jumping out of one!

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Hey Kathleen Reallie i have had a mac since November 96. I`m glad i started my first computer as a mac. As time goes on u`ll learn the diffrence between the 2. Some people are @$$holes and tell me macs suk. Reallie they dont understand it. Desktop Publishing on the mac is the very best. If thats what u want to indulge in go for the mac. But hey i`m only a 14 yearold guy , What do i know. Huh, hehe.I used to help troubleboost the comps at my old skewl. I have found out that macs are better in everyway except pricing and software compatibility. Try it out

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by now you've probably read all these replies. i have been using both mac an PC since i was about 6 years old. true, PCs have come a long way over the years. my advice is to get on to the machines and actuly use them - try borrow a friends or something and then make up your own mind. good luck and remember to buy the machine that does what you are looking for not just because it is "better" than the other.

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My PC crash to much. And the mac doesn't crash as much, plus its quick in rendering graphics. Period

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Some say PC some say mac. let me see, many pc pundits say that the pc´s are cheper, but are cheper based o their performance? Why the pc system files has soo techie names? Why this cheaper pcs has this ugly industrial design? IF you whant a pc with beuty ID, how it cost? the people in the pc side know the performance of the PPC g3 or the g4? THe mac is superior because is the most human computer out there, but that does not apply for many people o

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Macs are the more accepted machine for proffesional Graphics. While ther is a great deal of software for PC's in this respect you will lose money dependoing on the graphics you are creating. The rendering capabilities of a Mac G3 or G4 are and will probably remain superior to the PC. However the PC will be a slight bit easier to find tech support for , (unless you choose a company like mine that services both, rare, I promise). Also the PC is lest expensive initially. It is also a lot less user friendly. Software is easier to find for PC's but this is often inferior. The mac provides a greater system for developers in the graphics woirld to use. (i.e. QuarkXpress was originally a Mac Application and was "ported to the PC a short time later.) I would advise a mac, but without knowing your specific graphical needs I would be guessing at least p

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Did someone say PCs were more "User Friendly?" That was slanderous if they did. OSX will solve any problems of reading files that have been a problem in the past.(pc) Apple is the superior computer on the market for the money. PCs are cheap for a reason. Windows 98 is a little outdated.

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PC : for people who understands the technology behind the machines OR for people with a practical view of life. Mac : If you are willing to get into the "PC Hate Religion" PC users do not hate anything. they just live their lives in peace. Mac users HATE. They want everybody to see life just as they do. I ask myself which one of those is more "Human". "Live and let live!!"

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Get a PC, you get cheaper software and hardware and have much more of a selection. If you can't understand how to run windows you don't need to be owning a computer at all! I mean it is point and click how difficult can this be? I've seen a few people here saying stuff like "Macs are a lot more fun, and they can do a lot of things that no PC could ever do," well name one! Really don't just reply with somthing stupid, really think about it. Name one thing a Mac can do that a PC can't. You would be very hard pressed to find a good answer. As far as another person referring to the extentions on PCs, they are still there on Macs (in a sense) its just that you can glance at them and know immediatley what you have in front of you, without opening somthing up. Now, if you want to get a Mac go for it, I'm sure they won't be going anywhere for a while. But, if you are doing graphics you should really consider a PC. With higer resolutions and more colors for the most part graphic design would be much easier for you. Now, I know the higest end Mac may have similar video to a PC. But, how can you do graphic design on a small 14 or 15 inch monitor built into a Mac (without any way to upgrade it.) Unless you plan on spending serious money on a high end Mac, go all the way with a PC. As far as PCs go Intel Pentium IIIs and AMD Athalon (K7) are what to get. This would be more power than a average user would ever need. Plus with a OpenGL card you could make some cool graphics and play some great games at 100+ fps! Tom

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Macs bite. And dont say "Oh you dont have one, how would you know." I have a Powerbook 150 laptop and it pisses me off all the time. So i went and bought a PC. Of course its totally sweet. Sure i get error messages, but none of them are horrible like your comp will blow up. Windows 98 doesnt suck either. Its really efficient and once you figure it out you can breeze around it pretty fast. Besides, Mac's have ridiculous prices, not as much software, and the IMac is ugly. Nuff said.......

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Having used both in professional graphics since 1987, you will get more work done, more easily with a Mac. Any initial price difference is more than made up by productivity gains. This view was formed by having a split production line in a graphics repro house, one side running Macs, one side running PCs, both doing similar work. The Macs get it done quicker and with more panache. If its a living you're after, get a Mac.

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To the author of this: Macs bite. And dont say "Oh you dont have one, how would you know." I have a Powerbook 150 laptop and it pisses me off all the time. So i went and bought a PC. Of course its totally sweet. Sure i get error messages, but none of them are horrible like your comp will blow up. Windows 98 doesnt suck either. Its really efficient and once you figure it out you can breeze around it pretty fast. Besides, Mac's have ridiculous prices, not as much software, and the IMac is ugly. Nuff said....... You're an idiot!

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I'm sure you're tired of reading these messages and by now are thoroughly confused on whether to buy a PC or Mac, unless you've already gotten one. I'll tell you this: there are obviously both PC users and Mac users that hate each other and some on both sides that think they're impartial HERE ARE THE FACTS: PC's are only competitive because they copy everything Macs do. Macs are more expensive, but more original, and if they come out with something new, you can bet PC's will have it by next month. Macs are more asthetically pleasing, especially to people who don't particularly enjoy using computers. Macs can read PC documents, as long as you have the Mac program, and many Mac programs can read other programs' documents. Mac software programs on your old computer will run on any newer Mac system, unless the program is really, really old; but Any time you upgrade to a new version of Windows, you have to use all new software. I have heard that reinstalling Windows can require u to erase ("reformat") your hard drive. Nothing like that is true with Macs. There is no reason why u would have to erase your whole hard drive unless it got corrupted by a virus or something. Hooking up things, like printers and modems, is very easy especially on newer Macs as far as my experience. Here is the story about Macs and PC's: Apple Macintosh was the first company to even introduce the "PC" (Personal Computer). The software giant at that time was IBM (International Business Machines), they and most of the world thought that computers were business tools and nothing more. "What would a common person want a computer for?" they thought. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, thought that computers were an art medium and could be used for many personal tasks, and so created what he called the "personal computer" which was the first computer a graphic interface and mouse for using the computer. This made IBM computers look prehistoric with their black, text-filled screens of computer commands. Apple's business ski-rocketted and came to compete with IBM, and so IBM decided to respond and make PCs after all. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, went to IBM and told them they needed to have an operating system (OS) on their new "personal computers" that was not too hard to understand, and so they bought it. However, Bill hadn't even created an operating system, which he later called DOS (Disk Operating System, how creative! not) and decided to buy one off some one his friend knew. After Apple's graphic interface came out, which showed files as icons in "windows" (even that term was coined by Apple), Bill knew his DOS wouldn't compare, and so he got someone to steal the software design so that he could make a graphic interface for PCs -- "Windows", another creative title. This is true, not to mention Microsoft's other various titles such as Microsoft Works (taken from Claris Works, now Apple Works), Internet Explorer (taken from Netscape), and Flight Simulator (taken from Jane's Flight Simulator). There was even a big debate in the 80's over whether the "look and feel" of a company's OS was a trademark. Even if it can't be made illegal, how artistic do u think it is to steal someone else's ideas just to make money? What kind of companies do u want to succeed in America? What do u think the goal of Capitalism is? It is to make sure companies have to make quality products in order to succeed. I am an artist, a writer, and a computer programmer. I can tell you that Macs may not have the best prices and may not be as "popular" as PCs, but they are good quality and have the most creative people running the business. Their slogan is "Think Different". I hope this will help you.

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Get a PC!!! Mac is terribly incompatible with everything else. You will have trouble finding many programs and you will have to pay more for the ones that you do find. Also, with a PC you have more control. Mac's are designed to be "user friendly." Apparently that means they are designed to funcion on the simplest level, WHICH PREVENTS IT FROM DOING ANYTHING GOOD!!! Also when a PC breaks, you can fix it somehow. My experience with Mac's has been, "error, error, error, error, error, error." I guess you can tell, I hate Macs. I think the difference is that I am very young. I have grown up with a computer. At home we had PC's and at school they had Macs. I have alwasy been annoyed by Mac disfuctionality. Oh yeah, hardware upgrades are much more expensive with Mac's also.

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If you are a chess player or the type that would take pride in using the slide rule then by all means run out and get a PC. Don't worry, there are many PC instructors waiting for you to buy one, and happy PC service people too that will pat your back for making such a wise purchase. Oh yes,when you turn it on, don't let it concern your that the Windows logo was designed on a Mac. (So was Toy Story and the redo of Star Wars and Bill Gate's home.) You, like most people, will have the PC. Why you may some day want to build a PC from assorted parts found at a computer garage show.

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