Macs suck

by Amanda Peterka

Everyone has seen them on TV, those commercials that compare Macs and PCs.  The two guys stand in front of a white background and the Mac always proves himself superior.  However, according to a survey of an Honors College floor on campus, smart girls prefer PCs to Macs by a wide margin. 

So do we trust the guys on TV we know nothing about -- or the Honors College girls who, by the very fact they are in the Honors College, have proven themselves educationally superior?

“I prefer PCs primarily because of the ease with which I can use them,” said Britt Larson, a zoology and veterinary medicine major. “Not to say Macs aren't easy - I've just never been exposed to them. PCs/Windows programming can be found everywhere, and everything is compatible with them. In fact, that was how Bill Gates got his success with this generation - he donated Windows software to countless schools across the country, knowing the end result would be millions of kids growing up with a knowledge of Windows and nothing else. And guess what - it worked for me. Unless Macs show an insurmountable advantage over PCs, I'll stick with what I know.”

Ashley Payton, a marketing and international business major, prefer PCs simply because they can’t afford Mac computers.  BestBuy.com offers an HP Pavilion notebook for $849.99, while the cheapest Apple notebook comes in at $1099.99.

One student chose PCs because she just likes to be able to right-click.

What about the Macs, then?  Katie Lohmeyer, an English and history major, enjoyed showing off the cool video functions on her Apple computer.  Ellen Hystead, a food science major, likes her Apple computer because she says the computer support is top-notch.  Another Honors student claimed that “Macs are way better because no viruses!” 

However, Lauren White, an astrophysics and chemical physics major, countered, “That’s because Macs aren’t as popular, so no one bothers to make viruses for them.  It’s not that hard to get a virus.  Just don’t do dumb stuff online.”

What’s the big deal, anyway?  It’s just a computer, right? But computers are now more than just computers.  They are a means of expressing ourselves, of proving that we are technology-savvy and have conquered this fast-paced world.  They are a means of communication, of academic achievement, of entertainment and even of piracy.  We decorate computer wallpapers to suit our moods and choose icons that fit our personalities.  We buy snazzy cases to transport them.  In other words, it matters a great deal what kind of computers we own.

In terms of features and layout, PCs and Macs differ greatly.  The Windows XP Home Edition computer website advertises features such as a video-maker, a media player, a digital photography application, instant messenger, a DVD player, a large variety of games, a personal firewall, an automatic unzip feature, automatic updates, Internet Explorer 6, remote assistance, system restore and a network setup wizard.

The iMac Web site advertises built-in iSight camera, a DVD player, digital photography software, built-in wireless, a variety of games, and song-writing software.  From these basic descriptions of included features, PCs seem to be focused more on the operating system, while MACs seem to focus more on the entertainment side of computers.  This would probably explain why most Honors College girls own PCs.

This is not to say that Macs aren’t without their merits, just that smart girls appear to prefer PCs.