What the...as if I just said that, right? I am a designer, aren't I 
supposed to be using a mac? Aren't I supposed to be in love with it, and tell everyone how much better it really is? Like if your going to be a designer you had better get a Mac because it's the only tool you can use!
I ask myself this question, along with a lot of other questions when it comes to Mac's and design. What makes a mac better than a PC for designing? Does it have some magical oompa loompa vibes that just somehow help out? Does the extra money I have to spend to get one somehow make me a better designer?
Ok so enough messing around. Obviously I am a PC user, and a very happy one at that. I have been working with PC's and Windows, fixing them, building them, etc. for years now. I have also used a Mac and OS X many times, in my time. Now I have nothing against Mac's and Mac users (a lot of my friends being a designer and all, use Mac's)....Other than the fact that they all can't quit talking about how much better they are for designing, and everyday use.
So really, why are Mac's better?
- Because they are safe. The apple will protect me!
- Because Adobe products are made for them.
- Because they are original, intuitive, and sexy!
- Because they are faster!
- They rock socks for designing!
Now I could go through this list, or any list you give me and argue the facts all day. Like Mac's are safe. But in reality there are more known security holes in OS X than Vista, and Microsoft is much faster at releasing patches for them.
Adobe products were originally made for Mac's first yes this is true....But not anymore. Adobe products are made and come out for Windows first.
They are original? Really are they, what choices do you have? Black or white? Well with a PC you can customize and tailor it to meet your needs. You can pick out everything...even down to something as simple as a network card. The custom cases you can buy for a PC are way sexy, and offer superior airflow as well. Also PC's are half the price.
They are faster? Sorry no. Hell the Intel Core i7 isn't even out for them yet. Enough said.
Ok so I went through the list...I couldn't help myself.
So why are Mac's better for design?
The answer is simple really...
It's all about image, somewhat of an illusion...yes like magic. Right now Mac's are cool says Mr. Mainstream. They are going with the trend, with what everyone tells them, and not with the facts. You don't want to be un-cool do you? It's something like being in the popular crowd back in high school.
Conclusion
So really it's not a better tool, you don't need a Mac to be a designer. It is not going to help you in anyway. Or maybe it will, it might impress a client. He might see you with your little Macbook Air and think you a cool guy who is "in touch" with what's good these days.
About the Author
Adrian Balkwill is a web designer and a user interface designer for a software/web design company located in Canada, he is also the founder of Blogfullbliss. It is his goal to make Blogfullbliss the best source on the web for design/technology related articles and tutorials.
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Adrian
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:) @nido Glad you liked it! I just wanted to add, to the people reading this I really don't hate Mac's. Just don't understand why people are so crazy about them. And would want to drop the cash on one when they could get a PC with the exact same specs for half the price. |
Matthew Heidenreich
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... I feel like you wrote this to spit in my face  The way I see it is I enjoy using a Mac more than when I used a PC. The programs I choose to use flow nicely, and I just prefer it. I don't really care what other people use as...well..its their decision. Honestly, I don't want anyone to use a Mac. Then I won't ever have to worry about people making bad, icky viruses for them  Overall I say use what you like. Nuff said  |
Adrian
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I agree Totally for use what you like, etc. I just hate that everyone hates on PC's so much. And Matt get on msnm! |
Paul-Henri
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Tell us the truth ! When you ask somebody, he answers you : "Windows sucks ! ", then you ask him : "What's you OS ? " and the answers is "Windows..." Mac is too expensive but it's a good OS according to me  |
loswl
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Both has its advantage I use both PC and Mac and I don't find that my designs get any better, when I change from one to the other, both has its advantage and disadvantage, but I must say the Macs are a treat to the eyes  )..I find there are a lot more open source programs for the PC and that really helps when you are in a grind...but that open you up to all sorts of viruses and spyware ( But I have no problems on the Mac with that, no spyware...no viruses ) |
Adrian
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huh? Viruses and spyware? What are those? I never get anything. All you need is a decent anti virus and hosts files... Vista has tons of eye candy, and windows 7 looks super slick. XP you have to style by yourself.  Keep in mind how old it is though.... |
Constantin Chirila
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It's all about the OS ! If you think about it, a lot of people love Macs for their speed, work-flow, applications and eye candy. All are related to the operating system. I for one am a Windows user, and I must admit I like Macs, but i will never pay more than 2000$ on such a system, when I can build myself a PC with better specs with the same money. But I like to see the Mac OSX on that PC.  Overall, taking into account the compatibility with all the hardware out there, Windows it's way better than Mac OSX. I only hate that Microsoft doesn't struggle more into pleasing the users and coming up with technologies to compete with those of Mac OSX. We will see now with the new Windows 7, maybe they will improve their image ) |
Harold
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I have both, and prefer the Mac... by a mile I used PC's for my web design business for over 12 years, and recently moved everything over to my Mac because it works much better than Windows. Compare pricing, feature for feature, and the Mac isn't much more expensive than a PC, plus it can run Windows AND Leopard on the same system. I have Vista on my Mac, and only run it about once a week for a few minutes. Can't wait to get back to OSX every time. If you think the PC is just fine, it's just because you haven't spent much time working on a Mac. The money (time is money in my world) you spend on a Mac is more than offset when you don't have to reboot mutiple times every day, plus waiting for PC hibernation to end (a Mac can wake up in about 1 second, even after being in standby for days). There's no comparison. |
Adrian
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Wow no way... Funny bro. No offense but do some research. PC's are way cheaper, and have more power/possibilities. And rebooting, why are you rebooting 2-3 times a day? I turn my pc on in the morning and turn it off at night.....no issues. And coming out of standby takes 1 second as well. And time saving..hell there is a TON of time saving programs for FREE for a pc than O$X. And yes I said it, O$X, and Mac $Software. Not free. Only way to upgrade or even update the os on a mac is with a hammer and a cheque book. |
Sean
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... now now ladies. we should all use linux Go Fedora Core 10! Ok im done with my 2 cents! |
Phenotype
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This debate is pointless. The tired argument that "you can build a PC with the same specs for half the price" falls flat on its face. That's like saying my old Hyundai Santa Fe is just as good as my Lexus RX350 because they both have V6 engines, sunroof, cargo space, etc. The Hyundai was a great SUV but a Lexus it is NOT. The Lexus is a luxury car just like Macs are luxury computers. You pay more because you are getting more. Just because you can get the same processor and RAM doesn't mean it's the same. Take Apple's Cinema Display monitors, people complain that they are twice the price of a Dell flatscreen LCD but what those people aren't taking into consideration is that the hardware is totally different. You can't compare two monitors on price alone. Apple's monitors are S-IPS whereas the Dell monitor I have at work is PVA, and there's no comparison in quality. Also, you're speaking strictly about hardware, the thing that separates Windows and OS X more than anything else is the OS. I've been a Windows user for over 15 years and I use Windows at work. My wife and I switched to Apple about 6 months ago and couldn't be happier. Everyone should use what's best for them, I'm not going to go out and try to get people to switch to a Mac just because I prefer them but the point I'm making is that comparing a $600 Dell to a Mac isn't a realistic comparison because the quality of the hardware is much better with a Mac. |
Adrian
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Lol So your saying a Intel in a mac is better than an Intel in a dell? Funny. Any saying the hardware is better all around is even better. With a Mac you don't even know what your getting. With a PC you can pick out each and every part and know exactly what you are getting, and where it came from. Mac's hardware is far far a worse deal than a PC. Under powered over priced... And my Samsung 226BW Is super slick and looks just as good as the Mac monitor. |
Phenotype
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I'm not sure why you're getting so defensive. I am not saying an Intel in a Mac is better than an Intel in a Dell. I'm surprised you'd even make such an absurd statement in an attempt to discredit what I wrote. I'm not sure why you're getting so defensive, I'm not attacking PC's or PC users, I'm simply saying you can't compare a $500 Dell to a Mac. It doesn't have the same hardware, it's going to have a [word removed] graphics card and processor. A fully loaded Dell XPS Notebook is almost as expensive as my Macbook Pro was and the resolution on the display isn't nearly as nice, believe me, I've compared them in person. Also, there is no way your Samsung looks as good as the Apple Cinema Display. I had the HP w2207 for about a year and again, there was no comparison in quality when I sat me 24" Cinema Display next to it. |
Adrian
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You know... First off please do not swear on my website. I am trying to keep this work friendly I'm not getting defensive, I just know I'm right. Go compair prices...the Mac is more expensive every time. And I used to work in a office with a guy who had the same display you are talking about...Also you do know that your Mac is best in the world and nothing is better cause Steve told me so display is a Sony right? I just really do not get how you can say Mac's have better hardware...you don't even know whats inside your Mac. And like I said in my post, the Core i7 isn't even out for mac yet!...so I guess CPU's that are slower and older than the Core i7 are better because they are in a "Mac". Now I'm going to go spend the rest of my day right clicking...ttyl. |
Phenotype
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Your argument doesn't even make sense. First, I apologize for using a swear word, it was thrown in casually and was overlooked when I proofread my post. Second, what is this strange perception PC users have that you can't right-click on a Mac? You absolutely can. Third, I can say that Macs have better hardware because they do. I just priced out a Dell XPS Laptop on their website and with the same processor I have in my MBP it was about $1500. Dell doesn't even offer either of the graphics cards in my MPB (yes, it has two and you can switch between them). They only offer the 8400M GS or the 8600M GT, my MBP has a 9400M AND 9600M GT. So right there you'd have to tack on at least $100 to the price of the Dell for a second graphics card, not to mention that you can't even have two graphics cards in a Dell laptop. I chose Vista Ultimate edition because that is the version that is comparable to Mac OS X. I also selected 4 Gigs of RAM, which I have in my Mac. I'll admit, $1600 is cheaper than the $2200 I paid for my Mac but it's not THAT much cheaper. It's certainly not "half the price". It also has an inferior graphics card, does not have an illuminated keyboard, and the display is not as good. Again, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that Dell, I'm sure if I bought it I would think it's a great machine. It's not inferior in the sense that Dell is stupid or they suck or any of that nonsense, the components simply aren't as high-end. The graphics card isn't as nice, the display isn't as nice, and there are other features it doesn't have (like a Firewire 800 port). I'll reiterate my previous analogy, you don't see Hyundai owners get upset when someone says a Lexus is better. It's a ridiculous comparison and they know it. Apparently computer owners just aren't as clever.  |
Adrian
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Wow really? Like really? So you see they are cheaper. Insert foot in mouth here. Have you not been reading anything I have said? You know what I want you to write down EXACTLY what makes a Mac better. Other than your dumb ass claim that the hardware is better, which you have no idea where it comes from? And also quit comparing laptops as they are proprietary BS anyway. Oh wait everything in a Mac is proprietary BS. Only way to upgrade is a hammer and a cheque book. Also check out this image, I didn't make it. And we make fun of you guys for right clicking because my comes with it, you have to pay $30 for it. Remember folks O$X. Also goto http://www.amd.com/us-en/ or http://www.nvidia.com/page/home.html and pick yourself out the best video card you can find and put it in your Mac...oh wait...you cant do that...damn that sucks. Don't wanna void that warranty now. |
Adrian
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Heh @Phenotype Your comments have been unapproved. Quit acting like a child. You no longer have permissions to post comments anywhere on this site. Have a nice day. |
Alex
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... I used to like my mac more....until I had problems w/ it. My PC was much better to fix. |
Adrian
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He shoots he misses... I think everything is missing the point of this article. In no way did I want to bash macs or mac users. Like I said in the article. Also a lot of my really good friends both online and off that are Mac users. My good friend Brian who did the programming for this website uses a Mac. The point was "Are Mac's The Right Tool?" Do you need a Mac to do web design and development? Then I went over why people say "yes" and gave my thoughts on why that is wrong and it really doesn't matter what OS you are using to design and develop a website. Only comments that are strictly on topic will be posted. |
Li Zhang
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Yes I completely agree, it's that image thing. We shouldn't be too worried, it's only the hipsters buying the mac's anyways. Ask an accountant what he thinks of spreadsheeting on a mac, and the results will be so lol. |
Naim Alwan
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mac people hater oh come on... art/design is supposed to be about originality.... so lets all but the same computer... that sounds like a contradiction... MAC enthusiasts are simply brain washed, that were, at the start of their carrier, insecure about not looking like a designer so they brought a mac to be part of the crew... simple as that. |
Adrian
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Yep Yes like I said in the article. "Right now Mac's are cool says Mr. Mainstream." It's all about image for some. Others just like it better, and that's cool. To each their own! |
Jonas
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... Its all about what you like to work on.. I switched to mac 2 years ago and i accutually work faster and gets a better overview of what im working on with a mac.. But you are right, the applications are the same on both platforms.. its the enviroment you are surronded by that matters and in my opinion os x is better. |
TheDoc
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... Adrian, I don't think I've ever witnessed somebody who is trying to come off as "professional" look so childish. Phenotype was simply putting together simple and solid arguments, all of which you twisted around into over-exaggerated examples. I use a PC at work and a Mac at home. At the end of the day, I much prefer using the Mac, though I can perform my job equally as well on either. Where price comes in, I'm perfectly fine with paying extra money for an OS that I prefer (though Windows 7 definitely has made the gap a bit closer). My first Mac was given to me a little over a decade ago, before I was even in design. When the first round of OS X came around, I was hooked forever. |
Adrian
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Hmmm I'm not sure how you got that. I was just sticking up for my side of the story and replying to his comments. Some what of a heated debate I guess. Sorry if it seemed that way! |
Jane
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Image but also inspiration Hey Adrian. Interesting post and question. I don't have a mac but I used to use them a lot growing up and have recently used friends' macs to see what it's like. I do enjoy using them because they look more attractive and this has a major effect on my mood, which in turn affects my productivity. It's like when you look out on a nice sunny day with a blue sky and you get a surge of motivation... I know some people don't mind what the machine they work on looks like (hardware or software), as long as it works, but for me that's not true. I feel more inspired working in a beautiful environment. (I noticed a huge difference in my state of mind and productivity when I switched from XP to Vista for example) I was worried that what with many of the windows community rejecting vista, and reinstalling XP etc, Microsoft would give up on beauty and go back to ugly operating systems. Luckily I was wrong and Windows 7 continues to look attractive. However the mac still has an advantage in that its hardware is more sleek, the packaging is lovely, all in all it's still a more gratifying aesthetic choice. I'm sure it can't make anybody a better designer. It's just that for people who are strongly affected by the visuals, it might be more motivating to work on a mac. |
Naim Alwan
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... Okay, so all, i mean some, of the comments for macs are understandable, you seem to get on with macs better than PCs fair enough, but don't you think that has something to do with everybody assuming that they are better for design work? don't you think that thats in your subconscious when you try to play with a PC. In college i was using mac so i brought one for that reason alone. NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE BETTER. are macs better... no are pcs better...no, but for all of you mac people that turn your nose up at PC users, just remember we paid less... for more. |
Adrian
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..."However the mac still has an advantage in that its hardware is more sleek" I know what you are trying to say here. Mac's are better looking then a Dell, etc. And I can totally agree with that! But if you want really good looking hardware, even better looking than a Mac, build your PC yourself. This is a bit extreme but look how far you can take it with this link. But if you want much smoother cases go with something like this. Much better than a Mac IMO. Other opinions will differ! |
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