TA25 Group 2

Group Members
Jodi Bengston

Andrew Dang

Taylor Nill

Ioanna Tomaras

Topic and Issue
Technology: Macintosh (Apple) vs. Windows (PC)

Issue: Which is for you?

Initial Statement
In recent years, the growth of Apple and their Macintosh line of computers have pushed Microsoft and their Windows-based Personal Computers into a fierce competition. Many consumers have debated on which computer would be best for them. Would it be a computer with a Windows-based operating system that they would use for work? Or would it be that sleek looking iMac that they could use for image editing? So which line of computer would be right for them? Our group has engaged in research showing the histories, impact, advantages, and disadvantages that Windows-based PCs have compared to their Apple computer counterparts.

Introduction and History
There are two major types of personal computers that we will be exploring - Apple Macintosh's and Windows Personal Computers. We will start out with a brief background history on the two companies, and then move on to discuss their impact on technology and today's market, and finish off with comparing the advantages and disadvantages between the two companies and their products.

History of PC
PC’s or Personal Computers were first introduced in the 1970’s to people that were in research institutions but these “computer systems” as they called it back then would still have been much too expensive for the average person to have in their household. The breakthrough of the computer chip, in 1975, which contained all the circuitry of the computer in one single chip, was the reason for the popularity of the Personal Computer because a wider range of people were then allowed to use them. In the early 1980’s, PC’s were made and distributed more for household, offering programming and games. Businesses at this time had a different setup then the home would. They used what was called workstations which functioned by using high level processors and graphic displays that PC’s at home did not have. Eventually the computers these businesses used became the same ones that people could buy for themselves. Although the internet had many early forms, it really became huge on August 6, 1991 when a company named CERN went public with it’s “World Wide Web” design, the same one we still use today (with obvious upgrades of course!). In today’s world we use many different types of personal computers, such as the Desktop computer, Laptop, Pocket PC (Blackberry), and many more! They each use a form of internet, the latest of which is Internet Explorer 7. This latest version, put out by Microsoft, of the popular Internet Explorer, was released in October of 2007. It is the first update in over five years and is the default browser for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

History of Mac
The initial start of the Apple began in the fall of 1974 when Steven Wozniak and Steven Jobs joined a computer club called "The Homebrew Computer Club", where fans of electronics met and shared their knowledge of self made computers. Shortly after, Steve Jobs asked his partner to team up with him in the creation of a personal computer. In 1975, the two began to work on a computer called the "Apple I". They presented their developments and improvements on the project every two weeks to each other, as well as their computer club. On April 1st, 1976, the first Apple computer had been created by Wozniak, Jobs, and another associate by the name of Rob Wayne. Wayne also designed Apple's very first logo.

Today, Apple is one of the top competitors in the world of personal computers. Recently, they've just released a new line of Macintosh Book models. These Mac Books are equipped with powerful Intel Core 2 Duo processors and nVidia GeForce graphics cards. Aside from the Mac Books, Apple also have released a line of Mac desktop sets, in which all the hardware and monitor have been integrated into one piece. The latest Macintosh operating system is the 10.5 Leopard. Macintosh utilizes the program "Safari" as their main internet browser, which was released in January 7th, 2003.

PC
Computers help change the world immensely. It helped mankind step forward into the future. Thanks to computers, space exploration was made, new designs of vehicles and other transportation were made; entertainment became more entertaining, medical science advanced and made created cures for diseases, etc. The computers impacted our lives in many ways. Computers impacted many items in today's society. One area the computer impacted on is the business area. Business uses computers for keeping track of accounts, money, or items that they need. You may notice business people using computers a lot, especially the laptop computers, portable computers that can be taken to your work area. You may see people use things like pie-charts and graphs when they present information to other business people in meetings. Most of those charts were made by computers. The business field uses the computers a lot for their companies and organizations.

Education was impacted by computers as well. Computers help students in a lot of today's projects and essays. If a student were to do an essay on the planet Mars, they could look in an electronic encyclopedia in the computer or they could look up their topic on the internet. They could also type their essays and reports on what's called a word-processing program. This program allows you to type anything out from a school essay to business papers. You can make your paper look very neat by adding images and different looking text to impress your teacher. Computers help students in any way they need, researching, typing, searching, etc. Teachers use computers as well. They use computers to keep track of grades, type out instruction for their students, and posting notes on the internet.

Mac
Aside from regulating the MP3 player sector of electronics with their famous iPod, Apple's accomplishment in the realm of personal computers have changed customer's opinions on which kind of computer to purchase. Since the evolution of the "Apple I", Apple has made and produced various lines of Macintosh computers - the "Apple II", the Macintosh, the iMac, the Mac Mini, the Mac Book, etc. Their customer-friendly computers have made it so that people are willing to switch from a PC to a Mac because of the ease-of-use and headache-free computer experience. The initial launch of Windows Vista also caused many headaches and stress to PC users so much that they were willing to make the switch to Apple. The drag-and-drop capabilities of Mac computers also allow for simple yet effective and powerful means to photo or video editing, thus allowing various professions such as magazine photo editors or special effect coordinators to easily and professional do their jobs.

PC
The personal computer (now preloaded with a Windows Vista operating system) are much usually cheaper than Macintosh computers (with similar specifications). If the end user chooses not to run on the Windows Vista operating system, they have the option of loading the older Windows XP operation system (with the appropriate hardware drivers) to better suit their comfort. PC's are also a strong choice for gamers; Windows is the most widely supported operation system for games. Hardware and drivers are also fairly easy to find for a Windows-based operating system. Many business applications and software have been programmed for Windows-based operating systems, while fewer have been programmed for Macintosh computers.

Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) allows in-tab browsing for the end user. It also protects the user with a built-in anti-phishing program. Users are also provided with options such as RSS feeds, and add-on toolbars for searching. The new interface of IE7 also maximizes the view of web pages. IE7 is also the web browser that almost all web pages are compatible with (ie. some web pages MUST be viewed in IE7).

Mac
The Macintosh computer line, which utilizes the Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" operating system provides the user with ease of use. Virtually everything on a Mac can be dragged and dropped. Since Mac OS X is based on a UNIX architecture, susceptibility to viruses is far less common than it's PC counterpart. Thus, anti-virus programs are not necessary for Mac computers. This also provides the user with less headaches and better productivity because they do not have to worry about viruses corrupting their data. The Mac OS X also come preloaded with basic work/office programs, called iWork, which include Apple's variation of Microsoft Office. iWork includes Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, which respectively are Apple's counterparts to Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Therefore, any additional software that needs to be purchased is minimal for a Mac. The Mac OS X is also capable of loading and running a genuine copy of Windows Vista/XP, either through a program called "Parallels", or another called "Boot Camp". Also, in Apple's desktop line, the Mac desktop has all been integrated into a single piece with the hardware and monitor, giving it a sleek and sexy design. On the other hand, PC desktops require two pieces - a separate monitor and a PC "tower" where all the hardware is. So, Apple computers are also very much more visually appealing to a person.

Safari, which again is the main web browser for Macs, performs at an amazing speed. Safari can load pages up to 1.9x faster than IE7, and able to load pages up to 1.7x faster than Firefox 2. Utilizing Mac's ease-of-use and drag-and-drop capabilities, Safari allows the user to browse through web pages easily and with speed. Safari also has many browser features, such as a bookmark system which allows bookmarks to be neatly organized. Tabbed browsing allows users to open multiple web pages in the same window as well. Safari also has a built-in RSS reader, which allows the user to see when new content has been added to their favorite websites.

PC
A Windows-based operation system has been the biggest target for viruses and spyware. Programming a virus for Windows is relatively simple compared to programming a virus on an Apple computer. PC's also possess comparatively poor security (there are many various anti-virus programs created). The initial release of Windows Vista had also caused many compatibility issues concerning various programs and software. However, with the recent release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1, these compatibility issues have been fixed. Windows Vista requires almost 1GB of system memory (RAM) in order to just operate, thus users must spend more money for more memory. New PC's also generally don't come with any form of software now, aside from trial versions of some anti-virus program and Microsoft Office. Therefore, even more money is required for people who do not have software readily available for necessary software, such as anti-virus. PC's also drain more battery power on laptops than a Mac Book would. Windows Vista comes equipped with extra security as well, which can be a nuisance to the user when they are prompted if they are sure they want to open a program/file they are trying to access.

Mac
Price. Apple computers are in most cases noticeably more expensive than their PC counterpart. For example, the most basic Mac Book currently has 2GB of RAM, 160GB of hard drive, and is running on the Intel Core 2 Duo. It's value is at $1349.99. On the other hand, a PC such as the Toshiba L300-04P model possesses 4GB of RAM, 320GB of hard drive, and is also running on the Intel Core 2 Duo, but is only worth $799.99. Another issue with Mac computers is compatibility, as most software and programs are programmed for Windows based operating system - because it is the norm for office settings. Games are generally not compatible with the Mac OS X, thus a gamer would most likely buy a PC over a Mac.

Conclusion
So which is the right computer for you? In all honesty, it is completely up to the end user. It depends what the computer will be used for. If the user is going to be using their computer for strictly business use with programs such as Simply Accounting (which is only compatible for Windows), then they should go with a Windows-based Personal Computer. If the user would like a computer for photo editing or video editing, and would like it to be as easy as possible, the drag-and-drop features of a Mac would be a big bonus for them. Ultimately, depending on the intended use of the computer, the user should decide for themselves which line of computers would be best.

Interesting Video for PCs
PC vs. Mac

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEAGmBRC1dc

Jodi Bengston
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12/02/science/edrington/10_26_3312_1_07.txt

http://packratstudios.com/index.php/2008/04/06/the-pros-and-cons-of-linux-windows-and-osx/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEAGmBRC1dc

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/reviews/4258725.html

http://www.cnet.com.au/software/operatingsystems/0,239029541,240063627-3,00.htm

http://www.cnet.com.au/software/operatingsystems/0,239029541,240063627-2,00.htm

http://www.cnet.com.au/software/internet/0,239029524,339271767,00.htm

http://www.pcworld.com/article/127309/radically_new_ie_7_or_updated_mozilla_firefox_2which_browser_is_better.html

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/features.mspx

Andrew Dang
http://www.macworld.com/article/50153/2006/03/30impact.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_(Intel-based)

http://www.apple.com/ca/macbook/

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10112445&catid=25315

http://www.productwiki.com/safari/

Taylor Nill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_computers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Explorer_7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet

http://tatooine.fortunecity.com/vonnegut/320/history.htm

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1999/7/99.07.07.x.html

Ioanna Tomaras
http://www.smooth-step.com/web-browsers/popular

http://www.apple.com/safari/

http://www.apple.com/safari/download/

http://deflexion.com/2007/07/safari-3-pros-and-cons

http://www.productwiki.com/safari/