creativefuel.org » Blog Archives » Mac or Windows… What do designers use?

I still hear a lot of people say, designers always use Macs or Macs are better at video or graphics and PCs are better for business. A lot of the established stereotypes continue to live on. Watch any of Apple’s recent Mac ads for evidence. But is there really much difference? Is one inherently better for any particular kind of work?

Now this could easily degenerate into a pseudo-religious diatribe about why Microsoft or Apple is evil or why Steve Jobs or Bill Gates are geniuses. I teach design and graphics classes on Macintosh AND Windows and at the end of the day, they both work. I don’t really believe that one is superior to the other, but they have both benefited from some serious competition.

In my experience (and I’ve been using Macs since 1986 and PC’s since 1988), there were big differences in the 80’s and 90’s, but the differences have essentially vanished in the last 10 years (give or take). How can I back that up? I have primarily used Windows since 1989. Every professional job I have had since then has had more Windows computers than Macintoshes. I have always used both for various tasks, but I’ve spent more time on Windows than on the Mac. Even from that early time (Windows 3.0), you could get the job done on either platform. Yes, even on Windows 3.0! Was the Mac better for design back then? Sure, but it was also very expensive. You could get a comparable PC for half the cost of a Mac. Which is the entire reason I bought my first PC. At the time, $1500 was a fortune, let alone $3000!

I started out with Windows 3.0, Adobe Type Manager, Aldus PageMaker and CorelDraw. For photographic images I had a Logitech hand scanner and the basic image editing software that came with it. Soon after I got Photostyler (a complete knock-off of the Mac-only Photoshop). Could I get the job done with the Windows machine? Yes. I created a variety of projects and they all looked just as good whether they came from a Mac or a PC. They were just tools and the operator made it look good (or not).

Since that time, much has changed. The industry has standardized and Macs have become (under-the-hood) standard Intel boxes, just like Dell and all the rest. Now, more than ever, there is little difference in hardware. PC enthusiasts celebrate the amount of choices PC users enjoy. If you like tinkering or building your own computer, Apple is not an option. Even for people who just need to upgrade their systems, Apple makes it difficult.

How about software? Well, there’s the difference, and that’s really what’s always set the two sides apart. The Operating System that runs a Mac or PC and the software that runs on top of it. How different are they? For most users, there is little difference. The Adobe Creative Suite is virtually identical on both platforms. Microsoft Office, although a little different on each platform, is compatible and offers the same functionality. That covers the software that most people use every day.

There ARE some differences, like Final Cut Studio, which is a Mac-only product. Is it better than Premiere Pro and After Effects? Some would argue either side of that coin. Can you get the job done on either one? Certainly.

On the Windows side, many would argue that there is an avalanche of Windows software compared to a short stack of Mac software. That really does matter in some specialized areas, but honestly there is equivalent Mac software in most categories. I think realistic people would agree Windows has an edge here, but for most users it’s not much of an issue. In fact, for many home users, the Mac’s iLife applications and/or the inexpensive iWork suite give users all the software they’re likely to need.

Of course, if you buy a new Mac, you can always boot it up in Windows and have the best of both worlds. So if you’re just starting out or thinking about buying a new computer, a Mac is a no-brainer right? Not necessarily. You have to buy a copy of Windows (and Parallels) which raises the price quite a bit.

Windows does have advantages, including cheaper and more flexible hardware, more software and strong support in the corporate world. Mac will continue to have a better operating system, solid Mac-only software, few virus and spyware problems, and more expensive proprietary hardware.

So which one will I go with? I will probably continue to hedge my bets. I have a Windows desktop and laptop. I also have a Mac desktop. My most recent purchase was an upgrade to OSX 10.5. I will probably upgrade both sides and continue to sit on the fence.