Peeking Through Your Windows…
by, Nabeel A. Shah*
Since the launch of the Apple 
iPhone, Macintosh has been getting quite a bit of publicity, most of it good. I’ve heard nothing but praise about Mac Books from users and nothing but criticism about the Windows system. A lot of people as of late have been trying to switch to an Apple device but have been struggling to afford it, so I figured I would help you decide whether or not it’s worth it.
windows: I personally own a Windows machine. I liked Windows XP, wasn’t a big fan of Windows Vista, and being an Electrical Engineering student I got an institute sponsored upgrade to Windows 7 and I love it. The greatest thing about Windows is that it’s affordable. I can get a pretty nice Windows machine for probably around $900 at Best Buy and can customize it however I want. I enjoy the fact that Windows is compatible with virtually every piece of hardware and software produced for the masses, so you don’t have to search around for substitutes. I love that if something happens to my computer that I can’t personally fix, I have a plethora of places to choose from that can fix it. And Microsoft Office is the greatest thing to happen to mankind since the invention of fast food. It’s pretty easy to use, slightly pricey but not like you get the stuff with Macs either, and it’s an efficient piece of software. The biggest complaint about Windows is its vulnerability to viruses as compared to a Mac (I’ll address that soon). But honestly, with the money you could save by buying a Windows machine, you can afford a couple years of Norton Security. It’s a well-rounded system that can dabble into anything you want it to.
macs:
The number one fallacy I hear about Mac’s is that they cannot get viruses. This is absolutely FALSE. 
Anything can get a virus, if it were impossible to put a virus on a Mac, the entire world would run on Macs. Now granted it is harder to hack a Mac (haha, it rhymes… foreshadowing?) the truth of the matter is that most people who create viruses do it for the masses, and for mass chaos for some benefit of their own. Windows users outrageously out number Macs, so why would a hacker waste his or her time coding a virus that will only reach a small percentage of computer owners? They wouldn’t. Macs are really nifty machines though. I absolutely love they’re user interface (UI, pretty much how everything looks and is set up). It flows beautifully and flawlessly. They come with powerful graphics cards and great sound cards which make them great for people who involve themselves in the arts. And Macs have the ability to double boot Windows. However, they’re really expensive. The most basic Mac Book is $1000. I’d rather not… Also, a great amount of hardware and software developed for the masses is still not compatible with Macs. Macs are impossible to have repaired by pretty much anybody but Best Buy, or Apple, and it costs an arm and a leg both places. You could probably find somewhere to do it, but I guarantee it won’t be cheap.
linux: (generalizations) Linux is an open source OS used mainly by hackers, coders, engineers, etc. It’s an absolute pain to use for the average user because there are no easy install files, compatibility is a pain, and it’s just time consuming to do much of anything on there if you are an average Joe. However, you can find pretty much anything for Linux online for free, and if you know your way around code, it’s a super light, super fast OS. Because it’s an open source OS it is free to download and 100% customizable (this is what Android by Google is based off).
The Breakdown: Windows suits pretty much everybody. You can find one to fit almost any budget; it’s easy to use and has a ton of free software available for it. It’s easier to fix than a Mac and its ideal for students and business users. Unfortunately, before Windows 7, it was a bulky and an often lagging OS with more problems than some wanted to deal with. Macs are great for people with deeper pockets. They have a beautiful UI and are the perfect machine or the folk who like to play around with video editing, music and image editing and mostly anything that involves some form of art. But they are expensive to fix, and harder to work around. And keep in mind, they aren’t invincible and from my experience, problems with Macs are usually fatal. Linux is perfect for anybody who knows their way around code. It’s free, light and can become “100% you.”
Nabeel A. Shah is an Electrical Engineering major at Georgia Tech.
