How to Choose Between Mac and Windows
This week, in the Update section, we go back to basics and look at the long-standing rivalry between the two major operating systems on the market, Windows 10 and macOS. How are the latest versions of them holding up? Is it time to move on?
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This week’s discussion: Windows 10 vs. macOS
Apple software has long been touted as a better-designed and easier-to-use system, with Windows being a less sleek but more flexible option. Is there still truth to this simplification? Well, both systems are now so compatible in characteristics that the former rivalry is no longer quite relevant. Both systems offer all the basic functionality you’d expect from a modern operating system, and either will work for most people for everyday use.
But the point is where they differ. If you’re a gamer, you probably want to stick with Windows, especially since you can tailor your own hardware to suit your needs. This could mean building a super system from scratch, or simply upgrading your graphics card.
On the other hand, Windows is more of a target for viruses and malware simply because the different versions of Windows have so much market share that it’s an easy target. This does not mean macOS is immune to malware; it’s just a less common goal.
Both macOS and Windows 10 have voice assistants: Cortana on Windows and Siri on Mac. While they can be useful when you just want to check the weather or surf the web, we find that we don’t use them as often. It feels a little less natural than using voice assistants on your phone, and laptop microphones don’t always work that well.
The biggest difference between the two is the hardware you can use. To dive into what sets them apart, Christina Warren and Alex Kranz from Gizmodo joined me on the show. Apple laptops have for many years been the relative gold standard for well-designed, reliable computers for everyday use that you could buy without really worrying about performance. There are many cheaper options out there, but the MacBook Pro just works. However, recent updates to the MacBook Pro line, including the unique Touch Bar, make them especially expensive if you want high-quality performance. However, if you want to use macOS, you will mostly be tied to Apple hardware. (Or you can try the Hackintosh route of installing macOS on third-party hardware .)
By comparison, Windows is designed to work with a wide variety of hardware, from laptops to desktops to touchscreen tablets. That means you can only spend a few hundred dollars on an inexpensive Windows laptop, but Microsoft has also taken a leap forward with new high-performance hardware like the Surface Book . There are many trade-offs as well: the Dell XPS 13 is generally recommended as a great value. And of course, if you want to create your own fancy rig for games or other processor-intensive applications, then Windows is truly your best bet.
Our weekly updates
Every week to add some minor enhancements to The Upgrade . Here’s a quick recap:
- Andy: I used large ice cubes. In fact, giant ice cubes are about two inches in diameter. People say they are better for drinks because they melt more slowly so that your drink doesn’t dilute; I don’t know if this is so, but I still like them. I use these silicone trays for my giant ice .
- Eric: Eric used Data Selfie to track Facebook usage . It stores data locally and generates a report that shows what Facebook can tell you about you through your behavior, such as the people you talk to the most, your political views, and even your emotional state.
- Thorin: Thorin is upgraded at the grocery store . Recently, a group of food manufacturers agreed on a new standardized way to label expiry dates to better reflect whether your foods are still edible.
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