Like most people, I have used a windows laptop or desktop for nearly my entire life for work and at home. In the last few years, I have also started to use Apple Macs. This post documents my experiences and thoughts about using these two different machines.
In 2021, having already invested hugely into the Apple ecosystem via use of iPads and iPhones since around 2010, I decided to buy an M1 Mac Book Pro to use alongside my HP Elite windows laptop at home. I bought a 13″ Mac Book Pro as a bit of a treat. Slightly on impulse but I had always wanted a Mac.
The HP Elite that I owned had a backlit keyboard, touch screen and many excellent features, but I wanted a Mac so I could experience what it was like to own a Mac. The plan being that I would still use the HP Elite laptop for tasks needing windows like gaming. I could then use both Mac and Windows laptops as I felt fit.
What I did not realise at the time was how convenient the Mac would be for maintaining my websites and blogging. Software that took forever to load on windows was accessible so much much faster on the Mac. The result was unexpectedly that I just stopped using my HP Elite laptop which started gathering dust.
While I initially carried on using a windows laptop for work, in 2021 I changed jobs and started working for a company that supplied staff with Macs. Therefore I was now using two Mac’s, one for work and the other for my own personal use. This was pleasing as the laptops that I had been given for work previously had not been the highest of spec.
Reliability wise, I am generally impressed with the Mac’s and I have now been using them for a few years. I had certainly come across my fair share of blue screens with windows 10 and then 11 over the years. Not to say that Mac’s are perfect either.
When I bought my HP Elite windows laptop pc for personal use, I hoped that buying a higher spec machine would resolve stability and crashing issues. While it did to a degree, the demands of maintaining websites appeared too (along with streaming) much still for my windows laptop with slowdowns and software not responding. Of course, you are reliant on the specs of the computer build and I owned a fairly decent specced HP Elite model that was just as expensive as any Apple Mac. Therefore the results were disappointing as I appreciate performance will be linked to spec. The Mac however manages the tasks without issue, hence now my preference to use. Maintenance wise, I do find it easier to keep a Mac running well compared to a windows PC.
The build of both my Mac and own windows computers is solid. All nice bits of kit. My Mac Book Pro has an M1 chip and is pretty fast and my work Mac Book Pro runs on intel as an older model. To be fair, I have had little trouble with the older Mac (intel) until the Senoma upgrade last October. Since then it has struggled slightly with some total crashing. Strangely when not in use, it tends to crash if you have a short break. The Touch ID panel also tends to flicker but it is an older Mac. Hopefully my own Mac won’t start that issue as that will then become annoying.
In my experience, the Mac is not always perfect but the good news is that the Apple chipset tends to be generally reliable, so I intend to stick with Mac’s as a personal choice. Though they still cannot beat windows computers for gaming though which is an area that PC’s excel at.
Nowadays, as I am reliant on Mac’s all the time, my daughter uses my HP Elite, so I at least have a windows PC if ever needed.
I do of course appreciate that these views are subjective. Everyone having their own experiences and preferences. In the same vein of android vs IOS, Playstation vs Xbox, VHS vs BetaMax (for any dinosaurs), everyone has their own views. Please do feel free to share your own experiences of using Mac’s and PC laptops. There are of course always pro’s and con’s for any devices and how they will be used will always differ from person to person.
Thank you for reading.
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