Windows PCs vs. Macs – Microsoft Trashes Apple

In a new Windows PCs vs. Macs comparison, Microsoft trashes Apple, per the same recipe that the Cupertino-based company has applied years after years against its Redmond rival. The software giant has expanded the Windows 7 website with a new portion designed to let customers have a look at the advantages of a Windows 7 computer vs. a Mac machine. The PC vs. Mac website is focused on six key areas including, Having Fun, Simplicity, Working Hard, Sharing, Compatibility, and Choice.

Microsoft presented its conclusion from the get go, noting that all that end users need to know is that “PCs are designed for work and play, with features you need to get things done on the job or at school and have fun at home or on the go. From easily sharing Microsoft Office documents to watching HDTV and Blu-ray movies, PCs help you do it all.”

The Redmond company has definitely not held back, and is indicating that “Macs might spoil your fun; Macs can take time to learn; Macs don't work as well at work or at school; Macs don't like to share; Macs might not like your PC stuff and that Macs don't let you choose.” At the bottom of this article users will be able to find all the arguments offered by the software giant.

Make no mistake about it, beyond the marketing perspective, Microsoft makes some very good points. Choosing a Mac over a PC comes with inherent limitations that the software giant points out in the new comparison website. After all, Apple produced similar comparisons time and again, some of them less justified than Windows PCs’ advantages over Macs in the Redmond company’s point of view.

Windows PCs continue to have a huge advantage over Macs, gaming-wise. And it’s extremely unlikely that Macs will ever get to rival Windows PCs as a gaming platform. For existing users of Windows it will certainly be easier to make the jump to a new machine preinstalled with Windows 7 than to a Mac, which comes with OS X, a new operating system that has very little in common with the experience of Windows.

Microsoft also points out the limitations of Apple’s productivity suite when it comes down to sharing files with Windows users. In addition, the company is indicating that with HomeGroup, Windows PCs and additional hardware in the household can easily connect to a Windows 7 PC acting as a central hub. The software giant is also warning Windows customers that they will face incompatibility problems if they consider switching to a Mac, as most software is designed to work on Windows. And of course, there’s the matter of choice.

Fact is that choice is extremely limited when it comes down to buying a new Mac. There are only a few models to choose from, and while having the same computer as 10 other people in the same class, coffee shop, etc. might work for some, it doesn’t for people that want their gear to individualize them. And there will always be people that want to build their own machines from scratch, customizing their PC to be as unique as possible. While this is easy with a Windows PC, the same cannot be said about Macs.

According to Microsoft:

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Macs might spoil your fun

There are some things you simply can't do out of the box with a Mac like watch, pause, rewind, and record TV like a DVR. It's showtime - You can't get a Mac that ships with a Blu-ray player, TV tuner, Memory Stick reader, or built-in 3G wireless. You can with PCs running Windows 7.

Game on - Most of the world's most popular computer games aren't available for Macs. And Macs can't connect to an Xbox 360. PCs are ready to play.

Direct TV connection - Most Macs can't hook up to your TV unless you buy a converter dongle. Many PCs running Windows 7 are designed to connect directly to TVs, so you can watch movies and see photos on the big screen.

Macs can take time to learn

The computer that's easiest to use is typically the one you already know how to use. While some may say Macs are easy, the reality is that they can come with a learning curve. PCs running Windows 7 look and work more like the computers you're familiar with, so you can get up and running quickly.

Working smoothly - Things just don't work the same way on Macs if you're used to a PC. For example, the mouse works differently. And many of the shortcuts you're familiar with don't work the same way on a Mac.

Use Windows 7 to simplify your life - Windows 7 was designed to make it simpler to do the tasks you do every day, with features that the Mac doesn't have. For example, the new Snap feature makes it easy to view two documents side by side.

Touch and go - Unlike Macs, many PCs running Windows 7 support Touch, so you can browse online newspapers, flick through photo albums, and shuffle files and folders—using nothing but your fingers. PCs with a fingerprint reader even let you log in with just a swipe of your finger.

Macs don't work as well at work or at school

If most of the computers in your office or school run Windows you may find it harder to get things done with a Mac.

Sharing documents and spreadsheets - If you use Apple's productivity suite, sharing files with PC users can be tricky. Your documents might not look right and your spreadsheets might not calculate correctly.

Giving presentations - You'll have to buy a separate hardware dongle to plug your Mac into a standard VGA projector. Most PCs with Windows 7 hook up easily.

Protecting your drives - On a Mac, out of the box, you can only encrypt your home folder. With Windows 7 Ultimate, you can encrypt your entire hard drive and even USB drives. So your stuff can be safer wherever you go.

Macs don't like to share At least half the fun of having a computer is sharing the stuff that matters to you with other people. This is harder to do on a Mac.

Securely share your movies, music, and photos - With a Mac, it's harder to set up secure sharing for your photos, music & movies, documents, and even printers with other computers on your home network. With HomeGroup, it's easy to connect all the computers in your house running Windows 7.

It's easy with a PC - On a Mac, you have to manually set up photo sharing, manually set up music and movie sharing, manually set up file sharing, and manually set up printer sharing. It's easy to automatically and securely network with all the computers in your house when they're running Windows 7.

Macs might not like your PC stuff