For the past two weeks, The DePaulia has been conducting an online survey to see where the DePaul community stands in regards to their computer preferences. The survey, entitled “MAC VERSUS PC,” consisted of four questions that asked what people used, their preferences, why people would buy either a Mac or PC, and what they think the majority of the DePaul community uses. While some responses were quite similar, most were surprisingly original. There is a plethora of statistics that influence the decision to use either a Mac or a PC.
Most of the classrooms, labs and lounges in all DePaul buildings use a standard PC. There are, however, a few exceptions. The Lincoln Park campus has an all-Mac lab located on the third floor of the Student Center, and the entire Maggie C. Daley Center building in the loop is stocked with Mac computers. Despite the token Mac labs and classrooms, the fact is that DePaul University uses mainly PCs, and according to The DePaulia‘s online survey, 59 percent think the DePaul community uses PCs.
This stat, however, contradicts the results of another question from our survey: “which type of computer do you use?” Just over half of the people surveyed responded that they use Macs. The two other questions were aimed at trying to find out why people prefer what they use, and why people make the selections they do.
Personal Computer users all seem to agree they are more comfortable with PCs because it is how they grew up, and that they are easier to use.
One PC user commented, “those who use Macs say they love them, but those who use PCs probably don’t, because they may have never used a Mac.” Although PCs are the industry standard, Mac and PC users alike have labeled PCs as being “old, less innovative and discouraging to creativity.” While these criticisms were seen in the survey results, numerous people also commented that PCs are much cheaper, and more compatible with different software.
Laurie Melvin, from DePaul University Procurement Services, explained the Macs vs. PCs debate as being a matter of personal preference.
“I personally think it is contingent on what type of work is generated by the computer, not necessarily popularity. If the computer is used to output files for print, then the Mac platform is the primary industry standard. PC has only crept into the graphics industry within the past seven years or so. I am basing that on my experience as being in the graphic industry for over 20 years.”
Mac users argued that Apple just makes better machines. The benefits of using a Mac seemed to pour out of those who prefer them: from having fewer command questions, to its sleek look, durable body, faster hardware, and virus immunity. Notwithstanding, Mac users seem to be perfectly aware this is not a one-sided debate. Many of the people who prefer Macs addressed the cost issue. Macs, depending on the size and version, can triple or quadruple the price of PCs currently in the market.
Iyo, a graduate student working at the Loop campus’ Genius Squad said, “I am a Lynx user, and I bought a Mac because they operate more closely to the way Lynx does. However, the price was definitely a sacrifice for me.”
DePaul’s resident computer repair specialists were questioned about their personal preferences, and information on who mainly come in for repairs, and why.
Mike O’Malley, a junior at DePaul has been working at the Genius Squad desk in the Lincoln Park campus for two years. He expressed that “99.9 percent of all the people who come in have problems with their PC.” One of the perks of Macs, as was repeated multiple times within the survey results, is that they are not prone to any type of virus. This fact is contrary to PCs, which fall victim to viruses in both hardware and software.
Another Genius Squad employee, Issa Haddad, said people who come in for issues with Macs usually just need to solve internet or network connection issues. Some Mac issues have even been related to physical damage to the exterior of the machine, but aside from this and connectivity issues, they seem to not need the services of the Genius Squad.
Whether you prefer Mac’s virus immunity and sleek look or if you are more comfortable with a PC, DePaul is an equal opportunist when it comes to computers.