Do You Have to Buy Apple?
Have you ever heard snide comments from friends about your android or PC use? Has the incredible marketing strategy that Apple has built upon over the years convinced you that you must buy their newest release as soon as humanly possible?
But do you really have to buy Apple products? The short answer to this question is...nope.
Even though buying Apple is not a necessity, there are some benefits to using their products.
The Ecosystem
Updates
Reliability
However, on the other hand, even though we use Apple products in our office there are drawbacks.
Price
Lack of Customization
Operating System Options
The most important thing to remember is that what counts most is the skill of the person using the tool and not necessarily which device or brand that person chooses. For the most part, almost every major creative tool is available on both Windows and MacOS. Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Cloud work on both operating systems. Need to use Google Chrome or Firefox?
Both operate just fine. When it comes down to it, it’s a matter of preference.
Why Buy Apple?
The Ecosystem
This is the biggest draw of the brand. If you already have other Apple products like an iPhone, iPad, Mac or even a Homepod, using them together is seamless. Anyone in our office will tell you my preferred way of sharing files is AirDrop.
It’s an incredibly fast way to share files that can be accepted and saved with one click. The other big draw is Handoff. The ability to start something on one device and quickly continue on another device is a big time saver.
Especially being able to copy something on my phone and paste it onto my computer. There are many other benefits of the Apple ecosystem as well, but these are just a couple that I use on a daily basis in my workflow.
Updates
This is an easy one to overlook when searching for a new device but it’s important. On a Windows device I feel like I’m asked almost everyday to do a system update when starting up or shutting down my computer. The other inconvenience is the drivers you may need to update before downloading an app.
Sometimes it’s a hassle when starting your day and suddenly you find yourself waiting for your computer to download and install updates and drivers necessary to use the tools you need. With Apple this just isn’t the experience at all. Updates aren’t nearly as often, as they are not needed as much.
Also, drivers don’t need to be downloaded for any app downloaded from the App Store and rarely need to be downloaded for third-party apps.
Reliability
With the exception of Adobe Creative Cloud I have almost never had an issue with apps crashing and have rarely had my system need to reboot on Mac. Knowing that everything is going to work as it should 99% of the time is reassuring.
Why Not to Buy Apple?
We had to combine these because they really go hand in hand. If you like Windows there are a bunch of different brands you can buy from. There are so many options in terms of the style of desktop or laptop to choose from. If you want MacOS then you have to buy from Apple.
If you’re focused on specs, typically you can also find the same specs for a cheaper price with a non-Apple device. Here’s a comparison between a Mac Mini and an HP Desktop.
For the same specs you can spend half the money with the HP and either get an even nicer monitor or get a second desktop. For clarity I will say that both of these devices have Intel chips.
The new Macs with the M1 Chip have seriously boosted performance and are probably worth a separate blog post. Let’s look at two other popular choices for creators. The Razer Blade 15 and the 16” Macbook Pro.
At the time of writing this, the Razer is $900 cheaper for pretty much the same specs! The Razer also comes with more ports and a higher refresh rate screen. Many would argue that it’s the superior device. Here it’s tough to justify spending the extra money on Apple.
At the end of the day, the majority of software tools are available on multiple operating systems. As long as the computer has the specs that you need, then you should be satisfied with its performance. It comes down to a matter of preference.
Whichever type of device you end up choosing, make sure you fully understand how the computer works, its unique functions, and research any tricks it has to offer. Like stated previously, the operating system doesn’t matter as much as the person using it does.
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