Steve Jobs Comparison

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have been throwing jabs at each other since the late 70’s. Apple and Microsoft both offer similar products but many consumers do not know the significant differences in between them. Whether it is the operating system, price, customization or other factors such as personal preference, the decision is ultimately upon the consumer. First, the interior of each product is different. Since 1998, Apple’s Mac combined “all the computer hardware needed to run it inside a colorfully built case” (Apple Products). This allows the consumer to not have to buy a separate monitor and keep their work area clean. On the other hand, many Windows PC’s continue to use the traditional separate housing unit and monitors seen in typical

Another factor is the price of Apple Macs and Windows PCs. Apple Macs market at hefty price tags while Windows PCs are more affordable to consumers. The price of Apple Mac’s and Windows PC’s differ extensively. The starting price of a Windows PC is only $250. In contrast, the base price of an Apple Mac is $1000 (Herrman). The enormous price gap is due to the large number of distributors such as Asus and Hewlett-Packard that use Windows Microsoft on their PC’s. However, Macs only have one distributor, Apple. Second, the customization of Apple Macs and Windows PC puts Microsoft at a substantial advantage. Windows PC’s are customizable in almost every aspect, internally and externally. Windows PC desktops and laptops are available in different colors, sizes, and configurations allowing them to outsell Apple Macs by a “20-to-1 ratio” (Dediu). In contrast, Apple Macs are limited on hardware customization. Macs do not include Blu-ray drives, HDMI ports, or removeable batteries (Herrman). A Windows PC

The number of softwares pre-installed in Windows PCs depend on the manufacture. Bloatware, a common issue in Windows PCs, results when too many software programs come pre installed in a PC (Herrman). This issue may cause the PC to perform slower, less efficiently, and less stable. Apple’s Mac keeps the operating system crisp and clean allowing the Mac consumer to continually have stable, faster, and cleaner performance than most, if not all, Windows PCs. Apple Macs are also known for their extremely short boot times in comparison to Windows PCs. The Apple Macs have an average startup time of only 28.7 seconds. In contrast, the average startup time for a Windows PC is 1 minute and 13 seconds (Derene). In addition, all drivers in an Apple Mac are developed by Apple, allowing the consumer to have less driver related issues. In contrast, Windows PCs use different manufactures for their PC components making driver updates harder and potentially causing driver related issues which can cause a slower PC. When it comes to security and virus protection, Apple has the upper hand. Although Windows PCs are more common, they are a bigger target for malware and viruses. Apple has better security on their Macs allowing them to be impervious to viruses and malware