Everyone knows that the Apple brand has a reputation for higher price, reliability and its unique operating system. The company’s personal and business computers are revered in many ways, in part because they are self-contained and don’t require the user to customize or fix anything. Macs get regular software updates and bug fixes and patches are available for even older Macs. Even though Apple products typically cost more than their counterparts, there are a few reasons they seem to last longer than Windows laptops and PCs.
Oddly enough, many barely-used models end up on shelves of used electronics’ stores. The reason is simple. Apple’s outstanding marketing campaigns and innate ability to produce newer and better versions keeps consumers running out to buy the latest and greatest Macs, which can become an advantage for others on a budget.
A couple big differences between Apple’s Macs and PCs
One of the biggest differences between the two is that Apple is the only company that manufacturers their products. Sure, they outsource to countries like China, Korea and Taiwan, however all of its products are signed, “Designed by Apple in California”. Because of the tight qualifications of their outsourced manufacturers they are still able to make that claim on all of its products.
Microsoft PCs, on the other hand, are produced by many companies and sold under the manufacturers’ brand names. So there is less control when a problem occurs. If your Apple goes on the fritz, it can be taken into any number of Apple Stores and fixed on the spot, and often at no charge. If your Microsoft PC needs repair and you take it into a Microsoft Store it is typically sent it to its original manufacturer for repair.
Apple makes a valid claim about its harder-to-hack security features such as its carefully structured encryption and Unix operating system, which is considered to be a little more secure than Windows OS. This also means fewer viruses or malware infections.
New Apple computers cost more than a newly manufactured PC, yet as we have noted, there are a few distinct advantages. So when the budget is tight it makes sense to shop around for a used Mac computer. There is no reason to give up on a machine that provides fewer hardware issues. Unless you are a techie who loves to dabble, buying the computer that provides peace-of-mind for work or play is generally the best choice.
“We liken it to buying a slightly used Lexus versus a brand new Kia. Although Kias can also be a good choice, the Lexus is going to give you the ride and duration the latter can’t easily provide,” reports Gino Joukar, President of DVWarehouse.
If you are currently a Windows OS user and plan to switch to a Mac, there are a few things you’ll want to get used to. The keyboard shortcut keys are different and may take a few minutes to get used to them. Taking a screenshot is similar to a Windows PC, but with a Mac you can crop your shot without having to pull it into a different program, like Paint.
One of the best reasons to buy a used or refurbished Mac versus a PC is because it syncs so beautifully with an iPhone, including text messages. Lastly, and possibly most important is that you can use Boot Camp to install Windows on your machine, giving the best of both worlds.