Mac vs PC

The Great Debate:

Who Shall Win and Who Shall Be Eaten By Dragons?

I have used both PC/Windows and Mac/Apple throughout my entire life. As I start planning for college and the need to buy a laptop, I thought I would use my greatly neglected blog to present each side of this long lasting argument in a fairly unbiased way.

Let's begin. . . 

Apple

The Story

   My school district is an Apple Distinguished Institution which is basically just a fancy way of saying that Apple sponsors us and gives us lots of its products. Every student in grades 8 through 12 is given a personal MacBook to use during the school year. Elementary schools and the seventh graders have more than enough computers to go around as well. Several departments in the high school have recently gotten several iPads and iPad 2s in the last two years.

   Having grown up in a Mac-Obsessed school district I am proficient as using Apple computers and programs.

The Pros

• More user friendly (though with all of my Windows experience 'user-friendly' isn't necessarily a requirement)
• There are some programs I really like that are Apple specific.
• Fewer viruses

The Cons

• Not Windows
• Sometime perceived as pretentious. I am in no way a pretentious person.
• I do not know all the tech secrets for Macs. I know basic troubleshooting that I have picked up but still have to bother tech support for anything more than Force Quit and Reboots.
• More expensive than many PCs
• I have had my Apple comps crash way more than my PCs

PC

The Story

   I grew up using PCs. My older brother is a Computer Programming and IT major in college and my dad's one and only hobby is Computers. I am more familiar with troubleshooting and support for PCs because I have gathered slightly-higher-than-common-knowledge troubleshooting throughout the years from my brother and father.

   Having being raised in a PC enthralled household, I am highly proficient in all things PC and Windows.

The Pros

• I feel that I know more about PCs even with all of my Apple experience.
• Less expensive
• Has the most up-to-date version of Word, PPT, Excel, etc that come with the computer when I purchase it
• Fewer crashes, easier to create back-up drives/disks (that I know of)

The Cons

• Not Apple
• More viruses
• It seems as if, moving into the future, many people are switching to Macs. This is not necessarily a con for PC necessarily but if I spend several hundred of my very small college fund on a brand new PC I want to make sure that I will not be behind technologically when I entire the career field.
• Some of my very favorite programs are not available for Windows OR there are not as advanced versions of said programs for Windows (i.e. Final Cut, Scrivener)
• One of the colleges I am seriously considering requires a MacBook Pro for all students in my prospective major

Conclusion

Despite everything that I have listed here (and other things that I have thought in my head but were too complicated to include on this blog) I still have not been able to come to a concise choice. When it comes to actually buying my laptop next year, more than a little will depend on cost and whether or not I'm accepted to the program and college that requires Apple products.

So, neither PC nor Mac wins. I feed Mark Zuckerberg to the dragons. Problem solved (until next year that is.)

I have captured the bunnies!

Specifically speaking, I have captured my plot bunnies for this years NaNoWriMo (which starts in 57 days!!).

I was originally planning to write the sequel to my 2010 NaNoNovel but after careful discussion my my brother I have thus decided to completely write my NaNoNovel 2011 using a compilation of four random generators:

One for genre

One for setting, plot, characterization device, hero, villain

One for first words

One for title

As an example:

Genre: Renaissance Mutant Action/Adventure

Setting:Ocean Punk

Plot:Rags To Royalty

Narrative Device:Overly Long Gag

Hero:Plucky Girl

Villain:Lesbian Vampire

Character As Device:Stoic Woobie

Characterization Device:Living Forever Is Awesome

First words: There be dragons here. . .

Title: Swiftly Smiling


This isn't what I'm going to use for my NaNoWriMo but you get the idea.


Thankfully, now that I have decided to write NaNo this year I can spend the next 57 days NOT outlining for NaNo and instead do that homework that is due.

Speaking of NaNo have you seen the badge I got for completing last year?

It's pretty. And look! the monkeys!

EXPLOSION

My head is about to explode. And not the good explode. The type of exploding that only comes from stupid people and an insane schedule.

In addition to that, I had my script for TV Production and my stories due for Newspaper. I have had something for Band every single day this week.

But, as much as I would love to spend the next 500 words rambling about how horrible, and horribly busy, my life is. I thought it would be better spent with you looking at this lovely long stretch of blank space.
















































Now. Wasn't that fun?

Seriously, if I had the patience or mental capacity to write an intelligent blog post I would. Instead I'm going to sit here on my parents reclining (and surprisingly comfortable) couch, read, check Twitter, start planning for NaNoWriMo (which requires a completely separate blog post to explain), and hope that my Real Head does not explode.

To sign off I will leave you with a small part of my NaNoNovel from 2010.

   “Trust me Groundling boy we really don’t have the time for me to tell you my life story at the moment. I don’t how close the damn Air agents are and I would really like to not who they are. So that means I have to keep moving. And since you’re the one who volunteered to help me you have to move too.”

    “I didn’t really volunteer…”

    “Semantics. Just go…”

     He glanced back in the direction of the clearing then back at me. “Stay here. I’m going to get some you some money. Don’t run away, otherwise I won’t be able to help you.”

    “Blah, blah, blah. I understand. Just move. Run.”