Students at BYU-Hawaii have joined the great Mac vs. PC debate. Facing off in areas such as design, software, and price, students explained their personal preferences when it comes to buying and owing computers.Kyle Nielson, a sophomore majoring in Biology from California, said, “I enjoy the freedom that I have with a PC. The freedom to tamper with the operating system as I please.”PC users were quick to defend their computers when asked about its functionality. “What most people don’t know is that PCs have the same capabilities as Macs, but people just don’t know how to use them. Macs can get viruses too,” said Emanuel Holland, a freshman majoring in biology from Millilani, Hawaii.“Macs are overrated and expensive,” said India Coley, a junior in international cultural studies from Maryland.USA Today’s Kim Komando, in his article entitled, “Macs vs. Pcs: How they Stack Up,” said PC’s may be a better bang for your buck. “PC’s win out when comparing the price; most books can be purchased for around $500,” said Komando.Komando re-iterated the capabilities of the software of PC computers. “The productivity suite for Windows is just as functional as the Mac version,” said Komando.Students who preferred using Macbooks were involved in photography, video production, and music production. Donald Winter, a junior majoring in business management finance from California, explained why Macs were his personal preference. “I like the OS on the Mac. It is more user friendly, and frankly, Windows never made sense to me.”Tiffany Smith, a freshman majoring in exercise and sports science from Redondo Beach, Calif., said, “Macs have a light-up keyboard, which is nice at night because I don’t have to worry about waking up my roommate. I like that it has a trackpad where I can go back and forth between Internet browsers and applications.”Komando’s article explained Apple’s mastery of detail. The inclusion of trackpads on Macbooks is a big factor in choosing Macs over PCs, as most PC users have learned to pack a mouse.Students have made the transition from PCs to Macs when entering the university. Toby Redd, a junior in finance from Washington, explained how his loss of interest in video games led to the switch from a PC to a Mac. “I used to have a PC. I knew the in’s and out’s of Windows and I put in custom hardware. But when I came to college, I got a Macbook, and now, I use it for the Internet instead of gaming,” Redd said.Chris Pineda, a sophomore majoring in ICS from Utah, covered the middle ground of the debate when he explained how both he and his wife own one of each. “I like Macs, but I have PC,” said Pineda.
Writer: Hailey Gardiner~Multimedia Journalist
