Mac Vs. Pc

A New Kind of 21st Century War+

For almost thirty years, there has been a popularity struggle between two mega-corporations which has consumed educators, businessmen and the tech savvy alike. Both companies have leagues of followers who are dedicated to their products and have strong oppositions to the others merchandise. This new kind of struggle for popularity is between the multinational computer corporations of Apple Incorporated and the Microsoft Corporation and shows no signs of lessening intensity with new products being constantly introduced to the market. Although the commonly referenced "PC" (Personal Computer) has about eighty-five to ninety percent, the Mac users have a strong foothold on the market and are not planning on losing that position anytime soon. Actually, the Microsoft platform is a more versatile source for both recreational and business performance in terms of both compatibility with most software and affordability for homeowners and educators.

The most notable difference between the competitors is the basis on which they were founded; the operating systems. As many know, the Microsoft Corporation was started in 1975 by Harvard-dropout-turned-computer-programmer Bill Gates and co-founder Paul Allen. The operating system uses the BASIC programming language that Gates learned while at school when he was only 14 years of age using the relatively new computing systems available to the public. Gates had more of a business oriented mind early in hid career as he licensed his software out to other manufacturers while still managing to hold sole control of the software code itself. The economically superior position held by Gates and his team allowed room for "The largest computer software company on the planet" to date and produced one of the richest men in the world along with four billionaires out of Microsoft's top executives, and millionaires out of secretaries. On the other hand, Apple Computers Incorporated had a very different start from that of Gates and his Microsoft offspring. Founded by two individuals, one with a dream of what his new found company could be and one with the knowledge and technological skills to pursue that dream. These two friends are Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the cofounders of Apple who, in the seventies tried to figure out a way to sell the personal computer before the market or consumers had an idea what the computer was. Jobs' dream was to have the interface for the program to be as ascetically pleasing as possible while still maintaining a working environment that will appeal to businessmen and educators, as well as consumers. Apple's decision to keep control over both the hardware and software end of its business ensured a less rapid growth of its company but keeping its technological base strong by involving the company in every aspect of the computers design. In this way, Apple had the upper hand for a short time in the late seventies and early eighties while Microsoft was gearing up for a total market takeover.

Next is the area of which company creates better products and who has the dominant success rate at marketing and selling said products. Currently, Apple has the "coolness factor" with its sophisticated and classy look with elegantly simple designs. Richard Stice, hardware analyst at Standard & Poor's explains that the first iPod was the first product to change people's opinion about Apple products and was the first widespread success of the company in twenty years. He emphasized how the newly introduced mp3 player surpassed previously popular personal electronics like Sony's Walkman.