02/10: Why do designers use Apples?!
This seems to be a real debate these days. The funny thing is almost nobody knows the real reason. I personally grew up using Apples because my mom was a teacher. Every summer the teachers were allowed to bring home a computer, so that is what we had in the house. I bought my first PC when I went to university. This was mainly a decision based on my financial situation at the time. There was no way I could afford to buy myself an Apple!
With that being said over the years I ended up sticking with my PC. A Windows machine is far cheaper than an Apple and they do the exact same thing, so I have never been persuaded to spend the extra cash.
Being designers many people are surprised that we don't use Apples in our office. I always laugh a little bit at this stereotype because nobody ever seems to know why designers use Apples. The most common comment I hear is "Aren't they better at graphics?" Of course my favorite is "Designers like things that look aesthetically pleasing so they buy Apples!" If this really is the case then it is a sad, sad day. Buying a computer for how it looks is like buying an expensive sports car with straight-4. Of course, Apples are generally built well, so I am by all means not saying they are cheap under the hood.
The real reason many designers still use Apples is because the original design programs (Illustrator and Photoshop) put out by Adobe were only available on the Mac. Once something becomes an "industry standard" it is difficult to break. It is even harder to break when people don't know why it was the standard in the first place, so the cycle goes on without anybody questioning it.
In reality today there is no major difference. The lines have slowly blurred over time between Apple and Windows. The operating systems both run on Intel based chips, they can be easily networked together, and files are almost universally interchangeable. The main differences are the way the companies market and promote themselves.
This is an interesting topic for me, so check back and I'm sure to write more!
With that being said over the years I ended up sticking with my PC. A Windows machine is far cheaper than an Apple and they do the exact same thing, so I have never been persuaded to spend the extra cash.
Being designers many people are surprised that we don't use Apples in our office. I always laugh a little bit at this stereotype because nobody ever seems to know why designers use Apples. The most common comment I hear is "Aren't they better at graphics?" Of course my favorite is "Designers like things that look aesthetically pleasing so they buy Apples!" If this really is the case then it is a sad, sad day. Buying a computer for how it looks is like buying an expensive sports car with straight-4. Of course, Apples are generally built well, so I am by all means not saying they are cheap under the hood.
The real reason many designers still use Apples is because the original design programs (Illustrator and Photoshop) put out by Adobe were only available on the Mac. Once something becomes an "industry standard" it is difficult to break. It is even harder to break when people don't know why it was the standard in the first place, so the cycle goes on without anybody questioning it.
In reality today there is no major difference. The lines have slowly blurred over time between Apple and Windows. The operating systems both run on Intel based chips, they can be easily networked together, and files are almost universally interchangeable. The main differences are the way the companies market and promote themselves.
This is an interesting topic for me, so check back and I'm sure to write more!