Macs vs Microsoft

As mentioned in the title

As mentioned, Microsoft (formerly run by Bill Gates) and Apple (formerly under Steve Jobs) share a sort of rivalry. But instead of saying which of them is better, I thought I'd just give a brief history of the two companies, and state what they do. As to which is better, I'll let better men than me decide.
To begin with, here is a brief history:

Clearly, Apple's stock is doing much better than Microsoft's. Yet, though the specific numbers themselves are unclear, sources state that Windows has a much higher market share than Apple's OS X (91.8% vs 7.3% in 2008). By the numbers, however, Wall Street investors see Apple as having a much higher potential for growth and better overall prospects than Microsoft. But what is the difference between them? There are several factors listed:

1. Design- Apple

Steve Jobs' unwavering commitment to put design first was a novel, if not alien concept at the time, but it's paid off handsomely since 1998, when the coloured iMac first made its appearance. Apple products are generally much sleeker-looking in terms of design than its counterparts from other companies that use Microsoft Windows. 

2. Choice- Windows

Strictly speaking, unlike Apple, Microsoft does not make its own PCs, but rather leases its software out to various large corporations. This allows for far greater choice for the consumer, and also lets them find a computer that suits their exact needs. On the other hand, Apple offers just five computer lines: the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro, the Mac mini, the iMac and the Mac Pro. 

3. Technical Specifications- Depends on the consumer

Generally, Apple products have faster processors than their Windows counterparts. The latter, however, have more RAM, hard disk space and USB ports. Both of them, however, offer CD/DVD readers and writers, video output and allow for external speakers. 

4. Price- No clear winner

I know this sounds illogical, but the reason why Apple products are so expensive is generally because it made the decision to build its line of products around the higher end of the line. This holds particularly true for computers. In general, therefore, an Apple computer would cost around the same as a Windows one with similar specifications (comparison: Samsung Series 7 Notebook 700Z3A at $1688 costs around the same as a 13-inch Macbook Pro with Retina Display at $1499). That said, Windows products have a much greater price range (from $599), which reaches out to different income groups. 

5. Availability- Windows

Windows is more available. As mentioned previously, this was because Microsoft licensed out Windows to other companies while Apple is far more selective. 

6. Security- Apple

However, this leads to a problem: That of security. In a previous post, I mentioned that of all the computer viruses out today, the overwhelming majority of them are directed at Windows, rather than at Apple software. However, as the popularity of Apple products increase, so, too, will the malware aimed at it. For now though, Apple users tend to be less at risk of malware than their Windows counterparts.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the popularity of Apple seems to be on the rise, while Windows seems to be on the decline. With Google's Android being thrown into this mix now, the future of these two software giants seems to be a bit more uncertain. At this point though, they are in flux and not particularly stable, but, to me, in time, they will eventually settle into a fixed part of the market share, each brand having its own loyal following and bringing different things to the table.