Apple Vs The World A Comparison Of
Apple Vs. The World: A Comparison Of Pc? S And Apple Computers Essay, Research Paper
Introduction
This article will measure the practicality of several Personal computers vs. Apple Macs for an incoming college fresher. The ever-changing computing machine universe is a labyrinth of options and capablenesss. Within this ever-changing universe prevarication to really different elements ; the Personal computer and the Mac are two really different computing machines. Both computing machines have their ain alone qualities, but besides have their ain defects excessively. Hardware, runing systems, and affordability will be compared.
Decision
1. For a college fresher come ining his first term, the more low-cost and obvious pick would be a Personal computer.
2. Apple is non as compatible with every bit much hardware or package.
3. Personal computer? s offer more picks in runing systems every bit good as picks in hardware, package, game accountants and other peripherals.
4. Unless you are working on picture or image redaction and need truly fast consequences, the Personal computer is by far a better pick.
RECOMENDATIONS
1. Consult a individual that has owned an Mac or other Apple computing machines to find if they are happy with their determination.
2. Try an Apple and a Personal computer on your ain to find which is right for you.
3. Determine what precisely you will be utilizing your computing machine for and what types of package you will be utilizing.
4. Make your ain computations on monetary values and characteristics before traveling to a seller.
Findingss
Hardware
Taking a expression at the external characteristics of a computing machine you see a plastic or steel box with a plastic faceplate lodging the CD-ROM, disc thrusts, enlargement slots and the inside circuitry. The interior of a computing machine consists of a motherboard, with different slots to stop up different types of? cards, ? a processor, that runs all the computations, the different ports that connect other hardware, such as the mouse and keyboard, and the many other circuits and objects that appear on the board it? s ego. The? cards? each have their ain distinguishable map such as sound, picture, web, modem and RAM. Every computing machine needs each one of the stated to run right.
The motherboard is the base of any system whether it is an Apple or Personal computer. The motherboard is the base with the connexions to all the necessary constituents. All motherboards are comparatively the same when it comes down to an mean Personal computer in a place or little concern environment. Motherboards Begin to acquire typical when one wants to make a mainframe or waiter. Motherboards usually come criterion with 5 PCI slots, perchance 1 or 2 ISA slots, and between 3 and 4 memory slots. The motherboard besides has a topographic point for the processor and a manner to attach it to a shell. A motherboard is pictured below.
The Processor is likely the most talked about piece of hardware within the computing machine industry. The processor runs all the computations and processes all the entered informations by the user. The most common types of processors out for a Personal computer are the Pentium series distributed by Intel, and the K and Atholon line processors distributed by KMD. Both companies have released processors that are really similar in velocity and public presentation but, for the intent of this article, it is non necessary to compare the two companies merchandises. Apple computing machines use a different type of processor called the G4. The G4 is said to run highly fast and when put up against the Pentium 3 is said to be much faster in its computations and informations processing. The G4 runs faster than the Pentium 3 by being able to treat informations at a higher rate ; the G4 can treat informations in 128 spot balls compared to 32 or 64 spot balls that the Pentium 3 and other processors handle informations at. A Pentium 3 processor is pictured below with the G4 processor next to it.
RAM, or random entree memory, acts as a keeping pen for files and plans that are presently running on your desktop. It is common within the industry to state? more is better? when it comes to Ram, this is because the more RAM you have the more able you will be to entree larger plans and files. On top of accessing capablenesss, the more Ram your computing machine has, the faster it will finish the undertakings you are running. There are several different types of RAM including EDO RAM, SDRAM, DRAM, BEDO RAM, and SRAM. Each type has its ain specific intents, pros and cons, but this study will non travel into each separately. RAM as a whole is a really of import portion of any Personal computer. Three different types, RAM, EDO RAM and SDRAM, of RAM are pictured below.
Sound is considered a really of import facet to a computing machine. Both Personal computers and iMacs offer highly good sound options. Hardware by legion companies is offered to PC users universe broad while merely Apple merchandises are supported by iMacs? .
When it comes to exceed of the line visuals, it is race to a practical finish line of eternity. In the universe of video both Personal computers and iMacs have their pros and cons. In the ever-changing universe of Personal computers picture cards are a must! The ocular environment is of all time altering and has unlimited possibilities. For case, the computing machine I bought has a really high-end picture card, the Nvidia Geforce 256. This card has great artworks every bit good a nice monetary value ticket, about $ 150. This may look like a big amount for a picture cards but personal research at a local best bargain shows monetary value ranges from merely under $ 100 all the manner up to the trade name new Prophet 2 Geforce 2 picture card at a humongous $ 450.
The CD-ROM and disc thrust are two other really popular, and normally standard, pieces of hardware. The CD-ROM is a unit used to read informations CD? s and/or drama music Cadmium? s. They range in velocities from double velocity to 56x ; this is how fast they read a Cadmium. Many makers make CD-ROMs. CD-ROMs besides range in monetary value ; this usually depends on the maker and velocity of the unit. The disc thrust is usually a three and one-half inch bay at the forepart of a computing machine. The other manner, that has become disused, is a five and one-half inch bay. These bays are used to reassign information on to floppy discs, the industry criterion name. The three and one-half inch discs merely hold about 1.5 MB of information. There are besides specialty thrusts such as the Zip Drive, Jaz Drive, or Super Disk that can keep up to five-hundred times more information on one disc. Though they hold more, the forte thrusts are a small spot bigger in size but will suit into the same infinite as the floppy disc thrust would.
The last pieces of difficult ware are the peripherals. These are your mouse, keyboard, game accountants such as control sticks and joypads, talkers and proctors, pressmans, mikes and all other merchandises that plug into the CPU it self. These scope in a assortment of manners, colourss, forms, sizes and designs. The mouse and keyboard are about ever standard, and the proctor is normally standard but all merchandises can be upgraded or downgraded to the consumers wishing.
Comparison
Both PC? s and iMacs have the same basic constituents ( motherboard, sound and picture cards, Ram, CD-ROM, Floppy, etc. ) . The iMac, every bit good as all other Apple computing machines does non hold compatibility with picture cards made by all makers ; Apple computing machines merely have a limited choice of picture cards. Most specialty disc thrusts are besides non compatible with Apple computing machines. Just about all other constituents are compatible otherwise.
One last, but really disputed, difference dividing Apple and PC difficult ware is the processor. Apple has a super advanced processor that is far superior to any AMD or Pentium processor. Though difficult to believe, Apple has developed a engineering that surpasses that of their Personal computer cousins. You are likely inquiring what precisely is so advanced about the G4 processor. What the G4 processor does is compute information faster and more expeditiously than a Pentium does. A ocular illustration below demonstrates.
The G4, or Velocity Engine, processes information in 128 spot? balls, ? while the Pentium processes information in 32 or 64 spot? balls? , therefore the G4 is faster in it? s computations than the Pentium. The G4 is still in its early old ages and the fastest processor right now is merely 500 MHz, a shadow of the supreme power of the AMD and Pentium 1.1 GHz processors. Though the G4 may miss the entire velocity of the AMD or Pentium, it is far superior in its computation rate. Eventually Pentium, and AMD, should be able to fit the high quality of its Apple cousin and compete for fastest processor. ( The Power Mac G4, 2000 )
Operating Systems
The operating system is the package a individual uses to entree plans and other pieces of package within a computing machine. By and large, there are six major runing systems that are used throughout the place computer science universe. The Microsoft Corp. presently produces four of the five operating systems, or OS? s. The other two runing systems, OS and Linux, are rather different in a few different ways. The operating system is the nucleus package to any computing machine. With out an operating system, the computing machine itself would be, in footings of mundane use, useless.
Windows 95, 98, Window
s ME 2000 or Millennium Edition, and Windows NT are all distributed for different intents. Windows 95, 98 and ME are used both in the workplace and at place for personal usage ; the edition of Windows truly merely depends if the consumer has upgraded to the following available merchandise or non. Windows NT is used for running a web with one or several chief waiters and a legion sum of client computing machines that connect through particular web overseas telegrams and web cards ( See Hardware ) . By and large talking, there is non a batch that separates the different Windows runing systems. Built off the Windows NT, runing system nucleus, Windows ME is said to be more dependable, manageable, and performs better than that of its predecessors. Windows 95, 98 and 2000 all have the same recognizable user interface, or desktop, and all run really similar. Windows NT on the other manus tallies different because NT? s chief intent is to be used over a web. The interior eyeglasses of the Windows runing systems are non available and are beyond the apprehension of myself.
Linux is an operating system that is non like any other. Linux is an operating system that was derived from a more advanced concern runing system called UNIX. A adult male named Linus Torvalds, a Finish pupil who was making personal research on operating systems, created Linux and something that is called Open Source codification distribution. Open Source means that the beginning codification or codification used in a software-coding plan to make Linux is readily available and legal for you to add on to and subject. Another oddness of Linux is that it does non hold merely one maker. Numerous companies including Red Hat, Mandrake, Suse, Corel Linux, Slackware, and Storm have distributed Linux. Harmonizing to www.Linux.com there are merely fewer than twenty different releases of Linux by merely as many companies.
Linux has a really similar expression to Windows but is more advanced with a system bid window and a desktop that is to the full customizable with many different expressions. Unfortunately, Linux does non hold the support of package developers merely yet. The deficiency of package is one of the chief grounds Linux hasn? T exploded onto the OS market. Linux is capable of many different maps including being used in topographic point of a Windows NT waiter with the appropriate package, used as a high terminal computing machine programming tool, and/or can be scaled up to manage heavy calculating tonss of many scientific and technology plans.
The last operating system that will be discussed is the Apple operating system known as OS. OS has the same type of beginning codification of that of Linux ; Apple has made the OS beginning codification available through Open Source codification distribution. OS is similar to that of its Personal computer cousin? s runing systems by holding a similar user interface as that of Windows and Linux, but with some noticeable differences. OS has a similar plans tray like that of Windowss merely it is more colourful and bright. OS is said to be really user friendly and does non minimize even the most advanced users. OS was created to be a user a strong operating system that can back as a graphical design and redacting tool.
OS is constructed in a edifice block type manor. The base of the edifice block is the nucleus of the operating system, which is called Darwin. Apple decided to name it Darwin because they describe Darwin as being the following development in operation systems. Darwin? s chief map is to run the computing machine and pull off the memory and plans expeditiously. The following measure up from Darwin is the graphical criterions for Mac ; Quartz, two dimensional rendering package, OpenGL, an industry criterion in three dimensional solid or line mold, and QuickTime, Apple? s ain digital picture rendering package. The following measure up in the tower is Authoritative, Carbon and Cocoa. To set it rather merely, Classic is for the original Mac users who are non ready to travel on, Carbon is a simpler but more clang resistant environment than that of Classic, and Cocoa is a high terminal computing machine programming interface for those interested in composing plans.
Comparison
The lines of operating system high quality are really blurry. Each operating system has it? s ain distinct advantages and disadvantages. OS for illustration is a attractively crafted system that does non back up a great trade of popular package and hardware. Linux is the same manner, but runs on a Personal computer and does back up the hardware. Windows on the other manus tends to crash rather a spot while running most anything without hardware or package conflictions. OS does, nevertheless, have a really advanced memory allotment system, something Windows has non to the full mastered, although Linux has. Windows and Linux, on the other manus, supports 3D hardware support in advanced gambling and CAD called Direct3D, OS does non. Linux is invariably being updated and changed because of its Open Source codification distribution, something Apple is seeking, but Microsoft is still disbelieving to make.
Affordability and Cost
When buying a computing machine, the first thing the consumer normally looks for is a trade name name. For mention, Dell Computer Corporation provided all monetary values and merchandises for the PCs. Apple, of class, provided all their ain merchandise monetary values and options. Because Apple has two theoretical accounts for there computing machines, we started with the smaller, low-end fanless, computing machine called the G4 Cube. Traveling to the Apple site I built a G4 Cube with these constituents.
? 450MHz G4 Processor
? 20 Gigabyte Hard Drive
? RAGE 128 Pro card? 16MB SDRAM ( video card )
? DVD-ROM
? 128MB SDRAM ( RAM )
? 56k Modem
? Ethernet card
? 17? Monitor ( excess )
? 3yr Warranty ( excess )
The monetary value of the small eight-inch G4 Cube is $ 2697.00.
A comparable Dell computing machine, the Dell Dimension L was created as a comparing.
? 566MHz Pentium Celeron Processor
? 20 Gigabyte Hard Drive
? Intel AGP Graphics card
? 12x DVD-ROM
? 128MB SDRAM
? 56k Modem
? Ethernet card
? 15? proctor ( criterion )
? 3yr Guarantee
The monetary value of the Dell Dimension L was merely $ 1498.00.
Following I created a mid-grade Apple Power Mac G4.
? 400MHz G4 Processor
? 20 Gigabyte Hard Drive
? RAGE 128 Pro card? 16 MB SDRAM
? DVD-ROM
? 256MB SDRAM ( RAM )
? 56k Modem
? Ethernet card
? 17? Monitor ( excess )
? 3yr Warranty ( excess )
The monetary value of the Power Mac was $ 2947.00.
To compare I created another Dell Dimension L.
? 566MHz Pentium Celeron Processor
? 20 Gigabyte Hard Drive
? Intel AGP Graphics card
? 12x DVD-ROM
? 256MB SDRAM
? 56k Modem
? Ethernet card
? 15? proctor ( criterion )
? 3yr Guarantee
The monetary value of the Dimension L was $ 1698.00.
For the high-end theoretical account I choose another Power Mac, this clip with double 500MHz processors.
? Double 500MHz G4 Processor
? 30 Gigabyte Hard Drive
? RAGE 128 Pro card? 16 MB SDRAM
? DVD-ROM
? 256MB SDRAM ( RAM )
? 56k Modem
? Ethernet card
? 17? Monitor ( excess )
? 3yr Warranty ( excess )
The monetary value jumped rather a spot to $ 3997.00.
In comparing I choose the Dell Dimension XPS B Series.
? 1 Giga Hertz Pentium III Processor
? 45 Gigabyte Hard Drive
? New 64MB Nvidia GeForce 2 GTS with MDK 2 Action Game
? 12x DVD-ROM
? 8x/4x/32x CD-RW
? 256MB SDRAM
? 56k Modem
? Ethernet card
? 19? proctor ( criterion )
? 3yr Guarantee
The monetary value of the Dimension besides rose significantly to $ 3548.00.
Comparison
Over all the Dell PC? s were, by far, less expensive than that of the Apple computing machines. The Apple computing machines lacked the add-on of the proctor and the guarantee, which significantly raised the monetary values of the computing machines. When taking into history the velocity of the processors, Apple did non dawdle far behind. When it came to included supernumeraries, Dell besides exceeded far beyond Apple offering a proctor and guarantee. Apple? s overall value is non really apparent.
Bibliography
Mentions
( September 12, 2000 ) . The Power Mac G4 [ On-line ] . Available: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.apple.com/powermac/processor.html
( September 12, 2000 ) . At the Core [ On-line ] . Available: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.apple.com/macosx/inside.html
Lain, Rodney O. ( September 12, 2000 ) . First Expression: First Look At Apple? s G4 Cube [ On-line ] Available: www.pcworld.com/pcwtoday/article/0,1510,8517,00.html
Stafford, Alan. ( September 12, 2000 ) . The Movie Makers: Sony PC vs. Apple iMac [ On-line ] Available: www.pcworld.com/top400/article/0,1361,14518,00.html
