Even today, Windows still uses Visual Basic as part of their operating systems. Windows was historically based on DOS, combined with their own flagship programming language, BASIC. Both companies saw the value in creating visual interfaces that are easy for the layperson to use, and by 1985, Microsoft released their first version of Windows: Windows 1.0. Windows on the other hand is not UNIX-based.īefore Bill Gates was a megalomanic bent on world domination, literally buying up half the farmland in the United States and boasting about “injecting genetically modified organisms right into little kid’s arms” and “shooting it right into the vein”, Bill Gates was another kind of megalomanic, breaking the law with by creating monopolies thorough putting all his competitors out of business using shady tactics – and was being investigated by the Department of Justice over antitrust lawsuits and allegations.Įarly Microsoft had a dark history, and while Steve Jobs was innovating and creating new and awesome technologies, Microsoft was looking to develop their own GUI, which means, Graphical User Interface.
Apple solved this problem mostly but creating universal hardware and then writing these drivers specifically for their hardware, and then by creating a UI (User Interface) which is easy enough to use for regular people.
This means that most regular users cannot use Linux because they do not know how to compile drivers or use the command line. Most Linux and UNIX based operating systems have historically been limited when it comes to drivers (software which makes the operating system compatible with the hardware). In taking an open-source software, Apple was able to reduce their development expenses to near zero, while not owing any royalties to any third parties.Īpple does have something to be commended for for this clever and borderline-unethical business strategy. The original developers were never compensated.
Apple did not write MacOS, although they have made a lot of changes to it over the years.
Nearly all UNIX and Linux operating systems (which are fundamentally the same) are free and open source, with only a few exceptions (RedHat, I’m looking at you).Īpple made an awesome and amazingly profitable business model by not only charging high prices, but by taking a free operating system, modifying it only slightly to make it marginally more user friendly, and then releasing it as their own software. MacOS is simply a UNIX-based operating system for which Apple adapted a UI overlaid on the free operating system. About The Operating Systems: MacOS vs Windows Unlike computers running Mac, such as Macbooks, which are produced by Apple, PCs are made by a wide array of completely different manufacturers.
We don’t need to get into specifics about Linux in this article, since any PC not containing Windows is quite rare, and those wondering the differences probably will not get a computer with a Linux or UNIX OS. They also can use various forms of Linux and UNIX, such as Chromebooks which run the Google Chrome OS, or Ubuntu – by far the most popular and well-known of the Linux distributions. Whereas Apple produces only a few types of of computers which exclusively run their own operating system MacOS, PCs on the other hand can run any operating system (including Mac with “Hackintosh”), and usually run on some version of Windows. PCs on the other hand refer to computers that do not use MacOS and which also are not manufactured by Apple.
Macs can run Windows though as a dual-boot type of solution called Boot Camp, but it isn’t native and it isn’t as fast, since the computer has to use resources for emulation. It exclusively uses a single operating system: MacOS. Mac is short for Macintosh, it is an operating system adapted by Apple. Let’s first give a little background on Macs and PCs – so bear with me for a moment if you already know this. Fortunately, I have learned enough about technology and the two systems over my decades of experience as a developer, computer builder, and technology connoisseur to give you true and unbiased opinions that probably both sides will agree with. If you are already a die-hard PC or Mac fan, this guide may not change your mind, but it may influence what you think of the two computers. Who do you believe? What’s the truth about the eternal Mac vs PC debate? If you are looking for a new ultrabook or desktop or notebook computer, you will be faced with a difficult choice: Mac or PC? If you search the internet, you will find very opposing and contrasting opinions, many for PC, and many for Mac. Finally an honest comparison between Macs and PCs in 2021.