Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops

Popular Mechanics ^ | May 2008 | By Glenn Derene

[Swordmaker]

This computer rivalry has been elevated to a cultural divide on par with Pepsi versus Coke. Taking it beyond personal taste, PM crunches the numbers—with some surprising results (and detailed benchmark scores).

We all know the stereotypes. Apple’s popular commercials have painted the picture in stark terms: There are two types of people, Mac people and PC people. And if the marketing is to be believed, the former is a hip, sport-coat-and-sneakers- wearing type of guy who uses his computer for video chatting, music mash-ups and other cool, creative pursuits that starchy, business-suited PC users could never really appreciate unless they tried them on the slick Apple interface. Then again, Windows PC enthusiasts probably think that Mac guy is a smug slacker with an overpriced toy that can’t do any serious computing anyway. Funny thing is, both stereotypes are wrong. With a 7.5 percent market share, Macs are no longer just the computer choice of artists and unemployed writers. (Apple is, in fact, the fourth largest computer manufacturer in the world.) And now, more than ever, the guts of both platforms are remarkably similar. Both types of machines use Intel proc­essors (although some PCs can be configured with processors from AMD). Both buy memory, hard drives and graphics cards from the same small pool of suppliers. The underlying operating systems have distinctly different flavors, but in terms of functionality, Microsoft Windows Vista and Mac OS X Leopard have surprisingly similar built-in multimedia, Internet and productivity applications.

Yet what makes the platforms feel so dissimilar is their approaches to these applications. Internet Explorer versus Safari, Windows Media Center versus Front Row, Photo Gallery versus iPhoto, Backup and Restore Center versus Time Machine—these system components from Microsoft and Apple are designed to accomplish essentially the same goals. To users, however, the position and movement of the virtual knobs and levers make all the difference.

These things are largely matters of preference and style, but you can still make a reasonable attempt to quantify them, and we did. We tested two all-in-one desktops and two laptops—one Mac and one PC per category—and assembled a panel of testers with a range of experience and preference that ran the gamut from expert users to my wife’s stepfather, who, by his own account, had never actually turned on a computer. Our testers were asked to set up the computers right out of the box and explore the machines through everyday tasks such as Web surfing, document creation, uploading photos, downloading Adobe Acrobat files and playing music and movies through Media Center and Front Row (the entertainment software suites integrated into Vista and Leopard, respectively). Our testers were instructed to divorce themselves as much as possible from their previous technological preferences and rate their experiences with each computer’s software and hardware.

Usability surveys are like taste tests—a useful look at the subjective appeal of a device. (Is it fun? Is it easy? Would I be happy to live with this thing?) But beneath their packaging, computers are data-crunching machines that can be run like racehorses. So the second component of our test regimen was about pure performance.

Our computers were closely matched, but in the interest of full disclosure, we’ll spit out the caveats: The Gateway One PC had a processor that runs 400 MHz slower than its iMac competitor (not a heck of a difference in this age of dual-core chips), but it also had two extra gigabytes of DDR2 memory. In the laptop category, our Asus M51 had a 2.2 GHz processor, compared to 2.4 GHz for our MacBook. But the Asus had a larger screen, a more sophisticated graphics card and an extra gig of RAM.

All that extra RAM may seem to give an advantage to the PCs. Vista, however, is a noted memory hog, so throwing more RAM into PC computers is probably less of a perform ance booster for manufacturers than it is a new baseline hardware specification.

Before we pulled out our stopwatches, we turned to two industry-standard, cross-platform benchmarking tools—Geekbench from Primate Labs and Cinebench from Maxon—to get third-party results. We ran both benchmarking programs on our Mac and PC desktop and laptop computers before our testers got their dirty little hands on the equipment to ensure that no confounding software could poison the results.

These benchmarks are reliable indicators of performance, but the numbers feel somewhat meaningless to ordinary users. Which is why we created our own suite of tests to meas ure the speed of everyday tasks. We logged boot-up and shutdown times, and launch times for the Internet browser and media player built into each operating system, as well as for common applications such as Microsoft Word and Adobe Photoshop. We tested how long it took for each computer to rip a CD and install a few big software suites. The laptops were forced to play the longest movie we could find (Saving Private Ryan—2 hours, 49 minutes) until they wheezed, sputtered and shut down. Finally, we put all four computers through a stress test. We ran three video sources (a YouTube clip, a DVD and an .avi file), DivX encoding, instant messaging, Word, Adobe Acrobat and a spyware scan simultaneously—then retimed our launch of Photoshop.

The results gave us a clear winner in the performance categories, but the big surprise was how little difference we found in user preferences. Turns out, both platforms are capable and easy to use, but only one was the victor.

---

iMac | $1499

SPECS
Hardware	20-in. screen, 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 1 GB DDR2 RAM, 320 GB hard drive, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, 8x CD/DVD burner, remote control, ATI Radeon HD 2600 graphics card.
Software	OS X Leopard, iLife '08 (iTunes, iPhoto, GarageBand, etc.), Front Row, iWork (30-day trial).
USER RATING
Design
Ergonomics
Internet surfing
Digital photo management
iWork
Front Row (movies, music, etc.)
Overall

SPEED TEST | Click here for detailed benchmark scores
Boot	Average startup	28.7 sec.
	Average shutdown	4.0 sec.
Install	Microsoft Office	4 min. 17 sec.
	Adobe Creative Suite 3	31 min. 44 sec.
Program Launch	Safari (Internet browser)	3.3 sec.
	Microsoft Word	4.2 sec.
	Adobe Photoshop	4.0 sec.
	Stress-launch Photoshop (w/ 8 apps running)	21.36 sec.
	CD rip	3 min. 35 sec.

Gateway One | $1800

SPECS
Hardware	19-in. screen, 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 3 GB DDR2 RAM, 500 GB hard drive, built-in Wi-Fi, 8x CD/DVD burner, remote control, ATI Radeon HD 2600 graphics card.
Software	Windows Vista Home Premium, Microsoft Works 8.5, Media Center, Microsoft Office (60-day trial).
USER RATING
Design
Ergonomics
Internet surfing
Digital photo management
Works
Media Center (movies, music, etc.)
Overall

SPEED TEST | Click here for detailed benchmark scores
Boot	Average startup	1 min. 13 sec.
	Average shutdown	44.3 sec.
Install	Microsoft Office	6 min. 25 sec.
	Adobe Creative Suite 3	25 min. 45 sec.
Program Launch	Internet Explorer	6.3 sec.
	Microsoft Word	5.2 sec.
	Adobe Photoshop	5.5 sec.
	Stress-launch Photoshop (w/ 8 apps running)	40.0 sec.
	CD rip	3 min. 35 sec.

---

MacBook* | $1299

* As tested on an Apple MacBook containing an Intel Penryn processor. Because the new Penryn version of the MacBook was not available at press time for the May 2008 print edition of PM, the test results appearing in the magazine reflect the previous version of the MacBook. to see the non-Penryn MacBook results that appeared in the magazine.

SPECS
Hardware	13.3-in. screen, 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo (Penryn); 3GB DDR2 RAM, 160 GB hard drive, 8x CD/DVD burner, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Software	OS X Leopard, iLife '08 (iTunes, iPhoto, GarageBand, etc.), Front Row, iWork (30-day trial).
Weight	5 pounds
BATTERY TEST
With the DVD drive spinning and screen at full brightness, the MacBook made it through our movie, but fell short of Apple's stated 6-hour battery life: 3 hr. 34 min.
USER RATING
Design
Ergonomics
Internet surfing
Digital photo management
iWork
Media Center (movies, music, etc.)
Overall

SPEED TEST | Click here for detailed benchmark scores
Boot	Average startup	41.6 sec.
	Average shutdown	3.9 sec.
Install	Microsoft Office	2 min. 57 sec.
	Adobe Creative Suite 3	34 min. 54 sec.
Program Launch	Microsoft Word	5.3 sec.
	Adobe Photoshop	4.1 sec.
	Stress-launch Photoshop (w/ 8 apps running)	16.2 sec.
	CD rip	5 min. 49 sec.

Asus M51SR | $1299

SPECS
Hardware	15.4-in. screen, 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB DDR2 RAM, 250 GB hard drive, ATI Radeon HD 2400 graphics card, 8x CD/DVD burner, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Software	Microsoft Vista Home Premium, Works, Media Center, Office (30-day trial).
Weight	6.5 pounds
BATTERY TEST
Many users liked the Asus’s 15.4-in. screen, but that large display is a drain on the battery. The Asus couldn’t make it through our 2-hour, 49-minute movie: 1 hr. 30 min.
USER RATING
Design
Ergonomics
Internet surfing
Digital photo management
Works
Media Center (movies, music, etc.)
Overall

SPEED TEST | Click here for detailed benchmark scores
Boot	Average startup	1 min. 51 sec.
	Average shutdown	25.4 sec.
Install	Microsoft Office	4 min. 46 sec.
	Adobe Creative Suite 3	21 min.
Program Launch	Microsoft Word	6.2 sec.
	Adobe Photoshop	5.2 sec.
	Stress-launch Photoshop (w/ 8 apps running)	25.5 sec.
	CD rip	3 min. 9 sec.

---

The Verdict: Apple

Mac: In both the laptop and desktop showdowns, Apple’s computers were the winners. Oddly, the big difference didn’t come in our user ratings, where we expected the famously friendly Mac interface to shine. Our respondents liked the look and feel of both operating systems but had a slight preference toward OS X. In our speed trials, however, Leopard OS trounced Vista in all-important tasks such as boot-up, shutdown and program-launch times. We even tested Vista on the Macs using Apple’s platform-switching Boot Camp software—and found that both Apple computers ran Vista faster than our PCs did.

PC: Simply put, Vista proved to be a more sluggish operating system than Leopard. Our PCs installed some software faster, but in general they were slower in our time trials. Plus, both PCs showed weaker performance on third-party benchmarks than the Macs. Our biggest surprise, however, was that PCs were not the relative bargains we expected them to be. The Asus M51sr costs the same as a MacBook, while the Gateway One actually costs $300 more than an iMac. That means for the price of the Gateway you could buy an iMac, boost its hard drive to match the Gateway’s, purchase a copy of Vista to boot—and still save $100.

Detailed Benchmark Scores: Desktops

Benchmark Test	iMac 20-in screen; 2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo; 1GB DDR2	Gateway One 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo; 3GB DDR2
Geekbench
Overall	3180 (2651)	1903
Integer	2766 (3398)	2324
Floating Point	4460 (2675)	1713
Memory	2299 (1720)	1597
Stream	1916 (1819)	1707
Cinebench
1 CPU	2619 (2429)	1979
2 CPUs	4840 (4641)	3739
Graphics	4819 (3834)	2913

*Scores in parentheses are for Macs running Vista in Boot Camp.

Detailed Benchmark Scores: Laptops

Benchmark Test	MacBook 2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo; 1GB DDR2 (Out of production)	MacBook 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo (Penryn); 3GB DDR2	Asus M51 2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo; 2GB DDR2
Geekbench
Overall	2885 (2465)	3156 (2657)	2445
Integer	2536 (3099)	2734 (3421)	3102
Floating Point	3959 (2429)	4395 (2660)	2444
Memory	2156 (1730)	2378 (1785)	1636
Stream	1809 (1850)	1853 (1717)	1772
Cinebench
1 CPU	2409	2741 (2561)	2214
2 CPUs	4468	5216 (4838)	4198
Graphics	2027	2040 (835)	2495

*Scores in parentheses are for Macs running Vista in Boot Camp.

[acoulterfan]

This has been one of the more entertaining/informative threads on computers on FR in a long time. Please do not let it die. It is wonderful being able to hear from the Mac Users without having the PC users bash them.

[jpsb]

I mainly run java apps, tomcat, Lucene, etc. So I should be OK on a Mac. I should go ahead and buy one one of these days. I really like Unix, much OS better then Windows.

[Spktyr]

You may be thinking of Vista.

XP OEM setups are always set to admin, as is a fresh install on a blank drive.

Please provide a pic of where in the XP setup procedure it tells you not to run as admin.

[discostu]

Not Vista, I don’t touch Vista. It might depend on the what patches you’ve got and the overall security setting. I just went through a user setup and it defaulted to Power User to make an admin you have to pick Other and select Administrator from the drop down (which of course it defaults to because that’s first in the list, MS always finds a way). Then I went poking around the MS website and found a tutorial from 2006 that showed a completely different set of dialogs for making a user, and that one did default to admin.

I’m not running through a complete install just to get the opening message that says not to run as an admin to post for you. I’ve got better things to do with my life than run an XP install.

[word_warrior_bob]

So you’re saying it’s relatively simple for a layman (like myself) to never have any problems with any kind of malware, sypware, pop-ups, etc., as long as I follow a few relatively simple instructions and purchase no aftermarket products?

Well it looks like it’s mine and millions of other users faults when crazy things happen to our computers. My last machine was about 3 years old. Each pc I got I googled and went here and other places to see what I should do about all of these things and always went with what was the highest rated,etc. programs to prevent all of these evildoings on the internet and in my email, etc. I STILL had tons of problems and I’m not an idiot, I grew tired of having to go through all of this BS that is second nature to someone who is proficient on a pc like you. What seems easy and obvious to you is complicated and tiresome to me.

My point is I don’t expect people to come to the back tees with me and shoot in the 70’s because it’s easy for me it took tons of work to get that good. You have never had a freeze, crash, restart? You are the EXCEPTION. I shoot 70’s from the back tees, I am the EXCEPTION.

I did research, etc. wound up spending $$$$ on Norton everthing, was I protected from everything? No. So many of you computer proficient people take SO MUCH for granted about what’s “easy”, “second nature”, “common sense”, etc. Every month I was trying to get rid of some stupid file or something that invaded my computer and slowed it to a screeching halt no matter how much I spent on protection. I was always googling for help, checking what free applications there were also to protect me, etc. My PC was a PITA!!!

I’m the same idiot using apple stuff and I have none of my past problems, my point being I don’t care if it’s “my” fault that I had problems with my windows computer. I didn’t like being imposed upon and I didn’t like learning all about my computer the way so many others do and the gazillion tricks you guys know to keep your pc’s running spotlessly. I tried and it NEVER worked for me.

So I went with Apple, the computer for “dummies” and you know what I haven’t had all of the BS problems described above for over a year now, that alone was worth it. I don’t need mega processing power for the buck etc., I want to be happy and ignorant and able to use my computer without all of the headaches that every last one of my pc’s gave me.

You keep telling me it was my fault, let’s assume you’re right. It was too much work for me to stay ahead of the curve, and I found it 10 times more annoying than interesting. Some people hate golf, I love golf, but I can accept that they hate it. I hated and ultimately resented trying to protect my pc from slowing down, freezing,etc.

I don’t care that it’s Apple, if there was a computer company that was called simpering sissy boy inc. that made a computer that I didn’t have to worry about I would buy it and say yes, my computer is a simpering sissy boy and I haven’t had any issues with it.

[zeugma]

To be honest with you, I'd not shed a single tear if someone nuked Washington DC

What about the Smithsonian? Can you imagine losing the contents of the Air & Space Museum?

If they used a neutron bomb, it is likely the Smithstonian would survive.

If not, It's a price I'm willing to pay. 

[Swordmaker]

Too bad they didn’t include a comparison with an XP machine too. I’d bet the XP comp would blow Vista out of the water.

Several sources have done a Vista/XP comparison and XP has blown the doors off of Vista on the same hardware.

[Spktyr]

When you *first* set up an XP machine, the initial setup where you enter the admin password, tell it what time zone you’re in, turn auto updates on or off, that sort of thing, it creates users for you.

Those users are ALWAYS set to admin, by default. Even with XP SP2.

[discostu]

It can be done, one can safely use Windows without having to buy other security products. It used to be harder but they finally added some long over due tools to the automatic download.

It is you and millions of other users fault, but that’s OK because people always have been and always will be the weakest link in security. Ever since a bribed guard let the Huns through the Great Wall we’ve known the real security problem is the people. Most of the viruses that have really ripped through the Windows world were Trojans (or semi-trojans), that means somebody double clicked on an exe they didn’t know what it was while being logged in as an administrator, and got themselves infected. Iloveyou ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ILOVEYOU ) is my personal favorite, it nailed 10% of the computers connected to the internet and every last one of them was because the USER screwed up.

And it’s important to note that while Mac’s are more virus proof no OS is completely secure from them. They can close down certain transmission methods and shut down many destructive paths, but in the end you must let the users install software and therefore the user will always be able to run a Trojan if they’re dumb enough.

I’ve had crashes of course, but I’ve never had cyclical crashes caused by malware. I don’t think I am the exception, even the most successful virus ever only hit 10%, that means 90% didn’t double click that beast. Really it’s no different than guns. There are a handful of incredibly simple rules to follow with a gun, if you follow those rules you will never ever shoot anything or anyone you didn’t want to, if you don’t follow those rules you’re a tragedy waiting to happen. You don’t have to be a gun expert to follow these rules, I was only 5 when I learned these rules (raised by Marines, there were guns in the house, the rules must be learned) so I know it’s not that tough. And you don’t have to be a computer expert to know the rules on how not to get malware, you just have to bother to actually read the message boxes provided by the OS.

I now I see exactly why you had the problem, and it seriously calls into question your research. Everything Symantec has ever purchased was turned to crap, Norton AV is complete junk, it’s protection is minimal, it’s a vicious resource hog, it causes problems with other software, and it doesn’t uninstall clean. Norton utilities USED to be the best application ever written, but that ended a long time ago, it’s a testament to how good Norton was that it too Symantec 3 full releases to ruin Norton, but that was over a decade ago. Never let Symantec software near your computer, not even a Mac, they find a way to ruin everything.

For a lot of reasons Apple is pretty close to immune these days. But if they ever actually become the Windows killer some of those reasons will go away, the user base will probably no long depend on Apple as an approver of all software, and the install base will make Mac a tastier target for the malware jerks. Yes the greater security Apple has built into the OS will help, but again it’s all about the people. Once you get enough dumb users willing to double click on anything while logged on as admins you will get viruses in the wild on Macs, they may be fewer and less destructive but they will exist, it can’t be helped, there’s always somebody willing to let the Huns through the gate.

[discostu]

I don’t think so. I remember setting up the admin and then non-admin accounts, that was part of the point of the initial setup of the further accounts to provide you with non-admins for safe usage.

[Swordmaker]

Is there a version of AutoCAD for OS X?

Aside from AutoCAD itself running in either Boot Camp (full speed), or in a Virtualization such as Parallels or Fusion (10% speed reduction), there are UNIX CAD applications that will run on the Intel Macs such as Ribbonsoft QCAD, BRL-CAD, and Archimedes (which is specialized for Architecture).

Remember that Macs are the preferred choice in the creative arts... including TV and Film for set design, so some native OSX CAD programs come out of that area and include ArchiCAD 11.0, Argon 7.6, Domus.Cad 14.1.1, and a host of others that can be found listed HERE.

Incidentally, AutoCAD had its roots in UNIX and was ported to Windows NT.

Keep in mind that the Architecture program at the college may have some specific software requirements and to check those out before committing to an applications. Whatever they require, it will run on a Mac.

Is there a version of Photoshop for the Ma ... umm, never mind, I think I know the answer to this one.

Yup, you probably do... but just in case your answer is wrong... the right answer is yes.

Will she even need an Office type program?

That depends on how long the papers she will be writing will be and whether they will need foot notes or end notes, section breaks, etc. If she will be only doing short papers, then the iWork suite from Apple will do fine. If she is going to do really long papers, then Word is probably a good choice and Microsoft Office for Mac would be a good purchase.

Speaking of purchases, Apple offers educational discounts for students in college and Microsoft sells student versions of Office for Mac and AutoCAD is also available in a student version for about $150.00. The discount savings can more than cover the costs of a licensed version of Windows to run anything absolutely required that you can't find in a Mac OS X version.

Will it run Folding@home, so her Dad will have hope when he is even older and grayer?

Absolutely... I have seven Macs running Folding@Home at a local dentist's office as well as on my home computers. There is even a version that will run multiple instances of F@H depending on the number of cores your Mac has.

[Swordmaker]

I work in engineering; the ee simulation and modeling software isn't made for Mac and won't run (integrative) in emulation.

Every comparative test I see like this is centered around a user that surfs the web, downloads music, video and chats with friends. It's funny, when I think of a Mac user, I think of someone that uses their machine (I suppose Mac users don't call their personal interface device a machine) as an entertainment outlet, more like a TV. It's probably a stereotype, but it is my perception.

You are aware that for over two years, Macs, with the sole exception of some software that requires specific hardware that is custom made, can natively run everything that WindowsXP, Windows Vista, Linux, UNIX, and Mac OS X can run with no difficulty?

[zeugma]

I think that's all available for OS X. The http server definitely is, as that's included in OS X Server. Or is there another Apache I don't know of?

i'm pretty sure there is an Apache server for just about any OS, but why would someone want to run Apache on windows, when it was designed with Unix in mind?

It's like running WebLogic application servers on windows. I know it's possible, by why would I want to?

[Swordmaker]

An occasional tech post is interesting but:::::

Have you posted anything not Apple related???

Have you even responded to anything not Apple related????

Yes, of course I do.

Are you aware that I maintain the Mac Ping List on FreeRepublic that now numbers over 300 Freepers who are interested in topics related to Macintosh computers and other Apple products?

How is it that questions like this only get asked in Mac threads that tend to show Macs as superior to PCs?

[Swordmaker]

Mac users don’t know how to handle the sorts of crises that Windows users find routine. Hmmmm.... Now what does THAT say?

• Mac users don't have the sorts of crises that Windows users routinely have.
• Mac users do know how to handle most minor problems.
• Mac users only call IT support for problems that are not minor that they don't know how to handle.

[Swordmaker]

When I ask a Mac user to verify something for me, since I don't use a Mac on a regular basis, the response is "where is that?"

Just curious. What kinds of things are you asking Mac users to verify that they don't know where they are?

[dangerdoc]

Because I noticed a whole string of Mac postings with your name on all of them recently so I clicked on your tag and saw nothing but Mac VS. PC war nonsense.

Like I said, I find an occasional tech posting interesting. However, your postings seem to be directed towards getting people arguing Mac VS. PC. That’s an OK thing to discuss but I think there are sites specifically geared towards those discussions.

I directed my question to you because I was curious. BTW, direct me to a PC thread, I must have missed it.

[tacticalogic]

Mac threads that tend to show Macs as superior to PCs?

Has there ever been a "Mac thread" that didn't?

[Swordmaker]

It is just an observation about the users.

My observation is that users who have CHOSEN the Mac are generally much more knowledgeable about their Macs than Windows users are about theirs and that, in fact, they are more knowledgeable about both Macs and Windows computers than Windows users are. That does not apply to users who did not have the choice. There I find there is not much difference between Mac and Windows users... both are users who just want to do their jobs and go home and have little technical expertise on either platform.

[Swordmaker]

Right now, according to the Autocad web site, there's nothing for the Mac except a program called Sketchbook Pro.

While AutoCAD is probably the best CAD program out there for generalized purposes, perhaps the AutoCAD people are a bit biased in what they have to say on their web site about competitor's products on a competing platform? ;^)>

Check Reply #71 for a far from comprehensive list of CAD programs for the Mac.