PC or Mac in 2026?

[Anonymous]

So I do quite a bit of media production work but run scientific programs and do some coding so have always had a mixture of Windows and Mac machines (some Linux) and was wondering what is the general consensus in 2026? Which do you prefer and why?

PC

Mac

Other (Linux, Hackintosh)

[permanent]

Linux runs on Personal Computers (PC). The historic distinction between Mac and PC was a hardware distinction. Apple would not release their drivers for their hardware so other operating systems could not run natively on their hardware. PC has been able to run many operating systems since it's inception. That was the entire purpose of Project Acorn in Boca Raton, Florida to bring together all of industry under open standards to integrate components together and drive innovation rather than have everything closed behind a single corporate veil which excluded everyone else.

[DryGermanGuy]

Unix (derivatives) and Linux has been running on Apple hardware as long as it existed. With them writing their own HW drivers, obviously.

[permanent]

@DryGermanGuy Nope, it actually took 7 years to accomplish that.

[permanent]

and it took 17 years for Linux to run on an Apple.

[permanent]

Apple tried to stay completely proprietary until 2001 when they switched to BSD with the release of Mac OS X, and then you see them start introducing virtualization allowing people to dual boot on their hardware. All and all they are a shitty company that tried to stifle innovation.

[DryGermanGuy]

Stop splitting hairs. You claimed Apple undermined other operating systems on their hardware and that is simply incorrect, starting with GNO/ME on the Apple II. Linux was available from 1996, which is five years of development (with the support of Apple).

[DryGermanGuy]

I was a huge Apple/MacOS fan, but I got tired of the constant hardware switches. They are on their fifth processor architecture now. Unless you are highly invested in audio/video production, get the cheapest and most convenient solution.

[Nikki1989]

Macs are overpriced and very overrated.

[Valso]

That's a stupidly asked question!
"PC" ≠ "Windows". "PC" stands for "personal computer" and has nothing to do with the OS you install in it.
The better question is "Who'd use Microsoft's Spyware in 2026 when Linux literally burries it?". :D

[FunkyMonkee]

I've always used PC. The few times I've seen Mac, it looked cheap, cheesy and confusing so, I never used one.