Why Mac Users Are So Different From Windows Users.

It’s almost as bad as religious arguments, the Mac vs. Windows wars. Apart from the obvious differences between Windows XP, Vista or whatever, and Mac OS X Panther, Tiger, Leopard or whatever, what about the differences between the users of said personal computers?

Why are Mac users so different from Windows users? Maybe the question could be worded differently. “Are Mac users different from Windows users?”

The former requires thoughtful consideration and a measure of deliberation. The latter can be summed up with a simple, “duh.”

It’s been printed here and there that Mac users, in general, are more educated, have more income (which may come from being more educated), and both may allow for greater discretion in choice.

Choice becomes the important element of the argument. All of us make choices for a personal computer. Some make more deliberate choices, and choose Macs over PCs.

I Googled this phrase: “mac users vs. windows users” and was not surprised by the results.

Link after link pointed to Windows users who switched to Macs, a Mac user or two who switched to Windows, the “Mac vs. Windows Design Philosophy,” and so on.

Some links pointed to Windows as much more expensive than Macs (total cost of ownership argument). Other links pointed to articles discussing who was smarter.

One argument pointed out the graphic interface differences between the two, but that skirted the differences between the users by focusing on the differences between the operating systems.

Remember, the premise here isn’t Mac vs. Windows, it’s why Mac users are different from Windows users.

I’ve been using Macs since the early 1990s. Some on the Mac360 staff go back to the original Mac in 1984.

Some of us have had a few dozen Macs. All of us have used Windows.

So, why are Mac users different from Windows users?

There cannot be a simple, easy answer, though most reasonable answers are not as complicated as we may think.

My experience with both Macs and Windows PCs, and with intimated knowledge of Mac users and Windows users, tells me that most Mac users require more thought to make decisions.

A choice of a computer is not the same kind of choice as “would you like fries with that?”

Most Mac users make a concerted, definitive choice for a computer that best solves their personal needs in the digital age. That choice is important for Mac users.

Most Windows users don’t put that much effort into the choice, as it just isn’t that important.

For Mac users, the choice of computer is important because we don’t want to put up with a steady flow of problems, we prefer ease-of-use, we recognize that total cost is different than price, we want our computer to help us do things, and not spend time helping it figure out what to do.

Yes, there is more to it than that; probably much more. Psychiatrists and researchers would enjoy getting a hefty grant to figure that out. They’d use Macs, of course.

Your turn. Based on your experience and perspective, why are Mac users different from Windows users?