Thursday, November 6, 1997
Superiority of Mac or PC still ambiguous among Bruins
TECHNOLOGY: Macintosh loyalty remains, despite PC ubiquity on
campus
By Cindy Choi
Daily Bruin Contributor
In computer labs across the campus, students are standing in PC
lines that stretch out the door, while Macintosh computers wait
idly.
The ratio in the UCLA labs – 60 percent PC to 40 percent
Macintosh – reflects the greater demand of PC users. But despite
the larger proportion of PC users, the debate on the superiority of
the two computing systems continues among computer users.
And Macintosh still inspires some loyalty among students.
"There is a widespread fear that Apples are going to disappear."
said Steven Galfano, a technical support coordinator at the College
Library Instructional Computing Commons (CLICC).
Nevertheless, many people admire Macintosh’s advanced operating
system, the software that runs the programs on a computer. With a
pictorial desktop and the use of icons, the Macintosh is a point
and click away from a file or program, making it welcoming to
computer beginners.
"Historically, the Macs have been more user-friendly. They are
easier to set up and maintain. They are easier for people who don’t
know that much about computers," Galfano said.
"It seems pretty clear why Windows 95 was a success – because
it’s a lot like Macs," he added.
So even with the closing of the gap in the battle of user
maneuverability of PCs, students continue to use Macintoshes.
"I’m loyal to Macs because I have grown up with it," said Sung
Vong, a third-year East Asian studies major who has worked with
them since junior high.
Macintosh’s traditional stronghold in education remains firm,
said John Santoro, manager of public relations at Apple. According
to Santoro, higher educational institutions such as Harvard
Business School and Stanford University heavily employ Macintosh
computers. Dartmouth uses them exclusively.
Also, Macintosh dominates the K-12 education market. Macintosh
also leads the digital art and graphic design field as well,
although PCs are catching up in this race.
As a graphics-based system, the Macintosh has more multimedia
features, such as sound and graphics cards, which are
pre-installed.
Until recently, graphic applications such as Illustrator and
QuarkXpress were only available through Macintosh. But now, there
are PC versions of those programs, which has made the race more
competitive.
Another advantage of the Macintosh is that it can better
manipulate files and content, such as the ability to merge graphics
with text.
Macintoshes are also used for web page design. The system
software manages digital information by compressing it so that it
travels quickly over the Internet.
Troubleshooters at the campus computer labs agree that problems
in the Macintoshes are easier to diagnose and treat than on
PCs.
However, Kate Homan, a fifth-year music and French student,
ponders switching to a PC. "I used to be a Mac fan, but I’m
changing over," she said.
The new PC operating system has fueled her change of heart. "Now
that they have Windows 95, it is much easier to use than before,"
Homan said.
Even though Homan owns a Macintosh and her computer scientist
father staunchly supports Macintosh, she admits that she would
probably buy a PC, claiming that they are more organized and easier
to use.
The question of quality between the two systems provokes a
variety of responses. "You can find a junky PC," said Eric Banillo,
a third-year economics and international studies student and a
Bruin Online consultant. The quality varies widely depending on who
assembles a PC, he said.
Anyone can make a PC – any reputable company or a person who can
put computer parts together, Barillo continued. However, only Apple
makes Macintosh, and they strictly license manufacturing rights for
clones, so that the quality meets one high standard, he said.
Although Macintosh costs more because of the standardized
production, "Brand loyalty is high," Banillo said. "PC users look
for a good deal."