In May 2006, Apple began running a series of television ads comparing their computers with Windows. These charming, light-hearted commercials put “Mac” and “PC” side by side, personified; the latter a prissy little man in a suit, the former a laid back kid in casual wear. The ads compare the two in light of their strengths and weaknesses including performance, security, and software quality are some key issues addressed.

The bottom line? Macs are better than PCs. They provide professional, easy to use software out of the box, they rarely crash (if at all), and they don’t get viruses. PCs have very little in-box software, their operating system is unstable, and last year they had about 114,000 known viruses. This is a recipe for disaster, not only for college students, but for any computer user.

But if Macs are so much better than PCs, why don’t more people use them? Apple computers has only a very small portion of the market share, and most of their revenue is based on the ipod. Meanwhile, PCs are sold in almost every department store imaginable, with tons of third-party software supporting them. If asked, the average college student will say they prefer PCs. Furthermore, they will declare that “Macs suck!”

But why do they suck? It’s a safe bet that that same student won’t have a legitimate answer. “They just do!”

Most people aren’t willing to use a Mac because they are simply too used to PCs. Esthetically, they are not much different from each other. Both have folders and windows and programs and icons. Most people seem to think that Macs aren’t cool, or are meant for only an elite group of people, such as the latte-drinking, beret-wearing, trend-setting artsy types.

The bottom line is that Macs are a far more reliable product. Take this from someone who has been using Windows since 1995, and recently made the switch. They may be more expensive, but the satisfaction of having a virus-free environment that “just works” is worth every penny. Besides, anyone would pick the laid back kid in casual wear over the prissy little man in a suit.