Windows vs Mac - which is the best operating system for you in 2023

Since we are throwing the Windows and the Mac head-to-head, I think it's only fair if we sometimes consider the best of both when making our comparison, don't you think?

We would be using the latest MacBook Pro as a case study specifically the Macbook Pro M2 as the baseline for the MacBook Pro, since we also have the MacBook Pro M2 Max which is a little extra and one of the best Windows PC which is the Dell XPS 15. With both having a somewhat similar price range, you can get the Dell XPS 15 with a starting price of $1,300 while the MacBook Pro M2 also has a starting price of $1,300.

To make this as fair as possible and to ensure that we come out with the most accurate result, we would divide this up into different categories, which include the following;

1. Unboxing experience
2. Pricing
3. Customizability
4. Third-party software compatibility
5. Mobile device integration (ecosystem)
6. Performance
7. Gaming Compatibility

Make sure you read to the end because, at the end of this article, I will be giving you a technique developed by MKBHD to make your decision to choose an electronic device easier.

Let's get into it.

Unboxing experience

Using the M2 MacBook Pro and the 2023 Dell XPS 15 as a case study, I would say Windows gives a better unboxing experience.

On the Mac, you get a braided magnetic cable, and the wall adaptor, is basic yes, but the quality, on the other hand, with the Dell XPS, you get a power cable, the wall adaptor, a free USB hub with HDMI, and a full-size USB, so for the same price, you get a lot more extra from Dell, also with good quality.

Pricing

As is always the case when it comes to things like this, your budget determines the quality of the product you get, the higher your budget, the higher the display, performance, and build quality of your product.

That being said though, you can find a system (laptop) that would fit into your budget, but you know you would have to sacrifice quality and most especially, the software quality, which is unlike the Mac, there is not a wide range of choice like the windows, so you get a quality product at a fairly high price.

You can always go for the less-expensive Macbook Air with the M1 or M2 chip over the M2 Pro, it is characterized by being lighter, more affordable at around 999 dollars, and thinner than the Pro version but also flaunting a great build quality.

The same can be said for Windows as well with one of the best lower-end laptops from Dell being the 15.6-inch Dell Inspiron laptop, with the price starting at 402 dollars. It is a great laptop with a nice build quality and a fairly punchy look.

Customizability

In the area of customization, both Windows and Mac offer a range of customization options, both Operating systems offer choices in desktop backgrounds, screen savers, screen item size, and dark mode.

Windows also gives you the option of themes, and wallpaper that look animation-like, as a little bit more.

Performance

Performance to me means which is the faster operating system (OS). Taking a look at their story, I would have said this was a draw for sure, but now in 2023, the story is a bit different.

Back in the day, windows and Mac more often than not, used the same processors, and third-party hardware, but that has changed for some time now.

Apple is now fixing its latest products with Apple-made tech, from hardware to software, which means, Apple can effectively build its software around its hardware to ensure efficiency and maximum use of all the software available to them, something which Windows lacks for the most part due to the sheer amount of different producers and brands.

For example, running an Apple app like Safari or Keynote on a Mac would perform much faster than running a similar app on a Windows, just since the app was not specifically optimized for Windows. Apple has more autonomy to optimize its software to function at its best when combined with hardware made by them, in this case, the MacBook Pro M2.

Third-party software compatibility

Generally speaking, Windows is better with third-party software than Mac is, this is because Windows is more friendly, as you can find apps that would easily run on Windows compared to Mac, as we said earlier, Mac and their custom hardware and software.

They both have great app stores, software, and services, but Windows just has a lot more apps available than MacOS does.

You can find more software options in areas like video editing and photo editing, which is not to take away from the Mac, as we said earlier if it was created to run on a Mac, with Mac hardware and software, it will generally outdo the Windows.

Mobile device integration (ecosystem)

This is another area people get concerned about, “can I pair my mobile device or other devices with my laptop? In 2023, this is remarkably important to us. You can now use an iPhone as an external webcam and an iPad as a secondary screen.

The MacOS lets you send notifications by synching to a nearby iPhone, you can transfer almost anything with Airdrop, send photos across devices in Apple photos, engage in video calls on another device with Facetime, and even locate and unlock your Mac with your Apple watch when nearby.

All these can also be done on Windows, especially with the popular Samsung line, which lies the problem, an iPhone, especially from the 13s, allows you to doesn't of these things seamlessly, but the same cannot be said about Windows, since very few android makers produce flagship phones like Samsung and Google.

But the Apple mobile device integration just comes out with better and faster results and is all-around slicker.

Gaming Compatibility

I'll just put it out there, the Mac sucks when it comes to gaming compatibility, and that is the single biggest advantage Windows has over the Mac.

Compatibility with a lot of work programs especially, those that involve service and also games. If you want to game in any serious manner, then a gaming Windows laptop is what you need, like the ROG Strix, specially built and optimized for gaming.

With the number of users and different system, windows have better compatibility, especially with hardcore gaming. You can find a Windows laptop that does the exact thing you want.

Conclusion

After all, is said and done, I believe the choice would be made upon which OS is more useful for your specific need, and if you don't have a specific use in mind and just want a laptop, then congratulations, you can decide to go for any.

In my opinion, I would go for the Mac, just because of its look, higher efficiency, performance, and simplicity, plus, it still plays games quite well.

Technique for choosing your preferred device

Shout out to MKBHD for this technique. All you have to do is select each category and give it a score ranging from 0 - 5, depending on how important it is to you. Add the total score, and it should give you a clear idea of what you want.

But remember, the scores should be according to the importance of each category to you, what you would want most in a device, any device.

Cheers 🎉