Last week, we asked the question, do graphic designers still use all Macs? And we were surprised at the number and variety of responses. Many readers took the time to share their experiences and views on the Mac vs PC debate, be it in the comments here on the site, via email or on social media.
‘All graphic designers’ is an exaggeration for the purpose of a good headline, but in the early days, there were very strong reasons for designers to choose Apple over Windows, including font support, Postscript and earlier access to programs like Illustrator and QuarkXPress.
The responses suggest that preferences today are much more divided – more than I expected them to be (if you still think MacBooks are still the best laptops for graphic design, heads up that Amazon US has $150 off the latest M4 MacBook Air right now).
It turns out designers don’t all use Macs (Image credit: Apple)
It all began over on Reddit, where a user asked why graphic designers use Macs. The question made me wonder whether the stereotype still stood up, even if most of the graphic designers I know and have worked with do tend to use Macs. It turns out among the readers who took the time to comment, the balance between Mac vs PC is actually very even.
Many people commented to say that they use a Windows or Linux-running PC for graphic design, or know others who do so. Several made the switch to from Mac and see no reason to look back.
“Nowadays that gap is gone,” one person wrote. “Also, given how terrible the Mac interface is, I find the windows system is favorable, especially when working with programmers, instructional designers, and others who are on Windows machines.”
“It’s mostly inertia,” someone added as for why certain fields tend to favour Mac vs PC. “For 2D flat design, it’s Mac. Move to 3D/animation and its PCs. Video production is weird. I know several video studios where the editors are on Macs but post production people use PCs.”
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Some pointed out that the Mac – PC division was the reverse in some fields. “In 15 years of industrial training, only two guys showed up with Macs,” one person wrote. “One apologised, and the other one crashed!” A major reason for the preference for Windows here was the ability to modify the MS platform, along with MS being backwards compatible with old tech.
Other readers expressed outright animosity towards Apple due to Macs’ lack of upgradability and repairability. “I will never buy Apple products again unless they change their mindset and how they run their business,” one person wrote.
Another argument was that Apple ‘gets designers hooked’ when they’re young, as it were, by donating hardware to schools. “Designers coming out of school are brainwashed into using them,” one person claimed.
The latest M4 MacBook Air when we had it in to review. (Image credit: Future / Ian Evenden)
On the other hand, there was an equally large number of responses from readers who still have a strong preference for Macs, at least when it comes to design.
Some mentioned the Apple ecosystem, others the interface (“I still own a PC, and now its interface just boggles me. It feels like it wasn’t designed with the user in mind,” one person wrote). Others mention aesthetics and status: “Macs are expensive and exude an appearance of professionalism” was one opinion. One reader even cited Magic Mouse as a deciding factor.
But the reason that came up most often was not power, features, software or aesthetics, but reliability – pretty essential if you’re a day worker and depend on your computer starting up on time in the morning.
“Too many of my PC-enabled brethren seem to struggle with font issues, security issues, blue screen issues, connectivity issues, etc,” one Mac loyalist wrote. “I’ve used dozens of Macs since 1986, Mac + through my current M4 Mac mini. I pay the Apple tax because their products just work. The only hardware failure I’ve ever experienced is a recent Ethernet port failure in a 12 year old iMac.”
“Seldom have I encountered an application on Mac OS that doesn’t work right out of the box,” another reader commented. “Windows can take a lot detours before you finally end up actually creating. Don’t even get me started on Linux: you may have to end up creating your own custom drivers and may as well pivot to programming at that point.”
Some readers noted that in the past Macs were notably more expensive than Windows PCs, but that their use of Postscript for printing and vector fonts meant they paid for itself almost immediately by saving on having to spec type for an ad. Today, the price difference may not be as pronounced, but some find that after so long, Windows PCs just “feel wrong” for design.
“It’s hard to describe,” a reader wrote. “Using a PC for design work seems primitive somehow, like it lacks the precision of a Mac. I’m sure that’s mostly in my head, and I would be equally as uncomfortable using a Mac for gaming. It just doesn’t feel right.”
Want to join the debate? Let us know what you think in the comments.
If you do decide to go with a Mac, check out the best current MacBook deals below. If you’re unsure of the specs you need, see our guide to requirements for a graphic design laptop.
