In contrast, dozens of companies make PCs. Because Apple makes its own computers, if you want a Mac you have to buy one from them. Even with Apple offering a just-below $1,000 iMac specifically for the education market, that's still nearly double the cost of buying a basic PC. No matter how you look at it, buying Macs costs more than buying PCs. Yes, technically a PC can run Linux or even Android, but those are not likely to be common in a school system. For the sake of this article, a PC is a computer running Microsoft’s Windows operating system. The Mac line includes laptops called MacBooks as well as iMacs, Mac minis and others. Before we get startedĪ Mac is an Apple-made computer that runs Apple’s operating system. Instead, it will give you the tools to make an informed choice.

This article won’t lay out a definitive answer to the Mac or PC question.

Though nearly every school district has already made that decision on some level, the rise in popularity of the iPad and iPhone have forced some formerly PC-only school districts to reconsider their loyalties.īoth platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, and it's important to understand those before you decide whether to buy Macs, PCs or a combination of both. While everyone has seen the amusing Mac versus PC television commercials, school administrators actually have to make the decision about which platform to use.

Percentage of windows vs mac users