Mac vs. PC: Here are the real differences

The burning rivalry between Mac and PC is one of the most storied rivalries in the history of technology – ruining friendships, bringing down corporations and inspiring some very creative commercials — but do we truly understand the fundamental difference between a Windows PC and a Macintosh? I’m sure many of you do, but for those who don’t have a grasp of the finer details, Computerphile has put together a short video primer explaining how Macs and PCs differ.

Professor Tom Rodden begins by discussing computer systems in their most basic form. You start with the physical hardware, then an operating system, then the applications on that operating system and finally the windowing system which the user directly interacts with. Of course, the way we interact with our computers has changed drastically over the years, but the basic interactions remains the same.

Moving on to the advent of the Macintosh computer, Rodden explains that historically,Microsoft has been a software company. The Surface tablets are the first hardware built by Microsoft in quite some time. Apple, on the other hand, controls both the hardware and the software in its computer business. This means that Apple can “optimize and protect” its computers in ways that Microsoft can’t.

Apple’s operating system can therefore make presumptions about the hardware it will be functioning on because Apple can extensively test its operating system with every piece of hardware it releases. Microsoft doesn’t have this luxury, as dozens of manufacturers create hardware for Windows. This is where device drivers come into play, and why certain accessories or programs might be incompatible from one Windows computer to another.

The obvious downside to siding with Apple is that you’ll only ever have one machine to choose from. This leads to inflated prices, which is why an $1,099 iMac is seen as a bargain. OS X and iOS are both regularly lambasted for bring closed off in comparison to other mobile and desktop operating systems as well. You have more freedom on Windows to customize both hardware and software than you ever will on a Mac.

All of this may sound redundant to those of you who understand the technical distinctions between Macs and PCs, but everyone else should take a few minutes to watch the video above.

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YOUTUBE (COMPUTERPHILE)

Alleged iPhone 6 Compared With Samsung Galaxy S5 in Leaked Image

Apple's much-anticipated next iPhone, expected to be called the iPhone 6, has been speculated about and leaked in images several times over the past few months. And it seems there's no stopping till the date Apple officially reveals its next-generation iPhone devices - leaks have been tipping there will be two display size variants - 4.7- or 5.5-inch.

After being compared with the Apple iPhone 5 on Thursday, a new leaked image posted byGSMArena shows the alleged iPhone 6 pictured beside the Samsung Galaxy S5.

The alleged wider, thinner iPhone 6 seems to feature a 4.7-inch display, and is slightly shorter than the Galaxy S5 (which sports a 5.1-inch display) in side by side comparison. The alleged iPhone 6 in the leaked image also appears to be thinner than the Galaxy S5 , which is 8.1mm thick.

Apple's rumoured iPhone 6 is widely anticipated to sport curved edges, doing away with its currentstraight-edge design. Further, the next iPhones' sides are said to house the power button positioned on the right panel of the device, instead on the top panel seen on current iPhone models. Meanwhile, the side panels are likely to include a slightly modified volume buttons.

A Taiwanese celebrity named Jimmy Lin on Thursday posted an image of the alleged iPhone 6 compared alongside iPhone 5 and also shared his first-hand experience with the unannounced iPhone. According to Lin, the alleged iPhone 6 with 4.7-inch display had a great display and was easy to grip despite of its large display size.

A recent report claimed that Apple's next iPhone would hit the shelves on September 19.

The Cupertino-based company has been rumoured to be testing a higher screen resolution on at least one of the two iPhone models likely to debut this year. An earlier report suggested that one of the two alleged iPhone 6 models would come with a 960x1704 pixels resolution screen, compared to the 640x1136 pixels resolution found on the current iPhone models that sport 4-inch displays.

We remind readers however, that nothing is official yet, and that all such leaks must be taken with a pinch of salt.