HOME  >>  PC vs. Mac vs. Linux: (Updated: March 21st, 2011) Choose MAC - If you're looking for a recording studio, money isn't an issue, and you don't need sales, service or support. Choose Linux - If you're a technician looking for a cheap, stable computer or server, and you don't need sales, service or support. Choose Windows - If you're looking for a computer that can do everything above plus much more. Operating System Market Share - Despite popular belief, Mac has lost ground and Linux has remained pretty much unchanged. September 2008: Windows: 90.3% Mac: 8.23% Linux: 0.91% February 12, 2010 7:24 AM: Windows: 92.00% Mac: 5.16% Linux: 1.02% March 21, 2011 9:15 AM: Windows: 89.69% Mac: 5.19% Linux: 0.92% WHY WE RECOMMEND WINDOWS OVER MAC AND LINUX - Market Share is a big issue We have now lived and worked in a Micro$oft world for a quarter of a centuryThe first independent version of Micro$oft Windows, version 1.0, was released on November 20th, 1985., so unless the market changes drastically, we will continue to build and support Windows systems. Even the most loyal die hards agree that Macs need to lower their prices and become less proprietary, and Linux distributions need to support way more hardware and become more user friendly. That's just for starters. Even if that happened, the numbers show that Mac, Linux, and at least 22 other operating systems share aproximately a mere 8% of the market. The numbers also show that any one of them would have to gain nearly 50% of the market to compete with Micro$oft. History shows that the odds of that happening within the next decade or two are slim to none. Microsoft has a widespread, ingrained, and highly developed infrastucture of sales, service and support in place for their customers. As far as the others go, trying to find parts, service, or technical support is almost impossible. People are not going to jump ship for a row boat. It will be a very long time before the alternatives can actually make a dent in the market, let alone become competition. WINDOW'S MASSIVE MARKET SHARE ALSO MEANS A LARGER TARGET FOR CYBERCROOKS - so isn't Apple more secure? Many die-hard apple fans think they're invincible. They are shocked to hear that hacked Apple's iPhone was hacked back in 2007, and that in less than 2 minutes a Mac Gets Hacked First. Also contrary to the popular belief that Apple makes more secure products, Apple lags behind Microsoft in fixing security vulnerabilities SO MACS ARE VULNERABLE - But they're still safer, right? According to CNET'S Mac security article, that thinking was out-dated back in April of 2008. The article points out that criminals were exploiting browsers, applications, and vulnerable servers to hack Web sites and go phishing. It became more about Internet Explorer vs. Firefox vs. Safari vs. Opera, and more about exploiting applications like Apple's QuickTime player, Adobe's Flash player, Window's media player. Browser Market Share: March 21, 2011 10:00 AM: Microsoft Internet Explorer 56.77% Firefox 21.74% Chrome 10.93% Safari 6.36% Opera 2.15% SO BROWSERS, APPS AND SITES BECAME TARGETS - so isn't Apple'S Safari more secure? Think again. Times have changed. Hacked websites use your behavoir to commit fraud and steal your identity and money. ESET's survey found that both PC and Mac users think Mac's are safer, yet Mac users are victims of cybercrime just as frequently as PC users, and Mac users are also just as vulnerable to Web-based attacks like phishing, and Mac users who fall prey to phishing lose more money.