Mac vs. Windows: Is One Better for Magazine Layout?

Rivalries are a great way to boost competition. People love to root for one team over another, argue that Pepsi tastes better than Coke or one fast-food hamburger is superior to another. The computer world is not immune to “friendly competition” either. Over the years, two main brands of operating systems have emerged from the Ethernet —Windows computers and Macintosh computers. But is one better than the other when it comes to magazine layout?

The short answer is, not anymore. In the early days of desktop publishing, way back in the 1980s, the preferred platform was the Mac. Designed as an out of the box computer, the Apple marketers used the concept of plug and play as a way to attract customers. The Apple computer also had faster graphics boards and processors so it attracted graphic designers. Plus, Apple marketed to the design crowd. Macs also had the video editing market with the Avid—a computer system for digitally editing video that was originally designed for the Mac. Later, Avid went to a Windows platform.

Desktop Publishing

Aldus PageMaker was the first major program designed and sold as a magazine layout tool for the average consumer. It was originally designed for use only on the new Macs and a year later, 1987, was sold with Windows software. In those days, Windows was new to the PC —personal computers–world. Users logged onto DOS-based interfaces where you had to enter codes and commands to launch software. Apple skipped that phase and introduced WYSIWYG systems—what you see is what you get.

At that same time, artists were transitioning from pen and paper to digital so the easier the transition, the better. Apple cornered that market and many designers gravitated toward Mac platforms simply for ease of use, faster rendering and processing of files.

Then vs. Now

Time marched on and magazine layout programs became readily available for Windows platforms, which emulated the Mac interface. Gone were the days when you had to know computer code. Yes, programmers are still here and are necessary to the future of computing but the graphic artist is not required to learn code to work.

Which brings us to the age old debate—which is better? Today, that argument is more a matter of preference than necessity. Many graphics and editorial professionals were raised on Macs so they naturally gravitate toward that platform. But the PC is just as popular and available.

Another factor is environment. Typical offices operate solely with PCs. So if a business employs an editorial team to do magazine layout, chances are it is being done on a PC. Unless large enough for a separate system, many businesses will not opt for buying and supporting a second set of computers.

Cost

Probably the single biggest factor in picking one platform over the other is cost. While the software is priced similarly, the Mac still costs more than a PC, sometimes by several hundred dollars. Variety is another factor. PCs are available as Gateways, Dells, Hewlett Packard and other off brands. If you want a Mac, there is only one choice. And Apple sets the prices of its computers so shopping around for a bargain is not an option.

Stability

When working on a magazine layout, the designer craves a stable platform. After spending hours of time getting a layout “just right,” a computer crash that loses the last hour of work is not fun. Anyone who has ever had this happen knows the feeling. Many people still feel that Macs are more stable than PCs. But that is largely a myth today. As long as you have enough RAM (Random-Access Memory), save often to a backup drive and keep virus software up to date, that huge system crash is unlikely.

Also, both platforms have the option of only quitting a program that has frozen for some reason without having to restart the whole computer. Relaunching usually fixes the problem.

Advertising

A few years ago, Apple launched a very popular ad campaign centering on this very theme, using a hip young guy as the Mac and a nerdy guy as the PC representative. Along with the introduction of iPhones, iPads and iPods, the Apple is a still a major force in the magazine layout field. It is up to the designer to decide which platform her or she prefers.

– ArtworkAbode