As a designer, I think a lot about computers– being that I’m using one many hours each day. I’m a Mac user who came over from the world of Windows about 5 or so years ago. I have to say that, although my Mac experience has not been problem-free, it’s tended to be much more so than my Windows experience– both in the long-term (how many expensive repairs are required?) and the day-to-day (e.g. do I have to worry about viruses and other time-consuming routine maintenance?)

But what I want to get into today is value. It is conventional wisdom that Macs cost far more than their Windows counterparts, and thus are not worth the extra money. But is that true? I’ve read a number of unofficial “studies” on this, and have come away believing “yes and no, depending on how you calculate it– but Macs are still worth it if you’re like the majority of users who just want a machine that works.”

First, here’s the “no, they’re not more expensive”: see this, this, and this. These articles compare Macs and similarly-configured Windows machines, and come away with the conclusion that when you compare hardware feature-for-feature and quality-for-quality, there’s really relative parity between Apple and Windows machines. Of course, there are cheap, mass-produced Windows machines that have the “same” specs as more expensive Macs (and more expensive Windows counterparts), but if there weren’t such a difference in quality, why would makers of Windows PCs charge more for certain models? To be specific: You can get a run-of-the-mill HP machine for around $800-900, which has a bigger screen and similar numbers to a $1200-1300 Mac. But if the $1300 Mac weren’t any better than the $900 HP, then why does HP offer other models for $1300 that are also, seemingly, similar to the Mac? Because “awesome” statistics don’t necessarily make a good machine– just because you can get a cheap laptop with a huge hard drive, doesn’t mean that that hard drive is high quality, or that the battery lasts long.

Then there are those who say “Macs are more expensive, but it’s because they are like premium cars”. Like, for instance, this piece here. I think people like this have a point– Apple does compete almost exclusively in the premium market, so even their cheapest machines seem expensive by comparison to the $300 Windows basic models.

But there’s something else that is less talked about but is far more important: total cost of ownership (TCO). It’s meaningless to complain– as so many people do– about Apple computers or other premium products without first looking at how long it’ll last them and how much productivity they’ll gain (or lose) by buying it. Of course, we all know that a $10 toaster from Wal-Mart isn’t going to last nearly as long as one that cost $50. But this seems to be largely lost on computer buyers– they see the $500 Dell laptop and the $1000 Mac counterpart, and automatically assume that Mac is overpriced.

But, as it turns out, buying Windows carries significant hidden costs. Like Antivirus software. Or, although people love to complain about how Apple charges $130 every 18 months or so when it upgrades its OS, they seem to forget that if you buy an economy PC, you’ll have to shell out extra bucks to get Microsoft’s premium OS version (as Steve Jobs likes to say, every Mac comes with “Ultimate”). How about downtime for repairs (and cost of repairs, which Windows-based IT people always charge a premium for– although Apple will do a lot of troubleshooting and help for free)? Just today I was with a client who has had trouble for months with the simple process of getting a second monitor to work on his Dell. He got so frustrated that he told me he was thinking of hiring an IT person to help him whenever he needed. My Mac’s second monitor? Just plug it in. But this has all been anecdotal. However, there are comparisons that have been done, and Apple comes out looking very good. Here’s another that takes a stab at Microsoft’s offensive and misleading “Lauren” ad, which purported to show that Macs are too expensive to buy, without factoring in the actual features (other than screen size), or cost of malware and the like. And finally, here’s one that gives some real scientific research.

So, if you look at up-front cost, it’s a wash– it depends on what models you compare. If you look at the more-important TCO, Mac tends to win by a solid margin.

Lastly– does this make Macs worth it? I think so, having switched from Windows 5 years ago. I’ve had a far better user experience and spent far less time and money (in fact, I haven’t spent a cent on Mac maintenance in 5 years!) on Mac as compared to Windows. But of course, it depends on what you need a computer for. If you’re doing very little with it, it may make sense to buy Windows, although even light users have to be concerned with malware. Or if you’re a computer-gamer or are in a business that requires Windows software, staying away from Macs could make sense– although according to Popular Mechanics, Macs run windows better than Windows-only machines! Bottom line? Sure, there are some applications for which buying Windows makes sense– but they get fewer every year.