Most of this guide is going to focus on the differences that exist when it comes down to looking at the software provided by both Apple and Microsoft, but first, it’s important to look at the hardware that both the operating system and the software built for each platform runs on. After all, you aren’t just buying a PC now-you’re buying into an ecosystem.

Both macOS and Windows have come a long way since the early days of personal computing, and it might be tougher than ever to choose an operating system for your new computer. Competition only got stronger in the 2000s, with the birth of the “Get a Mac” campaign by Apple and the “I’m a PC” response ad by Windows. In 2020, both platforms continue to thrive, despite an early dominance by Windows in the 1990s and the near-death of Apple before the turn of the century. One of the earliest ongoing examples of the platform wars in technology is the original fanboy argument: PC or Mac? It’s a question that has plagued PC users for over thirty years, since Macintosh and Windows were launched by Apple and Microsoft, respectively, in the mid-1980s. Not to be outdone, Google’s own software features its fair share of ecosystem lock-in, using systems like Google Drive and Gmail to make sure that users are constantly within the realm of Google’s reach, while simultaneously leveraging their hardware division to build phones, smart speakers, and more that take advantage of sticking inside a single platform. Apple has built an incredible example in all of this, bonding the Mac and iPhone together is a way where some people refuse to switch to another platform just because of the ability to send messages from their Mac.

In 2020, almost every device in our possession has some sort of ecosystem lock-in, creating a world where it’s best to stick with a single platform over spreading yourself out.

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