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Should you buy a Mac or Windows PC

for the student in your household?

 

 

For years, Apple's Macintosh was the teacher's machine of choice. But eventually students and teachers alike were wooed to the PC by low prices and high performance. Today, 90 percent of schools have Windows PCs, while 64 percent have Macs. Truth is, as the operating systems have evolved, there's not much difference - other than aesthetic - between the Apple's Mac operating system and Windows. If you surf the net, send e-mails, or store pictures from a digital camera, you’ll get the same results on either platform.

Mainstream programs like Microsoft Office are available for both platforms, and files created in one can be opened in the other. And now, with the release of Apple's Mac OS 10.2 (dubbed Jaguar), it's easy enough to network Macs and PCs together for file sharing. While many software learning applications and educational games were originally written for the Mac, they now mostly come in both Windows and Mac formats — on the same CD-ROM. Only when it comes to mainstream video games will you find a much wider variety for the PC.

So what advice are we offering? Buy a computer because you like it. Buy it because it meets your budget or offers the best additional accessories or matches the wallpaper in your room. Given the power of all computers these days, and the low price tags on them, it's pretty hard to be disappointed.

 (249 words) Adapted from TIME, 8 September 2002

 Read the text carefully. The answers must refer to the text. 

1. True or false or not in the text

true

false

not in text

Jaguar is Microsoft’s latest operating system.

 

 

 

Macs and Windows PCs used to have different formats but today they are identical.

 

 

 

You can also buy Word or Excel versions for a Mac.

 

 

 

Thanks to Jaguar data can now be easily transmitted a Mac to a PC.

 

 

 

Macs look nicer than Windows PCs.

 

 

 

The number of computers at schools has increased.

 

 

 

Teachers and students tend to buy Windows PCs today.

 

 

 

 

2. Tick the correct statement/s !   (several statements may be correct)
           a. The article claims that …

 

you can hardly be disappointed with either a Mac or a PC.

 

teachers have switched from Apple to Windows because of the poor performance of Macs.

 

computers have become more affordable in recent years.

 

Macs are more advantageous in education than PCs.

 

 

b.  According to the article …

 

you should rather buy a PC unless you are keen on playing games. 

 

it’s best to buy a computer you really like.

 

people should also care about the extras when searching for the right computer.

 

computers offer good value for money today.  

 

 

3. What are the similarities between Macs und Windows PCs?

     Keywords only! Don’t quote!