What are the Demographic Differences Between Mac Users and PC Users? [Infographic]
I recently stumbled across a very interesting study by hunchblog.com of almost 400,000 computer users that explored the political and lifestyle differences between Mac users and PC users.
Most people are aware that the debate of which operating system is better is very hotly contested and, like the debate over abortion or the right to bear arms, should not be discussed after alcohol consumption.
That being said, people don’t usually realize that based on the operating system that a particular person favors, you can also gain some insight on other aspects of that person’s life such as their education, political standing and social tendencies.
I have included the infographic of the study at the end of this post but first lets look at some of the more interesting bullet points of the study:
- 52% of the respondents considered themselves PC users, 25% Mac users and 23% neither
- PC users are 22% more likely to be between the ages of 35-49 while Mac users are 22% more likely to be between the ages of 18-34
- 36% of PC users are liberal, 58% of Mac users are liberal
- 52% of Mac users live in a city while 39% of PC users live in suburbs or rural areas
- 54% of PC users have a four year degree while 67% of Mac users have a four year education
- PC users are 26% more likely to want to “fit in” with other people while Mac users are 13% more likely to want to be “perceived as unique and different to make my own work”
- PC users are 33% more likely to consider themselves math people while Mac users are 12% more likely to have a strong verbal aptitude
- Mac users are 80% more likely to be vegetarian than PC users
- PC users are 74% more likely to prefer Hollywood films while Mac users are 80% more likely to prefer indie films
These statistics suggest that Mac people tend to be more liberal than PC people and PC people tend to be more conservative. I think the final results of this study show that the tendencies of both PC users and Mac users stem from the original strengths and weaknesses of the two operating systems.
For example, Macs have always been known as better operating system for creating artwork and performing graphic design. Therefore, those who use Macs tend to be more artistic. PCs tend to be stronger at performing mathematical computations and for business purposes.
As Macs have become increasingly popular in recent years, I believe the demographic and social differences between Mac users and PC users have begun to become less apparent. It would be really interesting to see the results of this study 10 years ago and then see the results of this study in another 10 years. I bet the results would be staggeringly different!
If you want to see for yourself, check out the infographic below. Clicking on it will bring you to the original source of the study. Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments section!
More infographics on online trends you may want to check out:
- Is the Internet Good or Bad for the Environment [Infographic]
- 4 Infographics About Online Trends, Internet Usage and Social Media
- The World Map of Internet Connections
About Anson Alexander
Anson Alexander is a graduate from the University of Tampa with a degree in International Business and Information Systems.A previous IT Administrator for a medium size publication company, Anson has recently decided to work full time on his own business by publishing on AnsonAlex.com, publishing technology tutorials on YouTube and offering SEO, IT training and digital marketing services.His main interests include technology, social media, infographics, economics, marketing and web design.Connect with Anson on Google+.
I found this article quite interesting. Although I have a Mac many of my interests tend to be more applicable with PC users.