Recently came across a reddit article titled Must I really get a MacBook and thought it was interesting how the design industry is so prevalent with Macintoshes. Be it the iPad Air or the Retina 5k display iMac, ask any designer out there and nine out of ten will tell you they own at least 2 Apple products.

Why is this? Is it true that a designer cannot work without a Mac? What is so attractive about the Apple designed OS that all designers flock to it, and even idolizes it.

I asked a few designers and here are the results. Almost all of them have one reason in common. And that is to support a company that values design. When I dug further, eliminating “shallow” reasons like the industrial design of the MacBooks, the simple and elegent UI of OSX. I got a few things that just might tip a designer towards the Mac side.

Below is a list of the top 10 reasons why my Mac-toting designer friends chose to use a Mac.

1. Quick Look: This minified preview function has saved lots of hours for designers looking around for assets. I still get amazed reactions from PC friends when they see me use it. As designers, we work with so much visual stuff that having a quick way to see what’s in our files is quite valuable.
2. Track Pad: Apple’s trackpads are well known for their smoothness and responsiveness. One of my designer friend described touching the trackpad like “touching a new born’s buttocks — it’s so smooth and, oh so responsive”. Ever since my first MacBook Pro, I’ve never liked any other trackpads.
3. Font: This is a multifaceted argument. Firstly, the way OSX handles font is just amazing. With sub-pixel anti-aliasing; ClearType has nothing on the Mac. Not to mention the font management abilities of OSX. Also, for type design, pretty much the only modern software available for it is OSX-exclusive [Robofont].
4. Applications: The App/Software ecosystem of the Macintosh is amazing for designers. Like the previous type design app, many apps for designers are OSX-exclusive. And not old apps either. For example, Sketch and Final Cut Pro, just to name a few. I personally think that it may be because artists are attracted to the Mac and thus, when they create designer-esque softwares, they develope it with Mac-only or Mac-first in mind. This cause a loop in the eco-system.Designer likes OSX, designer creates design app for OSX. Other designers like the app designer made. Designers buy OSX to use app, and it snowballs from there.
5. Software Continuity: This has a lot to do with user experience, which a lot of designers appreciate. There is no other company in the market that allows you to just take off from your desk and still be able to continue your work except Apple. And for designers, who often have to run between point A and B all day long, it’s a godsend.
6. Longevity: People who know me should know that my experience completely refutes this point, but it has been accurate for many other people. We’ve all known people who use their MacBook for years. One of my lecturer from college actually still uses a PowerBook G3, which is amazing. Yet I have never had a MacBook last more than 3 years. YMMV.
7. Support: This is something I cannot elaborate enough. If I have a problem with any of my devices, I bring it to the nearest Apple Store, no matter which part of the Earth I’m at. Not only will I receive free advice but on at least a dozen occasions, I’ve have a product replaced on the spot, free of charge, no questions asked. That degree of support alone is valuable and worth every extra cent I paid for.
8. Stability: I have only ever had a Blue Screen of Death (or the Grey Screen of Death in the case of the Mac) once in my entire life, and I was tinkering with kernel files on purpose. Due to the way *nix handles programs (Sandbox), whenever an app crashes on you, it does not pull the entire OS down with it. Just force quit and re-open and you’re back to doing whatever you were doing in no time. Also, viruses. I am not going to tell you that the Mac is virus-free, but you cannot deny it has a lot less virus.
9. Battery: The MacBooks have an astounding battery life compared to every other PC I’ve used before. That alone is a deciding factor for many of the designers I’ve talkd to.
10. Display: Great color management and one word. Retina. Sold.

With that, I believe it is clear why the design industry adores Apple products. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create art without a Mac. I’ve also known designers who uses Windows. You are not labeled by the instruments you use. Be it a MacBook or a LifeBook, if you create great art, you’re still a designer in my book.

So cheers to all the designers out there, no matter of your instruments of choice. And if you guys have anything to comment about this post, let me know in this Reddit thread and I’ll try to answer you as best as I could. Or other designers, if I’m sleeping and they’re faster than me.