How to Tell if You Have a Macintosh or Windows Computer

How to Tell if You Have a Macintosh or Windows Computer

Sometimes you may use a computer but not be sure of what kind of computer it is. Here are the ways to tell

From the Screen

Here is a screen shot of a Macintosh-based computer:

Here is a screen shot of a Windows-based computer:

Notes:

These screen shots are based on version 9 of the Macintosh OS and Windows 95. Your mileage may vary.

The individual screens you see happen to have the icons they happen to have. Your mileage may vary.

So, compare Your screens with the above and you can tell what kind of computer you've got.

Another way to tell is the company who makes the computer (hardware). If you own a computer that has an Apple label on it, it runs the Apple Macintosh operating system.

If the hardware has almost any other label (like Compaq, IBM, Dell, Hewlett Packard, etc.) then it's 98% assured that hardware runs the Microsoft Windows operating system.

Further Info:

Microsoft makes an operating system (software files on the computer) that runs on hardware (the physical pieces) made by lots of other manufacturers. Microsoft doesn't actually build computers themselves. (This group of computers is also known as "IBM and IBM Clones".)

Apple makes both the software of an operating system (the Mac OS) as well as the hardware for 99% of all Macintosh computers made.

There are a whole bunch of very interesting reasons for why this is so. Most of the reasons have to do with history, corporate stupidity and backstabing and other fascinating matters.... We'll get into this some day, if you're interested.... ;-)

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