When it comes to laptop computers, consumers are typically faced with two choices: Apple or Microsoft. The irresistible sleek edges and effortless iPhone/iTunes compatibility of the Macbook Pro are what attract Apple’s young consumers, yet what they don’t take into consideration is the bank-breaking price that may just be a hoax afterall. Is Apple really better than Microsoft? Is there a reason for Apple’s notoriously high price tag, or are they just playing off of consumer-favoritism? Are we all just paying hundreds more for the brand name and those cute little Apple stickers?

Let’s be honest. Who can resist a brand new Macbook, in rose gold of course, waiting for them with a little red bow on the corner of the box. Aesthetically, Apple products are beautiful, at least when they’re brand new and scratch-free, but some people are starting to take a stand against their infamous price, and they are discussing what really matters: the software. Are we all just paying for a pretty outside? Or does all that money help fund a supposedly better operating system?

The new Macbook, which released in April of 2016, comes with starting price of $1299, at least for the lowest option. The internet responded accordingly, creating numerous jokes about how purchasing the computer will essentially drain your bank account. Apple boasts about the laptop’s all-new Intel processor, which, depending on whether you get the 256GB model or the 512GB model, is either a 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core m3 processor with Turbo Boost up to 2.2GHz for the 256GB or a 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core m5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz for the 512GB. The starting price for the 512GB also jumps up to $1599. Aside from the numbers, Apple does a great job blowing away the not-so-educated consumer, but let’s compare these stats and prices with Apple’s competitor: Microsoft.

While Microsoft has numerous models of laptops, many from different manufacturers, perhaps one of its most innovative products is the Surface Book, which is essentially a tablet and a laptop morphed into one device, unlike anything Apple offers. This product is Apple’s most-feared competitor, so let’s see how it compares. A 128GB Surface Book, with a 6th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, is $1499. Just like Apple’s offerings, you can also pay more for more memory and a faster processor. For example, a 256GB Surface Pro, with still a 6th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, is $1699. Microsoft presents a handful more options than Apple, such as the highest option, which is to pay $3199 for a 1TB Surface Pro with a 6th Gen Intel Core i7 processor.

So overall, as long as you get the cheapest Surface option, you will be paying a price in between the two Macbook prices for a device with less memory. It may seem like Apple is the better deal, but the Surface offers options the Macbook does not, such as a touchscreen and a detachable keyboard. Both Apple and Microsoft have slightly different processors, both of which are excellent, so whether one is superior is solely up to the consumer. But honestly, the debate also includes user-friendliness, program-compatibility, and simply just consumer preferences, which is always individualized depending on who is looking to buy the laptop.

Also, there are numerous PC (Microsoft-running) laptops that are very much cheaper than the Surface or Macbook. These computers are perhaps the most popular among consumers because of their incredible affordability. However, Apple does not offer laptops on such realm, so if one wishes to buy one, he or she would have to swallow their pride and pay the expensive price. Apple gets a bad rep for their prices, but if you think about it, it’s just that they do not offer lower-quality laptops like Microsoft does, only top quality ones that compete with the Surface. That being said, both Microsoft and Apple are extremely expensive when it comes to top-of-the-line products.

“I do like that some of the PC’s are more affordable,” says senior Rachael Souhrada. “However, for heavy duty programs such as Photoshop and Lightroom that I need to run, they don’t have enough processing power.”

“As someone who has used both Microsoft and Apple products, I can say that for me, the brand Apple is not worth my money,” says senior Jasmine Lindstaedt. “I sure enjoy their software and hardware design, plus it’s kind of a status symbol, but still I am not willing to pay more for just small advantages in a phone/laptop. Also, sometimes it’s quite annoying that they are a lot less compatible with non-Apple products.”

Overall, whichever laptop a consumer wishes to purchase is solely up to that person and their preferences. Computers and their operating systems and very subjective, meaning that needs and wants vary from person to person and therefore not one option is technically better overall. In the end, just be careful with your money and don’t buy something expensive like a laptop without doing a bit of research.