Devrais-je acheter un Mac ou un PC? (Avec des photos)
Poste 236
Acheter un mac, c'est comme apprendre le latin en tant que langue maternelle. Cela peut être utile, mais vous aurez toujours des problèmes de communication avec 99% du monde. En 20 ans, je n’ai jamais eu la moindre raison d’utiliser un mac au-dessus d’une machine Windows.
Les iPad sont déployés pour les personnes qui ne savent pas utiliser un ordinateur, tandis que les Mac sont utilisés par des personnes qui "pensent" être créatives. Sur un Mac, vous ne pouvez rien faire sur un PC, mais l'inverse n'est pas vrai.
Poste 235
Juste une chose: Microsoft n'est pas le "propriétaire" des PC. C'est une entreprise qui produit des logiciels pour PC.
Il n'autorise pas non plus les personnes à construire des ordinateurs, ou du moins jusqu'à récemment n'avait pas leur propre gamme d'ordinateurs. Ils ont maintenant la Surface Pro, etc. Mais, ce que nous considérons généralement comme un PC aurait été à l'origine appelé un PC compatible IBM ou un ordinateur personnel compatible "International Business Machine".
IBM a fondamentalement eu cette idée brillante. Que se passe-t-il si nous publions un ensemble de normes que tout matériel informatique respecté peut être installé sur notre ordinateur, puis permettons à quiconque de fabriquer des produits pour notre ordinateur? Cela a conduit à l'innovation, aux cartes son, aux cartes vidéo, etc.
menait la charge dans tant de domaines, passant de CGA à VGA à EGA alors que Mac possédait essentiellement des ordinateurs Apple II, GS, CGA bon marché ou des ordinateurs couleur Mac incroyablement coûteux. Autoriser le développement externe permet aux PC de profiter des entreprises qui disent vouloir simplement se concentrer sur la création d'une meilleure carte vidéo plutôt que sur une toute nouvelle machine. Les entreprises ont très bien réussi.
De plus, PC permettait à quiconque de développer des logiciels pour leurs machines. Lorsque vous avez acheté un Mac à l'origine, vous avez acheté un ordinateur Macintosh / Apple pour exécuter le logiciel Apple développé à un prix supérieur par les programmeurs Apple, avec souvent des résultats de qualité inférieure. Apple achetait parfois une entreprise qui faisait quelque chose de génial.
Steve Jobs utilisait un système "à architecture fermée", ce qui signifiait qu'Apple contrôlait tout ce qui pouvait être fait sur une machine Apple, leur petit verger de pommiers. Cela a presque détruit leur entreprise avant de licencier Jobs. Mac / Apple en est un exemple: un verger de pommiers bien entretenu avec un type de fruit et rien d’inattendu. Les P sont la jungle.
Le Mac est vraiment venu après le PC. En gros, IBM pensait que seules les entreprises voudraient acheter quelque chose d’aussi cher qu’un ordinateur et former un technicien à l’utiliser. Ensuite, arrive Steve Jobs et "je vais rendre les ordinateurs cool, et tout le monde en veut un". Et avec l'aide de Steve Wozniak, ils ont ajouté des éléments tels qu'une interface utilisateur graphique et une souris (À la en même temps que Microsoft offrant la même chose).
Les PC ont été les premiers à avoir une compatibilité pour les composants externes. Les scientifiques pourraient brancher une centrifugeuse à l'aide de la carte compatible IBM insérée dans le connecteur PCI de l'ordinateur. Tout le monde peut créer une imprimante pour PC, mais seules les imprimantes Mac / Apple ou les très rares compatibles le peuvent. L'Internet haut débit est également issu de PC.
Si vous vouliez un modem plus rapide pour une pomme, vous deviez acheter une nouvelle pomme ou l'envoyer au fabricant pour y insérer une nouvelle carte. Dans les deux cas, vous économisiez des centaines de dollars. Pour un PC, vous payez
peut-être 80 $ pour acheter un nouveau modem. Alors que la demande pour un accès Internet plus rapide a augmenté, des services Internet plus rapides sont devenus disponibles, et votre ancien modem ne serait pas assez rapide pour gérer le nouvel Internet à haut débit. Pour un PC, il s’agissait simplement d’acheter et d’installer un nouveau modem PCI plus rapide. Votre ordinateur serait en panne pendant peut-être une demi-heure pendant que vous l'éteigniez, ouvriez le boîtier, puis installiez la carte et insériez le disque matériel. Aucune technologie nécessaire. Pour un Mac, s'il pouvait même le faire, vous deviez le mettre en boîte et l'expédier. (Sauf si vous vivez là où il existe un support technique Mac, à peu près si vous vivez dans une grande ville). quelques jours. Pas une option, vraiment.
Ainsi, à mesure qu'Internet se refroidissait, les PC devenaient de plus en plus rapides et moins chers, alimentant ainsi la demande pour Internet. Les jeux ont également alimenté Internet, et assez dégoûtant, les trucs «adultes» ont également fait. Mais sans compatibilité PC, nous serions toujours dans la cage d’Apple et utiliserions l’Internet n’était guère plus qu’un système de babillard électronique. Le seul véritable service d’Apple dans l’industrie informatique a été de rendre l’informatique accessible aux personnes qui ne veulent pas apprendre à utiliser un ordinateur. Un Mac n’a pas – ou ne cherche pas à faire – quoi que ce soit de nouveau ou qui nécessite une compréhension de quelque chose de complexe, ce qui le rend parfait pour les personnes plus âgées qui débutent en informatique ou pour les hipsters qui veulent paraître intelligents et sophistiqués.
En bref, Apple a retardé l'informatique pendant des années, tout en affirmant être les meilleures capacités reconditionnées disponibles depuis des années sur les PC si vous saviez le faire (Siri) et en achetant le public ignorant avec une machine lisse suppose est bon en raison de l'aspect esthétique de l'affaire. Ils ne sont toujours là qu'en raison de la reconnaissance de la marque et de l'abandon du modèle commercial de Steve Jobs. Comme l'a dit une autre affiche, un Mac n'est plus qu'un PC de milieu de gamme sous Mac OS.
Remarque: je poste aussi ce message car je suis en attente d'un logiciel qui est en retard, car pour qu'il soit disponible sur iProducts / Mac, il doit passer par un processus de révision Apple (oui, c'est comme si vos parents lisaient un livre avant. vous obtenez de le lire).
Le logiciel est déjà prêt à utiliser Droid et PC, et encore une fois, c'est Apple qui nous retient, et il a été battu à mort.
Poste 234
J'ai déjà eu cinq Macs, à commencer par un ordinateur portable à base de G4. Je dois dire qu'avec le temps, la qualité semble s'être détériorée. Mon G4 fonctionne toujours (lentement). Mon Macbook Intel est mort au bout d'un an et 10 mois et avait besoin d'un nouveau panneau et d'une nouvelle carte mère. Pas idéal.
L'iMac 27 "A la fin, j'avais assez cuit sa carte graphique, je l'ai donc remplacée par un Mac Pro 2010 de seconde main, qui offre un meilleur refroidissement et semble fonctionner correctement. Il est connecté via 2 x GbE, sans fil.
Mon dernier MacBook Pro 13 "Retina a maintenant des problèmes de WiFi. Ne fonctionne pas avec quelques routeurs standard mais convient parfaitement avec un aéroport extrême. Pas idéal
vraiment comme c'est un ordinateur portable de travail. Les invités Windows qui y fonctionnent continuent à bien fonctionner même lorsque OSX ne se connecte plus à Internet, ils le peuvent toujours. Même connexion Wifi.
Dans l’ensemble, j’avais l'habitude de recommander Apple sans hésiter, mais maintenant, après avoir dépensé des milliers de dollars pour revenir à des systèmes opérationnels, j'hésiterais à le faire. Leur assurance qualité semble inexistante et ils semblent également avoir quelque peu abandonné la qualité du matériel.
C'est dommage, mais encore une fois, ils semblent viser un marché différent ces jours-ci.
Je commence à envisager d'abandonner des ordinateurs portables basés sur Intel, légèrement moins chers, avec Linux ou Windows comme système d'exploitation de base, puis ce dont j'ai besoin en plus. Ce que j'économiserais en coûts de matériel, ce n'est pas trop. Ce que je gagnerais du temps en essayant de rendre leur système d’exploitation et leur matériel agréables est plus significatif. Je me suis assis trop souvent ici, mon MacBook ne se connectant pas, regardant les invités travaillant toujours, l'ordinateur portable Windows de ma femme fonctionnant toujours, en fait tout le reste de la maison fonctionnait encore. Même réseau, même routeur. Le G4 fonctionne.
Poste 229
Fait amusant: vous pouvez en fait utiliser un Mac pour effectuer le sauvetage d'un Mac endommagé ou brisé. Essayez cela avec un PC. – Un gars de PC.
Poste 227
@ anon356302: Il n'est pas simple de "garantir une durée de vie plus longue sur Mac,"
Tout est parfait si vous utilisez OS X. OS X est un système d'exploitation Unix, solide et sécurisé.
Aussi, je ne peux pas comprendre comment vous n'avez jamais expérimenté un écran bleu de la mort avec Windows. Je possède environ 10 ordinateurs et un seul Mac, que j'utilise depuis juin 2011. J'ai eu des milliers de BSOD. OS X pourrait avoir le gel occasionnel dû principalement à des applications buggy, mais depuis Mavericks, même pas.
Poste 226
D'accord, je dois ajouter mes 2 centimes de po. J'entends beaucoup d'utilisateurs de Mac, et les utilisateurs de Mac à Mac affirment que l'achat d'un Mac assurera une durée de vie plus longue sur le MAC.
Hmmm, j'utilise actuellement un ordinateur portable HP Pavilion sous Vista que j'ai acheté en 2006. Je n'ai jamais eu un blocage sur écran bleu, je n'ai jamais eu de virus, de malware ou de cheval de Troie . Je surfe toujours sur le net, et pour être honnête, j'ai touché beaucoup de sites porno sans jamais avoir de virus.
Mon frère utilise actuellement une Compaq sous Windows XP Home Edition achetée en 2003. La seule raison pour laquelle il est passé à une autre
ordinateur est parce qu’il a atteint sa limite de mise à niveau en termes de RAM et de VRAM. Devinez ce que je lui donne? Un autre ordinateur exécutant WinXP qui atteint 4 Go de RAM et qui contient plus de mémoire VRAM, est plus rapide qu’en enfer. J'ai acheté cet ordinateur pour 50 $ il y a deux ans et il n'a jamais eu d'écran bleu, de virus ou de programme malveillant / cheval de Troie.
À présent, mon neveu a acheté un nouveau Macbook il y a trois ans, convaincu du battage médiatique selon lequel ils ne planteront jamais. Il s'est écrasé il y a six mois. Je ne sais pas s'il s'agit toujours d'une garantie, mais je sais qu'il n'achètera pas un autre Mac d'une valeur de 2 500 dollars lorsqu'il pourra acheter un ordinateur portable Wal Mart de 278 dollars. Pour la personne qui se plaint de mises à jour constantes du système d'exploitation, vous auriez peut-être dû activer la mise à jour automatique pour Windows et la laisser s'exécuter en arrière-plan. J'ai et j'ai toujours les mises à jour de sécurité actuelles et tout cela est fait en arrière-plan, sans impact sur la vitesse de mon système, du moins, je l'ai remarqué.
Si vous ne faites que surfer sur Internet, utilisez Firefox avec Adblocker Plus et installez la version gratuite d’AVG. Cela vous protégera contre presque tous les virus (c'est fait pour moi), puis installez les utilitaires Glary et Ccleaner et nettoyez votre ordinateur tous les mois environ et vous ne rencontrerez que très peu de virus, de logiciels malveillants ou de chevaux de Troie.
Mon ordinateur portable de 600 $ fait tout ce que je veux. Ma seule décision est de savoir s'il faut ou non passer à win7 64 bits afin que je puisse utiliser tous les 4 Go de mon bélier. Le seul crash que j'ai jamais eu, c'est lorsque je me suis levé bêtement et que j'ai laissé tomber mon ordinateur portable pendant qu'il était allumé. J'ai dû remplacer mon disque dur de 120 Go par un disque dur de 220 Go, ce qui m'a coûté 54 dollars.
Non, personnellement, je ne peux pas justifier de payer plus de 1 900 dollars pour un nouveau Macbook Pro, alors que je peux acheter un HP Wal Mart pour moins de 300 dollars et faire la même chose à la même vitesse. Désolé, mais ça n'a aucun sens pour moi!
Poste 225
Vous devez ajouter le système d'exploitation en tant que facteur décisif. Alors que les Mac possèdent le magnifique OS X Mavericks, les PC ont la totalement décevante Windows 8, à moins que vous ne fonctionniez sous Linux, mais peu de gens le souhaitent, compte tenu du fait que cette situation ne cesse de s'aggraver depuis quelques années.
Poste 224
Je suis photographe et il y a un an, j'ai construit mon propre PC. Un ordinateur est un outil et j'ai construit le mien pour faire ce dont j'ai besoin pour mon travail, exactement et sans compromis.
J'ai un i7 à six cœurs, une carte de station de travail, 4 disques SSD (système d'exploitation, logiciel d'édition, disque de travail, toutes les autres installations), deux grands disques durs (de qualité) pour le stockage, un GPU Pro (indispensable pour une représentation précise des données) , 64 Go de RAM, une alimentation de grade A (souvent négligée mais très importante), une glacière pouvant accueillir tous les cœurs à 65 ° C et 100 à 35 Celsius et en veille en une seconde, un superbe boîtier en aluminium rouge.
J'utilise un flux de travail couleur 30 bits. Cela peut avoir changé très récemment
(2013), mais Apple n'a pas été en mesure d'offrir cela depuis quelques années qu'un PC pourrait le faire.
Je n'ai jamais utilisé ou vu un ordinateur plus rapide que jamais. Tout cela a été acheté pour 2500 £. Il n'y avait aucune option pour avoir quelque chose de proche de cela dans les spécifications de Mac!
L'achat d'un Mac semble être un énorme compromis si quelque chose de très spécifique est requis, mais c'est également vrai d'acheter un PC prêt à l'emploi (une idée terrible). Même si vous ne pouvez pas construire un PC vous-même, recherchez ce que vous voulez / devez et payez ensuite un expert pour compléter votre machine.
Je possède cette version depuis un peu plus d’un an, je me sers de win7 64 bits et je n’ai eu aucun problème avec elle (en fait, je ne peux même pas suggérer une amélioration, car elle fait tout ce dont j’ai besoin). J'ai une défense automatisée contre les virus et les logiciels malveillants, qui s'est avérée très puissante.
Ma femme a un Mac car elle est scientifique et les plates-formes de code que sa communauté utilise ne peuvent pas fonctionner efficacement sur un PC, mais chaque fois que je l'utilisais, il était loin d'être intuitif et semblait terriblement lent. Elle est gênée de le publier en public! (Nous sommes contre le marketing agressif, en fait le plus souvent).
Je remplacerai probablement mon ordinateur dans environ cinq ans et achèterai les composants les plus performants et les plus fiables qui seront les meilleurs pour exécuter le logiciel spécifique que j'utiliserai à ce moment-là pour vivre. Personne ne tentera de me vendre un produit car je saurai exactement ce que je veux.
"Un bon chef se procurera ses ingrédients de base à partir de plusieurs sources avant de créer et d'émerveiller".
Poste 223
Je viens de commander le nouvel iMac 27 "et je ne suis pas sûr de prendre une bonne décision.
Le prix est de 6 450 USD.
Spécifications: Intel Core i7 quad-core 3,5 GHz, Turbo Boost jusqu'à 3,9 GHz;
SDRAM DDR3 32 Go à 1600 MHz – 4 x 8 Go; 1 To de stockage flash; NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780m 4 Go GDDR5; Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad; Clavier USB Apple avec pavé numérique; Office 2011 pour Mac Famille et étudiant
Baguette magique + HiRise pour iMac + Sac à dos 2; AppleCare Protection Plan pour iMac 3 avec 20% de réduction.
Pour ce montant, je pourrais obtenir un PC avec des spécifications encore meilleures, et comme tous les composants sont essentiellement des composants de Notebook (M), c'est vraiment le design élégant que je paie
pour ici.
Maintenant, je n’ai jamais eu de Mac auparavant – et je suis assez fatigué d’utiliser un PC – à cause de tous les malwares et dysfonctionnements que j’ai connus.
Plus récemment, j'ai dû réinstaller Win7, pour me retrouver avec un PC encore plus buggier et plus lent. Mais est-ce que je fais une bonne affaire ici?
En passant, je suis passionné de montage photo et de création musicale. Je sais donc que les Mac sont recommandés à ces fins, mais quand même …
Poste 222
Eh bien, il y a environ un mois, j'ai apporté un nouveau livre Asus Ultra. J'ai apporté ceci alors que le magasin de technologie local avait une vente d'anniversaire. Il en coûtait 1859 $ NZ,
Mes spécifications: Intel i7 @ 3Ghz; 8 Go de RAM (extensible à 16); 4 Go de Nvidia; Écran tactile 15.6 "; Windows8; SSD 25 Go pour le système d’exploitation; 1 To de disque dur à 5 400 tr / min et une garantie gratuite de 3 ans.
Maintenant, voici une activité amusante pour vous tous. Allez sur apple et essayez de personnaliser le Macbook Pro pour qu'il soit aussi proche que le mien et voyez à quel point il est plus cher!
Mes résultats: Apple MacbookPro: Intel i7 @ 2.7Ghz; 1 Go de Nvidia; 8 Go de bélier; 1 To de disque dur 5400 tr / min; Écran 15 "sans écran tactile; 3 ans de soin des pommes = 4 398 NZD.
Dans quelle technologie Apple at-il justifié un supplément de 2539 dollars néo-zélandais? C'est juste fou.
Poste 219
J’ai utilisé des Macs pendant toute ma vie consciente, apparemment depuis l’âge de quatre ans, quand mes parents avaient le vieux Macintosh Plus.
Quoi qu’il en soit, j’ai utilisé les anciens modèles noir et blanc, puis le LC 575, Performas, puis avec la puce G3, j’ai commencé à utiliser les iMac, puis les iBooks, d’autres iMac, les Powerbooks, la première génération de Macbook Pro et, plus récemment, une -2010 MacBook Pro i7.
Je dirais que la transition vers Intel a été très intelligente, mais le début de la fin pour Apple. Mon premier MacBook Pro était un tank. Il a fonctionné vite, comme les macs. En vieillissant et en entourant de nouvelles personnes autour de moi, le duo Core 2 est devenu une chose, mais j’ai trouvé que mon ancien était toujours
sacrément vite. La carte vidéo était évidemment un problème avec le temps. En 2010, j'ai dépensé 2 500 dollars sur un nouveau. Plus grand gaspillage d'argent jamais. Je préférerais l'avoir dépensé en drogue ou en jeu.
Il bat en performance. À ses débuts, je lisais des informations sur les optimisations logicielles en ligne en préparation, car l'architecture i7 et les puces GT 330M étaient suffisamment nouvelles pour qu'Apple ait besoin de travailler un peu dessus. Je le croyais assez longtemps pour perdre la fenêtre de remords de mon acheteur. Il balles de plage lors de la création d'un nouvel onglet dans Safari. Il faut 10-15 secondes pour ouvrir l'application Mail. Il a été reformaté à quelques reprises. Je n'aime pas les choses comme la machine à voyager dans le temps car cela éviterait les problèmes.
En gros, j'ai les performances d'un très mauvais netbook sur un ordinateur très coûteux. J'ai construit une plate-forme de jeu puissante pour moins cher – oui, je sais, un ordinateur de bureau construit sur mesure est meilleur marché qu'un Mac, mais bon, avec un Intel 3930k et un gtx 680. Pour ceux qui ne le savent pas, ils sont haut de gamme. CPU / GPU en ligne qui surpassent les pièces utilisées par Apple par ordres de grandeur.
Je suis sûr que j’ai acheté un citron, alors ne vous inquiétez pas: vous ne détesterez probablement pas le vôtre comme je déteste le mien, mais ne vous laissez pas berner. Les pièces Apple ne sont ni différentes ni meilleures. Ce sont des pièces que l'on peut trouver sur une machine Windows. Et ils ne sont souvent pas les derniers ni les plus rapides à démarrer. Pensez à acheter une toute nouvelle voiture à un prix tout neuf, puis à réaliser que votre nouvelle et brillante Malibu 2010 ne vaut en réalité qu'un quart de ce que vous avez payé, car nous sommes au troisième trimestre de 2013.
Le système d'exploitation glisse et le matériel devient de plus en plus obsolète à chaque actualisation. Si vous voulez un joli appareil pour envoyer des emails et jouer avec des photos et des vidéos, Mac est OK. Si vous voulez que la puissance du processeur / GPU soit rendue ou jouée, prenez 2 000 $ et construisez vous-même une plate-forme monstre qui exécutera Windows.
Poste 218
Pourquoi Windows 8 n'est-il pas le sujet le plus important à prendre en compte lors de la comparaison de PC à Mac?
Je pense que Windows 8 est le plus grand désastre de Microsoft. Je n'ai jamais utilisé de Mac, mais voici mon résumé après avoir jeté mon nouvel ordinateur portable haut de gamme ASUS dans un tiroir:
Pourquoi un utilisateur de PC devrait-il essayer d'apprendre un système Windows 8 – un système qui semble déterminé à vouloir être un Mac – avec des résultats sans espoir? Si nous voulons un système Mac, achetez simplement un Mac – cela fonctionne comme un Mac, et non comme une tentative mal conçue et mal développée pour en copier un.
Poste 217
Les Mac peuvent exécuter Windows sur OSX et plus! Et les Mac sont de bien meilleure qualité que les PC. Je conviens que les ordinateurs peuvent être meilleurs pour les jeux, et que les mac sont plus chers, mais il y a trois choses: les Mac sont de bien meilleure qualité et ne produisent pas de virus. 2: Vous pouvez exécuter Windows sur un Mac, donc c'est comme le seul ordinateur dont vous avez besoin, et 3: Les Mac ont une mémoire flash. Les disques durs prennent beaucoup plus de temps pour accéder à la mémoire. Avec le stockage flash, tout est quatre fois plus rapide. En résumé, même si leur prix est plus élevé, c'est parce qu'ils sont de meilleure qualité et que l'accès à la mémoire est plus rapide et plus rapide. Le mac va durer toute une vie.
Poste 215
J'ai toujours eu un PC et je n'ai jamais l'intention de passer à Mac. Mon ordinateur portable actuel est un Dell Inspiron 15R d'une valeur de 600 $ et j'en suis très heureux. J'envisageais de vérifier un MacBook Pro, mais après avoir vu les prix … Mon ordinateur a la même carte graphique que le MacBook à 2 000 $ et dispose d'un processeur Intel Core i5, tandis que le Mac possède un i7. Le Mac dispose également de 4 Go de RAM et mon PC de 6 Go. Il ne sert à rien d'acheter un Mac avec ce type de prix, et le système d'exploitation me donne envie de casser le flou après 15 minutes d'utilisation. Windows est juste naturel pour moi. C'est mon opinion.
Poste 214
J'en ai presque marre des Macs. Mes parents travaillaient avec eux et je devais les utiliser. J'ai toujours dit qu'un PC était une merde, mais je reviens de là. Bien sûr, je pense toujours que Mac est meilleur, mais j'aime bien les PC pour les jeux. Bien qu'un PC ait des tonnes de virus et une facilité d'utilisation irritante. Il y a environ un an, j'ai commencé à construire un "hackintosh".
Un hackintosh est un système contenant des composants PC et exécutant Mac OS X. C'est la meilleure chose que j'ai jamais faite. J'ai maintenant le meilleur des deux mondes. C'est bon marché comme un PC, fiable et facile à utiliser comme un Mac.
Si vous avez un
Intel PC et que vous voulez essayer le Mac OS X avant d’acheter un Mac, essayez-le. Ce n'est vraiment plus difficile.
Oh, et encore une chose: la partie Mac de l'ordinateur n'a jamais eu de panne, alors que la partie PC a eu des tonnes de pannes de virus et de pannes.
Ne vous méprenez pas. J'aime absolument OS X, mais je n'aime pas Apple et ses machines brillantes et chères. Moins c'est moins et plus c'est plus, et pas différent.
Poste 213
Honnêtement, j’ai récemment opté pour le meilleur modèle «iMac 21» et j’ai des sentiments mitigés face à mon expérience.
Mis à part le fait que le disque dur s'est écrasé quatre semaines après l'avoir acheté (ooops), il est vraiment beaucoup plus lent qu'un PC pour le même prix.
On ne peut pas discuter avec la différence de prix / valeur entre un Mac et un PC. Certes, OSX est inébranlable (il ne s'est pas encore écrasé après plus de trois mois), mais les performances de mon PC me manquent.
La compatibilité est aussi un problème pour moi. Là où, au début, je pensais que pour mon travail, un Mac aurait peut-être été le meilleur choix (je travaille dans le développement logiciel), j’ai le sentiment qu’un PC Windows
me donne plus d'options, plus de flexibilité et plus pour mon argent à la fin.
Je verrai comment cela se passe à la fin, mais il y a de bonnes chances que j'échange cet iMac contre un PC Windows avant la fin de l'année.
Poste 212
Bien que j'adore mon MacBook Air, je pense que mon prochain ordinateur portable sera un Lenovo X230T fonctionnant sous Windows 8, ArchBang (distribution Arch Linux) et OSX HACKinstosh.
La batterie amovible me manque vraiment, de plus il existe une tranche de batterie externe optionnelle qui se connecte au bas. Mon mari vient d'en acheter un et putain! Cette chose a plus de 20 heures de vie. En outre, la RAM et la HD sont très facilement accessibles, alors qu'Apple soude maintenant ces deux composants sur la carte mère.
Poste 211
Les Mac sont infiniment meilleurs que les PC. Ils sont plus rapides, sans virus, élégants et s’allument en un instant. Apple dominera toujours.
Poste 210
J'ai grandi en construisant des PC. Écoutez, la différence est la suivante: un PC que vous achetez en magasin est de marque OEM Windows.
La clé de licence est liée à la carte mère de cette unité. Vous ne pouvez pas l'utiliser sur un système que vous construisez plus tard.
Cela rend le PC moins cher, de même que les composants internes.
Deuxièmement, si vous fixez le prix des mêmes composants d’un MAC sur le même PC comparable. il n'y a pas beaucoup de différence de prix.
Je viens d'acheter un MacBook Pro (le premier mac de ma vie) équipé d'une puce 2.4Ghz i7 quad core. La même version des composants d’un PC aurait coûté environ 250 dollars de moins.
En ce qui concerne les performances, avec le PC et son OEM
Les logiciels sont préchargés de telle sorte que les performances de l'ordinateur sont généralement ralenties, alors qu'Apple écrit que l'OSx doit fonctionner avec une gamme spécifique de composants qu'ils conçoivent pour améliorer réellement les performances des systèmes.
J'ai également un ordinateur de bureau quad core i7 de 3,4 GHz, que j'ai construit et qui a obtenu 220 points de plus lors d'un test GeekBench (il teste tous les composants matériels).
Vs le MacBook Pro à 2,4 Ghz. Le Mac a peut-être marqué 220 points de moins, mais c’est aussi moins de 1Ghz!
Autre chose à prendre en compte: le Web tourne principalement (90%) sous Apache parce qu’UNIX est beaucoup plus stable et sécurisé, nécessite moins de maintenance et vous n’exigez pas de mises à jour constantes de la part de MS.
Les Mac ont également une fonctionnalité appelée Time Machine qui sauvegarde en permanence votre ordinateur sur une source spécifiée, en arrière-plan pendant que vous travaillez, sans affecter les performances du système. C'est très simple à utiliser. Je suis impressionné par mon Mac.
Également pour plus d'informations techniques, je lance un programme appelé Parallels. Cela me permet d’exécuter Windows virtuel (même Win8 si vous le souhaitez), même si vous avez besoin d’une licence.
Vous pouvez installer Ubuntu gratuitement, ainsi que Chrome OS.
C’est dans l’ensemble une interface très fluide et polyvalente pour tous les besoins. La seule chose qui manque au MAC, c’est le support des développeurs pour les nouvelles versions de jeux pour ces drogués du gaming.
Poste 208
Je souhaitais simplement entrer dans le vif du sujet, grâce à mon expérience d'utilisation à la fois de Mac et de Windows à des fins créatives.
Pour "moi" un ordinateur n'est qu'un outil. J'étais un utilisateur Mac, maintenant je suis un utilisateur Windows et je regrette de ne pas avoir changé il y a plusieurs années – ce que je reproche de croire à tout le battage médiatique, en lisant des critiques dépassées et des blogs de prédisposition.
C'était le même vieux: attraper des virus, avoir de meilleures parties, un meilleur système d'exploitation, ce qui est complètement absurde de nos jours. Les deux constructions ont la même grande maman en Chine. Ce qui devrait vraiment compter, c’est la performance et la meilleure plateforme pour faire le travail. Je pense que cela vient toujours avec un préjugé dépassé. Je travaille dans la conception audio / sonore et le montage vidéo, où
Mac est considéré comme le standard de l'industrie, mais est-ce le meilleur outil pour le poste? En lisant tous les forums, on me dit que des gens comme moi sont gavés de force par le net et que cela engendre l’ignorance, la peur et suscite des questions stupides telles que «Vais-je avoir un virus» et «Ça a l'air tellement beaucoup mieux. »Cela empêche les gens d’examiner les aspects importants, de quelle plate-forme informatique répondra le mieux à leurs besoins, et cela empêchera également la recherche de choix et provoquera un biais injustifié avant même que nous sachions quel est le bon ordinateur / outil à utiliser. convenir à nos besoins.
Avons-nous été tellement stupéfaits que nous allions dans un panneau de configuration Windows pour modifier, décocher quelques fonctionnalités du système d'exploitation, activer / désactiver une mise à jour, un pare-feu provoquant un effondrement du cerveau et être jeté dans un panier trop dur? Mac omettait régulièrement les lecteurs D, les ports audio ins / usb / firewire, les vitesses réduites et le bélier à souder à chaud, obligeant ainsi les consommateurs à rechercher et à acheter des équipements et extensions tiers coûteux. Cela doit sûrement provoquer plus de fonte des cerveaux, car ces omissions importent vraiment à ceux qui ne veulent pas simplement un appareil assez fin ou un ordinateur pour surfer sur le net.
Windows vs Mac ne vaut même plus la peine d'être discuté. Ce ne sont que des outils qui font le même travail. Cela se résume aux préférences personnelles et à la familiarité des gens. Les deux versions sont défectueuses et les deux versions doivent être scrupuleusement examinées. Je pense que les gens ont juste besoin d'être correctement et honnêtement informés sur les deux, parce que je mangeais des bonbons aux pommes pendant des années. Ils avaient l'air et avaient un goût sucré, jusqu'à ce que je découvre que je ne recevais pas la nutrition dont j'avais besoin! J'espère que cela aidera les créateurs émergents.
Poste 207
Les Mac sont meilleurs pour moi en ce moment.
Je suis une étudiante en théâtre de 23 ans qui vient d'acheter son premier Mac. C'est un Macbook Pro avec 8 Go de RAM et un disque dur de 500 Go (pas un SSD parce que je ne pourrais pas en dépenser plus.).
Avant cet achat, j'avais juré de Mac. J'ai acheté un Dell Inspiron 1525 il y a environ 4 ans et demi et un Acer Aspire One sous Linux Ubuntu Netbook Remix il y a environ 2 ans et demi. Une fois le portable acheté, j’ai traité mon ordinateur portable comme un ordinateur de bureau. Cela a très bien fonctionné et cela ne me dérangeait vraiment pas, mais récemment, alors qu'ils commençaient tous les deux à atteindre la fin de leur vie, j'ai dû utiliser les deux pour accomplir la plupart des tâches, ce qui a eu des conséquences néfastes
un de mon dos d'avoir à les trimballer alors j'ai mordu la balle et acheté un Mac.
Au début, cela me semblait étrange et déroutant, mais en une semaine, je pouvais l'utiliser assez facilement et maintenant, je le préfère même. Accomplir les tâches les plus simples est plus facile et plus rapide sur un Mac (pour moi). C'est incroyable. Je ne retournerai probablement jamais.
Poste 206
Ne pas acheter l'un ou l'autre. Les ordinateurs sont supposés calculer et aucun d’eux ne le fait. Recherchez "ordinateur" dans votre dictionnaire et vous verrez ce que je veux dire!
Poste 205
J'ai passé presque toute ma vie à utiliser un ordinateur (j'ai 42 ans maintenant). J'étais anti-pomme presque tout le temps. Je détestais tout ce qui était pomme et je détestais encore plus les fanatiques de pomme. J'ai juré que j'utiliserais Linux avant d'utiliser un Mac.
Je travaillais dans l'informatique depuis plus de 10 ans et j'ai construit des milliers d'ordinateurs de bureau et de serveurs pour mon entreprise et nos clients. Je dirais que la qualité de PC ou de pomme avec n'importe qui. Je dois également dire à ce stade que je n'avais jamais possédé ou utilisé un produit à base de pomme et je pense que la plus grande partie de ma haine pour la pomme venait de l'ignorance et de la fierté. Je suis tombé en panne et acheté un iPhone sur ATT
quand ils sont sortis et que je détestais ça parce que je sentais qu'Apple essayait de contrôler mon expérience et de dicter ce que je pouvais faire avec mon téléphone.
J'ai fini par passer à Android et je me suis dit heureux. Eh bien, au fil des ans, je crois que l’écosystème androïde est devenu trop fragmenté et se transforme en merde. Je ne suis plus satisfait non plus de Windows et je pense que Windows 8 a été un désastre. Alors qu'est-ce qu'il me reste? Bien, je pourrais utiliser Ubuntu, mais cela prend également une direction beaucoup plus commerciale et le support n’est tout simplement pas là pour ce pour quoi j’utilise un PC.
Avance rapide. Mon ordinateur portable meurt et j'en ai besoin d'un nouveau. Je descends au Best Buy local et achète le netbook le plus cher avec Windows et la merde totale. Cela a pris environ une heure (je ne plaisante pas) pour installer Office 365. Je l'ai renvoyé pour l'ordinateur portable le plus cher de Windows 8 vendu avec un écran tactile (un Sony Vaio), et encore une fois, c'était de la foutaise. Je l'ai retourné et j'ai fait l'impensable: j'ai acheté un Macbook pro. Oui, c'était beaucoup plus d'argent, mais honnêtement, je n'ai jamais été aussi heureux. Je suis un joueur et je suis très déçu de la quantité et de la qualité des jeux qui fonctionnent nativement sur Mac, mais je vais probablement garder mon bureau Windows pour les jeux, donc ce n’est pas grave. Je ne vois pas la nécessité de remplacer mon bureau par un mac à ce stade.
J'ai également commencé à avoir des problèmes avec mon téléphone Android et après avoir littéralement sept téléphones en deux ou trois ans, j'ai abandonné et j'ai acheté l'iPhone 5. Je souhaite que l'écran soit plus grand et la batterie durée un peu plus longtemps, mais je dois dire que le téléphone fait ce qu'il est censé faire et ça marche.
Je pense que nous devons comprendre que ce monde est constitué de milliards de personnes et que certains ont / ont besoin de Mac et que certains ont / ont un ordinateur. Tous deux sont géniaux à leur manière et servent leurs propres objectifs. Pour le moment, pour moi, Apple est meilleur que pc / androïde mais dans quelques années, je pourrais revenir à pc / androïde. Je ne suis un fan boy pour aucune entreprise. Si c'est bon, je l'achète / l'utilise et si ce n'est pas le cas, je n'ai aucun problème à acheter autre chose.
C'est mon argent et je peux le dépenser où je veux. Je dis aux entreprises à quel point je pense qu’elles font ou ne font pas bien là où je dépense mon argent durement gagné. Les entreprises oublient parfois qu'elles sont censées servir leurs clients, et non l'inverse.
Poste 204
Le mac a l'air bien, mais la performance est horrible.
Il est plus lent que le même PC de calibre et le système est plutôt instable.
Poste 203
Les Macs Apple ont connu une baisse de qualité ces dernières années. Les iMac récents ont connu des pannes de ports USB et de disques durs défaillants, des écrans présentant des défauts, des connexions réseau instables. De plus, tous les nouveaux modèles de Mac ne contiennent aucune pièce réparable par l'utilisateur. Le remplacement du disque dur ou même l'extension de la RAM est une opération majeure qui nécessite des outils spécialisés et invalide votre garantie. Pour ajouter l'insulte à la blessure, les Macs ne sont pas aussi performants, ils ont autant de ralentissements et de saisies inattendues que les PC.
Poste 202
Juste pour sauter ici. J'utilisais beaucoup le PC et j'aime toujours Windows et je l'utilise beaucoup; Je viens de trouver OSX une expérience plus agréable.
Les gens pensent que les Mac coûtent cher, mais vous pouvez obtenir un Mac avec un Quad Core i7, etc. au prix de 600 £. De plus, si vous n'aimez pas cela, vous pouvez construire un Mac (ils s'appellent "Hackintoshes"). OSX préfère les Mac comme PC.
Mon principal argument, cependant, est que le support Apple est incroyable. J'ai réussi à casser absolument mon disque dur (c'était un disque dur Toshiba) et Apple l'a vérifié et n'a pas pu le réparer. Ils ont donc remplacé mon Mac le même jour gratuitement (ils ont offert
mais cela aurait pris quelques heures car il y avait une file d’attente). Maintenant, c'est le service à la clientèle.
À mon avis, un PC a légèrement plus de jeux, plus de logiciels en ligne, plus d'une vérité.
Les Mac ont une meilleure construction, plus d'applications App Store, un système d'exploitation légèrement meilleur et un support imbattable.
Poste 200
Je suis un gars de PC depuis 15 ans. I just recently purchased a Mac. I am very disappointed with the compatibility. Apple computers seem to seriously limit the use of their computer. I will be going back to a PC.
Post 199
I have a PC Notebook bought way back in April 2005. It has a Pentium 4m, windows xp sp3,2gb ddr ram,64mb Vram. Hell of a spec list back then. It's nine years and still running strong. Now for three months it has been neglected as I have a new core i5 3rd gen. intel and 8gb ddr3 and 2gb vram. I think that a long life for a pc base computer. Any apples want to join for a museum ride?
Post 198
You could not give me a pc without me throwing it out the window. Ihe longest I've ever owned a PC is two years and that's about the lifespan of them. My mac is seven years old and still running like it's brand new.
Post 196
One thing not mentioned is that Windows has more hotkeys. As a designer, I can work up to three times faster using Adobe apps than a Mac, due to the fact that Windows has virtually every menu item available as a hotkey by default using the alt key + underlined letter in the menu.
In design work, there is a lot of this sort of thing. While there are many hotkeys for powerusers under a Mac OS, they can't boast that every menu item has a keyboard equivalent. The Mac OS is for young people who aren't concerned about carpal tunnel, in my opinion, and enjoy mousing for every single menu item, adding a few seconds to every single design step.
On a side note, the Mac desktop and UI look like something for children to play with — a bad aesthetic choice for someone who is serious about getting work done.
And I guess that's kind of the point I'm making. If you want to go to the coffee shop and pose with your Mac, then that by all means that is what Macs seem better suited for. However, I do my best work in a quiet controlled environment. Since I can get my work done faster than my Mac counterparts, I can get off work earlier, leave the laptop at home and and spend my time at the coffee shop enjoying the company of others instead posing behind a laptop screen.
Post 195
Not to brag or anything, but I'm rich and even I won't touch a Mac. Sorry to say, but they're not the best things out there. So no, people who use PC's are not poor.
Post 194
I'm so sick of the ignorance. For example, saying that a Mac may not be worth it for basic computing, when you have it backward. Most Mac users don't want anything with a lot of choices and do basic computing on them, such as web surfing, email, facebook etc.
Then you talk about the high price of a Mac being offset by higher quality parts. Bull! A geek would know that a Mac is nothing more than A PC with mid-grade to inferior parts! Yes, format the drive and put windows on it. It's a PC! If you want high quality, buy a high end PC. Look around and shop, and you can get a PC that is not
only faster, but has better parts than a $2,500 Mac for only $700. Yet the article says the Mac will have higher quality parts.
What you said about security is mostly true. However, it shows the truth about Macs, which is they are also vulnerable to malware. Even worse, they are supposedly not as profitable for hackers, and yet new malware comes out each month for Macs. No, I don't care if it's less than what comes out for a PC. Either way, you must have an anti virus program or be at risk. The days of having a Mac with no chance of getting malware are over. Just look at Mac Defender, or Mac Flashback. Look up Mac viruses. And with those same problems, it's hardly worth paying double for mid-grade quality hardware. Apple's deal is so horrible, I can actually buy a $700 PC and put the Mac OSX on it and it's faster than their $2500 iMac, proving they are overpriced. But I hate OSX. Not because it doesn't work, etc. But it's just pointless. It's not so much better as people are brainwashed to believe. Sure, it works. But so does windows 7, and fine at that.
"Both are equally fast and have comparable storage capabilities depending on the model chosen.” This simply is not true. Because Apple controls the hardware, it is out to make a profit on what you get. And they are not going to give you the best hardware when they can make a boat load of money off something cheaper that its credulous audience will accept.
PC's have always been faster because there are always more current versions of the motherboard around at cheaper prices. You like video editing and rendering, but it's slow? You want the truth? It will render more quickly on a PC. It's bull that they say a Mac does this better, as most titles are available for editing. The proof is this article points out there is more software for PC's and it shows.
"Macs are generally considered to have a better design than PCs…” More rubbish. Design of a computer is not aesthetics. Only Mac users think about how shiny it is, or if it's made of plastic or metal, etc. The design of computer starts on the inside, and PC's have the best designs, not Macs. One reason starts with the case. You never cram a powerful computer inside a tiny case with few or no air holes and make it work with monitor electronics. Good, fast, powerful PC's need air, space and fans to work at peak performance. Apple does not offer this unless you buy their Pro, which has a big case just like a PC. And then you have fewer hardware choices because Apple assumes you're an idiot and likes to choose to maximize Apple's profit.
The reason the looks of a mac are seen as "urban", "cool" "hip" etc is simple. Because there are few looks (models) to choose from, it creates repetition in their advertising. In other words, showing you the same machine over and over is a natural form of hypnosis. If you repeat anything that is the same, over and over, it can become hypnotically vague. If you continually show that same model alongside with someone who is deemed hip or cool, people will, through associative conditioning, associate a "cool" feeling with it. It's pure hypnosis. There is no way possible a box or rectangle is cool, smart or sexy. It's all in the mind.
Macs are not easier to use. This is advertising and after people get brainwashed and wanting to justify paying double, they tend to defend their purchase. If Macs were truly more intuitive, people would not need an "adjustment period.” That adjustment period is because people actually need help, tutorials and must adjust to what is counter intuitive. This is marketing bull fed to the customers to keep them calm until the 30 days runs out, and they can no longer return the machine. Also note that people talk about which they can buy, but out themselves as Mac lovers by always assuming the person is going to a Mac. People would have to be blind not to notice this.
Maintenance: You have some points here, but keep in mind the maintenance is caused by the user sticking in the wrong video card, with drivers for the wrong OS, for example. In other words, most of these issues are most common with people who don't read or think. And therefore the thinking is, that if you are an idiot and cannot think, buy a Mac where changing anything is not only difficult, but severely limited. Then praise it because you were forced not to change anything, because you couldn't, because there were no options and therefore it still works, even though it could have worked way better, faster etc.
But again, if someone wants "Mac" stability, all the user has to do is refrain from changing around their PC and keeping the same cards that came with it, for example. Stop making all these little changes to the OS! In other words, PC's take the blame for what should be the user's fault. No one puts a gun to their head and says you must change the cards and OS around! My friend uses Windows 7 and knows nothing about computers. She just does email and facebook. And her PC has been working perfectly! And if a person likes to do this sort of thing, then a Mac is not for them anyway. But yeah, make a "stable" system by making a system with almost no options. Yet you can just pretend you have a Mac and not change your PC around six ways from Sunday. Then you will have a nice stable system with the drivers that were intended for your PC. That is, if you are challenged and can not follow directions. I'd rather have the system with a choice to alter it than someone telling me, "No, you cannot because you own a Mac!"
That said, there is nothing about the layout of a Mac that makes it less prone to conflicts other than Apple doesn't want anyone in there changing things around! Again, a Mac is a PC at the hardware level! So it's one version of a PC. You can format the SSD and put Windows on it and it will be native! But I invite you to notice Mac repairs cost more because they overcharge the suckers who buy them! And note that the new SSDs are not fully supported on Macs, which should be cutting edge technology! Trim is missing, unless of all retarded things, you buy an Apple SSD.
"…there is a wider variety of software for PCs…” What is this bull where Mac users think that PC's are used for business and Macs are audio and video? I see this everywhere in Mac circles, proving that Mac users are like parrots, repeating every marketing slogan and piece of misinformation they hear. The problem is they do not think deeply about what they are saying. How many people do you see running businesses with PC's percentage wise? Not many. Most people are average people who do everything from art and music to video. I know I do music and video production on PC. Most people play games on a PC, as well.
Macs actually have inferior audio and video capabilities because their hardware is mid-grade, cheap hardware that often lacks the high quality A to D and D to A converters. However, in PC land, you can have a choice and choose one that has any feature you need, or quickly add it on! Only recently have Macs had some improvements to their audio quality. Meaning that, for all these years, Mac has been fully inferior and now they are only average.
People say this because Apple brain washes people into thinking this. That is because it's a segment of their sales. If they lose the video and audio people, they lose a chunk of their sales. The real truth is that any PC can do audio and video to the same standards. The files are digital, and can easily be processed by either. However, PC's often are faster for cheaper, meaning that higher quality (HD) video is more likely to be produced on a PC than a Mac because people don't like to wait for slow machines. But at the hardware level, the PC remains either equal or superior.
Please don't tell people a bunch of information that is not the truth just to further help Apple line its pockets. If you don't believe what I've said, do your own research people! It's all out there.
Post 193
I've had a Mac for three years now: the Macbook air then the Pro. Before that I had a Dell, and a pretty cute one at that.
I like the look of the Mac, and I also like how fast it is in comparison. I used to get quite a few viruses on my PC.
I am a Mac person now, and I'm still getting used to the controls of it. It really is preference.
Dells are sturdy and powerful, while Macs are pretty and simple. I used to game a lot on my Dell, but my gaming has been replaced by my work. I feel like with the mac, you're almost paying for the image, it's really so expensive.
But I love my mac and I don't think I'll go back. Not sure why. They are both good machines, though. But the Pro is better than the Air, in my opinion. You're paying more for less with the Air.
Post 192
A mac freezes just as much as a PC. I have a mac book pro and I think it's just rubbish.
Post 191
Nobody every talks about build quality. They all talk about the CPU, RAM, blah blah blah. Does anybody know anything about manufacturing and build quality? A Macbook pro shell is CNC milled out of a single block of solid aluminum. Have you ever seen that being done? Most PCs are plastic injected molded, flimsy pieces of plastic. Of course the Mac is going to cost more! The track pad is made out of glass, for crying out loud. The fit and finish are impeccable. They even drill tiny holes in the sides that light up when you press a button to check battery life without turning on your computer. It's those little touches, the details, the manufacturing and materials that
make macs cost more than the average PC.
The power adapter is magnetic so if you trip on it it doesn't take out your computer. I can go on and on and on. So yes, the Mac costs more, but it's build better. It's like a house built out of quality materials, versus bad materials.
The resale value also holds at about 60 percent-70 percent after a few years. That being said, I also like my PC for gaming. There is no comparison when it comes to gaming. But for working? I always go to my mac.
Post 190
I swear to god half of these supposed PC users gone Mac have never heard of a firewall or anti-malware. Macs do get viruses so don't believe that myth that they're completely free of them. They don't get them as often due to Windows having 90 percent of the OS marketshare. Finally, there are a slew of Mac users who are pretty clueless about the basics of a computer. There are plenty who know their stuff but the majority amaze me in ignorance.
Finally, OSX is a really sleek OS and I like it. The presentation of the OS is wonderful and it just works. I like windows as well; the OS is more user friendly to me. I find the taskbar more pleasurable to use than the dock. Explorer is easier to use compared to Finder for me. It's all user preference.
Post 189
I've been a PC user much of my life. I recently used Ubuntu, and it was fun but not what I needed. Ubuntu is not ready to roll like a MAC or PC. Mac is much more user friendly than everyone gives it credit for. Honestly, if your only reason for buying a PC is gaming or price, you need to rethink your priorities. While I had a PC, I always had an issue. I was always rebooting my system.
Sure Macs cost more, but think about no crashing, no viruses. Think about how much time you waste fixing your computer. I agree that, if Microsoft was more strict on what they let on their system it would be a
better platform. I do a lot of legal research and I love my Mac. I never have to worry about a virus crashing my computer.
With an eight-month old, if I need to stop and start whatever I'm doing, I can before nap time ends. However it all comes down to preference. My husband is an avid PC user, but I've given up on Microsoft.
Post 188
It's very simple: All operating systems stink! You have to choose what is more appealing to you.
Would you want to have access to all the games and software and a customizable system that is cheaper and faster at the cost of having more crashes and viruses?
Or, you would rather have a safer, more stable and easier to use system with better preinstalled programs at the cost of having less powerful and more costly hardware, fewer customizable system, fewer programs and no games?
It is just user choice and it is funny how people fight over which is better. They are equal, and they all stink.
Post 187
I don't want to break the news, but Macs are PCs, too. The hardware is literally the same. The only difference is the OS. Here is an example: it is possible to install any PC operating system on a Mac (Linux/Unix, Windows). Now, if Macs were any different (which they were many years ago), this wouldn't be possible.
It's just that marketing people try to convince you that Mac doesn't equal PC, which is a lie.
Post 186
I was once a PC guy, very experienced and heavy PC user, and I swore I would never touch a Mac, but then I had to for Uni. Even though the first week was frustrating, the overall experience was very rewarding. I understood the reasoning behind mac.
Best Comparison I can make is this:
Mac = Is a Human
PC = Frankenstein
Franky might be more customisable, however the person is just much better built, and won't let you turn green every time you see a blue screen of death!
Post 185
This debate is like comparing the Lamborghini brand to the entire Fiat company (which owns everything from consumer end Fiats to high end Porsches and Ferraris). You can't really compare a single car brand to an entire corporation can you? There are consumers who are more familiar with the Mac OS, who don't mind the price, and prefer its usability and there are those who prefer what pc's have to offer.
In the end, each person has their own preferences and we shouldn't have to fight over them. Do your research and buy what's most appealing to you.
Post 184
People buy Macs for several reasons.
1. The software is better. Way better. By a lot.
2. The hardware fail rates are virtually non-existent.
3. The usage experience is generally speaking unhampered by viruses and software hangups due to compatibility.
People buy PC's for several reasons.
1. The prices start at almost free.
2. If you played with Legos and know basic algebra you can rip them apart and rebuild them.
3. They want to play games.
So basically it comes down to how much are you willing to spend on a computer. If you're willing to part with a grand, then most adults buy Macs at that point. If you're cheap, then you buy a PC because they only
cost about 200 bucks.
I would like to note the population of computer gamers (real ones) is incredibly small thanks to PS3 and Xbox 360 being so available. Also, a good gaming rig is going to run you at least $2,000 in parts initially and you're going to be tossing $400-600 dollars in it every two years when a new card comes out. So you really can't even consider gaming as part of the argument due to the fact that the niche is so small and it costs more than your teenager's car.
Post 183
I've never heard of a windows PC overheating when used normally or running too hot. iMacs always run hot and stand a chance of burning out quicker.
I've read about people saying their Apple branded monitor has been running for a year plus. O.K., I have a monitor that is not Apple branded that has been running on my Windows PC for two years without a hitch. Also, if you attempt to put windows apps on a mac, then you're looking at problems. But if you run mac apps on a windows PC, no problem. Hmmm, wonder where the debate is?
Post 182
"Mac equals school/business." Seems far-fetched considering how very few businesses use Macs, and for good reason. I'm sure Macs are good for college kids until they get out into the real world and realize they don't want to be so locked in.
Post 181
Mac equals school/business.
PC equals gaming/internet surfing.
A Mac's power is equal to a $500 dollar PC and you're mostly paying for look and brand, not the hardware.
A PC can be upgraded and its power is better than a Mac and in this case, you pay for hardware, not for looks.
A PC gets a 10/10. A Mac gets a 6/10. My friend purchased a Mac and his words were "It's not what I expected" and my other friend purchased a PC and it wasn't what he expected so they switched. End of story. It all depends on the user.
Post 180
I have to have both! I like PCs for games. I can’t really think of other reasons I would need one. I do like how my Creative Zen worked intuitively for music and I do hate Itunes.
I also hated working on the many PCs over the years with terrible OS problems (Millennium and Vista seemed to be the same or worse, not upgrades). I hated spyware and constant battles of security. But it’s tolerated for the gaming fun.
As for the Mac, besides the beauty (inside and out), I like it for serious work. If I’m working on a project, I don’t like any interruptions or problems. With my macbook, I’ve had no blue screens of death and I’ve
had no boot problems (you know the ones where you have to get out your Fort Knox toolkit and try to break into your computer). In the event the Mac freezes up or shuts off because I forgot to plug in my charger, it picks up right where I left off and I continue working.
I consider PCs to be my play toy and Macs to be my reliable work horse (and part toy too!). So I don't understand the preschool fights about it all!
Post 178
These discussions crack me up. I understand it is hard not to be biased when you are trying to convince people you like what you like. I have both MAC and Windows 7 PCs, and like them both. I have no preference at all. The problem with not being open-minded about the other side is that you limit your choices. I like that I have no preference. It means I have so many choices. But here is my comparison of the two.
Cost: Windows PC. A given. Even I know I overpaid for my Mac, but I am fine with that. I made the choice.
Ease of Use: For me it is actually Windows 7. Mainly if you are trying
to get into the more advanced areas of the system. However, this does not mean that OSX is difficult to use at all. Many Mac people have not used Windows in a long time, so they don’t realize how much it has changed. I am running Lion and prefer the Doc over the task bar. Also the way the Mac handles multiple user accounts is a joke. An example: If you get a chance to look up on how to share pictures between users on Apple’s website you will see what I mean.
Gaming: Windows PC. Hard to ague this one. Crossfire/SLI. Heck, you can spend almost a $1000 on a graphics setup alone if you want. And as we Mac guys know, most of us have a windows PC for gaming. Also the choices on the Mac side just stink.
Speed. This is a hard one for me. My PC, spec-wise, is a slower system, but the fact that my PC sports an SSD and my Mac doesn’t is probably why it feels faster. (I plan to upgrade my Mac after the warranty runs out.) I will say that the Mac guys who tell you that OSX doesn’t need as much RAM as windows is either lying or just doesn’t know. First thing I did with my Mac was add 8GB of RAM.
Apps. This one goes to the Mac, and can help justify some of the cost. Movie Maker just plain stinks. It works, but it is so basic, and they removed stuff when going to Windows 7. I almost deduct from the Mac because iTunes is on the system. This is the most worthless piece of crap that you almost have to use. By the way, for you Windows guys: it is just as bad on a Mac as it is on a PC. I do feel for Microsoft here though, because for some reason when they include software in their OS, they are sued and forced to remove it as it causes unfair this, that and the other.
Just came back to the apps here. Mac also has iPhone, FaceTime, Photo Booth, etc., which are great apps and blow windows extras out of the water.
Included Browsers: Tie. I like Safari a lot, but I also like IE9 as well. By the way, everything before IE9 was garbage. And all the main browsers are available on both systems.
File Sharing: Easy one. Windows 7. With the addition of Home Sharing, things are almost too easy.
People who own them: Windows 7 wins easy. The reason I chose this: If you post anything against Apple in a form, even when trying to get help, you get told you are off because you didn’t bow to the way of the almighty Apple. On the Windows side, if you post a question or complaint, you get an answer without the elementary school comments. And if I hear the slogan “It just works” one more time I am going to go crazy. Both systems “just work.”
Security: Mac wins easy. However, I must say that MS responds to threats so much quicker than Apple, so have to give them credit. I can’t stand when I hear a company state that they told Apple about the issue “months ago” and they have done nothing about it. By the way, Macs do get malware. Some Mac users will say, “I have never gotten any and I don’t even run a virus scanner.” If you don’t have a virus scanner, then how the heck do you know if you have any malware?
Miscellaneous: I just re-read what I had written, and it looks like I give a few more kudos to Windows then Mac, but even so, with all of the stuff I put above, I enjoy using my Mac more. OSX looks good and work well. Any PC person owes it to themselves to give OSX a try for an extended period of time and vice versa. Have a great day and enjoy which ever system you own.
Post 175
Macs are a waste of money. They are so overpriced.
I don't know much about editing software on Mac but I can't see it being that much faster due to it being a Mac. It might be easier to navigate, but that is about it and it certainly isn't worth hundreds more for that.
A PC is way easier to upgrade, overclock and play games. The graphic cards on the mac are pretty old for games. It can still play them but odds are if you buy PC gamesm you won't want to play on the lowest settings. And getting a virus depends on the person more than the OS. Sure, a Mac has fewer viruses, but that's because they
didn't sell as well as they did until now.
If you're trying to justify the price by saying it's safer to use, in three or four years when you're ready for your next Mac, it's going to have just as many viruses as a PC. Not getting viruses depends on how smart you are when it comes to the internet. Knowing not to click those retarded ads or links that pop up or downloading from sites that you don't know about. Here's a simple and cheap way to virus proof your pc: use adblocker in Firefox and Chrome and get Norton internet security or any other decent virus protection software. That's anywhere from $80 to $200.
In my opinion, the people who buy a Mac for being safer are people who have no idea how you get viruses and how to use a computer more to its full ability and think higher price = better/faster. I'm not saying you have to know how to program a computer or be a genius, but you should know how to check websites on the internet, using security features available for your browser and how to use the internet for troubleshooting problems.
Some problems that make computers seem more buggy is that multiple companies make computers (HP, DELL, ASUS). Dell can have the best configurations for Windows, while HP might not and when you buy that brand, you blame Windows for the problems. Mac is made by Apple only, so they know how to optimize it to the fullest. The article is saying is that the Mac OS is faster at booting up and shutting down, but if you install Windows onto an SSD hard drive, it will start up and shut down just as fast or faster than Mac. SSDs are a bit pricey but still cheaper than getting a Mac because you only need 60gb to install Windows and maybe something else and you can install everything else onto a normal hard drive.
Macs feel better but the price isn't worth it. If you were buying shoes and one was $200 and was really comfortable and another felt a bit better, but cost $400-$500, which would you buy?
Post 174
Mac is amazing. 'Nuff a dit. But seriously a mac is so worth it. I love my mac.
Post 173
It's a matter of power (PC) vs. stability and speed. You can't say that mac or pc is better, because it depends on the user. I always used a PC, because I was a gamer, but now I quit gaming, so I'm going for a Mac next time.
Post 172
I prefer PC, and I'll explain why.
It all comes down to what you get for the price you pay, and it's a simple fact that macs and pretty much all Apple products are overpriced.
Simply compare a $1200 iMac with an Intel 2.5 Ghz 4 core i5 processor, 4 GB DDR3 Memory, and 500GB hard drive, and an AMD Radeon with 6750M, 512MB GDDR5 memory Graphics card. An HP Omni 220 Quad series, with an Intel 2.8 GHz quad core i7 processor, 8GB DDR3 memory, 2 TB hard drive, and a 1GB AMD Radeon HD 7450A Graphics card. Penses-y. That's 1500 GB more hard drive space. It's double the performance in terms of graphics, (so
, better gaming experience), twice the amount of memory and a still slightly better processor, on the PC's part.
Another difference is the price. The Mac: $1200. The PC: $999. Yes, the Mac provides a very slick design, and a much faster and cooler looking OS. This does not mean Windows 7 is bad at all. Everything is just as instantaneous and speedy as any other Mac, and much, much more configurable. So, when a PC costs $200 less and performs twice as well, why would you even consider a Mac? You can pretty much forget about gaming, unless you really want to go all out and spend over $2500 for that nice $1000 PC gaming feel. That's my opinion.
I'm not going to pay an extra $600 or so for my computer to be slick and shiny.
Post 171
I still don't get it how Mac users can honestly advocate Macs to replace a PCm and at the same time tell people to buy VMWare Fusion or Parallels Desktop to run Windows on top of OS X. For technical users and developers, virtual machines are great solutions. For normal users who want to get a job done, VMs only add complexity and cost: You are running two platforms on one hardware, and you have to pay for software for two systems. And at the end of the day, for such users, virtual machines are just crutches that only prove one thing: that Mac OS X is not up for the job, because you still need Windows.
That being said
, Apple sells nicely designed and usually quiet/almost noiseless hardware. And that hardware can also run Windows or Linux natively. You don't need to lock yourself into the Apple platform; you can just use Apple's hardware. And many people actually do that to avoid the restrictions of Apple's limited software ecosystem.
Apple basically has abandoned the "pro" market. Some of their products still carry the "pro" label, but the reality is that Apple is exclusively focusing on the consumer market. That's where their gigantic cash reserve comes from.
Apple is a nobody in the business/corporate/enterprise sector. Nobody uses their products there — for the simple reason that they can't. The Apple ecosystem does not have the required software. Apple does not hand out product road maps. They don't even have real server software anymore and they also dropped their server hardware. Heck, Apple themselves use SUN/ORACLE hard- and software in their data centers (just look at those Solaris jobs advertised on Apple's own career website).
So in the end, this discussion is only a discussion for home users. If you need to run business software on your system, OS X is already out of the question, no matter how much the situation might have improved over the last five years.
And even if you are a home user, the Mac is only good for you if you do not want to play the latest first person shooters on it. Firstly, Apple never has up-to-date graphics chips in their hardware and second, you'd need Windows. Encore.
Still, they sell nicely designed and engineered hardware for a niche market. But everybody has to decide for themselves if they want to pay a bonus just for the hardware design.
Post 170
Great article! However the true breakdown goes like this. People who know computers use PC. People who know their craft (other than HC pc gamer, over clocker) use mac. *Drops the mic and walks away*
Post 169
I've had a PC made for me with high specs and possibilities to overclock and improve in the future. It cost me about $1200 and I get a two year guarantee.
I've looked around for alternatives and don't think you can beat the performance of this computer unless you spend at least $2,000 -2,500 on an apple and that makes improving it at a later date much harder. I like the looks of Apples and people go for the looks and name, like many of us do when we buy a car or a watch.
Sometimes you want more than functional. I dislike the cult-like following Apple has, but know a number of professionals who are not computer/software experts who prefer Apple because of the good sound/video programs available. It's a choice to make for everyone. Just don't start talking about specs and benchmarks.
Post 168
I am not rich, so I bought the cheapest (and the only) Apple product I have: Apple MacMini. Pourquoi? Because I thought MacOSX is UNIX based and perhaps I can learn some UNIX from it. But my background of 21 years in other UNIXes (including Linux, and FreeBSD) is still not enough for me to navigate around Mac's environment.
The Macintosh (among the first computers that started me learning computers) that fascinated me in the 1980s is no longer is the same as the MacOSX today. Safari is horrible as compared to my favorite browser: Chrome. Itunes has lost all my MP3s in my iPod and until today, I still have not been able to sync it back to the
iPod. I have subscribed to so many online lectures in iTunes, only to start downloading every time I turned on the MacMini. And the download in iTunes takes at least a few hours for a 100MB file. Well, my MacMini is hardly used — only once a week, or less.
Post 167
I know both and have developed software for both.
Apple occasionally makes a decent product but most of their stuff is overpriced junk. And people who spend money on overpriced junk tend to be very defensive about it.
The type of person who loves Apple needs Apple. They are not really clued in enough to use anything else and need someone very polite on the phone to 'help' them. Then again, I know several iPad2 users who bought them just to be seen carrying them and never turn them on. At the end of the day, all IT products are rubbish in one way or the other. What distinguishes Apple users is their lack of capability. If you have never
used a computer, find sending an email difficult or fancy yourself as a 'creative' type who can't figure out how to use a washing machine, then you are an Apple user.
If a crap pie was thinner and had a glow strip on it would still be a crap pie.
Post 166
Macs are horrible for gaming. They might be good for school, but I am a gamer. You pay $1000 for a weak graphics chipset and an OK processor. So I was fed up and built a pc. The graphics are so good and it is cheaper. But that's my opinion. Just that macs are bad for gaming and if you bootcamp, be prepared to turn down the quality settings for OK performance.
Post 165
I bought a mac book pro three years ago and am loving it. No looking back to windows. I was always a PC user before that, spending endless amounts of money upgrading my PC since when I was a kid.
I have to admit there are more hardware choices out there for PC, but the microsoft OS just plain stinks. There is a lot of tweaking, upgrading, viruses, malware, not booting up etc., etc. There's just a problem every few months and they need constant maintenance.
With mac OS X, everything just works, just like the above article said. If you need a computer with a mean to an end, just go with Mac. An analogy to buying a car, if you just want a car to drive smoothly with style, just go and get a bmw. If you want a car that you want constant upgrades, tweaking, breakdown, go and get a subaru.
Post 164
Shouldn't this discussion really be about Apple vs (Lenovo, HP, Dell, etc)? Most of the issues raised here are issues with hardware. I have a Lenovo laptop with Win7 x64 and have had zero problems with it. Whereas my HP friends have problems every day, and you'll notice every time Dell is mentioned here, so is BSOD.
Expanding on that, every Windows system off the shelf, regardless of brand, has been tampered with or "enhanced" in some way. Apple has complete control over what goes on their laptops, so they work the way Apple wants.
Microsoft gives their system to a manufacturer, who then messes with it. If Microsoft made their own laptops, I doubt there would be many stability issues with them.
Post 163
I assumed that because I loved my iPhone experience that I would love an iMac — wrong! It sucks! If I were completely technologically feeble and was going to completely depend on Apple Care and "geniuses," then maybe it would have been a good choice. But if you've ever used Windows, stick with it.
Even the simple act of installing a downloaded program is an exercise in frustration! And when I search for solutions to self-perceived problems all I can find is responses like "you're doing it wrong — you must learn to do it a completely new (backward) way."
Post 162
I just got myself a Macbook Air after being on the PC all my life. I have never gotten any viruses on PC to date and is the go to guy in the neighbourhood to fix PC problems.
My first impression of the Mac is this: it does take a bit of getting used to if you are coming from a PC, and on a laptop, the bigger/better track pad and gestures do help (I still prefer a mouse over any trackpad). Other than that, I don't think it is better than Windows 7 by any means. I do miss my Super Taskbar on Windows 7 and the Dock is just a poor alternative. Also, Windows Explorer is really
powerful compared to the Finder on the Mac. I have always organized my files myself and never relied on the search function to find files for me. On the Mac search is much better, and it probably needs it to be so.
I love the portability and battery life of my Macbook Air, as well as its supposed resale value a few years down the lane. As you may have already noticed, my decision to get a mac was not based on the OS choices, but the fact that no Windows ultra portables can compete with the Macbook Air.
I will never consider using Mac without bootcamp/windows as my main computer at home, however. Not because it cannot serve the purpose, just because most of my SW are Windows and I am so used to it, and I am not stupid enough to get viruses.
Post 161
The quality of PCs varies wildly. I had a MAC and switched back to an Alienware computer that was so buggy that I threw it out after eight months. There is no support for most PCs. Simply put, the offer of paid support is a swindle.
On the other hand, the best computer I ever had was a PC. I now have a MAC again and it's a little different but once you get used to it it's more intuitive. The thing about MACs is support. You can bring it back and they will fix it. There is plenty of free phone support. If you add in the price of free support the MAC is cheaper then the PC.
What is comes down to is, “Do I feel lucky?” If you feel lucky get a PC. If you don’t want to worry about luck get a MAC.
Post 160
I have a PC, (have always used PCs for several years now, but I have also had an iPhone for just as long) and all of my good friends have Macs. I really love my PC and really want a Mac. Macs are too expensive for my budget and my PC is only three months old. I could always give my PC to my brother who needs a computer but doesn't have one.
My big dilemmas are PhotoBooth, the ability to have all my iPhone music already synced and in the cloud and I love the look of Macs. And that I really love Word and Excel (practically live off them). In my experience, Macs don't have good versions of Word and Excel. Que fais-je?
Post 159
I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate my apple mac. Every single day I have a new problem with it. Nothing is intuitive, nothing makes sense. Why today, suddenly, does an important disc open in a text edit instead of install? There is no obvious way to change it back. Why does a music disc suddenly open with Firefox (yes, Firefox). Why is the text so small I can hardly see it – and each time I have to adjust the font size, it won't keep the settings. I loathe it. If it hadn't cost so much it would be in the garbage by now. Don't bother, unless you love wasting time trying to fix things.
Post 158
Get the mac. I have been through a billion pc and laptops and the mac is the best I've ever had. Don't waste your money on a pc. Just get the mac, and if you like a pc, just get the program "parallel desktop" for mac.
Post 157
I'm using an Apple Mac MC700X. This supports me as well as well I wish and I'm happy with my apple notebook.
My pc is apple mac pro. If you want by a mac pc I suggest you buy a Mac Pro because this is the best.
Post 156
My $2800 17" Macbook Pro 2.33 GHZ core duo, was the worst investment I have ever made. After two years of sending the mac to be fixed and every major internal component replaced (hard drive, graphic card/logic board, optical drive, battery explosion) I can say that the unreliability is not worth the cost to your possible business. Finally, they reluctantly sent me a brand new 2.8 GHZ Macbook Pro. About a year and a half later, my graphics card started showing the signs of failure.
If you're trying to pick up some girls at the local Starbucks and you only use your computer for email, a Mac is for you. If you want to make money with your computer or
do anything that needs actual computing, buy a PC. If you like the OSX reliability and interface, install one of the many versions of LINUX, like Ubuntu. Just because you have a PC doesn't mean you have to be stuck with Windows. You have options — much cheaper options, and more reliable options than Mac.
If you do get a Mac, take my advice: get the Applecare Protection plan which will set you back about $350. You will need it!
Post 155
A point that I've been missing here (excuse me for not reading everything!
So, a pc is actually some random hardware put together, and it is up to the OS (let's say windows in this case) to make sense of it, millions of drivers to have at your disposal. This is also one of the problems with android devices.
Apple makes the hardware and the OS, so they know which hardware is in the machine, and the os is therefore way more streamlined and fast.
I have used a pc always, up until now. But things are going more professional for me, so I need performance, stability, no randomness. I want to try out a mac. Maybe a macbook air
, as I am on the move a lot. It is though, a big choice. I am typing this on a $200 pc. Not much, but the performance is actually kind of good. Just not trustworthy in professional situations. Something could go wrong. À votre santé
Post 154
People, PC is a PC and MAC is a MAC.
En avoir pour son argent. If you have a high end PC system it will kick butt and there is no way a MAC can compete.
There are, of course, Power Mac Pro machines that you pay $10,000 or more for that will do almost the same thing as the power PC, but still a MAC is a MAC and a PC is a PC. Why on earth do you argue or say pc or mac is better than another?
I used a PC all my life and never had any problems. If you are too illiterate to operate a PC, simple: don't buy it, get a mac and
you will be happy. But to me, macs are just too limited in resources (as of now at least). Maybe in 20 years a MAC will be better for my use, but as of now, no thank you. Macs are just simpler and not better, got it?
Just visit a mac store and see the kind of idiots asking how to access the Internet on a MAC. Sensationnel. This just makes me sick. It's 2012 and our society is behind monkeys 50 years. It is like comparing apples with oranges. Do you guys know the difference between those two? Bonne chance.
Post 153
The old PC vs Mac debate eh? Yeah I'm partial to the PC, due to its pricing and its customizable options. Built my first home PC desktop in 2009 from decent parts bought online, and installed Windows 7 x64 on it. I love it, and the best part of all is, I built it myself so I know every inch of it.
I can't be happier with it. It rarely freezes up and if it does it's only for a moment and then it recovers. Windows XP and previous versions of Windows just didn't do that. A program crash usually sent you to the power button to reset the system. They truly were piles of crap, after having them run
for a for a few months.
As for the Mac systems, I've used them back in school — the old Macintosh systems with that 90's interface. They just had the wrong feel to them then, but I didn't give up on them, and here, 20 odd years later, I've given the OSX another try. I installed it on this PC I have now as a Virtual Machine, just to see what all the hype was about.
I can't say I'm astonished or blown away by what OSX had to offer. Maybe I'm just too far gone down the PC path to see the OSX for what it can do. I was lost in the new Mac environment. Stuff was not where it was supposed to be, and the programs seemed oddly foreign and unsatisfactory. Sure it looked cool and all, but I just can't get used to my windows control buttons being on the left side, and that "start" menu thing, no thanks.
To each his own I say. If you're a Mac user, keep on keepin' on. I'll stick with my PC. Skyrim for the PC is awesome, give it a try!
Post 152
rjohnson is right! I wish I had never bought a mac in the first place!
Post 151
If you are considering a Mac, please try Linux Ubuntu first. It will work on most PCs that run xp or newer.
You will have the benefit of a Mac without the price.
(I run Linux Ubuntu off of a 16 GIG USB flash drive).
Post 150
An interesting thread. I use both Mac (Lion) at home, and PC (XP and W7) at work. I also have a mate that is very into PCs. It has become clear to me that you get what you pay for, and that for equal money spent, the performance of Mac v PC is comparable. A cheap PC will give you cheap performance. A good PC with quality components will perform well. So for me, the price argument is crap.
As for the stability of the OS, the Mac is more stable than Windows. I'm not saying that Mac OSX is without fault, because that would a lie. Is Windows rubbish? Bien sûr que non. If you are into serious gaming, then
Windows is for you. If you are into serious graphics editing, etc., then the Mac has an edge. This is not to say that you can't game on a Mac, or that you can't do the graphics stuff on a PC, just that each has its strong points.
Some say that a Mac is too restricted and can't be customized or tweaked. Seriously guys, you are clueless.
Networking – incorporating a Mac into a business network and exchange server is not a problem. So called "IT managers" who say otherwise are also clueless. I'm aware of dozens of companies that do just that with no issues.
Software prices do not differ greatly, and most serious productivity apps are available for the mac, and are comparably priced to the windows version. In the last couple of years I've no longer needed a Windows machine for specialty apps, as they are all available for my Mac. The Mac App Store now offers a great range of software, with many programs available at amazingly low prices. The software argument is not one you'd be choosing the platform on.
But to the guy who reckons USB cables cost more for Macs, I mean seriously dude – you are deluded. I don't pay a premium for peripherals of any type to use with my Mac at home. Printers, hard drives, scanners, cables – they're all the same for both Mac and Windows.
In summary, if you want cheap, then a cheap Windows machine will do all basic web browsing, email, office stuff. If you have more demanding requirements, or you want a machine with a bit more grunt, then spend more and get more. My preference is with the Mac, but my best mate loves his Windows PC.
If you want to take some advice from this forum, then I suggest you ignore those who are all or nothing for either OS. Their bias will not help you. I also suggest that if someone has been using a Mac for just two weeks, then they are a little short on valuable data.
Moi? I've been working with windows every day at my workplace for 10 years, and bought my first Mac around 12 years ago. My preference is with the Mac OS, and that is a balanced decision based on a lot of time with both platforms. But like I say, that is my preference.
Post 149
what's the point to install windows on a mac? just buy a PC. it's cheaper, faster and customizable and it has a huge game collection if you are a gamer.
Post 147
mac = pretty and trendy eye candy. That's all. I had one: a macbook pro. never again.
Post 146
I gave up my PC to change to MAC and it's the worst thing I ever did.
There are no downloads, everyone else is miles ahead in image editing and I can't get a simple download! I hate MAC!
Post 145
so far, i think both are good. i use an alienware m14x laptop and it runs pretty well. get an alienware. i am lag-free from games.
Post 144
I have both a Mac and a PC. I would recommend a Mac, even though it is a little bit more expensive. In my opinion (and almost all Mac users), Mac OS X is far more stable and has fewer crashes than windows. It also can run better on not so great hardware. The mac mini's hardware kind of stinks, but it runs super fast for me. But it's up to the buyer and what type of computer they want.
Another point is boot camp. You can buy a PC and it runs windows. If you need some Mac program, you're out of luck. But if you buy a Mac, you can run both. Sure you can download a modded Mac OS X and install it. But the thing with Mac on a PC is that it normally only works for a few PC's and it is not always legal.
Post 143
A lot of the problem with the Mac vs PC debate is the large amount of ignorance. I keep seeing people compaire a 2GB RAM i3 PC to a 4GB i5 or 8GB i7 Mac. In those cases of course the Mac is going to be faster! But if you want to actually compair a new 8GB i7, let's just say Sony to a 8GB i7 Mac, you won't see a computing difference! I have tested it and I continue to test it all the damn time. Multitasking is the same on both of equal specs, computing is the same on both of equal specs. The main difference is that for the same performance you're going to pay about half
as much for PC because your paying a crapload more for all the software that already comes on every Mac that most people don't ever use or need.
And the argument that Macs last longer than PCs isn't true, either. I have had this same laptop for five years and in that time my "Mac fanboy" friend has gone through two Macs. They crash, they break just like PCs. And the virus thing isn't a real issue because that has nothing to do with the PC's stability. That just has to do with the volume of people who own PCs.
More viruses are out there for PCs, simply because there are more PCs out there so more viruses are made for them (put simply). Also, since there are more PCs you will hear more horror stories from ID10T errors because more people own a PC to tell those stories. I have had plenty of experience with Mac computers over 10 years and I can say from experience they are not going to be any more stable than a PC. They are just a little bit more ID10T error proof because of how closed they are. That's my 25 cents.
Post 142
All my life I used PCs. Sure they'll have a virus here and there, but with the correct protection and slight knowledge of PCs they are not that bad. A friend of mine recommended Linux but I never even heard of Linux or Ubuntu up until now. How I view it is that Open Source projects are not always good and can cause problems if you have no idea what you are doing.
My only problems with Windows OSs is that they come out with Systems that the general population will not use same with Apple. I mean Imacs and MacBooks are expensive. Then again there are people out there who uses Macs so therefore I really don't hate "Macs". They are not user friendly so I will never buy one.
Post 141
When it comes to productivity, Mac wins hands down because of OSX. I wish OSX would be legally available for PCs, then I'd love to buy a Dell or whatever and just put OSX on it.
Windows isn't good for multitasking. The toolbar gets insanely cluttered, one program freezes, they all follow. I end up sitting for several minutes for it to unfreeze. OSX is just a solid OS built on UNIX and is a really great to work with.
I also like Obuntu but not nearly as much as OSX. I just hate it is locked into Apple hardware. I would gladly pay $200 to install it on a PC just like people do with Windows.
Post 139
Mac vs PC? They are both equally good but the PC is just cheaper, so I recommend buying a PC.
Post 138
PC includes Linux and Windows, Open source Hardware, and now it can even run the Mac OS with minor mo0dification.
Post 137
I have been using a Windows based PC since the early days. The issue here between PC and Mac isn’t the “hardware” its the OS.
Over the years my Windows based PC’s have served me well. I even have an old 2001 Model IBM R30 laptop running Windows Xp, with no major issues, however, it is slow. Which isn’t surprising for its age as it was made for Win2000. Having said that I also own a desktop as my main PC.
Here are some of my issues I have had: blue screens of death, viruses and malware threats, constant IE failures and other program failures. A ton of registry errors. For the most after trying to sort it all out
, you just give up and format the C drive again and reload Windows.
Windows is truly unstable, and this is coming from someone who has never owned a Mac. When windows works, it’s fine. The other issue is that a PC, over time, will slow as newer software requires more speedy processors and then a new version of Windows.
Indeed, a PC is cheaper than a Mac. However, a PC does not come with the applications (software) that the Mac has as standard. If you factor this in the price it’s not that large a difference.
A friend of mine recently had her PC infected with about.blank Hijacker and she visited her local PC shop, which promptly sold her an anti-virus suite to remove it. Four hundred dollars later, it wasn’t fixed. Microsoft, error messages were sending her to sites to pay for removal tools, system tune-up tools, etc., etc., all for a price, of course. She finally did what I told her and got the machine reformatted.
After all my issues, a PC is a PC. It does what i need from it. I use it mainly for e-mail, online chat servers, MSN, surfing the net, playing the odd game, viewing my pictures and videos and printing from it.
From what i have read so far, a Mac does all this just as well, with the only difference being its uses different OS and applications. For that reason, a PC person like myself will look into buying an iMac. It’s true you may pay more than for a PC, however, with a PC you eventually pay later.
The truth be told, I have used Linux and found it a lot better than windows. Like many PC users, we can’t stand Microsoft and all their crap. I once couldn’t even validate my genuine copy of windows to get updates. Just sick of it all. I will try a Mac.
For all you people out there who say I’m an Apple fanboy, well I have never owned anything from Apple before so you have no basis. Lets hope the New Snow leopard OSX is far more stable than Winblows. A very disappointed PC user.
Post 136
The PC: Using an I7 extreme core, 64 bit with 8GB RAM and a top of the range graphics card. Running Windows 7 Ultimate and less than a second to get on the web using Google Chrome the 12 thread CPU blows the MAC out of the running.
A PC can out perform a MAC doing anything. Run four or five applications on CS5 master collection at the same time, also fire up FL9 or 10 and do a trance tune and play COD black ops while switching between the web for game tips; you get my drift. Can a MAC do all that? Almost forgot: two 39" flat screen HD TVs and a 19" monitor. Start up time is
87 seconds and takes less than a minute to shut down. Internet security software these days are are very good. I have had no virus attack at all. Not even worth a discussion. Price: less than £3K. Otherwise I would use a MAC.
Post 135
I'm not paid to post. I'm not a fangirl of any camp. I like all three for many reasons. I'm someone who loves technology and I revel in what creative minds have to offer me.
Windows is familiar and has ubiquitous software. And the latest OS, Windows 7, is quite good and stable, and the idea of building my own Windows computer is fun. There's nothing my Windows 7 machine cannot do pretty well except feed my cat when he meows. Many of my PC family are Dells, and all still work, with the oldest being seven years old. All components still work, and Dells are very easy to fix as needed, although none have needed it, and their BIOS
is user friendly for those who like to set up dual booting.
Mac? What used to be mysterious and almost too different is now fast, secure, and beautiful, and less different. For my art and music, it's Mac. It too is stable. And durable. My oldest Mac is 20 years old and still works well. I like legacy software so much that it still gets usage. Apple makes quality.
Now to Linux. It's not for geeks. It's for podcatchers, artists, scientists, web surfers, businesspeople, movie watchers, gamers, etc. Being free, it's fun free shopping when I feel greedy for new software. And Terminal isn't something hidden like underwear. It's accessible for anyone who wants to do programming. I've built an Ubuntu environment that grew enormous and has become greatly useful as well as entertaining. I've even set up one Linux from an elderly Dell that was really too old to run Windows XP Pro well, so I gave it Linux Mint and set it up as my language computer all in French as an immersion environment.
So, which do I choose? All of them, any day, any time. They are all awesome.
Post 134
I have switched to a Mac and it's the best thing I ever did after 20 years. I am primarily into photography and video. The Mac is really user friendly. I figured it out easily. It's much more user friendly than windows.
If you just want to get down to business and not put up with annoying crashes having to defrag your disk and all those other annoying things that PCs have, then a Mac is the way to go. It's like a car. I don't need to know how it runs; I just want to use it, not waste all my time fiddling with it.
My son now has a mac for school and he loves it. Les enfants
had a choice a Mac or a windows based PC and the kids who made the PC choice are all regretting it and wanting a mac. Yep, you can play games on them just the same as a PC and he has never had a problem with his mac. The techies at school have not had to look at the macs — only the PCs.
My other son has a PC and yep, you guessed it — always something going wrong and when it does I thank god he has PC nuts for friends who like looking under the bonnet to fix it because I am totally over it. Bring on the macs, I say. They have a better design better for getting on with what you really want to be doing. Not wasting all that time under the bonnet. You get what you pay for and I haven't wasted a penny.
Post 133
Just bought a new iMac desktop: i5 proc, 27in screen, etc. Am I impressed? Absolument pas. It's going to take a lot of effort plus new professional level software to get it anywhere near the operability of my windows pc's.
It seems with macs, the functionality and ability to customize has been removed for simplicity of use. It's like buying a car and not being able to look under the bonnet! Apart from the screen and fewer cables, definitely a backward step from my five year old windows desktop.
Post 132
It is easier to do stuff on a PC and organize yourself. It is harder to do stuff on macs, but macs have really cool applications.
Post 131
In a typical day I use an iMAC, Mac Pro and PC. I seriously love 'em both.
I am a technical engineer in charge of end user support for over 500 users.
In general, MACs are great, unless you want to do things in a customized way. They may be reliable perhaps due to their rigidity. This is both good and bad. Both PCs and MACs have their pros and cons, depending on who uses them and how. Saying one is better that the other is like saying that blondes are sexier than redheads. It really depends on who you are.
At work (cons): MACs are generally simple to set up right out of the box, unless you wish to
place them on a windows network, configure them to interact with any specific exchange server or have them use customized PC based applications.
Some resort to VMware or parallels to run a windows environment within the MAC O/S. My solution is to use thin apps to run the program from the MAC desktop.
Printing to a Windows server hosted device is challenging too. But there are solutions. Most IT folk running a windows environment hate dealing with a MAC because it just is not built to easily interface with anything non-Mac and there is so little online help available.
It's difficult to lock down options on the desktop. This means that users will experiment with every option until they call you to fix it to working order again. I get more trouble calls from MAC users on my network than anyone else. They cost so much more and stress me out making a business case to purchase them over a PC that cost four times less. Their peripherals are so much more expensive. Even the usb cables for MACs cost much more than their PC counterparts.
Servicing is a nightmare. With a Dell or HP one phone call results in an engineer visiting within four hours to replace a faulty part. I have to take the MAC to an Apple center far away and wait a few days.
They don't ship with any preventative maintenance programs compared to PCs that generally give you options to scan a drive for errors and defrag.
They are difficult, almost impossible to conform to group policy controls. Therefore, every MAC has to be configured, despite being on a a business network.
At work (Pros): They are great for graphics artists and audio visual engineers, who probably trained specifically on MACs. You just can't compare a 32bit 2GB RAM PC with a 64bit 8GB iMAC or Mac Pro. The more stable 64 bit platform doesn't crash when they open four extremely large programs at the same time. Experienced PC users often close large programs to avoid this. Apple users can't wrap their minds around the concept.
The users feel special to be given a MAC. They are proud to use such a sleek and sexy, stylish machine.
There are indeed fewer virus impacting MAC. However, many MAC users do contract malware and just don't realize that they are infected because they choose not to run anti-virus programs to indicate that they got infected.
Using boot-camp, parallels or VMWARE MAC users can also enjoy PC desktops. The downside of this is the IT department having to manage the additional software licenses for doing so.
At home (Cons): Expensive software. MACs ship with some great apps. However there are fewer freeware options available online should you need something more. Fewer programmers and companies write software for Apple due to its lower market share.
There is less online help available. If you run into a problem you have little choice but to go to the Apple folk and put your support contract to the test.
Everything Apple is more expensive. All peripheral devices, software, cables, anything.
At home (Pros): If you don't intend to do anything ground-breaking its great! Surfing the Internet, writing letters, sending email, playing videos and music is all that a lot of people do. You can do these forever with a MAC with few to no issues.
If it's simplicity with little need for doing things differently you want, a MAC may be for you.
Post 130
From a 17" dell, 2 replacements in three months then died again after warranty,, a gateway, one year, screen shot, a Sony Vaio (told the best) ended its own life after six months, Toshiba, six months then dead after replacing hard drive, all for thousands of dollars and been told pc's good life span is two years.
I broke down an got my new Mac14". called a few times for advice on how to work programs, they answered immediately as opposed to all other brands put me on hold half hour or more or hung up. I think I will like my new Mac and its service.
I did buy two dells 15' four or five years ago for my kids and grandkids. with a bit of service work needed, both still work fine. go figure.
Post 129
@anon148403: It's because PC users are confident in their pc's computing abilities and don't have a need to write about it's "greatness" in every posting box they see.
Post 127
Stop saying my PC gets viruses and runs slow. This is not the PC's fault. It is Windows OS fault. Use Linux on a PC and dual boot Windows if you can't so without it. Superior OS than Windows and cheaper and better hardware than a Mac and upgrade is possible. Cut and dried, that is it.
Post 126
I keep on wondering why 50 percent of the posts (or maybe even more) are pro-MAC while there are so many more windows users in the world.
Post 125
Both operating systems have their advantages and disadvantages, and to be honest, I have given a few choice words to both, but at the end of the day, my choice is Mac. It would be Linux if pre built Linux computers were more readily available. I buy a Mac for Unix.
In my opinion, Unix is a more reliable operating system. I am familiar with the commands, and very productive with the bash shell.
I had used windows until windows 98, I learned a great deal about computers using it, I did not have issues with it, but I switched to Linux because a Unix platform better suits my computer needs. From Linux, I switched to Mac. The reason: I
just do not want to buy a PC only to format the hard drive and install Linux: spending money for an OS I will never use.
If you are trying to decide which computer better suits your needs, ask yourself what you want to do with a computer. If you only want to browse the internet, play games, watch movies, check your email, and chat with friends, shelling out over a grand for a MAC is not wise; however, if you want reliability, configurability, programmability, and a powerhouse of tools, buy a MAC and learn Unix.
In my opinion, the average computer user will find a PC to be the better choice.
Post 124
I've built a PC and I've been using PCs my entire life. I've used 98, XP, Vista, and Windows 7 for extended periods of time. I've had top of the line Samsung netbooks, and Sony Vaios laptops. I've had Dell laptops and Acer laptops.
I should mention that I was an avid gamer and I enjoyed using peripherals.
Here's my take on Macbooks.
I'm going to talk about Macbook Pro Laptops.
I bought a Macbook Pro for college in 2010. I do not regret it.
What I found was that there are several pros and cons for both.
Macbooks are simply put, easy to use. You can download several applications and install very easily for free and some have properties
such as Aero quicksnap and maximize. So it can open exactly like Windows.
Also, Macbooks have "Spaces" or multiple desktops and easy trackpad usage.
The trackpad is the best part. Simple swipes have a multitude of commands and it makes life so much easier. The dock is also much simpler to use for general computer users. It turns on faster. It's intuitive, and files are very clean and organized.
It's aluminum body is very sexy and light weight. It's also very hard to crack. Unibody.
It's very fast. Great processor.
Cons- a medium learning curve.
It's aluminum. Aluminum bends and creaks. Some can squeak!
Also, what is the microphone doing in the body (voice chat causes huge echoes), and why are the speakers internal (echoing music in chatting), and why the hell do I have to take it to Apple to replace the battery? It's also expensive compared to PC laptops.
Then again, you're getting a well put together piece of equipment. And seriously, why are you upgrading your freaking laptop anyway?
Buy a new one. You upgrade desktops, not laptops.
These laptops, even the dual cores, will last you for a very long time.
Say that you don't destroy you PC laptop in three years. If you carry it around, by the time you need a new one, there will be processors and parts that will be worth buying to replace this one. However, hardware hasn't and will not advance to that stage in a long time. So Macs are a strong and safe investment. Macs are well put together. They will not fall apart
Besides that, Mac is good for the general public.
It's fast, gets fewer viruses, and it lasts long.
The battery life is amazing. It can go up to 11 hours on idle, but I usually get about 6 hours when I run Microsoft word. Pourquoi? Because I don't need multiple programs running in the background taking up processing power like anti-viruses.
For the gamers: A serious question these people need to ask themselves is why are you playing games on your laptop? If you are playing games, you must be playing simple ones that are most likely readily available to macs like Minecraft, League of Legends, or WoW.
If you have a gaming laptop, then get a PC laptop, not bootcamp. It's that simple.
If you want to run special programs, get a PC.
Otherwise, Macs are great.
PC laptops are also very good if you take very, very good care of them.
Sometimes the good brands will surprise you and have the same excellent qualities as a Macbook.
I am still an avid PC gamer and I love both my Mac and PC.
But I have to admit that Macs are good for simple things like incredibly easy simple programs. It makes a great different in everyday life. You don't want the complications or the 14 extra clicks to find things. Also the navigation is easier once you're used to it. If you use your laptop everyday, you'll find that the mac is sooo worth the investment.
However, other programs for avid windows users, are much easier on Windows.
As for repairing a Mac, you should not be buying such an expensive piece of hardware without a warranty. If you break it, you send it in for repairs, bring it to Best Buy, or bring it to the Apple Store. Free repair depending on how expensive your warranty.
Dells and other companies all have horrible stories about computer repairs.
Apple is very good with its customers and they love them. They honor their repairs and their words.
Overall, get a Mac if you're super busy, want easy use, have excess money and don't care about very specific PC programs.
Get a PC if you want the most varieties of peripherals, games, and etc.
Side note: I have to admit, Mac users are usually always snobby. Don't be that guy/gal. They both have pros and cons.
I got a mac because I just wanted simple and sexy. I'm tired of windows security pop ups and annoying windows crap. This never happens on a Mac.
Also, Macs are not just for idiot PC users. Just because they want simplicity doesn't make them incapable of opening the same programs.
I have a difficult life and its very stressful. I don't want to deal with PC problems and its annoying OS. I want ease of use.
They're both very good. Faites votre choix.
Post 123
Interesting read here! I am going to add my two cents worth here and I am probably the oldest person to post, (I will be 71 in April of 2011.) Since the late eighties, I have used PC's, most recently, a Dell computer with Windows XP.
I am not about to "dis" PC's. I like them. However, I am being blue screened to death, thanks to my inability to re install my Windows programme once a year. Time for a change. I will clean up my desk top, try the new iMac 21.5 wireless and come back here next year to let you know if the "old dog" has learned any new tricks!
I will go whole hog, airport express router, track pad etc and let you know what I think. I will always be loyal to Windows but I am frankly curious about the Apple products. See you all next year.
Post 122
I’m a PC to Mac, but now I want to go back!
I’ve recently changed to a MacBook pro after always owning PC (Windows). Unfortunately for me it has not been a smooth transition so far and the “cosmetic” benefits really don’t hold ground.
The biggest problem I’ve had is with the transfer of files and folders into the mac system and the corresponding restrictions. I keep finding myself saying, “XXXX I can’t even do that!”.
For example, there is no delete on a mac, only a backspace. You can't view anything full screen by just clicking the “maximize button” — you have to drag out the window. You can't just open one photo in a folder and then flick through
the folder; you have to first select all the photos you want to see. The list goes on and on, and although these are all small issues, I find that it's all very restrictive, very time consuming and just unnecessary.
You feel like you've been punished for being a pc user and the mac is saying to you “do it my way or it's the highway," whereas a pc says, “Just tell me want you want and I'll do it!” As a consequence, I've had to spend days reorganizing all my files, folders, photos and music into the mac way of doing things when I actually preferred the way I had it before. And in my experience, the system is not really all that stable and when it crashes I normally have to power off the computer and restart because the force close has also crashed.
Obviously, I was expecting some teething problems changing to a new operating system, but I'm also struggling to find the benefits.
As I've already said, I only got this MacBook recently (two weeks ago) and I'm willing to give it the benefit of doubt but with windows 7 getting Microsoft back in the game, I am seriously considering going back to a system where I'm the boss.
Any words of encouragement from other who've gone through the same process would be appreciated.
Post 119
I, too, was reluctant to "Go MAC", but was tired of replacing my PC's every few years. I've taken them into the shop three times for viruses and memory problems, even though I had expensive programs to protect against ad-ware, viruses, etc. Then they would get too slow and I would have trouble even after cleaning them up and defragging them. And every time windows upgrades programs, they change how to access parts of the programs.
At work, I could reconfigure printers, and knew how to problem solve for minor program glitches in word, but every new upgrade, windows reconfigures the task bars and the menus and the help section so I have to refigured out how to use it
. Keeps the tech busy and employed at work though.
I finally had it and spent the extra $ for a great MAC over three years ago. Never had a virus, a slow down, a programing glitch. Oh, and before you choose a PC, you might want to check how much you will spend on programing. All the programing a regular household user needs comes on a MAC, no extra cost. I had to buy lots of programs to edit photos, make/edit DVD's etc on my old PC, but that all came with the MAC.
You can buy a windows office version for MAC if you need to, but I just taught myself the MAC system and found it more intuitive. Their programs are also simply prettier to look at as well.
As others stated, only you can decide, but sometimes you get what you pay for.
I am an average home user, do lots of photos and documents, online banking, spreadsheets and I made a great DVD without even looking at the tutorial: music, photos, everything.
I recommend MACs to the average user who wants to use the computer as a tool to make life easier. They really are more user friendly.
I found that PC's made my life more complicated. Who needs a slow/broken computer when we all do online banking now? And who wants to have to buy a new computer every few years?
Post 117
i have a mac, and there is really no difference on how they run things. i am a hardcore gaming addict whether on computer or another system, the mac is good for some, but the majority of games run for just windows, but a mac can run fun games as well. the only way you can run games for windows on a mac is if you're willing to download windows via bootcamp.
In my opinion, they each are great machines and it doesn't matter which you buy, as long as you do research for what you want. Just make sure you check what you need for what you want, and make sure the computer you buy can run/do it well.
Post 116
Well i am looking for a mac as of now. like someone earlier, i too had a dell pc, and it was my worst nightmare. I'll never buy another dell; they are junk, big time, so i am getting a mac. I can't wait. These pc desktops are junk.
Like someone already said, they sure know how to get viruses and the dreaded blue screen, slow down when i need speed and of course just crash when they feel like it. Sensationnel. I'm really looking forward to a MAC. Oh yes, hope Dell goes bust.
Post 115
I'm getting ready to buy a Mac and after reading all your comments I am so glad that they have reinforced my MAC purchase.
I have been a PC user ever since I can remember (15 years or more) and I have only ever had troubles with them. They're slow, laggy, always get viruses, errors, the whole kit and caboodle. I currently have a Dell laptop with Vista on it and it's a bucket of crap. In the first month I was already having problems with the sound card and I still do.
After a year, the keyboard and track pad stopped working. I have errors that pop up on my screen and a virus that is corrupting some of
my files. I contacted Dell when it was still in warranty and they wouldn't even send someone out to have a look at it. Never again would I ever buy Dell.
On the other hand, my friend has a Mac book. One that's aluminum cased. She takes it on her work trips and holidays. She has dropped it about five times – by accident of course (you can see the dents) and the damn thing works perfectly! If I did that with my Dell, I hate to think what would happen to it. She's had no issues with the OS whatssoever.
My PC overheats all the time (I only bought it in mid 2009), takes forever to load up. The fan is running constantly and I have had to buy an extra fan and it still has problems with over heating.
I know internally MACs have the same hardware as any other computer and that it's only the operating system and the outer casing that's different, but clearly apple is doing something right if everyone is starting to turn their backs on PC's.
I was at JB-HiFi store a couple weeks ago and the guy selling the computers told me, 95 percent of computers that they sell now are MACs. The PCs are just collecting dust these days. Seems like a lot of people are getting fed up with PCs. They look like crap and they operate the same way. The winds are changing.
Thanks for all your posts.
Post 114
I have a $200 Acer Netbook, with Win7 Ultimate. It does everything I need from playing videos, running all MS Office 2010 programs, Visual Studio .NET 2010, and SQL Server mgmt studio 2008.
It was the best $200 dollars of technology money I've spent so far.
My wife's iMac (6 years old) is still running OK, but it's a dog with fleas when it comes to performance and price. I can't yet convince her to come over to the good side (PC), so our household continues to be divided.
Both are good choices depending on your personal preferences.
Post 113
i read all of these posts. I took hours because i want to make the best choice because i will buy a new computer today.
i read a lot of crap like government agencies and universities don't use mac. Both colleges i attended did, and i work for the government and all 12 in our office have government issued i-phones so don't believe everything you read.
The truth is I'm 32 years old and owned about six or seven pc's and I'm sick of spending $700-$1000 every three years. i know the imac would crash a lot in college, but i have to try out the new product because pc's are designed to fail so you are constantly upgrading and it makes me sick! Anyone reading this should know don't be swayed by biased posts. No computer is perfect, so go out and ask friends. They *might* tell you the truth.
Post 112
For anyone claiming that Macs run "hardcore games" better than any PC, you are full of crap. Période. It is not an opinion, it is the flat out truth. I don't hate Macs, just the idiots who think that they do everything better than anything else.
Post 111
Anyone who thinks a Mac is a better machine for anything is just wrong. I am a freelance graphic designer, and Mac OS X is nothing more than a fun toy to play around with. If you are serious about productivity, the windows desktop environment is far more intuitive than the craptastic dock in Apple's flawed OS.
You might be able to brainwash helpless old women and small children that your expensive plastic toys are superior, Apple, but you don't fool me!
P.S. This comment was written from a Mac. I kid you not.
Post 110
I bought a mac about two 1/2 years ago. I use my computers hard. Photoshop, Flash development, video editing. I put it through the wringer. (But treat them like my baby) I have used mac and PC both.
I have had to spend three months out of my life with my mac in the air to get repaired by apple. I had sent it to Salt Lake City six times in under a year. Replaced almost every major component. Optical Drive(CD-DVD Drive), audio card, video card, system cooling fans, logic board (mother board) and a battery that exploded.
My problems started the day I got the mac. It wouldn't burn a CD that would play in anything but my computer
(would not finalize disk). After a year of problems (and a computer that could have flown free to first class to Australia on frequent flier miles) they sent me a brand new mac.
I haven't even had my new computer a year yet and already I am sending it in for a new optical drive(CD-DVD rom).
I regret every day my purchase. OSX is awesome, but macs stink. If you want a mac, you should rethink it hard, then make a hackentosh for a fourth of the cost and better components! Trial by error done for you.
Post 107
Macs are crap. I'm a graphic designer and i don't even use the imacs here at my school.
I bring in my alienware laptop that works 10x better than a mac and do my work on that. I got a bunch of adobe programs on my laptop along with various video editing software.
Post 106
My PC had a virus we had to pay to have removed, a malware and spyware invasion we had to pay to remove and since I am into photography, I had to buy photoshop to edit my photos- more money down the drain. I hear a MAC would simplify my life. I am on the MAC wagon!
Post 105
I was surprised at some of the posts with comparisons to Linux. They characterized it as a 'fun to tinker with' or 'only good for programming' environment. Most of the Linux distros today are first, free or close to it and second, very easy to use and polished.
While the Gnome UI has more developer type apps and utilities, the KDE UI is very pretty and easy to use.
I have taught a community class for several years on putting Linux on older PCs to give then new life. And by the way, – WalMart's webstore used to sell linux PCs for $200 (they may still have them).
If what you want is an easy to use system, for web, email, video and audio editing that looks good, take a look at Fedora (free). Sounds like Mac? Hint – Mac runs on top of Linux.
Post 104
I saw a post saying that PCs rule the market because of price, upgradability, etc. Not really true.
They rule the market because IBM developed them and in the corporate world – "You don't get fired for buying IBM". IBM and ex-IBM execs sit on the boards of most Fortune 1000 corporations and that was when the explosion came and fueled the production of the clones (and the drop in prices – the first XTs were around $10K ea).
I use a PC but am considering a mac and am playing with it in VMWare. $30 for the OS at Best Buy and run it in VirtualBox. iWork rocks – I got it for my iPad and want it on my main box now.
Post 102
I've never really used a mac. my Windows machine works and I assume the Mac works too. However, my usual test is to be able to build a computer for ~$500 and to be able to run the latest game I want to play, at the moment its Starcraft 2. I don't think I'll ever be able to do this with a Mac. I'm too cheap to buy something for how it's going to make me feel or what it looks like.
Post 101
Well I am on my third PC, my first Windows XP just broke down. The second PC had to have vista on it. Vista gave me so many problems, I and a friend bought Windows 7. Both of us are having so many compatible issues. It's as bad as Vista. I don't care what anyone says, here are two, not entirely computer illiterate people not happy with Windows 7. I wish I had gone for the Mac last year.
Post 100
this post is the for the one who compared a car to a computer. The main technology in a car is very very old. it's called a combustion engine and the function is limited to carrying people from one place to another, and that will never change, ever.
A PC has been evolving for decades and it's just getting started and there is no limit as to what it can do because it runs on software. Sure, use your 5 year-old Mac to watch a DVD while I'll watch a blu-ray on my brand new PC.
Post 99
GO Mac! I suggest buying mac because it's best for music, animation, gets fewer viruses, and many more reasons. So what I'm trying to say is that the price is totally worth it.
Post 98
You can put either OS on either hardware. The PC hardware is cheaper. Simple choice.
Post 97
Not too long ago I switched over from a PC to a Mac and it has been the best decision I have ever made. Mac is a lot more user friendly, everything is there and just works. There are no errors, annoying updates, laggy programs; everything is just beautiful.
Not only is the interior reliable, but the exterior is easy on the eyes. It has a beautiful unibody case that is better built than any windows laptop. Windows laptops slow down and break too easily, but the Mac does not. Windows also has a big problem with viruses. Everywhere you go on the internet you're bound to get some sort of virus. But the Mac is virtually safe from viruses
. Of course, there is still some threat but nothing a cheap anti-virus can't protect against.
Also, for all the people saying gamers should go with a PC, that is not true. I use my Mac with games all the time and to be frank, it runs hard core games better than any PC I've ever used. Of course I have to use Bootcamp as some games are not Mac compatible, but due to the hardware of the MacBook Pro, it runs games without a problem.
I use to hate Mac all because of that stupid "it has no right click" thing, but it turns out Mac does have right click and really is better than any PC out there.
P.S. It runs games better than an Alienware laptop, and looks 10000x better too.
Post 96
I work all day on Windoze, but come home to a Mac. I've had Apples since the IHc days, and don't want to deal with the defrags, the "blue screens of death," the "your XXX is not compatible with your YYYY" or any of the other "What?" moments I have at work.
The Mac I recently replaced was seven years old, and hadn't given me any trouble–and the G4 533 I bought around 1998 still runs! Yeah, it's slow, but it's 14 years old! So is my dog that I got the year before!
The thing about Macs is that they truly do "just work." The learning curve is a very small hill, and help is readily available on the
Apple website and in various forums elsewhere–if you have a problem.
To the guys who say, "build your own PC cheaper the way you want it" I'll say, that I will never build my own computer–I don't want to do that. I'll take my new Mac out of the box, put it on the desk, and be doing what I want in about 10-15 minutes–20-25 if I'm migrating an old machine. Graphics and sound included.
And it works with every digital camera and camcorder I've ever owned effortlessly, and plays nicely with Palm devices I've had, and my parents (aged 80 and 76) have used Macs to digitize old 78RPM records onto CDs. There's just no downside except the latest and greatest online gaming, which I won't ever do. Once you go Mac, you really won't go back.
Post 94
A couple of things that push a PC over Mac's for me:
1. Mac's are pricey for the hardware you get. Build a PC yourself with the same specs as a Mac and you will save money.
2. Windows does what I want. I don't understand people who say that they have loads of trouble with windows. XP was awesome, Vista was kind of a let down, but with windows 7 I basically never get errors.
3. I don't think I've ever heard somebody say 'Does it run on windows', but 'Does it run on a Mac' all too frequently.
4. Macs have better software. Well, but new software for your pc then. Duh. Sony Vegas, Photoshop. Awesome?
5. Macs look pretty. Buy a decent case for your PC.
6. Yes, you've guessed it. I don't like macs at all. A PC has done everything I need it to, for cheaper than a Mac.
7. Macs just work. Oh really? Nah, mate.
Post 93
I use an iMac with Windows installed via bootcamp (I know, what's the point right?). Well, the only reason I have windows installed is because I do have some games for windows that I couldn't otherwise run on a Mac and up until a few months ago, I was solely a windows user.
I decided to switch over to a Mac because for me personally, I have had many bad experiences with my windows PC's. Now don't get me wrong. I know there are many windows users out there who never have problems, but for me I did have a lot of problems.
What knocked me towards Mac the most was when I bought a laptop running Vista. That for
me was the final straw. I spent most of my time dealing with errors and slow performance, then having to defrag my drive every month or so.
My new Mac is similarly spec'd to my pc, but it handles things with less problems, which in return gives you higher performance over a pc of the same spec. Of course you could buy a higher spec pc lower than you can buy a good Mac but is the extra money for a Mac worth it? For me, it most certainly is.
Not only does it run great, it looks great and it only comes with things you'd want. I mean, I didn't have to uninstall all the trial software that came with my Mac because it doesn't come with any trials, only good software that you will want to use, such as GarageBand, iMovie and the whole I life suite. Not only that, but even on the lower end Macs, they almost never struggle to cope and by that, I mean unlike windows PC's when you push them to their limits they continue to work instead of becoming unstable causing windows to crash. This, I think, is down to the fact that Mac OS X is designed around the Mac hardware and is designed by the same people that pick the hardware which ultimately gives apple the opportunity to optimize the OS to run on their hardware.
I don't think that windows is in any way "inferior," but for me and many others who don't want trouble from their computer or for people who need to work on their computer for things like video editing, photo editing or anything productive that requires you to be able to get on with what you are doing without any little hitches along the way, a Mac is better.
On the other hand, a PC is cheaper and good enough for most day to day users looking to browse the web or enjoy some media and is certainly the better option for gamers and system modders.
As for the subject of upgradeability, Macs don't actually tend to lose speed or drop performance over the years like some PC's do so usually actually don't need upgrading.
So before anyone goes out and buys a PC, consider for a moment how much you are going to end up paying for a PC after you buy security protection over the life of the machine, buy software for video editing, photo editing or music editing that would come installed anyway on a Mac or for telephone support and you might just find out that it will work out more.
Post 92
so please explain:
A: PC. Positives/ Negatives
B: Mac. Positives/ Negatives
D'ACCORD. Now computers. What is the hoo-ha about macs?
Post 91
I've had this Inspiron 6000 laptop for three or more years. It's still stable.
Post 90
To summarize then; if you want to do 'nothing special, just basic tasks' then buy the expensive one.
If you want to do something with more specialized hardware that no other computer can do then buy the cheaper one.
Apple pretty much admitted that their OS wasn't as good as Windows when they announced boot camp.
Post 89
It's like how come a Lexus is so expensive? I can get a nissan which has better specs more options and is faster and more comfortable, but the lexus is still more expensive. Pourquoi? because there's something called quality and value.
The mac will last longer with you and it doesn't lose its value quickly which means you can sell it at a good price.
If you notice, most pc users replace them every two or three years and sell them for like 100-200 bucks while mac users can have their macs for five years plus and it's still working and looks like brand new.
Post 88
Is it possible that maybe both machines have their niches? PCs rule the market because they're customizable, repairable, you pick out the hardware and software that works for you. If you have more to do than play with your media and go on facebook, then yeah a PC is the way to go!
On the other side of things, if you need a controlled, predictable, stable user experience then a Mac is much more hassle-free, user-friendly. It's almost like an appliance, nobody needs to update or reformat their fridge! For someone who uses a computer for a few repetitive tasks, a mac may provide exactly what they need.
I've built probably a dozen PCs, and use an Alienware laptop and
an iPad, and spend way more time than I like to think about running around and troubleshooting other people's PCs to see the value of a mac, plus they look pretty too, and some people just need that to have an enjoyable computer experience.
Just get what works for your needs. I feel like PC's are tap water, and Macs are bottled water. You can argue all day about how much easier it is to buy a bottle of water then have to call a plumber, but at the same time if you use bottled water to cook spaghetti than you're missing the point.
Post 87
I used to have a windows computer but now I switched to mac. I did not do it because of any bad experiences with my windows. I just wanted to try something new and I would say both systems are great.
Post 86
This is the age old question, isn't it? It's a battle between the two. Seriously though, some of the complaints about price can be alleviated through discount sites. At least it helps "ease the hurt".
Post 85
i'm thinking of buying a mac and dual-booting lynux's ubuntu. i think this is a good idea.
Post 84
@Anon104233: I started out using Macs and the old Apple II computers. When I learned Windows, it was a new world. Having said that, an intern in my office this summer had a Mac laptop and really seemed to like it.
As far as Windows being pre-installed, you'd have to talk to the people at the Apple store. Personally, I wouldn't use a Mac without Windows for Mac.
I don't think any peripherals like a camera or printer are absolutely necessary, but printers are cheap, and come in handy for printing out papers, so you might think about spending an extra $80 for one.
Also, about upgrading the RAM: that's another one of those questions you'd need to ask the
Apple people. I'm running 2 GB of RAM on my PC with Vista Home Premium 64, and it runs just fine. I have an AMD Athlon dual core processor. I'm not a big gamer. I use my PC at home mostly for word processing and surfing the net. The little gaming I do is stuff like "Diner Dash." LOL. So if you're not a gamer and your OS isn't a memory hog, whatever the Macbook comes with is probably sufficient for your needs.
I'd recommend at least 2 GB of RAM, though, just so you have enough juice to watch a movie or other videos.
Just a personal note, but if you do decide to go with a PC, try to go with the AMD processors. IMHO, they are so much better than the Intel processors. They run and run and run and run. All of my tech head friends way prefer the AMD processors. I've had motherboards and hard drives crap out on me, but never one of those AMD processors.
Post 83
It sounds to me that you're either a Mac fan or not. Pretty biased comments. But from what i am reading here, it seems as though a PC would be better for the gamers and Macs are better for everyday people who don't require a lot of power in a system like for video and music stuff.
I am considering buying a mac for college but it seems kind of pricey and i still have a lot of questions.
1: Are there certain accessories that i have to use (example a printer or a camera)?
2: If i were to buy a macbook would i need to upgrade to the 4BG RAM if i am just a casual user?
3: How do i get windows on mac? or does it come preinstalled?
Je vous remercie.
Post 82
I've grown up in a mac household, and soon as I got a PC it was clear which was better.
I find PCs better in every way. They have better games, more and better software, they are faster, simpler, much easier to customize, both when it comes to hardware and to the individual settings you want.
Don't see how macs have better editing software for videos and music etc. You look at the top people in the world and they're on PC too.
Post 81
I would definitely go for a mac. They're not just better quality but also looks better.
Post 80
i am planning on buying a mac because:
1)they are simple and effective. Macs are far easier to navigate compared to pc's.
2)Macs look amazing. You can clearly tell apple has put a lot of time in the casing (unlike other companies) you can clearly see they take pride in their computers.
3) many people say they crash, and yes they might, but so do pc's though. One person posted that all the macs in their school broke. Hey that was in the 1990's and mac was a new brand. They are a lot better now.
Finally and the most important: Macs are future proof, they have built in A.V unlike pc's (no more £40 a year for protection).
Also macs don't decline in speed as much as pc's.
i have had pc's all my life, and i used to think they were amazing, but now i have realized macs are the way forward! they are a better all around machine.
Post 79
I swear, I think some of these posters are paid by Apple to spam comment boxes, such as on this site. It happens in politics, so why not in business? I think the school teacher commenter above is an example. It's just too artificial.
My family has used a "PC" for the last 18 years and in that time, I've only had three computers. My first desktop, a Daytek, ran from 1993-2003. We then purchased an Emachines in 2003, which we still use up until now. The third PC is an ACER laptop my daughter purchased for university three years ago. We have never had any problems, except the first computer was so old, it eventually became hard to upgrade.
I have several problems with Mac:
1. It may be more secure as of now, but as its market continues to expand, Mac will have increasing troubles with hackers and other forms of malicious software. Not only that, analysts have said Mac will "get hit harder", per se, since their enterprise isn't versatile.
2. In this day and age, who wants a computer that can't be upgraded? I mean, if you're going to shell out $1500+ for a Mac, wouldn't you at least want longevity and up-to-date technology?
3. As someone else said, why buy a Mac if you are going to run Windows on it? Why not just by a PC for a hell of a lot cheaper? That just proves some morons buy these things because it's trendy and 'pretty'.
4. They market themselves as the brand for dumb yuppies who don't know anything about computers. So as long as you want to be ignorant about how your computer runs, but look cool, you should buy a Mac.
5. Macs crash, and crash hard. Try fixing it yourself, and you might void your warranty. A person on another forum stated she had to pay $1000 to get her computer working again.
Lastly (but I can go on), government and businesses don't use Macs. If leaders and corporations, who no doubt invest an abundant amount of funding in research, do not use Mac (or iPhone for that matter), that is good enough for me. They need to look beyond propaganda messaging for their own interests.
I like to say, "once they go Mac, they'll eventually come back". À votre santé
Post 78
I've been using PCs since Windows 98 and I've never used a Mac outside an Apple Store. I usually don't like to enter those Windows fanboys vs Apple fanboys vs Linux fanboys, but now I've decided to step up.
Macs, as far as I know, are as good as Windows and Linux. Macs are very good for casual users, people who don't need to keep changing the hardware just to get a slight increase in the frame rate of a game, or people who work with photo, music and video editing. Do some research and you'll see that most of the people who work editing videos use Macs.
However, Windows is good too, but is very different than Mac. Puisque
Windows has a bigger market share, more people use it. And the basics of Windows are very simple, so people like it. Although, Windows is better for applications that aren't so "glamorous". Windows is very good for gaming, office work (with Microsoft Office, obviously) and basic use, such as social networking and buying stuff in the internet.
Linux hasn't been mentioned in this post, but still I'll say it: Linux is for advanced users and is good only for programming. Linux isn't as good for games as Windows is and isn't as good for photo, music and video editing as a Mac.
So, bottom line: Macs and Windows are both good for basic use.
Macs are good for photo, video and music editing.
Windows is good for gaming and office work.
Post 77
I'm a PC (yeah, I know a Mac is also a PC yadda, yadda) with no Mac experience. I help a lot of people with their PC and windows problems.
A friend got an iMac six months ago. She couldn't even get it out of the box and plug it in. I unboxed it, plugged it in and in less than 10 minutes, I was on the internet downloading Open Office, Thunderbird and Firefox. So in a total of 20 minutes she had all the software she needed. OK you say it only takes 40 minutes longer to get to the same point on a windows box, but here's the clincher. In those six months, she's never once asked for help with her Mac.
Will I buy a Mac? I'm seriously considering it. One reason is that I could make some money supporting people with Macs, but on the other hand I'd be like the proverbial Maytag repairman.
Post 76
I work in IT and absolutely love the Mac. There are only a few misc programs I wish it could run though, so I still use a Dell laptop for some stuff. But after a long day working on Windows to come home to play on a Mac is just swell.
The biggest drawback to a Mac, is if it fatally crashes and won't turn on, Apple will have to repair it. With a PC, you can test it until you determine the problem and repair yourself, maybe shell out 100 bucks for parts. Macs not so much, since you'll void the warranty if you even open it.
Apple Care is vital to protect it for up to three years
at about a few hundred bucks. After that, it's not a fun feeling being at the mercy of Apple for pricey repairs; some can run up to $1300 I've seen. That's a pretty huge reason to stay with a PC alone I think. Since with Windows, you kind of know when it's starting to goof up. With Apple, it just dies without warning, so definitely back up your data!
Post 75
This PC vs Mac debate has been ragging on for years. More so after Apple ran their marketing ads trying to sell more Macs to the public. It must have cost like zillions of dollars. Now all this is priced into any Mac that you buy now. Penses-y. Why should you the consumer pay for this when a PC windows or Linux can do all a Mac can?
Post 74
I'm not a "Mac fanboy", at least in my own estimation, but when I got a Mac laptop a couple of years ago, I fell in love.
My Mac laptop has always run my Adobe software and loaded the internet much faster than the PC desktops my family has had over the years.
In addition to that, it offers other little perks like the multi-touch trackpad that lets me never need a mouse (even with Adobe), the handy screen-capture options, the ability to zoom the screen, and the automatic spellcheck that works on the internet and most other text-intensive applications.
Post 72
Anyone who says Macs don't get viruses is stupid. The only reason Macs don't have as many is because nobody with a lick of intellect would waste time coding a virus for a smaller target group. It doesn't mean the Mac is "perfect".
Post 71
get a mac if you are a casual user. get a pc if you are a gamer or do a lot of word processing.
Post 70
If you use your computer for gaming or modding, then get a pc. if you use your computer for surfing the internet and social networking then get a mac.
also, macs have so many brilliant applications like iphoto or garage band that make it so easy to use your computer more than you would if you were just a casual user. macs are also virtually virus free and their design is so much better than a pc.
Post 69
Macs are like sleeping monsters; if they're not disturbed then they will be okay. I think the reason Macs crash is because people treat them like PCs. A Mac needs to run only Mac software. Do that and you should be okay.
Post 68
The Mac is no longer an unthinkable choice for a user simply because
1) A large portion of users now spend much of their time on social network or video streaming sites, which any OS can handle.
2) You can access Windows through virtualization or boot camp.
My issue with the Mac is this: looking through my taskbar application list, I see very little (various compilers, development tools, stock market trading applications, a few games) that has a Mac version. Therefore I would have to access Windows through the Mac and expose myself to the flaws of Windows anyway.
So why should I buy a Mac?
The Mac vs PC is a bit of a false fight – still only a small percentage have a Mac and a much smaller percentage still have a Mac some alternative means of accessing Windows (another machine/virtualization/bootcamp).
It is largely a rivalry that occurs only in the minds of Mac fanboys.
Post 67
it seems to me like those who would rather not think about their computer should purchase and use a mac, whereas those more capable of deciding what they want out of their experience should purchase a computer running windows.
Post 66
I have been using PC's for years, and our school just got 80 new macBooks in a grant. Hou la la! Our school unanimously hated them within two weeks. The macs were constantly messing up, never working on the networks, and crashing randomly. If it was, say one mac that was screwing up, I might say, "OK its just one of those in the bunch that turned out bad." There are computers like that for both Windows and Mac.
This was not the case though — all of the macs were like this. That's 80 out of 80 macs, all continuously being sent to get fixed. Our school has never had a problem like this with windows. Yes, there have been problems, but
it's usually with an individual computer. One of our teachers had their own MAC hacked and someone was watching them through the web cam! I've never had a problem like this with a windows computer.
Yes I may be at more of a risk for a virus, but I am smart with how I surf the web, and with two computers over the past four years I have gotten 0 viruses, that's even with my desktop having no anti-virus program.
I hear a lot of people use the MACs for graphics and media, and even in this section I have doubts as to whether they are superior. Windows may not come with things like garage band, but does a professional use it to create media? I doubt that. I'm sure they buy professional programs designed for their field, and those programs will run on a windows or a mac.
So for my personal recommendation, I would suggest a PC. I haven't had a good experience on a MAC yet. I am not a fan boy. I really wanted to give the MAC a chance, and I plan on looking into Linux also and see how they run, but I cannot recommend a Mac with the experiences I have had with them.
Post 65
I have been using a pc based computer for most of my life. i have dealt with many problems from windows and i am fed up with everything going wrong with the windows operating system. i love the fact that people never have problems with macs. That's why when i buy my next computer, a mac is my first choice.
Post 64
My MAC crashes more often than my PC.
Post 63
I grew up starting on the TRS-80 and Atari computer and so moved on to MS-DOS and Windows. I remember the Apple coming out but I enjoyed the freedom of doing and programing what I wanted with the computer through the windows environment. It has not changed over the years and I still stand by windows.
I would not discourage people from buying a MAC, but I would suggest if you started with Windows to stick with it. Windows is just as good and when you get changed over, you need to relearn a lot, so why not stick with what you know (Which is perfectly A OK)?
Post 62
My first computer was an i386. Now I am considering buying a 27" iMac. I love the graphics on it. I have 2 choices, the iMac or an HP Touchscreen which I also like really well. This is a difficult decision. Why should I buy the Mac? Why should I stay with the PC?
Post 61
So much debate. I usually stay out of it, but today I've decided to chime in. I am both a professional photographer and a software analyst.
A couple of years ago I purchased my first mac, a macbook pro laptop and I love it. All of the comments about being hassle free etc. are very, very true. I won't spend time repeating what everyone else says (except to reiterate that I certainly know what I am doing and still spend time fixing things when a virus/malware squeaks by and hoses the whole system).
Someone here mentioned problems at work with the macs, but not the pc's. Generally, I have only seen this happen when the networking is not set up
correctement. There are a lot of specifics to know and follow to properly set up and manage both on the network you describe.
Find a mac dealer (not an apple store) in your area and ask them to consult on the architecture.
Lastly, someone asked what is the point in needing two machines: a pc and a mac. I have a macbook pro, a dell laptop (for a client), and a windows box I built. I am about to drop some money (by the way it priced out the same for a mac or pc for the specs I need) on a mac pro desktop.
On this I will load parallels to run a window environment when needed (one box, two os's). I will need this at times because there are a few programs I cannot run on a mac (proprietary and written only for windows), and I also need to be able to test software in both environments for my clients.
Post 60
There are no viruses for Mac OS X. Zero. Ne pas. Even. One. Période.
(Unix underpinning, root separate from admin, Viruses will never propagate in the wild).
Post 59
I've been looking to upgrade my Sony Vaio laptop which has stood the test of time for the last eight (yes eight) years. In that time I've not once had 'blue screen', it's never frozen on me and any viruses i got were due to dodgy downloads on my part – my (free) antivirus spotted them and removed them without any issue though.
Despite it's age i continue to run CS4, Lightroom, InDesign and Dreamweaver and while it does slow down occasionally it's only while saving large tiff files. The marketing of Mac is great and when i decided that i needed a new laptop i did look at the MacBook Pro, but the more i research it the more i know I'll buy another Vaio.
Post 58
Good grief! All of you mac fanboys, you pay a load of cash and accept Jobs to choose what you do and what you don't do on your computer. Bought a used iMac from a friend for $500 and all i have to say is pure limitations and incompatibilities. Get a life.
Post 57
PC's are much better because you can do more features like gaming and stuff. If you have problems with a virus all you need to do is upgrade to windows 7. And about that there is heaps of apps on macs but also you can buy them for windows for only $5.00!
Post 56
I want the easier route. I have spent so much time trying to clean up, speed up, defrag until I was sick of it. Trying to scrape every dollar out of my PC buying software on line to keep it from crashing.
I'm on my second year with mac and I ain't going back. It's more expensive but I will save the difference in antivirus software and other software trying to keep the PC going.
Pay now for a mac or pay later for a pc, not to mention the frustration.
Post 55
Sounds like a microsoft moron is making these posts because they are losing the battle. mac is the best going and don't forget it.
Post 54
I ran PC's for years and always looked at mac. once they went to intel proc and linux I bought 1 mac mini. they run different but the nice thing about mac is for one year you get free phone help. What do you get from uncle Bill? he wants money every 15 mins.
I never feel rushed and even had someone call me the next day to make sure I understood and everything was working OK. I now own 2 mac mini and dropped cable tv and stream my shows we like to our 42 inch tv in our bed room and now with family share all the movies and music are on stored on a 2 TB hard
drive in one room and we can still watch it in our bed room via the mini there.
The customer service for one year while you get used to the mac system is amazing now we play Lord of the rings online for one game. took a copy of xp home put it on the newest mini and it runs fine ever get better graphics then my pc. the gpu card in the mini is amazing.
I have two video outputs on that mini and i have it hooked to my 64 inch samsung tv amazing picture no fan noise like a pc just a small silver box. Next we will buy a 27 inch imac and play out games on that and everything else will be ran on mac os.
what i really like is plunging in a device and not getting the message unknown device. you have a driver? plugged a old video camera in to a mac and it says oh this is a video camera. don't know it please use the manual buttons.
Yes i lean towards the mac my wife who plays pc game leaned to pc, but last week saw the 27 in each and said 'get me out of the store before i grab it and drop my pc" if she can do it so can you.
Best of luck on what ever computer you buy, or by the way buy a mac and you can take it back with in 14 day and get full refund. just say i want my money back they say OK poof. customer service like windows never has done.
Good Luck and best wishes
Post 53
I traded up to a mac (macbook pro), from PC laptop two and a half years ago, and from a desktop PC to an imac about one and a half years ago. I mainly did it because I was tired of spending every weekend trying to fix everything wrong with the windows-based computers. It was the best thing I ever did.
Sure, there were about six days of the new macbook pro and I not liking each other very much, but then – eureka! the light bulb turned on, and it has been wonderful ever since. Initially, I did partition the hard drives to run Windows via Parallels, but I just removed them both because I haven't needed to run a
windows based application in years.
I will never go back to a PC. And, I am a graduate student, so I am using my computer(s) quite a bit. I am so glad I have Mac. I have so much more free time now that I don't have to waste hours every week trying to fix the PC based computers. Also, I have never had to call Apple support – so, both the imac and macbook pro have been, and remain problem free.
Post 52
We finally decided to buy a laptop after having a desktop for several years. We've always been PC folks and our HP desktop has (and probably will) served us well.
It has gotten a little sluggish over the years (almost four now), but still performs the tasks we want it to perform.
Anyway, we were trying to decide between an HP laptop with 4g ddr3 ram, 500gb hdd, intel's dual core i3 processor, and sweet battery (up to 6 hrs) or macbook.net and we decided to go with the HP. Fifteen days later, I'm standing at the customer service desk at best buy, returning my frozen laptop.
I chose not to purchase the buyer protection plan (why would I, since
my desktop HP PC has been a rock) and missed the return window by one day! Thankfully, the customer service manager had mercy on me, and let me exchange it. I opted for the Macbook with the buyer protection. No problems yet!
Post 50
Mac being safer than PC is a moot point. People get viruses and spyware, etc. because of their behavior with their computers period.
A smart and safe PC user will never get a virus or spyware with a little education on safe computing, even without running any anti-virus software or installing any updates.
A Mac user will infect their machine by simply opening a bad piece of e-mail or visiting a malicious website the same as a PC user would.
People who buy Macs either buy into the marketing hype, have money to spare and want something trendy, or are serious graphics/music engineers (and this is not as true as before as Linux equivalents of MAC softwares are infinitely
cheaper and work better, just ask ILM and George Lucas who have switched their workstations to Linux boxes).
I laugh at how hard Mac has to market its hardware in order to survive, and laugh even harder at how they blatantly lie about their systems which completely undermines non-tech savvy computer users.
Why would you want to run Windows on a MAC if MAC OS is so much better? Oh yeah, it's because it's not better, they only fooled you into thinking so.
Only person that a Mac should be recommended to, is someone who wants a computer that looks good when it is off.
Post 49
It's not even a discussion. Take all of the technical mumbo jumbo out of it, and keep it in lay terms, for the lay user.
I am a school teacher and have used a PC forever, and after buying three of them, and averaging only 2.5 years of good use, I finally bought a Mac about six months ago, and it's incredible. I can't believe anyone would even buy a PC now. I go to my parents' house and use their new HP laptop running windows, and it feels like i'm stepping back in time, and I even laugh and tell them, "I hate to sound like one of those people, but my God, the mac truly is a
superior technology. It's amazing."
I feel hogwashed by Microsoft and Dell and Gateway, and all of them, and their malware, spyware, cleanup crap, that never really removed anything anyway! You will not be disappointed, and even better, you will really fall in love!
Post 48
I'm a PC user and to be honest I've never had any problems. Any that I have had were due to dodgy, badly written software I installed and not Windows.
I am searching the web for reasons to buy a MAC for no other reason that I have some hard earned money and want to treat myself.
One thing that keeps cropping up and puts me off buying a MAC is this: people keep saying MACs are better etc. etc., and windows is rubbish. Yet in the next sentence people say if you buy a MAC you can dual boot it with Windows. Why would you want to if Windows is rubbish?
Also, If I buy a Windows machine I
don't need to buy a MAC. Yet some people say "well you could use a MAC for this thing (for example) and then have a Windows machine for everything else". Why should you need to buy two machines? A MAC or a PC should do everything you want it to. Otherwise it's not worth buying. –Michael
Post 47
I sat there with a so called stress free Imac to watch it glitch and crash doing the most basic of tasks. Damn, I'd take a commodore 64 over an imac.
Post 46
Whoever said they downloaded 533 songs without a virus is so wrong. Mp3, aac, flac, etc are not executing code. You can't get a virus from an mp3. How pompous to say people who don't like macs are probably poor. The highest end pc systems are not macs.
Post 45
All of these PC complaints are based on using Windows. So why buy a Mac when you can buy a PC loaded with Linux for half the price?
Linux on a PC offers nearly all the same advantages pointed out for the Mac:
1. Quick start up times.
2. Lack up support for many software titles.
3. Due to #2, you 'catch' very little if any viruses.
4. Linux's interface can be made as pretty as a Mac.
5. It just works.
Plus, you enjoy all the advantages of using a PC:
1. Lower cost of ownership.
2. Easy/possible to upgrade.
If you're new to computers, you don't need to buy a Mac to get a computer that 'just works'
. Save yourself some money and buy a PC loaded with Linux instead of Windows. I recommend the pretty/user-friendly Linux versions such as Ubuntu or Mandrake.
I would only recommend a Mac to people who are in video editing, graphics design, currently use a Mac and don't want to learn something new, or simply need a Mac as a status symbol.
In closing, when you buy a Mac, you're mostly paying for marketing — those funny ads aren't free, you know!
Post 44
Anon62032: I have the opportunity to use Macs and PCs on a daily basis at work. I'm well acquainted with both systems. Macs have their uses. For graphics work, nothing beats them. However, for the kind of work I do (word processing), I prefer a PC. I prefer the Windows environment.
Yes, PCs can be annoying, but so are Macs. I have a daily struggle with the one I use for scanning photos. It was moved about three feet (on a wheeled cart) from one place to another, and now simply refuses to link with the main network. In order to save photos so I can access them, I have to save them to a special folder on the Mac
, then go to my PC and drag them from the one drive the Mac will connect with into the photo editing program. Before, I didn't have to do this. I saved the photos directly to the software folder.
Before that workaround, I had to trot my flash drive back to the Mac, unplug the keyboard from its USB port (the USB port in the keyboard itself wasn't powerful enough to support my 256MB flash drive), plug the flash drive into the USB port, scan the photo to my flash drive, unplug my flash drive, plug the keyboard back in, go back to my desk in the next room and insert the flash drive, then drag the photos to the editing folder. I've never had that problem with a PC.
All the PCs in the building play nicely with all the main servers and drives. The Macs, however, are temperamental and routinely "drop" networks, meaning the operators have to save their work, reboot and reconnect to the drives. The Macs in question were purchased in September, so age should not be a factor.
Both machines have their uses, and their good points, but personally, I prefer a PC. I could afford to pay cash for a Mac, but no thanks.
Post 43
Like the vast majority of the people out there, I switched from a PC to Mac about four years ago, and i am just so in love with my iMac.
Oh yeah and i know that Macs are PC's. Stop trying to make a point. I think I got the point. Bottom line: PCs crash and get viruses no matter what the hell you install on them, and no matter how much you stay on top of their ridiculous updates and whatnot. Trust me, been there done that and know too many people on that same boat. Macs just do what there're supposed to do. They're quiet, fast, tranquil, no headaches, no defragmenting ever, no error messages, no crashing and
definitely virus-free (at least for me, and i have even downloaded 533 songs in four years off of LimeWire without ever catching a virus!). I'll bet it sounds too good to be true for PC users, huh?
Well, let's just face it: Most PC users out there are just too poor and envious to purchase a stress free Mac PC.
Post 42
I have an old PC which I bought in 2003. Feb. which is seven years ago. I spent 1750$ on my computer. Monitor, mouse/keyboard OS (XP professional) included. Today it still runs fine and it use 15 sec to boot up. Been using that computer active to gaming to Nov. 2008 because it was still good.
The only reason i stopped using it in Nov. 2008 is because i needed a better high end computer that could run the newest games with the best graphics. I'm still using the old one, but mostly as a multimedia machine.
We used to have mac laptops on the school. For me a Mac is too limited. If i didn't play games or use
that many different kind of programs, I would certainly use a Mac.
I've never really had any problems with Windows until the VISTA release (bought a new laptop six months ago) I'm glad ACER will give me Windows7 for free. Because I really hate VISTA. I really understand why people are leaving messy Microsoft (Windows) for Macs.
Post 41
Like the article said "PCs are best for gaming". That is because PCs are the fastest. They can also be build, modified, made fancy with unlimited cases, windows in the side, light up fans and neon tubes. They are easily not only the best at looks and speed, but the variety of programs are endless.
You get more for your money with a PC as opposed to the over priced, plain white box of a mac that really isn't for anyone accept the average web surfer and email user. Either way PCs rock and there is good reason why more than 88 percent of the world's computers are PC. You go to any office, hospital, or whatever and PCs are
picked because they are just plain simply the fastest and best.
Apple can get viruses just as easy as a PC due to the fact that a programmer can write malicious code for an Apple just as much as he can write a useful tool. Building your own PC is also an option and it is amazing to see the great custom PCs that you can buy or build. Check out "custom" or "modded" PCs. Apple are nice, but compared to a PC they are loaded with worms.
Post 40
I have worked in the world of Windows since 3.1. Just like others who have been in this field and seen the changes over the years, and sometimes it's very hard to recommend a Windows machine to a frustrated user who's looking to purchase a new system.
In particular, I was talking with client last night who is an actor and he wants a laptop that simply works. Everyone he works with has a Mac. His kids have Macs. He's leaning toward a Mac and I was hard pressed in recommending otherwise.
I'm a Windows user and I'll probably be for some time. However, it's hard to not be realistic about what Apple has to offer.
Post 39
wow I use both. They both have good things about them.
I do all my hacking on my windows pc and play my blu-ray movies through my pc to my tv since mac does not have blu-ray playback on the yet.
But If you put a gun to my head I would pick my mac without even thinking about it. My mac gives me very few problems and when it does its so easy to fix. The windows pc just over all is glitchy and needs some work.
I turn on my mac and in 20 secs it's up and running. My pc on the other hand takes about 7-10 mins. Overall, buy both if you got the money but if you have to pick, go mac hands down!
Post 38
I use both Mac and Windows, I agree with the pros and cons that the two platforms have. What I don't understand is that why some people think Macs are not PCs? Ever since Mac moved to Intel.. it is fully x86 compatible! Yes they are all PCs.. the Mac PC and None Mac PC. So the Apple marketing slogan needs to change to: "Hi I am a Mac PC and You are just a PC". (To be fair and honest)
Post 37
I compare buying a mac vs pc like buying a volvo vs a Chevy. One may be more reliable, but when something does go wrong one is more expensive to fix.
My suggestion is to use a PC for everyday use. It is much less expensive, has way more software for it and it is much easier to get serviced. My suggestion, however, is to buy your PC from your local computer shop, not a large chain like futureshop, bestbuy or walmart.
Your little local computer store will likely do most warranty work in-house and the turnaround time for service will be much faster. also your little computer shop will likely use better parts and take fewer shortcuts in designing your system.
Post 36
To each their own! I keep reading about the resale value and money lost. If I buy a PC for 300 dollars and it's not worth 1 dollar two years later, I lost 300 dollars. If I buy a Mac for 1400 dollars and sell it for 700 dollars two years later then I'm still out 700 dollars! I think I'd rather be out the 300.
My PC is six years old and still going with very few upgrades. I also have no speed issues, but I do keep a virus scan and spyware scan running.
Post 35
I have never used a pc, and after reading these comments, I probably never will. Yes it's expensive, yes the system specs aren't all that great, but what everyday user needs two cpus and 8 gigabytes of ram? Exactly, no one.
My mac does what it's supposed to do, which is doing what I tell it to do. No strange error reports or whatsoever. It's strange to me some people just accept it when their pc's crash or get sloppy only after six months. I'm sure this comment is filled by inaccuracies, but I'm probably not all that far off the truth.
Post 34
So you can't decide which to buy, windows machine or mac. Here are the pros and cons (linux thrown in).
PROS:
Mac: has less attacks on it and is pretty stable. Please understand no computer is trouble free despite the adds or what fan clubs say (pc and linux too). Beautiful interface.
Windows pc: can be pretty stable, tons of programs, many hardware upgrade options, beautiful interface (depending on user settings).
Linux: (not much experience but my 2 cents)
Free or pretty cheap, great for servers, sort of fun to tinker with, upgrading is free.
Les inconvénients:
Mac: You are pretty well stuck with the system you have. Macs aren't easily upgraded. All I could find was memory and hard drive
upgrades. I could not find any other components. Macs are more expensive for same performance as Windows and Linux. A new software/game release that you may want might not be available for mac.
Windows: (this could be true for any computer but I have more experience with pc) higher maintenance and over time files seem to clog/slow down the computer. Way more threats (viruses etc.) for windows systems than linux/mac.
Linux: My own 2 cents and that of almost any forum I've read is linux has a huge learning curve and is not user friendly at all. It is meant more for being a server than desktop.
Debunking the Mac ads:
All three types have support, but technically there is no "pc." There is dell, compaq, sony, etc., and those each offer their own support, just like mac supports its own but not dells, compaq and so on.
Mac does have viruses but there just aren't as many for a couple reasons, but the biggest one being that windows machines have the vast majority of the market and hackers etc. target the larger target.
In general, people are lazy and Windows by default does not come locked down tight which leaves a lot of computers vulnerable and a playground for the ill-intended. It is, however, possible to lock down a computer and still be usable and be as secure as a mac.
I personally haven't had a virus or compromise in a couple of years, which all that took was a virus scan to clean up.
And last but least "it just works." Do a search for mac problems, freezing, slow downs, etc. and you will see, a computer is a computer and like any electronic device, it is prone to failure.
To sum it up. Mac has about the same usability as windows but requires less maintenance at the cost of hardware customization/upgrading. Macs are a little more like a fenced in playground where you can have fun on it and do what you want knowing you are relatively safe but you still have to be careful because you can fall down.
Windows pc's are like a camping trip in the wild. You can do what you like, go where you want but you need to be more careful and willing to learn how to do things but the sky is the limit.
Linux just isn't in the running as far as a new or even possibly old user looking for a desktop operating system. It's just too frustrating, but not impossible.
Hope you enjoyed this and from my experience of all three have pros and cons but you have to decide which you want to work with. Do you want freedom at the cost of safety or do you want safety at the cost of freedom?
Post 33
"The OSX kernel has a ridiculous amount of overhead that's a real performance hit. Windows is plenty fast on a 2 GhZ processor while OSX is a slug."
Clearly written by a Microsoft employee. Anyone who has actually used a Mac knows that they are fast and trouble-free. I got a Dell and a Mac at the same time (Dell was from our office), same basic chips and specs.
Three years later the Dell is essentially unusable – and this is in a restricted and secured corporate environment (no torrents or games, no unauthorized installs, no personal media etc), while the Mac has been sitting at home being used for everything.
The Dell now takes about 15 mins to boot up
, and opening a browser takes forever. The office "fixed" this issue about 1 year ago by wiping the drive and doing a fresh install. I had to spend a day getting everything back to how I had it set up. Worked fine for a few months, now it's back to it's old sluggishness.
Meanwhile the Mac has been happily chugging along for three years, gone through two OS upgrades (Tiger > Leopard > Snow Leopard) that have been the easiest OS upgrades I have ever performed (put disk in, walk away, come back 45 mins later and everything is done. And I mean *everything*, you can start working with it right away). The Mac boots as fast as it did on day one. Every app snaps open quickly. Never got a virus, never had a crash or have had any other issue with it.
I could resell the Mac for about half of its purchase price. The Dell I would have a hard time giving away.
I would never buy a Windows machine for personal use again. It is just too painful.
Post 32
here's an idea for all you cheapos out there who won't cough up the cash for a Mac. Buy a Mac and put your windows on it, on one half of the hard drive.
i dare you to try Snow leopard. it runs faster and smoother than any other windows based operating system. along with the fact that windows is just in denial so much that they steal mac features just to compete with the new mac OS!
Post 31
I appreciate all the comments. I have been a PC user for more that 25 years. I have had to buy a new computer about every 2 years. I am sick of defragging, cleaning out and rebooting.
I am going to try a Mac. Thanks for helping.
Post 30
What gets me is that Apple licenses their OS to only be ran on their licensed hardware, even though it could practically be ran on any PC if configured properly and allowed.
There were many MAC clone hardware providers back in the 90s until Apple sued the hell out of all of them.
If you guys really wanted a decent OS, then linux is the way to go, which is steadily taking over the Windows market in Europe and Asia. Quit paying for your Loss!
Post 29
I have been trying to find a reason to purchase a Mac, but can't seem to go over the edge. I'm a big gamer and Mac is a disadvantage when gaming. I also do overclocking and modding my systems and can get just about anything for my PCs. I am very familiar with PCs so really don't have any issues with them.
I was considering a Mac for creating a recording system for my music, but have found several third party software programs that work great in PC.
I also have Ubuntu linux (free)installed on my gaming laptop as a dual boot, which runs really fast if I just want to surf the web. I can't find a reason to purchase a Mac. So what's the big deal with them? what are you doing with them that I can't do?
Post 28
I am considering getting a mac just because of its ease of use. work and everyday life are hard enough so when i get a bit of time for myself i don't need my pc telling me it can't do this or that. I relish the idea of a stable OS. as far as i am concerned, the 15 or so years i have been using windows it's never struck me as stable. plus, anything is better than a crappy, noisy gray box. i just need to get 1500 pound notes to get one.
Post 27
macintosh computers will always beat anything that pc will be able to come out with. the design in much better, and the software that mac uses is impossible to beat in my opinion, you should spend the extra dollar to get a mac than a piece of junk pc that loses its value after the first few years.
Post 26
Macs are quality products and offer simple easy to use computing. There is no buying antivirus software, no defrag, no error messages and no crashing. The best bit is no slow running after having it six months like you get with a dell. My mac has frozen twice and sorted itself out every time. One thing I acknowledge is Macs are very expensive but you get a computer that will last you for years. I love my mac but make sure if you are going to convert you are not a PC gamer and can afford the hardware. S'amuser!
Post 25
To anon24816: You obviously have not ever used a Mac. I've worked on PCs for more than thirty years before switching to a Mac. You sound fairly young, and your limited insight bears me out. If you're upset that you can't buy a Mac due to price, you're not trying hard enough. There are great deals on closeout Macs online, or consider buying a used Mac.
Other reasons to buy Macs: Macs will hold their value for a long time. My youngest son has a buyer for his 6 year old Power Book, it's selling for $700.00. After 6 years in college, he wants to update his Mac. By the way, his Mac has never had a problem, other than replacing a hard drive, and that's not Apple's fault. What are PCs worth after a year? Basically nothing! If you figure, what you pay on the front end, minus what you make on the back end, you have spent less money. That being said, I didn't even explain how much cheaper the software is for Macs, since we can buy "family packs" and "bundles" of Mac software.
At last count, my family, and our extended family own over 30 Macs. Since getting everyone to switch, I have not had to fix any of them, something I was constantly doing when they owned PCs. Macs have made my computing life much easier.
Poste 24
MAC is a PC also. PC stands for personal computer.
Poste 23
CPU = central processing unit not computer processing unit…
Article was nice and informative, its a shame that you lost so much credibility in the opening sentences
Moderator's reply: You are absolutely correct and the article has also been corrected. Thanks for catching this and for reading wiseGEEK.
Post 22
I first got Web T.V. then I got the first iMac blueberry and then an eMac and now an iMac and a broadband connection. I have seen a few windows machines and would be lost on it, in it, with it. I do have the mobile me but do not use I disk or the online stuff. The last screen I saw was just to busy for me. And I like to change the desktop picture. It is easy to do and it makes most pictures fit like a poster.
Poste 21
I switched to a Mac about 1.5 years ago and have often regretted not switching years ago. I've hacked computers since 1983 but now view them as tools. As a tool for my real world uses, the Mac OS beats a Windoze box hands down- e.g. boot and shutdown times, ability to clone the boot drive to an external and then boot off of it (plus Time Machine), standardized user interface right down to the app level, very little malware worries, essentially no crashes and none causing data losses, etc. Sure they are more expensive, have a bit of a learning curve and don't have as wide a selection of apps, but those are minor issues for a *tool* that allows me do do what I want without wasting time fussing with the hardware or OS. Macs just work!
Post 20
After using both Mac and PC for years going back to the mid 80s, I felt ready to say goodbye to Windows after experiencing the disaster that was Win9x. My turn to Macs turned out to be a U-turn once I realized that OSX was less reliable than XP. EFI is a nice idea and a lot sexier than BIOS, but Mac's implementation of it is buggy as hell and when you encounter a problem with it, good luck finding a solution. The OSX kernel has a ridiculous amount of overhead that's a real performance hit. Windows is plenty fast on a 2 GhZ processor while OSX is a slug. If you're going to invest in a blazing fast
processor, better to have it do something more useful than compensating for the inefficiency of the kernel. I never would have dreamed of saying this five years ago, but Windows outperforms OSX in terms of reliability, speed, and (since XP XP2) security.
Post 19
Psystar is selling an i7 Quad Core Xeon Nahelem machine that runs OS X on a PC. If you want windows XP or Vista, simply install it on another drive. Then you have Mac OS X and Windows on the same machine for $1000 less than you would pay Apple for the same machine. The only difference between a Mac and a PC nowadays is the OS. C'est tout.
Post 18
I grew up using DOS then Windows up to Vista, I got my first Mac in my first year of Uni, and for my personal things I will never go back to PC, it's slicker and more robust. Never had a problem. It's worth pay that extra dollar to get a mac, it's even worth paying even more for the Pro stuff. I have to run Vista on my MacBook Pro, it runs Vista better than a PC.
You can tell the difference between OS and Vista just by how they both handle the drivers of a MacBook Pro, Vista has no quality to the display or the sound.
Buy Mac and install vista, best option!
Post 16
I evaluated the main operating systems back when Commodore and Atari were viable options, settled on using a Mac, and have never looked back over those many years. While others were griping about compatibility issues with Office software updates, and system crashes, I had relatively few issues with those, and the situation has only gotten better over those many years. And yes, I have used PCs, and they have only gotten more Mac-like, which is good.
However, there is a lot of ignorance out there about software on a Mac. User-friendly means that I can open a disc/drive that is formatted for PC on a Mac (not the other way 'round, however), as well as all the
basic office-type files, and save out a version that will open on a PC, whereas a PC won't do that.
Part of the cost of a Mac is about $500 worth of software that you have to turn around and buy for a PC on top of the cost of the computer. When you consider that you don't have this software cost with a Mac, the PC is usually more expensive.
Don't forget that many cheaper PC's are running on older, slower processors. Before saying that PC's are faster, check out a fast PC with the same Windows system loaded with Boot Camp on a fast Mac. And make sure the processors and RAM at least match. You might be surprised at the speed of a Mac.
Poste 15
The *real* answer is to simply buy the less expensive PC and run Mac OS X on it. That way you have the best of both worlds. You see, the actual Mac experience is the OS and not the machine. *All* computers have integrated parts and Apple's are no better than most, especially since Macs are now Intel CPU based computers.
There are more and more Mac to PC clone makers appearing on the scene, or you can simply build your own PC to run Macs OS using a simply EFI Boot command to boot to the UNIX based OS X.
Poste 14
You seem to imply that you're paying for the good looks of a Mac. Pas vrai. You pay for the best hardware, most useful kind of design, and a solid overall experience. It just happens to look good too.
Post 12
I switched in 2004 from PC to Mac. I loved my dell, and I knew how to work windows XP very well. I was able to "Tune" my dell to run at great speeds, and was familiar with office, IE, etc.
I switched to mac in my last year of university. I loved iLife, specifically for the speed of imovie and the ease of garage band. The ibook I bought was probably slower than my 3 year old dell regarding raw data crunching, but the OS and software (that all came included in the sticker price) worked so incredibly well, was reliable, fast, and highly integrated within itself and OS X. Once I got my mac, I almost instantly
left my PC untouched.
Everything is so well integrated, and so standard across macs, that its easy to use. Sure there are less options for software, but because all macs have the same software, I found it easy to find help learning how to use it, as every mac user has the same software (OS X, iLife, Appleworks at the itime). There is a small learning curve; everything works a little bit different, but you'll catch on fast. There are also many tutorials on the apple website that are outstanding.
Poste 11
**anon24816**
Why do you think there is the option to run windows..well so that software that you can't run on a mac will work.. so you saying that you can't play games..incorrect.. install windows and then you can.. the apple os is much better than vista.. *you think mac crashes more than vista…what*!?!?!?
*By the way have you ever heard the saying once you go mac you never go back…just wondering*
are you saying its a bad thing that macs don't get viruses..that sounds like a plus to me..maybe i'm wrong..maybe i would much rather spend all my time on a computer that barely moves because its loaded with viruses.
Macs are easier to fix than pcs btw…instead of
shipping you pc into dell or hp..wherever you got..you just bring it into an apple store..apple has the best customer service in the industry….you were saying how dumb it is that you can run windows on a mac well you also talked about how everything was made for windows so compatibility was bad.. well apple answered that by letting you run windows on a mac.. what do you think the point of running windows on a mac is… for your health? and you also think the apple os is — well apple just so happened to design the iphone which is about the most popular cell phone out today..it surpassed the razr in sales…so how is the apple os bad? and about the right clicking…the macbook aluminum lets you configure a place on the trackpad for right click or lets you use 2 fingers to right click..sounds like a good idea to me. I'm sorry that you can't afford a mac..which is probably the reason you are trashing it…but how about you use a mac before trashing it like you have..you probably have never even used a mac…and you called apple biased…but thank you for you opinion even though every point i believe i disproved in a 5 minute post..
Poste 10
I just made the switch to Mac and I am *very* happy I did. It took me a while to get used to using it, but after searching for mac video training I found a site that had video tutorials. I highly recommend doing some research or else you'll end up sitting in front of your new Mac frustrated!
Poste 8
Y would i want to buy a mac when its a more expensive unuserfriendly version of a pc runnin microsoft? Apple thinks they have revolutionized all of pc wit their 'new' applications but didn't microsoft find out all of these years ago? Apple should get updated
They now have 'crossovers' to run windows? whats the point of runnin a windows on a mac? just buy a pc wit windows on it…
BTW wats up wit games? do they have any? imagine playin a FPS on a mac… *shudders*
Macs don't get viruses? Maybe that's because macs don't make up a very large percentage of the pc industry. Aren't macs about 6-10%?
Y is apple tryin to persuade naive buyers by
sayin its more userfriendly? r you srs? userfriendly? and mac? AHHAHAH XD
Apple is so funny :L. From what I've read they think they created intel! a few freakin years after microsoft used it!
macs don't crash? biggest load of bs I've ever heard of… they crash more than pcs and when a pc crashes its cause of 3rd party software. when a mac crashes its because of the bad os
Macs r harder to fix then pcs. You'll probably have to take it back to the apple store and they'll probably replace it instead of fixing it.
Now onto compatibility! Everything made now a days r made for windows. N how r macs coping? they r using apps that emulate windows for them to use window applications?! Y buy a mac when you get all the compatibility on pc?
The mouse… No right clickin? When you drag and drop a file it simply just makes a shortcut? and the shape? ergonomically designed? pffft lies! my hand kills after using an apple mouse for a few minutes
Sorry bout this but most of the reason bout y you should buy a mac is just bs. N i should give some users a reason not to buy one since apple is so biased. Its like they can't c what their competitors have already accomplished
Poste 7
I have wanted a mac for a long time now and i think i am ready to make the change from pc to Mac. I have done my research and think now is the right time (for me) to change.
Everything in a mac made to work together. The hardware works well with the softwear, plus they clearly win for innovation. They are light, quiet and the macbooks (and macbook pros) have a large battery life.
Macs have now caught up with PCs in terms of speed and come with a decent graphix card as standard. It is also a well known fact that their softwarer is superior, taking up less memory and processing power to run.
The only reason
i think people are staying with PCs is because of cost and software compatibility. Im sure it will take me a while to get use to the new operating systems but everyone i know who has bought one, said they will never go back to pcs. That's good enough for me. Merci d'avoir lu.
Poste 6
The last time I worked on a Mac, the LACK of right-click functionality drove me batty. Later, I discovered that you can get some right-click functionality out of a Mac if you hold down the control key at the same time, but that sorta defeats the purpose of single-hand right-clicking.
Macs may have added right-click functionality by now — it's been two years since i last worked on a Mac regularly. i also really missed Windows Explorer (not to be confused with IE), and Mac’s file organization was baffling to a PC user.
Otherwise, it was just an adjustment, to translate the alt+control functions to the Apple version, and also because nothing on the Mac seemed to be where I
was accustomed to it being on a PC.
It's simply a matter of which one you're accustomed to. To a Mac User, a PC would be just as frustrating — maybe more so, since they might not even think to right-click, and the alt key might seem odd.
Post 5
If you want stability and long term use without problems, go the Mac, a bit more expensive but much more stable and will last a lot longer.
If you love getting right into programming and play with the insides of your computer PC's are more fun for that stuff… Microsoft operating system and dodgy cheap pc builds are the main reason the average user ends up frustrated with their PC.
for my money, the Mac I bought 4 years ago has been a great investment with no problems in that time, so no work loss and no extra costs getting it fixed.
Poste 4
rjohnson, point taken, but now that the Macs have the ability to run both systems, you should be able to continue at least part of your work. Also, there seem to be more and more Mac forums popping up for help.
Poste 3
I have always been a PC guy and will always use one for work, however for home use I am considering buying a MAC. The reasons why:
1, PC's are unreliable and the MS updates seem to slow the machine down rather than do any good.
2, All i want the machine at home for is internet, e-mail, photos and video editing.
3, Hopefully, having a mac will stop me from downloading crap software that at the time seemed like such a useful application.
I'd be interested to hear if anybody else has converted from PC to MAC.
Poste 2
Apple has moved to Intel chips enabling them to also run windows. And, the speed difference between Macs and PCs is now non-existent due to the fact they now all have the same processors.
Poste 1
If you grew up on PCs and don't know Macs so well, I recommend staying with the PC. Even though Macs are supposed to be more user friendly, since more people seem to know about PCs and they seem to penetrate the market more, I think its a safer bet to stick with PCs. If you need help with a problem on your computer you're more likely to know someone experienced in PCs than Macs. I think it's a more practical approach even though Macs do look better!
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