Mac v. PC, PC v. Mac Ping!
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
Posted on 09/17/2009 5:23:49 PM PDT by sushiman
I'll keep this short and sweet . Have always owned PCs . Not a fan of Microsoft or Gates , but XP works well in the computer I have owned for 7 years . Hate having to purchase anti-virus protection and get tired of all the annoying , daily updates . But PCs give you more bang for the buck , and money is tight for me right now . Windows 7 is just around the corner , and by all reports it sounds like a winner . But I read just yesterday that Apple will release a re-freshed iMac very soon with more bang for less buck . I've been toying with the idea of switching to Apple for a while , and this new iMac might just be enough to make me go for it .
I am not a gamer . I use my computer mainly for basic stuff like internet , email , burning CDs , and watching Youtube videos . So I am thinking that I would not utilize a lot of the finer things Apple has to offer .
A dilemma of sorts .
What would you advise ? And please try to be as unbiased as possible . ; )
I went into the local Apple store and felt like I was on another planet. Pretty surreal. Trying to buy something was a challenge in and of itself! Lots of employees, but had to jump through hoops to get one to wait on us. Had to do so for my son, but I will stick with my PC. He is thrilled with his MacBook Pro, but it cost a small fortune.
In my experience, three months is about all you can count on being able to use a Windows computer before it clogs up with spyware, viruses, and registry corruption. There is no reliable way for a non-expert to fix it, except to back up their data, erase the disk, re-install Windows, and restore their saved files. This takes about four to six hours. A decent Windows computer is about six or eight hundred bucks nowadays. At my hourly rate, it would be cheaper for me to throw it away and buy a new one four times a year.
My Macintosh, on the other hand, has been running without a hitch since 2003. I am only replacing it now because I want to run the new "Snow Leopard" version of the operating system. I will donate it to my kid's school and I expect it will work just fine for another four or five years.
Unless you are working for burger-flipping wages, or need some specific piece of software that only runs on Windows, I think you're a fool to invest a nickel in the feeble crapware coming from Microsoft. The Mac is just so much more pleasant to use, and robust and stable in its operation, that I expect it to steal half of Microsoft's market share in the next five or six years.
By the way, the juveniles who call Mac a "gay" or "liberal" computer should know that many great non-liberals, such as George W. Bush, Rupert Murdoch, Rush Limbaugh, G. Gordon Liddy, Tom Clancy, Mel Gibson, Drew Carey, Michael Crichton, Vaclav Havel, and Instapundit, are hard core Mac users. A computer is just a tool. Buy the one that does the job and then use it to smash the Left.
-ccm
I love that ad spoof!
That said, I have three Macs...and an iPhone.
It's really a cost issue. If you don't mind shelling out the extra bucks, get a Mac. If you want much more for your money, or put another way just as much power for much less money, get a PC.
Windows 7 has gotten excellent reviews. I installed a beta version of Windows 7 on a laptop at work recently (to get rid of Vista) and it's much better than Vista, so the OS shouldn't be an issue.
I have a mac, prefer using the PC, go figure.
Mac’ers claim Macs are trouble free. My daughter and a co-worker proved that wrong to me. Check out Mac forums to see their problems are numerous just like PC problems. Go with PC.
1. Good, you have realized that this *is* a decision.
2. Because of 1. you already know the answer.
3. Goto 2
Get a MAC!
If you ever need to run XYZ that is windows only, get VMWare Fusion. I switch between OSX, Windows and Linux all day long (on a Mac).
Many TCO studies that include support, expected downtime, additional software purchases, longevity of hardware invariably put MAC on top.
I will never purchase another Windows/PC machine again.
Maybe I oughta just flip a coin ?
The more info one gets the more indecisive / perplexed one becomes !
Thunderbird email client, Firefox browser and so much more already built in.
If there are no programs you use that HAVE to have Windows...give it a shot. You can always get a Mac if you don't like it and you won't have spent a dime.
Thanks for your reply . The computer I now have is obsolete . RAM only 256mb , etc...Slow ...Must replace .
**basic stuff like internet , email , burning CDs , and watching Youtube videos**
Pretty much everything I do with this $300 Acer netbook. It don’t have a dvd/cd player or burner but I use a thumb drive to use the one I have on my older desktop computer. You could also get an external dvd burner to use with it. I see netbooks advertised for under $200 anymore.
For the price and basic things I need a computer to do I am pretty happy with it.
Then before you spend a dime, give Linux a try. I'm running Ubuntu Linux right now and I know nothing about Unix. It is easier and quicker than Windows to install and boots quicker too. I don't worry about antivirus software, viruses, malware, spyware or adware, ad nauseum. I don't have to defrag my drive. If I ever managed to corrupt the hard drive, I could reinstall the program again without activation or kissing Microsnot's butt. You just might be impressed.
oooh, that was a quick blast from the past... I had a CP/M card on my first computer.
My advice would be to picture that geek who you’re gonna call when you can’t get your computerthingamajigger to work. Call him and ask him what he would prefer to work on, a Mac or a PC. Do what he says.
the one here in Nashville is lefty central...feels like Berkeley.
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
Absolutely get a mac. After having a PC since 1985, my macbook is the only computer I have not been able to break in a year or so. Now the whole family has macs and they all work well. Very reliable and well built.
Depends on what you mean by "underpowered." Yes, the iMacs are Core 2 Duos, but not too many people have the need for dual quad-core processors such as you can get on the Mac Pro... but I really like the really fast speed of the of the 1066MHZ FSB with DDR3 memory.
I have clients running their offices using the latest iMacs and are having no problems. That includes rendering hi-definition 3D x-ray images from a Cone Beam CAT scanner, etc. QC issues are actually almost non-existent with Macs. What you are seeing at Macrumors always claiming such are generally the postings of non-Mac users. Overpriced? I paid $1199 for my 24" iMac from the Refurb store at Apple.
I've NEVER had that experience at an Apple store. Buying things is exceedingly easy, done without pressure. There isn't even a checkout counter. No queues to give them your money.
Every one of the Apple specialists I've talked to spent 100% of his attention on me. He or she did not go off to do other things, they listened to me, gave advice, was never in a hurry or pressuring me to make a decision, and when I was ready, asked for my credit card, swiped it on a hand-held device, and told me receipt had been emailed to me, and then gave me the bag with my purchases.
I have had PCs for all my life until I purchased an iMac24 this past spring. I had visited with my brother in OKC in February & used his & in his computer cove he has the mac & several PCs set up. I really liked what I saw. As his career is IT and he does heavy graphic/videos, his recommendations fly high with me.
My uses are the same as your sushiman. I dont game & do a lot of you tube, some music, many forums, but MOSTLY graphics..
In my estimation there is no comparison to the quality of pix. I had top flight flat HD screens with my PC & If I have the computers next to each other with same pix on, well it is very evident.
Now the men & women here are much more knowledgeable about the nuts and bolts (as my brother is). The understand performance, components etc. I am an end user & one of those people who just wants to know what to hit to do what. I just know I want less hassle. I too hated the slowness of the PC with all the security programs.
I also know that eventually Macs will probably be victims of new virus developed JUST FOR THEM.. for now safe.
There is a learning curve. My brother told me it is intuitive.. well, to a point. Much of the operation is different & as it has Safari (I had been using Firefox) there were two things to learn. 4 G RAM & 1 terabyte HD .. so it is pretty fast.
If you have convenience & time luxury, go to an apple store & use one of the machines.. they don’t mind if you come & do that often while you are deciding. Also these stores are quite different than PC places.. Approach, methods etc. LOW key, not any pressure..
I know the new PCs OS seems promising but I truly dont know, just what I read from others..
Just sharing my experience & thoughts
Good luck.. there is nothing worse than having projects/deadlines & a computer that is either dead or very uncooperative!
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