"...takes a licking and keeps on ticking!"
Posted on 09/17/2009 5:23:49 PM PDT by sushiman
good post
For most Mac users, they are trouble free.
Every system can have problems and every manufacturer can produce a lemon in a run of perfectly good machines from time to time.
I make my living by supporting both Macs and Windows PCs. Every client I have convinced to switch to a Mac has stopped paying me as much money as they did before, when they were using Windows.
I don't mind this, because the referrals I get because of the glowing praise my clients' give me when talking about their IT guy who convinced them to get a Mac and save money (!), more than makes up for the lost revenue due to Macs not causing problems. The new Windows' customers with problems seeking my help will more than make up for the lost revenue.
Can Macs have problems? Sure. But I will tell you they are fewer and farther apart than systems running an unnamed OS from Redmond.
You will find that Apple users are really upset when their Macs DON'T work as expected and are likely to be much more vocal about it, posting complaint, seeking answers. Windows users are more likely to accept problems as just business as usual.
But, as I said, most of us will not have any problems... and we will tell you that, because it's true. Believe us. Really.
Want proof?
No less an authority than PC Magazine (certainly not a Mac oriented rag) has just reported that Apple products have swept their 2009 customer satisfaction ratings. . . again. . . with a 92% customer satisfaction rating for reliability and quality.... Apple has been at the top for at least the last five years. Apple bested all Windows PC makers by at least 4% (Asus was next highest with 88%, followed by Sony with 81%).
Meanwhile, I get a lot of work done on my Mac.
That is exactly my experience. I hate how various things on the PC just take over the machine.. IF it lets you work in the meantime it is so sluggish you might was well be writing with your pencil and with your feet!
If you have the cordless mouse/keyboard, ALWAYS keep batteries on hand. The computer just stops working.. I was pleased to find out the AA batteries are used , not proprietary.
Having a Mac user friend who you can call on for help when you are learning the ropes is very helpful. I still call my brother as questions continually crop up. I called him yesterday when I burned my first CD
I have both
A MAC and a PC
But since I am a gamer and do lots of stuff, I wind up using my PC more....
Go to a MAC store and play with one....and see how it feels.
MACs are very stable and last forever.
Not many virus issues ether....so they are no brainers and not a lot of maintainability issues.
True, but the percentages are deceiving because 92% of Apple users constitutes a much smaller and probably more highly educated number of users than Asus and most certainly Sony who sells millions more computers to a broader range of users than Apple does.
Am I anti-mac? If you knew me you'd laugh at that.
Pick the software first, then pick the most appropriate hardware to support it. And most appropriate means cost-effective as well as technologically correct.
I believe that Apple sells more computers than Sony.
I don’t remember how far out in the boonies you are. Akihabara is definitely the place you want to go shopping if it’s not too far away.
For your usage, I’d recommend a Linux - Turbolinux is my favorite distro, but I’m biased, I used to work for Turbolinux in Tokyo. They’ve always been rock solid - my first Turbolinux notebook was never rebooted in the year I was at ETL in Tsukuba.
I like Macs. Mrs. Altair loves her Macbook. The only issue I have with it is that I’ve never figured out how to get Japanese input working, but I bought my Macbook in the US and they may not have enabled any Japanese support. I know that the same Japanese dictionary programs used to input Japanese on Linux run on *BSD, my name is in the Changelog in all of them.
Well, since I don't have the stats at my fingertips (too early for this :0) I'll just say that the market share of Apple is less than 20% and if you are correct about Sony specifically my point is still valid if applied to Windows based PC makers as a whole.
And my primary point is still foremost: to consider what software you are going to use every day and the availability of low-cost utilities and peripherals as needed should be your primary concern and then, secondarily, to make a hardware/OS choice.
Pick a computer that some friend or associate of yours knows a lot about and can give you advice. It can be either windows or mac and a windows machine will be cheaper but require installing some (free) additional software to protect you from viruses and stuff like that.
Once that extra software is installed it is as safe as a mac because the software automatically updates to keep track of the latest viruses, etc.
But the most important thing is to have friends who can give you advice. If all else is equal I'd buy the same computer a knowledgeable friend has.
Windows 7 makes computers run right!
That’s my opinion after using Windows 7 for a while. I’m using it right now
Get a good LCD monitor that connects via DVI which means a clearer better digital connection. Any computer you buy should DVI output built in or a slot for a video card....just about all do these days....30$ for DVI video card
You can have the best of both worlds, if you like. I have replaced my Windows laptop with an Apple laptop running a windows virtual machine via parallels and it’s great.
All you do is buy an Apple and a software package called Parallels. Install Parallels on the Apple and it will allow you to install a Windows machine on the Apple, too. It works well.
I vote PC, strong.. I had an Imac for aqbout 1.5 years when it died suddenly. Apple service was terrible.. said it was too old to fix. Now I am back with PC for keeps.
Get a Mac.
Car analogy: you want something that will start every time and run without complications; cars with “more bang for your buck” tend to require more maintenance and more skill/talent/effort from the user.
Gun analogy: Glocks and M1911s are very popular. Glocks go “bang” every time you pull the trigger. M1911s require time in the shop before you even take it to the range, and plenty of pampering ever after.
Computer analogy: Macs just work, as the range of hardware and software is limited and tuned to work well together. PCs are designed to work with a near-infinite range of hardware/software from the best and worst of manufacturers, leaving lots of gaping holes to get caught in. Both cost about the same, your spending patterns will just be different: perfection up front, or fixes/upgrades later. Linux is very powerful, but usability is out the window.
Ask yourself seriously: are you looking for power or usability for your dollar?
Don't take it personally.
Bill Gates pays us to say that stuff.
My mother in law just got a 24” iMac. Nice machine.
As for the price, does anyone else think we are ridiculously spoiled? $1,500 for an iMac, and it should last a few years, so that’s 500 bucks a year, or $1.37 per day. Yes, with a similar PC, you might drop that price below a dollar a day. But Mac’s are less annoying! ;-)
Damn, I have one box running Windows ME just fine for more than nine years.
Maybe if I used Explorer I'd have better luck getting clogged up.
I have used Macs since the 1984 originals. I have not used any anti-virus software, and all run fine. I have 20 yo computers on my shelf, and THEY ALL STILL WORK FINE. I just bought something newer and "better". I live alone, and use all of the computers mentioned, at least weekly, but most daily.
I have my Panasonic DV camcorder attached right now, and use iMovie and Final Cut Pro for editing HiDef video. iMovie comes free with Macs, and I actually use it more than the FCP, which is used by most major video produces these days. I coul add the other productivity free stuff, but you will quickly find that everything is first class, ready to use, without spending the next 3 weeks figuring out how to open the thing!
Oh yeah, I'm on my second iPhone. Nothing wrong with the first, I just wanted G3 connect! Therer's nothing like carrying a real computer with a real browser, in your pocket.
From my vantage point, there has never been a choice. I never learned c.'s and when Windoze came out, I laughed at the implementation of THEIR graphic environment. I still chuckle as I watch Redmond try to keep up with the people who have nearly perfected it.
Get a Mac, and you may never go back for real! YMMV!
Oh THAT’S where you got all your money! Talk away then, I need to borrow some
"...takes a licking and keeps on ticking!"
I’m an IT person who uses a PC at work and a Mac at home. The main benefit of running a Mac at home, for me, is that I don’t have to “administer” my home computer, nor do I have to run any special security software. I just use it. Regardless of whether it’s because they are more secure or more obscure, viruses and other malicious software just really are not a problem for the Mac. If you need Microsoft Office, you can get Office 2008 for Mac Home and Student Edition for under $150 (I’ve purchased several copies and upgrades for Office for my Macs — I’m not anti-Microsoft) though you could also go with iWork if you need word processing and spreadsheets and want to try something different. The consumer models, like the iMac, include some other software like iPhoto and Garage Band. If you pay a bit extra for AppleCare, you’ll basically get a three year warranty on your computer.
That said, there are definitely people for whom WIndows is a better choice. As I’ve already seen mentioned, if you need to run any Windows-specific software, play a lot of computer games (you said that’s not an issue for you), or are simply just very used to the way WIndows and Windows software you are familiar with works and don’t like to adjust to new things, a WIndows computer is probably e a better choice.
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