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The official I hate PCs discussion
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First, a bit of my background: I cut my teeth on a PC, I am typing this on a PC, and the only Mac I ever owned (one of the pizza boxes) I took because it was free. It sat in the porch closet of my old apartment, and stayed there when I moved out, with some minor regrets. I never powered it on more than once, because after that, I lost the stupid vga adapter.
Believe it or not, I worked tech support for Apple. I supported their machines between Mac OS 8.5 and OS 9 beta. The OS was beautiful, clean, and mostly straightforward. Some things were clunky, and I encountered them first hand with my customers, but they were almost always 3rd party products. When the Mac made the switch to HFS Plus, Norton utilities was klunky enough to fatally corrupt the hard drive attempting to "fix" it.
Compare that to my experience with a free PC utility (FIPS) that I used back then to split the FAT32 partition on my PC--it quit before attempting anything because it was written for FAT16, and was smart enough to say "I can't do this".
That is where I split ways with Apple. Back then, Macintosh was a system of keyed hex screws and locked down architecture. Expensive SCSI drives, propritary this and that. The iMac came out with USB and sans-floppy and the consumer had no choice but to buy an external drive and a $120 (price at that time) USB-ADB converter if they wanted to use legacy peripherials and software.
Apple moved from SCSI to EIDE, selected a open ATX-like architecure for the G3 tower, yet arrogently claimed "first" with USB when my Windows 95 machine already had a pair for a year (but admittadly not full driver support), and seemed a bit hypocritical saying Windows 95 was Mac 1985, yet OS 8.5's application switcher was suspically like a Windows 95 taskbar.
Fast forward to when I saw a friend playing with a Newton. Now this was an impressive peice of hardware! I still covet that bulky PDA. Windows CE in color could not hold a candle to what I saw that black and white Newton do.
Jump to last year. I was puzzled to see a friend place a heat shield on his lap before his Macbook. I was even more puzzled to learn the thing idle was as hot as my laptop when it is playing Doom 3.
Dell laptops suck. Don't lump all PC laptops into this category. Sony makes some nice, if not slightly buggy, machines, as does Asus (this company also makes Macbooks, BTW. The link goes to a machine that is very similar to a widescreen macbook).
My computer is a Compal CL56, which, like the Asus, is literally a kit notebook. I can take it apart and upgrade memory, CD drive, hard drive with no more than five screws. Processor and network card is a bit more involved, but no current plans to upgrade. I can upgrade much more easily than with a Mac. And it has much more style than a Dell. Not as much as an Asus, but thats what I get for going for the $80 cheaper machine.
OK, this just turned out to be a ramble more than anything. Just proves its time for bed.
Nothing, and I mean nothing beats OS X on a new Dual Core desktop Mac or my particular preference...
Anyone feeling generous?
Secondly, you're generalizing. Since I've built this PC 2-3 years ago, I have:
- not got a single blue screen of death while using it
- never had it crash because of the OS (the power supply gave out once, but I attribute that to amateur pc building ;-)
- never paid for/installed any anti-virus software
- yet to get a virus, worm or any dangerous spyware/adware (some software requires trivial adware before allowing you to run it, but as I never use IE anyhow it has absolutely no effect on me)
- never re-installed the OS (and don't plan to in the future)
The same could almost be said for the family laptop we got more than five yeras ago (we did install a free anti-virus on it, and it did get a blue screen of death once when I tried to inject into the win32 subsystem :-P)
So guess what? That's right, the total cost of owning a PC all that time was the computer + the OS (OEM version). It was certainly a heck of a lot cheaper than an apple.
Re-reading my post after a full nights sleep, I realized what I wanted to say: Macs are like German cars--clean design, mostly well built. Dell, Comcrap, HP, etc are the economy American cars--klumky design, heavy, sluggish. Sony, Compal and Asus are the Japanese cars--inexpensive, reliable, well built.
In the PC world, you have unlimited choice. Want a notebook with a 15" screen thats less than 3 pounds? Got it. How about one that could survive a drop off the roof? Got it. One less than $500? Got it. How about one that you can replace the DVD drive for a Blue-ray or HD-DVD without cracking open the case? Almost all of them.
If OS X is to the OS like the Newton is to the PDA, then I will be a convert. But I will never know because I start the buying decision on hardware, and with a mac I don't have the choice of hardware I want.
Um, I didn't lump you into anything, nor did I you had anything against Mac users.
I made a simple broad question, that was it.
Yes, I did generalize. Obviously you missed the part where I said for every user that truly knows what they are doing, there's a thousand that don't. Which is true, although I never said you were one of the 1000. But, users like yourself and Wall, are the exception and not the rule.
So no, I don't think I have anything backwards. You just took my comments as directed to you, instead of at face value.
"In the end, at least to me the choice is simple. However, it comes down to individual user decision. To each their own, or so they say."
Mac is my choice, and might not be for you. However I do have current experience with both, and based on that is why I continue to avoid pc's like the plague. The end user has the choice, and should do what's right for them. Period. If they're missing out, fine. If not, fine.
As an aside, for future reference, I don't get personal in posts. I might comment about a comment, but I try to refrain from posting something for someone to take personally. Unless they ask for a direct opinion or something, where a personal response is warranted. Then again, I can play "war" with the best of them too. he he he
This forum is "mac-friendly" and full of respected mac users. Look at this article, to be convinced.
why are you surprised about wanderer been call a fanboy?
It seems my original question/statement is unclear.
It was in general. Not pointed directly here, as I said "not just here...".
Meaning, forums in general.
Let me elaborate, or recompose my original thought...
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Why is the term "fanboy" thrown around so much on many forums? To me, it seems a term that is thrown around far too much, and seems far too often used against anyone that says "I love my Mac".
Yet on the other hand, you don't seem the same term (or similar one) being thrown at someone where the OS is reversed. If so, it's a very rare occasion. I think it's sad, really, that if you're very satisfied with a product you can't express it without someone, somewhere, yelling fanboy. Sure there are some people (wherever) that may over do it a bit. I just find it the case, more so than not, that if someone says they like Max and hate windows, that they are slated as a fanboy.
To me, the term should be reserved for the small percentage that are extremely pushy, and far over do it. Not just for someone that likes Mac and can't stand windows.
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Maybe that will be more clear. Nobody in particular, no place in particular, just an observation across many users and boards.
I understand this board is mac-friendly, in general, and I don't need convincing.
In regards to Wanderer, I don't recall saying anything about him? Although, personally, on occasion he does over do it a bit.
Although if he is simply sharing his personal experience, that's what I take it as. His personal observation. You (meaning anyone other than me) or I may or may not have observed something similar. Individual experience varies, as does your OS/platform of choice.
Again, I personally prefer Mac. If someone else doesn't, that's their decision. If a recommendation is asked for, most certainly I'll mention Mac, because I personally feel they are an excellent system. If I'm talking to someone, and they go "God I hate windows", then I'll simply ask if they have considered an alternative.
In any case, I'll leave it at that, unless asked for more information.
Then comes the line...
If I were to hound that person, and call them an idiot for not switching, then I would have crossed the line. However, except in the case of my best buddy, I don't cross it. In his case, is it wrong to give your best friend shit from time to time? LOL
(You'd have to know him to appreciate it, perhaps. He reinstalls about once every 2 months, whenever the OS becomes glitchy or buggy. And so yes, I tend to rub it in on that one. But hey, that's part of the fun of friendship. )
Basically, no hard feelings, it seems that some have taking it up that way and I just wanted to say that this is not the case.
My wife needs a newer computer.
Am very tempted. No budget for a new machine until maybe next year or so. Wondering about Mark's impressions on his new Macbook. (Mark: That's your cue!)
EDIT: Realized the PC is priced with dedicated graphics, while the mac in question uses shared memory *bleh*
That's where you are mistaken Jimmy boy, the war has been over for months, guess what won?
I've been working with personal computers pretty much since their inception. I have supported both. Macs do lend themselves to certain kinds of people, people who think and learn in certain ways. Not everyone knows how to use a power drill.
Number 42 in the Series...
PCs are Dumb - Macs are Smart
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On a PC - Zipping Files
1. Fire up a shareware utility
2. Put up with the nag screens if you didn't pay for it
3. Put up with the splash screen if you did pay for it
4. Use menu to create new archive
5. Use modal dialog box to name, locate and save
6. Use menu to add files/folders ('cos you don't know about drag'n'drop)
7. Save it
8. Exit the shareware application
9. Now where did I put it?
Or, if you can remember, drop into DOS and type archane line commands.
On a Mac - Zipping files
1. Right click on files/folders
2. Select "Create Archive..."
3. There is no 3!
Number 42 in the Series was just an example, the dumb mentality behind it is pervasive in the whole PC culture.
If you can do it in 26 steps instead of 3, do it.
If you can do it ugly instead of stylish, do it.
If you can do it boring instead of fun, do it.
I could go on but it's Melbourne Cup time in Melbourne and I am going out with three gorgeous sisters!
I did it then the same way then as I do now, except now this process is built in to XP:
1. Right click
2. Select Send to -> Compressed (zipped) Folder
Of course, back then I wrote my own batch file to automate it in two clicks, which is why most other people took the 9-step process. It must also be noted that I can't open a certian zip archive I made in Windows 98 because XP chokes on large zip files. Had to revert to the old command-line PkUnzip
Yup but the IT department at my wife's work disabled it and made her go via the shareware app, can't remember its name, can't remember their reasoning...
The PC mentality shines through, if it's too easy they won't need us (IT) so let's complicate the sh*t out of it, our clients are drones anyway, they will follow blindly like lemmings, let the tool lead the way, let the humans follow obediently.
I really must go get dressed for my big day out.