Computers Discussions

I've been building, repairing, maintaining and using PCs for 20 years. I've tried a few Apples/Macs, but really didn't care for 'em. I think the biggest drawback to PCs right now isn't the hardware, it's the software/OS; ie Vista. With Microsoft's monopoly on PC/OS it's hard for the typical user to go with anything else (Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Linux et al) unless you're a techie and can understand how to set up and tweak Linux. I haven't played with the Macs in several years, so they may have gotten better since the last time I used one. I don't think I'll make the change-over anytime soon though.

There was a mix of Macs and PCs at my previous job, so I got to use both regularly. I've mostly been a PC person and found Macs quite quirky. When running a big complex program (a magazine layout software called Quark), the Macs frequently locked up and had to be re-booted.

PCs have more variety, more options, more software, more applications and lower prices. Macs have beautiful design and yes, cool advertising.

--Bob

Well, I've been a Mac guy for about 5 years.  As a web developer, Mac offers me a much more robust set of tools than PC/Windows setup.  You could argue that a PC/Linux machine offers the same, but with Linux you're stuck being a sys admin just to get the basics working.  With Mac, everything just plain works, looks great, and has all the development power of a Unix platform.  For me it's the best of all worlds, but yea, it's pricey  :(

I'm a Dell but my daughter has had Macs and just love them. It just seems that I always get Dells and my husband IBMs (through work).

I've been a Mac guy for 15 years and really haven't looked back at all. I have a PC desktop at home, which my wife bought for her use a long time ago, but she is constantly using my MacBook Pro laptop every day. In my profession as a graphic designer, Macs are always the computer to use at every place I have worked. It's beautifully designed and very intuitive to use. In fact, my wife was even suggesting that we get a new Mac as our main desktop at home. Who am I to complain?  :)

I was a PC guy since the DOS days. Ever since switching to a Mac 2.5 years ago, I haven't looked back. In fact when the home PC went belly up, I replaced it with an iMac (read my review of it here). I've noticed that the number of questions my wife asks about how to do something on a computer has gone down to almost zero. This is especially true with basic applications like email and word processing. I remember the days of fighting Microsoft Word just to position a simple image on the PC. This has been replaced with a much more capable and easier to use Apple Pages program. Microsoft has dropped the ball with Vista...now's the perfect time to reduce some stress in your life and switch to a Mac.

I never really figured out how to use a PC. Mac is so much easier I would never go back, I just wish I had known sooner.

pc pc pc!!!

As a pc tech, it sounds as though you all are talking apples (pardon the pun) and oranges. PC's are number crunchers, while Apples are graphics machines. I'm not sure I agree with Kevin that the Mac's web tools are more robust, but if it works for you, that's what counts. My only Apple was a II+, so I had to switch when Apple refused to open the architecture to developers. That was a really bad move, because now I'm stuck at XP because Vista is a total loser; even Intel refuses to use it.

With the new Apple machines that will run pc OS's (and I need to do more research on it), there may be another Apple in my future.

I make my living from the PC's so can I say a foul  word against them?  Of course!  PC's have traditionally lagged MAC's in hardware innovation; indeed a careful study of the industry will reveal that almost all of the hardware improvements-outside of processors-have brought to the market first by Apple; SCSI, USB, Firewire,  high-end graphics, virtual computing, all saw the light of day first on a MAC. 

That said, PC's have always been a less expensive game to play.  PC's have traditionally been bundled with everything you need to get up and running, with the MAC's, ala-carte method of putting together a computer, one fast runs out of money. 

The MAC OS is admittedly easy to use, but Windows XP is an excellent OS as well. Admittedly Vista leaves a lot to be desired, but Microsoft is already working on its replacement.  I have thought about purchasing an i-Book, but I am too closely whetted to the PC to change now.  And when PC's work-with the right OS-they work well for whatever you choose to use them for, graphic intensive or not.  And like it or not Microsoft has made the PC dominate based on the strength of the software available for it.  MAC cannot match the breath of applications made for a Windows-based PC.   

And in the Enterprise environment, forget about it!

I am a big fan of Gateway computers. I have 2 at this time and have owned one in the past. I have never had problems with them. I have also owned HP products and I do not understand how they can stay in business. Everytime I used the computer I had problems with it. I offered to give it to my daughter and she said no thanks.

The Mac is good for desktop publishing but has much less software available for other things than PC

GeorgeChabot said…
The Mac is good for desktop publishing but has much less software available for other things than PC

---

I'm curious ... what software is it missing?

vytas said…
I'm curious ... what software is it missing?

---

A lot of games!  ;)

I don't think Mac's are awesome compared to a PC. I think it's more of a matter of what you got used to and what you learned first. I once had to edit pictures on someone's Mac and it was no fun! The way windows open and move was completely different. It took me twice as long as it would have on a PC. However many people in the design field swear by them! I'll stick to my PC though, thank you very much! Although I do find those commercials to be very funny, I don't really think PCs are like that goofy lame guy becuase if PCs were really that lame, why would most companies use them as their #1 choice?

I should add - as long as everyone I work with uses PC and everyone I know uses PC, I must keep with my PC. If I ever go and get a Mac, I'll lose touch of being able to help my coworkers and family with their PCs!

kevin said…

vytas said…
I'm curious ... what software is it missing?

---

A lot of games!  ;)

---

I'll admit Kevin that my question was a loaded question and that I would have answered it as you have. When it comes to gaming, Mac is playing catch up ball at this time, but for almost everything else, it has equal or better software available.

I'm a PC guy, but only because I don't want to pay for a Mac haha .

vivasuzi said…
I should add - as long as everyone I work with uses PC and everyone I know uses PC, I must keep with my PC. If I ever go and get a Mac, I'll lose touch of being able to help my coworkers and family with their PCs!

---

I guess the last part sums it up quite nicely. After ditching PCs (having used them for over two decades) I rarely have to help my wife with anything on a Mac because she can now figure out how to get things done without my help. For me the choice was keep a PC and provide constant support, or get a Mac and let people get their work done on their own. Yes there is a slight learning curve with a Mac, as with anything that is new and unfamiliar, but it is not steep and pays much better dividends than a PC.

Well the thing is vytas, when my mom's had a PC for 25 years... I know she would be so frustrated with a Mac. Even I was frustrated with learning it and I'm pretty quick with tech stuff (as one of my I AM tags says) but a lot of people in my family and work are not wanting to put the time in to learn something new like that. I do have to say though, with some of the people I know, I KNOW I would still be helping them. You'd be amazed at the things people cannot figure out on their own no matter how many times I show them. I don't think a Mac vs PC would solve the problem.

vivasuzi said…
Well the thing is vytas, when my mom's had a PC for 25 years... I know she would be so frustrated with a Mac. Even I was frustrated with learning it and I'm pretty quick with tech stuff (as one of my I AM tags says) but a lot of people in my family and work are not wanting to put the time in to learn something new like that.

I do have to say though, with some of the people I know, I KNOW I would still be helping them. You'd be amazed at the things people cannot figure out on their own no matter how many times I show them. I don't think a Mac vs PC would solve the problem.

---

I prefer a PC. I trained my self how to use a PC before I went to college. I studied computers in college and it was always on a PC. I learned to use a MAC it was so frustrating and like you, I am quick with technology. I will keep my PC.

I used to work in a technical college; I helped users fix their computer problems. I also trained users on Microsoft software (mostly Microsoft Office). They would definitely be lost if they had to start using a MAC. As it is, sometimes they got confused with the PC. I would have to show them multiple times. Just a new version of software, they would panic.

PC

Krislynn, imagine this - our entire building is transferring right now from Office 2003 to Office 2007 which is a whole lot different!  So many people are quick to complain and not notice the improvements.  The rumor is we are going from Lotus to Outlook soon too... that will be another fun one!

I'm a PC guy.  Always have been.  I worked with an ophthalmologist a few years ago who ran his whole office on Apple Computers running on a small office network.  To my surprise, he had just as many problems and down time as the practice I worked with later that ran an even bigger network on PC's and there we had a remote office connected to the network over a VPN as well! 

People romanticize Apple and MACs when, in truth, Steve Jobs made a serious mistake years ago when he refused to license his stuff and THAT is the reason PCs dwarf MACs, that and the fact Apple stuff is much more expensive.   The reason Apple computers don't get subjected to as much malware as PC's is, they are a smaller target, not because they run better software that is harder to attack. The kind of people who write malware just go after the bigger target because that's where the money and notoriety is.

As for Vista.  Underrated.  I held out for a while, having run XP Pro for years.  I just made the switch on my main computer a week ago because I wanted to put a computer in the basement (since my step-son took the one that was there to college), I had one sitting around (I build all my own PCs.  That way I get what I want and NO bloatware pre-loaded by some company) that just needed a hard drive and an OS.  I put XP on that one, since it is older and, because I needed to buy and new license ANYWAY, decided to give Vista Ultimate a try.  So far?  Love it.  Runs great, the interface is just beautiful to look at and I've noticed NO slow down over XP.  I know Vista had problems when first released, but since the release of Service Pack 1, it seems to be excellent.  This coming from a guy who EXPECTED to hate it and only bought it because I knew XP's days are numbered and it costs just about as much to buy as Vista.  I even went to the trouble before hand to download and save to my hard drive all the 64-bit drivers I thought I'd need (I have 4 GB of RAM, wanted to be able to use it all).  Vista loaded all but ONE of the drivers I needed on install.  I had to download and install ONE Intel driver for the SM BUS on my mother board and THAT'S IT.  I was impressed......

My husband and parents have new computers that came with Vista.  Only thing I don't like about it are all the dang pop ups asking you to allow things!  If i hit "download", I want it to just happen- arg!  Don't ask me to allow it!  Other than that, I don't see why everyone acts like Vista is so horrible.

When I got my new laptop, Vista came on it. I was not sure if I was going to like it or not. I know what you mean vivasuzi about the pop ups. That does get annoying, but other than that I love using Vista.

My laptop is a few years old and a bit antiquated.  I was considering a Mac Notebook, but didn't know anything about how Mac worked.  VP member Telpher wrote a review on the Mac Notebook and it gave me good insight.

I went to the Apple Store to try and use one but all on display weren't working.  I really want to try and use it for a bit before I make the leap.

I started out on a MAC back in the early 80s (a gorgeous, little SE II, with an 8" screen), moved up to a PowerMac in the 90s, made the switch to PC for work reasons in the late 80s, and have recently made a transition that means PC at work, MAC at home. I have to say, I'm so glad to be on a MAC at home again. Such a simple system, starts up quickly every time, little worry about virus infection, and visually stunning.

It all depends what you are doing.  To my understanding, MACs are by default asign more memory to multi media application and they look to be better when working with that stuff.  PC are almost everywhere so regadless if you have a MAC or PC you have to have windows in order to do most bussness.

Security wise, i think that PC are better (Windows) as MACs are design to hide their errors and weak points.  Also, the idea that MACs do not get viruses is a lie, as they do, the difference is that there are so few MACs out there that few people will botter to create viruses for them.

This is my take on the OS:

MAC is like the parent who will not let their kids do anything unless they are taking it by the hand

Windows is like the parent who does not care what their kids do, as most of windows problems come from users actions

Unix/Linux is like the parent that will let their kids to do as they please as long as the kids know what they are doing.  But there is the possibility that the kid might do something wrong that ends up killing the parent

I have a MacBook Pro. It was the best investment I have ever made. I've had it for over a year and have had zero problems with mine.