Should I buy a Mac or a PC?

[agentmicrofishy]

Here's the analogy I like to use:

Power -------> simplicity

It's an inverse relationship between power and simplicity. As the power goes down, simplicity goes up.

Originally Posted by agentmicrofishy

Here's the analogy I like to use:

Power -------> simplicity

It's an inverse relationship between power and simplicity. As the power goes down, simplicity goes up.

So you've got a full UNIX shell underneath the hood of your Windows machine? You can simply enable SVN to track your code, and host the repository on an apache server that's already installed? How about a native scripting language for automating tasks? Can you set Cron jobs for little things that you do daily? Or does Windows not do that?

My point is this: It's not always as linear as you make it out to be. Yes, OSX has a "simple" UI, but under the hood it will always out-pace Windows. Until on Windows I can install git and grab the latest builds automatically for an experimental web browser without needing to sacrifice a child every time, I won't move back to it.

[Joe Matt]

Originally Posted by [TBT] Phoenix

BUY MAC NOW!!!!!

This is as helpful and annoying as the Mac detractors.

BTW, 5 year old PB G4 still runs great, but I've upgraded to a 13" MBP. Can't say the same thing about a lot of my friend's PCs' they bought for the same price (or more).

[MrForbes]

My 5 yr old P4 still works great, but I replaced the motherboard a year ago with a core 2 duo, which is really easy to do using a 10 year old ATX case.

I borrowed my brother's 3 yr old Mini, he gave up on it...I'm trying to find the attraction, haven't yet, I'll keep playing with it though.

Originally Posted by squirrel

My 5 yr old P4 still works great, but I replaced the motherboard a year ago with a core 2 duo, which is really easy to do using a 10 year old ATX case.

I borrowed my brother's 3 yr old Mini, he gave up on it...I'm trying to find the attraction, haven't yet, I'll keep playing with it though.

Once you start playing with Automater and AppleScript, a whole world of other uses opens up.

Also, Expose and Spaces make it impossible for me to go back to a Windows machine. It's just too darn convenient to use.

[Joe Matt]

Originally Posted by squirrel

My 5 yr old P4 still works great, but I replaced the motherboard a year ago with a core 2 duo, which is really easy to do using a 10 year old ATX case.

I borrowed my brother's 3 yr old Mini, he gave up on it...I'm trying to find the attraction, haven't yet, I'll keep playing with it though.

Congrats on comparing an old top of the line system with a bottom of the line. Want a biased cookie?

[MrForbes]

I'm not sure what you mean by that...I have a rather low end PC (it was low end when I moved up to a P4, and again when I moved up to a C2D, both processors were just a bit over $100), and the Mac Mini was bottom of the line.

Mac doesn't have much in the way of "low end", especially in the laptop department, when compared to PC stuff.

[Mesehibestops]

Personally I didnt but If I am thinking to try also. Digg is supposed to bring good traffic but only if you promote something valuable and new there NOT your MFA site. BTW where do you think to buy diggs?

Anyway this is counted as unethical marketing...

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by Joe Matt

This is as helpful and annoying as the Mac detractors.

BTW, 5 year old PB G4 still runs great, but I've upgraded to a 13" MBP. Can't say the same thing about a lot of my friend's PCs' they bought for the same price (or more).

I have a Toshiba desktop that must be 10 years old. Except for replacing a hard drive in about 2005 it's been flawless. It's too slow to really run anything modern, but it still works. The Dell desktop that replaced it is about six years old and is still running as a file server. Build quality is not a unique Apple feature.

[robself705]

Originally Posted by whytheheckme

Hmm... I'm not too sure how strongly I feel about my OPERATING SYSTEM using a gig of my RAM.....

In all honesty, t41w4ne5ef0b, I have used the Windows 7 beta and RC - It's just as bad as Vista, and in many ways, worse. It uses more RAM, has many of the same driver issues, has locked up on me numerous times, and things just.... Fail to work! Applications, hardware, it's a disaster. IF you decide to go with a Windows-based laptop (I hate to call them PCs.... All computers are PCs) please use Windows XP, SP2 (SP3 is garbage, and breaks way more things than it fixes. In my opinion, SP3 is a ploy to get you to upgrade to Vista after your machine stops working from the broken update.)

There is a reason it uses so much RAM, it actively loads frequently used programs into your memory so your computer runs FASTER. Obviously if you need all your RAM for a program it frees up all the space you need. Microsoft was right in thinking that people don't need 3gb of free RAM. Why not use that RAM to make programs boot faster? Sounds good to me. Also I have Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit and it is AMAZING. I have had it for 5 months and it hasn't crashed EVER. NOT ONCE. Never have I gotten a virus yet either. It is so fast and is compatible with much more software than MACS are. If you want a nice looking computer with VERY easy to use applications but not much expandibility, get a MAC. If you want a computer that will work with any application you could ever want to use get a PC.

Originally Posted by robself705

There is a reason it uses so much RAM, it actively loads frequently used programs into your memory so your computer runs FASTER. Obviously if you need all your RAM for a program it frees up all the space you need. Microsoft was right in thinking that people don't need 3gb of free RAM. Why not use that RAM to make programs boot faster? Sounds good to me. Also I have Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit and it is AMAZING. I have had it for 5 months and it hasn't crashed EVER. NOT ONCE. Never have I gotten a virus yet either. It is so fast and is compatible with much more software than MACS are. If you want a nice looking computer with VERY easy to use applications but not much expandibility, get a MAC. If you want a computer that will work with any application you could ever want to use get a PC.

Find me a type of application that you believe to be Windows only and I will find you a Mac equivalent. Hands down. Due to the UNIX shell, Mac can run any Linux compatible software (albeit with some serious work for some...), something that Windows will never achieve.

So tell me this: How do you run cron jobs on your Windows machine? How do you set up git or svn functionality without some bloated third party piece of software? The list goes on.

[Chickenonastick]

Originally Posted by Joe Matt

Congrats on comparing an old top of the line system with a bottom of the line. Want a biased cookie?

If the Mini is exactly 3 years old, the two systems (an old system w/ an upgraded C2D proc) and the Mac Mini should be comparable in terms of performance.


This has probably been mentioned numerous times, but I personally find Macintosh computers severely overpriced for the hardware being purchased.

For desktops, a comparable system being purchased part by part is often 25% cheaper than the macs' components altogether. Of course, it wouldn't have the stylish design of a mac or OSX 10, but it will often have equal or greater processing power (not to mention your choice of a dedicated graphics card )

Furthermore, if you like OSX that much, you could purchase the OS and install it onto your system (although the legality of that action is questionable)

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Chickenonastick

This has probably been mentioned numerous times, but I personally find Macintosh computers severely overpriced for the hardware being purchased.

For desktops, a comparable system being purchased part by part is often 25% cheaper than the macs' components altogether. Of course, it wouldn't have the stylish design of a mac or OSX 10, but it will often have equal or greater processing power (not to mention your choice of a dedicated graphics card )

The main thing here is Apple's insistence on not refreshing its own products. When they launched, the Mac Pro was pretty notable for being the most economical option for a high end desktop PC, and the Macbook Pro wasn't too far behind. Years later, they've upgraded slower than the rest of the PC world.

Originally Posted by Chris is me

The main thing here is Apple's insistence on not refreshing its own products. When they launched, the Mac Pro was pretty notable for being the most economical option for a high end desktop PC, and the Macbook Pro wasn't too far behind. Years later, they've upgraded slower than the rest of the PC world.

...And yet their sales are STILL crushing every other hardware manufacturer. Huh.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by CraigHickman

...And yet their sales are STILL crushing every other hardware manufacturer. Huh.

http://www.outlookseries.com/N4/Infr...hipments. htm

The first chart doesn't include Apple estimates, but the chart listing 4Q09 estimates clearly shows them in fourth, if that's how you roll.