Mac vs. PC - the great debate

[GrnMtnGrwr]

GrnMtnGrwr

I have both an iPhone as well as an Android phone (T-Mobile MyTouch G3) and I think both platforms have plusses and minuses.

For me the biggest 'minus' with the iPhone is the deal with AT&T - probably the worst cell phone provider - EVER.

Still the support from developers is out there and it's absolute for the iPhone OS.

Having said that, the main reason that I got an Android phone was to begin stepping into the water of developing applications for this OS. While the Apple iPhone SDK is way beyond what Google offers, the surge in new Android-based phones by Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, et al. will hopefully force Google to step-up their game.

RE: iPad

I'm going to hold out and see what companies like Adobe, Bare Bones (BBEdit) and others are going to do with regard to porting their applications (if any) to the iPad technology.

We'll see as the expression goes.

Best wishes!

CC

That was the #1 thing for me as well.

 

[ocean99]

PC you can play computer games, Mac you cannot.

/thread

 

[Clackamas Coot]

PC you can play computer games, Mac you cannot.

/thread

On a Wintel machine you can't run Final Cut Pro (of which 8 out of the last 10 Oscar winners were edited with) or Aperture which blows out Adobe Bridge to pieces or even Adobe Photoshop Lightroon or BBEdit, et al.

Just a thought.

CC

 

[Mala Tempora]

LOL.
Step 1 open the case
Step 2 slide the drive into the bay
step 3 oh - there is no step 3... you're done

So you don't even plug it in?

I get the feeling you're just here to provoke people and troll, rather than actually debate and discuss. And you don't seem to have a clue what you're talking about.

 

[grapeman]

So you don't even plug it in?

I get the feeling you're just here to provoke people and troll, rather than actually debate and discuss. And you don't seem to have a clue what you're talking about.

No you don't. when you slide the drive into the bay it plugs itself in. no cables.

Everything is more elegant on a mac. Better engineering by a country mile.

 

[dfa]

MAC so easy, straight to the point. All jokes aside kind of machine

 

[F1ynnie]

PC user here. i hated vista so much i kept my xp for way too long. last week i finally broke down and bought a windows 7 laptop. i actually like this OS.

 

[Justin_Credible]

You on a tolerance break kid? get a grip and find a better outlet for your obvious anger issues than an internet pot forum, you're making us all look bad...

Yeah no kidding, this is almost as bad as discussing politics. He needs to smoke a joint, or make that two. Shit, add some bubble to the second one!

 

[Justin_Credible]

PC user here. i hated vista so much i kept my xp for way too long. last week i finally broke down and bought a windows 7 laptop. i actually like this OS.

I agree. I do not have 7 up and running yet but WOW! This actually could be a legit os from ms. I don't know how much of it was stolen or invented (or re-invented) but I really enjoyed using it when I checked it out at my friends house. The one thing I do not like about 7 so far are those stupid commercials! God please...I think that by now MS does not need to advertise. Waste of money if you ask me. What type of laptop?

 

[d3ni005]

MAC suck!

 

[Mala Tempora]

No you don't. when you slide the drive into the bay it plugs itself in. no cables.

Everything is more elegant on a mac. Better engineering by a country mile.

You're a complete idiot.

 

[Bread]

It's a simple answer - PC. Price, value. Btw i have never seen mac in my city. Never, ever!

 

[Grat3fulh3ad]

Here's an opinion from a tech blogger who uses both... Not that anyone's opinion is definitive about anything, but here is is anyhow...

Hi, I’m a Mac and also a PC. I live in both worlds and try my best not to take sides. But boy, that’s really hard!
While trying not to exaggerate, I have to say that from the personal computer user’s point of view who uses both, one is clearly more superior than the other. Maybe The Big M – who, along with its PC hardware vendors, dominate the majority of world’s personal computer market – also realized the fact and felt necessary to release the series of “kinda desperate” ads about “cheap PCs” (pun intended). I saw few of the ads in the series including the latest installment and was ’slightly offended’ by the way the company think of its consumers’ intelligence.
Personal feeling aside, there are real factors that set Mac and PCs apart. And here are the undeniable reasons that I can sort out which make Mac better than PCs. In no particular order.

1. Apple is one of the almost-unrivalled worldwide trend makers
Personal computers used to be boxy and dark grey until the candy colored iMacs and iBooks came along. Then everybody tried their luck with minimalistic white after the white iBook appearance. Everybody started their own music store after iTunes Music Store and everybody produced portable MP3 players trying to take down iPod. Every cellphone manufacturer creates their own iPhone-ish model with large touch screen and the round-edge-rectangle icons. Even the “i” in front of the product names are followed by everybody.
The list goes on and might not stop with more trends coming in the future. Shall we continue?

2. Macs produce better advertisements
From Ridley Scott’s 1984 “Big Brother” to the “Envelope-thin Macbook Air” to the “Mac vs PC“; either in print or in multimedia; all Mac advertisements that I’m aware of are artistically designed and professionally produced. Many has become classic and iconic. You can see the proof by looking at some of the many parodies out there.
How many PC advertisements can you remember?

3. Mac can run Windows natively
After the transition to Intel processor, all Mac machines can run Windows natively with BootCamp. And some even says it’s faster. Here’s a quote from PC World’s 2007 article about the most notable Notebooks:
The fastest Windows Vista notebook we’ve tested this year is a Mac.
No PCs to date can run Mac natively. Even if you count the Hackintosh community in.

4. Mac OS X can survive for weeks without the need of rebooting
I have to admit that I can’t find references on how long is the range between reboots on Mac OS X, so I just put my own experience here. I never really turn off my white MacBook. I just close the lid whenever I need to move between office and home. The last reboot that I can remember is about two or three weeks ago when I upgrade Glims for Safari.
How long can a PC survive without the need of rebooting?

5. Mac OS X has no virus headache problems
Please note that I’m not saying there’s no virus for Mac. Maybe there is, but ever since I use Mac – back to my iBook clamshell days – I haven’t had to deal with one yet. Lucky me.
The office PC that we use on the other hand, always had an antivirus program installed and still got infected, crashed, and the Windows had to be reinstalled several times. And I can’t remember a time when the PC isn’t downloading the latest antivirus definition updates.
6. Mac has multi-touch technology
Pinch, rotate, swipe, scroll; even Windows users have to admit that this technology is cool.

7. Apple gives the customer the best support – survey said
Instead of explaining, I will just give you the direct links of articles:
Apple Tops PC Customer Service Rankings – NYTimes
Apple tops Consumer Reports tech support ratings – MacWorld
And this also includes the mobile phone world:
Apple Ranks Highest among Smartphone Consumers.

8. Mac makes better phone platform
I have to include iPhone in the discussion as the OS is based on Mac OS X. While I myself do not use either iPhone or Windows Mobile-based phone and can’t give fair comparison, I think point number 7 above on the smartphone will give you a picture.

9. Apple creates really fanatic users
But instead of debating over this fanboys matter, maybe what we really should do is just accept the fact that Mac users are fanatic users and try to find out how Apple can pull it off. Eventhough this is rather self explanatory after looking at point number 7.
But allow me to give my humble opinion: most PC users use PCs because they have to, while Mac users use Mac because they want to. I know many PC users who willingly switch (or half-switch) to Mac, but I don’t know any Mac users who switch to PC because they want to. But then again, maybe I just don’t have too many friends?
10. Macs are cheaper than PCs
I know the statement will enrage many Mac haters out there, but allow me to explain. Many Mac users challenge PC users to compare both product using the same exact configuration, differs only in the OS; but that is not what I mean here.
Let us examine the whole user’s experience of using Mac versus using PC. If you include the whole headaches and time wasted of trying to make the best out of both products, I think using Mac would turn out cheaper.
Also consider this fact: the G4 800 iBook that I bought back in 2002 is still up and running using the latest version of Mac OS X. Slower, but still usable. Can a 2002 PC do the same with the latest version of Windows? So, if you also calculate the hardware upgrades needed to always keep up with the latest OS, PCs can’t beat Mac.
11. Mac is a nicer paperweight
This one is a bonus point. I don’t really get the paperweight joke thing, but it always comes out in every flame war between Mac and PC fanboys. But even if PC users called Mac “a very expensive paperweight”, Mac is still a nicer paperweight considering the product design.
Closing: One reason why PCs are better than Mac
And to keep my judgement within the objective side, I’d like to close with the only reason I could find why PCs are better than Mac: wider options.
Only one company makes Macs while who knows how many are producing PCs (the hardware). So I think it would be logical that people could find (or build) PCs (the hardware) in any configuration and budget imaginable. That side of the PC world could not be competed by Mac.
At the end, the users will choose whatever product to use based on whatever reasons they have. Not everybody can or want to be a Mac user. So, if you want a good personal computer with an affordable buying price you can buy a PC and install Linux on it.
I tried to keep my list from growing way too long, so I’d stop here. Feel free to add more in the comment below.

 

[marv]

Mac is so cool if u have the money to go with !!

 

[grimweeder]

ive owned a number of pc's an now own a mac, as far as performance goes the mac is much smoother, faster an more reliable than any pc ive seen. an ive worked in computer/tv sales for a few years so seen a few.
i havnt seen the new win 7 so cant comment on how that is in comparison.
i used to sit at my pc(laptop) nearly everyday almost throwing it at the wall, ive never got pissed off with either of my macs ive owned, ive never had to worry about virus's or stuff not responding on a mac where as my pc was needing something fixing or changing to it nearly every day.
as far as gaming goes then if i wanna play games il do that on my 360 or ps3, but you can still get games for the mac now jus not as many as wots out for the pc. so the no games argument doesnt really stand anymore, plus u can run win on ur mac natively to do any win only progs like games an wot ever else
ive got a nice hew shiney mac book pro an its soo much nicer than any win pc or laptop ive owned in every aspect.
its simple for me, i love my mac, but i hated all my pc's.
most people ive met who have owned both would agree with me. where as those who have never owned a mac dont seem to agree an hate them.

 

[jd4083]

h3ad- that's a good article that stays about as objective as I've ever seen with this particular topic...one comment I might make is that I have had my WinXP running without a reboot for over 3 weeks now, including the last week I spent flying to and from Vail, CO. I run NOD32 Professional av software and that's it. Proper maintenance is necessary for anything to work properly over the long term, Apple just made it a little more idiot proof.

 

[Grat3fulh3ad]

you say idiot proof, I say User Friendly... all in the perspective, i guess

 

[9Lives]

as far as gaming goes then if i wanna play games il do that on my 360 or ps3,

As far as your credibility on gaming goes...

If the xbox360 (i own one) or ps3 really does the trick for you..obviously you don't need a PC. It can also be said you are not a gamer and do not know why gamers prefer PC-s.

Consoles and PC-s can not be compared. I would bet my left nutsack that if you had a ''clan war'' between PC users and Console users. Consoles would loose each and every time...The performance is shit and not even mentioning the fact that consoles are ruining the gaming industry and dumbing down games.

 

[F1ynnie]

I agree. I do not have 7 up and running yet but WOW! This actually could be a legit os from ms. I don't know how much of it was stolen or invented (or re-invented) but I really enjoyed using it when I checked it out at my friends house. The one thing I do not like about 7 so far are those stupid commercials! God please...I think that by now MS does not need to advertise. Waste of money if you ask me. What type of laptop?

i got an hp pavillion. in the past i have always just had computers built to me. eliminates the useless extra bells and whistles while at the same time includes all the best of things like graphics cards etc. this is not bad at all for off the shelf. amd chip, 4g ram...very nice machine for the price.

i am actually thinking about buying the tv tuner for it but at present just can't see me watching television with laptop.

i haven't fiddled around enough yet to know how to transmit my monitor to my hd television but i will be checking that out in the next few days.

 

[Hammerhead]

I just bought me a Asus K61lC-A2 Laptop and I absolutely love it. It's been years since I bought a computer. I have always built them but building a Laptop was not a option.