Help me convince my RM to get a Mac.

Cafe Society
1

Here’s the deals.

We already have 3 PC based machines in our household.

A $35 dollor special from the pawnshop. Win98
A brand spankin’ new laptop from Gateway. Win XP
A just 2 year old desk top from Gateway. Millinium

Now the RM is saving for *yet * another machine. I’m trying to talk him into getting a Mac. (He’s thought about an Ibook, but how seriously I don’t know) Dude. He’s consitering a Dell. :rolleyes:

I figgure it this way. IF he’s going to get another machine, Why not a Mac? Different tecnology is good right? gives him yet another thing to learn about. (He does so love learning) And buying yet another PC based macine would be like buying yet another Ford when there’s plenty of GM’s out there.:smack:

Now, I know those of you who use Macs love them to death. Most Mac users I know wouldn’t trade them for all the IBM clones in the world. I just know there’s a few of you out there who are among the enamoured. The few, the proud, the Mac lovers!

What ya got to say that I can use for ammo? I’ll even hi his butt over to these boards and make him read this thread. You’re my first, best hope.

Thanks a bunch!

2

Tell him it’s pretty…

[sub](I’m not a MAC user, can you tell?)[/sub]

3

Well, consitering he’s probly going to set it up in a shop, I’m thinking astetics are right out but, thanks for the effort.
NEXT?

4

Why does he want one? Get the machine that fits the need. Any other reason would be silly.

I speak as someone who tries to be neutral in these debates (even as a PC owner). Macs are loved for certain features and have their own strengths and weaknesses. Windows-based PCs ditto. Do you have any non-Windows machines? Maybe that’s a third option.

5

Nope, no non windows machines.

Basicly it will be used for Gaming and Digital Photography. Maybe a bit of Wood shop work. Such as cad designs for furniture and kitchen cvabnetry.
Sorry I didn’t make that clear sooner

Keep 'em coming folks! Thanks

6

I’m sure the more Mac-literate posters will correct me if I’m wrong, but the range of games available for Macs is certainly less than for PCs. For design-related software Macs have traditionally been hugely successful, mind.

7

Gaming: PC

Wood shop and CAD: PC (or a unix variant)

Digital Photography: Toss up, all the mac programs are available on the PC, usually the PC version is cheaper. PC has literally a TON of digital imaging programs available at any price range.
have him get the new dell, and take the pawn shop PC and throw a linux flavor OS on it. MACs are expensive and no longer have the advantage of ‘ease of use’. the people in those commercials are either ACTORS or not very bright to begin with.

"I named my iMac Maxine.

bright. real bright.

8

Macs will run circles around Windows computers when it comes to digital image work. However, CAD support is weak, particulary in OS X, as is game selection. Sounds like, sadly, he should get a PC.

Kirk
Who owns both but hasn’t turned his Windows XP box on in over a month. It’s just not as good of a system. Windows is still too complicated, still to ugly, and still of no use to someone interested in publishing and digital image stuff.

9

One word (well, OK, two): OS X. Learning a Unix-based OS is a good thing! Hey, why not go for it! I frequent a Mac board that has more than a few Windows geeks who got a Macintosh soley for the purpose of playing around with OS X. It’s a whole new world in Operating systems. Unix, but in not a scary, user-unfriendly package. Tell your roommate to get familiar with OS X now, as it’s an exciting new OS that is the Future ™. At least a lot of people think so.

And, Macs are great for digital cameras. They are not so great for games, but the big titles have all been ported over to Mac. And, I must confess, I don’t see a huge price disparity in software between Mac and PC. Maybe a few bucks here and there, but with the “biggies” (Photoshop, Dreamweaver) there is no difference in price at all.

And lastly, Macs come with a nice suite of freebie software, that hasn’t (as far as I can tell) been quite equalled on the Windows side. Sure, Windows has freebie apps, but iMovie, iTunes etc. are considered easier and more “elegant” and I have more than once heard a Windows geek bitch about how “unfair” it is that these apps are not available for Windows.

10

Oh! Oh! Also, if you get a Mac now (I’m just talking about new ones) then you’ll get a system that will still run Mac OS 9 natively (as opposed to "emulation) which is a Good Thing. Starting next year, all new Macs will ship withOUT the ability to run OS 9 natively.

11

First of all, it’s Mac, not MAC. Unless you’re talking about cosmetics or you’re really happy to be discussing the platform, it shouldn’t be entirely capitalized.

Secondly, how open is he to learning another OS? Is he fixed in his Windowsly ways, or can he start fresh and not get frustrated by the unfamiliar nuances of the Mac OS? I ask because recently another poster was given an iMac as a present, and, well, she hated it and had it returned. If you’re sure your RM is open to a Mac, then go for it. But there’s a bit of hesitation, then why try to convert him?

You should take a look at what you need the computer for, and then do some homework: can a Mac do what you need it to do? Can the PC do it better? Investigate what software titles you plan to use; is there a Mac version? What are the differences between the Mac and PC versions? If the Mac can do it better, how well does it fit with you? Can you both be dual-platform people, and happily? Is it within your price range?

I’m a Mac user, and I like seeing people try the Mac. But I prefer that they know what they’re getting into, lest they have a negative experience and blame it all on the platform. And no offense, but it seems to me the only reason you’re considering a Mac is because it’s different, and that’s silly, IMO.

Third, Mac gaming used to suck ass. There were maybe three companies that did Mac games. In the last few years it’s gotten better. Mac magazines actually have a games section now; their mentions of games were kept as sidebars or in reviews only. A good portion of PC game titles are either available for the Mac or in development. And in turn, Mac hardware is improving to meet the demands of game software.

Still, there are drawbacks to Mac gaming. Titles are seldom released for both platforms concurrently. For example, Max Payne for the PC has been on shelves for a while; the Mac version is either fresh out or won’t be out for two or three months more. Second, like with other types of software, the Mac adaptations sometimes lack features, have a different design, or are sloppily done. Third, there is limited support for games in OS X. Patches that allow gameplay on OS X are iffy, at best. Lastly, it takes a fairly new computer to run the most popular and recent games. My iMac is under two years old, and I estimate it can’t run 50% of the games out there, and I’m betting it can’t run any game that’s been released in the last 6 months. You’ll have to get a fairly new machine, and that means spending more than you would for a PC. And money seems to be one of the primary reasons why users choose PCs over Macs.

12

Record the commercial where the cop tells us he is too stupid to run video on a windows machine and but he got it to work on a MAC.

13

I’ll echo what most here havve said. I love the MacOS and really hate Windows. But for what he wants to do, Windows is probably a better choice.

14

I think it’s really neat the way PC users call people “stupid” for not being able to work a PC. Convinces me!

15

I was blown away by that commercial- I thought they didn’t want people to think their product was for people who aren’t very bright. The only other company that seems to be trying to appeal to people who are dumb is AOL (" new version 11.0 is so easy my retarded dog can send e-mail to my grandma!") so it a bit surprising to see them really going for the “it’s so easy this moron can do it” angle.

Having used both Macs and PCs I can’t figure out how someone who could properly work a Mac would be clueless about using a PC. They’re not that different. It’s not even as different as going from using aol for mail to a unix based e-mail program, for example.

16

I haven’t used Macs much but I love the look of the new I-Mac and many people seem to agree that the Mac-OS is better.

However there is one things that I find thoroughly annoying about Macs : those silly mice without a right-click button or scroll wheel. Is there any good reason for this is Apple trying to be different for the sake of being different ? Are there Mac mice which have the standard features?

I use the scroll wheel and right-click heavily and there is no way I would buy a Mac unless the mouse has these things.

I know this isn’t directly useful to Telcontar but maybe his RM has the same problem and would need to be convinced about issue.

17

Cyber: yes, there are Mac mice that have right buttons and scroll wheels. The one I’m using right now does.

18

I’m having trouble locating where that was said, care to help me out. I see someone(note:one person is not “pc users”) saying that the people in the commercials don’t seem terribly bright, but I don’t see where anyone says mac users are stupid.

19

The best Macintosh ad!

Girl is sooo adorable (and soooo stoned :wink: )

20

She’s not very bright either because she says “I’m Ellen Feiss? And I’m a student?” No one gets that baked. I seriously doubt it has anything to do with that trendy HRT.

The whole PC vs Mac debate is particularly pointless because it boils down to people arguing “You use a philips head screwdriver? Fag, you should use a flathead screwdriver!” It sounds like the whole argument being made for this guy buying a Mac is about variety but that doesn’t ring true to me. Let the guy buy what he wants and needs rather than urging him to buy into an overzealous computer subculture. If it was about variety why not suggest that the guy get a computer from Sun or installing a non-Microsoft OS on a PC. One has to think before they think different.

My name is raisinbread and I’m a PC user.