# Superiority of Apple **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 5, 2014, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402 "2014-12-05T12:39:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/41 "2014-12-06T12:32:14Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Only apps from the Mac App Store are sandboxed. > Mac users are free to use non-sandboxed apps available directly from their developers. Thanks for getting the correct answer out there whilst I was I bed 😃 The amount of misinformation I get from ignorant Windows users about Macs is staggering. Hell I still hear the ‘one mouse button’ thing. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/42 "2014-12-06T12:48:42Z")
> [@Turble](#): > > Wipe the PC and reinstall Windows. Do NOT install Norton or Spybot. And don’t even think about just uninstalling Norton – you can’t. It inserts itself into thousands of places on your computer and you will never find them all. > > Do not install java unless your are 100% sure you really need it. If you really need it, try to find a way to not need it. > > Install the free version of Malwarebyes and Firefox (or one of its clones – I use Pale Moon) with AdBlock and FlashBlock. > > When you download something, right-click and let Malwarebytes scan it before you install it. > > End of story. Written by a denizen of the skeevy sketchy corners of the web who hasn’t had an infection for years. > [@emcee2k](#): > > […] There may be a rootkit that’s not being removed in the scans, and it’s reinfecting the computer. As others have said, back up your important files then reformat and reinstall Windows (ideally not XP if that’s what you’re currently using). Then install a lightweight antivirus like MSE (or possibly Avast!, but not Norton or McAfee). > > Leave on the firewall, and automatic updates and you should be able to just " boot it up and use it" the same as the Mac. If you’re still getting viruses, you may want to have a talk with your husband about his computer habits. > [@Trinopus](#): > > This is my opinion also… But… > > Factual question: can a Mac user create a new desktop icon that goes with an application shortcut? (I know these are Windows terms, but help me out here.) > > For the PC, there are a good dozen “Icon Editors,” where I can paint a completely new icon (.ico file) and associate it with my app/shortcut. I can draw anything, in tons of colors, in a 32 x 32 frame. Eyeballs on fire, naked Wonder Woman, anything. I can associate the icon with Word or Malwarebytes or Photoshop if I want. > > Do Macs permit this level of customization of icons? Are there free icon drawing tools for Macs? > > This is the kind of individualized personal poop that makes me love the Windows environment. I can do all sorts of things my way. (Okay, less in W7 than in previous versions…) > [@gaffa](#): > > I run and support both Windows and OSX. The secret to malware free Windows computing is to create an administrator account called Install Software, and a user account for daily use with Standard privileges. And read every install prompt carefully for every free program. > > I set a friend up like this and made sre she never gave her kids the admin password, and it has worked flawlessly for years. Every so often I log in and install updates. > > The difference between Windows and OSX is that the default account in Windows has root privileges. Having used desktop computers in my work since the TRS-80, including those running CPM, DOS, Windows, SVR4, BSD, and OS X, I’ve heard more stuff like the above about Windows than all the others combined. I think to keep a Windows PC running useably well typically requires being a hobbyist plus staying on top of a treacherous competitive world of computer security. > [@njtt](#): > > […] shows that (like many Apple users) you are clueless about computer security […] I’ve used a Mac exclusively for my home computing for a few years now and spend ZERO time fighting with security software. I have essentially forgotten the whole topic except when it comes up in debates like this, and when it screws things up at the office (where there’s a huge IT staff to help deal with this mess). The first clue about computer security is that, at best, it is an unrewarding thing that almost nobody would want to deal with if they weren’t forced by necessity to. > [@Stringbean](#): > > Macs are easy as balls to use, virtually crash-free, virus-free, and excellent for the type of work I do with audio processing. > > PC’s are for the computer geek who really wants to be involved with the nuts ‘n’ bolts. I have little interest in that stuff, and frankly Windows has sucked ass since 98. This. This is the whole thing. If you want to pick something other than computers as your hobby, Apple is better. I really wish it was perfect, but there’s no question it’s closer than PCs. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/43 "2014-12-06T12:57:36Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > …Anyway, in my experience, the widespread belief that porn sites are _particularly_ likely to infect your computer with malware, is largely a myth. Hmm, the only places I’ve ever noticed running into malware are on porn sites and “free software” sites. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/44 "2014-12-06T13:11:37Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > Macs are easy as balls to use, virtually crash-free, virus-free, and excellent for the type of work I do with audio processing. > > PC’s are for the computer geek who really wants to be involved with the nuts ‘n’ bolts. I have little interest in that stuff, and frankly Windows has sucked ass since 98. Linux is for computer geeks. PCs are for corporate people whose IT dept wants to ensure they never even see a nut or bolt, let alone can control it. Macs are for creative types and fussy people with too much money. Everybody else has been using their iPhone exclusively for years, unless they can only afford Android. That may not be very accurate but it’s at least more accurate than your silly generalization. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/45 "2014-12-06T14:59:05Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > Macs are easy as balls to use, virtually crash-free, virus-free, and excellent for the type of work I do with audio processing. > > PC’s are for the computer geek who really wants to be involved with the nuts ‘n’ bolts. I have little interest in that stuff, and frankly Windows has sucked ass since 98. Or, you can do what I do, and build your own “Hackintosh.” Then, you can have the best of both worlds- all the enjoyment of fighting BIOS and driver issues, with the pleasure of running OS X. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/46 "2014-12-06T15:10:03Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Chances are you got something on your PC and have never really gotten rid of it. Things don’t just spontaneously come back unless you are going around installing new things on it all the time. Don’t do that, BTW. > > So yes on wiping and resetting it, but then try to use it from there. Get a web browser and the Office products. Install your good antivirus. Install adblock or at least flashblock. Then don’t install anything else. You don’t really sound like much of an ADVOCATE for the PC here. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/47 "2014-12-06T18:27:51Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Viruses are, 95% of the time, user error. If you keep picking them up, it means you’re going to sites you shouldn’t or else that you’re not being careful enough with downloading email attachments and so on. This is just not accurate. How would a user know in advance that the site they are going to is one “they shouldn’t”? When a user goes to a blog run by WordPress, how are they supposed to know about the vulnerabilities? There is a pretty good chance that you have some sort of malware sitting silently on your PC right now. The anti-virus vendors, even with multiple on the same PC simply can’t keep up with identifying the signatures. 30% of all PC’s in the US are infected, but keep in mind that corporate PC’s probably have the most defense and are most likely to be clean, which means for home users that percent is most likely higher. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/48 "2014-12-06T19:35:43Z")
These days almost all PC brands are made in the same Chinese factories, they might use slightly different components. Whatever happened to all those Mac fans who told me Intel chips were total crap. Did they all die off? I like to walk by the Apple store so I can see arrogance billowing out the door. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/49 "2014-12-06T21:16:44Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > Macs are easy as balls to use, virtually crash-free, virus-free, and excellent for the type of work I do with audio processing. > > PC’s are for the computer geek who really wants to be involved with the nuts ‘n’ bolts. I have little interest in that stuff, and frankly Windows has sucked ass since 98. Being a Mac has little to do with your work, as it is a function of software. If a specific piece of software you prefer is only available for Apple, so be it. Everything you can do on an Apple computer has equivalent options available in windows based machines. Apple makes a solid machine, you will never hear me say otherwise, but they are no better in build or component quality than windows based machines of similar price point. I am a computer tech, and run no active antivirus. I check it every 4-6 weeks, and its usually totally clean. Some people beat the hell out of their cars because of their driving style and will always have car problems, some people beat the hell out of their computers and will always have computer problems. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/50 "2014-12-06T21:27:06Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > Being a Mac has little to do with your work, as it is a function of software. If a specific piece of software you prefer is only available for Apple, so be it. Everything you can do on an Apple computer has equivalent options available in windows based machines. Apple makes a solid machine, you will never hear me say otherwise, but they are no better in build or component quality than windows based machines of similar price point. Every recording studio I have been to uses Macs. Why? Because Macs don’t randomly crash halfway through a session and leave you with an angry client who refuses to pay. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/51 "2014-12-06T23:02:43Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > Because Macs don’t randomly crash halfway through a session and leave you with an angry client who refuses to pay. Yet the only issues in my business are the occasional hardware failure, the same kinds of hardware Apple builds on as well. I guarantee I see WAY more computers than you do on a daily basis, and see plenty of screwed up Apples. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/52 "2014-12-06T23:47:31Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > These days almost all PC brands are made in the same Chinese factories, they might use slightly different components. > > Whatever happened to all those Mac fans who told me Intel chips were total crap. Did they all die off? > > I like to walk by the Apple store so I can see arrogance billowing out the door. There’s little debate that the 68000 series of chips were more elegant than their Intel counterparts, and the PowerPC processors were better in many respects, too, but it’s hard to compete with the enormous marketing and manufacturing resources that Intel has. Just look at AMD for an example of that. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/53 "2014-12-07T02:47:42Z")
Just now I clicked on a file in a folder in order to launch it. It doesn’t launch anything; it just pages the whole window to the right. That’s not what I wanted to happen. It’s not intuitive. Double clicking something as simple as a file in my window should do what I expect it to do. Little things like that are what make me miss my Mac. I’ve used Windows and Mac both extensively, but those little things about Windows piss me off. My Mac tries to be nice to me. Sometimes it fails. My Windows is being a dick to me for reasons I don’t understand and Windows doesn’t give a shit if I understand. But Apple is really pricey. Conundrum. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/54 "2014-12-07T03:32:27Z")
Those brilliant people at Apple switched to “inferior” Intel chips due to marketing? I guess they are not so smart after all. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/55 "2014-12-07T03:37:48Z")
I would like to get a Mac Book Air but I need to run Windows. Was looking at a [Lenovo ThinkPad T430.](http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-T430-Keyboard~-FingerPrint-Reader~9-cell/dp/B00NA6LPX2/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417923254&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=%3Eenovo+T430) The price is right. Never ran Windows on a Mac. I’m hesitant. Mabye a Mac Pro laptop to run Windows instead of the Air? Dunno. I code in C and interface with TCP. I should know this but I’m really busy. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/56 "2014-12-07T04:00:50Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Those brilliant people at Apple switched to “inferior” Intel chips due to marketing? I guess they are not so smart after all. If you really want me to get into all the nitty-gritty details about Apple’s switch to x86 architecture, I can. But I sense that you would rather just post snarky comments. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/57 "2014-12-07T04:02:16Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Those brilliant people at Apple switched to “inferior” Intel chips due to marketing? I guess they are not so smart after all. Duplicate post. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/58 "2014-12-07T04:05:40Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > I would like to get a Mac Book Air but I need to run Windows. Was looking at a [Lenovo ThinkPad T430.](http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-T430-Keyboard~-FingerPrint-Reader~9-cell/dp/B00NA6LPX2/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417923254&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=%3Eenovo+T430) The price is right. Never ran Windows on a Mac. I’m hesitant. Mabye a Mac Pro laptop to run Windows instead of the Air? Dunno. I code in C and interface with TCP. I should know this but I’m really busy. A MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM can run Windows using Parallels just fine. [For example.](http://betanews.com/2013/12/04/running-windows-8-1-under-parallels-better-than-boot-camp/) ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Dracula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/54ee81/32.png) [@Count\_Dracula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Dracula)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/59 "2014-12-07T04:06:03Z")
I have an Apple iMac and a MacBook Pro. I also have an iPhone 5. Love all of them and have never had problems with any of them. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402/60 "2014-12-07T04:08:00Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Just now I clicked on a file in a folder in order to launch it. It doesn’t launch anything; it just pages the whole window to the right. Huh? We can talk about annoyances with either OS, but I can’t say I understand or can conceptualize what is going on. If we’re talking Win8, that’s a separate issue there that we can’t justify, but you aren’t talking about Windows in general. If we are generalizing I can bitch about Apple arbitrarily changing the scroll direction in Lion (I understand the justification, but like in Win8 it makes sense on a tablet but not if you are using a mouse). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superiority-of-apple/706402.md?page=4)