What started out as an innoculous question by Badtz Maru (see http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=49483)
has ended up in a veritable Firestorm of controversy, ah, sort of. OK, maybe not a firestorm, but an interesting debate that might occupy you while trying to form a concise witty reply to one of the many election threads. Here is the question in a nutshell:
Which is better and why: PC or Mac.
Some opinions already posted:
And the debate sallies forth like a medeivel knight. Which do you use, and why does other other, to put it delicately, “suck”?
I use both. I like my Mac better because it is more stable and user friendly…more like a “home computer”. On my PC’s I run mainly Linux or vairiants because I’m not fond of Windows. They both have strengths and weaknesses.
Thanks for your time when I know you could be posting on the circumcision thread!
I love my Mac. It is far more stable. I think this is because Apple has far tighter control over hardware and software. Sure, I’ve had problems, but nothing like with my PC. I am not the most expert user, but I guess I’d be “lower-intermediate”. I’m past the raw-newbie stage, anyway.
I just had my PC upgraded, by a very knowledgable MSCE (that’s how you spell it, right) friend of mine. He reformatted and reinstalled Windows 98. He gave me some strict instructions on how to work with my PC. (Be careful about installing new software, etc.) I don’t think my PC is configured poorly, because my friend knows what he is doing. But the woes and problems it has are not inconsiderable. Photoshop crashes. CD-RW software crashes. Browsers crashing. Not all the time, but far more than my Mac crashes.
Photoshop has NEVER crashed on my Mac. NEVER. It is far more stable, and it is easier to fix and resolve problems.
I’ve used and taught on both and have found the Mac to be superior on all levels except options for games.
As a graphics pro where the vast majority of the industry is Mac, I am very Mac-biased. In fact, it’s a joke in the service side that claims PeeCees represent 10% of the work that comes in but are responsible for 90% of the problems.
I recognize, however, that the only true test of which platform is best is: which one are you more productive on? If the PeeCee floats your boat, then that’s all that really matters. It’s why we have chocolate and vanilla.
In the hands of a capable expert, Macs and PeeCees work equally well in their own networks, are both equally (un)stable, and work together in cross-platform (my Macs are networked with PeeCees, and files transfer with flawless precision).
I find the Mac far easier to use, easier to set-up and customize, and more intuitive. But that’s me, and I hear the same arguments from PeeCeers. I’ve had the same nightmares that all experts experience, like data loss and hardware failure. But I will always have a single word that strikes fear in the hearts of PeeCeers to which us Mac pros barely bat an eye: VIRUSES.
I really have a hard time getting over the fact that Apple decided that floppy drives are obsolete. I also find the absence of a task bar and the fact that opening a program often causes virtually no change in the screen to be annoying. In Windows, if you open up a new program, you get a new window. And while I realize that I should be more careful not to accidently paste things into telnet, I really don’t think I should have to restart the computer every time I do so.
I don’t get it. Why wouldn’t you be bothered by “Requires Macintosh to run?”
I don’t really understand the hostility some PC users show to Mac users and vice versa. The truth of the matter is that the PC is a pretty darn good machine and Windows is a pretty darn good platform. People wouldn’t use it if it didn’t work. Likewise I think Macintosh makes a decent computer.
Mac person here. I don’t play too many games, so that doesn’t bother me, and I enjoy the graphics and video (built in firewire! wooo!) capabilities, since that’s what I do for work. I run LinuxPPC for my web development and programming work (it’s nice to have a complete Apache, mod_perl, and MySQL environment running on my Powerbook) and MacOS for using Photoshop and Final Cut Pro.
Regarding floppies: I was using Zips for everything back before they did this, and I applaud the decision. I rarely have files I need to deal with anymore that are smaller than 1.4MB, and 99% of file transfering can be done over the Internet now, anyway.
You can make a taskbar by dragging the Application menu onto the desktop. Or check out the awesome shareware app Dragthing.
Most programs written for the Mac open their own window when you start them. In fact, I believe this is in the Human Interface Guidelines, but I’m not sure. (I can look it up if you want.)
I paste text into Telnet all the time. Perhaps you’re using a buggy version.
Yes - but I think a new, slightly trivial and petty Mac vs. PC debate would do us some good right now! Gives us something new to focus on, rather than on the election debates!
that just because some people participated in a thread on the SD at some point about a topic, doesn’t preclude everyone whoever is a member from having that conversation anew.
YOU may have “done” this before. You are under no obligation to do it again. But if others wish to, leave 'em alone.
I’m with him. So it makes me feel silly to argue whether Macs or PCs are better when I know that as soon as the next best thing comes along, I’m going to ditch what I have now in favor of it.
It’s also rather silly to debate something that comes down to a matter of personal preference.
People use macs for the same reason people drink dr. pepper. Marketing, baby: you can be different, be a rebel, stand out from the crowd, simply by changing your brand of soda. or computer. It’s an image thing.
Never mind that you can’t get access to anthing beneath the GUI, can’t get any decent applications, and for god’s sake, when will they wise up and put more than one mouse button on those things?
Oh, but you can get them in shiny blue, now there’s a reason to buy.
Oh, one more thing: People wonder why mac users are so fiercely brand-loyal. That’s putting the cart before the horse. It’s like asking why criminals don’t feel remorse for their crimes. It’s not that criminals don’t feel remorse; it’s that remorseless people become criminals. It’s not that mac users become so loyal; it’s that users concerned about functionality switch, leaving only the blind loyalists behind.
So nice that you can read the minds of millions of Mac users with such ease.
God Forbid, I don’t WANT to get access to anything beneath the GUI (if indeed this is true, which someone else may refute). Not all of us do - we want to do our WORK. I have plenty of decent applications on my Mac, the ones I want and need. Photoshop, Illustrator, Painter, a superior version of Outlook Express, a great MP3 player/ripper…I’m happy, I have more than I need. And I am using a two-button mouse as I type this. Many right-click functions work on my Mac.
Once again, so nice that you can delve into the souls of all Mac users, and know what their real motivations are! :rolleyes: As I said on other Mac/PC threads - why do you anti-Mac people get so frothy over colors? What is so terrible with a little pizazz on a computer? You want some pizazz and color on your car, right? You wouldn’t want a boring, ugly car, right? Why such disdain for people who don’t want a boring and ugly computer?
What are you smokin’, man? Where do you get this stuff?
I am a PC user (and still am) who decided to get into Macs. I use them side-by-side. I still like my PC, but most days, my Mac gets far more use, because I can get more done on it. Because of its functionality. How can this be? After all, I didn’t start with Macs, I wasn’t brainwashed into using them. I’ve been exposed to my options. I obviously am not fervently anti-PC, because I still use my PC. I just did my research, and made an educated choice. So - what condescending little pigeonhole would you put me in, then?
Given your previous post on the matter, I find it very ironic that you are calling others bigoted.
Let’s discuss your points, shall we?
Am I a victim of good marketing? No. I don’t watch much TV, and Apple doesn’t have many print ads.
Can I access and tinker with my GUI? Yes I can. There is free software available that allows me to do just that. Do I actually do this? Yes I do.
Is there anything other than a one-button mouse for the Mac? Yes there is. I’m using it now.
Are there any decent applications for the Mac? You’ve heard of Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Adobe GoLive, Adobe Illustrator, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Office, and MS Outlook Express, QuarkXPress, Eudora, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Macromedia Director Shockwave Studio, and Macromedia Flash, haven’t you? They are all very much availble for the Mac. They all sell well on the Mac. Are those titles decent enough for you?
Why am I loyal? As I said in my previous post, I am not. Then why do I keep using my Mac? Because I understand its inner workings better than I understand a PC’s. I know what I’m talking about when it comes to Macs. I am familiar with the OS. I am familiar with things pertaining to this OS. Because of that familiarity, I perform best when using this OS. I have legitimate reasons. Can this be any clearer?
Oh, and in case you were looking to pigeonhole me as well, I have been using PCs for the last five years.
TheRyan-- There is a program called GoMac that puts a Windows-like taskbar at the bottom of the screen. It is customizable, and is recommended for users doing the platform switch. It can be found here.
Also, some applications make it optional to open a new window at launch. For some, the default is no new window. It is an application-side issue, not a Mac OS one.
Why would I need to get beneath the goowie? Everything works great IN the GUI. I run Linux and FreeBSD for my command prompt thrills. The ELEGANCE of the Mac OS is the fact you don’t have to do anything except USE IT. Gosh, there is a novel idea.
Can’t get decent apps? Huh? Which apps? Deathstomper4: The Quickening? Do I need every program that some coder decided to write? The Mac apps my be fewer in quantity, but they are the highest in quality…you can get anything you might want or need on the MacOS platform. It is just plain silly to say otherwise. And with VirtualPC, I can run ANY application made for Windows.
You leave my mouse button out of this, dirty, dirty man!
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[homervoice]mmmmmm…blue[/homervoice]
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Um, that’s a great commentary and all, but I believe that most of the Mac users have clearly stated we use both platforms, while certain PC users have said “Macs do suck”. Who sounds more like a “blind loyalist” here? More… “criminal”?
Hmmmm?
What are you smokin’, man? Where do you get this stuff?