Back to Mac

[Husky]

With my recent streak of using XP for years and years, I recently refamiliarised myself with the awesomeness of Mac OS X (10.5.5 aka Leopard to be specific).

Currently, I really think Mac as the OS of choice for everybody except heavy gamers. My list of positives/negatives.

Positives:

• You can install Windows XP and Vista onto Intel based Macs and run it perfectly (I have been doing this for about 2 years now, no probs).
• Looks great, performs better.
• 10 second boot time to a usable state.
• All major programs are supported. All Adobe products, Microsoft text products (although there are now better alternatives), 3D Modelling Apps (Maya, Cinema 4D, Poser), Browsers etc, etc.
• No need for anti-viruses/anti-spyware!
• All Blizzard Games (the best ones) supported!
• Can now run Mac's off PC hardware. You can now build a cheap Mac, upgrade them etc (see Hackintosh/OSx86)
• Apple applications are generally 10 times better than Microsoft ones, and a lot more stable (such as iPhoto, iMovie, Pages etc).
  

Negatives:

• Games... although more of the bigger titles are becoming supported... slowly.
• Minor apps generally not supported, although there are frequently alternatives.

Seriously, Apple rawks.

 

[TheDamien]

I notice a large group of "false positives" that are not actually advantages of the operating system, but rather the lack of a specific disadvantage compared to other operating systems.

• All major programs are supported. All Adobe products, Microsoft text products (although there are now better alternatives), 3D Modelling Apps (Maya, Cinema 4D, Poser), Browsers etc, etc.
• All Blizzard Games (the best ones) supported!
• Can now run Mac's off PC hardware. You can now build a cheap Mac, upgrade them etc (see Hackintosh/OSx86)

None of the above are positives because they do not constitute a Mac specific advantage. Being able to run most 'major' software, for example, is no more an advantage of an OS than support for USB devices is.

You can install Windows XP and Vista onto Intel based Macs and run it perfectly (I have been doing this for about 2 years now, no probs).

I find it odd that being able to boot to a different operating system is listed as a conspicuous advantage.

Looks great, performs better.

For you, maybe. I have used several operating systems, and out of all of them I can say that I find OS X the least aesthetically pleasing. I prefer the Windows classic look to the overwrought visual styles of more recent operating systems. As for performance, I have never noticed a difference between my XP and the Macs I have used in the past.

10 second boot time to a usable state.

The only real difference I have noticed in boot time between operating systems is that Linux tends to boot quite quickly compared to others. Considering that booting constitutes an extremely small portion of a persons time at their computer, I do not value a few seconds difference.

No need for anti-viruses/anti-spyware!

I wouldn't say that a small user base is an inherent feature of the operating system.

Apple applications are generally 10 times better than Microsoft ones, and a lot more stable (such as iPhoto, iMovie, Pages etc).

I must be the only person who uses Microsoft software and has not experienced the mystical stability and performance issues that everyone complains about. Several of the iLife applications are very good and lack proper Microsoft counterparts, but I have never found myself in need of any of these things.

 

[Flare]

Considering that booting constitutes an extremely small portion of a persons time at their computer, I do not value a few seconds difference.

Well, long load times can be really frustrating at times

 

[sqrage]

>>Currently, I really think Mac as the OS of choice for everybody except heavy gamers. My list of positives/negatives.

You're talking about Mac OS and yet you go on to say you can install Windows onto an Intel based Apple computer.

>>10 second boot time to a usable state.

Takes about that time or less here on Windows XP. You just have to have decent specs and not install a bunch of garbage.

>>Can now run Mac's off PC hardware. You can now build a cheap Mac, upgrade them etc (see Hackintosh/OSx86)

Haven't you seen the news where a company was trying to sell custom built computers with Mac OS and got sued by Apple?



Apple is still a horrible company imo. They control their users way too much (look at the App Store for example), iPods will be the only thing I'll ever buy from them.

 

[Lord_Phoenix]

Honestly, I've had to reset my macbook WAY more times than my PC.

I still consider PC > Macs.

1) Easy costomability. I wanna upgrade: split open my case and put in more stuff!

2) More hardware support: PCs run most everything since they're still mainstream. There is almost always extensive documentation and mods for every part of a computer including overclocking. If something goes wrong, usually you can figure it out by yourself without having to contact support.

3) Cheaper: I built my PC for $1700 (not including sound card which was another 200, so $1900 total) I specced my PC on the mac site (2.88 Mhz intel dual core, 768 Mb graphics card, 4 GB ram, 250 gb HD) and it costs 3100 for mac to build my PC. Even then, it won't be able to run my sound card (which has up to 7.1 surround).

4) Mac products only function well with other Mac products. PC products work with pretty much everything including macs.

5) PCs have more freeware (I Wanna Be the Guy, Emulators, etc.)

6) Have you ever seen a pro gamer play on a Mac?

7) Apple only supports one or two codex's for Vent, meaning you really can't use it effectively.

8) Blizz programs have issues on a mac (war3 doesn't close properly, sc randomly closes, etc. Yes I have the most up to date patches)

 

[Varine]

So what happens when I want to upgrade my video card on a Mac and nothing else?

And I fail to see why most of your 'advantages' are advantages as I kind of expect my computer to do most of them. And Macs have viruses. Maybe not as many as for PC (probably because it's not very much fun to fuck a mac up, as I've found they tend to do that themselves quite frequently), but if you get one then there's not as much support. Have fun getting it off.

 

[Husky]

I just wrote a long reply arguing all your points but then accidently closed the wrong tab, so I lost it all. Although I disagree with what a lot of you said, I can't be bothered writing it all again.

I also (somehow) didn't realise this would turn into a PC vs Mac thing, so i'm gonna close this. But seriously, if you haven't used a Mac for an extended period of time and on a regular basis (I mean, more than one evening at your friends house a few years back) then don't judge it harshly. I've been using Macs and PC's in the same household since I was a toddler. I do love PC's (probably more than Macs) but I just find Mac a much more pleasant, user friendly, OS to use.

To each his own.