Discussion: Mac vs. PC (2 Viewers)

[ClockworkSoldier]

I'm not sure if this has been covered before, I did a search and it turned up no results. A merger/deletion will take place if this is the case I guess.

I was talking about this with people on the TAFE forums, and thought that this may be a good place to bring the argument.

I want actual VALID arguments about the old Mac vs. PC debate.

- I do not want fanboy "Windows/Mac is the best because it pwns" posts.
- No simple slagging off of the other O.S with no evidence/supporting argument.
- Posts should be of substance, referring to old and new technology and history of the companies.
- Again, NO "Windows/Mac is the best because it PWNS and everything else is n00b" posts.

From myself and various posters on the TAFE Moodle forums:

People are unfamiliar with Mac as society has grown up with the Windows platform. Mac is growing in market share, for good reason.

Gone are the days where Mac was "more stable" then windows, they both crash as much as each other etc. Mac is more simple to maintain though. I know that it is hard for the average joe not-very-technological to maintain a windows PC much past six months, whereas Mac does most of it's own maintenence behind the scenes.

I noticed with windows that the O.S' system management seems to be lacking compared to Mac OSX. I had XP installed on my MacBook Pro and it ran the CPU harder, the battery had a shorter lifespan (now needs a serivce according to Leopard) and the computer generally ran it's hardware warmer... To the point that under ANY strenuous use it would heat up to the point that I couldn't have it sit on my lap.

Basically, the old Mac vs. PC debate boils down to people's willingness to accept new things, in this case, an unfamiliar O.S. Those closed-minded individuals will yell "PC PC PC!" or "MAC MAC MAC!" and most likely haven't used the other for more than an hour.

The PC was designed as an open architecture system ie. open the case and build your own. after the apple 2e, Apple went for a closed box system ie you couldnt open it up and put your own graphics card in them for example.

The first PC's where monochrome monitors, green text on a black (Yes I am old enough to have used one) and people didnt like that a lot whereas the mac was black text on a white screen, more normal. Also macs used the first gui operating system. They were very portable as well, so they got adopted by the advertising industry and still dominate it, why? Portability and ease of set up when giving a design brief and presentation to a client. A PC was about 5 trips down the lift and a lot of messing about to set them up.

So Macs are still the prefered system in the graphic art and advertising industry.

mac computers have better software and are less succeptible to viruses than pc. not to mention that when you buy a mac you get the full version of a program, not some trial version that expires in 30 days.

"Less succeptible to viruses than pc."

This isn't exactly the case. Mac viruses are becoming more common, and will continue to grow with Apple's increase in market share.

You also get the full version of Windows installed on a PC when you buy a new computer. It is illegal to sell a PC without an O.S. When you install Windows yourself, it asks for a product key, as does every type of copyrighted software out there (even Mac OS-X Snow Leopard) and if you bought the C.D, or a license key, you enter it otherwise you get the 30 day trial and it locks you out after for their own copyright protection.

If you don't have the key with OS-X, you get a trial/lockout sequence or just inability to instal the O.S. at all.

Go.

 

[mcflystargirl]

I have tried OSX on my netbook, I think it all comes down to personal preference, i personally did not like it more then windows, nor do i like windows more then OSX (I am using windows 7)
I run windows because it suits my needs

 

[Arcorn]

I noticed with windows that the O.S' system management seems to be lacking compared to Mac OSX. I had XP installed on my MacBook Pro and it ran the CPU harder, the battery had a shorter lifespan (now needs a serivce according to Leopard) and the computer generally ran it's hardware warmer... To the point that under ANY strenuous use it would heat up to the point that I couldn't have it sit on my lap.

Of course it is going to run hotter than OS X on a Macbook, that's because OS X is designed for that hardware, they're also booting into XP which is an older OS so there are likely to be some of those small issues.

Mac hasn't always been the most portable, have you ever heard of the Mac Portable? It was not what you would class as a laptop by any means. Also look at the Apple III, it had no cooling devices which meant that the motherboard warped. Of course this led to the gem of advice that you should pick it up a few inches and then drop it in hopes to put the chips back into place.

Mac are overpriced for the comparative hardware that you could get on a normal PC and you aren't even able to open it up to add in upgrades to your system thus when it becomes outdated you have to buy a new one rather than just upgrading the parts. Not a bad idea for people who fail at working stuff out, right?

Will you really use all the stuff that comes loaded onto the Mac? Most operating systems come with the basics(except Windows, they expect you to buy stuff rather than going Open Source) so you'll have the browser, Office and maybe a few basic games like Sudoku or Freecell. Yes most people won't use these but they only put what is necessary in the OS not all this crap that is installed with Mac OSes. Also don't go on about vendors, that's your fault for being an idiot.

 

[danz90]

I don't wanna get technical, but after being a Windows user for 10+ years, I can say that I MUCH prefer Mac OS X, big time.

 

[LordPc]

I never thought about the max being a closed box while pc is an open box system, thats quite a good point

but one thing about macs that i never understood is the one button mouse thing. ive got a mouse with a left and right click and a scroll with provides a third click. the mac always comes with a 1 button mouse. it just feels like im being sent the message: "you're either with us or against us. the multi button mouse may have a lot of advantages, but we arent going to make things more comfortable for pc users"

 

[seremify007]

I never thought about the max being a closed box while pc is an open box system, thats quite a good point

but one thing about macs that i never understood is the one button mouse thing. ive got a mouse with a left and right click and a scroll with provides a third click. the mac always comes with a 1 button mouse. it just feels like im being sent the message: "you're either with us or against us. the multi button mouse may have a lot of advantages, but we arent going to make things more comfortable for pc users"

Er............ Macs have been using (and supporting) multiple button mice for a long time now. The past few Apple mice have all had multiple buttons (but typically these aren't visible or traced/shaped specifically). You do realise that right? Only exception to this is the Macbooks which required you to place two fingers and tap to get a right click- sounds awkward but you get used to it pretty fast.

 

[seremify007]

I don't wanna get technical, but after being a Windows user for 10+ years, I can say that I MUCH prefer Mac OS X, big time.

Ditto. Yes Mac is much more restrictive, but having things work and make sense is amazing. Sure it's not as customisable as Windows (whether it be XP or Win7), but the stability and general user interface simplicity is far superior. It's not perfect but I'd rather turn on my Mac than my Win7 machine if I'm surfing the net.

One other point- AFAIK there is no decent iPhoto equivalent for Windows.

Back on topic re open/closed- whilst it's costlier for end consumers, Apple's all encompassing hardware+OS has significant benefits such as not having to worry about antipiracy mechanisms or hardware incompatibility. It just works. Microsoft on the other hand (not their fault) have to deal with an infinite number of variations on hardware. Ironically Apple use the same architecture as the Windows based PC's (I'm not an expert in this field so don't quote me) but by limiting what hardware is to be used, it's standardised approach has ensured compatibility.

 

[biopia]

Personally, I am a strong advocate for Mac's running both OS' simultaneously through programs such as VMWare Fusion or Parallels.
For me, it really is the best of both worlds.

 

[ohexploitable]

DIY Linux Distro > everything else IMO

But I'd get a MacBook Pro if I had lots of money because they're really pretty.

 

[Riet]

Mac OSX isn't significantly more stable than Windows anymore that is a fallacy.

Also if you want it that bad just buy an intel based PC and hackintosh it.

 

[LordPc]

Er............ Macs have been using (and supporting) multiple button mice for a long time now. The past few Apple mice have all had multiple buttons (but typically these aren't visible or traced/shaped specifically). You do realise that right? Only exception to this is the Macbooks which required you to place two fingers and tap to get a right click- sounds awkward but you get used to it pretty fast.

of course i know that. just a quick question, how many years (decades might be a better unit of measure) did it take for apple to move from the single button mouse to multiple button + scroll?

 

[ClockworkSoldier]

of course i know that. just a quick question, how many years (decades might be a better unit of measure) did it take for apple to move from the single button mouse to multiple button + scroll?

As far as I know, Microsoft or a subsidiary stole the idea for a mouse off Apple. That's why Apple brought out the one-button mouse, they simply hadn't thought of a second button.

Then it kind of became a trademark, so they kept it.

 

[musing]

Debate between Mac and PC will never end.

 

[Riet]

As far as I know, Microsoft or a subsidiary stole the idea for a mouse off Apple. That's why Apple brought out the one-button mouse, they simply hadn't thought of a second button.

Then it kind of became a trademark, so they kept it.

they both stole it from Xerox so who cares?

 

[tommykins]

I don't actually think there's a real reason Mac > PC other than it's design.

Which is rendered mute the moment you realise you pay 1k+ extra for the that design.

 

[seremify007]

Mac OSX isn't significantly more stable than Windows anymore that is a fallacy.

Also if you want it that bad just buy an intel based PC and hackintosh it.

I was a huge Windows advocate and still continue to use Windows based PCs everywhere (home, office, car)... but if given the choice, I prefer using my iMac and Macbook. Maybe it's just the software I use or whatever, but I personally find my Macs to be a lot more stable and less prone to crashing in my everyday tasks.

 

[ClockworkSoldier]

I was a huge Windows advocate and still continue to use Windows based PCs everywhere (home, office, car)... but if given the choice, I prefer using my iMac and Macbook. Maybe it's just the software I use or whatever, but I personally find my Macs to be a lot more stable and less prone to crashing in my everyday tasks.

Well, Mac doesn't effectively crash and melt down. It just... Kinda... Stops. Or slows down to a point that it's painstakingly slow and annoying to unfreeze.

 

[appletoa]

I don't actually think there's a real reason Mac > PC other than it's design.

Which is rendered mute the moment you realise you pay 1k+ extra for the that design.

Can you tell me where to buy a macbook equivalent for <$300? I would so buy a stack of those....

 

[Sokolov]

Can you tell me where to buy a macbook equivalent for <$300? I would so buy a stack of those....

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shit

 

[ClockworkSoldier]

Of course it is going to run hotter than OS X on a Macbook, that's because OS X is designed for that hardware, they're also booting into XP which is an older OS so there are likely to be some of those small issues.

Just thought of something. XP supports the hardware in a mac easily, the drivers are pre-loaded into the O.S. or easily installed and supported. The hardware is used in many other laptops with no problems. They are almost exactly the same drivers as in OSX... Yet the O.S. runs the CPU harder, the computer hotter and the hardware slower. Why is this?