Mac Vs. Windows

[mirror70]

I'm an art director, and my department uses nothing but PCs. Tell me one thing a Mac can do (graphic design related) that a PC can't do.

How about allow an app like Photoshop to address more than 4GB of RAM?

[mirror70]

Oh, I forgot the best part, I can't run my favourite games on it so I'm way more productive.

With BootCamp, you can run them natively.

[mirror70]

Which is best depends on your use of it. For engineering, Windows is better because all engineering software runs on it.

I run SolidWorks on my MacBookPro every day. It runs perfectly.

There isn't a single piece of engineering software out there which can't be run on the current crop of Macs.

[Guest Ghostrider]

Might as well cut to the real question of picking a Mac over windows..

Are you a democrat or republican?

[Kent]

Not really an apples to apples comparison b/w hardware and OS and as they are built for different users/needs. Apple does a better job offering a "vanilla" product for relatively low-tech but high-entertainment needs.

Of course, with a PC you have more control over your own experience and performance, especially with Windows Vista.

If you're in the market for new hardward, I'd personally hold off until OEM Vista is shipping. Of course, at that same time, manufacturers will make a compelling case to buy an XP machine.

[willywhit]

Got a look at the new Windows Vista yesterday and it's a pretty impressive OS. After reading Odyssey: Pepsi to Apple by John Sculley I really have to say that Steve Jobs seems like a complete kook.

[skategoat]

Kind of like picking a snowboard, eh? First, decide what you're going to use it for, determine your skill level, budget, and future needs then choose accordingly.

What's better? Burton Vapor or a Coiler Pure Carve?

[Justin A.]

Might as well cut to the real question of picking a Mac over windows..

Are you a democrat or republican?

Answer: Im a gun owning 19 year old who thinks that a person's money is theirs once they earn it, the war in iraq is nessicary at this point in time, will be studying in Canada, is kinda nuts about the environment, drives a saab, can't stand the liberal media.

I don't know if Im a democrat or a republican, but I want a Mac :lol:

________

Suzuki Aerio History

[Guest Ghostrider]

drives a saab

Say no more...you're making a wise decision then.

that apple sticker will feel at home:D

[Justin A.]

Say no more...you're making a wise decision then.

that apple sticker will feel at home:D

hey! its a new one and I will NEVER....NEVER put any stickers on it! I was sold on the Mac as soon as I started fiddling at the Apple store a few days ago and I was able to work it immediatley. It took me most of my life to learn windoze and I still don't get it.

I'll put the apple sticker on my new R6.

________

Yamaha r15 history

[bobdea]

Not really an apples to apples comparison b/w hardware and OS and as they are built for different users/needs. Apple does a better job offering a "vanilla" product for relatively low-tech but high-entertainment needs.

Of course, with a PC you have more control over your own experience and performance, especially with Windows Vista.

window is in the dark ages in a few departments, for one the GUI is is weak

customizability is one a moot point because most people don't customize and two you're wrong, windows is hardly customizable compared OS X without registry hacks and this party software that you often have to pay for

half the features of the standard Apple OS you have to go out and buy XP pro to get anyway or go download a bunch of stuff and configure it

willywhit, Jobs is a kook but the dude has been doing a good job, coming from sculley who helped dig apple into one hell of a hole that they almost did not get out of

anything he has to say about Jobs would be like Neville Chamberlain saying Churchill is a kook

[Kent]

window is in the dark ages in a few departments, for one the GUI is is weak

customizability is one a moot point because most people don't customize and two you're wrong, windows is hardly customizable compared OS X without registry hacks and this party software that you often have to pay for

half the features of the standard Apple OS you have to go out and buy XP pro to get anyway or go download a bunch of stuff and configure it

Bob - I'm not talking about changing an icon or putting up wallpaper, but rather core performance-related issues which are native in enterprise editions of XP generally not available through OEM channels.

Rather than talk about XP, you can view the latest advancements for Vista here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/community/enhancements.mspx

Although..Bitlocker appears to be getting all the attention.

[willywhit]

willywhit, Jobs is a kook but the dude has been doing a good job, coming from sculley who helped dig apple into one hell of a hole that they almost did not get out of

anything he has to say about Jobs would be like Neville Chamberlain saying Churchill is a kook

Big Bob, can you make ANY sense of this ? I don't know WHO to believe.I really did like what little I've seen of the Mac but it just didn't seem designed for the "real" world. I'd still like to get one for the pics and video we have since it seems geared for graphix and making pretty pictures.

I still think Jobs is an evil genius.

http://www.crazyapplerumors.com/?p=628#comments

Sources within Apple indicate a disturbing trend in recent months. CEO Steve Jobs has become veritably incomprehensible.

Sources were unable to state exactly why that might be, but indicated that Jobs - after several recent trips to India to discuss the opening of a new facility that was subsequently closed - had been studying with a new yogi who has been teaching him the mystic arts of non-sequitur enlightenment.

Let’s look at the results in this edition of… Inside Apple.

HEAD OF MAC HARDWARE ENGINEERING PETER MEHRING: Steve, we’ve got a tough decision ahead of us and only you can make it. It’s our belief that if we introduce both a $500 mini-laptop and a $500 tablet device, both will fail as they’ll cannibalize each other’s sales. So, what’s it gonna be, Steve? Mini-laptop or tablet?

STEVE JOBS: Well, you know, it is a tough decision. I know people at this company have worked hard on both projects, so some are going to be terribly disappointed. But eventually daddy’s got to make his own Jell-O, you know? He’s gotta make him some bacon-wrapped pudding. A little oven-roasted hamster. With tiny little white paper things on its feet. You know what I’m talking about. Anyway… that’s where I come down.

[willywhit]

stranger than fiction, or is it ? :

http://www.crazyapplerumors.com/?cat=12

Jobs’ Bathroom Conversation Caught On Tape.

Just days after CNN host Kyra Phillips forgot to turn off her microphone and was heard on-the-air in the bathroom, a recording of Apple CEO Steve Jobs in the bathroom at WWDC has surfaced.

Sources on the sound crew at WWDC forwarded to Crazy Apple Rumors Site a recording of a conversation between Jobs and Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller - which apparently took place just after the keynote - in the Moscone Center men’s room.

[A prolonged silence followed by more whistling.]

JOBS: Sooo…

SCHILLER: Sooo…

JOBS: Uh… see that… game… last night?

SCHILLER: Uh, hockey doesn’t start until October.

JOBS: Oh. Isn’t there… baseball or something?

SCHILLER: Nyeah, but the Sox are…

JOBS: The… Sox?

SCHILLER: The Red Sox.

JOBS: Oh. I’ve heard of them. I like that Damon guy.

SCHILLER: Uh… yeah. He’s, um… not… well. Yeah.

[A prolonged silence followed by more whistling.]

SCHILLER: I’m just realizing this but… we’ve never… been in the bathroom at the same time before.

JOBS: No. I guess you’re right.

SCHILLER: How is that possible? We’ve been working together for a long time.

JOBS: Well, I don’t go to the bathroom at Apple.

SCHILLER: You… don’t…

JOBS: No. I find that if I have a full bladder, I work better. I have a bigger sense of urgency in everything I do.

SCHILLER: Oh. Wow. That’s… that’s cool. Sort of twisted zen kind of thing. Maybe I should try…

JOBS: I’m so messing with you.

SCHILLER: Wha… Oh! Ha-ha! Ahhh, you got me!

JOBS: Yeah. I don’t really do that.

[A prolonged silence followed by more whistling.]

[bobdea]

Kent, for mircrosoft to suggest that using USB drives as VM is uhh classic

is vista that much of a memory hog?

Whats the sense in using VM over USB, the bandwidth of USB is slow, slower than that of my old ATA/66 drives, these days everyone is using serial ATA so using USB would a step backwards.

Actually, I've been using Vista and it is not too bad but still bears many of the problems that have been issues with XP and some new issue

YES! I know it's a beta but still.

Bitlocker is another feature that is two years behind Linux and OS X, both OSes had a encryption for for user accounts years ago, the difference with Vista is that it now appears that the whole system is.

I don't know if with OS X you can encrypt the system files other than the virtual memory that is left on the disk but you can encrypt the users and all their associated files, with the Linux distros there are a bunch of options but they are a pain in the ass to use.

Superfetch should be effective but it is either not part of the vista beta from a couple months ago or does not work, so far I am not impressed, the OS still "passes out" for second or two just like XP does after waking or after awhile of not being used but not sleeping either.

Same thing happens in mac OS as well, for me though I have a script that runs "periodic daily" every hour or so when the computer is idle and this solves that problem.

this could be due to log files that build up.

The auto defrag should be a great thing, not sure why windows disks get so scattered but this should improve performance.

[Gleb]

Yup, you'll want a KVM switch (Keyboard Video Mouse). Some of these switch audio too. Best Buy/Circuit City has these on the shelves. If you want it cheaper and more options, check out www.newegg.com

yep i got one of those. Works like a dream. I got an extra if you want it.

[Kent]

Not sure why I'm replying to this thread again......

Readyboost is a VERY cool feature. Pretty much you'll need 2x your RAM on the FLASH device to work well. (i.e. 1GB PC, you'll want a 2GB drive). Note there is a BIG difference b/w manufacturers USB flash transfer rates.....

You could use SD, but high speed USB is faster.

Anyhoo....if you don't like/need it, don't use it.

Otherwise, when you insert a memory device...you'll see the plug/play dialouge box pop open and ask if you would like to use it as a way to increase your performance.

As for the security issues...there's a big difference b/w enterprise-level security and consumer needs.

K

[Speedzilla]

I have nothing of value to offer this thread......except....

I can't stand Macs and I hate iPods.

Thanks, carry on.

[djlepper]

Justin,

back to OP.

I work daily on both. Both have their pros and cons. The question I would ask myself is "what am I going to use it for".

If we're just talking ms office, internet, mail etc - can't go wrong with either.

Macs are easy and fun, look nice etc, but majority of websites are written for IE, not for Safari and some stuff does not open corectly on Mac. PCs have more free software available, and extra components are cheap and easy to get.

But if you have specific software in mind I would research what is more stable, what has less problems, and if all of the features are available on both platforms.

Well, that's my .02 :)

-matt

[Derf]

I have nothing of value to offer this thread......except....

I can't stand Macs and I hate iPods.

Thanks, carry on.

On an other note, in English, you can't pronounce iPod without "hype".

[Maciek]

I know that this has been done to death, but I can't find the threads.

Im just looking for some pros and cons of each. Right now Im HEAVILY favoring getting a new Mac instead of another PC. Any thoughts?

Thanks Guys!

I have been using Mac Intel since they released them. Actually I ordered my Core Duo Mini the day Jobs announced it and I am happy with it... typing this message from it.

I still have some PC box that gets started up every some time, but if want to run something on Windows I really use installation in Parallels Desktop that is the ONLY usable emulator and way beyond capabilities of Virtual PC. If you still want to have exclusive use of hardware in fully native way then new Mac's with next OS X will be dual boot (beta version you can already install on current system), but it requires at least Windows XP. I played with it on iMac in local CompUSA that seemed to have that already (beata version).

Other than that I do not look back to Windows and am in pain when need to work in my office. Anyway Citrix client running remote desktop from office workstation run on my Linux or Mac OSX looks funny but it is usable.

These days nobody needs to be affraid to go to Mac OSX. Even those who used some proprietary ActiveX solutions seem to getting smarter and understand that there is a need for Mac OSX users. If no then install your Windows copy in Parallels Desktop ($79 license) and you can even play your movies with Power DVD smoothly. Yes it does work fine.

[Maciek]

Not really an apples to apples comparison b/w hardware and OS and as they are built for different users/needs. Apple does a better job offering a "vanilla" product for relatively low-tech but high-entertainment needs.

Of course, with a PC you have more control over your own experience and performance, especially with Windows Vista.

If you're in the market for new hardward, I'd personally hold off until OEM Vista is shipping. Of course, at that same time, manufacturers will make a compelling case to buy an XP machine.

Kent,

I am not sure about that "Low-Tech". Surveys proved last year that 1 million of recent converts to Mac were IT professionals. Guess what: freqently on my train commuting to Jersey City office I see some engineer programming some solution in Java environment while listening to iTunes on MacBook, PowerBook, iBook . Yes it is not so popular as Windows, but I would not say low tech. Do not forget that for users of UNIX it is in fact BSD Unix if they want to exploit advanced OS features (scripting is the same as on Linux, Solaris and AIX servers as we perform that for trading, registering cash transaction or processing insurance claims) Front-end does not matter as every "high-tech" business environment seems to prefer primitive Web application apperance just like you probably use for for your online banking.

And I would not hold breath for Vista as it is supposed to be equlizer to Mac OSX experience only. Honestly, historically Microsoft has always been follower of Apple as far as interfaces an ergonomics (some of them were in fact designed by Apple for Microsoft, but it is not widely known fact). Most recent interfaces got so messed up with their overintuitive approach that they became annoying to some engineers (not me because I have been one upset for a long time now). Even integration of solutions is limping, but I would give Microsoft big credit for management of acquired applications from innovative companies over last 20 years. After all they work somehow together with the same logo :D

And as the last remark do not count that that the newest hardware will be released with Windows. Jobs took care of that and relationship between Intel and Apple is slightly tighter than this between Dell and Intel, HP and Intel e.t.c. After all, Steve Jobs is considered entrepreneur of technology for few years now and not any other CEO or engineer. That gives much better chances to Intel directions.

[Guest vigilante76]

Heya! +1 for macs!

I'm a photographer and that's the industry standard... it just works. The only bad thing right now is that not all software is universal...photoshop is quite slow... still a couple of months to wait.

[Kent]

Kent,

I am not sure about that "Low-Tech". Surveys proved last year that 1 million of recent converts to Mac were IT professionals. Guess what: freqently on my train commuting to Jersey City office I see some engineer programming some solution in Java environment while listening to iTunes on MacBook, PowerBook, iBook . Yes it is not so popular as Windows, but I would not say low tech. Do not forget that for users of UNIX it is in fact BSD Unix if they want to exploit advanced OS features (scripting is the same as on Linux, Solaris and AIX servers as we perform that for trading, registering cash transaction or processing insurance claims) Front-end does not matter as every "high-tech" business environment seems to prefer primitive Web application apperance just like you probably use for for your online banking.

And I would not hold breath for Vista as it is supposed to be equlizer to Mac OSX experience only. Honestly, historically Microsoft has always been follower of Apple as far as interfaces an ergonomics (some of them were in fact designed by Apple for Microsoft, but it is not widely known fact). Most recent interfaces got so messed up with their overintuitive approach that they became annoying to some engineers (not me because I have been one upset for a long time now). Even integration of solutions is limping, but I would give Microsoft big credit for management of acquired applications from innovative companies over last 20 years. After all they work somehow together with the same logo :D

And as the last remark do not count that that the newest hardware will be released with Windows. Jobs took care of that and relationship between Intel and Apple is slightly tighter than this between Dell and Intel, HP and Intel e.t.c. After all, Steve Jobs is considered entrepreneur of technology for few years now and not any other CEO or engineer. That gives much better chances to Intel directions.

You do understand I work for Bill and Steve, right? Much of what you wrote is editorial and not factual.....so I'd prefer not to clarify each point.

Currently I'm running Vista RC1 Build 5600 and it's running like a champ.

As mentioned...I enjoy Apple toys, very stable.

My PM should be on for anybody who has questions regarding Beta products.

[Raisputin]

Mac:

Pros:

MacOS X: BSD Unix based machine with a beautiful GUI. Immune[1] to viruses and spyware

Integration: It just plain works.[2]

Applications: What do most people use their computers for these days? Internet Access, E-Mail, Web Surfing, Taxes, Checkbook, Photos, Music, Games....The Mac does all of these

OS Support: MacOS X, Windows XP[3] (Native), NetBSD (Native), other BSD's (Native), Linux (Native)

Cost: Initial cost perhaps slightly higher in the laptop market, but there is also no need for Norton Internet Security and your machine will not be in the shop getting repaired every few months because it is inundated with spyware[4]

Cons:

Applications: You can;t go to your local Wal*Mart, Costco, etc. and find software that you want typically.

Games: If you are a hardcore gamer, forget the Mac, though it is getting better, there are infinitely more games available and available sooner on the WIntel platform.

Service: On those rare occasions where you may indeed need to take your machine to the shop for repairs, finding a qualified Mac person is extremely difficult unless you are in a larger city.

PC:

Pros:

Cost: PC's are still cheaper than macs[5]

Games: Ummm nothing to say here, Windows world is where games are at.

Specialized Applications:There are a lot of specialized applications, particularly those that require direct hardware access, that just are not available on the mac.

OS Support: WindowsN, Linux, BSD, Solaris, MacOS X[6]

Cons:

Service: Typically, for the normal user[4] a PC will go into the shop at least once or twice a year, depending on the shop this can get expensive. In my area, which is pretty small, the lowest shop rate is $50/hr with a 1 hour minimum. That translates to $50-$100/yr in ownership cost for repairs[7]

Viruses/Malware: You are going to need a good Antivirus program on your machine, most people will purchase Norton or McAfee which will come on their machine as a 3 month trial (~$50), additionally you will need to get some anti-spyware software (I would recommend, Spybot Search and Destroy, Ad-Aware SE and SpywareBlaster) You can pay for Ad-Aware and have it run automatically, or run it manually. Do this weekly, costing you valuable time that you could spend being productive.

OS: I find myself contantly going to the command-line and using DOS commands. The Windows GUI, while it has gotten MUCH better over the years is still lightyears behind that of MacOS X, it is inconsistant and over time Microsoft continues to add 5 different ways/places to do one thing. It is not good UI design.

Integration: Plug-and-Play still doesn't work like it does on the Mac platform. Sometimes drivers install automatically, sometimes they don't, sometimes they install and work properly, sometimes they don't.

With all of that being said, I would recommend a Mac. As for my own background in I.T. 16+ years of experience on Macs, PC's, Sun Solaris machines, SGI Irix machines, HP/UX machines, VAX/VMS machines and a whole host of other crap. As I get older My view is kinda like this:

Mac: Workstations/Servers for most things I need to do

PC's: Games

Sun: Servers that are bulletproof

SGI Irix: Not really used anymore by me.

HP/UX: Not really used anymore by me.

VAX/VMS: Been way too long since I used one of these.

[1] I say immune meaning that there have been no viruses or spyware for Macs since the introduction of MacOS X. If you are dumb enough to download something questionable and then type in your admin password, you are on your own

[2] Except when it doesn't ;)

[3] On Intel-based Macs

[4] This is assuming a regular user, not someone who understands viruses, spyware, etc. (e.g. not even at beginner tech level)

[5] WHile PC's are still cheaper, what most people don't realize is that they are not getting an equivalent machine. Look at what is included on each and then configure them equally.

[6] MacOS X via a hacked intel version that is on the internet. No official support from Apple.

[7] Repairs, not including the cost of any hardware that may be needed.