Out of Sheer Curiosity

[rushthatspeaks]

What is it that all the technophiles I know love so much about Macs? Honest question; I've used Windows all my life and so don't really know much about Macs beyond the fact that I can't find anything on them. My only real problem with Windows has been that giving Bill Gates any more money feels insanely redundant. Given that, I'd be willing to switch, if people can give me some reasons why a Mac is a better idea. (Bear in mind that my learning curve on a computer approaches a straight line and that it took me two years to figure out how to actually change my wallpaper, so changing OSs is something of a commitment to a couple of years of total confusion.)

Comments

The basic answer...

[thespooniest.livejournal.com]

They Just Work.

No, really; that's about it. You plug it in and it works, and generally there are no surprises. This is in large part because the Mac userbase is pretty intolerant of crap software, and small enough to ensure that bad software and hardware just Does Not Sell (there have been a few notable exceptions in the past, such as Word 6.0, but even in that case Microsoft had to keep releasing patches for 5.0).

But maybe it'd be better to show you, rather than tell you. When you come down for Katsucon, I can give you a quick tour of how I set up Majel (which should still be quite fresh in my mind, given that she hasn't arrived yet). Will might be able to show you even sooner than that, though I don't know his schedule.

Re: The basic answer...

[tirerim.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's pretty accurate. For example, this is what I had to do to get on Bryn Mawr's network the first time: I sat down in Canaday and opened my computer. That's it. (Of course, then I had to get fiddledragon to register it for me, but I didn't have to do anything to get it to that point.) Also, it's crashed a total of three times in the three months I've had it, and I suspect that those may all be due to my extensive use of not-fully-tested software; if you stick to the standard stuff (which will probably let you do everything you want), you'll have even less trouble than that.

Puck here is also available for tours, and is frequently located in either Canaday or Erdman (Canaday at the moment).

A less biased answer

[syonakeleste.livejournal.com]

I've seen some Macs, mostly at work, that still do Things. However, they generally function correctly again when restarted, and I've never seen one lose important content (as, say, the hard drive or operating system) without prolonged warning, coming as I do from a combined PC-mac family. They tend to last longer and have more up-to-date features (e.g., at the moment it's MUCH easier to burn a cd from a mac than a PC or use a wireless connection), but they're more expensive and I'm fairly sure more difficult to upgrade. I intend to switch back to Mac for my next computer (presuming I can't manage Linux), as photoediting is much easier, and there's always my growing collection of NightWalker and Hellsing snapshots to think about...

Re: A less biased answer

[wayman.livejournal.com]

Note that at this point, there's very little difference between Mac and Linux, in that the underlying structure of OS X is a sort of cross between FreeBSD and NeXT flavors of Unix; so it's easy to just open a terminal window and command-line away. But that's only there for those who want to use it, and I suspect that (the local concentration of geeks notwithstanding) most users of OS X never open a terminal window for anything. The GUI is great, and the two work very well together.

Re: A less biased answer

[tirerim.livejournal.com]

Mac desktops (not including iMacs and eMacs) are actually quite easy to upgrade; laptops are, well, laptops, and thus don't have much space for upgrades, but I think this is true of all laptops. There's enough room for enough extra RAM and a wireless card (which fits conveniently inside instead of sticking out like they do on most laptops), and plenty of easily accessible ports for attaching external devices. (The larger laptops may also have more internal space; I'm not sure.)

[khava.livejournal.com]

I'm a technophile and I hate macs. I think they look like dinky toy fake computers, from case to OS. Plus, I can never figure out how to make them do what I want.

I agree with Jessie that the differences between XP and previous versions of Windows are minimal. Unless you're trying to do something very fancy, which almost certainly you won't be.

Re:

[tirerim.livejournal.com]

To be fair, I have the same complaints about Windows machines.

Re:

[syonakeleste.livejournal.com]

I am, of course, not as savvy as Khava when it comes to technology, but after many bad experiences I refuse to deal with XP if I can avoid doing so. Very little that can be changed optionally in the earlier systems is in the same place in XP, and when I've actually managed to find it, it's been so dumbed-down that I can't make it do what I want. This is the main reason I don't plan to continue with PCs.

[wayman.livejournal.com]

As has been said before, with Macs, "plug and play" is the reality, not just a catchphrase. Plug it into a network where you're visiting? It just works. Borrowing a friend's scanner? It just works. Plug in a digital camera? It just works. You'll never have to worry about drivers again, and you'll rarely need to touch the system preferences.

Macs do tend to be longlived, and to start their lifecycle ahead of PCs on the technology curve. (Microsoft's R&D strategy for the past twenty years could be summed up as "see what Apple did last year and copy it".)

Macs (with OS X) don't crash. (They did under OS 9 and previous operating systems, but a crash under OS X is something I've never personally seen in 20 months of heavy use.) Individual applications do lock up periodically, but there is an easy way to "Ctrl-Alt-Del" them (though not with those keys) which (as I understand it) leaves no lingering problems in the computer memory (unlike what happens on Windows). You don't need to periodically reboot because the computer gets sluggish.

You'll never have to worry about getting a virus again, because Mac hardware and software doesn't have the gaping security holes present in Windows (and exploited by bored teenagers everywhere).

Macs are aesthetically pleasing. I admit it, this figures into my love of Macs, though it's not primarily responsible for it. Apple is very good at design, and since I spend so much time using my computer, it's nice that beyond being an excellent machine (for all the above reasons) it's also beautiful and fun to use.

I think what it comes down to is, the extra cost you generally pay for a Mac over a PC is paying for the elimination of a large amount of frustration from your life over the next four or five years.

[gallian.livejournal.com]

okay, so the mac-o-philes who have more regular access to computers have beaten me to the main points.

but i think what it can really boil down to is that you like what you're used to.
khava started with windows machines so she'll always think they're easier.
wayman, tirerim, spooniest, and i (at least i did, i can't necesarily speak for the rest, but my first computer that was mine was an apple iic) all started with macs. so naturally we think they're easiest.
this is no way meant to discredit the very real arguments they make (and i'm a mac-lover too, as well you know) just to offer perspective.

and also as wayman pointed out a while back. take a look at who your computer support network is, and what machines we/they use. i don't know how much that'll influence you in your decision, but perhaps since as you say it takes you a long time to learn things about any computer, it should at least play a part.

i'm done rambling now.

Re:

[wayman.livejournal.com]

Actually, I started on PCs and was a diehard Mac hater through my first several years at Swat.

Re:

[khava.livejournal.com]

Not true. I started with an Apple IIC as well.

Re:

[gallian.livejournal.com]

apparently, i'm just lying through my teeth.

but i think the point still stands.
you like what you're used to.

gallian.

My 2 Cents

[aurelia-star.livejournal.com]

My experiences with ALL MACS has always been abysmal. Maybe it's just ME, but they dont like me at all. I LOVE my PC. I really do. The one I have at the moment is a piece of crap, but the new HP computer Im getting will be wonderful.

Personally, I hate and detest Macs. Get a PC.

~Em

Entirely unrelatedly

[wayman.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'll bring things over on Friday. (Since this seems like the best way to contact you.)

Macs and PCs

[eredien]

I started out using a Mac. (Well, that's not true, actually the first computer I ever saw and used was cartridge-based(!)). But the first computers I ever really used were Macs; I used an Apple IIe and then some other random apple models throughout the early 90's in elementary school. That's about 4 years of Mac use.

At the same time, my dad had gotten a PC (a 286, before there were Pentiums) for business. It sat around for a few years before I got around to hooking it up. That one was the family computer from about fourth until seventh grade.

So I basically got exposed to both platforms from the start.

Now I work at Guild, and am daily exposed to the failings and best bits of both systems (in my opinion, computers in a public multimedia lab are a good example, because those are put under the worst possible operating conditions, where they are exposed to heavy daily use in graphics-intensive tasks that take up a lot of hard drive space, memory, and often have a lot of weird peripherals connected to them by the wrong software) in their current incarnations.

This is my honest opinion: go out to the Mac Store along Lancaster and in KoP mall. Use the macs there. Ask Wayman to let you use his mac, or Tirerim. Then go to a CompUSA or something and use the PCs there. Use my PC. Use Rabidfangurl's laptop.

Use them, and see what you like.
It is a personal preference.
Choose what you feel most comfortable using--it won't help you if your computer never crashes if you can't find where you stored that file last week.

Macs:
Good - I like the way that Macs look and the look of the graphical interface. They are incredibly easy to plug-and-play--you literally do just plug things into them and it works. They don't crash as often as PCs and are more resistant to viruses that exploit Windows. You aren't giving money to Gates. There is more free software out there for macs than most people think.
Bad - I think they are slightly overpriced. You would have to learn a slightly new way of working with the basic interface--how do you change the volume? How do you shrink a window? You might need to replace software: for example, I would have to go out and spend money on a mac version of Photoshop. I cannot say if this would be a concern for you. You will have to get parts specifically from retailers that sell Macs, should something need upgrading or go wrong. It's also a personal way of working: I can't stand the way the directory hierarchy is shown and so it's hard for me to reliably tell where my files are being saved. I don't like the way the windows minimize. Some people love this.

PCs:
Good - I think you get a little more raw computing power for your money than you do with Macs. You don't have to learn a new interface--they essentially just gave the old one a facelift. There is also a lot of free software out there for PCs, and the pay software that there is will be easier to buy in a computer store--with Macs sometimes you must special order. It is easier to upgrade with parts when it starts getting a litte slow because you can buy them from the Best Buy and do not have to special order stuff from the Mac Store.
Bad - The older a PC gets, the more unstable it gets. This is true to some extent with any computer, but it is more visible with PCs. You can do things to them to get them to be more stable, but it is time-consuming and a hassle and you have to know what you are doing. New versions of windows handle plug-and-play stuff better than old versions, but are still not as good at it as macs.

Part 2, Macs and PCs

[eredien]

My motto is: I don't need another computer until the one I am using now doesn't do what I need it to do anymore. It really doesn't mattre what kind of computer that is: treated well, and provided you don't need excessively up-to-date technology in order to make Pixar movies at home, either type of computer will last at least five years, which is when it will either die irreparably anyway or a new technology will come along so cool that you need to have it (CD drives, DVD drives, for example).

Both computer types will let you do what you need to do (email, internet, word processing, maybe a little scanning or movie-editing)with basically little hassle. It's just how you do it that changes, and that's something you can pick yourself.

One final note: I believe that no matter what kind of computer you pick, you'll have someone to help you when it crashes, you're installing new stuff, it's slow and you need to install more memory chips, or if it appears to need CPR. Between us, Weirdquark and I can take care of basic Mac matters, and Spooniest will be able to help with serious stuff and customization. I and probably Brent will be able to do everything to your PC short of reconstituting it after it has been smashed by an elephant stampede. So you won't be learning it alone, whichever computer type you choose.