Forum Moderators: travelin cat
And don't say security.
Also, as was stated by EliteWeb, you get all the benefits of Mac and all the benefits of Unix rolled into one machine.
Furthermore, there is usability. Apple makes the mac and its programs incredibly simple to use and set up. You don't have to spend large amounts of time messing with set ups and such..
With Windows XP, Microsoft has added some of the perks that have always been on apple (Apple innovates, Microsoft duplicates). And admittedly, I havn't had problems with it like I have with previous versions of Windows. Still get a crash every now and then, but overall not bad. Of course I would take a mac any day over a windows PC.
And don't say security.
How about "secureness"? (As in, the complete lack of viruses and worms on Mac OS X.) But moving on...
Unix
Underneath Mac's GUI is a variant of Unix. So I can set up my Mac with virtually identical versions of Perl, PHP, Apache, MySQL, etc., that run on a Unix- or Linux-based server. (I've never found a Windows or Mac Web host that is as good'n'cheap as my Linux-based one.)
Money
I can download those aforementioned common Unix apps for free and learn all about them on my iBook. If I wanted to install .Net and MS SQL Server at home, I'd need to take out a 2nd mortgage. (Thus, like a lot of people, I now know PHP a lot better than I know C#.)
Gorgeous Coolness
I'm looking at my iMac and my Dell. Hey, I *like* my Dell (it runs more games) but it sure is a homely thing.
[edit]spelling correction[/edit]
For most people, the PC mentality is ingrained and they don't understand how a different OS could be that much better than what they already have. Kind of like how I made fun of DVR's (tivo type devices) until I used one. The user experience elegance is something that has to be experienced to be understood, IMHO. :)
Oh and my mac is super secure - I get to watch viruses attempt to exploit my in-house web server all the time. No problems yet!
For most people, the PC mentality is ingrained and they don't understand how a different OS could be that much better than what they already have.
I think the same about those with the Mac mentality. That's why I asked for opinions for those that have used both extensively. I admittedly don't have that much experience on a Mac, so I may be ignorant to many advances that have come forth with OS X. OS X is a giant leap forward. It is finally pretty. Before it was anything but, just drab. I hate that the main toolbar is the same place for everything and you have to switch between application before you can use them. I hate the free floating windows. I despise the one-button mouse. I have a 5-button mouse with a scroller that can scroll vertically and horizontally. I right-click in windows about half as much as I left-click. Yes, I know you can get a multi-button Mac mouse, but the system is still a one button show. I hate how Mac dumbs everything down. I love my Windows Explorer. Who the hell decided that to open the CD tray you drag the icon to the trash bin? Whenever, I used a Mac, it crashed all the time. Same with OSX, though not as much. Windows XP has crashed on me maybe twice since it came out, and I abuse the hell out of it.
Simple to use? I don't see how things could get much simpler to use on a PC. Anything can be tweaked on a PC. Mac seems to me, to be much more difficult to tweak. It doesn't get much simpler than Windows XP's plug and play. I don't have to make sure every little thing is Mac compatible. That would annoy me like crazy, waiting an extra year for the software or game to come out in Mac compatible format.
I too love Unix, Linux, and all the Nix's. I could also install Apache, PHP and MySQL on Windows. I don't because I have a development server I prefer that has all free software that has nothgin to do with MACs, but I could. I also have IIS running on my machine and I have Visual Studio .NET and SQL Server. Mine are free though.
The only thing that I consider more attractive with a MAC is their flat-panel widescreen monitors. They are very snazzy. Besides that I much prefer the look of my PC and Windows.The Mac grey is drab at best.
Are there any other reasons why you prefer the Mac?
I don't see how things could get much simpler to use on a PC.
You don't hear that every day. Well, it's clear you love Windows like a Mac user loves his Mac. You're not about say, for example, "It's that much easier to type accented characters on a Mac? I'm switching today!"
There are a lot of people out there who use PC's but feel about them about the same way they feel about their VCR's: they don't want to throw them away, but still find them pretty annoying. Some of these people try a Mac at school or a friends house, and feel about them the way you feel about Windows. That's the long and short of it.
I have one question, though, before we play "Point by Point." How did you get that free MS Software? Or did your company pay for it? I mean, where's the line start?
Who the hell decided that to open the CD tray you drag the icon to the trash bin?
Not sure, but he probably worked at Xerox. It's not 1984 anymore: press the eject key or F12.
Whenever, I used a Mac, it crashed all the time. Same with OSX, though not as much. Windows XP has crashed on me maybe twice since it came out, and I abuse the hell out of it.
It sounds like you were using Macs that were in pretty bad shape. If Mac OS X crashes, look at the same culprits that would make XP crash: bad hardware, bad driver software, etc.
You should be comparing pre-OS X MacOS to, say, Windows 98, which crashes a lot, too.
Anything can be tweaked on a PC. Mac seems to me, to be much more difficult to tweak.
Not sure exactly what you're tweaking, but this sort of feeling typically comes from infamiliarity with the operating system. Both Mac and Windows users use this argument against the other.
It doesn't get much simpler than Windows XP's plug and play.
You mean it finally works, like a Mac? My Dell asks for drivers whenever I plug in a USB mouse or keyboard, but I don't have XP on it. (Money, again.)
I don't have to make sure every little thing is Mac compatible.
Mac users don't suffer about this much. They don't even know about PC-only apps, just like you probably don't know about Mac-only apps.
That would annoy me like crazy, waiting an extra year for the software or game to come out in Mac compatible format.
No matter what platform you have, there will be lots of games you can't buy for it. Sure, Macs have a particularly limited selection. So Mac users buy game consoles. (Still, in my younger daze, PC-buddies used to drop by to play games from Ambrosia or Bungie.)
[webmasterworld.com...]
P.S. I hate it when I get trolled into a mac vs. pc "religious debate." I need to pay more attention. :(
In paradigm conflict and religious conflict, there can be no hope of doctrinal victory; the best we can seek is for both sides to understand each other fully and cordially. -Theodor Holm Nelson, from Embedded Markup Considered Harmful
If you like the Windows OS and you can make it do what you want, then why change?
The problem I see is people who are absolutely clueless about computers going out and buying the cheapest thing they can find at Best Buy and getting into all sorts of trouble because they didn't patch their OS before they went "on the internet".
I can take a new Mac out of a box and set it up and go "on the internet" with no fears of the Blaster worm, or Sasser or anything else.
This ONE feature alone is worth using a Mac.
Most people I encounter do nothing more with their computers than email, web browse and type letters.
They should be able to do this without constantly updating and maintaining their systems and constantly running AntiVirus programs.
I've been called a "Mac Bigot" simply because I use a Mac.
I don't "hate Windows". I don't care what OS you use, just don't force me to use yours. (that includes Mac OS 9...)
Oddly enough there seem to be plenty of Windows users out there who "hate Macs".
I don't know why.
Doesn't this make them "Windows Bigots"?
I've had people tell me my computer is "gay".?
I was in Europe a few years ago and brought my iBook.
A friend from Italy had brought his ACER "piece of crap French laptop" (his words) with the Italian version of Windows 2000 on it.
His digital camera was full and he wanted to download the pics to the laptop, but even though the driver was installed, it would not recognize the camera.
I took his camera, plugged it into my iBook.
iPhoto immediately recognized it and downloaded all his pics into my iBook. I burned him a CD of his photos right there.
He seemed intrigued at my feat, but when I asked him if he wanted to see how easy it was he replied:
"Oh No....I am not touching your BARBIE Computer!"
*sigh*
/end stupid anecdotes....
I hate that the main toolbar is the same place for everything and you have to switch between application before you can use them
I hate that my Windows machine has 15 toolbars taking up screen real estate (and you still have to switch between applications before you can use them).
I hate the free floating windows.
I love 'em. I find multi-tasking with many documents in different apps open across two monitors simultaneously much easier. Especially now with Expose.
I despise the one-button mouse. I have a 5-button mouse with a scroller that can scroll vertically and horizontally.
I hate 'em too. I have a Logitech optical 3 button scroll-wheel mouse.
I hate how Mac dumbs everything down.
You got an example of exactly what kind of dumbing-down you hate? I personally like how the Mac makes easy things easy. Windows seems to work hard to make easy things complicated.
Who the hell decided that to open the CD tray you drag the icon to the trash bin?
Yeah, that one's sort of counter-intuitive, like clicking Start to shut down. I generally right-click and choose "Eject," or hit F12 on my keyboard, or hit the special "Eject" key on my Macally multimedia usb keyboard that has two extra usb ports on it, like all Mac keyboards. They come in real handy for plugging in my mouse, my digital camera, and other usb devices. Oh, and who the hell decided that if I inadvertantly leave a floppy disk in my Windows machine when I shut down that my computer should be unable to start up and should just throw an error message at me until I remove the floppy?
Whenever, I used a Mac, it crashed all the time.
Panther is an incredibly stable OS. I have to admit I was impressed with the stability of XP, but Panther beats it easily.
Anything can be tweaked on a PC. Mac seems to me, to be much more difficult to tweak.
I've got my G5 pretty tweaked out of recognition. What are you unable to tweak on a Mac, running what OS?
It doesn't get much simpler than Windows XP's plug and play.
P-N-P is pretty good -- but it's even simpler on a Mac, and works more reliably.
I don't have to make sure every little thing is Mac compatible.
I don't either. Virtually every firewire device, usb device, ethernet, tcp/ip, and other devices and software that use standard ports and protocols are completely compatible with Macs. Nearly all the major software packages have a Mac version. I don't feel like I'm missing anything on my Mac. Though I do have to fire up Access on the PC occasionally.
I too love Unix, Linux, and all the Nix's. I could also install Apache, PHP and MySQL on Windows. I don't because I have a development server
My Mac is my development server, and it came with all that stuff. I'm playing with php and MySQL right now.
The only thing that I consider more attractive with a MAC is their flat-panel widescreen monitors.
More than a flat-panel widescreen, what I find attractive about my Mac is not having to worry about viruses. Or spyware. Or trojans. msblaster. sobig. Melissa.
What I don't understand is why anyone would use a PC over a Mac. I've used both extensively, and I can't figure it out. I'm just glad we have a choice.
that one's sort of counter-intuitive, like clicking Start to shut down
ROFL. That made my day, thanks sonjay. :D
I see now that it really only comes down to preference. It's very rare that I ever have a problem with my PC. Windows XP Pro fits all of my needs perfectly. I have never received a virus, have only had at most 2 crashes in 2 years, and since I started using Opera I haven't had any scumware. I've never had an incompatible piece of hardware or software. So when I hear a die-hard Mac user tell me how great it is, I have to wonder why. I have never been impressed with a Mac until OSX. I am finding that most of the gripes that people have with Windows are based out of ignorance. The same also goes with most of the gripes about Macs.
So the two good reasons that I did hear are security and the handling of large file sizes. Both are absolutely true. It's also true that for the average joe web surfer, he will have added security benefits with using a Mac right out of the box. However, he'll probably discover those websites that don't look quite right because they were only made with MS IE in mind. And if the average dumb computer user decides to buy a Mac and learns how to use a Mac somewhat efficiently, he'll still more than likely have to use a PC at work. So if you don't learn how to use a PC competantly, you will lag behind in your professional skills.
Also, as a web developer and programmer, a Windows environment is a necessity. I need Windows to see how 95% of my users will view my website. I work on both ASP and PHP websites. I need both IIS and Apache skills to compete in my profession. If I switched to a Mac as a regular user, I would probably lose over time my Windows skills which I need to work. As a gamer, I also can not switch to a Mac.
Innovation
It's just plain ignorance to say that Microsoft doesn't innovate. I'm not saying they don't duplicate, incorporate, or even down right steal. But they are certainly innovators as well.
Security
I agree that Microsoft has left some pretty big holes in their OS, but here is why I don't believe it's a viable argument. As the most popular OS in the world, you will also be the biggest target for viruses. If Mac enjoyed the popularity of the PC, I'm sure that many exploits would be found. Why bother making a virus for 5% of computer users? I don't believe that having to have a good firewall, virus checker, and OS updater is too much to deal with. I would do the same with a Mac. Having hackers trying to find exploits in your program is a consequence of success and to criticise them for not being perfect is just foolish. I bet you could do a better job though, right? They are a private company trying to make money, not open-source. They have market demands and stock holders and time tables. They take the heat for releasing a product with security holes in it. But they also make money for releasing a product on time and you can upgrade your software to fix those holes, just like with open-source software and OS's. Companies also make money fixing those problems. Although, if Microsoft Antivirus comes out, it might be a conflict of interest. It's all about the money people.
Money
For $500 I can build a PC with the equivalent speed of a $3000 Mac.
Don't get me wrong, I am just trying to give a Windows perspective here. You all have pointed out some good reasons that a Mac is quite a great machine. If I win the lottery I'll probably buy one with an ipod to hang out in a new high-tech computer room.
I got a couple little things to pick with here though...forgive me while I trot out the same old Windows apologist arguements. The examples you bring up have been used over and over and over and frankly I'm just tired of hearing them. You aren't really interested in using a Mac anyways are you?
If Mac enjoyed the popularity of the PC, I'm sure that many exploits would be found. Why bother making a virus for 5% of computer users?
if Mac shipped with all the unnecessary ports WIDE OPEN like Windows does, then yes, it could have similar problems, but out of the box, all the ports unnecessary for the average Joe are NOT open. Microsoft is "supposedly" "fixing" this in the next version of the OS....(someday)
I don't believe that having to have a good firewall, virus checker, and OS updater is too much to deal with.
...I would do the same with a Mac.
you wouldn't have to though. you'd have more time to sit and write pithy responses on a web board like I'm doing.....
Having hackers trying to find exploits in your program is a consequence of success...
its a consequence of having gaping security holes.
why can I connect to the Internet with a new Mac with no worries, but the first thing I am supposed to do with a new Windows box is update the System and lock it down and run AntiVirus programs?
Apple is a successful company. They make products, they make money. Actually, their product is apparently TOO good, as resale prices are very high and people tend to hang on to them for longer periods of time because there is no reason to trash them every 18 months or so. Look at the TCO of a Mac vs Windows environment over a period of 6 years and see which one is less expensive.
They are a private company trying to make money, not open-source. They have market demands and stock holders and time tables.
Microsoft is Not a Private Company. They are listed on the Stock Exchange.
Apple is company that answers to the same demands.
Mac OS X is BASED ON an Open Source OS, but OS X is NOT an Open Source OS.
I don't see your point.
They take the heat for releasing a product with security holes in it. But they also make money for releasing a product on time...
When is the projected date for Longhorn now? *cough*
if you want to see what your Windows OS will look like in 3-5 years, go to an Apple Store today and look at what they are running.
I don't want to wait 5 years, I want it NOW.
Oh, the Dept of Homeland Security now advises people NOT to use Microsoft Internet Explorer.
For reasons of National Security.link to story [story.news.yahoo.com]
Of course, I wouldn't expect a Ford employee to go visit a group of Chevy owners and ask for an explanation of why they drive a Chevy and try to defend Ford point by point. Why? Well, there is no defense for Fords! :)
(Americanism: Ford and Chevy are two competing car manufacturers. Owners of each have, ahem, irrational beliefs in the absolute supremacy of their choice. Guess what I drive?)
Quite frankly, a car is a car as much as a computer is a computer. I know my computer is better for me than any other computer. That's why I bought it. I'd be naive to suggest that there is one right way for everyone to do their computing.
(I'm not suggesting you are a Microsoft employee, only pointing out that your financial dependence on them is equal to or greater than any of their employees.)
Yeah, we have occasionnal "Mac VS Windows" discussions around here. I believe it's the third one in two years. Not an issue. As long the tone stays civil, I believe we can have them once in a while because it keeps us updated about technology changes across those platforms.
From first post :
>>And don't say security.
That was priceless! :)
I just ordered my first Apple Powerbook. I have ever used Windows, but few of my colleagues use Apple.
I am tired of Windows: XP itself is a vulnerable system. If I count all the time spent in upgrading windows, in reformatting the HD, in reinstalling everything, in maintining the Antivirus etc. there is no reason to stick with microsoft.
And now, considering the performance, the price of a Powerbook is about the same of a Win notebook.
Can you tell me about some other cool features on Mac OSX that aren't available on the PC or are maybe better on a Mac? What are the annoyances with using a Mac?
For all of Windows' flaws, I am not burdened by them. I accept them and move on. And I am actually quite happy. It is my preference, and it suits my needs. I do not hate Microsoft. They have never done anything to me, except perhaps over charge. But then again, I have never bought anything from Microsoft. And for those that demand absolute perfection, I hope that your personal lives are just as perfect. If you think you could do better, then do it better.
I work in the web development department for a state college, not for Microsoft. We are running an Apache web server on Linux. We don't even have an Exchange server. When I said Microsoft was a private company, I meant that it was in the private sector. I work for the state, in the public sector.
The following are responses/questions to microcars post:
Does Apple not recommend using a virus checker or a firewall on a Mac? I did not know this.
Actually, their product is apparently TOO good, as resale prices are very high and people tend to hang on to them for longer periods of time because there is no reason to trash them every 18 months or so.
The retention for PC's are also very high I believe. Resale prices for Mac's are high because they are expensive machines. PC's lose their resale value because of the competition in the PC part market. If I upgrade my hardware it's because I would like a faster machine. I believe the same would hold true with a Mac.
Mac OS X is BASED ON an Open Source OS, but OS X is NOT an Open Source OS.
I never said OSX was open source.
When is the projected date for Longhorn now? *cough*
And Microsoft is losing money for not having it ready now. They are opening up the browser market without a new browser release. But as much as I love my alternative browser, I hope Microsoft never loses the browser war. As long as they keep control over the majority of the market, it is less that I have to worry about as a web developer. I know what to expect with a majority of my users. I hope they get their standards support perfect with their next release though.
I still stand by my previous comments though. Joe Six Pack and his mother will never be able to undertand two OS's. And with a majority of businesses using Windows, there is a benefit for Joe to use Windows at home as well. I also believe that if Mac had the 95% popularity that Windows has, that the security flaws in Macs would be shown. As a web developer, it would be foolish not to have a PC, even if just as a secondary machine.
You will never be able to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. It is a great thing that we have options.
Can you tell me about some other cool features on Mac OSX that aren't available on the PC or are maybe better on a Mac?
I can go on thuh Interweb and not get hit with a worm or virus.
I can open ANY attached file ANYONE sends to me.
When someone says "Your computer is spewing out spam and viruses and worms.." I can say "Nope, sorry, I use a Mac"
What are the annoyances with using a Mac?
Does Apple not recommend using a virus checker or a firewall on a Mac?
No virus checker recommended by Apple that I've ever seen. Of course, if someone could point out my error, I would appreciate it. ;-)
As for firewall: its enabled as needed, this is from the MacHelp section:
Mac OS X includes firewall software you can use to block unwanted network communication.You can't edit the ports used by built-in services. They are enabled and disabled automatically when you turn the corresponding service on or off in the Services tab
in Windows, all those ports ARE OPEN and NO FIREWALL IS ON! This is completely back-assed for most users.
I never said OSX was open source.
also you asked this question:
I am really just trying to understand the Mac zealots out there. It's hard to try and weed through the fanatics and Microsoft hatred to find real reasons why a Mac might be the better choice than a PC.
that's nice, but I've heard this same thing over and over and over many times before and there appears to be just as many WINDOWS ZEALOTS that "hate" Macs for some reason. They seem to enjoy coming into Mac Forums and taunting Mac users, mostly trotting out the same old song and dance of "less apps, less games, not as fast". Frankly, I'm tired of it. And so are a lot of other people and they would rather not respond to trolls.
For $500 I can build a PC with the equivalent speed of a $3000 Mac.
boy, if that's not Troll-talk, I don't know what is.
please, elaborate and describe how for $500 you get this:
Dual 2.5GHz PowerPC G5
1.25GHz frontside bus/processor
512K L2 cache/processor
512MB DDR400 SDRAM
Expandable to 8GB SDRAM
160GB Serial ATA
8x SuperDrive
Three PCI-X Slots
ATI Radeon 9600 XT
128MB DDR video memory
56K internal modem
And it runs OS X, which your's won't.
Mac is not just a piece of hardware that you benchtest,
You want to find out what "cool features" the Mac has? go to [apple.com...] and look them up yourself.
While you are there, you might want to go here:
[apple.com...]
Some other posters here have pointed out some issues that make OS X their favorite OS. You really do have to use it to see the difference.
For all of Windows' flaws, I am not burdened by them. I accept them and move on. And I am actually quite happy. It is my preference, and it suits my needs.
"And don't say security."you are just asking for abuse. Security should be first and foremost these days.
And with a majority of businesses using Windows, there is a benefit for Joe to use Windows at home as well.
OK- I'll bite, what's the benefit of more home Windows users?
I can only see thousands more zombied machines sending out SPAM and DOS attacks via broadband connections. These people don't want to upgrade their machines, they don't want to constantly apply patches, they will use their machines regardless of if they are infected or not and they will continue to do so until the machine grinds to a halt, then they will dump it and buy a new one. Then the process starts all over.
I also believe that if Mac had the 95% popularity that Windows has, that the security flaws in Macs would be shown.
And this belief is based on.....?
Apply your logic to Apache web servers and see what you come up with.
As a web developer, it would be foolish not to have a PC, even if just as a secondary machine.
ah,,, now we are back on-topic and I agree with that statement 100%.
Does Apple not recommend using a virus checker or a firewall on a Mac?
> No virus checker recommended by Apple that I've ever seen. Of course, if someone
> could point out my error, I would appreciate it. ;-)
It wasn't recommended, but for a while Virex was included with a .Mac account.
Incidentally, I just got to watch a windows virus slam up against my OS X web server. It was neat, I called over a few people to show them. How many offices can you announce "Our web server is being attacked!" and people chuckle? :)
I mean seriously, what is "_vti_bin/..%5c../..%5c../..%5c../winnt/system32/cmd.exe" or "MSADC/root.exe"? Did Windows ever let remote users run .exe files by default?
Please do not let your emotions affect the quality of informations you could provide.
If some disagree with some statement, he should stick with trying to correct the facts. Using terms like 'bigots' or 'fanatics' is not necessary, and usually lure them in. :)
Please lets try to keep a professional, civil tone and leave platform bigotery at the server door.
Thanks!
...they would rather not respond to trolls
Guess that's why I have never had a friendly response in the Mac forum. Every answer seems to be curt, or condescending. Maybe it's a just an incompatibility between Mac people and M$ people. Whenever I ask people why Macs are so good and why they believe in them, I'm accosted by comments like the one above. I'm (like the poster) merely an interested party, not a heckler.
So... unless someone can tell me what my PC CAN'T do that a Mac can... I'm staying in the PC / M$ world.
(like the poster said) Don't say security, because I'm a pro. Yes, it's a little pain, but with the right firewall, router, and a server side Unix based spam/virus filter, I don't have problems.
Don't try speed either. I've got Dual P4s @ 3.0Ghz and 4GB of RAM.
I guess it's like what coffee you drink or what kind of car you drive. If it's well made, and well maintained, it's all personal preference.
you are just asking for abuse
No post should deserve abuse on this forum. It's clearly against the TOS. Thank you Macguru for keeping this forum professional. SEOMike, you're exactly, right. I am not attacking or taunting Mac users. I am only looking for an intelligent answer, and there are a few here that were able to give one. Emotion filled rants only detract from your position, and take away value from the thread as a whole.
I guess I need to clarify my question a little further. Can you tell me about some other cool features on Mac OSX that aren't available on the PC or are perhaps better on a Mac? What are the annoyances with using a Mac? And by OTHER, I mean besides security, which we have already over-discussed.
A knowledge about protecting yourself against worms or viruses if you are using Windows should unfortunately be required. There are many resources devoted to try and educate the public about making Windows a safe environment to work in. It's sad that it doesn't come out of the box that way, and I hope Microsoft makes some improvements. But don't make it seem that Windows users live in constant fear of being attacked by viruses and that all Windows machines are constantly sending out spam and dos attacks. How rediculous.
Apple chose to restrict their OS in regards to the way code is executed. This makes it extremely difficult to develop viruses and malicious code for the Mac, but it also makes developing applications for the Mac difficult as well. Windows went the other route and is much easier to develop applications for, which makes it much more susceptible to malicious code. There is a trade off there. One of the reasons Windows has been successful is because it is easier to develop applications for and is therefore more supported by other software companies. ActiveX has some great applications, but also has left IE open to some big security holes. I am not saying that these security issues are not a big deal and should be overlooked. And I really hope that Microsoft "gets it right" sooner rather than later. But there is a history there between the two OS's, with two different business models.
in Windows, all those ports ARE OPEN and NO FIREWALL IS ON!
This is not true. Windows XP does have a software firewall and all ports are not open by default. There are more ports required for services that are used by Windows behind the scenes. I do agree that more ports should be closed out of the box. I think with XP SP2 this will finally be fixed. I also think Server 2003 has fixed this as well. Please correct me if I am wrong.
The implication I got was that you thought Microsoft spent gobs of money developing their product(s) and Apple just grabbed some free Open Source software and slapped an OS together.
I was comparing Microsoft applications and operating systems to open-source applications and operating systems, not to Apple.
For $500 I can build a PC with the equivalent speed of a $3000 Mac.
I should not have used actual numbers when I said that. I should have said that I can build a PC with the equivalent speed of a Mac for considerably less money. The aftermarket for PC parts allows me to build a computer for considerably cheaper that a Mac and drives pre-built systems to be cheaper as well. I am not going to spend my time researching computer part prices and build a comparison chart, but here is a good start [webmasterworld.com]. I have never heard of anyone building their own custom Mac. I'm not saying it isn't be done, but I haven't heard of it. When I want a new PC, I build my own from the best parts at the cheapest prices. If I was to get a new Mac, I would have to buy it made.
Some other posters here have pointed out some issues that make OS X their favorite OS. You really do have to use it to see the difference.
I'm sure there are some who can describe some features for me. I posed the same question in the browser forum asking why I should switch to Opera. I got some great responses and I made the switch and never looked back.
Websites "optimized" for Internet Explorer
I do agree that websites optimized for a particular browser or platform are an annoyance. It's usually just lazy developers, and it is prevalent enough to be a concern. I had the same issue when switching from IE to Opera. With a change in operating system and even hardware it's a bigger issue. Some websites and software won't work on a Mac, so it is a con. Just like if software that you use on a Mac, like iMovie, isn't available on a PC. That may be a con for switching to a PC.
So... what other cool features are there on a Mac?
So... unless someone can tell me what my PC CAN'T do that a Mac can... I'm staying in the PC / M$ world.
uh...OK.
grandma: "Why do you use BUTTER?"
me: "uh...because it tastes good?"
grandma: "But its SO EXPENSIVE! You should use Margarine"
me: "yeech, I don't like Margarine"
grandma: "You'll get used to it"
I have never heard of anyone building their own custom Mac. I'm not saying it isn't be done, but I haven't heard of it.
You could check out the current (I think) issue of MacWorld which is all about ways to customize your Mac. Pull a part here, a part there, a cable here, a connector there ... bingo.
It's a follow-up article to one they did about a year ago. And I'm sure there have been many before it.
When I want a new PC, I build my own from the best parts at the cheapest prices. If I was to get a new Mac, I would have to buy it made.
There are much worse fates in the world than to have to suffer through buying a new, pre-made Mac. :)
Maybe it's just an attitude thing. Why would I want to build my own Mac? Apple gets it right. (And FWIW, the online Apple Store offers very nice Build-Your-Own-Mac features so you can customize what they're sending you.)
Besides, I'd much rather spend my time writing, designing, creating, programming, playing, etc., than building a computer.
I work in the web development department for a state college... We are running an Apache web server on Linux.
OSX comes with an Apache web server built in.
Not only can I build, test and serve websites (with cgis and all that 'fancy' stuff) on my OSX laptop in a standard Apache environment, but if I really *want* to use Windows, I can run emulator software on my PowerBook, thereby creating a Mac/*nix/Windows all-in-one machine. If a Windows user wants to test websites on a Mac, he's got to either subscribe to a site-testing service, get a Mac owner to look for him, or buy a whole second computer.
I haven't heard a single reason why a Mac wouldn't be perfectly suited for your job.
By putting together your own PC you will be able to save lots and lots of money over what any computer maker will quote you. And because anyone has the ability to build their own machine and there is so much competition between computer makers, PC and PC part prices are driven down. If you are looking to buy a new PC, I highly suggest building it yourself. It's a great learning experience.
mivox, not all websites use an Apache web server. I wouldn't want to lose out on a job if they use an IIS server and I wouldn't want to lose my Windows IT knowledge. It's harder to stay current if you are not using it regularly. That's really nice to have OSX include Apache. It's also nice to be able to get a Windows emulator, although it's not perfect. I can get Apache running on Windows, but I can't get a Mac emulator. Thankfully for me, I only have a small percentage of Mac visitors, so I can just write valid code, be aware of Mac browser quirks, and hope for the best.
But that's a great point. If I needed to have both computers to test on anyway, if I was running an Apache web server, if I didn't play many PC games, and if I could see myself adjusting to a Mac, I would seriously look into buying a powerful Mac to use regularly and just getting a really cheap PC to use as a secondary machine. Right now I don't need a Mac to test on though, at least not enough to justify buying an expensive Mac. And I still need my Windows experience. But in the future... you never know.
I know (all mine do though, hehe)... You just specifically mentioned that your employment involved an Apache server. Nothing stopping you from getting a cheap IIS hosting account for a hobby site to keep your alternate skills polished though. ;)
Pretty much the ONLY thing I use Windows for on a regular basis is site testing, and I've never been into games, so in my case, I can't think of a single reason to switch to Windows.
To each their own, eh? I know a couple dual-platform consultants who say if it weren't for their Windows clients, they'd go out of business, so it also helps keep food on the table for small entrepreneurs. ;)
