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It either an iBook/Powerbook (I know nothing about Macs yet, any input appreciated) or a Sony Vaio S1HP.
Must be light and compact, for email, web browsing and office stuff. I'm just a regular user with regular requirements! (if there is such a thing!)
Thanks for the pointers in advance.
Kate
If you work in media or publishing, a Mac may be a good choice if the people you work with tend to use Macs.
If you have a strong desire to ditch Windows, Linux is a third option but I have read reports of poor support for some laptops so stick with a big name and ask the right questions before buying.
Kaled.
Thanks
If you go with the Sony, keep track of the disks that come with it. My friend had a Vaio, and it was SO hard to recover from a crash. Sony does things so that if you don't have Sony drivers for the parts, it probably won't work. His HDD took a dive, and we replaced it. Then we proceeded to load a full version of XP Pro on it, and we could NOT get it to run the network card, firewire, or modem correctly. Just wouldn't work. We called Sony and he had to buy some expensive CDs to get it back to it's full functionality.
Don't be like my buddy and misplace the CDs!
Thanks all!
www.xvsxp.com has a reasonably in-depth and objective comparison study between the two OSs - Mac OS X and Windows XP.
It also has links to articles discussing and debunking some common myths about both Macs and Windows-based PCs.
If you really want to test your websites on alternate browsers, then you need a second computer running IE 5, and THEN you get a Mac as your third computer.
then you need a second computer running IE 5, and THEN you get a Mac as your third computer
Or you could get a Mac and run Virtual PC with IE.5.
I've been using Macs to earn my living for fifteen years, and I have yet to find a task I need to do that can't be done on a Mac. I spend a lot less time fussing with my computer than my PC friends do. Things just work. Hardware or software hassles are nearly nonexistent; things just work.
And then there's internet security issues ... want great virus and spyware protection? Surf with a Mac.
I can't comment on ease of repairs. The majority of the Macs I've owned never needed any.
Here is a couple of threads about it with lots of info :
[webmasterworld.com...]
[webmasterworld.com...]
[webmasterworld.com...] <!-- from a Windows user who bought an iBook -->
[webmasterworld.com...]
[webmasterworld.com...]
>>99.99% of the world does not use them.
On your site? You maybe right, if you sell antivirus software or scumware removers. :)
Most of my consumer's oriented sites show rougly 4 % of Mac users, some sites about arts and culture gets 35 %, and some Mac related sites gets 90 % of Mac trafic. Figures can shift pretty swiftly depending on the audience.
>>You can install multiple versions of IE on one PC
Exactly what buckworks said :
fussing with my computer than my PC friends do.
Now TheDoctor, can you tell how you can run them all at the same time?
Now katieG01,
You will get more information about human behavior than computers on Mac VS Windows topics. :)
Most answers you will get will come from people who never really compared both. They are used to a platform and dont want their little habbits changed.
I use both platforms daily.
I think the smart move would be to keep your keep your desktop AND get an iBook or a Powerbook. Using both platforms will enable you to do wall to wall quality control on your work, will keep you with an open mind, and give you an edge over plaform bigotery.
Also, just look at both of these screenshots.
Windows XP [koti.mbnet.fi]
Mac OS X [en.wikipedia.org]
It's maybe subjective, but if I have to stare at something all day, it's better not be ugly. ;)
[edited by: Macguru at 3:48 pm (utc) on Sep. 4, 2004]
Mac? Why would anyone use a Mac? 99.99% of the world does not use them. I tried to do business with a guy that used a MAC and gave up. He always had some problem that had nothing to do with me. Look at your log files.
Even as a Windows guy, this disturbs me. I have one site that gets over 25,000 visits a day, with about 5% coming from Mac browsers. Every Mac browser issue we had, was easily fixed (and we have a TON of javascript). It's all about creating valid code, and understanding how HTML works.
Back on topic: As a Windows based web developer, I'm not too in tune with what Mac has to offer, but I know one person that couldn't find a suitable solution to admin their MS SQL database. That's the only real bad thing I've heard.
But nevertheless, I personally have zero use for a Mac. I develop using ASP.NET and SQL Server. These are Microsoft only products, and they work very well too.
This is a Webmaster forum, and I just don't see the Mac being a useful computer for a WEBMASTER. Even if ASP.NET and SQL Server aren't your thing, as I understand it, most of the other good web development tools are Windows based.
Whether the Mac is truly better than Windows XP I have no idea, and I don't even think it's worth the effort for me at this point to find out. I would give the Mac people the benefit of the doubt and say "yes, they are right, the Mac works better." Despit that Mac working better, it's better for me to own a Windows XP computer because that's what I develop software with.
Even if the Mac is easier to use, you will have to learn how to use a PC because that's what will probably be at work or school or wherever else you use computers. So even if Mac is easier, it's still easier to just learn a PC than it is to learn a PC AND learn a Mac.
Furthermore, I don't necessarily think I should believe that Mac propagandists, becuase several years ago the Mac people said how much better the Mac was, but I used one and it crashed all the time and I couldn't figure out how to make it stop crashing. Was not impressed. Maybe the Mac today is better than the Mac 7 years ago... or maybe it's not.
With Windows machines having most of the market, that is what i would buy. If Macs had the bigger share, i'd go for one - again, all else being equal, which is rare.
This policy seems to avoid a lot of problems when i specify products for my PC consulting clients or advise them.
I guess I see some of your points. I thought MAC users were just trying to be difficult :). I guess being compatible and actually using one on a regular basis are completely different.
Why? Gets me out of the grip of Micr$oft.
Why? Gets me out of the grip of Micr$oft.
Of course Microsoft exists to make money, but it's not as if Apple is giving away the Macs for free.
The main reason why Microsoft dominates the market right now is because back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Windows solution was a lot less expensive than a Mac.
Pretty accurate.
More than 10 years later, I see no reason to use it else for quality control for computers consumers are using.
Because the populace here embraces Macs, they're frustrated when they find that others aren't compatible with them. Its hard for many to understand. I have to explain patiently that most of the world uses PCs which, to my neighbors, seems dumb.
Because I have only a laptop PC, I keep quiet because I'm sort of viewed as a creature of low degree. However, if pushed, my advice always is to "...get a PC."
Hehehe. Good point.
Not to mention, today's Mac users tend to say things like, "We use Macs. They're great, reliable, safe machines, and we love them." Windows users tend to say things more like, "We use Windows. Most everyone does, so there's more software for it, and it works OK for us."
I think there's a reason for the differing level of enthusiasm. ;)
Mac today ... Mac 7 years ago
A Mac today is a totally different machine than a Mac seven years ago.
Heck, I used some Windows machines years ago, and they crashed all the time... but I would never dream of implying that I can judge Windows XP based on my experience with Windows 95.
