By I’m a little embarrassed to admit it… but I just bought my first Mac. Before I explain how this occurred and why I’m somewhat ashamed, I’m curious to ask how many of you are Android-loving Mac users.
[polldaddy poll=4944354]
I’ve disliked Macs for the same reason I disliked Dave Matthews Band: I refused to be part of a trendy bandwagon jumping “movement” whose characteristics seemed defined by how unapologetically obsessed and irritating their fans are rather than by the merits of the product itself. Can I admit that DMB has an amazing amount of talent and has some great songs? Absolutely. Do I ever plan to get drunk and run around like an idiot in the middle of a field singing “Tripping Billies”? Won’t happen. And thus is also why I never wanted to own or use a Mac.
I’m not denying that this approach could be considered short-sighted, stubborn, and stereo-typical, but explained another way: how many sports fans who hate the Yankees, Patriots, or Lakers with a passion would suddenly start rooting for those teams because they like a rookie or two?
I’ve never used anything but a PC. I grew up with Windows. It’s my hometown team in the league of computers. No matter how hard you tried to convince me that Macs are superior and no matter how valid your arguments, nothing could change my mind. Several key intangible factors made PCs infinitely more valuable in my opinion, but most of all, habit and familiarity. There are plenty of other reasons one might suggest a Mac or PC is better or worse, but one extremely valuable asset was that for me, PCs had no learning curve.
If you’ve ever tried to learn something new as an adult – such as riding a bike or skiing – you’d know that it’s much easier to learn as a child. Why is that? I’d say muscle memory and habit. Children have a clean slate while adults come to the table with many different preconceptions, ideas and experiences. So while using a PC isn’t a sport or daring physical activity, I very much feel like using a PC is like the old adage of learning how to ride a bike. My day-to-day life is so busy as it is, I don’t want to have to learn a complete new system when the old system works just fine. Actually, learning the new system is only half the battle, the other half is unlearning the old system.
Game Over?
My opinion can’t be defeated. I’m familiar with PCs and even if Macs are better, I don’t want to learn a new system and don’t really care what you say – PCs work just fine for me. I’m sure you’re wondering, “but you said you bought a Mac?”
New Game
My PC broke and the stars aligned. After it took a pummeling in airport security, I mourned the loss of my computer at the hotel bar. Knowing I had a bundle of work to do the next morning, I plotted my trip to Best Buy after drinking 1 beer over the course of exactly 1 hour because I am the safest driver in the universe. But who was at the bar surrounding me? Apple fans.
The Apple fans insisted (as they always do) that a Mac was the way to go, only this time they had offered an intangible of their own: the Apple store was half a block away while the only place to purchase a PC was at a Best Buy 15 miles away. They each bought me a beer and demanded I buy a Mac. I obliged. What can I say… the stars aligned.
Once I decided I would buy a Mac I instantly filled with excitement. It wasn’t excitement centered around Mac being the greatest thing in the universe, but instead I realized that after years and years of deferring on any discussion of Mac and being ideologically disgusted at the brand in general, I didn’t really know anything about the product itself. As a tech journalist, the opportunity to explore the unknown is exciting and owning a Mac is like suddenly finding out I’m not allergic to peanuts. By the way, I’m allergic to peanuts, but I don’t know why anyone would eat them on purpose… they’re repulsive.
Android vs. Mac
Because Google and Apple are such bitter rivals and “Android vs. iOS” steals the limelight on the Mobile Tech Stage, the concept of a Mac-toting Android enthusiast seems a bit awkward. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how and why the public does feel and should feel when sorting out opinions on Google, Microsoft, Apple, Android, Windows, iOS and Macs.
[Image via LaiHiu]
The whole thing started with Microsoft vs. Apple which of course is fueled by Windows vs. Mac. Now, many think Android is becoming the “Windows” of the Mobile world (pour some out for WinMo) and Google is becoming the next Microsoft. But if Google were Microsoft then wouldn’t most Android Fans dislike Macs? Afterall, many of them dislike iPhones – isn’t it practically the same?
And thus begins the circular tail-chasing debate.
In my opinion, Google straddles the line drawn between Microsoft and Apple. Yes, (like Microsoft) Android was built for mass consumption and from a market share standpoint is already becoming the most influential player in the mobile world based sheerly on numbers. Yes, (like Microsoft) Google leverages their current success to launch new products and services that attract the watchful eye of federal regulators and privacy concerned citizens.
But Google isn’t Microsoft. Google, (like Apple) was the underdog not too long ago. Android, (like Mac) had a “cool factor” associated with prioritizing differently – Apple focusing on build quality and style, Google demanding openness, simplicity, and functionality. Both fueled an intense sense of community lasting long after they shed the underdog image.
I know for a fact there are a legion of Android fans who wouldn’t dare buy an iPhone but who swear by their Mac – I talk to them every day. It presents an interesting and off-balance discussion about the brands we support, what they say about us, and if any of it makes sense or matters. Hopefully you’ll continue that conversation below… feel free to provide tips and tricks on learning the curve and/or Android-friendly Mac suggestions!
You might want to make sure those TSA guys go easy on the Macbook air, my experience with Macs is that their components are pretty flimsy.
Weird. I switched to Mac last year, first with a MBP, then and MBA and an iMac. All of which are far superior in build quality to any Windows machine I have ever seen, lat alone owned. I am no Apple fan boy. I prefer Android to IOS but I feel OSX works better for me than Windows did. The OS is always subject to opinion. However, as far as hardware goes, there is no debate. Mac (and Apple as a whole) has better hardware hands down.
I believe you that the Macs you own(ed) have higher quality parts than the PCs you have owned. The issue I have with this comparison is that there is a wide range of PCs out there and Windows runs differently on each one. So yeah if you buy a PC with cheap and/or low quality parts such as case, motherboard, CPU, RAM, cooling system, hard drives, etc., then yes, it will be inferior to most or all Macs. But there is a wide range of PC quality so there really is no definitive answer. There is only your relatively small experience.
Yeah as Scotter has said, there are some crappy PCs out there. I recently bought an HP dv5 and it is a very nice laptop feels much more sturdy than any Mac laptop I’ve had (and I’ve had a couple). The MBA feels really flimsy to me.
MBA is naturally going to be somewhat flimsy considering how thin it is.
Try to bend a new MBP in half. That aluminum casing is amazing. Rock solid
My 11″ MBA is rock solid and also weighs about 2 lbs. While my experience may be limited in the grand scale of things, I always shopped around for the best hardware because I am tough on my laptops. I always have liked Mac hardware but until last year, never was willing to try and learn a new platform. They are in my backpack every day and need to be solid. My last Thinkpad T61 was pretty good, and the Sharp PC4000 before that was as well. However, at the end of the day, Aluminum > Plastic. There really is no argument IMO. The uni-body Mac laptops are built really well.
Again, not a Windows/OS X battle for me. They both have their positives and negatives and anyone who thinks that either is better by default hasn’t used both enough to make such a determination.
And by “hardware” you mean “build quality” or “case.” Correct? As you cannot be referring to the computer’s actual components.
You’ve obviously never used a Lenovo Think Pad – arguably the best laptop out there. Many Mac owners, that aren’t completely brainwashed will agree. My point is simply that there are many high quality PCs to choose from.
Absolutely! I couldn’t be happier with my Thinkpad (T61). High quality build and its internals are all easily accessible, which is good because I like the DIY approach as opposed to sending it in to get serviced.
My first MBP actually replaced a 2.5 year old T61. No brainwashing here. The Lenovo was great. It was plastic and heavy as hell, but a great machine. If I had to buy another PC, I am sure that the new Lenovos would be on the short list. However, the plastic T61 was heavier and bulkier than the Mac. Go pick up a new MacBook pro and compare it. If you still believe the Thinkpad to be superior, awesome. I think you are nuts, but whatever. Oh and that T61 was twice the price of my MBP, so that argument is invalid as well.
Well, go drop your MPB from table height. Spill coffee on it. Immerse it. Stand on it. MPB are weak, shiny toys. Lenovos can get the the job done in the worst places.
Not sitting in a Starbucks wasting CPU cycles with hipsters in their little sisters pants surfing the internets. Lenovos, they are used for real WORK in corporate/government/military/industrial environments.
Let me know when SJ gets around to make a mil-spec MBP. Then you can call it superior.
O’Doyle Rules!
Indeed, the Macbook Air is “tinfoil” aluminum and dents when you breath on it. The unibodied Macs are flimsy as well and overheat easily. Just get an armoured case and a good laptop cooler and you’ll be fine.
I love my mac. It offers me great multimedia for my photography for my modeling portfolio, my blog, video editing and so much more.
However, I love windows as well. HP and Sony to me make some of the best PC. I own a Mac and a pc and wouldnt have it any other way
I switched to mac last year for developing all my android apps and I love it! I still use a pc at work but i definately prefer the mac.
Please don’t tell me that was the only reason as that’s almost as bad as the reasons in the article.
I gave no reason. But the reason I bought it was so that I could develop for iOs as well as Android.
I was 100% with you on the first few paragraphs but you totally lost me on the whole NEW GAME attitude, all it took is get you drunk to get you to SWITCH to Mac???? this will never happen to me for sure… I am patiently waiting for the dual boot touchscreen Android/ Win7 Laptop coming up in the Fall…ThinkPad you will be mine!
I was eager to try it, understand it, learn it, and determine what all the hype is about. There’s a good chance I’ll just go back to using a PC but it should be a good experience.
Android was “different” at one time, and you fell in love with it. Embrace the Mac.
You bought a Mac after drinking? Isn’t that a bit like getting a tattoo after drinking? Kind of a bad idea. :P
True fact. It was at least 50% of my decision. Blame it on the a-a-a-a-alcohol.
I think its more of a testimate not to apple hating android fan boys, but android fans who are still open to trying other things. Android fits me now, apple and wp7 dont. I used to have an iPod, and didn’t like iOS after a year. In 2 years, I might not use android, but I love it as of now and its my daily driver
since you bought a Mac, I am leaving phandroid now… :(
I bet your friends with Douchey Yarrell on here too.
I have a mac… The best way to ‘learn mac’ is vmware fusion. Bootcamp windows then virtualize it with Fusion. So if you need to, your mac can almost instantly become a PC. It’s like magic! (sorta)
Biggest gripe with my mac, shortcut keys. I am a shortcut key junkie and mac changes all that. I actually like my trackpad WAY better than anything I’ve used on my dell’s and ibm’s I’ve had, much more sensitive and responsive… maybe even intuitive.
Agree, mac has underdeveloped shortcut keys compared to windows. If you’re prepared to spend a few $$$ on add-ons, you can easily fix it. It is crazy that you need to spend money just to get some good shortcuts etc. but to add $50 after spending $2000 on a macbook, that shouldn’t really be an issue.
Apart from that, I don’t know why an android user should prefer windows over mac.
Of course, linux goes best with android. Next is mac, at least it contains a true unix-like system underneath the GUI, in windows you need to install cygwin.
Personally, I like linux better, but a mac comes close and offers more std. software if you’re willing to pay for good software. My PC (desktop) mainly runs linux, once in a while windows for playing games. Development and reading news I do on my mbp which runs best under mac (I tried bootcamp + windows, but it runs the hardware sub-optimally).
I can understand being torn about switching from PC to Mac. There are lots of sound reasons to go either way, not least of which being the huge price-differentials for roughly equivalent systems.
But, jeez…the Dave Matthews Band? That’s just bat-$hit crazy. ;-)
I actually bought my iMac after drinking a couple of years ago. I still have to use a PC for work – it actually serves me better for business crap like email/calendar, Office docs, and productivity tools. But I still prefer Mac for my personal use – music, photos, videos, etc.
I was a hard core PC person for years. A+, MCSE all that BS… I bought one a few years ago and now I’ve converted all my home computers to Mac. There aren’t 2 sides to this (people who hate all things Apple and people who think Apple is superior). There is another side of people who could care less what anybody else uses and they use what they prefer. Any computer has it’s cons, but you can’t hate on something you’ve never used. Android is open. If you promote the open concept, you can at least keep an open mind.
I’m kind of in this camp. Mainly, i just hate on Apple’s ethics and closed ecosystem idea, I don’t hate people for choosing iOS. I respect choice among platforms and realize for some people OS X and iOS may be better fits, just not for me.
This is the end of Phandroid. This happens time and time again where the curious tinkering with a Mac begins a cascading effect, eventually causing its owner to lose touch with reality and more importantly in this case, what made this organization what it is to begin with.
It’s more about education than anything else. How can you know if Android is better than iPhone if you’ve never tried an iPhone? Understanding the competition is important… and until now I’ve neglected this greatly.
I respect you so much more now than ever.
I am eager to hear what a person (like me) – who has used Windows for so long – will discover (and share with us!) about your Mac experience. I’m sure there are things it does better/easier and things it does not. Some of my clients bring over their Apple laptops and even though I’m a person who writes software and tends to figure things out easily, some of the ways things work on a Mac seem … difficult. But I’m willing to believe it is merely because, kinda like you said, I’m just needing to unlearn some things. Some day, if/when I have a bunch of extra money, I think it would be exciting/fun to have an OS that different to just play with a bit. Even if it is to discover that Apple has video editing software that is better *and* easier to use than anything available on a PC… which I’m not convinced of yet but I have open ears!
To be honest – I found this site because I followed news related to Android.
When I first read its title “phandroid” it had that “fanboy-taste” to it.
Now with your choice of Laptop OS you made yourself free of any suspicion regarding being unobjective one could possibly have.
Why do you sound like a conflicted child, filled with apprehension?
You don’t have to hate Apple to like Android. You don’t have to like Google to like Android. I have an iPod Touch *and* an Android phone. It isn’t even about “understanding the competition” — i use both regularly. Who cares?
“OMG, i cleaned my toenails this morning. I’m going to blog about it!” You made a decision about a personal electronic device. Get over it.
So you bough a Mac out of peer pressure and laziness? Did you manage to get the work done that you had to do the next day without issue?
Peer pressure, laziness, alcohol… and also a curiosity of what all the hype is about. I still have a desktop computer and will get my laptop pc fixed.
And for the record, the next day the FIRST thing I had to do was a HUGE problem because web app I needed to use for my bank wasn’t compatible with Mac on ANY browser. I had to find an internet cafe with a PC.
I got pretty much everyone who is my friend or family member to make their next smartphone an Android one. When they see that I have an iPod Touch they ask why and my answer is, curiosity to see what all the hype is about. When my friends found out I bought a Mac the other day they were pissed but if I followed their rules then none of them would be using Android.
I got a MacBook Pro from my office 3 years ago. I finally got rid of it 2 months ago. It was a very fond farewell. I too was very curious, as a technician and SysAdmin, to learn this other OS. I found myself despising Steve Jobs, and his forced conformity to his brand of “intuitive”. I have used PCs my whole life. I’m glad to be using a PC again.
M@
Bah! You’re returning the Air?
I have a Mac that is about seven years old and still does exactly what I need it to do. Some Illustrator and Photoshop stuff between surfing, mainly. I bought it refurbished too, so it had wear on it before I got it. I have a PC sitting in the corner that is that old too. Barely functional.
I like the Mac, it is clean and easy to use. I travel with it and have no issues whatsoever. Hope yours works as well for you as mine has for me.
mac sucks plain and simple, and y is that you may ask? because they are evil. How do we know? Because they are the opposite of android and google, and googles slogan says it right there “don’t be evil”. therefore if mac is the opposite of google, and googles slogan is “don’t be evil” by definition mac is evil.
therefore mac is evil
if mac is evil then it sucks!
that is all for your reasoning course today, tomorrow we look at why the iphone sucks big fat donkey balls
(lol)
Are you intoxicated?
too funny, thanks for my laugh of the day.
Pc rig at home for playing games, watching movies, doing work and then a nice small netbook to do work on when i’m not at home.
Android phone and iPad 2 user. I like Android better, but Honeycomb does nto have enough Apps yet. Plus it is nice to have the option of both systems.
I don’t like the Mac at all. I just know how to use a PC and all it’s shortcuts too well to switch and have to learn the intricasies.
Macs IMO are better for editing multimedia. Windows is much better for everything else. With that said you already know about boot camp on Macs, right? You can dual boot into Windows 7 whenever you want on a Mac and the performance is excellent.
Don’t look at Google as Microsoft, because they’re trying to do something with Chrome OS. I’m an Android fanboy, yes. But that only pertains to smartphones. That’s the way it should be unless I suppose you’re that anti-Apple.
I have 2 MacBook Pros (15″ and 17″) and two Windows machines (Toshiba Portege tablet and HP netbook). I look at them as giving me different environments for different things.
I am more often on my Macs, but I do turn to the Windows for other things.
I’m firmly, however, in the Android seat for a phone. Not only do I like the platform and form factors, but I like the openness and ability to make it an individual experience.
Get over it. These are tools not religions. I would be very happy the day people get emotional and irrational over tools and technologies.
Make a rational choice. if you think a Mac suits your needs go ahead and use it. Important thing is what you do with it.
Not sure what it is in tech industry that incites so much passion. We had IBM v/s the rest of the world followed by Microsoft v/s the rest of the world and the current savior/evil empire is Apple. After close to 2 decades in the industry I am pretty sick of these memes.
I like Android. I have coded using Microsoft/Sun/Oracle/Google tools. Haven’t had the opportunity to work on the Apple platform and wouldn’t mind working on it.
It’s not a religion, but it is a philosophy. The question has never been which technology is superior…it has always been which company is good or evil. In that respect, Microsoft is between Apple and Google. Microsoft only ever asked for an OS monopoly. Apple wants an OS and Hardware monopoly. Google doesn’t want either…it just wants the rake in the advertising money, and it can do that on any browser.
People like their electronics. If you support something, why not fight for it?
It’s like politics, or sports teams. There are a lot of irrational actions involved with them, but it all comes down to the people’s support. Football isn’t a religion, but some people love it and practically live for the next game. There is even fantasy football where grown adults actually play ‘make-believe’, why can’t we argue over different operating systems?
@Brian
Sure you can argue over operating systems or any pieces of competing technology. Argue over capabilities,price,features and whatever else is appropriate.
Trouble is when people take positions like “I will only buy a Mac for the rest of my life!” or “Android is great and Google can do no wrong”. That’s when things start going downhill. Of course the marketing departments love this because it saves them time and money to market new products.
@Hank
I don’t buy the good v/s evil argument either. All these companies exist for the primary purpose of making money and taking a dominant position in the marketplace. All these companies have done things that can be considered bad or evil. But it will still be useful if we can objectively argue over the merits and demerits of their products rather than on the perceived goodness or evilness
iam just about to buy a xoom here in england but i have apple iphone and macbook pro.wanted something different to ipad2 .hope i am doing the right thing.
If you want an easy out-of-the box experience that you can’t customize as much, go with the ipad. I have a xoom and a macbook pro and love them both. The reason I love the xoom so much is because of the Google integration. I use the chrome browser on my mac and it automatically syncs all the bookmarks between the two. I also have 4 gmail based email addresses that the xoom marries to beautifully (labels in gmail, etc.)! Getting movies that I have purchased on iTunes onto the Xoom is a challenge, but beyond that I haven’t found a huge issue. The no-Flash on the Ipad was also a deal-breaker for me. (I also have a Moto Droid X, so am mobile Android and Mac computing, and am MUCH happier than when I had an iPhone!)
I also bought a Mac last month but I sent it back because even though I knew how to use it and Windows, Windows was just way easier to use. On the Mac I found my self having to take more steps to do what I wanted. A Mac is more for someone who sits in front of their computer all day and can use their keyboard but I have my Logitech mouse customized on my laptop with multiple short cuts. I even bought a Magic Mouse but it still wasn’t good enough. Anyone who just uses a trackpad or a regular two button mouse would absolutely love a Mac, the trackpad was way better than any I have tried on a Windows laptop. IMO there is not an Android vs Mac fight because even Google said all their computers at Googleplex have to be Macs or run on Linux last year, I think. iFans will suggest to you that if you own an iPhone than you can only use a Mac and an iPad for your tablet, I have been told this many times.
I have been here on Phandroid since almost day one and even though I love Android more I myself have used and even own Apple products but I still think that Android is the winner.
So in the end, ease of use was the deciding factor, eh???? I wonder where we’ve heard that before…… :-)
Yup and it was actually that logic that made me go with both Nexus phones instead of the iPhone 4 and of course AT&T’s high prices. Also it’s why I use an iPod Touch 4G as my MP3 player.
I just was under the impression that the term “ease of use” was forbidden in Android land! I stand corrected….
this should help people on a mac with general connection issues.
http://www.android.com/filetransfer/
Ummm… a Mac IS a PC (personal computer)
The question should be what OS do you use on your PC.
I use Ubuntu (Linux Distribution)and dual boot with XP.
I actually boot into XP maybe twice a year.
So, Ubuntu
I’m with you-Ubuntu/XP dual boot at home, and 99.9% of the time it’s Ubuntu. I’m surprised more Android power users aren’t also Linux users- it just seems like it would be a natural fit, given Android’s origins.
I have a lot of respect for the way apple brings out complete products. Front facing camera, and WORKING video chat. None of this half baked-works-on-some-devices-some-time stuff. I’ve owned my tab for 4 months now, and just now got video chat…assuming it works…haven’t tried. Having said that, I despise the closed apple eco system. If apple acknowledged that I own the device, and that the device is not “on loan” from apple, and if they recognized that there are legitimate uses for doing some things with the device that I want to do, like get my mp3s OFF the device, then I would probably buy an apple product. But until that day, I prefer my half baked semi-open android.
There’s plenty of software for getting music off an iOS device. Google it bro.
not supported by apple
I almost gave in to Mac for the first time recently with purchasing a MBP. I held off and am still ignorant to the OS much like you were Rob. I hope you write another article similar to this one letting us know your thoughts on Mac OS and your current views/issues with it.
Good article Rob!
The only apple products I like are the ones in the produce section or in pie.
If Apple were to become less lawsuit happy, less proprietary and less elitist, perhaps I would consider them as an option.
It’s funny you say elitist. Last night one of the guys on my (adult) soccer team said he was looking forward to getting a new iPhone. I asked him if he had considered an Android phone. He made some snarky analogy of Android is to the iPhone, as a Ford is to a Range Rover. I was a little set back by the smugness and just said “well, I like not wasting my money so I don’t have to work for the rest of my life”. I truly think most Apple owners love the fact that others know that the products are expensive … much like BMW owners and people that are into clothing fashion. Vanity is so ugly =(
I really hate it when people make the car analogy with smartphones, when all of them generally cost the same. When they say something like that, I would correct them and say “it’s more like Audi to BMW, dude. Or Ferrari to Porsche. It’s all about what you prefer to drive”
Comparing a Ferrari and a Porsche is the same as comparing a Ford and a Range Rover in terms of pricing.
Sorry, I obviously don’t know much about high-end sports cars :)
I’ll mention that when driving many Ferraris, you can see why they cost so much, and when driving certain Porsches, you are amazed at the bargain. I’d say a Mac purchase is not like the Ferrari..at least in my experience.
I agree with you. I feel like a lot of people brag about their Apple products just because it was expensive. I go to an art school where a majority of the students are Mac/iPhone users and I am the minority because of my PC and Android phone. However, I have converted quite a few people to the dark side(Android :D), my girlfriend included!
Can’t you get an iPhone for $49?
He has an older iPhone, the ones you can get for $50 now. He wanted the new one; he wasn’t sure why, he just wanted it.
congrats on the Mac purchase. i bought my first mac years ago, and i have never looked back! I just like it so much better. the hardware is just so much better. and the OS is just great in my opinion. i love my Mac and i love my Android. I think that they complement each other!
I’m an Android and Mac user. Rather than keep to one side, I enjoy the advantages of both. For instance my Android phone has stuff iPhones won’t even dream about like Adobe Flash and built-in navigation, and my iMac is five years old but runs the latest OS beautifully. I can’t say that for the PCs I’ve used.
That’s only because you insist on buying the cheapest PC you can find. You get what you pay for. I’ve been using the same PC for 7 years, from XP all the way to Win 7 Ultimate, and have had no problems at all.
You cannot claim that they have been “buying the cheapest PC you can find”. You do not know them. The longevity of a computer is based on the quality of the hardware, how abusive the individual’s usage habits are, the OS they are running and how long they intend to use it.
Quality hardware lasts forever. That’s a no brainer. Granted, it is typically expensive and like all things, may break before its time to pass due to physical abuse.
An abusive user brings viruses and poorly written applications with them. This causes OS issues that slow down and cause the machine to be less useful.
Different OS’s handle things differently. XP, Vista and 7 are stable but can be dissolved in different ways. The Mac OS is similar. There are different vulnerabilities from one version to another. They have different features that may or may not allow an abusive user to tear them apart.
Duration of use is important. My last windows based PC Desktop saw 6 years of use. I’m working on rebuilding it as we speak. My last Mac Desktop saw 10 years of service. A few of those were consecutive (The machine was on for the better part of 3 years straight. I rebooted it once every week or two). If you know you have to use something for an extended duration – it doesn’t matter what it is – you treat and handle it differently than something that you will only use for a day or so.
All of this comes from my experience from tech support for Macintosh and PC’s from 2000 (the year, not the OS) onwards. Based on what I have seen, Apple hardware (in most cases) is better built and will last longer than your average off-the-shelf PC. Having built several PC’s for myself and others, you have to construct the machine to last, build it up and then maintain it. This goes for Macintosh machines too. Get the extra ram. Get the bigger hard drive. Go for the faster processors. Use the machine longer and get your money’s worth out of it.
If you want a 1 year computer, find a bottom-barrel bargin. If you want a machine that will last you a decade or so, do your research and build it right
So if I buy a fully decked out Macbook Pro 17inch, it’ll cost me about $4500 before taxes. I could get a top of the line Sony Vaio for literally half the price.
You’re completely right, I think all the PCs I’ve had were mid-range at best. And I tend to forget that one can get a much better spec’d PC for the price of a Mac, or less. To the everyday consumer though, it doesn’t make much sense to get a more expensive PC when there are cheaper entry level models, so I think that’s where I went wrong.
I have a Mac – actually a Mac-mini – with dual boot into Win 7 home premium. After seven or eight months I have concluded that buying the Apple hardware was a good idea. I have had way less issues running Win 7 on the Mac than on my HP machine and it has actually been just as reliable, and certainly more useful to me than OSX has been.
I bought a refurb’d Dell in 2001 for 300 bucks… Windows XP. P4… single core, no Hyper-threading… ATI Radeon something… I only recently replaced it with a Windows 7 computer last year. The other still runs fine. It’s my new Ubuntu machine, tho XP works fine, and Vista was running on it for a while as well before I cleared off the data before my Ubuntu install… anyway… all I did to upgrade it along the way was pop in RAM… up to 2 gigs now. I’ll keep it til it literally dies… but no problems whatsoever.
I bought a Macbook too, in 2009, for my wife.. after falling for the hype. It was great and all, but a colossal PITA to do a lot of simple tasks. Then Snow Leopard came out. And for 30 bucks, who can resist? Let me just say… anyone that says Vista sucks… has never used Snow Leopard. It was all roses til that day… and Snow Leopard is what ultimately made me decide to go with Win7 when it finally became a good idea to replace my aging desktop… Snow Leopard….. is just awful.
Linux works great on really old PCs (like ones from a decade ago or ones you could have found on a pile of rubbish).
With a proper Linux you can run Gnome or KDE (with really impressive visuals that you won’t find on Windows or OSX) very fluently.
15″ mac book Pro starts at $1799… thats why I don’t have one
that $1800 gets you customer service that no other PC maker will give you, and it also hold much better resell value in 2-3 years as compared to any other PC out there.
It isn’t priced high so people can make you think they are cool and rich.
What if you’ve never had a need for customer service? Besides, if that $1800 mac sold for $1000 in 3 years, I would have lost more money, even if it is better percentage wise. Go Linux!
then maybe its in your best interest to abuse your electronics and claim warranty whenever possible. im not saying commit warranty fraud, but use it when legitimate. if you baby your electronics, and never break it… well… that’s like health insurance. if you are a germaphobe and never get sick, what do you expect? do you want to get a refund from your HMO/PPO? Warranty = insurance. Some people use it more than others. That’s how life works. The ones who use it most get their money’s worth.
It’s funny you mention customer service as being included in the price, because most of my research regarding the customer service policies of Apple haven’t been good. And the Geniuses? No thanks. I’ll stick with the PC community and the thousands of message boards and sites dedicated to helping people- for free.
I also don’t agree with you on the resell value. You buy a Macbook with whatever hardware Apple offers and you keep it. When it’s time for you to sell it, you could probably be two or three models behind. Whereas, with my PC laptop that I’ve had for 2 years, it is still in good condition, still faster than most of the Macbooks that are out now, and I can fix it up for cheap before reselling.
PC’s come with warranties… its cool you can take your MAC to a store and they can fix it for you and all but its still not work the price difference.
I can buy a new PC in 2-3 years and still spend less then $1800 so no matter what the resell value of my first PC is its money in my pocket compared to a MAC.
you’re right. im not a dumbass either. i run 4 computers regularly, 1 being my power i7 windows desktop system, another being an older laptop, a solaris based NAS, and my macbook pro.
i KNOW when a HD failure is in place even without doing SMART tests. clicking noises will tell you enough. It was nice being able to take my computer to the Apple store, ask them to switch out the HD instead of fighting with Dell on the phone and waiting 2-3 days for the replacement.
I’m not 100% sure I follow what you are trying to say.
Did I call someone a dumb ass?
And thats awesome you are able to take your apple in to a store. Personally spending an extra $50 on a back up HDD is a lot better then spending the extra $1000 on an apple.
sometimes waiting around for a warranty replacement sucks, I keep an extra hard drive that I can put in to my laptop and keep my computer running for those 2 days I have to wait. Cost me $50 and about 1hr of work. and i have never had to Fight with Dell to get a replacement but I know everyones experiences with tech support is different.
Not all failing hard drives click. and some tests are able to detect problems before you get to a clicking drive. but I understand what you are saying.
I didnt’ say that you called someone a dumbass. I’m just trying to point out that I’m not an idiotic mac users who just thinks that I don’t get viruses. I know what I’m doing, but I can recognize certain positives about Apple.
I run a NAS server that uses ZFS and does daily snapshots. I run it on RaidZ2 and I have enough redudancy. I backup a LOT of stuff onto there. What I’m saying is that you can backup all you want but when your laptop HD dies, what are you going to do?
Unless you have a spare 2.5″ disk or anything, you have to wait to get that data off. What I’ve been saying is good is that I can get a same day replacement done at the Apple store. I’ve done my share of IT and I’m enough of a guru to diagnose. The trick is to convince the Genius Bar that you know exactly what needs to be fixed. If they will work with you, then you’re on your way out.
Any other manufacturer means you need to wait for them to ship you a box and stuff. Even with next day air, you’re looking at 2 days downtime minimum. That’s not a bad thing because it’s the best they can do, but when you need it done day of with minimal downtime? That’s where Apple excels.
Now you do bring up the price thing. Do you get a little more with certain things with Apple? Yeah. Is it worth the extra $500? $1000 or whatever it is? I don’t know. That depends on everyone and their wallets.
For me, my justification for my MBP was that it was a thin laptop weighing only 5.5lbs. No laptop in 2008 could match that. The Lenovo T61 and Dell XPS 15 were 6.5lbs + with only less than 4 hrs of battery life. Apple gave me a 1″ thick device weighing 1lb less than the competition and giving me a full 5 hour battery life. I took it for form factor and portability. Oh and the other problem with the T61 was it was a business machine so they gave a crappier graphics card than the 8600GT that my MBP came in. My only choice if I wanted a power machine was to go with the Dell XPS15 but they used to make it all plasticy and futuristic blingy look that made it unprofessional looking, so I went Apple.
HP has amazing customer service. If anything goes wrong during the service period, they fix it no questions asked. I think the service plan only cost 80 bucks, a far cry from the 700 dollar price difference.
Customer service? For that gap in price, you can buy a 5-year extended warranty from the manufacturer with in-home service… and buy yourself the next new Android phone off-contract. And then you’d still have the huge Windows community to trouble-shoot any problems…
The same customers service that said “Oh, we’re sorry we screwed up the antenna on your phone. We won’t replace it but we’ll give you a cover you can slip on it to make it twice as thick, looks butt ugly and oh, we’ll mail it to you in 3 months”?
The problem that didn’t even affect 1% of iphones? WHAT A TROUBLING AND TERRIBLE ISSUE
sounds like an apple statistic from a steve jobs kiss ass to me. ive owned a macbook pro (the $2200 15″ top of the line one) for about a year now. i also own a pc that i built with windows 7 at its center. my top of the line mbp is NOTHING compared to my pc. quadcore i7 with 8gigs of ram and yes i realize you can get a mbp with an i7 quadcore and 4gigs ram now, but that only just came out maybe less than 6 months ago? it really just isnt worth the price. also i dont want to hear the whole “well macs dont get viruses” crap anymore. they do get them. its just not worth the hackers time YET for less than 8% of the world.
Woah dude, You can pack that PC with you in your backpack whenever you’re on the go? Man you must have INSANE engineering skills to achieve that bro. Props dude.
What kind of idiot compares a fucking desktop to a notebook? LOLLL
I agree about the resell value. I bought a new mac pro last year. Was able to sell my older mac pro that was close to three years old for 2k$. Took that money and reinvested into another BAMF machine. We have bought all of our macs this way.
This year i purchased a Lenovo for my laptop. I am enjoying Windows 7, but i know i won’t be able to get over a thousand dollars for it in a few years. I would have gotten a mac, but i needed a windows machine for testing and other applications that aren’t available on mac.
I’ve never bought a ready made PC from a manufacturer as I build my own and NEVER had a single issue with any machine i’ve built and so don’t need customer service. I’d rather plonk that $1800 on a self-built machine (or 2) which outperform Macs and still leave me a lot of change. Even if I did have an issue, i’d have plenty of change to replace parts and i’d have the option of upgrading the part.
Didn’t know you could build your own laptops bro! Wow.. You must be SO talented dude. Start your own company like dell!!!!!
im glad that after 15 years of building my own desktops you can extrude your own aluminum for a unibody macbook pro. i wish i had a machine shop like you.
Well, I don’t think with the Apple warranty, a “Geebus” will come to my site the next day to fix a defective keyboard or HD. I would have to drag my stuff to Turtleneck Central, The Apple Store for the “Geebus” to look at it. Dell will come to my house/site the next day with that parts in hand to get me up again.
Resell Value? What? For old, obsolete Mac hardware? Only people clueless enough to to buy overpriced used, old and obsolete Macs are the same ones who bought the overpriced Macs when they were new!
My dell notebook (M70, business workstation) came std. with 4 years on-site service within 1 business day. I had to call on service after 3.5 years, the same afternoon someone came by and replaced the motherboard. He mentioned that I would get a new notebook (current model) if the repair wouldn’t be succesfull within 1 day.
Currently I have a macbook pro (since 2 years) which I like, but clearly the service on dell hardware is way better than mac.
Exactly. I think Apple makes great products, but the prices, proprietary’ness, and lack of choices makes me stick with other alternatives. My Asus Win7 laptop cost $650 and does all my picture and video editing just fine. I think most Apple owners just seem to think they are getting more for their money just because it is more expensive. Much like BMW owners.
Except BMW really have top notch tech and it really feels great to drive them (road holding, engine). I’m not saying they make the best cars – but they are definitely among the best.
With Macs… they aint bad computers, but except for the aluminum body, they offer nothing regular PCs would not offer too.
In fact you can have much better specs on a PC and with proper Linux distribution (Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, Arch) you have a great workplace.
Windows 7 is not a bad OS at all. I Prefer Ubuntu with Compiz Fusion for Work, but I use Windows 7 alongside, and like it.
If you’re into computer games – Windows is the way to go anyway.
I think ultimately it depends on what you are planning to do with it and how you prefer to do it.
but their drivers certainly are not ;)
Yes they do offer something else different… It’s called OSX
Sorry, but you can’t compare BMW to other cars. Not all BMW owners are pretentious A-holes…I happen to own one and it’s without a doubbt one of the best vehicles I’ve ever driven. . Sure, just like the iphone, you’ve got A-holes who think theit shite don’t stink and what they have i better than yours….but the same can be said about pretty much any product out there. I happen to like Apple products and believe they make a fine product. But I don’t own one for many reasons. Too many people bash Apple (& BMW for that matter) without having a clue as to why their bashing them….or without ever trying (or driving) said product. I’ve owned both Macs & PC’s over the years, but prefer PC. Just as I’ve owned everything from Ford to Mercedes over the years, but prefer BMW. Juer as I prefer Android. Not because it’s so much better than the iPhone, but personal preference.
I simply just hate using Windows and cheaply made hardware. My MBP runs just as well now as it did the day I bought it over two years ago. All Wondows laptops I owned slowed to a crawl months after purchase and gave out completely a year or two later.
Sorry, but that’s user error, not computer. I have a PC laptop that went with me to Iraq, and it runs perfectly well to this day. ( Ok, it’s hinges are coming loose…but this is user error. I have taken the thing apart dozens of times, mostly just for the fun of it, lol. )
I was given the top end mac book pro from my college. I used it for a couple months, before tossing it aside. Even completely free, it was not worth it, because I have a PC. A PC that is 4 years older, cost less than a brand new MBP would, and runs better.
I have yet to find a single reason to own a mac laptop or desktop. iPhone had it’s time, but that is past. Never even considered getting an iPod.
Sorry, but Mac is all about over-priced hipster fashion.
Post a pic of your macbook to prove it.
My guess is you never even had one.
I prefer mac for a few reasons:
1. BUILD QUALITY. It’s much much more sturdy than any windows laptops (except the toughbooks and things like that), ive ever used.
2. They have great battery life but don’t compromize size, quality, or design.
3. Design, its thin, and light. I can take it many places. Albeit there are windows laptops like that, but they are nearly as expensive and dont offer the specs or build quality.
4. Fluidity: The OS and Hardware just flow perfectly together. The Multitouch trackpad and expose are like my lifelines. Also the computer has a lot of apps integrated into it and it just works so nicely and fluidly as a workspace.
5. Trackpad and Keyboard are amazing IMO. I could never let go of them.
6. The system allows me to get in, get work done, and get back to life. I am just much more productive on it, even when I am using windows.
I use a Windows/Linux (dualboot). Desktop for all development type work and many other things, but for web, and anything not utilizing a ton of CPU/GPU (eg. a game like MW2), or development, I prefer my mac.
Exactly. Same hardware, 2-3x price. All with a BSD (Mach) kernel, but a UI that has 4x the vulnerabilities that Win7 has. Oh, and on the Macbooks the battery is soldered in.
I have two laptops that I carry. My Windows laptop for work and my Ubuntu laptop for everything else. Combined they still cost less than a Macbook.
Yeah, my 15″ Dell Inspiron was $750 after maxed out display, RAM, custom colored lid, and shipping. And, I didn’t have to re-buy/re-learn all my software, which plays a larger role in my decision making.
I think Apple does certain things amazingly well and I am jealous of how easily all of their products integrate together. That said, I’ve never purchased an Apple product. Anytime I’m giving a choice between product A that does 99% of what I want but does not support open software and consumer rights or product B that 95% of what I want and has a better open software and consumer rights track record, I choose product B.
Love my Macs, love my Galaxy S.
Until pc’s become irrelevant I’m a Windows guy. For many of the same reasons I’m an Android guy…
i use a mac mini at work and i run windows on it and, then i have my laptop wich has windows/ ubunutu on it.
i go trough so many os’ a day i always try to hit start+r on ubuntu to bring up the terminal #fail
so my point where is the option for linux / all of the above ?
Android and Ubuntu is my ideal combination. Windows has its uses. What I find with Mac osx is that its dead simple to use, but when it or one of your apps break, support can be a nightmare.
I’ll pray for you in this time of confusion, Rob. Know that one day you’ll walk by a Best Buy, see that beautiful laptop (or netbook, whichever you prefer) in the window, and your heart will break! You’ll walk away with a new best friend. :P
also on a side note Windows sucks , Microsoft gives you Windows but linux gives you the whole house, and mac gives you fancy siding
well put
No I enjoy my PC that’s just as powerful as the Mac Pro for half the cost… Plus I can play even more games… and still develop on Android with a $25 publish fee. My wallet thanks me but my eyes don’t get as much candy I guess.
I develop for Android on my MBP. Not sure what point you were trying to make. Ad for me, it wasn’t so much about the obviously overpriced but much better designed hardware than it was about finally getting away from Windows.
Neither, Ubuntu…
Apple’s products are well designed, attractive, and intuitive. That being said, I will never buy one because I don’t want Apple to have my money. Their mobile strategy is closed, controlling, anti-competitive and insidious. I truly believe that Apple is poisoning the industry. Though I don’t really have a problem with their laptops, buying one will still put money into Apple’s pockets. That’s a dealbreaker.
Choice to install virus and malware! Where do I sign up!?
You not buying a MBP is going to do nothing to stop Apple from “poisoning” the industry. LOL wtf do you even mean by that?
Apple is suseptible to malware and spyware too… and viruses haven’t been a threat in over a decade…. what’s your point?
Apples operating system (kernel) was open sourced by evil apple for donkeys of years. Webkit (the bloody android browser is based on it) is heavily contributed for by Apple, and open source.
The only thing that is really closed is that apples mac os only runs on apple hardware. Which is fair enough.
The difference is that I can install anything I want on my macbook and do what I want with it. I can buy apps from anywhere as I have choice. Choice is removed on IOS…
15″ MBP. Writing a dissertation. Was tired of buying PCs then making excuses for why I had to buy the necessary fleet of back-ups and additional software/hardware to ensure that I had a stable operating environment and sufficient redundancy in my files in case something “Windows” happened. (Seriously, think about it… If you buy something, it aught to work, no excuses)
If I wasn’t writing such an important document that takes such a span of time to compose, I would have saved some cash and gone with a PC, back-up drive, multiple thumb drives, and dropbox…
Droid? My “new every 2” comes on May 15th so… timing couldn’t be better with Verizon’s refresh of the Android line at the end of this week! So… Incredible 2 or G’zone?
I don’t like the article, It’s nicely written but it seems like a personal blog post rather than news to an Android news website. I’m sorry.
Full Ack! Dont want to read about Apples stuff also…
I actually have a mac and an iphone, and still find that article is boring. I came to this site for Android news…, not apple related products. T_T;;
Since you are learning a new OS anyway, I highly recommend trying Ubuntu when 11.04 is released in two days. It is attractively designed and far easier to customize that OSX. If you don’t like something you can change it. It also runs pretty much anywhere, so if you go back to a windows machine you still have the OS you are familiar with. People think Linux is scary, but Ubuntu has come so far that it really is easy and simple to install and use. It’s also free, so give it a shot.
bullshit. i unfortunately updated to 11.04 few hours ago and it sucks big time. it is NOT customizable and some major glitches are still there. and it’s slow.
otherwise than that, using ubuntu full time on macbook pro.
Even if I DIDN’T like my Mac, I’d still need it for final cut pro. So, there you go.
Gross.
Sorry, but if I wanted to read crap like this I’d go to an Apple centric website.
I use Windows 7 and much prefer it to OSX. To each his own, but having used both, I just like Windows more. I am a tinkerer though (surprising I would have an Android phone, right?) and “knowing” Windows 7 makes that a lot easier. In general, I do not care for the way OSX is laid out. That is a personal preference though. In terms of hardware, the simple fact is that I can get a comparable spec’d machine for far less by buying a Windows or Linux system from a big box retailer (or building my own desktop). I somewhat understand the allure of the MBA, although I think the shape and contouring on the machine are ugly. I like the look of the MBP, but the weight is comparable to any other laptop I’ve owned, and there is no justification for spending extra money to simply to be with the “in” crowd. So for me, when I look at the two OS’s and the cost savings on hardware, I can not envision ever spending money on a Mac. And I will most definitely NEVER own an iPhone or be part of the Apple culture that dictates what you can and can not do with your device.
i really feel like the poll should have been…
1. Mac
2. Windows
3. Linux
PC is a personal computer (aka laptop), not a windows specific computer.
You are right Eric. I can’t believe the editor let this pass on a tech news site.
Dual-boot should be added as well
Yeah, I was going to reply to say that Macs are PCs, too.
I’m an Android fan with a Mac. I wasn’t until fairly recently; I ridiculed some of my friends and my brother for having Macs and told them they were stupid for paying so much for something less functional just because it looks nice. But alas, I took the plunge this year and got myself a 13″ MacBook pro just after the refresh and I have not looked back and don’t plan to, I love my MacBook and whenever I have to use a PC it feels painful. OSX just works so much better for me on a laptop, and the build quality and good looks just add to the experience, it doesn’t feel like a chore to use, its enjoyable.
Although I love my Mac though I would never buy an iPhone; iOS feels so boring compared to Android, especially when you have a Honeycomb tablet. I wouldn’t give my Xoom up if someone offered me an iPad 3 from the future.
My story is very similar. I’ve written about it on my blog http://simwit.a6studios.com. I love Android, but I’ve come to desire Apple products as well. I hope to get a new Macbook Pro, but I’m not sure if I want to get the current model, or wait for the redesign that is being talked about for next year.
Best bet is to get a Windows emulator for it.
A Mac is a PC. Mac is the Operating System. PC doesn’t = Windows.
It would be like saying the iPhone isn’t a phone (I bet if it had another name, Apple’s marketing department would have everyone believing that too)
Windows can be run on Apple’s PC, Mac OS X can be run on a PC that isn’t white (With a little bit of knowledge).
Inside the parts are the same. The outside is the only difference. You’re being racist.
P.S. Yes I’m a Linux user, how did you guess?
you’re beating a dead horse here. Sure PC stands for Personal Computer, but it has become synonymous with windows. You don’t go around saying “oh I cut my self, I need a sterile adhesive bandage”, you say “I need a band-aid”. PC has come to equal Windows, get over it, your energy is needed else where.
Don’t you have it backwards there? The Band-Aid example is a brand name becoming a generic term. We don’t go around calling all computers “Windows”. You can clearly call an Apple computer running Mac OS a “personal computer”.
Yes, I use Linux as well.
Mac isnt the OS, OS X is the operating system….Mac is an abbreviation of the company name. :)
I know im being super analytical there lol :)
I’ve used Macs since 1995 and love them. As a MCSE I find it refreshing to go home and not have to deal with Windows. I however chose Android as my phone. Loved my D1 and am now loving my TB. One of these days I may get an iPhone (if they ever get an LTE version). I simply use the tools which works best for me. I don’t get into the stupid fanboi debate of this phone is greater than that phone. They are both great phones and Operating Systems.
Something similar happened to me, but I got to try a macbook pro at the expense of my work.
As someone who spends all day coding in Linux I often find the underlying unix system on the mac much nicer to deal with than windows. But most of the time “power usery” things are much more difficult to accomplish.
I also feel like the OS doesn’t take advantage of the hardware built into the machine nearly as well. I often find myself closing browsers and reopening them just because the system seems to get bogged down after a while (hate that stupid pinwheel). Something I haven’t had to do on windows since the days of Windows ME. I also find myself having to force close programs much more frequently than I do on windows 7 or vista, which I feel is quite odd considering the reputation. I also feel like I shouldn’t have to open two browsers so that I can stream music in one of them without having the opening of new tabs cause the music to skip.
Is that too much to ask for a ~$3000 mbp with 8 gb of ram? I don’t think so.
The day I can build my own Mac with the parts I want, the way I can a Windows or Linux machine, I’ll consider one.
http://outkastz.com/macfail.jpg I rest my case. Congratulations, you’re the next engadget.
This is exactly one of my points, especially with custom built PCs.
Maybe Google is the next Engadget also according to your rules: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/33400/google-gets-rid-of-windows
what about me ? I use mac and linux … most of the time I use linux ;) and of course on more of my hardware ;)
I like my 17″ mb-pro, esp its non-glare display, but I’m a little spoiled by how comfortable it is to use a good configured kde – desktop. There are quite a bit of limitations of how to handle the windows on osx 10.6 hope that gets better in the next release (full screen stuff).
Anyways to get to the point:
Much like the maid, I don’t do windows!
What do I select in this poll ?
I use macs at work and school. Dislike Microsoft. Love android. Not overall impressed with iPhone’s and iPads, but I’ll use OSX forever.
I used to have an iPhone but got bored with it. I have a rooted incredible and I couldn’t be happier!
I have an Android Phone (Dell Streak), I use Macs at work and have a PC at home. I used Mac and PCs even when I worked in the Imaging department at Corbis. They all have strengths and weaknesses.
I got an Android phone, because I don’t like being forced into buying a new phone every year or so, just to keep up. And I think Apple deliberately withholds features to get customers to do so. I also want the same flexibility to customize that I get on my computers and I chance to “peek under the hood.”
I like to build my home machines to configurations that I prefer, and PCs allow me to do that. My work iMacs are pretty solid machines. They don’t take up much desk space, have huge displays an do a lot of heavy lifting.
When I was younger, I was more pro-Apple, but then I realized that all these companies have something in common: They want to sell you something. Today. Tomorrow and The Week After That. If you buy into their sales pitch, you’re just helping them.
So I do what’s best for me.
i’m a web developer, i have an android phone, and i work on a windows 7 desktop (it’s what’s provided to me at work). i think people put way too much emphasis on the operating system. it’s the *programs* that really matter. i could not care less what platform i’m working on, windows, linux, mac – if there’s solid development tools, and something i can use to work with design files (ie .psd’s), i’m a happy puppie.
Well, it was good while it lasted. Time to hire a new writer.
I really think, in future android will replace Windows and Mac-OS.The ASUS Transformer is very close to it!
I will never own a mac for the same reason I will never have a Verizon contract: I don’t like how the company operates.
Anyone who wants to convince me to buy a Mac will first and foremost need to convince me that Steve Jobs is not a massive tool, and that Apple business practices are not among the worst in the industry in both their abuse of their customers and even the legal system when they think they can get away with it.
ohh you own a mac and you like windows. whoopdie doo tit for tat dis and dat.
I’ve used Macs several times over the years. They just don’t work the way I think. PCs do.
Congratulations on your first Mac! You’re going to love it, especially when the learning curve has passed. (Shouldn’t take long… they’re incredibly simple.)
I am a both-worlds girl in every sense of the word. I’m a photographer and designer, and work during the day (doing design) on a PC, and at home (doing design & photography) on a Mac. It’s always been that way.
Since I use both extensively, and know both like the back of my hand, it’s easy for me to compare them without brand-bias or familiarity-bias.
I prefer Mac by a big huge fat longshot. The list of reasons is extensive, but ease of use & troubleshooting being a big one… the other being stability and speed. Boom.
That being said, I prefer Android to iPhone. I have always wanted an iPhone, but never had one (been on Verizon for a decade). I instead got an iPod Touch which uses the same interface. I loved it & thought I wanted an iPhone until I got an Android. Now, the interface of the iPod Touch / iPhone makes me crazy. I really don’t think I could ever switch from Android now that I’ve used one!
What OS was that PC running, though? If it was Winderz, you betcha Mac OS has it beat on stability. But, I’ve not found anything to beat a Debian install for stability :)
That’s probably true, but how do you do graphic design and edit photos on Debian? With Gimp??
When Adobe ports their flagship products to Linux, then it will become a viable alternative for some people.
I like Mac OS, since it’s UNIX. I dislike the over-priced hardware it sits on. It’s not functional enough (For the price I pay), maintenance is a pain, and just generally: I hate white computers and monitors.
I definitely prefer the OS, when compared to Windows. But, I’ll take any platform that can run a UNIX or UNIX-like OS. I’ll just run the UNIX or UNIX-like OS on the hardware.
I have a Macbook Pro 13″ that’s just over a year old, I sync it with my Nexus S via DoubleTwist for music. I would have to say I prefer Mac OS-X to Windows, I was using a Dell running Linux Mint 10 for a bit as well, and I also preferred that to Windows.
I have a Macbook Pro 13″ that’s just over a year old, I sync it with my Nexus S via DoubleTwist for music. I would have to say I prefer Mac OS-X to Windows, I was using a Dell running Linux Mint 10 for a bit as well, and I also preferred that to Windows.
Please don’t use Dave Matthews in this manor ever again.
I think of my money as voting stock. If the government worked like actual businesses do I would be happy. I could buy a vote for this law and pay for opposition to that amendment, so the government would only pass laws that make money and still listen to the voters.
That being said, with my money I vote for android cell phones and apple computers, and that only a recent development.
I agree almost entirely with this article, only I didn’t have a beer before I decided to buy a Mac. I have had almost every smartphone os in the last two years and given recognition to each where it was due but I’ve never owned a Mac. After purchasing a macbook air a couple months ago, I can safely say that it suits my needs just fine and does have a level of product refinement thats hard to find in the fragmented windows market.
I write this post on a motorola xoom, and owned an I pad for over six months, which I sold to get the xoom…and i can say now that while ios and macos compliment each other perfectly where android will likely not, my phone and my computer are still two different worlds, and for now, my name will be McAndroid.
A lot of Android engineers at Google uses MAC to my knowledge so you can go wrong
We use Macs at work. They’re nice, but when I went to the Mac store to see about getting one for personal use and saw that the laptops were AT LEAST twice as much as a similar Windows laptop, I was like, “no, thank you!” I bought an ASUS 1201N last year for under $500 and it does everything I need, even streams 1080p video to my HDTV at home through its DVI port. Maybe Macs are worth it for power users who do video editing and the like, but for home and multimedia use, my sub-$500 laptop works just fine. I just don’t see the value of buying a $1700 laptop.
I agree, Danny. However, it’s a total myth that Macs are better for video editing and graphic design. There are many great video editing programs that work just as good, if not better than Final Cut Pro, ie. Vegas, that don’t need as much computing power as FCP. I know you weren’t making that claim yourself, but I just wanted to chime in because that myth is quite popular. :)
I currently have both, but I think PCs are better since you get a lot more for your money.
Well, maybe if you actually tried an iPhone you’d realize how much better it is than a droid… In fact, I have saved $90/mo by getting an iPhone. The iPhone allowed me to cancel cable tv… Between Netflix, Hulu+, and iTunes, I have more content available on my iPhone than on my cable box! Hooks up through HDMI (yes, there is a cable for that, despite the fandroid b.s. In fact, iPhones have more and better accessories than ANY droid phone).
Android? No Netflix, Hulu+, or iTunes, and PlayOn is not a viable solution… It’s a Rube Goldberg hack… You will need to get a new droid phone to view this content, because Google didn’t think DRM was important… DRM has to be implemented in hardware on droid devices, and none of these exist… When this becomes obvious to most users, they will realize what a smelly bag of shit they are holding…
Enjoy waiting for apps that I already have, and making excuses like “When I want to watch Netflix, I just use my PC”. It’s hilarious how this droid douchebag I know just says “oh, I just do it [the old fashioned way]” when confronted with droid limitations… Then he claims Android is dominating (hmmm… weird, because iOS still has 4 times the market share as Android… and a lot of these “Android” devices are so crappy, they can’t use most of the apps in the market!!!)
I am so jealous of your widgets! Wow, so any developer can come up with a widget or app that can change system settings?! That sounds pretty good in terms of security… Yeah Android is well known for great security and a cohesive user experience across all devices… Ha ha ha — they should call it “suckdroid”
This article is very telling of why some people go for Android… Not because it is better, but because the iPhone is too “trendy”. Way to be objective!!! But hey, any asshole can throw up a website to host their feelings of alienation which cloud their decision making…
Believe me — when Android dominates the mobile OS market (yeah, right… Ha ha ha), you will be given a medal of honor from Obama due to the AWESOMENESS of your early adopting!
Have fun paying to beta test your Android devices… Wow! According to Andy Rubin, Honeycomb has a HOLOGRAPHIC user interface! Well at least the Google lies are ambitious!
wow, what a waste of time and space…
“Well, maybe if you actually tried an iPhone you’d realize how much better it is than a droid”
I’ve used
BB 8310
BB 8800
BB 8900
Apple 3G
Apple 3GS
Samsung Galaxy S (Android)
Motorola Backflip (Android)
Motorola Atrix (Android) well, this is actually my wife’s
I can say with 100% certainty that Android OS wins hands down. Not only does it actually multi-task but I have way more control over what the phone does/can do. To be fair, the Blackberry OS does also multi-task instead of background services which still require the app to reload when you go back to it.
Trust me, his name – Objective Evaluator – was a lie.
Would you like to explain what “actually multi-task” allows you to do? Because all I’ve seen from between my old iPhone and my current Nexus S is heavier battery drain due to bad management of the background apps.
I can still listen to my music, I get all my chat msgs, my games open up where I left them etc. I don’t see what the issue with “pausing” them is since it saves my battery life, and when I switch back, it’s right where I left it.
So please explain the advantage, because all i see is disadvantage.
Right! Larry Page even said that “running apps in the background would run down battery life”. Google did it that way because it was easier. It makes no sense on a smart phone with a small screen… Only idiots think that this flaw is a feature. It’s much more difficult to persist the state of an app and it makes more sense on a small, mobile device… The multitasking use cases that make sense are implemented in iOS… On Android, you have to constantly kill apps that you open, like some caveman!!!
Google needs to learn that developing an OS is no easy task… iOS is based on 20 years of in house technology. Objective reviewers all say it is more stable and polished than Android.
Beta testing a free web app is one thing… Making people pay to beta test a smart phone is EVIL. Google has become the evil company in this situation… They offer customers a product that is half baked, but people pay the full price… The “good” Android phones are as expensive as iPhones, but the customer gets far less value, security, and applications from Android…
I think Android has a future only if Apple fumbles the ball… But there is no reward for early adopters… You’re just paying for an expensive data plan which has limited use due to the lack if apps and content….
The best advice in terms of evaluating which technology to adopt — get what’s good now and if the competitor gets their shit together, you can switch…
I used Windows up until 2 years ago, but Macs surpassed Windows PCs when they ditched PowerPC chips for Intel… If you love a particular PC app, you can run it even better on a Mac… Like the Popular Mechanics article mentions — the best Windows PC is a Mac!
You have obviously no clue of anything you write about. I don’t even know where to start….
BRAVO! Great reply! Lots of facts… Speaks volumes of the intellect of Droid fanboys! “Uh, you’re wrong!” Great rebuttal! You did Lincoln and Douglas PROUD!
@fanboy not engineer
It speaks of my mental consistency and not feeding the troll that is you – ya know?
Being European I couldn’t care less about Lincoln and Douglas.
The stupid, it burns!
The multitasking in iOS is far superior to the battery draining “obsessive use of app killers” crap in Android. If you knew anything about Java and operating systems, you’d know that Android did it the easy way — their multitasking is the stock multitasking from Linux and Java… Larry Page even said that running a bunch of apps in the background is a bad idea! Well it looks like Android went with the bad idea… If you have a large screen an can run multiple apps on one screen, it makes sense… They took full computer multitasking and used it on smart phones because it was easier…
iOS multitasking is much better for mobile devices… You never close an app… Its state is persisted to memory and it pops up again like it was always running… There is no need to obsessively kill apps to save battery life (and the batteries all suck on droid phones!!). Anyone who knows about operating systems knows that iOS did a much better job with multitasking… Android just defaulted to what Java/Linux already offered…
I am stoked that OS X Lion will have this same feature — you can shut down your machine and when you boot it back up your apps will be in the same state. That is ADVANCED! Welcome to 2011… Android multitasking is straight out of 1995! You’d need to have more knowledge beyond your black box/phandroid propaganda b.s. to get it… It’s so funny when expertise is based on how many phones you own… Yes, you have a black box understanding of the devices… And yes, you will always go through more Android or RIM devices than I will burn through iPhones… Pennywise and pound foolish, to say the least! If you want to watch content on Android, you will need to get a new device with hardware DRM… The gingerbread is HALF BAKED!!! AHHH HA HA HA HA!!!!
I laughed pretty hard at this.
“(hmmm… weird, because iOS still has 4 times the market share as Android… and a lot of these “Android” devices are so crappy, they can’t use most of the apps in the market!!!)”
If you truly believe those marketshare numbers you sir are an idiot. Lol.
Someone drank the Gartner Koolade!!! They were talking about smart phone SALES in one quarter of 2010 in the U.S. Of course Droid phones sell more — they are replacements for devices that cannot be upgraded melted froyo or half baked gingerbread!
Go ahead and get out your box of tissues and Google “operating system market share”… Sorry droid fanboys, but iOS has four times the USERS as Android… That means that app developers will always prefer iOS… Um, smart phones in landfills don’t buy apps… Users do!
Let’s subtract the shitty droid phones like the Huwei pieces of shit that can’t run most apps in the marketplace… Those smartphones are as smart as Andy Rubin and the Holograms!!!
Now, if you filter the data — sales, U.S., and smart phones only, then yes, Android can be made to look successful when run through various deceptive filters…
Why do you think there are 10 times as many apps for iOS? Why do developers still overwhelmingly prefer iOS? Because it has 4 times the users! THAT’S A FACT!!! SUCK IT! Where’s your Netflix? Killer app and you will need to buy a NEW DROID DEVICE to run it… whenever those come out… ANDROID IS HALF BAKED!!! YOU GOT SUCKERED INTO PAYING TO BETA TEST THIS GOOGLE CRAP!
Try replacing your cable service with a Droid phone… You’ll be watching dogs on skateboards and other YouTube shit, while I am watching hit movies and TV shows, ON DEMAND AND WHEREVER I GO!
And some of you are either liars or stupid… iPhones have voice guided navigation and the app store has a WHOLE CATEGORY of navigation apps!!! Maybe get your heads out of your asses or stop lying?
Enraged Fanboy is enraged…
So, how does Steve Jobs’ dick taste? You seem to suck on it enough.
you sir live in ya own world ^^
about 10 of my friends got an iPhone. And the OS is just crappy (even they think so)
besides: hulu ain’t even accessible in my country => where’s your point now XD
“It’s hilarious how this droid douchebag I know just says “oh, I just do it [the old fashioned way]” when confronted with droid limitations…”
and your beloved iOs hasn’t got flash, but it ain’t only the crappy iPhone douchbags but also mister douchbagery Jobs himself who claims not to need it
Your Android Flash doesn’t work properly… It’s also half baked… When the Honeycomb Xoom tablet came out it didn’t have Flash, and now they have a buggy beta version. I think you are stupid if you are paying money to beta test software!
Android devices with Flash CANNOT consume all Flash content and Hulu bounces droid users because they don’t want their content pirated… All you can do with Android Flash is look at some animation on a beer company’s website!!! “Oooh, look! It’s Spuds McKenzie!” CRASH!
Just like with “true multitasking”, Droid fanboys take a poorly implemented feature and claim it is an advantage…
I don’t want some buggy shit on my smart phone… Apple made a tough call, but it was a good decision… Otherwise they would have had to put up with Adobe’s bungling. The idea of having such a heavy weight plugin running on top of a browser on a smart phone is ridiculous… Does it work well? NO!
Apple customers are a different breed. We expect value, stability, and a great user experience… Droid users are used to Microsoft shittyness and don’t know better…
If you want a good laugh, check out the issue tracker for Android! It’s so buggy, sometimes the phone doesn’t work…. We’re not talking the antenna bullshit that all cell phones have (although I have not been able to reproduce this “grip of death” on the VZW iPhone 4). With Android, the OS is so buggy that the phone app can crash… D’oh!!!
But you have WIDGETS!!! Gee, where have I seen those before… Oh yeah, they’ve been in OS X for several years now….
The funny thing about Android and their fanboys is that they have their heads so far up their asses that they don’t even know that Android rips off 80% of its features from Apple!
Lmao..IPhone was pretty kewl…3 years ago!!! Apple fanboys never were!!
Maybe you can repeat your rant a half a dozen more times. I didn’t catch it the first 4 times you said it. You really don’t have a life do you?
I love Apple products. I just love my Android’s functionality more than what I get with an Iphone… nuff said.
Btw, I used to use a Macbook, but went back to Windows. From an economic standpoint for gaming laptops and desktops – Windows is a no brainer. However, I love the polish of OS X.
I own and use a Droid X, Toshiba Satellite, MacBookPro and an iMac. No big deal.
its not about the brand its about the product. i HATE the iPhone because of its great potential but locked down and stubborn ideology..having an iOS devices is like having a Lamborghini that only stays in 1st gear. like, why would you want to have all of these capabilities and not be able to use it. and thats why i would never own another iOS device (i had an ipod touch).
Macs on the hand, from a computer standpoint, makes the computer just way simpler and.. well, better. for example, just look at iMovie vs Windows Movie Maker. and not to mention theres far fewer viruses on Mac computers than for Windows, so I feel more secure using it. so like i said, its the product im a fanboy about, not the brand
My gf has a MacBook Pro and an Android Phone. I have a Windows desktop & laptop, and a Linux laptop.
Smart people are more concerned with “Does it do what I want it to do?” than they are with “Which company’s insignia is it branded with?”
As far as the Apple community, my problem isn’t with their constant gushing over every Apple decision (even if that decision runs utterly contrary to what they were gushing over a week ago). My problem is that few of them have ever actually used Windows, Android, or Linux, but can’t wait to spout off misinformation about those platforms. Their constant need to display their ignorance to the world is an encouragement to not join their ranks.
Even if I had a MBP, I’d cover the little apple logo with a sticker before going out into public, where the Apple faithful might think me one of their own.
Yeah, I’m sure Mac users have not really used Windows.. Really?! PCs are everywhere. Everyone has spent time with them.
The inverse is much truer than your statement. Most Windows users have never used Macs and spout off misinformation about the platform.
Misinformation is spouted in both directions, most of the time.
Each OS has their pros and cons, but even Walt Mossberg (total Apple shill) admits that Windows 7 is equal to OS X.
I just find it strange that you can install Windows on any Mac legally, but you can’t legally install OS X on any PC. Why? The hardware is no longer an issue now that Macs run with Intel. I think the answer is fairly obvious – people would soon figure out that the “Mac experience” is just a bunch of marketing BS.
The legalities are questionable, it hasn’t been ruled illegal, but then again no one said it was legal either. Psystar just got in trouble because they were making a business out of it. The reason you can’t install OS X on a regular PC without breaking the EULA is because Steve Jobs doesn’t want you to. He wants you to buy a Mac, not just OS X. I suppose it also has to do somewhat with the lack of drivers out there since Apple only has to write drivers for hardware they use and a decent amount of that is specific to Macs anyways, but its mainly to get you to buy the whole package.
Because Apple is a hardware company, not a software one.
Agreed. iTunes is hardware, not software *eye roll*. Parroting stuff you’ve read on other forums isn’t doing you any favors.
Apple is a hardware, software, and advertising company. 10 years ago you would have been right. Today, you’ve just proven my point (again) about Mac users not knowing wtf they’re talking about.
if apple wanted to sell predominantly sell software, they would make it so you could install their OS (osx) on any pc like windows or iOS on phones like Android. but they don’t… why? because they want to sell their hardware
their software is what most people care about, but the fact that you have to buy their hardware to use their software tells you what their focus is. it’s all about the hardware. it’s quite simple.
I have yet to find a Windows user who cares one way or another about Macs. But every thread (on AskMefi, for example) asking about Macs vs. Windows includes a least 3 Mac users saying, “Macs are faster” or “Macs are better for video editing” or “Macs don’t crash as often.” Some even go so far as to say things like,”If you use Windows, you’ll have to pay for a photo editor and other software that Macs come with, so Macs actually cost less,” ignoring the massive community of open source products. (Cue the retarded “But iLife is the best!!1!” retort you know you’re dying to type.)
Any user of multiple systems knows that they are basically interchangeable, and that, since the hardware is identical, speed comparisons haven’t been useful in years.
Additionally, your response can be summed up as, “Oh yeah? Well Windows users are dumb too!” I’m not sure how that makes Mac users any smarter, or in any way contradicts my initial point: That Mac users tend to know nothing and are very vocal about it.
WTF does your rant even mean?
My response was to some dude saying that most people who have used Macs have NEVER used Windows. That’s the most ridiculous thing EVER. What is much clearer is the INVERSE of that because most Mac users HAVE used windows since windows dominates the marketshare. I would argue most WIndows users have never used Macs.
Are you in the 5th grade? holy shit you are stupid. Reading comprehension is first taught in like the 3rd.
I just got my first mac to. Macbook pro 15″ 2011
I own a Mac and an EVO. Sucks because Unrevoked never works on my Mac so I have to use my roommates PC to do it. We are all techies in my house. We have 3 macs and 2 pc’s between 4 of us. At his stage of the game, mac is easier and less troublesome if you never want to look under the hood. But I her times are changing and more and more virus’s may begin to be written for macs which will suck because Apple has no clue about security compared to Windows. So do what ya like.
I never understood why people refer to Windows as PC when Mac is also technically a PC. just say the OS you’re using, especially when you’re leaving out Linux, another competitor in the market.
Because apple spent billions on marketing to differentiate the Mac from the PC. . . you know, they have to be different lol
i love macs but HATE the damn iphone lol…..been using macs for years now, I guess cause I am a graphic designer. No I’m not a PC hater just prefer the macs yes they are too expensive but never no problems. BUT I love ANDROIDS!!! so steve jobs can keep the damn iphone and ipad. Yes I love macs but hate all the iCRAP
Dont be ashamed you got a Mac, dont be ashamed even if you like it. It fit the bill at that particular time. And if you do wind up liking it even more, so be it.
I wanted to try OS X, but didnt wanna get specific hardware just for the OS. I wound up getting a custom Hackingtosh PC built that could run OS X. I never installed it…lol
Two things happened before I was gonna install it that made me change my mind:
1. I played around with a few Linux distros the previous months, year. (SUSE, uBuntu, Xandros and probably a few others I forgot)
2. I played around with OS X in a VM (PearPC)
IMO, if you never used OS X before, play around with Linux beforehand. It will make getting used to OS X easier if you are a Windows person. For my needs, it woulda been easier and less of a headache to just use Linux.
One thing I will say I can appreciate about both OS X and Linux: it teaches ppl to get comfortable with using command line prompts, interface.
I have a Windows 7 PC, a 13″ Macbook, an iPod Touch, and a Motorola Atrix. I love them all equally. I can’t have favorites, for they are each special in their own way… it’s like having kids!
Pfft….
My Devices:
Macbook Pro
Xoom Tablet
Epic 4g
iPad 16g and 32g (kids)
Evo 4g (wife)
Google TV
Google Blu-Ray Box
I’ll be selling my phones for an iPhone. Say what you want, I rather have both devices for the best of both worlds. Like a 360 and a PS3. Forget being a fanboy, I want new gadgets!
I’m a motion graphics designer (shameless plug in 3…2… edensoto.com) and used to be a die hard Mac user for over a decade, but over the past couple years, I’ve transitioned myself to completely Windows-based. It’s really been a result of Apple’s obsession with the general consumer… their focus has gone from creating products to create media, to creating products to consume media. Lion is starting to look more like iOS every screen shot I see and that’s the wrong direction IMO. I now embrace Windows 7 fully, and have learned to like it more so than Mac OS X because of the depth. My PCs are super overclocked machines that run faster than even the fastest Mac Pro and cost me a fraction of the price… in the end, that’s what matters. Apple first pulled the plug on the Xserve’s, now I can fully see the Mac Pro getting the axe next after Apple convinces everyone all you need is a MacBook Pro.
The thing is though…most compare 1200$ pc vs 1800 mac or some pos pc vs mac but truth is my main gear which is 100$ more then 1500& 15 in mac runs circles around the mac. For almost same price my main gear has amazing display hdmi 3.0 usb i7 intel 8 gb ram 500gb ssd hybrid memory radon graphics cars and much more plus 3 year warrenty.
I bought a laptop last Christmas. I was open to idea of purchasing an iMac, I knew I can install Windows on it as many of Google and Oracle engineers do. But the difference in my case was that I approached the question with elaborate research and fact weighing, not the drunken talks of floating heads. And I’m telling you, until thickness of my laptop or how cool I look with it matters to me, I’ll never buy an Apple product. Overpriced last year specs (HDD, CPU, everything) with a monitor that is half as good as my custom built engraved Vaio’s 1080p? No, thank you.
I’ve yet to find a compelling reason to buy anything from Apple. I did try and encourage my grandmother to get an iPad because she just needs something simple to check email and web browse. Nothing does simple like iOS. As long as one of the reasons that Apple says I should love Macs on it’s website is that “It runs Windows and Windows applications” I’ll just stick with Windows. I’ve never found a need to run OSX so it seems like there’s no reason to pay more for a Mac.
I’m sure it doesn’t help their cause that I don’t usually find their design choices particularly appealing either.
you hate peanuts???? mac acquisition aside, that is the real sad part of this article
You do injustice to Androids roots with your poll options of PC, Mac, and “Other”.. let’s face it.. “Other” is Linux.. IT”S LINUX ROOTS IS WHAT ATTRACTED ME TO ANDROID 2 YEARS AGO !!.. As a Linux user, I have less distaste for Mac than Windows based PC’s because the Mac has it’s roots in BSD, which like Linux is modeled after Unix. I do tech support, and there are less problems with the Mac.. The thing is, even though the Mac has a system that would appeal to guts tinkering geeks like me., the average user is non technical.. it is perhaps because Windows users have had to spend more time tinkering, and fixing problems that they have to become more tech-savy just to survive.. I have built PC’s fixed PC’s and now doing the tech support thing.. but at home it’s Linux all the way baby, and I don’t see myself switching,
I have never owned an iPhone because of the hold apple has on it. But Mac’s are 1000 times better than any PC. and they last at leeat twice as long as well.
linux ftw
Mac OSX is an incredible operating system. It’s simple if you want it to be, or as powerful as you want if you dig into the Darwin core.
Example:
Want to back up your stuff. Use time machine. Pay some money for a time capsule if you wish.
Want a more powerful backup solution? Set up a FreeNAS system and use Unison or rsync or both.
To make things clear, you do get what you pay for: 1 – excellent software 2 – excellent hardware. It might not suite your taste, but it is of superior quality in every way to a cheap laptop with windows home for example.
–
At this point in my life I generally use Ubuntu Linux on dell hardware because its what I enjoy using most. When I do have to make a movie or a photobook I always resort back to my MacBook Pro.
When it comes to phones, I don’t want any roadblocks, so I use Android.
Can’t you all get along and stop trashing operating systems. Especially when you have zero experience using it.
Having spent my years using both Mac and PC machines of various ages and builds, it all depends on how the computer is used. Each is good in their own respective rights. I like using the Mac for daily use. I have it set to dual boot to windows 7 for those pesky things that require the OS.
I have owned several PC desktops. I’m currently rebuilding it after 7 years of use. I just recently replaced my old Mac desktop that has seen 10 years of use. I’ll be re-purposing it as a server as it is still a solid machine.
Going from one to the other is quite easy. The hard part is figuring out where everything is. Stuff is in different places. Otherwise, they are very similar. Years of tech support on both platforms has taught me this. It’s like apples and oranges (no pun intended). When it comes down to it, they are both fruit.
He could just install Windows 7 on his Mac, but he would then have the problem of justifying spending so much more for a Windows machine.
I’m familiar with both ecosystems and I strongly prefer Windows 7. The Windows taskbar alone is enough to keep me from OS X and that horrible Dock. That’s just my personal opinion, of course.
Good luck to the poster on his new computing adventures. I hope he keeps us updated on how the transition is working out.
I prefer Win7 over OS X by a long shot. I hadn’t used a Mac for a long time till last year and going from Win7 to OS X for two weeks drove me crazy, not to mention that apple devices still don’t play well with others. I’ll stick with Win7 or Linux, no way will I pay the apple tax to be punished by OS X.
Agreed. My brother’s gf who is a graphic designer is constantly trying to get me to get a Mac for my graphic design work. She was over one time showing me some of her work and Adobe kept crashing. She kept saying this happens a lot, but still chose to keep trying to convince me to buy a Mac. lol. I’ll give her props for her tenaciousness. haha. Anyway, switching back and forth between Illustrator, Indesign, and Photoshop on OS X is the most cumbersome experience I’ve ever had on a computer. Using that key combo to bring up the ‘open programs’ menu? What a nightmare.
By the way, she also couldn’t understand why I bought an Android phone instead of an iPhone. I mean, she was literally looking at me like a malfunctioning android – dead in the eyes and no facial expression. There’s no hope of having a rational conversation with those people, so I just bite my lip.
yep, there are those people that are just “believers” of apple and it doesn’t matter what you say or show them, they just believe that a Mac (or any apple device for that matter) is easier to user and somehow better. It’s like talking to a fundamentalist of some religion. . . nothing gets through.
I’m a web designer and front end developer and I work on a Mac. I own an iMac and and Macbook.
However, when it comes to iPhone, I hate AT&T more than I love Apple and I would never use their service unless it was on Sprint.
Using the EVO 4G for the last year, there’s no way that I could use a screen as small as the iPhone. Now, if the iPhone had at least a 4″ screen and was on Sprint, I’d be interested, but as for now, I’m sticking with Android.
I also own an iPad so that I’m happy with.
Let’s see, in our household I have a macbook, windows vista (soon to be replaced with windows 7 if my wife lets me – her computer); two android tablets and two android phones. I primarily use the Mac, I actually love it. It’s my first Mac, and I’ve had it more than 3 years. It runs as fast when I got it, it’s absolutely never given me any problems, and if I need to use a windows application, I simply boot into parallels.
My wife uses the Windows computer. Over the last 3 years it has slowed down, it has gotten a few versions of malware (which I’ve had to clean out). Other than those problems it’s a nice system. Not the same as my Mac but the differences aren’t huge.
All things being equal, I’ll get a Mac when it is time to replace this one. I would probably get a Mac for my wife as well when it is time to replace the windows machine.
In contrast, I am sold on Android. I love the phones, I love the tablets, I like how it works and absolutely love how the infrastructure and competition within android drives innovation. I think the iphone is a good product, but it’s not for me. I’ve seen iphones, I’ve used iphones and for what I use my phone for, Android works better for me.
I think in the end, people should use the tools that work for them best. Android and Macs work for me the best.
Now this does not mean that I find the Apple Fan culture obnoxious. I find the fawning and hypocrisy a bit hard to take from that corner.
Adb works like butter on a mac
Skip the expensive hardware, the fluff fronted and learn linux. Even the baby step OS Ubuntu is a good place to start. Just this weekend I used a distro of Ubuntu to access and fix a HFS+ partition and resize some NTFS partitions on another machine. Linux has power and utility. From learning a new system perspective, that’s where you should go – at least that way you’ll be much more intimate with the system you’re learning, not insulated by either Windows or Mac’s interface.
I bought a MacBook after the 3 PC’s in my house crashed within a month. That was 3 years ago. I won’t own another Pc. I bought a Moto Droid because Verizon didn’t offer the IPhone. Now that they do, I’m not interested. My next phone will be Android again, I love it. Most of us don’t have a agenda, we simply want the best product available for our hard earned $$. For me that is a Macbook for home and Android on the go! Welcome!
Im a Mac, Hackintosh and Android user. Best of all worlds for me.
I have a mac 8-core tower an a MacBok pro and an older dual G5 Mac tower while my phones Samsung Galaxy S and my main phone which is a Nexus S. My first android was a milestone. I’m now an android developer, I have several Googler friends and most of them use Macs as well. Even Tim Bray, the Developer Advocate for Android at Google is a mac guy (he is also the inventor of XML).
I have a Macbook, a VAIO, an OG Droid, and an iPad 2.
The only one I’m somewhat ashamed about is the iPad. I vowed not to even consider purchasing one, but it has taken so long since the first iPad to get some Android tablets on the market. The ones that are finally here have such glaring flaws. Combine that with the unfinished state of Honeycomb and the complete absence of support from the developer community and you have one frustrated Android enthusiast. I had my eye on the Transformer and when the delay rumors started circulating I finally said “screw it”.
The iPad has very clean, well done apps and an established ecosystem that gives the consumer confidence in the product. $500 is too much money for me to feel “iffy”.
Switched to a mac about 4 years ago, haven’t looked back. Had way to many issues with Windows crashing constantly, whether it was the software or the hardware (Dell), doesn’t matter, i’m glad it happened. Also had a 1st gen iPhone, but got rid of it after switching to Sprint. Using an Evo now (Nexus S 4G in less than 2 weeks) and wouldn’t go back to iOS for a phone, Android has so many more customization options, that iOS can’t compete with it, in that regard.
My household consists of 5 PC’s with windows, 2 vibrants, a g2, mytouch 4g, and a half dozen other androids I’m fixing.. And my main desktop is a hackintosh.. (runs Snow Leopard and Windows 7) windows 7 of course being the primary, osx had a chance before 7.. Snapping windows increased the overall productivity of the whole operating system.. plus windows works better with android. Tethering is easier! :) I don’t discriminate though. I use windows for FL Studio Cubase and Snow Leopard for Pro Tools 9 and Logic Pro 9 but that’s besides the point.
I love the MAC OSX but would never get an iPhone. Though I love the iPad. Own a Nexus S, iPad, iPad 2, iMAC, MacBook pro, MacBook Air and Apple TV + Google TV (Experimental purchase).
Not true… OS X is twice as efficient as Windows and the OS and apps are not bloated, so you don’t need as much drive space, memory, or processor speed… Also, Windows is missing a lot of software that comes standard on a Mac… You can’t compare Mac hardware specs to PC hardware specs… OS X is wayyyy more efficient, like all *nix operating systems… Even a 2 year old Mac mini will boot faster and run apps faster than a brand new Win 7 PC… sorry, but Microsoft were the ones who defied the consensus of computer scientists and came up with a slow and bloated OS… But they did it their way!!!
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/tests/4258725
Popular Mechanics covered this some time ago… Intel also has similar info on their site… Yeah, time to get your head out of your ass and realize these are not 1998 Macs with one mouse button… Gotta love the self proclaimed “tech gurus” who are admittedly creatures of habit… Yes, you prefer a PC because you grew up with one, and have carried this vendetta against Apple to the extent that you are crazy enough to PAY to beta test Android… Because that’s what you are doing… Android is still in beta, no matter what Andy Rubin says… He’s mother fucking delusional, with his “holographic” Honeycomb bullshit… Is the dude trippin’ or what?!?
For me, as a Java EE programmer, I switched to a Mac 2 years ago because they have better software development tools… I also happen to know a few droid programmers at Motorola who use Macs because, like most Java programmers, they like the development tools better… Also the exposé feature on a Mac is a way better method of dealing with multiple windows (you know, the feature that HTC Sense UI ripped off from OS X, but makes no sense on a device with a small screen… or maybe you don’t know… After all, if you don’t use a Mac or iOS device, you may even think this Android shit is ORIGINAL!!! ha ha ha!) So if you are a Java EE programmer and have 15 windows open, simply pressing a key will tile all the windows, giving the user a bird’s eye view of EVERYTHING!!!
Oh, and after you have lost work a few times from Windows crashing, most sensible, professional users will look into alternatives… Since 2004 and the use of Intel processors, Macs have far surpassed PCs, and it is pure bullshit that they are more expensive… Just like your droid device chugs along with a powerful processor… The efficiency of the OS is something that has to be considered… A Mac that has less powerful hardware will outperform a Windows PC, just like an iOS device with less powerful hardware will outperform a Droid device… It’s a sleazy tactic of marketing people to sell the “impressive” hardware specs of Windows PCs or Droid devices, when both use hardware very inefficiently…
If you are bitter about paying to beta test Android, take it up with Google… Don’t take it out on Apple because you “can’t afford” their products… Like I said, I cancelled cable because my iPhone has more content and can do 720p resolution on my TV (which, on a 40″ screen from 15′ away is indistinguishable from 1080p… Good enough until the next Mac Minis come out!). So I have actually saved money overall by getting an iPhone, and you can’t ditch cable with Droid, unless you are going to watch 2 minute clips of dogs on skateboards… Ha ha ha, droid sucks sooooo bad!
Anyway, have fun beta testing Android… They need all the help they can get!!
You need to change your name..again…
Shut up, asshole! You have nothing useful to say… No facts. Just snide comments about netiquette…
BORING!
Dude grow the f up! The ONLY reason you have an Apple product is because your Mommy & Daddy bought it for you. Now run back to your Apple site with the rest of your pretentious ifans!
Correction:
I have nothing useful to say….to you. It would be a waste of my time.
I am learning to not feed trolls, or feed them with anything of substance. You posting here is good practice.
Seeing as you had to resort to name calling…..proves even more you are a waste to reply to.
Now I just wasted 2 minutes of my life. Oh well, I’ll live.
Yeah, I’m still working on that not feeding the trolls thing. They don’t seem to get the logic of choice, but oh well.
Do you feel better now that you’ve justified your purchasing decisions? Ever think that maybe people choose PC’s and Androids because of user choice? You know things like choice of manufacturer and various options such as carrier choice (more than 2), hardware (physical keyboard, trackball, etc.) choice, and yes, price.
As an engineer, I would figure you would appreciate the ability to tune and tweak your devices more than Apple allows. Yes, Windows and Android are less efficient mainly because they have to support hundreds of hardware combinations. This is a sacrifice I can personally make because I like truly owning my device and having more control over it.
If my battery or hard drive dies or I want to upgrade the RAM, I don’t want to have to send it in to Apple and pay twice as much to get it swapped out. I’m perfectly capable of doing those things myself (I’ve done all of them on my Thinkpad), but Apple purposefully makes it difficult for me to do so. I’m sure if I tried I could do it, but its a pain and I don’t appreciate the fact that they try and deter me from such things just to overcharge me again.
And thats just the PC side of the equation. I happen to like the ability to use widgets, change homescreen launchers, use different keyboards, view Flash videos, and change out ROMs on my Android phone. Try doing that on an iPhone. You can’t, or at least not without jailbreaking, which Apple tries to deter you from too. Google actually openly encourages the rooting of your Android device. I also like being able to choose where I get my apps and being able to download apps Google doesn’t approve for the Android Market. With iOS, its Steve’s way or the highway (again, unless you jailbreak).
Do I make sacrifices in performance? Absolutely. Do I preserve my personal choice? Yes, and thats whats most important to me. While iOS and OS X outperform Android and Windows respectively on comparable hardware, Android and Windows are far, far from unusable. I’d rather not be locked into Apple’s walled garden personally.
If Android and Windows were really so appalling to use, the market would show it. Right now its showing quite the opposite. Android and Windows have the dominant market share in their respective markets. I’m happy for you that you enjoy Apple products. You’ve made your choice and if it works for you, great. But please, don’t come here and try and shovel you BS in our faces.
Can’t you accept the fact that some people see the other side of the argument and find more value in Android and or Windows? Is it really necessary to fuel your own arrogance by coming onto an Android fan site where its likely a lot of people also use Windows and talk about how bad both are? I don’t go to Apple sites and talk about how overpriced and locked down their products are despite feeling that way and I respect that some people choose iOS an OS X for valid reasons. Can you not do the same for Android and Windows?
You even go to the ridiculous extent of choosing the username “engineer not fanboy” to suggest that you’re better than the rest of us. Guess what, I’m an engineer too. That doesn’t make me better than anyone and it doesn’t make you better than anyone either and neither does your choice of Apple products. Please take your smug elsewhere.
You sound like a PC tech… BTW, I have a Mac Pro and it us wayyyyyyy easier to add more RAM, drives, or ANYTHING… Get your facts straight, sanitation engineer!
Yeah its SO easy with their proprietary screws they’re starting to use to try and keep users out. I said I could do it and its likely not that hard, its just I don’t like how Apple is trying to lock me out of MY device. Look, I stated earlier, I could care less if you choose and like Apple. It doesn’t affect me one bit. But don’t try and shove it in my face. I made my choice you made yours and I don’t know why my choice, or anyone else’s choice for that matter, bothers you so much since its not your choice to make. I also don’t understand why you feel the need to come here and trash talk. Feel the need to justify overpaying for your devices? I don’t know, and quite frankly, I don’t care. You’re just making a prick of yourself and not actually changing anyone’s opinion. Its elitist people like you who give me even more reason to avoid iOS and OS X.
You are full of shit… The Mac Pro has a snap off case and is the easiest computer to upgrade EVER! They put a lot of design work in to making a computer that any idiot can upgrade — even installing a new drive is like plugging in a cartridge… Yes, it’s so easy, even a (sanitation) engineer can do it… If one is intelligent, one realizes that snapping in a hard drive is preferable to all the b.s. it takes to do the same on a Dell… BTW, there are a lot of Windows knock offs of the iMac or Mac Mini that have a compact “all in one” design — they too cannot be easily upgraded. But there is NOT ONE WINDOWS PC that is as easy to upgrade as a Mac Pro!!!
Again, 0 facts with you… You seem to not be aware of the Mac Pro, while it seems that I have forgotten more about Windows PCs than you will ever know…
Anyway, have fun making up lies about proprietary screws and whatnot… It’s par for the course… Fanboys need to do a lot of lying in order to make the piece of shit they hold in their hand or that chugs on their desk seem appealing…
The fact is, there is an open conspiracy between Microsoft and PC makers — you usually need to buy a new PC to run
a new (and even more buggy) version of Windows… They cash in on that, bigtime. But if you look at OS market share, most people still use XP. It’s the devil they know…
One reason I switched to the Mac was out of disgust with what a shitty company Microsoft is… After years of XP, they release Vista?!? You gotta be shitting me!!! And the die hard Microsoft lemmings jump off the cliff…
When you lose work or get a call at 1am that IIS just got deleted from the OS (seriously… our static web site and all of it’s content just vanished due to a known bug!) then maybe you will consider alternatives… I had been fucked by Windows too many times…
Apple did it right… Even the Mac Mini is a Unix machine that comes with the industry standard Apache web server (to facilitate home sharing for the average consumer, through an idiot-proof UI). I’ve had my Mac for two years now without any bad, weird shit happening… The only time I reboot it is when certain updates are installed… Other than that, it is even more rock solid than Linux, but I can run ProTools, PhotoShop, and Final Cut Pro on it…
OS X is the near perfect balance between rock solid Unix for geeks and consumer oriented shit that any retard can use… Even you!
Heres a link to the proprietary screw article:
http://www.ifixit.com/blog/blog/2011/01/20/apples-diabolical-plan-to-screw-your-iphone/
And by the way, changing the battery, hard drive, RAM, and even the CD drive is very simple on my T61 Thinkpad. Yeah, Dells and Acers and HPs are cheap, but if you get a good PC it will last.
And yes, I’m perfectly aware how much more efficient OS X is than Windows. I have a lot of respect for OS X and Apple in that respect and would buy a Mac a lot faster than an iPhone. Its a far more advanced OS than Windows, but the price advantage of Windows as well as greater compatibility keep me there.
Yeah, I can get a Mac and have it last me two to three lifetimes of a PC and perform better, but then again for the price of a Macbook Pro, I can buy two PCs. I am also aware that Macs are some of the best PCs to run Windows because Apple uses quality components in them, but I’m getting similar if not identical components in a Thinkpad for half the price.
I’m not attacking Apple, I’m just providing reasons why I, and perhaps others, choose alternatives. I don’t think I’ve once been unreasonable in my explanations. You’re wasting your breath telling me mostly things I know and not actually changing my opinion.
Also, for the record, I’ve had my Windows Thinkpad since October of 2008 and I’ve had no problems with it. I’ve upgraded the hard drive, RAM, battery, and upgraded to Windows 7 (shipped with XP, skipped Vista), but all that was done because I wanted more space, power, battery life, and a newer OS respectively, not because of any hardware or software failures.
Real engineers write code and don’t fiddle with widgets and home screens… Every software engineer I know has ditched Windows and uses an iPhone…. We have better things to do than beta test operating systems for oppressively wealthy corporations that offer pure dookie to their customers!
Awesome! There are soooo many ways you can arrange your tiny home screen on a smart phone… While you are dicking around with your UI, I am using apps or watching *quality* content!
That’s all you can really do with Android… Few apps, no good content, so you fiddle with widgets… “Wow, look at how AWESOME my home screen looks with the geriatric flip clock!!!” (sorry, but that flip clock is FUGLY!)
Well, as an “engineer” it surprises me that you would use a platform that has such poor security… Those widgets you love so much? They completely compromise security… Have you taken any classes on secure coding? Seems to me, you don’t know much about security, particularly if you advocate rooting your Android phone (which allows any malicious app to access data anywhere on your device). Some of us don’t want to bend over so cyber crooks can screw us…
Also your post is factually incorrect in so many ways… Perhaps you are an engineer, but my guess would be civil or sanitation…
I have used Windows, Linux, GNU, and OS X… OS X is the best — a perfect balance of user friendliness and Unix geekiness… The latter is why so many Java developers have switched… OS X Java projects can be moved to any *nix platform with ease, whereas Windows has a different file system and is not POSIX compliant… Even the Unix shell scripting emulators for Windows cannot overcome the lack of POSIX compliance. Windows just recently got “powershell” which is their ridiculous attempt to play catch up with features Unix has had for 40 years!!! Microsoft did their own thing and it sucks. Don’t lecture me on Windows — I have used EVERY flavor of Windows and they all taste like shit. Even the search feature was broken for a few years until they released an sp to fix it… For quite a few years, Windows’ search feature DID NOT WORK! Windows sucks and Android is even worse…
I guess some people get a sense of accomplishment from dicking around with their PC… I got enough of that with Linux… Great! There are many ways to launch an application and you can put all sorts of crap on your desktop or homescreen… You can even install a new desktop or homescreen! Whopee!!! That’s a nice way to kill time if you don’t have apps, movies, tv shows, or code to write…
I don’t know a single software engineer who wastes time dicking around with their computer… That is usually done by PC techs and desktop support people, in between solving Outlook issues for marketing and sales idiots… It gives them a sense of accomplishment — yes, you can plug in some memory! Wow! I know marketing people who can do that… Even my perma-stoned friend with a GED was able to build a computer from parts… Most engineers are smart enough to know that it’s a waste of time and money to do that… Apart from memory and drives, upgrading PCs stopped being cost effective some years ago… Uh, economy of scales, dude…
Also, if you ever actually used a Mac you would realize that the OS and apps take up half the resources as the Windows equivalent… Mac users can use the same Mac across 3 – 5 OS upgrades and a Mac has a useable lifespan (able to run newly released apps) of at least 5 years… My Mac Pro will most likely give me 8 years of use (being able to upgrade the OS and install the newest software)
I’ve used a shitload of operating systems and EVERY flavor of Windows (even the shitty “server” versions, if you can call them that… They serve as well as a palsied tennis player!). OS X is the best for consumers, developers, systems analysts, and geeks… Windows is for business users who work at penny pinching companies and Mountain Dew addicted video game nerds who live their life in the World of Warcraft (which, incidentally, also runs natively on a Mac, as do most popular games).
But for the Mac user who really needs windows, one can use Parallels and launch Windows apps from OS X with 100% compatibility, use VM ware and run a Windows VM, or do Boot Camp. Macs are actually better at running Windows than any Windows PC on the market! If you don’t believe me, check out the Popular Mechanics article…
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/tests/4258725
What a funny fanboy douchebag you are…….you love Apple so much yet you just spent 15 minute writing a rant hating on Android ON AN ANDROID SITE! Get a life dude!
I may love Android, but I can honestly say I’ve never gone out of my way to visit an Apple site and bash their products!
I once tried a Mac. I almost punched the screen when I discovered that it doesn’t maximize windows properly.
i have my macbook pro 15″ have had it for 3.5 years only one issue was the clam shell, they replaced it because i bought the three year warranty, alson with the key board and really everything, even the battery all because i had like 2 weeks of warranty left, so the biggest thing is i dont have issues with it like i had with my 7Pc’s and i am also a proud owner of a nexus one since about 2 weeks after it came out, which also i have had no issues with, i just like good build quality and a mac has it, also its not really restrictive like the phones are which is why there is no Iphone in my future lol
Odd that a tech writer would be afraid of new tech, new interfaces, and new ways of doing things. Mac OSX isn’t vastly different from every other OS out there, no matter what people will tell you. There are menus. There are icons. There are windows. They all perform about the same and do the same things. Beyond graphical appeal, transitional effects, and placement of items, which are all superficial anyhow, there’s not much difference.
I don’t know what kind of friends you have, but all the Apple hate I’ve seen is purely ideological toward the brand itself, and Steve Jobs, not to a particular device. iOS is based on OSX, and runs on the same sort of philosophies. Both smartphone and desktop hardware are stellar, and follow the same simple designs.
I hope you have actually used an iPhone as well, or an iPad, because if not, it begs the question of how informed or even in touch with reality Android users are sometimes, screaming at their adversaries from afar while trapped inside that self-made bubble. A rather forlorn sight, for humanity that is. You can’t accuse the same for Apple fans. They are not tech savvy and just use whatever is popular and works, because I would wager most have real lives to live, so them praising the only thing they know or care about is far more understandable than your typical geek who reads tech blogs all day and gets inflamed over the slightest mention of Apple, even though they know how many merits Apple has but choose to ignore them over some pathetic ideology.
I never would go to a mac. Im working in the computer branche. And i know why windows is so poppular and osx not.
Mac will never be so succesfull like a windows pc.
Perhaps for the fanboys who wanna be cool with their mac book air.
Well then i get my samsung notebook out my bag… thin as the mb air. And go for aaaaaalll the windows thing.
I have the og droid and a mbp which I also run windows on using boot camp. I used windows all my life until about 6 months ago and was a Mac hater. To be honest I barely use windows on it because a) it takes 4 times as long to load on the same machine and b) osx is just way faster and (for me personally) user friendly.
Also, anyone who says macs are “flimsy” has obviously never held an aluminum cased Mac book pro.
it’s never been about the product per se…it’s always been about the brand. The lemmings flock whenever a new product is introduced by apple. Many don’t even know about the product but they simply have to have it. The idea of paying more simply because the guy in the black turtleneck made it is repulsive to me. And apple’s approach of “big brother” where they want to control the entire ecosystem is the main reason why mac as a platform never really took off and is but a pimple on the a$$ of a windows world.
I have an Android phone, with a Mac Laptop, not ashamed to admit it lol. :)
I only got a Mac because my parents only buy Macs, but for me they kept buying me Windows laptops and they wouldn’t last but a year, so they decided to get me a Mac. I would be perfectly fine with a PC if I could install Ubuntu on it and find out how to connect to a WiFi Network… -_-“
1. Peanuts = Yummy Goodness
2. My ex-girlfriend is a Mac user… EX-girlfriend!
Wow…. Engineer not fanboy dude… you got all fired up! haha good for you Buddy you can love your apps cause that’s all the ibunk is good for and im sure as obsessed as you sound you use every single one right? I just really wanted to say… Calm yourself weirdo
WOW! Great comment! Lots of facts here… USEFUL POST!
Congrats on the Mac, you’ll love it. I completely can’t stand using Windows, despite the fact that I’ve been using it since I could type on a keyboard. It always seemed like way too much work to perform one simple task. I’ve had my MacBook Pro for two years now and I absolutely love it. The hardware, while obviously over-priced, is designed better than any Windows laptop I’ve gotten my hands on and OS X is a dream. I do everything I want and I can get everything done without any hassle, like waiting fifteen minutes to install a driver for a mouse or printer, or even downloading and installing something. I’ve even purchased an Apple Bluetooth keyboard simply because I trust the quality of the products and all the logitech and Microsoft wireless keyboards I owned before crapped out after a year or so. With that said, I love Android and I’m getting antsy waiting for the HTC Sensation. I develop for Android in Eclipse on my MBP and everything runs smoothly. One thing I’ll never buy from Apple is one of their cinema displays. I could get an actual TV that’s bigger to use as a monitor from a really great manufacturer for less, and get more ports out of it.
I have less of a problem with OS X than I do with iOS. I still think Macs are overpriced, but my main problem with iOS is the locked down environment, and OS X is largely devoid of that. Apple makes wonderful products, its just the ethics of the company and their closed ecosystem approach I don’t agree with.
Personally, I think Rob will be happy with his purchase. I also think he’ll need a Windows PC as a backup. One of the main reasons I don’t own a new Mac is STILL (in 2011) there are so many websites that don’t support Mac and the extreme lack of software available to Mac, as opposed to Windows based PC. For the price you pay for a Mac, and in this day and age, their should be just as much software available to Mac users as Win PC users, but sadly Cap’n Jobs is still at the helm and still keeping Apple fans locked out of what could very well be amazing products (ie: iPhone, Macbooks, iPods, etc)
ill do one better. buy a cheap pc and load linux. if you love android, youll love linux.
I’m mac & android.
mac os and android are both Unix based so closer to each other than Windows …
Debates about Windows vs Mac are useless now … if it wasn’t for DirectX everybody would be under a Linux or a Mac to work with…
It might sound cliche at this point, but Macs “just work.” In the 3 years that I’ve owned my Macbook, it has crashed (maybe?) twice. My mother recently bought a Windows 7 laptop… same ol’ story: Task Manager (Ctrl, Alt, Delete) then Force Close. Let’s not forget restarting before attempting to do anything of importance. By the time she’s gone through the Win7 dance, whatever it is she was looking for or hoping to complete, I have already completed on my Macbook. Windows has its place, though. I have to borrow a PC anytime I have to Odin something for my phone.
That being said, I own an android phone, too, and love it.
For Mac owners, I highly suggest iSyncr for Mac + iSyncr Wifi (IF you’re using iTunes). Otherwise, the two get along great!
engineer not fanboy…Mr Jobs would like to see you in the conference room please
Sideloaded OSx on MSI netbook to see what the hype was about. Tried using for about a month until I was “over” it. I can understand why people like it but for someone who uses there computer mostly for internet, word, and excel, I couldn’t justify the price hike on an actual Macbook. The 300 bucks I spent on this computer seems to be doing just fine since I beat the crap out of my computers anyways. Over 2 years working and have never had an issue with any of the problems people complain about with pc’s (most likely because I don’t use IE, Chome is my default).
I say return it. ^^
Wow, that’s a lot of comments (not surprising when this topic is brought up.)
Personally, I used to love PCs and thought Macs were the most limiting OS to use, but that was before I realized my entire childhood consisted of using Macs that were controlled under school accounts. I had to buy a MacBook Pro for my freshman year of college a few years ago, and since then I have not looked back. Although I still love PCs and what they have to offer, I feel that the UI on a Mac is for some reason a little more friendly (for me.) These are obvious personal opinions and choices. Also, it helps that Macs include Bootcamp, which allows Mac users to dual-boot into a Windows OS, as well as software like Parallels that allow VM to run side-by-side.
I’m still very hesitant towards iPhones because they has obvious limitations, and I know from experience since every person I know owns one. I think that people who argue which OS is better are simply ridiculous. It’s not “which OS is better”, it’s “which OS better fits YOU!” I’ve noticed that most people who argue about which one is better also have very huge flaws in their arguments by stating very irrelevant and simply false facts, so let’s get it all over with and stop arguing :)
Yes. I will be until Chrome OS becomes available to me
Apple products are for slobbering idiot, showoff, hipster trash. It is a brand not a way of life idiots.
Mac fags also enjoy socialism I’m sure. Wouldn’t want to have to make any decisions or have choices now would we.
I own both! You should have thought of that in your survey! Shame on you. :P
Am I a Mac or PC person? Both. I use a Mac at work and prefer it for coding. However, I use a PC at home and much prefer it as a gaming rig…for the simple fact that it is customizable and expandable.
While Macs aren’t terrible computers, I just can’t justify paying double or triple the cost of a PC when the specs between the two are identical, and I can do everything on one that I can on the other. Also, I think Apple is more of an evil, unethical, and even narcissistic company that doesn’t give respect to other people or companies, yet demands it for themselves all the time. Most people don’t see this (or if they do see it, they pretend not to) and are sheep to Apple’s marketing and anything with a shiny Apple logo on it, but not me. Every tech company has their own philosophy, and Apple’s is one that I do not believe in and even consider to be immoral and unethical at times, therefore I choose not to buy their products. Now that’s not to say that Google or other tech companies are grade A boy scout heroes, but that Apple is the greater of the evils, and in my opinion, far greater.
how is Apple “evil “?
Ugh…who really gives a shit. I’m so sick of this stupid fight between Macs vs PCs. The whole Android vs. iOS(iphone) debate is getting just as dumb. Its the SAME SHIT BACK IN THE LATE 80s early 90s about Genesis Does and Nintendon’t. People buy what they like. I own a Macbook Pro, a iPad and I currently use a HTC Evo 4G. I also had a iPhone(generation 1), Tmobile G1, GSM HTC Hero(import edition), and a Nexus One. I don’t care. I buy what I like and I could give two shit about what other people think of my gadgets.
Oh yeah, after using it for a week or so, give us an update on it and how much you really like it (or don’t like) after using it for a while. And if there’s anything special about it that “can’t be done on a PC” as almost every Apple fan thinks. I’m looking forward to a follow up!!
Every time I walk into the mac store… I am like.. these look cool… then wow that price is insanly high. I am surprised anyone buys them. We have a few at work to test with and they are throughly frustrating to use. By the time I am done testing.. I am ready to through it it out the window…
I would never consider buying an iPhone but love my MBP. I can’t use the standard trackpad that comes with windows based laptops anymore. Triple booting osx, windows and ubuntu but mostly just stick with osx. I open up windows in a virtual machine occasionally. Windows XP only at work, osx for laptop, and Windows 7 for home made htpc.
Recent smartphones: Nexus S, Nexus One, ADP1 (G1).
Recent tablets: gtab (deal of the century)
I was a “mac hater” for years, something I feel silly about now. Hard to beat the quality of the MBP, and I just sold my two year old MBP and only had to add $350 to get the brand new MBP (on Amazon with no sales tax it was about $1100).
i dont get it the guts of a MAC are now practacly the guts of a PC so why not do this. if you want a MAC so bad buy a PC with much better hardware at a fraction of the price buy OSX and either wipe the harddrive and load it on or dual boot and get the best of both world but best of all. its Still CHEAPER!!!!!!!!
Gaming keeps me tied down to PCs….
I’ve been using Mac since 1984…before it became fashionable for confused people to own one. Why? Because I wanted to get my work done. Superior OS and hardware design.
@ Enraged iNot Fanboy, take a chill pill, you’ll live longer.
Actually, I have a Mac that I’ve had for a few years, but I use Linux Mint 9 as my primary OS. So I’m sorta half-n-half.
Bookmarked for later. I gotta get my popcorn for this one.
I have both Mac and Windows and it has a lot to do with hardware and what you do with it. My thing is I hear a lot of people screeming Macs are closed, or Androids are open but majority of the people who say that do not know the purpose of of the meaning. Example I work at a wireless company and I hear I want android because it is open, but do not know the first thing about changing the ROM or rooting the device. So there argument is pointless for them.
I love assembling my own PC. I can’t assemble a Mac. I love playing games on my PC, and most of them don’t work on the Mac. Seriously a Mac is pretty much useless for my needs.
Diehard imac user here. Once you go mac you never go back.
I love my mac big time and it makes work much more productive.
I’m just as passionate about my android phone and how customizable it is. Android rocks. It is the best phone.
Those of us with macs and androids are the independent thinkers.
Diehard imac user here. Once you go mac you never go back.
I love my mac big time and it makes work much more productive.
I’m just as passionate about my android phone and how customizable it is. Android rocks. It is the best phone.
Those of us with macs and androids are the independent thinkers.
I just got a Mac a few days ago, I will never go back. Things just work so much better, the customization is amazing, and it’s not filled with a bunch of crap like Windows. And the longevity, I don’t know how many MacBook users I see with 3-4 year old macs without a problem. My $1200 Core 2 Duo Windows Laptop is down the drain after a 2 1/2 years. I bought a $1200 i5 MacBook Pro 13”, I bet it will last me at least 5 years.
Glad you join the RIGHT side.
I like Macs because OSX is less-painful than Linux on laptops, and allows me to be much more productive with music and art without having to compromise on my UNIX toolchain. Basically I use OSX as a UNIX with decent applications, rather than a bunch of half-baked partial clones of Windows stuff (which is what Linux has devolved to at this point).
I dont remember ever seeing this many comments on 1 post on this site ever before.
Especially in such a short time too! It’s only been about 12 hours with over 270 comments. Not bad. :)
I’m with ya!
My perfect combination, at least as of this minute, is:
T-Mobile G2X (officially the nicest android on the market)
Motorola Xoom (The best android tablet on the market)
11″ Macbook Air …….(The sweetest laptop money can buy)
Throw it all in a Briggs & Riley Bag……and go make that money!
Man, I guess I’d give up PC for Mac, but only as a laptop really. I am happy to build my own PC, picking all the hardware, all the peripherals, and whichever OS I want. Not… repeat not going to buy a pre-built desktop again in the foreseeable future, which pretty much says, no Mac.
I also have that same issue of being in utter disgust at even the idea of buying an iPhone or a Mac, but… I bought an iPhone before I fell in love with Android, I bought an iPhone in the face of actually being vocal about despising the idea, I was going to wait for the Pre to come out, then… I just didn’t for some reason, the iPhone 3g came up cheaper as the 3GS has just been released and I was sold, at least for the time.
It was iOS that made me -want- an Android phone/device in the first place, my 3g broke and I was on contract with an expensive phone that didn’t work and I said, hey I’ll buy a used G1 or MT3G and test out that Android stuff until I can find another iPhone or when my renewal comes up… I ended up renewing with an Android phone, not an iPhone, the rest is history.
I was in the market for a tablet recently and I was within a few clicks of buying an iPad 2… but I kept looking at iOS, sitting in all its iconic and nearly unchanged glory, and I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go back to such a restricted play space, nor could I justify moving back to the same OS that ran my phone 2-3 years ago, even with whatever little changes they included, the iOS system just overall looks -too- familiar, and I OWN APPS for iOS that I will probably never use again!
I love os x but I cannot stomach the apple tax. I have a Dell studio xps 1645 which has a rgbled display and is the best laptop display on the market combined with a core i7 720 6gb of ram and and ati 5730 it is perfect and only payed 1600 with 3 year nbd onsite repair warranty. Something similar with apple would run me 2600. Until apple lowers the price and gets 1920 x 1080 res on the 15 inch I won’t be buying one as much as I love os x.
Sent from my iPad btw lol
I bought my android because I am a long time Linux user. I don’t have anything against Macs. I think they are good computers, but I can get the same stability from the cheapest off the shelf computer by using Ubuntu and I can customize my computer in ways neither Windows or Mac are capable of. I am pretty new to Android, but I am hoping it give me the same stability and flexibility.
Using Android / HTC Desire with Desire HD firmware
and Macbook pro .. with Ubuntu linux exclusively. btw – don’t do the same, nvidia driver support sucks ass.
This should be a poll between Mac/Windows/Linux/Other not just Mac vs PC. PC is too broad and doesn’t specify OS….plus is a Mac not a personal computer?
Been using a Mac since they were called Macintosh, before Google was for searching and before Android was an OS, back when Androids’ were battling Super Saiyans.
I will not give Apple one red cent of my money for the same reason I would not buy the best computer (which the mac book is not) in the Hitler.
Wow this site is just pure fanboism and hate. Seriously? I bet you OP lumps OSX with the idiotic Fischer Price OSes rather than to look at it with UNIX capabilities like FreeBSD with a UI on top.
There’s plenty of easy stuff to do like writing a USB stick image to a USB drive with the dd command all us linux users are familiar with while you need a dummy tool on Windows. I’m not saying either system wins out. I run both Mac OS X, Windows 7 on my two main systems, with Solaris on my NAS too. It also uses ESXi so I can run a Windows based server. See? You need everything!
But for surfing, photo editing, word processing (Thank goodness Office 2011 finally comes out decent), you can get away with Mac for 95% of your tasks. If my Mac were powerful enough, I could SC2 on it all day long… that would leave my PC left to do what? Play some other games I don’t play on Mac like Battlefield Bad Company 2? Ask what you do on your PC that you can also do on your Mac….
See there is a big difference with IOS and Macintosh, can’t compare the two. I have a Macbook but despise IOS. Macintosh was the first personal desktop computer making it well developed over time. BTW, Macintosh is UNIX based. You can compile Linux applications on the MAC, with a little of work of course. But ye, Mac :), Android :), IOS :(((((
I have HTC Legend and Macbook Pro 13.
1st day I bought Mac, I was about to return it back due to not getting used to the new, weird OS, but patient is a virtue…
2nd day: started to get hold of OS X, still was about to return it back.
3rd day: I’ll never buy Windows computers again EVER (Exception: a Lenovo Thinkpad), Mac wins!
Windows machines can run Windows and Linux…Macs can run OSX, Windows, or Linux.
…that’s why I own a mac, so I can use what I want, when I want. I’d never buy a Mac desktop…but I love their laptops, and will probably continue to buy MacBooks far into the future. But if I were to get a desktop computer…I’d build a windows machine, because the only reason I’d get a desktop computer is to have a much-more-powerful-than-a-mobile-device unit capable of running the latest games/entertainment at the best quality.
As for non-standard mobile computing, I’ll stick with Google’s products and services…they seem to have the best stuff going at this point, though I do give props to Apple’s iOS for being exceptionally slick looking.
PS: Suppose Microsoft, Apple, and Google joined forces (which would never happen)…they could take over the world.
Enjoy it all the way until it locks up, repeatedly.
great article rob. Apple has their fanatics and the same can be said for over the top android fans. You can enjoy a totally high end Android phone without hating Apple.:)
A Mac IS a PC!!!. There’s no fucking difference. They both use Intel processors. It’s the same shit.
I think when people say “PC” they mean an Intel machine running Windows. You could also run Windows on your Mac. An Intel machine could run Mac OS X if you hack away the fact that Apple crippled it to authenticate on boot with their TPM chip. Any Intel machine, including Macs, could also run Linux, the BSD’s Plan 9, Solaris, or whatever, as their OS.
Free yourself from marketing jargon! Compare apples to apples (no pun intended)- hardware to hardware (like a Mac versus an Asus or something like that), and software to software (Mac OS X vs. Windows vs. Ubuntu vs. etc.).
I’m one of the guys who stands by Mac (compared to Windows) and by Android (compared to iOS). Thankfully, Android plays nice with my MacBook.
I am a Mac user – since moving to Mac the speed at which I do my work (Graphic Design) has tripled, and I use an iPhone. My tablet PC, however, is Android, and my laptop is Windows 7. It helps to be versatile, especially when creating websites. I never want to be that guy who has all the i-Products, ya know, iMac, Macbook, iPhone, iPad, when there’s so much variety out there and you can get different features at different prices. When I got my iPhone it was the only phone that could do e-mails on the go as well as I needed it to, and to this day it’s been well worth it, but I’m also very impressed by some of the Android phones out there. My tablet PC, the Advent Vega, was half the price of an iPad and actually is totally customisable and offers some features the iPad can’t, but the build quality and stability has nothing on the iPad. Same with my Windows laptop, Windows 7 is a brilliant OS, with a larger library of software and better hardware compatibility, and it’s more customisable too, but my Mac is much more streamlined and stable. So at the end of the day, it’s all swings and roundabouts, and I’m proud to be somebody you can’t define as a fanboy of a particular brand!