Mac or PC - N or S

[Aerithria]

I primarily use PC, but that's because I come from a gaming family and Mac really isn't the best choice for that. For general purpose using, and programming and the like, I use Linux.

 

[InsatiableCuriosity]

Thanks all (or most) for the rational responses!

A few responses are so ridiculously and irrationally, self-righteous and prejudiced that they are not worth the keystrokes to comment. I am honestly astonished at how closed minded some supposedly intelligent people are!

 

[stringstheory]

I like both to be honest; I think for laptops I would prefer to go with the Mac for work/professional purposes and a PC for a home desktop. With the Mac the interface just makes it really easy for me to keep organized, and as the laptop it's lightweight and easily portable; perfect for work/school related life.

With the PC it's simply that the gaming market has been pretty solidly in the PC camp for longer, so it gives me more bang for my buck in terms of of what I would want out of a non-work computer. Games i think are still primarily developed from PC-focused developers. There are also still some hurdles to overcome in order to make it easy to develop games for the Mac because, so you can get higher gaming performance for cheaper on a PC. Graphics cards designed for the PC are arguably better than those designed for Macs, and unless you're opting for one of the higher-end Macs, you don't have the option to upgrade. Sure they're capable of running the games I want to play, but considering how much easier and cheaper it is I'm better off with the PC.

 

[JocktheMotie]

Thanks all (or most) for the rational responses!

A few responses are so ridiculously and irrationally, self-righteous and prejudiced that they are not worth the keystrokes to comment. I am honestly astonished at how closed minded some supposedly intelligent people are!

What's a rational response? Anyone that has a mac?

You exhibit some of the problems I have with the Apple faithful, not Apple itself. Some of you resemble door to door Jehovah's Witnesses that try to preach the Truth about computing salvation, and anyone that thinks otherwise is a closed minded simpleton and you talk to them in a very condescending manner.

Look, the Apple platform is good. I recommend Macs to people who would benefit from them all the time, simply because they're great for the average user. But it's really not for everybody.

 

[InsatiableCuriosity]

What's a rational response? Anyone that has a mac?

I have no problems at all with the fact that some prefer PCs - I only have a problem with the fact that many PC users seem to have a problem with those making Macs and those owning them.

You exhibit some of the problems I have with the Apple faithful, not Apple itself. Some of you resemble door to door Jehovah's Witnesses that try to preach the Truth about computing salvation, and anyone that thinks otherwise is a closed minded simpleton and you talk to them in a very condescending manner.

...goodness me, touched a nerve did I? Come on - you and I and the majority of people who have ever been involved in such a discussion know that anyone who admits to owning a Mac and enjoying the experience is going to be harangued by those among the PC and Microsoft faithful who are either uninformed or ignorant or both.

I accept that but don't have to believe that grown up minds think that way.
I use a Mac because that is what my industry evolved using. It is still what the Printing & Graphic Arts have as a preferred platform globally and therefore what I teach.

I ensure that I teach cross platform solutions in terms of operation and shortcuts.

Do you have a problem with the fact that I enjoy the experience?

Look, the Apple platform is good. I recommend Macs to people who would benefit from them all the time, simply because they're great for the average user. But it's really not for everybody.

Good for you! I don't recommend platforms to anyone except from the perspective that it is a lot easier to find work in the graphics industry globally if you know and understand how to operate both and recognise the potential issues cross-platform.

I accept that it isn't for everybody - I don't believe anyone ever heard me say I did??? If you read my original post you will read my reasoning for this thread and perhaps better understand my curiosity - for which I make no apology by the way.

 

[JocktheMotie]

...goodness me, touched a nerve did I? Come on - you and I and the majority of people who have ever been involved in such a discussion know that anyone who admits to owning a PC and enjoying the experience is going to be harangued by those among the Mac and Apple faithful who are either uninformed or ignorant or both.

Fixed to align with my experience Try going through college with liberal arts friends and not be constantly under attack from the Mac snobs.

It might just be my demographic. In my "group" it's cooler to own a Mac and when you do, you're all of a sudden far more cultured and creative and hip. I hear the same talking points, like "BSOD," "OMG I DOWNLOADED ALL THIS PORN AND GOT SO MANY VIRUSES, FUCK MICROSOFT," "I CAN'T DEAL WITH RIGHT CLICKING" and it makes my ears bleed. Since you seem to be more along the productivity profession, your experience is the opposite, I assume?

The thing is, I've never known a group so eager to try to convert the unbelievers, and some of the language you use is reminiscent of that attitude, though I don't believe it's your intention. I might just be reading into it though.

I accept that but don't have to believe that grown up minds think that way.
I use a Mac because that is what my industry evolved using. It is still what the Printing & Graphic Arts have as a preferred platform globally and therefore what I teach.

I ensure that I teach cross platform solutions in terms of operation and shortcuts.

Do you have a problem with the fact that I enjoy the experience?

None at all.

 

[Moiety]

Problem with that line of reasoning Jock is that one automatically becomes part of a group the minute they purchase a Mac.

If you impartially judge InsatiableCuriosity's posts I don't think you'll find much preachiness in that.

I will say I'm prone to recommending the Mac a lot, just because it was a paradigm shift in the way I usually used my computer and it is something I'd like others to experience as well. If you wanna play games, I'll tell you to buy a PC. If not, knowing at the end of the day it will always be subjective, I will still present the ways why I think it can be better.

If I hear anti-Mac comments I will partake in the name calling to an extent just because of how all the ridiculousness makes me laugh inside. If I hear anti-PC comments I won't argue with them unless they are unfounded. But I can't hide the fact I think Mac is better in general usage. If there is a game or a program that is offered for PC and not Mac that's another issue....but it comes from the fact most people are "forced" by the market to get PCs from the get go, so they have no means to objectively decide sometimes.

Anyways, I don't really give a shit. But I don't understand that "it makes you hip mentality". I tend to find the "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" adds ridiculous...but they are funny. Don't like the idea behind them though...but I never cared for how Apple marketed itself as cool. But I could say that about any company really. All I know is that Mac OS has revolutionized the way I've used a computer. And that it's ease of use is inline with what I think computers should be.

Whatever, I'm bored now.

 

[InsatiableCuriosity]

Fixed to align with my experience Try going through college with liberal arts friends and not be constantly under attack from the Mac snobs.

It might just be my demographic. In my "group" it's cooler to own a Mac and when you do, you're all of a sudden far more cultured and creative and hip. I hear the same talking points, like "BSOD," "OMG I DOWNLOADED ALL THIS PORN AND GOT SO MANY VIRUSES, FUCK MICROSOFT," "I CAN'T DEAL WITH RIGHT CLICKING" and it makes my ears bleed. Since you seem to be more along the productivity profession, your experience is the opposite, I assume?

How the times have changed!! The platform was once only the haven for creatives and academics and nutter entrepreneurs. As MacOS was out three years before Windows, and was amusingly called a toy OS by those who eventually moved to GUI and mice via Windows, the modern graphics industry grew out of the GUI Apple acquired from Xerox PARC.

Despite evolution of both OSs, it continues to be easier to manage fonts and cross platform files on the Mac for the Design industry. There are more issues but you get what I mean.

The thing is, I've never known a group so eager to try to convert the unbelievers, and some of the language you use is reminiscent of that attitude, though I don't believe it's your intention. I might just be reading into it though.
None at all.

It is only the ignorant who see an answer as THE answer and those very same Mac owners will eventually grow out of it and be driven by whatever is the most practical AND cost effective AND comfortable experience suits them.

 

[Lateralus]

If there is a game or a program that is offered for PC and not Mac that's another issue....but it comes from the fact most people are "forced" by the market to get PCs from the get go, so they have no means to objectively decide sometimes.

They're not just influenced by software availability, they are also influenced by economics. PCs are much more affordable. Macs are a luxury.

I think some Mac evangelists are blind to this reality. I find Mac evangelists to be really annoying, even more annoying than Linux evangelists (at least Linux is free).

 

[Moiety]

They're not just influenced by software availability, they are also influenced by economics. PCs are much more affordable. Macs are a luxury.

I think some Mac evangelists are blind to this reality. I find Mac evangelists to be really annoying, even more annoying than Linux evangelists (at least Linux is free).

The price thing is less clear cut than some make it to be. I have a Macbook Pro for almost 5 years now and it still runs as fast if not faster (taking advantage of the new OSs) then ever before. Now you could say...big deal...but from years of experience with PCs I got say it's refreshing. It's still a competent 3d modeling tool too.

If I'm going to buy something for the long run, I personally don't mind paying more. It has to do with expectations too. Besides, in these 5 years I've had lots of friends using the price argument...but bought 2 or more laptops while I sticked with the same one.

Whatever floats one's boat. PC traditionalists can be annoying in their own way too. Don't let evangelists get all the credit.

 

[kelric]

I use both. For years and years (since the 80's), I only used PC's (yeah, pre-Windows) and occasionally some older now-defunct systems. 2.5 years ago or so, I decided to try something new and get a Mac.

I do however, use a PC at work, and I've set up my Mac to dual-boot with Windows 7. All in all, there are still things I like more about Windows. The file manager's more to my liking, support for gaming is incomparably better, I generally like Visual Studio for programming, and there are a number of things about the Mac interface that annoy (only resizing windows in one corner, maximizing window size not filling the screen, etc.). There are also things I like more about the Mac - less worry about viruses/malware, more simplified easy-to-customize desktop, etc.

A lot of it's simply what you grew up with / get used to, I think. I'm not due to get a new system for another couple of years, and I'm not sure if I'll stick with Macs when I do. Although dual-boot is working pretty well for me now.

 

[Pixelholic]

Fixed to align with my experience Try going through college with liberal arts friends and not be constantly under attack from the Mac snobs.

This times a million. I guarantee you any pc user you meet who antagonizes you about a mac has had this kind of experience. I couldn't care in the least about mac and pc until I was in the environment mentioned above and got actively harassed and insulted for not having a mac. The entire culture surrounding the mac is one of elitism and snobbery especially towards the poor unwashed masses who are stuck with windows machines.

My friends who have macs don't act like this, they treat it like what it is, just a machine. That's why they're my friends and not apple fanboys. And if I meet anyone who thinks less of someone because they own a mac then I'm not that willing to associate with them either. Hell I had a guy in my department who uses linux who insulted me because I bought windows seven instead of installing the latest Ubuntu.

The thing is, a pc is a pc, and a mac is ALSO A PC. They're computers, use the one you like/need. The problem is that Apple has based their entire ad campaign on making Macs look hip and edgy and elite while pcs are dumb and stupid and slow and that kind of marketing attracts people who would be douchey whether they had a mac or a pc.

On a side note. I'm actually really excited that Steam is now available on Mac, that means that my second pc can be a mac pro and I can still have my games on it.

 

[sui generis]

I guarantee you any pc user you meet who antagonizes you about a mac has had this kind of experience. I couldn't care in the least about mac and pc until I was in the environment mentioned above and got actively harassed and insulted for not having a mac. The entire culture surrounding the mac is one of elitism and snobbery especially towards the poor unwashed masses who are stuck with windows machines.

THIS.

:steam:

 

[Lateralus]

The price thing is less clear cut than some make it to be. I have a Macbook Pro for almost 5 years now and it still runs as fast if not faster (taking advantage of the new OSs) then ever before. Now you could say...big deal...but from years of experience with PCs I got say it's refreshing. It's still a competent 3d modeling tool too.

If I'm going to buy something for the long run, I personally don't mind paying more. It has to do with expectations too. Besides, in these 5 years I've had lots of friends using the price argument...but bought 2 or more laptops while I sticked with the same one.

Whatever floats one's boat. PC traditionalists can be annoying in their own way too. Don't let evangelists get all the credit.

The problem is, most people don't think this way. If they did, Wal-mart wouldn't have nearly the market share it has today.

The PC I currently use is one that I built 5 years ago. It cost less than $1000 at the time and still works well for just about anything outside of some HD movies and high-end games, and much of that could be alleviated by simply upgrading my graphics card. My point being, it's possible to do the same thing with an IBM clone. With Mac, you pay someone else to do it for you.

 

[Haphazard]

I own a mac. I've also used PC and Linux.

My dad explained it to me like this: OSs have 3 properties -- useability, stability, and access to internal code.

Mac has useability and stability, little to no access to internal code. PC has useability and access to internal code but little stability. Linux has stability and access to internal code, but it's damn hard to use.

The problem I have with PCs is how quickly they get sluggish. I've had my mac for 4 years, my brother had a PC for 4 years. While mine has slowed down a bit, his was barely even able to boot up. I think the few extra hundred is worth that, though if I was going to get a "toy" computer, I'd rather get a netbook than an iPad.

And, I'm going to admit the real reason I prefer macs: THE DIACRITICS ARE EASY TO USE. I can find a cedille with ease! Umlauts at my fingertips! No memorizing seven digit numlock codes for each individual letter/diacritic combination! It's really a godsend.

 

[vince]

Their are still thousands of free utilities that run on PC only. The other side of the coin is thousands of viri compared to about 300 for mac. And the list of pros and cons goes on and on.

I personally prefer PCs running Windows but then again I am an administrator of a windows network.

 

[BlackCat]

I go with windows, since I like to play video games and I like not having to pay extra for less.

 

[raz]

This kind of discussion and debate has so many different perspectives. As someone who uses a PC, I find these debates to be pointless in the manner that you see them acted. I have been a PC user I was in the 1st grade. I'm 23 now. I was exposed to 20-70 mhz computers by my father that is a Lotus Notes programmer. He continued to supply me with my own PC Laptop from his company.

As I got into middle school, and from then on, I learned how to build my own PC's. Apples were popping up, but I didn't pay attention. I was used to the structure of a PC, and the change in performance was either a downgrade or side-grade. As time went by, I I felt too comfortable with PC's, and found no reason to dislike them to the point of stopping usage.

There are so many different factors to take into consideration for the Apple vs. PC debate: Price vs. User vs. System Capabilities.

When you compare prices, are you comparing systems with similar specifications and purposes? Are you looking at their performance, in real life and system benchmarks? What about the user?

Is it user friendly? What is the system's intended purposes? What is the user actually doing on the computer? Comparing two people's usage on a computer, even two friends is like apples and oranges.

What is the system's stability? What are the system specifications?

I can bog you down with questions for an hour. Like I said, I've stuck with PC's for over 15 years and I've been building PC's for the last 10. I've tried using MacOS' interface and it felt too focused on visuals rather than an organized and efficient layout. It may be different for others.

I'm using an Asus G71VX-X3A Laptop with Windows 7 Home Prem. It was $1200. I bought this laptop on a whim to replace another laptop. I quickly found out a few weeks later after benchmarks and testing games that it's basically capable of any latest games. I couldn't find an equal Apple laptop that wasn't shooting me up near $2000. I could go on Newegg and build a PC desktop with better components for half the price.

Just from not talking to many Apple users, I can agree with Jock that they give the "Apple is hip and cool and stuff!" attitude vibe. I'm not saying they're wrong, but I'm a technical geek that isn't impressed by the image my computer or media player gives. To me, it's all about the absolute facts. There's a clear better choice when it comes to technical specifications. I'm just not sure what. You have to think about the user's needs and desires. I know if I found an iMac that was 10% faster than my laptop, I'm not sure if learning a whole new interface, file system and operating system would be worth it.

 

[InsatiableCuriosity]

This kind of discussion and debate has so many different perspectives. As someone who uses a PC, I find these debates to be pointless in the manner that you see them acted. I have been a PC user I was in the 1st grade. I'm 23 now. I was exposed to 20-70 mhz computers by my father that is a Lotus Notes programmer. He continued to supply me with my own PC Laptop from his company.

As I got into middle school, and from then on, I learned how to build my own PC's. Apples were popping up, but I didn't pay attention. I was used to the structure of a PC, and the change in performance was either a downgrade or side-grade. As time went by, I I felt too comfortable with PC's, and found no reason to dislike them to the point of stopping usage.

There are so many different factors to take into consideration for the Apple vs. PC debate: Price vs. User vs. System Capabilities.

When you compare prices, are you comparing systems with similar specifications and purposes? Are you looking at their performance, in real life and system benchmarks? What about the user?

Is it user friendly? What is the system's intended purposes? What is the user actually doing on the computer? Comparing two people's usage on a computer, even two friends is like apples and oranges.

What is the system's stability? What are the system specifications?

I can bog you down with questions for an hour. Like I said, I've stuck with PC's for over 15 years and I've been building PC's for the last 10. I've tried using MacOS' interface and it felt too focused on visuals rather than an organized and efficient layout. It may be different for others.

I'm using an Asus G71VX-X3A Laptop with Windows 7 Home Prem. It was $1200. I bought this laptop on a whim to replace another laptop. I quickly found out a few weeks later after benchmarks and testing games that it's basically capable of any latest games. I couldn't find an equal Apple laptop that wasn't shooting me up near $2000. I could go on Newegg and build a PC desktop with better components for half the price.

Just from not talking to many Apple users, I can agree with Jock that they give the "Apple is hip and cool and stuff!" attitude vibe. I'm not saying they're wrong, but I'm a technical geek that isn't impressed by the image my computer or media player gives. To me, it's all about the absolute facts. There's a clear better choice when it comes to technical specifications. I'm just not sure what. You have to think about the user's needs and desires. I know if I found an iMac that was 10% faster than my laptop, I'm not sure if learning a whole new interface, file system and operating system would be worth it.

A balanced and rational response - well said!!

 

[Kra]

Windows network administrator here as well. I've been messing with PCs since I was 8 or 9 years old, and had a Tandy with Windows 3.1.

Macs don't like to network in a business environment in my experience. They especially have a problem with group-policy. Apple's own "geniuses" weren't of any help in that matter either.

I prefer the ease of tinkering, upgrading, and tweaking that I get with PCs (whether they are Windows-based or not).

Even Windows Vista, which still gets a lot of bad reviews, was a very pleasant experience for me. I've had none of the problems that a lot of people seemed to have with it. Yes, the system reqs did increase, but that's natural for software as functionality increases over the years.

For me, Mac's are still more expensive, when compared with my usual expenses for building a machine of considerably more usable horsepower, and higher quality components.

Viruses are a non-issue for me, and in the rare occasion I get one, a free antivirus (supplied by Microsoft for free) is all that is required to get rid of it in my past experiences.

The whole Foxconn debacle and the app store's anti-competitive practices are a few of the reasons I'm not fond of Apple's business practices either.

Mac's are more than decent for home or student use (with the exception of gaming), but I couldn't, for the life of me, recommend them for networks.