Am I crazy?

[Baseline]

Currently, I don't own a Mac. In fact, I've never owned a Mac. Since I was about two or three years old, I've been a PC user.

In university, we started to strictly use Solaris and Red Hat for all my classes (I'm in Software Engineering), and my love for *nix systems began to grow. Now finishing my third year, I feel very comfortable with *nix, and am a big fan.

I run a dual-boot Windows/Red Hat machine, and I'm quite happy with it (still using Win95, I'm not a big fan of what they did with it after that).

However, I've convinced myself now that I want a Powerbook, and as soon as they release the new models, I'm buying one. However, the purchase of said Powerbook is going to cost me (with Office X and AppleCare) about $6000 Canadian. For that much money, I could easily build two ultra powerful PC machines.

Now, I have no need for a Mac, in the traditional sense. I have no graphical talent whatsoever (other than fooling around with the Gimp once in awhile), and no desire to make my own movies. However, I am absolutely in love with the Powerbook design (and OS X, thanks to its beautiful interface and BSD origins).

So, I'm asking all of you, people who seem to know the most about Macs: Am I crazy? Is it stupid for me to spend so much money on a machine that I can't even play the latest games on (all the good games, minus Blizzard's, always seem to come out about 6 months after, understandably though). The only real advantages, software wise, the Mac seems to offer are iTunes (I have a Nomad Jukebox) and iPhoto (I'm getting a Canon Digital Elph very soon).

I'm at a point in my life right now where I have some money to spend (I'm just about to start a 16-month internship, and I'll be living with my parents, ie. no living expenses).
Still though, it's hard to justify the purchase. So many things I could do with $6000, a really nice PC AND a huge TV, for instance.

Any objective opinions are welcomed. I really don't want any "Peecees suck, get a MAC!" messages (although I wouldn't expect those from this group of people).

Thanks in advance.

 

[mischief]

The basic advantages are:

Messing with the BIOS only when you want to.

Hardware accessories that say the work with Mac OS reliably DO.

Linux, M$ products and BSD can all be run over Darwin via VPC with ease that's hard to match.

Mac OS is STILL the most inherently secure OS in the world.

If you're a code-head porting *nix apps into X is fairly easy once you instrall developer tools.

Updates and such are simple and clean themselves up.

There are close to 0% of the total # of viruses out there that will function AT ALL in mac OS let alone actually do dammage.

And of course: Mac laptops are the sexiest available without going to an Amsterdam giftshop.

 

[kishba]

well there are some things that just scream for you to "waste" money on

but i don't really see buying a powerbook as wasting money... they are really nice (design, portability, etc)

os x is always going to get better... i think having os x will give you the most flexibility... vpc for basic windows applications and a bunch of unix app support (and you can run xfree as well)

i won't think any less of you if you "waste" your money on a tibook

 

[Baseline]

Kishba, you know your opinion of me means everything ;-)

I mean, I want to buy a Powerbook, I want to be convinced it's the best idea I could have. But then I look at today's Futureshop ads (like BestBuy, but in Canada), and they have a 50" Sony HDTV compatible widescreen for $3500. I could then build a crazy PC with the money "left over".

And mischief, your reasons are all very valid, but most of them are "ease of use" issues. As I said in my first post, I run Solaris at school, so obviously ease of use isn't my top top priority ;-)

Thanks for the input so far though. I'm sure if enough people write back with the same sort of thoughts, I'll have no problem at all making my decision.

 

[kishba]

Originally posted by Baseline
Kishba, you know your opinion of me means everything ;-)

thanks

have you considered getting the tv and then waiting a month or so and getting a new ibook when they're updated?

they will probably be much fast[er] and are definitely affordable for you

although i hear the echos of that tibook screaming for your credit card....

 

[Baseline]

Originally posted by kishba


have you considered getting the tv and then waiting a month or so and getting a new ibook when they're updated?

they will probably be much fast[er] and are definitely affordable for you

although i hear the echos of that tibook screaming for your credit card....

I have considered the iBook, on the assumption that they would be updated to G4, and if they put a new video card in (although the Powerbook needs a new one too). I really want to be able to play Warcraft III this summer, and my current PC won't be able to handle it, so I'm actually relying on a possible Apple purchase to be able to play games.

And the TV isn't something I need, I'm just using it to put some perspective on the whole thing.

Somehow though, I still see myself with the Powerbook. It's hard to ignore love, even if it makes my credit card cry.

 

[mischief]

Confidentially:

Ease of use is THE Mac advantage. It's pretty all inclusive. If you just want to get on with using the machine..............It's pretty much Mac or Solaris and that's a bit like comparing Norma Jean to Chyna.

 

[yanny]

Time

I guess you are technically very proficient and won't mind getting your hand dirty of trouble shooting.

But imagine by getting a Mac and the time you can save for trouble shooting your machine would provide enough time to get contract work for other companies to pay for your big TV and in fact anything you want.

Time is money and working capital. I just spend two days helping a friend sorting out a sound card related conflict on a pc running Win2K. May be I am not very good at technical trouble shooting hence the two days. However, the point I am trying to make is we can get on with more in life by owning a Mac

 

[mcrain]

Hey buddy, I'm as bad or worse off than you are, but I've decided that I know I'm crazy, and I really don't need to ask anyone. As such, I'm buying the TiBook whenever its updated.

By the way, I've been a PC user for a long time, and after playing with the TiBook, I think it's worth the hit to my checking account.

Oh, and I'm sure you could find someone on this side of the border to help you get it for a little less than 6 grand. Even in canadian money, that's pricey.

Which reminds me...

The Canadians volunteered the services of their military in our strikes against Afganistan, however, with the exchange rate, it only amounted to three canoos, two bikes and a paper plane.

I'll be here all week.

 

[theranch]

Buy the TV

Get the TV dude....you have enough damn computers already. When you're ready go out and get a nice Apple laptop so you can help build the ever growing list of applications for OSX.

 

[yanny]

Time

I guess you are technically very proficient and won't mind getting your hand dirty of trouble shooting.

But imagine by getting a Mac and the time you can save for trouble shooting your machine would provide enough time to get contract work for other companies to pay for your big TV and in fact anything you want.

Time is money and working capital. I just spend two days helping a friend sorting out a sound card related conflict on a pc running Win2K. May be I am not very good at technical trouble shooting hence the two days. However, the point I am trying to make is we can get on with more in life by owning a Mac