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Difference between Mac/PC
- Thread starter canes960
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I made the switch last october, when they released the unibodies. 15MBP. I've owned windows pc's since '92.
I didn't know it when I switched, but Keynote is reason enough if you ever give presentations. I will never give another powerpoint.
Aside from everything everyone else already said, I think the software is the breaker.
I didn't know it when I switched, but Keynote is reason enough if you ever give presentations. I will never give another powerpoint.
Aside from everything everyone else already said, I think the software is the breaker.
@msanchez
of course, if drivers are included with OS install, there won´t be a need to get a vendor package over the net.
OS X smacks a few gig of printer drivers on your hdd. With Win 7 (I also own a HP 7580) installation is seamless bc drivers are included with the OS setup and updates are distributed via Windows Update so there won´t be a need for the convoluted vendor packages.
I recently bought a 13" MBP because I got a very good rebate (BTS) bringing the base configuration down to about 870 Euros.
At that pricepoint there is no competition in the 13" market considering 2kg weight and build quality. I swapped the internal 2GB Ram for 4GB for a measly 50 Euros of which I will recuperate 25.
When buying a laptop the touchpad and keyboard are very important.
I was also looking at some lenovos and especially the Vaios that were recently updated. The Lenovos were knocked out by poor (small) Touchpads.
The Sonys had great isolation keyboards (pioneered it) and ok (not great) Touchpads. Build quality was poor with the palm rests easily deformed up to the point where I could feel the hdd.
At 1000 Euros I could have obtained a 2,4-2,53 GHz C2D, also the 3MB L2 Cache CPUs, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 4650 Graphics and BD ROM.
Also included there would have been a 24mths pick up and return warranty.
However, the Vaios would have been considerably heavier bc there is no recent consumer model available in the 13,3" bracket. The NWs and FWs are way too heavy, TZ a marvel but too expensive at at least 1500 Euros.
Also, there are no restore discs in the retail package so you would actually need to burn your own using a hidden restore partition. I wasn´t sure whether hdd were user-replacable either.
Had I actually bought a Vaio, I would have put Win 7 RC1 on it immediately because this OS performs much better than Vista with many many useful and logical tweaks. In fact RC1 is much more stable on my MBP 13" than 10.5.7 and a better performer at the same time. Especially Finder is a wreck when compared to the new Explorer. Apple claims that SL will be 30-40% faster at refreshing jpegs. Well point Explorer 7 to a directory with thousands of new pictures and marvel at the speed. Leopard 10.5.7 is still full of bugs on my machine, the graphics drivers are immensly poor for external monitor use and there is a lot of beach ball action and finder crashes (especially when Safari is running). Considering the limited hardware set Apple is supporting with its OS Microsoft is doing a much better job with 7.
On Board audio performance doesn´t quite jibe with me either. It´s downright poor.
There is absolutely excessive noise and distortion when hooking up my SE530. My old and cheapo ACER is much better than that.
of course, if drivers are included with OS install, there won´t be a need to get a vendor package over the net.
OS X smacks a few gig of printer drivers on your hdd. With Win 7 (I also own a HP 7580) installation is seamless bc drivers are included with the OS setup and updates are distributed via Windows Update so there won´t be a need for the convoluted vendor packages.
I recently bought a 13" MBP because I got a very good rebate (BTS) bringing the base configuration down to about 870 Euros.
At that pricepoint there is no competition in the 13" market considering 2kg weight and build quality. I swapped the internal 2GB Ram for 4GB for a measly 50 Euros of which I will recuperate 25.
When buying a laptop the touchpad and keyboard are very important.
I was also looking at some lenovos and especially the Vaios that were recently updated. The Lenovos were knocked out by poor (small) Touchpads.
The Sonys had great isolation keyboards (pioneered it) and ok (not great) Touchpads. Build quality was poor with the palm rests easily deformed up to the point where I could feel the hdd.
At 1000 Euros I could have obtained a 2,4-2,53 GHz C2D, also the 3MB L2 Cache CPUs, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 4650 Graphics and BD ROM.
Also included there would have been a 24mths pick up and return warranty.
However, the Vaios would have been considerably heavier bc there is no recent consumer model available in the 13,3" bracket. The NWs and FWs are way too heavy, TZ a marvel but too expensive at at least 1500 Euros.
Also, there are no restore discs in the retail package so you would actually need to burn your own using a hidden restore partition. I wasn´t sure whether hdd were user-replacable either.
Had I actually bought a Vaio, I would have put Win 7 RC1 on it immediately because this OS performs much better than Vista with many many useful and logical tweaks. In fact RC1 is much more stable on my MBP 13" than 10.5.7 and a better performer at the same time. Especially Finder is a wreck when compared to the new Explorer. Apple claims that SL will be 30-40% faster at refreshing jpegs. Well point Explorer 7 to a directory with thousands of new pictures and marvel at the speed. Leopard 10.5.7 is still full of bugs on my machine, the graphics drivers are immensly poor for external monitor use and there is a lot of beach ball action and finder crashes (especially when Safari is running). Considering the limited hardware set Apple is supporting with its OS Microsoft is doing a much better job with 7.
On Board audio performance doesn´t quite jibe with me either. It´s downright poor.
There is absolutely excessive noise and distortion when hooking up my SE530. My old and cheapo ACER is much better than that.
My third hurdle is to reprogram my brain to use the command button ("apple key") instead of the control when typing keyboard short cuts (like cmd C, cmd X and cmd V). This is not a biggie, but sometimes annoying. But I guess that's what you get after 15-or-so years on a Windows PC
This. Possibly the only thing that has ever caused me problems with OS X. It took me about 5 minutes to figure out to use the Command button, but now out of habit whenever I use Windows (which is a necessity at work), I always hit the Alt key when I try and perform a keyboard shortcut
I used to use Macs at school when there still was Mac Os 9, i hated it, so i went with Windows 98, i loved it back then.. It just felt better and more complete then Os 9.
Recently apple released the new unibody macbooks in october 2008, and i needed a laptop. As it was simply the best laptop in terms of design, durability and performance for the price and at 13", i had to take this Aluminium MacBook!
I enjoy using Os X as a portable solution, i still use Windows on my main desktop pc using them side by side, it is a more powerful computer so it's good for heavy tasks such as gaming, video editing and stuff..
Both OS's have their Pro's and Con's but using both at the same time gives you only Pro's.
I was really amazed at how easy and intuitive Mac Os X Leopard feels though, it does feel like a solid built operating system, that will not degrade in time, and everything is just.. logical.. accessing things and stuff is as simple as typing it in spotlight.
I am not a pro fanboy of either i enjoy using both as they both suit my need, i don't care about usual trolls that anti mac and anti windows fan say because i don't have any of the problems people usually mention.
I don't defend any company when i pay for their product, unless they give me their product for free i might consider defending them like fanboys do but i don't understand the concept of fanboyism unless you have alot of stocks in the company your a fan of.
Recently apple released the new unibody macbooks in october 2008, and i needed a laptop. As it was simply the best laptop in terms of design, durability and performance for the price and at 13", i had to take this Aluminium MacBook!
I enjoy using Os X as a portable solution, i still use Windows on my main desktop pc using them side by side, it is a more powerful computer so it's good for heavy tasks such as gaming, video editing and stuff..
Both OS's have their Pro's and Con's but using both at the same time gives you only Pro's.
I was really amazed at how easy and intuitive Mac Os X Leopard feels though, it does feel like a solid built operating system, that will not degrade in time, and everything is just.. logical.. accessing things and stuff is as simple as typing it in spotlight.
I am not a pro fanboy of either i enjoy using both as they both suit my need, i don't care about usual trolls that anti mac and anti windows fan say because i don't have any of the problems people usually mention
.I don't defend any company when i pay for their product, unless they give me their product for free i might consider defending them like fanboys do but i don't understand the concept of fanboyism unless you have alot of stocks in the company your a fan of.
I am not a pro fanboy of either i enjoy using both as they both suit my need, i don't care about usual trolls that anti mac and anti windows fan say because i don't have any of the problems people usually mention
I don't defend any company when i pay for their product, unless they give me their product for free i might consider defending them like fanboys do but i don't understand the concept of fanboyism unless you have alot of stocks in the company your a fan of.
Agreed; it's my computer, not my religion. I use macs, but both os'es have strengths and weaknesses.
I'm hoping windows 7 lives up to the buzz around it. I've got the RC running on sun virtual box to do a couple of simple things. While it's a bit clunky (which could be the virtualization), it's stable. I also wished MS would quit frakking around with the controls/user interface.
From Windows to Mac OS X: 0
I know it's beyond the scale, but that's it. There were things I needed to learn, but learning them was fun. I don't care if I sound like a fangirl, it's the truth. I used Windows and Linux before. I was sure OS X would be better than Windows, but I didn't realize to what extent. Using command instead of control wasn't a problem (and I use it a lot), it was the placement of right command and option keys that was the main issue (specific Polish letters are typed with option/alt), but once I retrained my fingers all was well.
From Mac to Windows: 7... maybe 8...
I've installed Windows 7 RC out of curiosity. If I was coming from XP I'd be impressed, while now it's just annoying. It's better on a Mac where I have a bit of multitouch at least, but if I have to use another computer it's really bad. It isn't really hard to remember how things are done in Windows, but I can't stop thinking there's a better way.
I'm spoiled.
I know it's beyond the scale, but that's it. There were things I needed to learn, but learning them was fun. I don't care if I sound like a fangirl, it's the truth. I used Windows and Linux before. I was sure OS X would be better than Windows, but I didn't realize to what extent. Using command instead of control wasn't a problem (and I use it a lot), it was the placement of right command and option keys that was the main issue (specific Polish letters are typed with option/alt), but once I retrained my fingers all was well.
From Mac to Windows: 7... maybe 8...
I've installed Windows 7 RC out of curiosity. If I was coming from XP I'd be impressed, while now it's just annoying. It's better on a Mac where I have a bit of multitouch at least, but if I have to use another computer it's really bad. It isn't really hard to remember how things are done in Windows, but I can't stop thinking there's a better way.
I'm spoiled.
That's where apple has actaully dropped the ball. They seem to embrace a new look with each new release of OSX yet fail to carry that new "theme" all the way through their applications or components of the OS.
Forget all you read here when comparing OSX to Windows - it's 100% subjective and based soley on personal preference. For what you need, any operating system will work just fine and you'll adapt to all the minor differences. And forget about the innards when comparing MacBooks to PC's - they all use the same parts and technology.
Instead, base your decision on build quality and "Service after the Sale". If you had to be stuck with your purchase for 4-5 years, I think Apple would win hands down.
Don't forget the $100 Apple logo stickers, and the mystique of the heir to the Ronco fortune -- Steve Jobs -- that alone is worth selling a $49.95 Ronco product for $1500
How incredibly rude! Who the hell are you to be judging this guy on the merit of their grammar?
For goodness sake get a grip!
That's one of the better ways to establish intelligence. Attempting to converse with someone who speaks in numbers is difficult, even in person.
Judging by your rudeness you two are most likely unaware that MacRumors is a website that can be reached by many people around the globe. Just because your first language may be English does not necessarily mean the it is the OP's. Equating someone's "poor grammar" to their average intelligence without knowing first hand if their native language is English tells me you spend the majority of your time on message boards berating members who don't quite fit your mold of an "intelligent" person.
Oh, come now. Do you really think that I don't understand that quite a few people are running things through translators here?
Of course there are. I've always been understanding with non-native speakers.
...
Okay, hang on. This isn't the thread I thought it was.
I apologize to the OP for any misunderstanding. My point from before stands, but now I believe geoffreak to be an unkind jerk.
1. The Apple design. Think of it as you would think of Gucci, Bulgari or Versace fashion. Or Tesla, BMW, Porsche sports cars. It's only important when you like the stuff AND when you can afford it. Never forget that non-branded clothes will also keep you warm in the winter and that a Smart will also take you to the shopping mall and back.
2. OS X. But it's only a "pro Apple" argument when a) all the apps that you NEED exist for that platform or b) you are using one of the very few applications that ONLY exist for OS X (like Scrivener). When you still need specific Windows apps (that cannot be substituted), you have absolutely no use for OS X and your shiny Mac will only be an Apple-labeled PC running Windows. Macs are great Windows machines, though.
3. Apple products have worse support and warranty options than, for example, Dell. If you need something with around-the-globe-on-site-service, do NOT buy Apple.
4. If you're a gamer, do NOT buy Apple. Apple hardware is always behind the latest First Person Shooter requirements.
5. If you're a Linux geek who likes pretty hardware, Apple is an excellent choice nowadays.
Of course, there are plenty of other reasons on the Pro and Con sides.
Macs work.
Yeah. So do our companyl notebooks with Vista and XP, our Windows Server 2008 domain, our Ubuntu/CentOS/Fedora/SuSE Linux servers and our bunch of Sun Solaris servers.
Now what exactly is the point that makes Macs so special?
So buy a netbook for all of your computing. Gotcha.
This is 2009. Name some.
Well, if not a 4870 with dual Xeons, then how are gamers getting this magical hardware?
Oh, come now. Do you really think that I don't understand that quite a few people are running things through translators here?
Of course there are. I've always been understanding with non-native speakers.
...
Okay, hang on. This isn't the thread I thought it was.
I apologize to the OP for any misunderstanding. My point from before stands, but now I believe geoffreak to be an unkind jerk.
Hold up, are you and I about to get along?
I'm not sure I like this idea very much.
"what makes Macs special?"
Overtime I would build my own windows machines and find myself upgrading every 6-8 months because no matter what I did I felt as though I needed to have something faster. Somehow I managed to talk myself into a Mac (notebook) and it lasted me 4 years. It is in near-mint condition sitting in the original box only because it was replaced by a MacMini, MacPro and MacBook Air. Unfortunately I have no need for the machine though it would handle quite a few tasks today if I needed it to.
Somehow I find that my Macs last long and need little upgrading outside the standard memory. Perhaps this is my own jaded illusion, but it's mine to have.
The cost of buy and building a windows machine to which I would upgrade every 6-8 months amounted to more cash spent on that machine in 4 years (and most likely we're talking the cost of two machine and various upgrades over 4 years) than the notebook cost in the first place. The notebook I had for 4 years was $2k, I assure you my 2 windows machines and various upgrades over 4 years far exceeded that cost.
Regarding Windows applications not available in Mac OS X:
-Microsoft Access
-Real Microsoft Excel (VBA)
-Microsoft Streets & Trips (or any useful navigation and trip planning software)
-Vista Media Center (Boxee and Front Row do not compare)
-MyMovies and various other Media Center applications
-Slysoft AnyDVD (RipIt is close, but no cigar)
-Real 64-bit Photoshop
There are plenty of others, but that is what I have personally run into as a user. That is why I have both operating systems.
VMware and Bootcamp take care of this for me.
-Microsoft Access
-Real Microsoft Excel (VBA)
-Microsoft Streets & Trips (or any useful navigation and trip planning software)
-Vista Media Center (Boxee and Front Row do not compare)
-MyMovies and various other Media Center applications
-Slysoft AnyDVD (RipIt is close, but no cigar)
-Real 64-bit Photoshop
There are plenty of others, but that is what I have personally run into as a user. That is why I have both operating systems.
VMware and Bootcamp take care of this for me.
It's the virtualization... I use it as my primary OS on my desktop, and I have yet to have any issues with it. It's rock solid stable too, to the point that I'm rebooting because it's been on for weeks at a time and it freaks me out
I'd ad any decent tag editor to that list (I use tagscanner on Windows), decent freeware that handles all video format conversion (Handbrake doesn't cut it) and some programs that are always behind on Mac, delaying the use of features. (i.e. Skype)
One of the things that I've seen that tend to trip up Windows users is the concept of having an Application still running, but with zero currently open windows. For example, in Windows, when you close the last document, MS-Word (or whatever) also quits.
-hh
