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is mac better than pc ?

What are your computing needs.
As much as I want a mac, mac doesn't fit my hardware needs/desires. So I can buy a mac and not have it fulfill my computing experieinces.
So as good as a mac is, are, might be, or could be it is not the right machine for me.
 
I do have firefox,I downloaded that the second day I owned this unit (that should have told me something).
armoguy94
Hackentosh ? never heard of this,I will look into it.And you said " Apple comps suck, lets face it. OS X is what we're all here for" and the Mac gods didn't ban you from civilization ?
:D
 
MacTurd said:
I guess the nickel and diming you to death (at $179 per)
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I can only guess that you're referring to the price of the OS, which is updated about every year and half. If you haven't heard the next OS, Snow Leopard, will only be a $29 upgrade. And Mac's OS is still cheaper than Windows.

It doesn't work well with others (many webites still dont work with safari correctly) the cost to ad windows
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I've rarely come across a site that doesn't work in Safari, and even when it does, that's fault of the web site, not Safari (in most cases). You can use Firefox on your Mac.

no freeware,
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See Open Source Mac. Also, since OSX is built on Unix you have the entire Unix library of apps that you ca install. We're talking tens of thousands of free apps. I only have one or two apps on my machine that cost money among over a 100.

video gaming is non-existant.
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It's less than Windows, but not nonexistent.

It broke after 3 months,needed a $600 repair,warranty covered that,they had it for 2 weeks tho.
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Nothing is perfect.

I get files from mac users I cant open,unless I subscribe for $179 a year,again.
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Not sure what you're talking about here.

I am not anywhere near a Mac-Store,which I would guess makes a huge difference in ownership,the Mac store takes very good care of my father,they should he's spent a small fortune there.
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I'm not too close to a store either, but there is a Mac authorize retailer closer by. You may want to search around in the yellow pages or ask around if there may be one near you.
 
We either have someone who (after reportedly 2 1/2 years):

a) Really hasn't invested ANY effort into, or is incapable of adapting to Mac OS and should consider a return to Windows.

or

b) is a kinder, gentler troll
 
I guess as a last ditch effort,after having a problem today with opening a zip file,I joined this site.I have learned some good info from angelwatt and others,I've been called names (mod deleted) I guess I thought this thing would be great right out of the box,I was/am disappointed,I don't want a computer hobby,I just want it to work.Yes going back to windows seems like the best thing to do,I just cant afford to buy a new computer now,so I am trying to get as much use from the $$ I've spent on this one.
 
OS X takes getting used to but it's all about preference really.


I personally find the OS to be more stable, organized, and efficient. I like the whole dock thing so much that I downloaded some cheap mockery of it for Windows XP.



There are a lot of things macs can do that windows can, you just have to find the way. Even I have to learn lessons after about 2 years on my first iMac. I've solved many problems, learned many things with the help of the macrumors community, and continue to learn.


I guess it's just simple things that count, I like Finder, the grid view especially, the easy "copy and paste" method of changing icons from generic to something that looks better. I can organize my stuff and find it easily rather than the windows style of separate windows or views of single folders at a time.

Spotlight is another great OS X thing, for finding files you may have lost track of. I don't think finder searches system files, but you shouldn't have to mess around in the system.


OS X may be expensive, but so is Windows. XP was what? $900? And that was after Vista was released. I sure didn't want to pay that.


There is also the fact that Apple gives specialized DVDs shipped with macs, in the event that OS X needs to be re-installed, you can do it. What does windows do? Makes you burn some type of backup program, or pre-installs some backup program on a partition on the same drive. If that fails, you accidentally format and lose it all, you're screwed.


I like the fact that I can easily format the drive, even partition it to my liking, install a new drive, and easily get OS X back up and running.




Even now I'm still learning the power of applescript and the Terminal app. I'm currently in the process of figuring out a command that will sync a folder to a removable drive, and have an applescript set up to run it automatically if I ever get it working (well it does work but it has trouble with special files).



As for applications and other things, click the link in my signature below to see a list of links to apps that may interest you and get you more interested in OS X and it's capabilities.
 
Honestly I think that many people (myself at one time included) are so used to windows' complexity that they aren't able to appreciate the simplicity of the os x user experience.

Apple's made a ton of money being the company that appeals to the non-savvy user because of its intuitive GUI, and also being the company that appeals to the hard core geek because of the scope and breadth of these thing's abilities.

for real though, 2 and a half years is way too long to have waited to start learning how to use your mac.

For me, one of the biggest things about my PC past that made OSX migration a little sketchy at first was the fact that the mouses did not always support the secondary (right) click function unless configured differently than they were out of the box.

In fact, I don't even know if your imac has a mouse with a right click, but go to the settings and see. If so, enable it. If it doesn't, hold command while you click on something to see the right click options.

Right clicking was seriously half the battle for me. The rest all came very naturally.


Otherwise, just google what you're trying to figure out. That's never ultimately failed me.

If all else fails, and I mean ALL ELSE, you can possibly schedule a one on one session at an apple store to have someone walk you through things you are trying to figure out, but be warned that (at least in my opinion) apple store employees, with few exceptions, aren't the brightest peanuts in the proverbial turd.
 
The reason why you don't find the zip file is probably because Safari automatically unzips the contents and throws the zip file in the Trash?
 
The reason I haven't looked back since I switched is:

-I fix windows for a living. I like to come home and have a problem free computer to make games on (my mac).

-Built in ISO support. Mounting and burning. VERY VERY useful to me!

-Time Machine. I LOVE it. Its a great backup program and I can honestly say I don't need another

-Run windows in a virtual machine if I must.

-My mac is a lot faster at lightroom, photoshop, painter, and zbrush then the windows equivilent (and the windows machine I use has waaay "better" hardware then my mac

-Compatibility with everything. Doesn't matter what system it comes from I can open it on my mac.

-Networking is a lot less pain in the @SS. No digging through 50 menus to fine what your looking for.

-Spaces! I love multiple desktops. VERY useful when you have 3984028340 programs running at once.

-Very easy for me to help my family members with anything computer related (they live in the states, I work overseas). I open up iChat, they open up iChat, I click share screen (or whatever it is) they accept, and I have full control of their machine.

-OS layout is waaaay superior on a mac in my opinion. I'm a lot more productive with it because everything I need is at my fingertips not buried in a menu or scattered across my desktop. The dock is the sh*t.

-Use Interface IMO is vastly superior. Everything is laid out logically.

-OS more secure. I love plugging in a thumb drive that was formatted on a windows machine into my mac and seeing virus files. I know they cant do a thing on mac OS but its still funny to see them.

Ok I'm rambling. I just love mac OS. I never have problems with it.
 
tempusfugit said:
Honestly I think that many people (myself at one time included) are so used to windows' complexity that they aren't able to appreciate the simplicity of the os x user experience.
Click to expand...

I think this comment is bob on for alot of problems. I've had my Mini since March and really enjoying it. Most of the "problems" I have had were due to me thinking too hard, delving deep to find the solution, trawling through folders to find that little built in app that Must be there :confused:... Just like I have learnt to do on windows over the last 15yrs......

However most of the time, I take 3 minutes out, put the kettle on, come back with a big mug of tea :), and "oh I just select the files and click here :rolleyes:" Problem solved without the complicated faf of windows :eek:, and how silly I now feel.

If you are struggling with OSX, I personally think you would also struggle with Vista, Windows 7, XP, whatever... I recommend finding a Mac or Windows Literate friend to sit down and go through things with you slowly because I feel that you must be missing something obvious about computer use in general. You may still end up not liking OSX, but I really dont think it should be a struggle.

I have a few very non computer friendly friends, ( and my Dad, Logmein how handy!) and most of there issues (apart form XP) relate to very simple misunderstandings on how things can be done. A Little re-education and there away!
 
I bought my first iMac at the end of January after having used Windows since Windows 95. I confess I didn't see what all the hype was about, at least at first. I knew there would be a learning curve, but I wanted instant gratification. Then I realized I DID get instant gratification, even if it was invisible or not readily noticeable.

My programs weren't crashing. My operating system wasn't crashing or hanging. Multitasking was actually something real and worked well.

Icing on the cake: I wasn't needing to download a daily anti-virus update. In fact, I didn't have to even worry about viruses. I could argue that this in itself was worth the price of the iMac.

Then came the more visual and noticeable differences. The operating system was more intuitive, and it was easier to accomplish routine tasks. And - dare I say - deleting a program was as simple as dragging its .app file to the trash?

Spotlight. Preview. iPhoto, iDVD, iMovie. Etc etc.

Side note: anyone remember the movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley"? If you've never seen it, and you're a Netflix member, rent it.
 
They're both as good and bad as each other. I like the speed of XP's interface, but I like Spotlight and the dock of OSX (although not how much screen size it takes up when visible). I don't like that there isn't DirectX for OSX so for the best game performance I need to run XP.

A mix of the 2 would be fantastic.
 
raggedjimmi said:
(although not how much screen size it takes up when visible)
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Ok, I'm on a 15" Monitor (I used it when on XP), and quite happy with the size of my Doc. It has 12 things on it from Finder - Trash and I use the icon enlarging option, and its on Auto Hide. Quite happy.

Maybe you need to slim down the number of applications that you have on it? Do you need them all all the time?

Wheaty
 
armoguy94 said:
Build your own Hackintosh or buy a pre-built Hackintosh... Cheaper, better, faster than any Apple computer esp. when it comes to price:hardware ratio. The Operating system is different than the computer it runs on. Apple comps suck, lets face it. OS X is what we're all here for.
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I'm intrigued armoguy, do say more about this Hackintosh creature, where to get a reliable one, can it use the same software, etc.
 
Options with Mac

I was a Mac Only fanatic from 1985 until 2001 when the amount of time I was spending on PCs at work made me decide to build-up my own PC rather than try to replace my aging G-3.

The transition was difficult but it is so easy to buy stuff everywhere that works with a PC that I assuaged my guilt at being a Mac-Traitor with how simple my life had become.

My wife never quit and cycled through OS9 to OS X which happened while I was not using a Mac every day.

Finally I got an iMac G5PPC in 2005 and then a Quadcore Power Mac this year.
I have the iMac in a room that has become increasingly difficult to access, so most activity (like now) is on a PC at work.

The software in OS X is nowhere near as transparent to a non-hacker like me as the prior OSs were. I could find and do almost anything except prevent system crashes in older macs with OS 3 through 9.

OS X seems backwards to me. I'm left handed, but 90% of the world is not.
Why have the close button in the top left hand corner. Windows has it on the right. That's an insignificant difference unless you switch back and forth between machines and then it is simply irritating.

I don't think windows is nearly as simple, clean and elegant as OS X but it's like the army: designed by geniuses to be run by idiots. Perhaps Apple did the same thing better, but Microsoft really does make it fairly easy to pop the hood on your "jeep" and tinker with the engine. Apple may give you a Lamborgini instead of a Jeep but I don't think they expected Joe Blow to be under the hood very much.

I cannot blame someone from a PC world for being confused by the differences in the way a Mac works. I have last years top-of-the-line Mac Pro by my bed, use it every day, sometimes in conjunction with my Toshiba laptop and OS X still feels alien to me.

You get more comfortable the longer you use it. Children who are raised bilingual take longer to become proficient in both languages compared to single language kids, but eventually they catch up. From there on they are ahead of the curve.

My wife has always been a Mac Only person, and except when her MacBook Pro died and she had to rely on a Tablet PC for a while, she has avoided Windows and is not comfortable with it.

I am keeping all my computers. Eventually I will be equally fluent in both Windows and OS X. I have Boot Camp (and Parallels) but rarely run my Lamborgini in Jeep mode.

Ken


MacTurd said:
thanks angelwatt and spinnerlys.

I appreciate you're comments,and I dont think they are rude,(plus I can take it)

I needed a new computer,I wanted a mac,my dad has one,I thought they were "THE" computer to have.

I guess the nickel and diming you to death (at $179 per),It doesn't work well with others (many webites still dont work with safari correctly)
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khackney said:
... but rarely run my Lamborgini in Jeep mode.
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What an entertaining analogy :)

Personally I'm not sure I think of it as a lambogini. There fast yes, but Lambo reliable? Mind you, Lambo is owned by Audi...so Maybe this is a good analogy?
German engineering with an Italian body....
 
chrono1081 said:
-Spaces! I love multiple desktops. VERY useful when you have 3984028340 programs running at once.
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Whoa! I didn't know there were Three thousand eighty four million twenty-eight thousand three hundred forty programs for OS X!!


Is there a list somewhere?!


Unless of course you were exaggerating. . .
 
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