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Just a theory on why people try Mac OS X but still prefer Windows

zephead

zephead

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Apr 27, 2006
1,574
9
in your pants
...while not being tied to Windows for the software.

OK my (slightly logical) theory: People who stick to Windows might be accustomed to really working to get what they want. If they want something, they hack at it. Ingenuity, elbow grease, do this, do that, and just plain ass-working off to get what they want done, and it feels great when you get it done. Now don't get me wrong, that hard-working quality is very admirable in a person. But there could be cases where something is just given to them, or they've just done something they deem as just too easy, so they don't appreciate it as much, and doesn't have the same feeling of accomplishment. Such could be the case with Mac OS X being "too easy" for some Windows users who choose to stick with Windows. Any thoughts?
 
Not taking software into consideration, I would say resistance to change. We have a few mac users at work, the people that have to support the macs told me that its like suddenly driving a car on the wrong side of the road, and backwards.... their biggest complaint was that they didnt like the name of entourage... they liked the sound of Outlook better... :rolleyes:
 
OP would do well to read Dave Barry in Cyberspace...similar theory.

But the real reason people are afraid to switch is because they are afraid of change in general. Windows--even if it sucks--is familiar to them, and the Mac represents something wholly different. They are afraid of this difference and afraid to learn something new.

Those who can overcome this fear are the true enlightened ones! :)
 
People don't like to change or differ from the pack. I see those as the main reasons people don't switch. For people who took the time to learn Windows, and found it difficult, they sure don't want to learn another OS now that they know how to use Windows. And most likely, everyone they know is a Windows person also, in that case, they have people they can turn to for help.
 
I'm studying for my MCSE now, so I'm working pretty heavily with Windows Server 2003. I hadn't actually used Windows in some time, and I just can't believe how unnecessarily complicated it is. It's also unattractive and freakin' difficult to read. I hate it. And not just because I'm a Mac guy. What was it Jobs said "it really...it really just isn't a very good product."

and how
 
Merc248 said:
I'm guessing you guys have never tried using Linux
Click to expand...
I tried Ubuntu for about a week or so (one of the only free ones for what I wanted) as an attempt to escape from Windows, but stuff like my wireless card and iTunes (the only app I want loading songs into my iPod) didn't work, so I was forced back to Windows. Stuff was just too much of a hassle to make it work.
 
It was mostly a response to what you brought up in the first post; I absolutely love Linux not only because there's a huge range of open source software available for the OS, but also because it's TOUGH to setup (though I'd say it's significantly more powerful than other popular operating systems out there.) It feels great setting up a Slackware, Gentoo, or Arch Linux system because they're difficult. It doesn't feel as great when I setup Ubuntu, Fedora Core, or Mandriva because they're practically geared toward one click maintanence.
 
Most people don't have the time to figure out why their hardware doesn't like them. That's who the one-click Linuxes are for. Even the hardcore want to have things just work sometimes. I always thought Linux was configure-once anyway (at least until you update your hardware).

Anyway, I think people still prefer Windows after trying Mac OS X because they tried to do things in a Windows way. And when it's too unintuitive (easy) for them, they go back to Windows, because they understand (like troubleshooting and having something to do with their time) more.
 
Merc248 said:
It was mostly a response to what you brought up in the first post; I absolutely love Linux not only because there's a huge range of open source software available for the OS, but also because it's TOUGH to setup (though I'd say it's significantly more powerful than other popular operating systems out there.) It feels great setting up a Slackware, Gentoo, or Arch Linux system because they're difficult. It doesn't feel as great when I setup Ubuntu, Fedora Core, or Mandriva because they're practically geared toward one click maintanence.
Click to expand...


While you like having a tough OS to set up, most dont. Ive found that the Mac os is a nice hybrid, much easier to set up and run than windows and Linux, but if I want I can delve into the comand line and do a lot of customisation, not as much as linux but much more than windows.

Most people go back to windows from Linux or the Mac because they want to change but dont really want to go through a learning curve, Apple might want to include a tutorial for people that switch, just to show them the basics again.
 
I think zephead's theory makes sense (for people who aren't tied to the software and who know how to use computers really well). I've had Windows users tell me essentially the same thing (that they love OS X but find something satisfying in the troubleshooting of Windows).

Many people enjoy putting things together and fixing things—so do I (especially putting things together). But at the end of the day I also want an OS waiting for me that works and that I can get things done on.
 
apfhex said:
I think zephead's theory makes sense (for people who aren't tied to the software and who know how to use computers really well). I've had Windows users tell me essentially the same thing (that they love OS X but find something satisfying in the troubleshooting of Windows).

Many people enjoy putting things together and fixing things—so do I (especially putting things together). But at the end of the day I also want an OS waiting for me that works and that I can get things done on.
Click to expand...

I use to be the same, but I personally find it much more statisfying putting a iPhoto slideshow togther, or something with garage band, or itunes.

People need to learn that they can fix things and put things together without it having to be fixing your PC so that you can only then perform the task at hand... for me the mac means combining the task at hand with the satisfaction of fixing and making.
 
I am setting up my main desktop to be a macpro and a gaming pc beside it. I will do everything on my mac, i will play games on my pc. I might use a dell 24" screen on both or have them shared. For example i would have the right screen as my main OS X screen and the left one as my pc screen, when i am not using the pc the left one would be an extention for my os x.

I like os x much better then xp, most people i show it to agree aswell.
 
I'm not certain if it's so much the "fear" of trying something different. Being a pc user since '92 and recently swtiched, I think it could be the hassle and unecessary confusion it could potentially cause to someone who is used to Windows at work and at home.

PCs are relatively not as user friendly as Macs (considering you know both), and since most people are initiated or exposed to PC first, they feel any other OS out there could potentially just as difficult. While it could be the fear, I think most people realize Macs are more user friendly but just don't feel they need to take the time to learn it since it could potentially become a useless set of skills at work (assuming they use PCs there).

As for me, I'm a bit of a techno-gadget-geek type of guy who is able to take up a new things of this sort, most people can't. After 14 yrs of PC, I've become quite adjusted to the unecessary complications of Windows. But after getting my mbp and using expose, there's no doubt in my mind OSX is much more organized and user friendly.

But as someone who uses XP and OSX, the adjusting in the beginning took some getting used to. Especially w/ the single click, the keys, and expose. Even now I still get the copy and paste keys confused between the OSs. And many times I find myself in XP moving my mouse to the corners for expose.

As someone else said, switching OS is like driving on the wrong side of the road or right handed right. Because using the computer has become such an important role in our lives, it's just difficult.

Certainly productivity switching to a new OS will take a hit. My productivity w/ OSx the first time around was at glacial speeds, but due to my technical background I was able to pick up OSx quick and become more much productive than I was with Windows.
 
I think there are many reasons why people don't switch:
Most would-be switchers have invested a lot of money in software for the Win platform. It would basically be too expensives to switch.
They "realize" that many of their apps isn't ported for OSX, and fear to be isolated on the OSX platform.
 
You have to realize that most people whoa re goin to make the switch are in their 20's and up. Those who really weren't exposed to both OS's when they were younger will probably feel the already mentioned dread of learning how to use a completely new machine (where is the 'e'? How can I get on the internet without the 'e'?). If they were exposed to both it is the residual incompatability problem. It took my wife and I buying an iMac for my parents for my dad to understand that he could still use Word - he refused to believe that the machines could be compatible (ok, that Macs are PC friendly). The PC wars lasted too long and there are too many who came away with the mentality that you can't mix them any more than oil and water (any former PC users remember the days of buying floppies that were Mac formatted and being so mad you started chucking them across the room?)...
 
Lollypop said:
I use to be the same, but I personally find it much more statisfying putting a iPhoto slideshow togther, or something with garage band, or itunes.

People need to learn that they can fix things and put things together without it having to be fixing your PC so that you can only then perform the task at hand... for me the mac means combining the task at hand with the satisfaction of fixing and making.
Click to expand...


I think you are really hitting the nail on the head with your post.

People like troubleshooting Windows?

Wouldn't they rather be solving something work related, or project related?

I think it's great how when I am having a problem in FCP, my OS doesn't get in the way...

Know what I mean?
 
people stick with windows are the same people who memorize cmd+c = ctrl+c but when asked how to paste don't realize ctrl+v = cmd+v.
 
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