Microsoft Posts 'PC vs. Mac' Section to Windows 7 Website

[Bernard SG]

Just for the people moaning about windows users being on a mac forum, a few of points for you.

1. Just because the forum has mac on it doesn't exempt 95% of computer users from using it. You are NOT some elite group with your own rights online.

2. Maybe a lot of windows users use a macrumors site because they own iPods, iPhones or iPads. Like myself. So I like to follow these sites to see the latest news.

3. If your like me, your a huge tech enthusiast. Which means I like to keep a tabs on technology coming from everywhere, including Apple, since it interests me.

Is that OK by the select few, arrogant mac users on here? (most mac users here are actually sensible, just groups make you all look like c**ks)

The problem with Windows users on this forum is when they start talking about Macs without a relevant experience of using them, and those are the huge majority.

Personally I’ve used Windows at work for 10+ years and prior to that on Macs for a few years. With all the objectivity that I’m capable of, I came to a simple conclusion: Windows sucks. I’m not saying it’s useless/worthless, it can work “good enough” but it still sucks. It crashes on me without apparent reason making me lose work, it slows down over time as MSFT releases Windows updates, to a point that I can’t do anything on my PC for 10 mins at start up, and no, I didn’t install odd software on it. For those reasons I would never, ever purchase a Windows PC with my own money; “good enough” doesn’t make it when it’s about MY cash and MY experience.

I understand that Windows 7 is good. Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to test it. The PC drones who run my workplace IT won’t make the move from XP. As a result, the 2 months old DELL laptop I use BSOD’s me SEVERAL times a week; Excel freezes frequently when I open files, etc. The previous laptop fell apart within 4 years.

This is not to say that Macs are perfect. They crash too, but way more rarely than PC’s and when it happens, I know exactly why it happened.

I was able to set up my home AirPort WiFi network in a matter of minutes without needing a user’s manual; I really, really doubt such feat is possible to do by an untrained person in the PC world.

I have confidence that with near to zero maintenance, my 3 Macs are going to last for many years to come, in perfect shape and, cherry on the cake, virus/malware free.

Did I recite the whole list of fanboi’s cliché’s? Perhaps, but I don’t invent anything.

Bottom line: it's not about feeling superior, it's about being absolutely sure I made the right choice for my needs and I don't appreciate clueless people trying to prove on a Mac forum without factual basis that my decision to buy/use Macs is some dumb lunacy resulting from me being hypnotized by the Steve.

 

[LagunaSol]

As a result, the 2 months old DELL laptop I use BSOD’s me SEVERAL times a week; Excel freezes frequently when I open files, etc. The previous laptop fell apart within 4 years.

I get to reboot my fairly-recent (and MBP-priced) HP EliteBook 6930p because the laptop starts to forget to "recognize" the DVD drive. So if I need to burn a CD, I gotta reboot. And as you mentioned, in a corporate IT environment, a Windows reboot is a 15-minute process.

Tens of millions of us are feeling the pain every single day. Yet the Microsoft apologists continue to ask "What's the big deal?"

 

[Mac-Michael]

In my eyes

this is Windows

this is OS X

 

[djellison]

And miss out on a nickel a post?

Are you actually suggesting people who try and inject a little balance in this place are being paid by Microsoft? Really? Is that what you're stooping to?

I would have paid good money for something of Mac Pro caliber. Sadly there was nothing even remotely close.

You can pick up Mac Pro or G5 towers on Ebay for the price of high-end PC cases.

in a corporate IT environment, a Windows reboot is a 15-minute process.

I work at a place with 5,500 workstations. Rebooting mine takes maybe 90 seconds. My i7 MBP ( also on the same network ) takes the same amount of time Why do you continue to just pedal out pure lies?

 

[DMann]

In my eyes

this is Windows

this is OS X

The Full Line-up:



Windows 7 Starter

Windows 7 Home Basic

Windows 7 Home Premium

Windows 7 Professional

Windows 7 Enterprise

Windows 7 Ultimate

 

[ibosie]

I get to reboot my fairly-recent (and MBP-priced) HP EliteBook 6930p because the laptop starts to forget to "recognize" the DVD drive. So if I need to burn a CD, I gotta reboot. And as you mentioned, in a corporate IT environment, a Windows reboot is a 15-minute process.

Tens of millions of us are feeling the pain every single day. Yet the Microsoft apologists continue to ask "What's the big deal?"

Corporate computing is an absolute nightmare. Unfortunately, the people holding the purse strings, most if them, don't understand the first thing about technology. They are scared to death at the advice of a self-interested IT industry who predict the collapse of an empire if anyone even hints at the idea of moving away from Windows. 15 minutes to reboot you say? How about another 15 minutes to start up all the crappy network applications! I won't even go into the need for profile rebuilds because IT doesn't have a clue how to fix those endless problems running a Windows operating system. I work in a multi billion pound industry, it can easily afford Macs and would save a great deal in doing so. Not to mention the relief of staff plagued by this obsession with a dogged OS. Finally, one day someone has to see the light.

 

[Mike225]

The Full Line-up:



Windows 7 Starter
http://grab.by/5Qth[/TIG]


Windows 7 Home Basic
[img]http://grab.by/5QtA[/TIG]


Windows 7 Home Premium
[img]http://grab.by/5Qtn[/TIG]


Windows 7 Professional
[img]http://grab.by/5Qtu[/TIM]


Windows 7 Enterprise
[img]http://grab.by/5Qtv[/TMG]


Windows 7 Ultimate
[img]http://grab.by/5QtY[/TIG][/QUOTE]

"Windows Free since 03" means you cant really make any comments about Windows

 

[iEdd]

The Full Line-up:

Windows 7 Starter

Windows 7 Home Basic

Windows 7 Home Premium

Windows 7 Professional

Windows 7 Enterprise

Windows 7 Ultimate

I really hope Apple never sell out to such marketing BS with Mac OS X like Microsoft has been doing for years with Windows. I don't really know the details of the version with Win7, but I remember XP home was a complete joke compared to the "professional" version.

 

[Burger Thing]

Are you actually suggesting people who try and inject a little balance in this place are being paid by Microsoft? Really? Is that what you're stooping to?

Injecting balance is one thing (and probably appreciated by most of the forum members) - Bashing, baiting, trolling in virtually every thread by the same individuals is another. ... and really boring. Really.

I work at a place with 5,500 workstations. Rebooting mine takes maybe 90 seconds. My i7 MBP ( also on the same network ) takes the same amount of time Why do you continue to just pedal out pure lies?

Congratulations. Your IT guys at your work placce take good care of their windows system (Defragmenter, Reg cleaner, etc.). Outside Corporate World: The last time I witnessed a boot sequence of a windows laptop of one of my family members (non-Geek, average user with a *life*), it took forever. After 12 minutes I wasn't looking at my watch anymore (WinXP).

 

[gavin83209]

…Try finding software to run a CNC machine or laser cutter on the Mac…

Say what you will, I personally wouldn't trust Windows anywhere within one mile of a laser cutter, much less let it control one. Surely there is a Linux alternative if OS X fails?

 

[DMann]

Corporate computing is an absolute nightmare. Unfortunately, the people holding the purse strings, most if them, don't understand the first thing about technology. They are scared to death at the advice of a self-interested IT industry who predict the collapse of an empire if anyone even hints at the idea of moving away from Windows. 15 minutes to reboot you say? How about another 15 minutes to start up all the crappy network applications! I won't even go into the need for profile rebuilds because IT doesn't have a clue how to fix those endless problems running a Windows operating system. I work in a multi billion pound industry, it can easily afford Macs and would save a great deal in doing so. Not to mention the relief of staff plagued by this obsession with a dogged OS. Finally, one day someone has to see the light.

We saw the light seven years ago. Productivity in our recording/production studio was down over 40% due to constant re-starts, re-installs, de-frags, Registry overhauls, driver hell, peripheral interface hell, perpetual crashes, and overall sluggishness partly due to awful memory management, causing downtime during business hours, after hours, and during holidays. We weren't meeting our deadlines, and were paying IT pros through the roof.

After switching to OS X exclusively, things changed dramatically. No more downtime, no need for IT, and a significant increase overall, in productivity. Sure, Windows OS may be less problematic when dealing with lighter workloads, but increase that load with bouncing tracks, editing media, copying/moving large files, (at a glacial pace) and mastering, the experience is a perpetual nightmare of calamities.

Been there, done that, no more.

"Windows Free since 03" means you cant really make any comments about Windows

I happen to be called upon frequently by friends and colleagues to help them with their Windows dilemmas - while they're not my problems, I share them all the same.

 

[Žalgiris]

I happen to be called upon frequently by friends and colleagues to help them with their Windows dilemmas - while they're not my problems, I share them all the same.

At the core it same old Windows. Some things just don't change.

 

[MorphingDragon]

In my eyes

this is Windows

this is OS X

I'd prefer the beautiful, skillfully crafted, beyond razor sharp katana than the cheap swiss army knife knock off that can't cut paper to save its life.

How on earth would you hold and store that thing anyway?

 

[Mac-Michael]

I'd prefer the beautiful, skillfully crafted, beyond razor sharp katana than the cheap swiss army knife knock off that can't cut paper to save its life.

In my life observations most people use capable tools to compensate for their lack of skills, while a capable and skillful man needs a good, simple tool that servers him well.

 

[DMann]

How on earth would you hold and store that thing anyway?

 

[MorphingDragon]

In my life observations most people use capable tools to compensate for their lack of skills, while a capable and skillful man needs a good, simple tool that servers him well.

Nothing beats a hunting knife.

I have one similar to that one, but it also has a serrated edge.

 

[Žalgiris]

After 12 minutes I wasn't looking at my watch anymore (WinXP).

Sounds familiar.

 

[ibosie]

We saw the light seven years ago. Productivity in our recording/production studio was down over 40% due to constant re-starts, re-installs, de-frags, Registry overhauls, driver hell, peripheral interface hell, perpetual crashes, and overall sluggishness partly due to awful memory management, causing downtime during business hours, after hours, and during holidays. We weren't meeting our deadlines, and were paying IT pros through the roof.

After switching to OS X exclusively, things changed dramatically. No more downtime, no need for IT, and a significant increase overall, in productivity. Sure, Windows OS may be less problematic when dealing with lighter workloads, but increase that load with bouncing tracks, editing media, copying/moving large files, (at a glacial pace) and mastering, the experience is a perpetual nightmare of calamities.

Been there, done that, no more.

Here we are still in the vicious circle of paying for IT staff to help keep the Windows OS and software running. No surprises that the image of IT in the corporate space is pretty much shot to pieces. If something gets fixed, something else breaks because of it and so on. In a year we end up paying for IT solutions to the same problems over and over again. It's criminal that this strangle hold of Windows in the office has been allowed to continue for this long.

 

[MorphingDragon]

Love the addition of the rubbish bin.

Here we are still in the vicious circle of paying for IT staff to help keep the Windows OS and software running. No surprises that the image of IT in the corporate space is pretty much shot to pieces. If something gets fixed, something else breaks because of it and so on. In a year we end up paying for IT solutions to the same problems over and over again. It's criminal that this strangle hold of Windows in the office has been allowed to continue for this long.

Its the perpetual FUD and lies from Microsoft and training establishments. As somebody who's been through the system, Microsoft is well and truly scared of Linux in the business space and will use any tactic to slow its growth. In its entirety, Linux is the most ideal business OS, and "lock in" is a scapegoat, a scare tactic used by MVPs.

The face of Liberation

 

[awmazz]

"Windows Free since 03" means you cant really make any comments about Windows

Windows XP is still 61% of the installed OS user base, which was released in 2001. So are you really saying almost two thirds of all current Windows users can't really make any comments about Windows either?

Unless... Mac OSX 10.1 was also released in 2001, so are you seriously saying XP Service Pack 3 has brought it up to the level of Mac OSX 10.6.4? Why would Microsoft develop and release Vista then to upgrade from XP? Vista must be magnitudes better than OSX 10.6.4 by that logic. I'm just not seeing it though..

Or are you only comparing the actual new OS releases, ie Windows Vista to OSX 10.4/5 and/or Windows 7 to OSX 10.6.4 and pretending almost two thirds of all Windows users aren't actually still using an OS from '01 just for the sake of taking your 'pre-'03 Windows' jab?

Say what you will, I personally wouldn't trust Windows anywhere within one mile of a laser cutter, much less let it control one. Surely there is a Linux alternative if OS X fails?

You're not alone. NASA doesn't trust it either.

 

[MorphingDragon]

You're not alone. NASA doesn't trust it either.

Or Google

 

[Jinorasa]

I like the portion where it describe the features of sharing. I really agree that windows sharing is very much easier compare to Mac especially when sharing virus, worm and ect.... It shared even you're not aware of it.

 

[Tanguyvd]

This whole debate is stupid on many levels.

First - MS is basically claiming that their "computers" (i.e. PC) are more functional than Mac but fails to mention that MS doesn't even manufacture PC's. So, the comparison should really only be on the OS, not the hardware. So then their argument should be about who has the most "bloat" in their code. MS wins.

Second - If they were comparing hardware, MS (i.e. PC) doesn't make hardware. So, no dongle will help with watching TV, DVR projector, etc since there is no Microsoft box to plug it into. Win 7 doesn't ship with a free blu-ray drive last time I checked. Card reader? where? Not in your Win 7 retail packaging.

Third - Trying to compare Office to iWork? File compatibility? Yes, Office has more enterprise support with tailored business functions that outshine iWork. No qualms there, however, only iWork can open and save in both the iWork and Office formats. In my book, that is an upper-cut knockout of Office. Oh, and Mac can run office too!

Why does MS have to compare other company's hardware to Apple, when MS doesn't make that hardware? Colors, really? You can get any color skin, case, shell, etc for the MacBook Pro's 'cause they are a standardized Apple spec, whereas you cannot get custom fit accessories for PC laptops... they can't be universal when every PC manufacturer changes their case design to be even more crappy from iteration to iteration.

Case in point... My work issued computer is a PC. HP Elitebook 6930p. It is all plastic and then skinned with aluminum. IT IS A POS!!!! First gimmick is that it has a button on the top of the screen that pops out a LED light to light up the keyboard.... what the h#$@?!?!?! It weighs a ton, it creeks when you open it, battery life is abysmal, trackpad is small and un-responsive. Buttons click like cheap plastic.

My 2 year old (personal) MBP 15" Unibody is more responsive, seems more powerful with a slower / older processor. Screen is much better, brighter and crisper. Keys still feel like new. Case is all-aluminum and scratch and ding free. No creaking when opening the lid. If I could use my personal laptop instead of the work laptop on our corporate network, I would in a heartbeat. Sad to think in this day and age in the computer world where tech is changing rapidly that when you reach the lifespan of most laptops (2 years) that a 2+ year old "dinosaur" in today's terms would be favored over newly released, supposedly more advanced and better hardware.

To me, Apple gets "it". Work performance gains in the OS, not more glitz. Stick to the core OS, not the bloat. Sure, Apple computers cost more, but they hold their value better, and they last a LOT longer than a comparable PC... Shoot, My wife's 24" iMac that is 4 years old is still faster and more capable than the newest HP/Dell computers being pushed out to our company.... go figure.

This one is perfect...
could be my story, have the same HP 6930 at the office and MBP15" at home...

 

[My1stMacWasLisa]

I thought Apple had dropped the "Get a Mac" ads, and yet here's a new one (all be it text only) and on Microsoft's website too!!

This campaign's script reads like it was written by PC from the afore mentioned ads. It's pitched at exactly the same level and takes exactly the same point of view. I can even hear John Hodgman's voice delivering his fait acompli - "the mouse works different".

Gun, Foot, Microsoft, Shoot.

 

[Chwisch87]

I doubt you have written drivers for either platform.

The Mac OS X kernel is open-source. Mac OS X and even iOS can pretty much run all *nix programs. The PC is definitely more open .

This has nothing to do with the operating system but with the developer. Personally, I have experienced most Mac OS X applications to be way more polished and carefully crafted than most Windows programs.

You only have to go back and forth between Adobe programs on PC and then back to Mac and realize the difference. One just works better and the other doesn't.

And it all depends on your definition of Open. I did not say open source. But here is always been 'windows' claim to fame and this is Microsoft's approach.

"Anyone can write programs for windows, and we will break our backs giving you as many optimizing API's as we can come up with"

In that regard, windows is a lot more "open" than the mac. I mean just comparing visual studio to Xcode is a joke. Just making a program on a mac where you click a button that makes a sound take twice as long as it does on the PC using visual studio.

Now to optimization. Lets take this API structure and look at Flash. On the mac, EVERY frame on flash video ends up having to be rendered by the CPU. On the PC, because of the better API structure, various tasks are actually broken down to a more efficient manor. (This is all according to Adobe).