Oh! The misconceptions about Macs. It irritates me

[AJBMatrix]

Talked to a guy yesterday at BestBuy as he was looking at a Vio Core Duo. He ended up getting it but after asking me what computer I had. I told him about the MacBook Pro and he said:

Man: Yeah, that dual channel thing is the way to go. (Dual Core)
Me: It is a really nice technology.
Man: So you must be at the University for Graphics right?
Me: Nope, pharmacy.
Man: Then why you gettin' a Apple?
Me: Because they run better and faster than computers that run Windows.
Man: They do?
Me: Yeah, they do.
BestBuy Tech: My PowerBook G4 has only a 1.5 GHz processor and it can run circles around the huge HP desktops.
Man: Yeah, but all my software won't work and I want to be able to e-mail people that do not have macs. Macs can read e-mails sent by Computers but they cannot send to them.
Me: It can do it without a problem.
Man: Well, this is smaller.
BestBuy Tech: Actually it is about the same size except it is heavier and thicker.
Me: They do sell Apple Computers here at BestBuy.
Man: I don't want to worry with that $#*%.
Me: Just keep them in mind when you get mad at Windows.
Man: Sure.

 

[mkrishnan]

Man: ...Macs can read e-mails sent by Computers but they cannot send to them.

I prefer to receive mail written by People, and not by Computers.

 

[greatdevourer]

I prefer to receive mail written by People, and not by Computers.

Oh, I dunno... emails by computers are commonly of better english than those written by real people

 

[Applespider]

I helped a guy consider a Mac today...

I was in a store that had the new Core Duo iMacs out so I was playing around with it out of curiosity to see what kind of speed it had with just the 512MB of RAM. I opened up iMovie and was playing around with the Quartz effects on some of the pictures they had in iPhoto. And then started playing with Comic Life - dragging things around the screen. This guy had been talking to sales assistant about a Vaio until he saw what I was doing onscreen. I left him talking to the sales assistant about the 20" iMac but as I left I did hear him ask where the CPU unit was

 

[mkrishnan]

I left him talking to the sales assistant about the 20" iMac but as I left I did hear him ask where the CPU unit was

You go, AS! But psssh...the answer is that it doesn't have one. Only real computers have CPU units.

 

[mariahlullaby]

There are these (very annoying) tech-y guys at school that keep trying to convert me to Windows. They're into gaming, building their own computers, Linux, etc. Hate Apple.

I mentioned once that I was saving up for a really nice PowerMac and they made fun of me "How could you waste your money like that?!" So they spent the next week bringing me printouts from NewEgg showing me that they could build me a "10X" better system for my price ($3250). I asked them if they could get OSX on that -- they just laughed. And then when everyone was freaking out about that Karma Sutra virus or whatever, I just grinned and said "Good thing I don't have to worry about that." Of course they just yelled at me and said just because a virus didn't exist didn't mean I couldn't get one. "Ah, but one doesn't exist" I said. They shut up.

 

[yg17]

My friends in the dorms here laughed at me when I brought a Mac up, saying it was a waste of money, only for gfx design, blah blah blah. Well, I laughed right back at them whenever Windows started acting up and my Mac was running fine.

Then my aunts were buying my sister a laptop as a college graduation present/entering law school present, so I suggested an iBook. One aunt said something like, "No, we want to get her a laptop that she can use." Err, okay. I can use my iBook just fine . My other aunt, who wasn't there at the time, is also an Apple fanatic and definitley would have sided with me though In the end, my sis got a Dell, and calls me every other week with a new problem.

 

[yg17]

There are these (very annoying) tech-y guys at school that keep trying to convert me to Windows. They're into gaming, building their own computers, Linux, etc. Hate Apple.

I mentioned once that I was saving up for a really nice PowerMac and they made fun of me "How could you waste your money like that?!" So they spent the next week bringing me printouts from NewEgg showing me that they could build me a "10X" better system for my price ($3250). I asked them if they could get OSX on that -- they just laughed. And then when everyone was freaking out about that Karma Sutra virus or whatever, I just grinned and said "Good thing I don't have to worry about that." Of course they just yelled at me and said just because a virus didn't exist didn't mean I couldn't get one. "Ah, but one doesn't exist" I said. They shut up.

I have people tell me that all the time. I don't care if the computer is 20 times faster than my PowerMac for half the price...if it doesn't (legally ) run OSX, then I don't want it.

 

[leftbanke7]

There is one Apple vs. PC conversation I would like to have back:

circa 2003

boss: Wouldn't it funny for Apple to go to Intel chips?
me: Oh, they'd never do that.

 

[CoMpX]

I have people tell me that all the time. I don't care if the computer is 20 times faster than my PowerMac for half the price...if it doesn't (legally ) run OSX, then I don't want it.

I completely agree. People in my school are CONSTANTLY telling me how better of a computer I could get for my money. They just can't grasp the concept that it want to run OS X, not Windows!

 

[amateurmacfreak]

I've said it before, but this happens to me on a weekly basis, so I'll say it again.

Every time our state comes up with more online paperwork for our schools, I'll get someone in my office griping that a school using Macs can't fill out the forms properly or even access the site because "the Macs are having trouble with it".

Despite the fact that this happens all the time, it always comes to me as "the Macs are having trouble with it."

And my response is the same each time. "What browser are they using?" And their response is the same each time. "Internet Explorer." And my response is the same each time. "They're using a program that hasn't been updated in 6 years to try to access a web site written in modern code. Tell the losers to move on and use Safari or Firefox. They'll have no problem."

"And stop blaming the Macs!"

Morons.

That's what really pisses me off. When people use IE on a perfectly good Mac running OS X. Like on a fairly new iMac G5. Shocking.
Who in their right mind would install it on there??!?!?!?!? Heavy, slow, ugly, bad for coding.
Oh, and it was really funny today when a person I know that uses Windows started trying to talk about how much better IE for Mac is than Safari.
I was like, "No, it hasn't been developed for 3 freaking years!!" (or maybe longer, I really don't care about IE for Mac...)

 

[amateurmacfreak]

Check out this page over at OfficeMax.com:

http://www.officemax.com/max/solutions/services/CopyMax/CopyMax.jsp?bvc=yes&area=copy&expansionOID=-536891813

Click on the "Business Cards" link on the right column, mid page.

I'm using the newest Safari and can't view it... telling me to get a more modern browser.. IE 5.0 or newer...

Go **** yourself OfficeMax!

seriously. grow up! (I mean, OfficeMax, haha) At least support Firefox! God. What kind of idiots live in this place??

 

[amateurmacfreak]

"Why would you buy a Mac, you can't upgrade them!"

Yeah, I just bought that extra gig of RAM, 200 gig hard drive and DL DVD burner for sh*ts and giggles.

I think my parents are some of the worst, in a different way though. They have a Mac mini, and love it, but they just don't understand anything. Like my dad gets these lame chain e-mails about viruses.
Dad: "Should I be worried about this?"
Me: "No"
D: "Why?"
M: "You have a Mac."
D: "A what?"
M: "Mac. There are no viruses for them"

That conversation takes place usually at least once a month

Yeah. Saaaame here. But it's worth w/ my dad w/ the Windows.
Dad: "Em! Fix this!"
Me: "I have no clue how. I can't function on Windows. It gives me a headache."
Dad:"But you're supposed to be the computer person!"
Me: "Um, I don't do Windows."

Or sometimes I try to help if I'm feeling realllllly patient.

 

[amateurmacfreak]

there was a thread about that.

Meh, not anymore outlandish than other stuff Fox has posted.
HATE FOX!

 

[nbs2]

Then my aunts were buying my sister a laptop as a college graduation present/entering law school present, so I suggested an iBook. One aunt said something like, "No, we want to get her a laptop that she can use." Err, okay. I can use my iBook just fine . My other aunt, who wasn't there at the time, is also an Apple fanatic and definitley would have sided with me though In the end, my sis got a Dell, and calls me every other week with a new problem.

Yeah, but at least she can take her finals on it..... screw exam 4....

 

[jdechko]

Though obviously not true in general, what I wouldn't give for the same depth of CAD programs as the PC side and/or the option of Graphics cards for such dedicated uses - such as a Fire GL card.

oh well...can't please everyone all the time

Hopefully that will change with the following things that have happened:

Alias (Maya, also for Mac) was purchased by Autodesk -> Hopefully use some of the Mac Devs for a good AutoCAD port to Mac.

Intel Transition hopefully entices some devs to start writing code for the Mac. (Also the whole specialty card thing).

try using this little fact next time someone tries to tell you theres no office for mac.

Microsoft Word 1.0 was never released for PCs

Or just that Office was originally developed for the Mac platform

 

[jdechko]

EDIT: moved to previous post... mods can delete post

 

[jefhatfield]

A neighbor of mine came over and introduced himself of course it leads into the Internet and computers. I tell him I'm looking for a new laptop oh he says what kind I told him a Mac laptop. Oh he says Are you going into graphics since I told him I'm going to the university I said no Computer Science. He looks at me all baffled. Why don't people understand that graphics is pretty much the end result on a lot of different computers. By the way I'm looking into getting the new Macbook Pro.

here are the misconceptions i have heard over time

1) the macs are WAY more expensive
2) the mac does not run microsoft office
3) mac is the name of the company

but here's the truth

1) macs are only slightly more expensive these days
2) macs have their own, and superior version of microsoft office
3) it's apple computer, inc

actually

3) now it's apple inc

 

[iPhil]

This first part comes from my uncle who i'm doing Mac upgrades for ..


My uncle tells his friend that Originally the UI that Macs use now came from Microsoft ...

Actually it came from Xerox( the printer company) apple bought the specs of the UI and tweaked it to apple's standards..


Second part is from my dad

Why do you need another digital camera if the camera you have now, I say i'm NOT staying with windows and i want a new one that'll work with Mac OS X and he says See XP works with everything .. (the camera is circa yr.2K ) pic following:



Edit: the comments were made in the last month or so too

 

[myca]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6553260189868317794

pretty clever....but let's see if we can get someone on here to refute everyone of his claims

Oh, I love that clip, haven't seen it in ages. You gotta love the fact that it was taking the p**s out of the switch campaign.

And to be fair to him alot of those issues can arise, but were mostly pre OSX issues, I still remember Cubase on OS9 and faffing about with extensions, not to mention the system crashes I sometimes had on there, thank god those days are over and Logic Pro 7.2 runs smoothly on my dual G5 (mybe 4 crashes in 6 months since using 7.1). It's sometimes easy to think as a mac user that the experience is perfect, but I'd call it near perfect with the occasional blip.

But not to be too negative about macs (I am still a fanboy I'll have you know), a week ago I networked a friends Windoze XP laptop to my airport network to drag some files from my computer to his, I'd forgotten how much of a ball-ache networking with Windoze was compared to OSX (It only took me two hours, and a donwload of a little app that allowed me to share other volumes other than my home folder, which I think was pretty good considering I hadn'y used windoze in over a year)

 

[Laser47]

3) mac is the name of the company

That is one of the most annoying things that ive noticed. I really hate when people say "Oh somthing was wrong with my ipod so mac replaced it" Its not even that hard to remember the company's name when its logo is engraved on the back, which is an apple.

 

[jefhatfield]

That is one of the most annoying things that ive noticed. I really hate when people say "Oh somthing was wrong with my ipod so mac replaced it" Its not even that hard to remember the company's name when its logo is engraved on the back, which is an apple.

but i would not be surprised if apple bought the rights to the possible company names spelled Macintosh, Mac Intosh, Mac-Intosh, Mac-intosh, Mcintosh, Mc-Intosh, Mc-intosh, macintosh, Mac, mac, MAC, mAc, mAC, and MaC

the last thing we need is some rich smart alec stealing a well known name, but then again Apple Records does have some legitimate gripes

 

[Mr Skills]

5) You can't use the Internet with a Mac.

But it's true! There's no blue "e".

 

[patrick0brien]

That is one of the most annoying things that ive noticed. I really hate when people say "Oh somthing was wrong with my ipod so mac replaced it" Its not even that hard to remember the company's name when its logo is engraved on the back, which is an apple.

-Laser47

Ooo, yeah. This behavior really wants me to first stare in disbelief at the person uttering it, then retort, "You're too stupid to own [INSERT PRODUCT NAME HERE]." and confiscate the device for donation to a deserving smart person.

But it's true! There's no blue "e".

-Mr Skills

But didn't you know? The "blue e" is the internet!

 

[yg17]

But it's true! There's no blue "e".

I hate that! When my parents switched to Mac, they'd spend 5 minutes looking for the blue E. I was tempted to just replace Safari's icon with the IE one (because there's no way in hell I'd let them use IE). Now they finally remember to look for the blue compass