why do you use a mac

[blindpcguy]

we all have preferences on operating systems millions like windows, others like linux and i assume most of us here love macs. so the question is why. what all ours you to the mac. is it the apple ecosystem. with iTunes, iCloud and all the other services that link devices together, is it the unix base that makes such an epic backbone of an os, or is it something else completely deferent il give my reasons and i hope to hear from others.

my reason is accessibility at least thats the main reason. I'm visually impaired i have sight but not the best os x/macOS zoom is far superior to what windows offers and for my fellow visually impaired friends voiceover is far superior to narrator on windows. and yes on windows u canget jaws but come on for the price of that one program you could get a MacBook air or heck for cheaper then that a mac mini and have voiceover and zoom integrated into the core of the os. another reason is i love the integration with iTunes. witch is where i have bought all my movies and music over the years . plus i am an os nerd and its easier to run mac os on a mac then on a pc. and i can still boot into bootcamp for the odd windows game between studying. but to mackintosh would take more time then i have with school work .

so as i said there is my reason so let me know yours.

 

[Tarek]

I don't really have a specific reasons on why I always opt for Apple laptops rather than Windows ones, but I just like the nature of Macintosh operating systems in general. They're always reliable, snappy, malware-free to a great extent, and most importantly age much better than Windows computers; sure, the specifications of MacBook Pros are usually a lot worse than Windows laptops that are cheaper, but that's where Mac OS comes in play, because no matter how old your hardware is, it'll still perform fairly good in the long term.

I've faced minor issues with Apple laptops since I purchased my very first one back in 2008, but Apple was always reliable in fixing factory problems, and to my surprise, my 2008 MBP is still useable and can be a daily driver till today.

That is basically why I prefer Mac laptops than Windows ones. When it comes to desktop computers, though, I prefer compiling and building my own and therefore using Windows for gaming, because Mac is still way behind in that area.

 

[blindpcguy]

thats why i use an old school mac pro for gaming i have a bootcamp drive that runs windows for that purpose that way i can use windows just like i use a console no private info on windows ever

 

[pika2000]

When I switched to Mac when it was OS X Tiger, it was because iTunes on Windows sucks. The 5th gen iPod was my first Apple product, and I wanted a better computer to manage it.

I still prefer Macs to this day because of stability (except for stinkin yosemite). To this date, I find MacOS to be the only OS that remains stable after prolonged sleep/stand-by. Ever since I use Macs, I never shut down my Macs unless I have to (OS updates, etc). When I see my Windows friends, they still have this behavior of shutting down laptops after use. I have a Surface Pro 4, and even for a Microsoft device, it's still have issues like crashes and driver issues.

One funny incident was when my colleague saw me swiping between desktops and apps on my Mac. Then he tried it on his Lenovo... and nothing.

 

[Wackery]

Windows 8 was so bad, it put me off from windows machines ever since.

 

[maflynn]

I use a Mac and a PC. both work well and both platforms offers advantages/disadvantages.

I'm basically agnostic when it comes to operating systems.

 

[Fishrrman]

It's all about the OS.

I'm a Mac guy and know nothing about Windows.
At my age, kinda late to learn now…

 

[blindpcguy]

im with you guys macs are superior in every way minus gaming heres what i tellmy windows loving freinds. you can byy a mac instll windows and game with the best of em but you cant buy a windows mechine and run macOS unless your picky on the hardware and hackintosh

 

[ScoobyMcDoo]

To this date, I find MacOS to be the only OS that remains stable after prolonged sleep/stand-by. Ever since I use Macs, I never shut down my Macs unless I have to (OS updates, etc). When I see my Windows friends, they still have this behavior of shutting down laptops after use.

Yea, I see the Windows folks at work taking their laptop to a meeting - they never close the lid the entire way because they are afraid it won't wake back up when they get to the meeting.

 

[blindpcguy]

yeah lol. i still shut mine down when im not on it just to extend the life of the battery as they are not user upgradable thease days but during the day id agree i shut down before bed and boot up right when i wake up.

 

[Rok73]

Cuz it's awesum.

 

[RumorzGuy]

While I obviously can't speak for everyone, I think that with a lot of oldsters such as myself, it is because we are creatures of habit.

As I briefly explain on my Armageddon BBS web page, I was introduced to my very first computer -- a Macintosh SE or Macintosh Plus, I can't remember which now -- while working as an office manager back in 1990. I had zero computer experience at the time, so I knew absolutely nothing about Windows, Linux or any other computer platform.

So, because I was first exposed to Macintosh computers, that is what I stuck with, and I saw no need to explore other platforms. I think that is probably the case with many folks here.

I have used Windows occasionally over the years, but I am a dedicated Mac user at heart, and have always owned only Macs.

 

[997440]

MSFT changed their philosophy regarding updating Windows. It's now mandatory and automatic for the Home and Pro editions. There are some ways around this but I think they'll attempt to close them as time goes by. There are other things I didn't like about W10 as well, such as how it was introduced and pushed.

For now, I need either Windows or OS X. Mac it is. Unfortunately, Linux can't quite do everything I want (software) an OS to do. However, if Apple decides to go the mandatory update route or does some other, IMO, foolish thing, Linux it will be.

 

[Alrescha]

I think that with a lot of oldsters such as myself, it is because we are creatures of habit.

Speak for yourself, oldster...

Having started with DOS, and most versions of Windows starting with v1.01 (I still have the floppy), and Minix, and then various flavors of Linux, along with a spattering of AIX, Irix, OS/2, and Solaris, I finally encountered OS X. I use it because I think it is the best.

A.

 

[IHelpId10t5]

Secure, stable, reliable, developer friendly, just works.

 

[phillytim]

I switched in 2011 when it came time for me to buy my first laptop. I'd always wanted to try out a Mac, and I could have the best of both worlds by putting on a Windows VM (which I keep to this day, but rarely use). In fact, with macOS being *nix based, I could have seamless access to the command line to keep my command skills sharp (from my Linux days).

Apple had recently released OS X Lion, which I thought really brought some of the best OS features into being, especially with the share sheets, which made it easy to share anything from almost any program. That was pretty awesome. macOS always looked pretty gorgeous, and it was a natural growth with my first iPhone purchase a couple years before.

And now, the Mac, the iPhone, the iPad, etc. all work together in one super-impressive ecosystem. I'm a fan.

But I'm not crazy, especially with my money:

There is a real possibility that I may switch back to Windows when my Early 2011 MBPro dies. I just can't justify the crazy price of Apple hardware (especially having to pay $300 for an 8Gb RAM bump), and for the hardware being user-unupgradeable. Being unable to upgrade even the RAM or HD myself, makes the Mac appear as disposable junk in my eyes.

And I don't feel good putting out thousands of dollars for disposable Mac-junk.

And if I don't feel good about that, then I most likely won't. Even as much as I loved the past 5 years with Mac.

Not like Apple really cares over one person, but this is a warning from a dissatisfied potentially-repeat customer.

Even Windows 10 now has the Bash *nix shell...so there are viable other options than Mac.

 

[bruinsrme]

I use a MBP to have access to both MacOS and windows without having to carry two machines

 

[Alrescha]

I just can't justify the crazy price of Apple hardware

You are welcome to your opinion of course, but this particular myth has been debunked many times over.

While it is certainly true that Apple does not do "cheap", their prices for what they do sell are competitive when announced. Since Apple does not often reduce prices over time, older hardware does fall behind in the price/performance comparison.

A.

 

[phillytim]

You are welcome to your opinion of course, but this particular myth has been debunked many times over.

While it is certainly true that Apple does not do "cheap", their prices for what they do sell are competitive when announced. Since Apple does not often reduce prices over time, older hardware does fall behind in the price/performance comparison.

A.

Keeping with my original context, don't forget to mention that I said "(especially having to pay $300 for an 8Gb RAM bump)".

That price is still in effect, as a standard.

EDIT: I mean $200, not the older price of $300.

 

[997440]

Keeping with my original context, don't forget to mention that I said "(especially having to pay $300 for an 8Gb RAM bump)".

That price is still in effect, as a standard.

From this post I thought Apple had raised their prices for a RAM bump. Unless I'm misunderstanding its meaning, it's $200 for an 8GB bump for Macs not $300.

 

[Traverse]

Sorry for the long post.

Speaking solely about operating systems, I personally choose to use macOS, but I use Windows extensively at work. My reasons for vastly preferring Macs are listed below and it's really not because it's Apple, Apple just happens to be the company that provides these benefits. Many of these are just little things that I've grown accustomed to.

• Font rendering. Every time I use Windows I am reminded how much I hate how Windows renders font. I don't know if the font smoothing (or lack there of), but OS X typically has bolder, smoother fonts that are easier to read. I hate how jagged Windows fonts are and when you work with numbers and text all day every day that makes a difference.
• Workflow. OS X is simpler in my opinion and its my workflow. It's very drag-and-drop oriented. Applications are installed in the applications folder (with 1 or 2 library folders). The icon is the application so I can drag and drop apps between computers, files into other apps, etc. In Windows, programs seems spread all over and it's a pain to fully remove them. The Finder and the user Home folder is dead simple, thought Windows Explorer is more feature rich.
• OS X requires less maintenance and security precautions. Granted that safe computer practices can help with both OSes, but I have to run security software, defrag my disk, or undertake other maintenance as long I practice safe computing and remove applications I don't need appropriately.
• Provides the best integration with my mobile phone and table. Yes, I use Apple Devices, but even Microsoft wasn't able to achieve this with Windows and Windows phone. The ability to send text messages from my Mac and all of the other device tie in is incredible.
• Little things like:
  • Multitouch gestures. I love OS X's implementation of spaces and swiping between them. Windows 10 now has a form of this, but it's not as intuitive. Scrolling, dragging, swiping, mission control, they all add a little something to the experience that makes Windows feel out of place to me.
  • Forcetouch for links and file previews. I never thought I'd get so used to this with my Magic Trackpad 2, but now I even throw myself off when I use my 2013 MacBook Pro away from home and the built in trackpad doesn't have force touch.
  • Scrolling in inactive windows. I never realized how much I used this over the years until using Windows at work. I'm not sure if Windows 10 has this yet.
  • Ability to close an inactive window with one click. No need to switch to that application first and then close it.
• Apps: OS X is a fantastic platform for applications. Apps like Scrivener prioritize Mac development and some amazing applications like Pixelmater, Ulysses, Pages '09, etc. are Mac-only. Third party support has really made OS X.

Speaking from a hardware side, the only reason I was able to push myself to get a Mac was because it runs Windows. Honestly, the need hasn't really come up, but knowing that I do have a full Windows PC just in case was huge for me.

Note: Stability used to be one reason, but Microsoft has really stepped up their game with Windows 10 which is the best Windows yet and the first on I could use personally if I had to.

 

[phillytim]

From this post I thought Apple had raised their prices for a RAM bump. Unless I'm misunderstanding its meaning, it's $200 for an 8GB bump for Macs not $300.

My bad, you are correct: $200 for 8Gb RAM bump.

Still, $200 for 8Gb upgrade is crazy higher than the mainstream cost of memory ($38 for 8Gb) or ($63 for full 16Gb). And those were NOT the cheapest sticks on the block, for either of their capacities; I only buy quality items.

I'm really not trying to be hatin' on Apple, just laying out the sensible facts.

Apple seems happy with its price points and uber-profits enough to be content with the Mac remaining a niche product in the overall market percentage.
[doublepost=1475074313][/doublepost]

Sorry for the long post.

Note: Stability used to be one reason, but Microsoft has really stepped up their game with Windows 10 which is the best Windows yet and the first on I could use personally if I had to.

And that's what I'm looking at, in considering my possible return to Windows. Especially when it's paired to reasonably-priced, quality hardware like a Dell XPS or Samsung Notebook 7 Spin.

Great post, btw; sometimes we need to be reminded of the benefits of the Mac, especially when we get so used to them!

 

[997440]

My bad, you are correct: $200 for 8Gb RAM bump.

Still, $200 for 8Gb upgrade is crazy higher than the mainstream cost of memory ($38 for 8Gb) or ($63 for full 16Gb). And those were NOT the cheapest sticks on the block, for either of their capacities; I only buy quality items.

I'm really not trying to be hatin' on Apple, just laying out the sensible facts.

Apple seems happy with its price points and uber-profits enough to be content with the Mac remaining a niche product in the overall market percentage.

It is crazy higher. Posting a reasonable opinion isn't hating. I'm sure you'll take everything into consideration before your next purchase. At their price-point, W10 machines are definitely competitive with Apple's offerings.

For what it's worth, I think Apple is erring when they mostly to solely concentrate on the consumer market. Tinkerers and professionals exceed their market size and bottom-line worth to Apple by creating buzz and excitement in the entire market. In the long-term, paying attention to them should increase Apple's niche size.

My apologies to the OP for going a bit OT.

 

[blindpcguy]

im with you all and another reason i stay on os x is the accessibility its far above what windows offers. its cool to hear everyones thoughts crazy how times have changed. but consider this before going to window 10

• You have no control over updates
  
• Microsoft can see into your pc
• locked down customization options.
• they even starting to lock down the hardware

https://fossbytes.com/microsoft-doesnt-want-you-to-install-linux-on-its-signature-pcs/

but im sure if you consider switching you will decide what is best for yourself.

 

[iJny9956]

Since MacOS9!

Worked with audio applications. to be specific Digital Performer & Logic. DP didn't have windows versions, and then later emagic started making mac only logic 6. Apple then acquired emaigc. Lot of audio interfaces worked out of the box after introduction of Core Audio without any extra driver, just love clean integrated setup.

As far as specific OS goes, my choice is OS X 10.6.8. just a brilliant stable OS minus all the bells and whistles that slow things down. nowadays people just use useless apps that help you do social media better, some are even integrated within the OS. oh the unnecessary bloatware!.

I've always considered macs to have more creative audio applications but nowadays I feel like you can do pretty much everything on either systems.