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Highly Amusing Article - Mac Vs PC..

furie

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I don't care if you're right, I just want you to die!

Brilliant, summed most things up, but glossed over the fact that it's actually impossible to not have Windows if you want to use a PC as a universal machine which does everything you could possibly want. :)
 

peely

Roller Poster
I nearly didn't read this article, as I thought, ooh, not another Mac Vs Pc article.. Groan.. :roll:

Then I was pleasantly surprised and laughed a lot! I laughed so much more because I am generally a Mac Snob, but I do have to have Windows 7 on the bootcamp partition to make sure I have a universal machine just as you mention Fury..
 

marc

CF Legend
I am the same as you, I have a Mac and also have Windows installed.

But I dont think I have ever used Windows for anything other than Paint but have now found the Mac version.

But I do agree that you still need Windows in the work place but not at home unless you play games.

I never have to reboot my Mac I leave it up for weeks, the only time it gets a reboot is for updates. I get no slow down at all and have had my Mac for a year and a half, normally on Windows I have to reinstall about once a year due to slow downs and errors.
 

Martyn

Giga Poster
I love Charlie Brooker, I think he is actually my idol.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... ment.media

This was a good one too, from a couple of years back.

If only for:

"Macs are glorified Fisher-Price activity centres for adults; computers for scaredy cats too nervous to learn how proper computers work; computers for people who earnestly believe in feng shui."
 

furie

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marc said:
But I do agree that you still need Windows in the work place but not at home unless you play games.

Or need to eat ;)

marc said:
I never have to reboot my Mac I leave it up for weeks, the only time it gets a reboot is for updates. I get no slow down at all and have had my Mac for a year and a half, normally on Windows I have to reinstall about once a year due to slow downs and errors.

I leave my server on at home for weeks and again, only reboot for updates. It gets used by two of us as a desktop essentially.

My PC (which Minor_Furie has now inherited) is still running the same install it had when it was bought almost four years ago. It's never been reinstalled and still runs as fast as it always did. It only crashes in one instance - Some games where there's something not right because I'm pushing older games onto new hardware.

Admittedly, Windows Movie Maker crashes on it, but I don't care as I use Vegas instead which is much more flexible. It doesn't quite have the oomph for Vegas though, but I am shoving pretty huge video files into it, and doing very tight editing. As the machine is pretty old, I'm not shocked Vegas sometimes struggles :)

My work laptop is XP and I can count the number of crashes it's had in the last two years on one hand. Two years old, still the same install, still working as fast as the day I got it.

I do turn my PC/Laptop off though to save power :)

See, I think Windows PC's get much maligned. However, I do of course know how to use a Windows PC and keep it running well. I understand how to dig out rogue programs that are causing slowdowns and irksome problems. I also know how to avoid getting them in the first place. Just as a good driver and mechanic knows how to avoid accidents and keep their car in good running condition - I can avoid the pitfalls of driving Windows and keep it in shape.

Does that mean everyone else should suffer? Well, it's like telling everyone to stop buying second hand cars and only buy brand new Volvos. They're better than most other cars, more reliable and avoid crashing. That doesn't mean that they suit everyone though, and certainly don't suit people's pockets.

If Mac OS's could run on every PC, then the cost would come right down and they couldn't be recommended enough.

However, if Mac OS's ran on every PC, then they would constantly crash and suffer from the same issues as Windows. Windows is a victim of its own flexibility.
 

peely

Roller Poster
I didn't realise this post would have turned in to a Mac V PC argument again! lol

I too can keep my Windows Laptop stable just as fury mentions, but the point of that is I'm a IT Professional that knows how to keep Windows stable etc. Most users don't have this knowledge, and that's why macs are good for users in general. They don't go wrong if some dodgy software is installed on them. Not to mention spyware etc which doesn't really exist for them.

Anyway, to a point I agree with you Furie on the if OSX ran on all PC's it would be more prone to crashing, as then it has to support all different types of hardware configurations etc, and that's exactly why Windows is a victim of its own flexibility and crashing! On the other hand i have Leopard running on my HP Laptop here and it works like a dream, albeit that technically its illegal to install (unless your an apple dev), and it doesn't have any network drivers available for it. Shame really as it looks great on a 1080p laptop display..
 

furie

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Of course it would turn into a discussion (not argument as we're all adults and realists here at the moment :) ).

There are two reasons for the amount of spyware and ****e on the PC.

1. Popularity. There's just so many of them, it makes it an easy target (and the people writing these things can't afford Macs :p)

2. That flexibility thing again. To give a machine that can be all things to all men, you need to allow it to be able to install and run pretty much everything. As such, it's much easier to sneak in nasty things.

The Mac does most things out of the box though, so requires less iffy software. However, it's rare I sit down to actually really "work" without needing something really odd and unique. A package that does sound mixing in a particular way I want, or a bit of software that can do a very specific bit of text transformation I can put into a video. Sometimes it might be software to produce banners quickly and easily at the press of a button. It's all these little things that never come as standard which also open you up to dangers if you're not careful.

I'm no expert on Macs, my only experience has been trying to get them networked up. Connected to a Wifi connection, then sharing files/folders with XP PC's. I've always been able to get the XP PC's connected and talking in ten or fifteen minutes. I've not once managed to connect a Mac to a WiFi hub I've put in. The WiFi hub is surely standard technology? If I can get a PC, PS3, Wii and DS to connect - surely a Mac shouldn't be too hard.

The problem is, they're protected to stop people from doing odd things. So if you need to do odd things, you can't - unless you know what you're doing, in which case you're back to the argument why PC's are worse - people shouldn't need to know what they're doing :D

I found Linux worse to be honest. Very tight OS base. Exceptionally secure and stable. After 6 hours work, I couldn't get it to look at Facebook properly. Everything needs to be installed separately, coded in my hand using a CLI and then every time you want to do anything, a security question pops up asking "are you sure you want to do this". My initial reaction is to just tick the "never bother me again" box, but that makes it just as unsecure then as Windows.

On that, I have a few people here silly enough to put on IE 7 and IE 8. I take it off again. The protection it adds means that every thirty seconds it stops you from doing what you're doing to issue a security warning. You can either by pass it, or it won't let you work unless you spend half an hour looking in the security settings to work out how to turn it off. Again, the net effect is that you just end up turning off all the security, and always accepting every "are you sure you want to allow this unsafe content" query. Due to the fact nobody understands if it's a good thing that is stopped or not, it's pointless in doing it.

I like this rant, it's about to go into overdrive :)

If you want to drive, you have to pass a driving test. You need to learn the dangers of driving and the skill required to drive. However, you don't for a second need to know HOW a car works. You don't need to know how to check the brake cable is connected securely, or if the disk pads or worn, or if your steering column is sheared.

I've owned a LOT of cars that I've paid less for than I would pay for a Mac. Each year, for it's MOT, I'd spend the cost of a PC on keeping it road worthy. I don't keep it road worthy myself, I use a garage, because - I don't need to know how to keep a car roadworthy.

The point is this, people learn to use a PC, but they don't know how to keep them road worthy. However, instead of taking them to a PC garage, they run them into the ground and buy a new one every 18 months "because the old one was slowing down". In the same way I would evaluate the cost of my car and the percentage of that value compared to fixing it - PC owners should look at getting somebody to look at their PC's. Why is there not a glut of people like me, spending an hour removing spyware and getting a PC back into shape for £40?

It's because nobody
a) trusts geeks
b) understands the complexity of the issues involved
c) wants to spend money keeping their PC running.

You go to a garage as your car is sluggish and splutters. The garage change the dizzy cap and rotor arm (cost of £50) and it runs fine for a week. Then a week later it is sluggish and splutters again. This time the garage see that there's diesel in the unleaded tank. If asked, you may deny putting the wrong fuel in, but the expert knows and you do hand over your £500 to get it sorted.

If I got a PC running slowly and I stripped of needless stuff and spyware and got it back 100% again and got my £40, then a week later the customer was back "it's slow again". I wouldn't be able to look and say "you've put this spyware on". In this case, chances are the customer will say "I didn't do anything" and expect you to fix it again for free. You refuse and nobody ever uses you again.

If you're really unlucky, they may have a bad sector on the HDD. In that case, you have a different fault. Will the customer believe it wasn't your fault? Will they want to part with £80 to replace the HDD? It's doubtful - there's no trust in the field at all. When you take into account they've just seen an ad for a new Packard Bell laptop for £300, there's no way they'll spend a third of the cost of that keeping their one year old kit running. So they ditch it and buy new.

It's dreadful, and it's this that's keeping the PC industry afloat. Yes, we do need a "great universal computer" even the knobs can use without breaking them. Even worse, these people will often spend more over five years on PC kit than it would have cost them to buy a Mac in the first place that would last five years.

However, people are inherently stupid and impatient - particularly where computers are concerned. They also don't know how to use Macs - they're alien to them. So only the generally brighter people with time to learn to use them will!

Phew :lol:
 

tks

Strata Poster
Windows Rant:
Vista is possibly the biggest pile of crap Bill Gates has ever pulled out of his tight arse. I honestly have no idea how the operating system they designed to be"secure and safe" for users, has so many security issues with the programs preloaded onto the laptop!! Every single program I want to install now I have to make sure it is completely compatible with Vista or every 5 minutes my laptop crashes without fail.

That said i'd never get a mac. :) People who buy a Mac just because it's an Apple product really do need to be shot.
 

marc

CF Legend
This is now spyware for Mac and viruses.

People never used to bother as not many people used them, but as things have changed so have they.

Tbh as Furie knows with me. I see both sides and see the good and the bad on both.
 

peely

Roller Poster
Now that was an awesome rant furie.. It was almost like a natural conclusion to that article, or the second version, albeit just a lot more angry instead! :lol:

Spyware and Viruses on Mac do exist, most of them though rely on social engineering to infect. As in 'click here for a free ipod' and then it will pop up to enter your admin password on a mac. Anyone stupid enough to do enter this password deserves to get infected.

The biggest issue with spyware on PC's is ActiveX. This is where most spyware infections come from. Macs don't use/have ActiveX.

Mac's are easy to network with Windows networks/Wi-Fi etc. I'm not sure why you have so many problems with them.. Maybe PM me and i will be glad to help? :--D

This makes me sound like a Mac snob totally I know, but in fairness I too see both sides of the coin as Windows pays my wages! I personally never buy Mac hardware from new, as I don't think its worth the premium. Makes more sense to buy a nice year old or so Macbook for example and don't take the hit on them.

I only use macs at home full stop. Mainly for web, photoshop etc. But when I want to stream audio that uses Windows Media player I have to switch to windows as Flip4mac has now stopped doing licence delivery having switched to snow leopard, until they upgrade it that is, and as its a MS product i cant see that happening quickly.

:--D
 

kimahri

CF Legend
tks said:
Windows Rant:
Vista is possibly the biggest pile of crap Bill Gates has ever pulled out of his tight arse. I honestly have no idea how the operating system they designed to be"secure and safe" for users, has so many security issues with the programs preloaded onto the laptop!! Every single program I want to install now I have to make sure it is completely compatible with Vista or every 5 minutes my laptop crashes without fail.

That said i'd never get a mac. :) People who buy a Mac just because it's an Apple product really do need to be shot.

Well, there's your problem!

Keywords bolded.
 

clecktown

Roller Poster
Martyn said:
I love Charlie Brooker, I think he is actually my idol.
That makes two of us! Anyone who has watched Screenwipe would agree.

As for the Mac vs PC debate, I've never had a major problem with my PC at home, and I don't plan on forking out hundreds of pounds just for an iMac.
Saying that, I love using the Macs at college, but I think it's just an aesthetic thing for me; I prefer using Photoshop & InDesign etc on Macs. They're just great for dicking around :p
 

Dave

CF Legend
I'm looking to replace my laptop with a Macbook for the pure reason I need to run Photoshop for my course, and it dosen't work to the speed I need for my work. On Windows it crawls at a rubbish speed to the point I make a giant mistake because it froze, where as on a Mac it flows better and dosen't freeze. I use them at my university and probably will use them in a career in photography.
 

furie

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but Dave...

Surely Photoshop doesn't run like that on EVERY PC? It doesn't on my PC for instance.

Again, it's people chucking money at a new thing without ever trying to fix the problem.

However, you're probably right anyway if it's an investment for your future :)
 

peep

CF Legend
I've never had major problems with Windows systems, got a virus once, installed a different protection program and bye bye virus (first software was Norton, what cr*p).

Got a laptop last year, first thing I did was clear out all the software that I know I didn't need and therefore it runs perfectly fine, even one year later. I try to look after it as much as possible but I'm always worried something is going to ruin it as I don't know all the ins and outs (like Furie).

I'm not a fan of macs at all. I have used them in the past and tbh the only one that impressed me is the one that only media professionals can afford (the one that the mac obsessives don't go on about). I blame the iPod tbh, oh look it's shiny, doesn't mean it's any good.
 

Error

Strata Poster
I might as well bring in my English paper I wrote last year into this.

I did a fair amount of research into exactly what I wanted in a computer, and what I wanted to pay for. I not only checked out reviews in both site and people's personal experience, but took a look at it myself. I wanted a computer that would last me a good 5 years, need very little work done outside updating, and, most of all, worked every time I used it. My old computer was 8 years old, and ran extremely sluggish in everything I did. I bluescreened it every day, and needed to reinstall Windows at least every month. It just plain didn't want to work.

I took a trip to the apple store and checked out the new macbooks, and discovered them to be simple and fast. I also saw people using iBooks and Powerbooks from 10 years ago, and they still worked well.

But macs aren't for everyone. They're for artists, so they run those things quickly. So, it works get for me.
 
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