Community Newsletter: Q&A: Is the Mac right for me?
- 4/5/07 11:48 AM
Leap-A a virus.... maybe a poor trojan? - and my choice.
by Vegabondmx - 3/30/07 8:29 PM In reply to: Mac and Virus- by meanjakeI would hardly call Leap A threat.
1. First it only travels over iChat
2. Wouldn't your buddy say something about sending pictures?
3. You need to unzip the picture file. Then, it asks for your administrator password to open the picture!
4. It ONLY speads over Bonjour, your Local Area Network. It does NOT spread over the internet.
5. The operating systems is protected regardless if you download security updates.
So, unless if you are careless, behind in updates, use iChat, and VERY unlucky you have nothing to worry about. The chance of inection is so small that you practically have to look for it.
Also, keep in mind that it does require your system administrator password to work. A trojan for ANY playform can threaten your system if you give it admin rights.
So, Leap is not a threat. Can there be a virus that truely threatens OSX? Sure it's possible. Mac users shouldn't lay back and beleive that there will never be a virus. But so far, OSX has been resiliant.
As far as advice, I'd personally recommend a Mac. Now adays Apple hardware is pretty comparable to PC hardware pricewise, especially the Highend Workstation.
Graphic Design is typically better supported for MacOS than Windows, although you can accomplish the same things.
The new intel macs also support the installation of Windows, both XP and now Vista. I currently dual boot macos x an windows xp. Parallels, a virtualization program, allows you to run XP and OSX side by side. While windows programs in Parallels won't run graphic programs full speed most basic windows programs run at near full speed. If you dual boot XP with bootcamp you can also boot up your windows partition in parallels.
The quality of Apple Hardware is very high. Last year Apple had some quality issues with some of their early intel macs, but those problems have been revised by now. unlike what an earlier post stated, apple computers aren't being held on a lifeline by ipods and are by no means the "betamaxes" of Compuiters. The majority of the media industry and a good portion of the education industry use Apples. There is a reason for that.
Apple computers do crash, yes, but because OSX is based off BSD and is designed to be used on only the hardware that apple assembles they are typically snappier and more stable.
PCs do have their advantages. PCs are more customizable as far as hardware and have better support for games (although windows games run great in bootcamp). If you want a PC I suggest you take some time and compare specs to prices and reviews. CNET is a great place to do this.
I have used both PCs and Macs for all my life. I think if you choose a Mac, you'll be glad. However, if you do prefer a PC then there are many good choices. Good Luck!
Ryan K.
Fantastic job Mr. Watzman
by bradleyland - 3/30/07 7:16 PM In reply to: Potential winning answers. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You did a really fantastic job of pointing out just how level the playing field is these days. All emotional attachment aside, both machines are a box full of commodity parts. If you buy a well engineered, well tested machine, and down throw a bunch of crap software on it, you can expect to have a positive experience on both platforms.
One thing you didn't cover though, is the "creative" factor. I run a small IT business where we do web development, and there's something to be said for surrounding yourself with beautiful things. It sounds a little crazy, maybe even vain, but I *feel* more creative when I use my Mac than I do on my PC. Many people find that their surroundings contribute to their work. For someone whose profession is creating aesthetically pleasing things, the operating system running on your computer gains a couple of items on the list of expectations.
While it's true that you can customize Windows XP to look better than it does out of the box, much of the software that accomplishes this falls under the category of "crap" that I mention in the first part of my post. Simplicity lends itself to reliability. The less stuff you put on your computer, the less chance you create for encountering conflicts.
I'd also like to mention the visual nature of OS X. If there is one application in OS X that puts me over the edge, it's Expose. Expose is more than just good looks. It has, without a doubt, changed the way I use a computer. I am a keyboard shortcut fiend. I used to loath the mouse. As an exercise, I used my PC for two weeks straight with no mouse. The only task that presents a challenge to my keyboard prowess is surfing the web. Tabbing through links just sucks. Having said all that, Expose brought me back to the mouse. Quite simply, Expose lets me do more with my computer than I ever have in the past. Ever get that feeling that you've got too much stuff open? Too much going on? Expose doubled the number of things I can have "going on" and still feel comfortable. Alt-tabbing (or cmd-tabbing) through windows pales in comparison to the might of Expose's presentation.
I no longer drill down through folder structures using "save as" dialog boxes. It's a waste of my time, even though I can navigate quickly through the folder structure using my keyboard. On my Mac, I create my content, drop it on the desktop, then use Expose to quickly grab the files and drop them into the Finder window that is already open to the location I need. And when I'm done, I use Expose to quickly switch back to the app I was using.
This exemplifies the type of interaction that is characterisic of the OS X experience. It is very much a visual piece of software.
I've carried on enough. I'd encourage you to go to an Apple store and get your hands on a Mac. See if it's for you. It might not be, and that'd be ok. Just give it a fair shake. If you do fall in love, it will be of the kind that is hard to quit.
Here is my take!
by vaeagle2 - 3/30/07 7:22 PM In reply to: Potential winning answers. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Give a Mac a try! You will be amazed at the ease of use, friendliness, and just a system that truly works! And yes, you can now run Vista on your Mac and contrary to the author of this article it is NOT a pain to switch back and forward! It is actually a breeze due to the strong architecture and well thoughtout system design that is unparallel and unbeatable even by Microsoft! I have 2 Dell but after gettin my Mac I just can't stop working with it! Give it a spin! You'll be glad you did and if you need to run XP or Vista you have BootCamp or Parallel Desktops that will allow you to run the Windows OS. And who knows what great and amazing surprises might be in store with the soon to be release new Mac OS: Leopard.
Good luck with your computing goals!
A VERY HAPPY and 200% satisfied "new" Mac user.
Close but No Cigar
by DigitalPC8 - 3/31/07 10:54 AM In reply to: Here is my take! by vaeagle2First things first: Calling yourself a PC/Windows user when you only have 2 Dell computers is not a fair statement. I think the vast majority of us can say that a Dell computer is not a 'real' computer, because all the main components are made by Dell, and have a higher failure rate than those made by specialized manufacturers. That being said, I have used Macs many times in my life and I simply do not like them. My University also just ordered 24 brand new iMacs with 3GB of RAM, and Photoshop crashes on them constantly, not to mention simpler programs like Safari and Firefox. In my opinion, the build quality of a Mac is that of Dell - Looks too good to be true, and as others have pointed out, Mac and PC are a on a pretty level playing field for just about every task nowadays.
And if Windows can run on a Mac-constructed machine, seeing as it is level to MacOS, why even run MacOS? It just becomes a complete waste of space.
To sum it all up...
by mack_dg - 3/31/07 3:03 AM In reply to: Potential winning answers. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
A lot of people before me have already said enough, so allow me to sum it up a bit:
Windows has more apps.
TRUE! Windows has TONS of apps! So the next time you go searching for the ONE app that will do everything that 10 separate Windows apps do, ummm... bring your patience with you.
A good PC setup is as stable as a mac.
...and as such it would also costs the same or even more than a mac-equivalent would! The truth here is that you could build your own PC, and if you've got enough experience, probably cheaper than a mac. If you've got enough experience. If you've got enough experience. If you've got enough experience. Oh, and btw... did I mention you would need enough experience building a good PC? Even though it would probably take the time out of your Photography hobby, building up that experience just might be your new hobby.
Mac users need to worry about viruses as much as PC users do.
Really? In my 14+ years of using a mac, how come I've only gotten 2 viruses -- both in 1988. The real truth to this is that it IS possible for a mac virus to go around, but the odds are probably a trillion to one that you would get it. You probably have more chances of winning the state lottery than getting a virus on your mac.
PCs build character.
OK, so I got this from one of those mac/pc ads by Apple. I mean afterall, why would someone want something that has EVERYTHING built-in? Who would want the fun taken out of hours of driver searching, hardware compatibility testing, and other stuff?
Macs crash too.
Yup, they sure do. My old 1990's mac crashed a lot. Brought the whole computer down and needed a reboot. It was like those old PCs. Heck it was even like them newer PCs with Vista on them. I miss those days. Nowadays when my 2005 iMac G5 crashes it doesn't affect the whole system. Everything else just keeps working at full speed. Oh if only it were more like my PC that crashes everything, requires reboots often and even when not crashing, just seems to get slower and slower by the day.
All you need is proper maintenance for your PC and...
Too right! Don't be a sloth! Do the right thing - maintain your PC. Every noob knows it. So grab those anti-virus packages, anti-spywares, anti-adwares, firewalls (because anti-virus don't block worms), disk defragmentors, system optimisers, security apps, and don't forget to check the status of these EVERY DAY. Or maybe every HOUR would be better. Or how about every minute? You can't be too safe. You need to maintain, maintain maintain! Don't be lazy and just do your work - you MUST maintain your PC. See? Who needs a mac?
Anything a Mac can do, a PC can do as well.
Yep. But macs can't do certain things as well as a PC can do. Like crashing. Even a PC that's not connected to the internet can crash more than a mac would. Honestly. I tried opening a large illustrator file done on a 300Mhz G3 mac with 320MB RAM with a Pentium 4 PC with 512 MB of RAM and it crashed! An' it kept crashing! Maybe it was my fault... afterall it must have been a simple driver error or something. I should learn to keep track of all these things, but being a mac user I never had the need to.
Oh well, one thing's for sure - get a PC and you will learn a LOT about Windows and PCs. Get a mac and you'll learn a lot about what you want to do. That's the difference.
The only product I want to use by Apple is an iPod
by vattan2005 - 5/10/07 6:59 PM In reply to: Potential winning answers. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I used to support Macs in my technical support role in 1998. They were nice, but not nice enough for me to start owning one.
Apple decided to be dense and greedy enough by not opening up the clone market early on, which is why they have to play catch up now. As a result, their prices are out of orbit...and they will never catch up! Why would I pay more for a product if I can do the same thing with another? Also, they can never catch up on the number of programs that will run on this platform. Windows boasts a plethora of programs that run on it and the variety is mind-boggling!
For Apple's sake, I am glad they came out with the fabulous iPod. Their creative juices started flowing, but a little too late.
Just say no to the Mac
by bblackmoor - 3/30/07 3:17 PM In reply to: Is the Mac right for me? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
To put it bluntly, if you want to do anything other than watch movies and surf the Internet, avoid the Mac. Mac is a like a WIndows computer that has been given a lobotomy. Both Windows XP and Linux/KDE are easier to use and more powerful. Don't believe the propaganda: the Mac makes simple tasks difficult, and complex tasks impossible.
Defintely reconsider next time..
by Herblenny - 3/30/07 3:34 PM In reply to: Just say no to the Mac by bblackmoorI hate to say this but I been a fan of apples since my middle school years back in the 80s.. Now 20 years later and many many many apple computers later, I absolutely think the late intel Macbook and Macbook Pro's are JUNK! I've owned both recently and 17inch macbook pro now, and I am not happy! For the first time in the future, I WILL be looking into PCs before purchasing a MAC! Their quality of products and customer support has been going downhill.. I guess they are more interested in cuttind down on production cost and try to squeeze the last few pennies out of the customers.. Quite sad as for 30+ loyal customer.
Software comes first
by hack49 - 3/30/07 3:56 PM In reply to: Just say no to the Mac by bblackmoorChoosing a comupter - PC or Mac - should be based on what you want to do and then finding the best software to let you do it. Historically Macs rose to dominance in the graphics world because for a long time some of the best graphics and photo software packages were only available for the Mac platform. Now most packages are cross platform it's less of an issue.
So rather than asking 'do I need a Mac or PC?' ask 'what's the best software available for this job?' and then find a computer with a suitable spec to run it. An under-powered anything (PC or Mac) will struggle and fall over from time to time.
Use a Mac before dismissing it
by Martin Pilkington - 3/30/07 4:02 PM In reply to: Just say no to the Mac by bblackmoorSomebody obviously has never used a Mac. I use my Mac for surfing the web, talking to friends on AIM, MSN, IRC, Skype etc, emailing, listening to music, writing websites, doing design work, writing music, editing movies, making DVDs, doing university assignments, playing games and, what I do for money, programming. None of those are hard to do. In fact I've been making DVDs that people are going on about being professional without having any prior knowledge of how to edit movies or create DVDs. I hadn't even opened iMovie or iDVD until I started making these DVDs.
Of course, it all depends on what you prefer, some people find the Mac hard to work with, I find Windows extremely awkward and unintuitive. The reason we have choice is because everyone is different.
As for the answers to the question, I don't think any of them are particularly brilliant. The ones who are commenting on the price of a Mac are obviously those who see a 20" iMac at $1499 and then go and get something with a slower processor, more ram, lesser networking etc but at around the same cost from Dell. Yes the cheapest Mac is $599, but the cheapest Mac comes with a minimum of a Core Duo processor, gigabit ethernet, firewire 400, USB 2, SATA, 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 etc. People say that they can get a cheaper PC from Dell or HP or their local shop without realising that as soon as you get close to the same specs it isn't that much cheaper, if it is cheaper at all. And of course, price isn't everything. Sure if you're completely budget conscious then you'd go for the cheapest thing you can get, but the price difference between a similarly specced Mac and PC from a major vendor is usually within $100 (and no, this isn't always with the Mac being more expensive).
Those going on about more expensive software as well or the "lack" of software on the Mac really have little to no idea about the Mac beyond what they heard down the pub. Most Mac software is of equal or greater quality than their PC counterparts, yet cost usually between $20-50. Visit this website (http://www.macsanta.com/) to see a large selection of software for the Mac.
That said, it is entirely up to you what you get in a computer. I personally would recommend a Mac to anyone who wasn't extremely budget conscious or a gamer, unless they had any other real reason not to use a Mac. Really you should try looking at things from a "why shouldn't I" perspective instead of a "why should I?". After all, it is the disadvantages that will affect you more than the advantages, which will just become a part of life. Why shouldn't you get a Mac and why shouldn't you stick with a PC.
Tasks?
by pepsaholic - 3/30/07 4:36 PM In reply to: Just say no to the Mac by bblackmoorWhat tasks are you talking about? Remember, not everyone needs to go off in weird tangents or tweak their system to the Nth degree. "Tasks" are the work you do with your computer, like "touch-up photos" or "edit video" or any number of things. Specifically, this guy is asking about photography "tasks" and you'd have to wear a blindfold, and be duct-taped to a chair to not be able to find the tools necessary for those "tasks."
I have a standard challenge I put to nay-sayers like you:
"Give one example of Windows-only software (not hardware,) with no Mac OS native equivalent, which is so vital for the typical computer user as to validate the bashers' go-to statement that "Macs suck because there is so much more software for Windows," and so would justify abandoning Mac OS for Windows."
In your case, it would be "what task is so vital to the typical computer user, and there is no Mac OS native solution...." Name one, instead of being vague. If you are SO in the know as to be trusted for advice, you should be able to be specific.
WRONG
by Tech2005 - 3/30/07 4:43 PM In reply to: Just say no to the Mac by bblackmoorThanks for such an in-depth analysis. I was swayed to get an iMac about 2 years ago and have never been happier. Yes...it took about 2 months to get used to...and why wouldn't it when I had been using PCs for 12 years? That said, I find not only the machine itself, but programs available for the Mac, much more intuitive and much easier to use in the long run.
I think this discussion turns into Mac/Apple Haters vs. Mac users...which always blows me away. ALL computers can use some improvement in some form or another - but I think you will find most Mac users are very happy and many PC users, especially those who use them for professional reasons, would describe their PC as a necessary evil.
Well said.
by pepsaholic - 3/30/07 5:03 PM In reply to: WRONG by Tech2005One of the common "complaints" of the "Mac/Apple Haters" is that you can't "tweak" the hardware. GOOD! Most people just need a computer that works. The more configuration options you have, the more potential for a "bad" configuration, which leaves you stranded. Let the engineers "tweak" it, and leave the users to get their work done.
EVERYBODY has trouble "switching" to something they're not familiar with. The flip side is, once you're familiar with something, anything else is "unintuitive." I use Macs 99.9% of the time, and the other .1% is Windows. That doesn't mean I am unfamiliar with Windows, it means that I use what works better... for me. I'm that guy all my friends go to to fix their computers (Win/Mac). I *KNOW* Windows, and that's why I hate it. It IS unintuitive, by design. Microsoft has no interest in making a GOOD operating system, just one good enough to sell to Joe Sixpack. Making Windows "good" means they have to make it even BETTER with the next release, and that's expensive, not to mention difficult. And since MS doesn't really have to "support" computer sales, they can blame problems on the hardware or misconfiguration. Apple HAS to make their OS good, because that's the selling point for their computers.
I hate to go off the geek end, but computer engineering should have the goal state of the computers seen in Star Trek. The computers in 'Trek "just work" and you don't see everyone cracking open panels and/or resetting the thing at every turn. Apple's methodology is far closer to that goal today, while (at least up to Vista - which I haven't looked into at all, so I'm not including it in this lump) Windows is mired in backward compatibility.
Glad I changed
by JustEdd - 3/31/07 9:09 AM In reply to: WRONG by Tech2005What swung me to a iMAC G5 als when they came out was the Unix based OS. I just got tired of constant security updates for windows...not to mention the predatory Anti-Virus software vendors and resulting software conflicts.
Almost two years later my iMAC is virus free and anti-virus software free. Software just works without any glitches, rare for a once dev oted Microsoft Windows user. When Apple does do an update it will work with the entire iLife software suite. I have not yet had a program, Apple or third party, which did not work after a update.
We still have PC's but I view them as legacy computers now!!! Too bad Microsoft's newest OS Vista is such a hog and offers little over XP. Apple's going to a UNIX based OS was the smartest thing that either Microsoft or Apple ever did!!! To me that is the bottom line!!!
Ed
Mac are good for business.
by frankrac - 3/30/07 3:40 PM In reply to: Is the Mac right for me? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I run a Ad agency / video production house. We have all our services in house; graphic design, video shooting and editing, still photogrphy shooting and editing and audio production. Then there's the usual business functions; billing, payroll, accounts payable, and project scheduling.
We do it ALL on Macs, 13 of 'em as a matter of fact. And best of all, I have NO I.T. guy, not even part time.
My staff and I "administer" all of our workstations. I've had to call a tech twice in four years. Try that with that many Wintel boxes!
Any increase in hardware cost has MORE than made up for itself in have 1.) negligable administration costs and 2.) NO downtime.
Frank
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