Mac OS X: Mac OS X good and bad vs. Windows

MAC Vers. Windows

MAC is so much better than Windows! I use both and I have a laptop with Windows in the living room and Mac in the office. Now if I had a 65" Sony in the Office than I would be good. I have never had a problem with my MAC but the Windows is problematic. I have bugs all over this thing but the MAC is clean as can be...... All your choice but the choice is yours so things will sense in the end. The MAC is a great machine and I love it!!!!! I'm sure you would love it too. Its just a little different but lots of fun!

Lol

In reply to: What a difference 3 months make by mrmacfixit 

Lol

A Clarification

The only OS I've ever used is Windows. For a while I never even HAD security software on my notebook because unless you're an ignorant moron, you can avoid getting viruses and their ilk without even needing it. The only reason you'd really need it that I can see is if you use BitTorrent software, or some other kind of peer-to-peer communication. As stated above, Macs have fewer viruses because there are less of them than Windows computers. Also, Apple definitely does overprice everything they sell, which can be a deterrent to wanting to buy a Mac, and they do it because they're one out of two companies that sell Macs, and the second company may very well be forced into going out of business.

Honestly, it really just depends on what you want to do with your computer. In most cases, I'd go with a Mac, unless you don't want to buy a copy of a Windows OS and are afraid some software you'd want to use isn't compatible with the version of Mac you want. However, there are some exceptions. If you're a gamer, such as myself, or if Apple's computers don't have high enough specs that you want or need, then go with a Windows computer, as their hardware is much more varied, including hardware with higher specs than Apple's, and they offer a better price for the money.

Also, as mentioned in a previous post, Apple DOES want to have exclusive rights to the Mac OS as stated in the EULA. It's the reason they started feuding with Psystar, the second company I mentioned, in court, because Psystar has built their own Macs. However, if you want a Mac but want the specs of a Windows computer, you can try building a Hackintosh, which DOES violate the EULA, but as long as you don't start selling them and anyone from Apple hears about it, then you're not in trouble with Apple. The downside to that however, is that you may not know how or want to build a computer, and that it totally voids the warranty and you can never receive support from Apple for that computer. Of course, you can always buy a computer from Psystar, but if they lose in court, well... that may not be good. You can check out CNET's review of Psystar's computer for more info here: http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/psystar-openpro/4505-3118_7-33318861.html?tag=mncol;lst

Good and bad

From my personal experiences with both OSX and Vista/XP I've been able to come up with a few things that really sum up the good and bad.

OSX- Good: I think the most important part here and really what makes a differnce for most people is that OSX is essentially idiot proof. Everything works in the same way with the same basic menus and what not, and its pretty hard to really screw things up and the OS really doesn't let you change much about it.
Vista/XP- Good: Yes I'm bundling those two into one, don't bug me about it. The good here is that there is a huge user base for windows. This means that there will be a large amount of software of almost every type available. The other nice thing is that, compared to OSX, Vista/XP are realativly customizable.

OSX- Bad: The very thing that makes OSX great for some can be a deal killer for others, in this regard I'm refering to it being idiot proof. In making it in such a way the OS is very difficult to change around which can be annoying for people like me who tend to change things until they work exactly how i want them. The other bad is that while there is a significant (and passionate) user base, it is no where near the size of the windows user base. This means that the amount of 3rd party software will be significatly lower.
Vista/XP- Bad: STUPID PEOPLE WILL BREAK IT, STUPID PEOPLE WILL BREAK IT. It's really that simple, I deal with it all the time. Other then that, there are a few actual points here. First, Vista/XP have a slight learning curve for a lot of things as each software developer has their own style for their own software. Second, your OS's stability is really heavily based on the hardware you have it on, and a lot of PC manufacturers out there are just plain bad.

That's just a short run through of things, there is deffinelty a lot more to be said about both sides. A note about what I've said: I have little experience with Mac hardware so I haven't really gone into the differences there between Macs and Windows machines.

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by mrmacfixit  - 1/29/09 5:34 PM

Mac vs PC

Hi All,

Let me start by saying I am not a computer novice, so some of my points may be biased, so please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
I use, very efficiently, Windows XP, VISTA, MAC OSX, Linux, and UNIX.

The discussions about the "better system - MAC or PC" I think has NEVER really been addressed in any proper way. I read a review recently, and the author made mention that he was tired of stupid fanboy reviews/discussions about the better OS - but then mentions in his review about the amount of lights on PC's versus MAC's - what the hell????

I think people who are trying to decide on purchasing one or the other are not really been given the truth and what makes one better than the other - in some circumstances. Let me state NO SYSTEM IS BETTER!!!

There are things that each system offers that should be the deciding factor on choosing your next system, here are a few points, my thoughs on using them as criteria, and hopefully some proper guidance for that newbie (or want to be newbie!:))

1. Windows has more programs available - yes it does, but NO person runs them all, try to figure out what you need to do, and see which OS offer's that - if both do, then you are off to a great start (more than likely they do). The exception comes to games, where the PC kills! But you can normally find more than enough programs to practically do anything on both systems.

2. MAC is more stable - really? I have read posts where people state that they have problems with their PC's and never had a problem with their MAC - REALLY? I have had my PC's for quite awhile - yes I run my antivirus software (don't on my MAC), and don't go to sites that ANYONE can tell they will get infected - and I NEVER had a problem - I saw another post where the author indicated that you only need to restart a MAC once a month or so - really of an OS update - I have done that on my PC - I did not restart it for a YEAR!!! PC's are more vunerable to viruses - but have you read one of the MAJOR reasons for the MAC OSX 10.6 (Snow Leopard) release - read it properly - the possibility of virus attacks means that Apple must make it more secure. It is the world we live in, and PC's are the target - they are the world dominator.

3. Ease of use - many people state that Apple is more intutive, easier to use etc etc, and I disagree, the both systems are easy to use, they have their own ways of doing things and both ways have their good and bad - it is a personal choice - one major plus of Windows is its configurability - you can practically theme the crap out of Windows to resemble anything you want - like the MAC OSX dock, but have XP/VISTA? - theme it, and you are practicaly running on a MAC. This is where MAC falls shy - it does not allow the user to have that flexibility in configuration - think about Firefox vs IE.

4. Cost. It is true that MAC's generally cost more than PC's - but if you get a good quality PC - the costs are about the same - the real issue is the budget purchaser - s/he will find a PC closer to their budget faster than they will find a MAC. Sub $500 PC's are common place - not on the MAC side.

5. Hardware. MAC fanboys have also used the arguement that Apple makes the hardware and the OS - so it will work better together - what? So they don't use (used to use Motorolla) Intel chips? Ahat about the high end video cards, sound cards, etc, etc - Apple makes them all? NOPE. No company can be the answer to everything - and because you design the OS does not mean you would make the best printer/sound card/video card - so really dumb argument. The problem has been that Windows tries to satisfy every suer out there, and sometimes leaves things a bit too "open" - hence the problems that they are faced with. MAC/Apple on the other hand has not been open with their OS - and this is one of the main reasons why it lags behind in its marketshare. But this is their strategy - and I will not say with business strategy is better.

Well I hope this helps at least 1 reader to make the proper choice - no system is better, and because your best friend uses PC or MAC does not mean it is the best solution for you. Do you research - know what you want to do - a PC?MAC (Computer) really is only good for 3-5 years - after that the number of changes in technology may substantiate a new purchase - this is not always true (let's say all you do is check your emails, probably write some letter's etc - you computer will last longer), for those who wants to edit/create movies, audio editing, graphic designing etc, a PC every 3 years is not unheard of. Don't buy a PC that will last you for the next 15 years is what I am saying, if you are unsure where and what you want to do, no need to to buy the Ferrari to pick up the kids - buy the Civic, and then in a few years make a more informed purchase.

Good luck.

Sam.