General Mac hardware discussions: Why do mac's have weak (256) shared graphics on most mac's

Just your opinion,

by mrmacfixit  - 11/7/09 7:48 AM

everyone has one.

Interesting that Apple are the only computer company that currently does not have declining sales figures.

P

Honestly

In reply to: Just your opinion, by mrmacfixit 

i'll tell you what i do like about mac's: Build Quality, Simplicity, apperently Simple & more secure software compared to window's pc's. what i dont like about mac's is overpricing & lack of options on the few upgrades that are available. Also unecessary hardware (on new imac's 1,499 and up) like 1tb Hd's with no option to go lower and save some $$$ if you do not need a tb of storage, built in camera again no option to remove it to save $$$, your stuck with it, and monitor options , glossy screens on all mac's except on 15-17inch macbook pro's but to get antiglare screen you pay extra. Also with pc's catching on to apple's lead on energy efficency. It begs the question as to who's is an overall better value pc's or mac's.

Overall specs, software packaging, bang for the buck, etc.

I felt that had been sufficiently implied and stated to a certain extent. Forgive me if I did not make that clear enough.

You just have to look at the big picture to see what you're getting. Apple offers some well-rounded hardware configurations, and the performance and usability of their computers reflects that. Sure, some Windows PCs are going to have similar components, but they're also going to have different ones, different software, and some flavor of Windows that "could" be as fully-featured as OS X. Macs come with one system; Windows comes in many versions, each adding more and more features as you go up the ladder. You also have to shell out more for AV software and essential programs that aren't included with Windows PCs, whereas the only thing you would really need to install on a Mac (assuming you're new to Macs and are content with Apple's consumer programs) is a productivity program suite of some sort, be it Office, iWork, or one of the many free alternatives online. There are plenty of factors.

Visit an Apple Store and just play around with a new Mac. See what you do or don't like about the system, because that's really the key element here. OS X sets Apple apart. You have to understand and perhaps appreciate the ease of use and the flow of the Mac OS to truly enjoy using it. Windows runs well on a Mac, but running just Windows on one turns it into any other PC that can't fully utilize its operating system. Windows just isn't coded to take advantage of all the components out there. Again, that's a very distinct difference between the systems. You'll find a lower-end Mac can at times compare favorably with a theoretically more powerful PC because of this reason. Go try out OS X, see how fast it is, and whether you'd like it or not. That can help you better determine its value.

-BMF

(NT) can the i5 imac handle that kind of security w/o antivirus

can you go into more detail?

In reply to: That Dell, by mrmacfixit 

"OS X's use of the processor is much more efficient than Windows, plus, Apple designs the logic board and the OS which makes the whole thing a much better proposition than the Dell.
Bottom line, that machine is still running Windows and will still have all the Windows problems associated with it."

You don't seem to be listening

Look:

Macs account for about 10%, give or take, of the computing population. Any malware that exists for it can only harm the computer provided that the user (you) authorizes it do so. You will never catch a virus for a Mac as they don't exist. No one has spent the time to develop and unleash a true virus for the platform. OS X requires an administrator to authorize all system changes, so it would be difficult for an unfriendly program to ruin your computer or compromise your files and records if you didn't give it access. If you have a private, residential internet connection or service in your home, with a router using a standard firewall, you should have nothing to worry about whatsoever. Safari and Firefox also have built-in malware and anti-phishing features to help protect you from fraudulent sites and scams. Windows on the other hand... well, I think I'll let you Google that.

Peter and I have both said that only you can determine if a new Mac is worth it or not. It's your choice to switch. As I posted earlier, you should probably try one before you considering purchasing. If you are still confused about which is better, may I suggest a comparison or two. Or you know, you can try everyone's favorite search engine. Read some reviews of both the systems and the actual computers you are looking at and then pick which you think is best. If you still have questions, I'd recommend rereading everything we have all discussed over the past few days. And then go to an Apple Store or Best Buy. They let you try out Macs there, believe it or not. And who knows, maybe you'll find what you're looking for.

-BMF