okay, i have always been wanting a mac since the first time i used the new Macbook in my 6th period at school, but i have a refurbished old 2001 PC desktop...

can somebody tell me what is good and bad between Macs and PCs..?!

i know that PCs Crash a lot
and that
Macs come with free software in the systems already..

so please somebody carify it for me!

MAC is too much money. And they still can't afford a 2 button mouse.

lol

I think it's a matter of personal preference. With PC's, you can build a faster more powerful one for less money than a mac that won't perform as well. Macs on the other hand are extremely user friendly, reliable (in my experience), and pretty virus free. Granted, this is because of the operating system and not because it's assembled by Apple.

a mac does not support any computer software/programs as they're almost all made for pcs. a pc runs programs horribly, despite the fact that they're designed for it. they're equal pieces of crap. might as well go with the cheaper one.

I haven't had an issue running any programs for mac. There's often an equivalent for it, i.e. Office 2007 vs Office 2008. The only thing I really see that might influence program compatibility in the OS's is games. A lot of recent games are for Windows. There's ways around that though. With Leopard, OSX introduced bootcamp, which allows you to dual boot OSX and XP/Vista/w.e on your macbook/device.





I use a macbook for all my school, portability, music, etc. I have a computer as well, but that's primary usage is video games.

I think it's very important not to become a fan boy of either. But when it comes down to it, they both do the same thing, except odds are you will have very few or no problems with a mac. But to have a pc that is as good as a mac you would have to spend 100 dollars. Mac computers have way overpriced hardware, but that is just smart business because you can only use mac os 10 on mac hardware. So I would say if money wasn't an issue. Get a mac. Many famous internet geeks have started using macs. In the end, even though you may feel like you have learnt, and accomplished soemthing by fixing all the problems tat come with a pc, a mac just does it's job better.

The only complaint I have is, that macs are kind of, more casual. Like they dont make it easy for people like me, who want to be able to change through programs easily. Some things just take more clicks on a mac then a pc.

O and there is a right click. You just have to hold apple when you click. And all the software that comes with a mac is fantastic and all popular softwares work for mac. You just may need be able to use small freeware programs on mac.

O and like i Said, you may just want to keep a pc, to use. Or get the best of all three worlds and get a program like vmare fusion or parrelals so you can run windows or ubuntu like a program. Its called a virtual machine.

I would love to build my own Mac too... but you can't do that. And the parts they have... pffft you can spend $2000 on a bad ass PC and some how those same parts or at least "performance specs" on a Mac would make that Mac cost like $6,000.

that's an out dated thing to say imo. like steven, i've never had any problem getting any software for my mac. before i got my mac everyone kept telling me that how i would have all that kinda trouble and i've never had it.


macs are more expensive but i don't regret it at all. mine cost me like 1500 or something like that. worth the extra money to me to not have to mess with all that shit i had to mess with when i had a pc. i felt like something was constantly wrong/slow/not working. if i was really into computers hardcore and stuff maybe i'd feel different because i'd be more into customizing shit and more knowledgeable about how to make my stuff run better... but i just wanna turn my computer on and do what i wanna do without it being a big ordeal all the time.

Then don't use them. Don't complain if there's programs that help you photoshop your pictures.


Anyways, MACs are definitely not difficult to use. I feel like MACs are getting more and more affordable nowadays, even though people continuously complain about how expensive they are. Also, in terms of warranties, I feel like Apple has soooo much better customer service than PC companies, especially Dell. I HATE DELL!!!JFLKAJFS

Exactly. Thats why macs are the future.

I would suggest an imac because you get the most for your money.
And then get a cheap pc, laptop or netbook. Thats what I'm thinking about doing.

that's actually not a bad idea.

I go for PC.

Easy to build! Easy to Customize!

Mac hardly haz any games to play.

Personally, if I want UNIX, I'll go Solaris.

I prefer Mac over Windows, but as far as UNIX, or even *nix goes, it;s not great.

O so you like mac...

No, I like UNIX.

You can change that setting on a Mac. Walah, you now have a right click.

Voila*

Who uses a trackpad anyway?

Nearly everyone who owns a laptop newer than the IBM ThinkPad

Lenovo still makes the little nub on their machines.

butlollenovo

I have to say that the only reason I don't own a mac is because they're a boutique. I can do just about anything on a mac that I can do on a windows machine, and a windows machine is less expensive.

What's ironic is that many mac users buy their macs to do redundant tasks that require very little computing power to begin with. They don't need a dual core processor. They don't need a dedicated video card. All they need is a decent amount of memory (2GB+), a good sized HDD (100GB+) for music/pictures, and a single core processor. They rest of the features they require come standard with the average PC.


In terms of hardware, even the most inexpensive mac (the mac mini) at 599.99 is ridiculously expensive for what you get.
- Cannot upgrade the hardware in the machine
- Only a 2.0 Ghz Core 2 Duo?!
- 1GB of RAM?! (Granted MAC's user RAM more efficiently than PCs)
- WTF... no mouse or keyboard?! (I must have taken those for granted)
- 120GB HDD (They don't list the RPM)
+ At least you get a dedicated video card *sigh*
+ MAC OSX

But seriously, what could I purchase with $600.00 if I wanted to buy a PC?

I could buy a Dell Vostro 220 Mini tower for $469.00 (if you upgrade to Vista Premium) and then I could pop a RADEON HD 4670 ($79.99) in it for a total of $549.00 (around 600.00 with tax). What do I get with that?

+ 2.8 Ghz Core 2 Duo processor w/ 1066Mhz FSB
+ 3GB of RAM
+ 1080P 21.5" LCD
+ 500GB HDD
+ RADEON HD 4670 512MB
- Vista (Aside from being a mem hog, it's not that bad)

Anyway, I know how to use my computer and I can do just about everything someone with a mac could do +more because I just purchased a computer with superior hardware at a lower price point (PS: it also came with a HD LCD). Mac's are a waste of money to me. I wish Apple Inc would compete with lower prices.

I prefer using my macbook over other laptops for every day tasks. Not so much applicable to you (at least I don't think), but Apple gives several hundred dollars in discounts to students, at least with something like my macbook.

That's just it though, every day tasks don't require a mac book... and that's what people use them for.

They're light and have a kickass battery, perfect for class.

But just about every laptop these days has a good battery. Now that LCD's have LED back lit screens the battery life for all laptops has been extended... :/

Not in my experience. All that shit says it'll last 3-4 hour or whatever, but when I'm running word and an internet browser, it drops to barely over 2 and a half hours. I went through 4 bullshit hours of class today and still have another hour left, at least, and I was running firefox itunes vlc word and adium.

I never have a problem with my Lenovo. It usually lasts me about 5-6 hours.

i agree with steven. my macbook is lighter and has a better battery than the pc's i've used. even though i know there are light pc laptops...typically when i looked at those it seemed i was getting up in the macbook price range anyway so why not. mac is all i use in all my art classes anyway so i prefer it for my major.

My old Gateway laptop, which had a Core 2 Duo overclocked to 2.8 GHz, lasted six hours on battery with Firefox, mIRC, and Second Life running.

I always get a kick out of these "PC vs. Mac" debates, because I feel that the discussions are almost invariably flawed in a couple ways:

Choice

First of all, when approaching these discussions, Windows users generally approach them from the context that Windows is the choice, and anyone who chooses differently is deviating from the status quo and thus the responsibility is on them to justify their choice. In other words, Windows is the default, correct choice. But I've been using Macs since the early 90s, so from my perspective, switching to Windows is a choice that would have to be justified.

Quantitative Measurements

The PC vs. Mac often ends up in a discussion about technical merits (e.g., technical specifications), and all other aspects of the discussion are simply ignored. I think this usually happens because the participants in this discussion are geeky, and geeks love numbers; at any rate, it's easier to compare and contrast quantitative measurements, as opposed to qualitative attributes. So the discussion branches into two areas: capability and tech specs. Capability is a matter of generating a list -- "Can you browse the web on this computer? Can you play games? Can you use Microsoft Office?" -- and then ticking things off the list, and comparing the results -- "Oh! Your Mac can't play games! My PC is better." or "My PC can read email, too, so why should I buy a Mac?"

Then the conversation invariably turns to tech specs. "Your iMac is $1400. I can build a Dell with the same specs for $800. Why buy a Mac?"

What's Missing

Of course, such a discussion leaves out a very important aspect of computing: aesthetics. Because aesthetics is not easily quantifiable, it is generally left out of these debates, but it's every bit as important as the other areas (maybe even more important). By "aesthetics", I mean questions like "Is the UI attractive? Is the UI intuitive? How easy is it to install/uninstall applications? Does the UI expose powerful tools when necessary, but hide them away when I don't need or want them? How easy is it to change my (network settings, desktop settings, etc.)? Is it easy for the common developer to design attractive interfaces for their applications?" Or even more trivial aspects: "Is the form factor an ugly piece of molded plastic, or a gently-sculpted piece of aluminum?" (And if you argue that PC users don't care about that "nonsense", why do PC builders sometimes spend hundreds of dollars on a "pretty" case?)

So what the argument really boils down to is taste and priorities. What's important to you: price/performance ratio? whether the UI is pixel-perfect? ease of use? expandability? There's really no right answer here, but those questions are the basic fundamentals of the discussion -- even though everyone always focuses on capabilities and specifications.

http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm

It's Linux vs Windows, but since Mac is a UNIX OS and Linux is UNIX-like, it's the exact same concept.

Idk, I've had PCs up until 6 months ago when I got my Macbook and I honestly don't think I'll ever go back. I'm not a computer person by far and don't really know shit about the technicalities, so aside from statistics and what runs faster and all the other pros/cons about viruses, running programs, prices, etc etc etc... one of the main reasons why I prefer a Mac (or any Apple product) is because of excellent customer service.

All my previous laptops have crashed at one point or another and I've had to deal with over-the-phone idiots who tell me shit that I already know and tell me to do shit that I've already tried, then tell me to send in my product to the factory only to return it with all the same problems.

I love that if anything goes wrong with my Mac, I've got the apple store that is open 24/7 ready to help me out in person.

Because I live in an obscure tourist city, where everyone goes, and no one actually stays, if I want a Mac, I would have to order it from the Apple website. Nobody really stays here long enough to buy something more expensive than a novelty mug, so I don't have the luxury of having an Apple store any closer than Alabama.

tl;dr Your customer service argument doesn't apply to everyone.

did i say it applied to everyone? i thought i was just stating my own experience.

I wasn't talking to you. Everyone makes the customer service argument.

sucks for you

uh, ok... you used "your" in your post, you posted right after me, and you made a direct counterargument to the whole point of my post, so obviously i'm going to think you were talking to me.

tbh, you've got way bigger problems in your life other than living in a crappy ass city with no apple store. and yes, i'm talking to you, buttsex. YOU.

It was a counter-argument to everyone making the same argument about customer service.

I know I have bigger problems than living in a city with no Apple store, because I don't give a f*ck that I live in a city with no Apple store.

Who are you anyway? I don't think I know your username.

To be honest I have had nothing but good customer service from Dell, Lenovo, Alienware, and HP. It's no surprise that apple would treat their customers any differently. I believe Mipadi hit the nail on the head when he said...

Apple = Aesthetics
Windows = Bang for Buck

That's why I never really bother to argue Linux vs. Mac.


If you ever look at both OS, their capabilities, specifically, you'll realize they do the same ol' shit out of the box.

At least from what I've compared.

The biggest difference is that Linux is open source, and Mac is ridiculously f*cking expensive.

Don't you (or your parents, or whomever) pay several hundred dollars a month for an Internet connection, when you can get a speedy Internet connection for, like, $40-50/month?

maybe it's just me but i never really thought mac was OMG SO f*ckING EXPENSIVE. spending 1000-1500 on a laptop that i use every single day for years is not a big deal to me. it's not a bad price to me at all.

So?

I'm comparing to other *nix operating systems, not everything you could possibly have with a computer

Is this in response to my post, or JC's?

pretty sure it's in response to yours cause we posted at the same time i think

Look at the specs.


Specs is priority. I've said it before.. I could build a bad ass machine with $2000. With those same exact specs, on a Mac, it would cost a SHIT load more.

And for what? lol... just throw Linux onto that bad bish and save mad loot.

Yours.

In that case, take a look at Internet connections for a second. Fundamentally, Internet connections perform the same task: they download a stream of bytes from a remote computer. The only real difference, then, is in speed. Now, a cable connection is clearly a big step up from a dial-up connection, but as you move to faster and faster broadband connections, the law of diminishing returns applies. The point is, you (or your parents) pay a few hundred bucks a month for, fundamentally, the same service as a person with a $40/month broadband connection -- the only difference is that yours is faster. Most people would say that they'd rather pay $40/month and take a few more hours to download a movie, but clearly you feel otherwise: you've weighed your options and decided that paying much, much more per month is worth the cost, even though you could accomplish the same goal with a cheap broadband connection.

The same applies to this debate, as far as price is concerned. Sure, you can do more or less the same thing with a cheap PC and a free OS like Linux, but a lot of people -- myself included -- weigh the options and say, "Hey, a Mac is a lot nicer to use, it has nicer software, etc. etc." and are willing to pay a few hundred bucks more for an Apple laptop. (Although I'd argue that OS X and a free Unix-like OS like BSD or Linux are hardly interchangeable; I don't have much trouble installing the same tools on OS X that I use on Linux or FreeBSD, but I'd have a lot of trouble trying to run some of my OS X applications on Linux! In that sense, the functionality of OS X is a superset of that of Linux, rather than an equivalent set.)

What it comes down to is priorities.

(I'd also point out that paying a few hundred bucks more for a laptop once isn't as astounding as paying a few hundred bucks more for an Internet connection every month, but I digress. )