are macs overrated?

[J.]

I like Macs, although there is a bit of a learning curve if you've always used PCs. It's nothing that can't be overcome by a few days of steady use though, just like anything else.

They are overpriced, unfortunately. I think they'd be even more successful if they were more competitive in the $$$ department. I also know some people who've had reliability issues with their Macs, but overall they seem to be a bit more dependable. Then again, you've got to weigh the fact that Macs are all from the same company... some PCs get piecemealed together from parts made by the lowest bidder (probably one reason why the bottom-of-the-barrel computers are so much cheaper). I have a feeling that if Apple let other manufacturers make Mac-compatible computers (like they did for a little while years ago), prices would come down but reliability would suffer.

I guess it's a trade-off.

One thing though - warez are more easily obtainable for PCs.

[Rootdogg]

I like Macs, although there is a bit of a learning curve if you've always used PCs. It's nothing that can't be overcome by a few days of steady use though, just like anything else. They are overpriced, unfortunately. I think they'd be even more successful if they were more competitive in the $$$ department. I also know some people who've had reliability issues with their Macs, but overall they seem to be a bit more dependable. Then again, you've got to weigh the fact that Macs are all from the same company... some PCs get piecemealed together from parts made by the lowest bidder (probably one reason why the bottom-of-the-barrel computers are so much cheaper). I have a feeling that if Apple let other manufacturers make Mac-compatible computers (like they did for a little while years ago), prices would come down but reliability would suffer. I guess it's a trade-off. One thing though - warez are more easily obtainable for PCs.

 

 

This is def the problem with Dell, HP, and whoever else makes a PC. They ship their boards around and have chips placed on them from different companies, often the lowest bidder. The result is a pieced together system that runs like {censored}. I will never buy a PC from a mass producer again. Hand picking your MOBO, vid card, RAM, etc is where it's at.

[PaulyWally]

Nothing beats a well built PC clone. Pwns any MAC in the right hands.

 

 

Hardware wise... that's really all a Mac is anymore.

 

Yeah, that's a generalization. But that's pretty much what they are now - PC's with high-end parts.

 

However, a customized PC (no matter how high-end the components are) will still have the Windows factor. And Windows is still inferior to Mac OS... IMPO.

[Mr.Mow]

I'll just say this..

I bought an iMac G5, 4 months out of warranty it fried its motherboard ($2000 repair for an $1800 machine?!)..

 

I rang Apple customer service, they told me that should get covered even though its just out of warranty, they put me onto Apple customer relations who proceeded to tell me that 16/17 months is in their opinion (and I am quoting the guy here..) an acceptable life span for their product and they would not go any further with helping me, next time I should purchase their extended warranty and if I had a problem with it (and I'm NOT making this up) I should get a lawyer 'we welcome and encourage you to get a lawyer'.

 

So I did...

 

The {censored}ing cNuts called me back an hour after he called and offered to fix the machine..

 

{censored} Apple..

 

 

And as an add on.. Yes, they replaced the mother board.. 12 months on its starting to overheat again and I'm guessing is only months away from frying again.. Mine was not an isolated incident, if you search the web you will find there were lots of problems with the iMacs and overheating, Apple refused to discuss that with me.

[bikehorn]

Nope. Frankly even with the hype I think they are underrated. I don't care how much anyone rattles on about how Companies X Y and Z are providing better hardware specs than Apple for a lower price. If you are getting hung up on hardware then you are missing the point. The main part of the Mac experience is the operating system, and no PC with "better hardware" has that. Semi-functioning hacked versions don't count.

[Rootdogg]

The Mac OS does run very nicely, and is less prone to problems. Superior, I agree. Good for the user that does not want to troubleshoot or worry about their OS.

However, I am a tweaker. I like to overclock, experiment with parameters, communicate directly with my hardware, etc. I never crash, I never have OS problems. In the right hands, Win XP is right there and should give you no problems, period. If you know how to use it, and keep your system clean, it runs perfectly.

[HackedByChinese!]

Do you use Final Cut Pro?

 

Will you be using any version of Logic?

 

Do you want your computer to "just work" most of the time?

 

Do you mind visiting an Apple Store every time something hardware-related goes wrong with the machine?

 

Do you have a lot of disposable income?

 

Get a Mac if any or all of the above is the case. Everything else that can be done on a Mac can be done on any other computer, and aside from the Mac Pro, you'll be paying more for marginal benefits. The MacBook isn't cheap for what it is, and OS X isn't going to change your life by the mere fact of your using it. If you like them, then by all means, get one. Just be aware that 90% of the perceived benefits of one are hyped-up marketing.

[HackedByChinese!]

Nope. Frankly even with the hype I think they are underrated. I don't care how much anyone rattles on about how Companies X Y and Z are providing better hardware specs than Apple for a lower price. If you are getting hung up on hardware then you are missing the point. The main part of the Mac experience is the operating system, and no PC with "better hardware" has that. Semi-functioning hacked versions don't count.

 

Would it tweak you somewhat to know that the basis for the OS, aside from the kernel, can be had for any system for absolutely nothing?

 

FreeBSD

[Rootdogg]

Do you use Final Cut Pro? Will you be using any version of Logic? Do you want your computer to "just work" most of the time? Do you mind visiting an Apple Store every time something hardware-related goes wrong with the machine? Do you have a lot of disposable income? Get a Mac if any or all of the above is the case. Everything else that can be done on a Mac can be done on any other computer, and aside from the Mac Pro, you'll be paying more for marginal benefits. The MacBook isn't cheap for what it is, and OS X isn't going to change your life by the mere fact of your using it. If you like them, then by all means, get one. Just be aware that 90% of the perceived benefits of one are hyped-up marketing.

 

 

*Nods*

 

I like Macs, I really do, they have their place.

But, this post is correct, absolutely.

 

My drummers HD friend on his Mac recently, one of their newer towers, a nice unit. He wanted to know if I could replace it or service it. I said, "You're on your own there bud".

 

The nice thing about owning a clone, being able to build and upgrade it on your own, is the fact that about every 5 years or so, I can dump about $500 back into my PC, and have a system that crushes anything on the market.

[82Daion]

Macs are good if you want plug-and-play, hassle-free functionality from day to day. They work well with creative software, are well-designed, and I generally enjoy using them. And you'll fit in great at any college campus in the country with one.

 

That said, I use a Dell Latitude D800(running Windows XP), and with the right security/firewall software on it, it's worked flawlessly since the day I got it. I have no problems with recording software, and I've never gotten the blue screen of death from it. The only flaw is that it's not as hip as Apple.

 

I would not use Ubuntu if you're not a tech-head.

[FreestyleIntruder]

Do you use Final Cut Pro? Will you be using any version of Logic? Do you want your computer to "just work" most of the time? Do you mind visiting an Apple Store every time something hardware-related goes wrong with the machine? Do you have a lot of disposable income? Get a Mac if any or all of the above is the case. Everything else that can be done on a Mac can be done on any other computer, and aside from the Mac Pro, you'll be paying more for marginal benefits. The MacBook isn't cheap for what it is, and OS X isn't going to change your life by the mere fact of your using it. If you like them, then by all means, get one. Just be aware that 90% of the perceived benefits of one are hyped-up marketing.

Nonsense! It's a scientific fact that you can't do anything like audio production, digital photo work or video editing on a PC. I know this, because the Mac commercials say so, and why would they lie...?

[HackedByChinese!]

*Nods* I like Macs, I really do, they have their place. But, this post is correct, absolutely. My drummers HD friend on his Mac recently, one of their newer towers, a nice unit. He wanted to know if I could replace it or service it. I said, "You're on your own there bud". The nice thing about owning a clone, being able to build and upgrade it on your own, is the fact that about every 5 years or so, I can dump about $500 back into my PC, and have a system that crushes anything on the market.

 

 

The towers are easily serviceable, and the Mac Pro is what every tower case should be. It's the laptops and iMacs that are impossible to fix on your own, and that would really bug me.

[Jateca]

In my opinion macs are excellent for a certain type of user.

I'm fairly computer savvy, so ease of use wasn't a reason for me to get a mac. What it is good for, and is more relevant to the TS, is music software. Pro Tools and Logic work excellently. PT in particular is much more stable than the version running on my PC.

The other main advantage of a mac for me: best of both worlds.

My Macbook pro runs windows XP flawlessly via bootcamp (now a standard feature of OSX) So I can run all my windows software (including games, got CoD 4 running easily with full graphics options) and all my music software on the same piece of hardware.

IMO, windows and Mac OSX both have respective strengths and weaknesses. Neither is better than the other, just different.

As a student who does a lot of music production, the mac is far more useful to me than a PC equivalent; more versatile, easier compatibility, better stability.

[bikehorn]

 

The Mac OS does run very nicely, and is less prone to problems. Superior, I agree. Good for the user that does not want to troubleshoot or worry about their OS.

 

 

Or good for the user who knows the guts of their system, and still doesn't want to troubleshoot.

 

However, I am a tweaker. I like to overclock, experiment with parameters, communicate directly with my hardware, etc. I never crash, I never have OS problems. In the right hands, Win XP is right there and should give you no problems, period. If you know how to use it, and keep your system clean, it runs perfectly.

 

 

I'm a tweaker too, although I don't really bother with OCing because I don't need it...nor does my laptop have the heatsinking to handle it. I just happen to find that I prefer driver conflicts and other bafflingly illogical errors not to occur, and with Mac OS X my experience is that it would be an extreme rarity for them to happen. Of course this is due in part to Apple being the only hardware supplier, but regardless of why that's the case, it is the case.

 

I fully agree XP can be very usable in the right hands, and my vintage 2001 Dell desktop is proof, but there are 3095094583457898234589345459 times more "wrong" hands than right hands and random XP {censored}ups still can't completely be prevented. For the last month whenever it would wake up from standby, it failed to 'realise' it's connected to my network despite the fact that it WAS connected and had an IP. Opening network-using apps while under this condition caused it to lock up while it freaked out about not "having" an internet connection despite having one in actuality. Actually I was able to solve the problem by reinstalling the NIC driver which took all of three minutes - but why should I have to? What average user would know this? A network card that worked without issue in the same computer, with the same hardware and software setup with ZERO settings changes across the entire system for the last year, and operated fine the six years prior - should not magically experience a driver issue one day. These are the kinds of wrinkles MS is light years away from ironing out.

 

Out of all the people I know, I can think of maybe one or two others who know how to keep their XP systems "clean". The rest do not and will not learn - and even if they did want to learn, I doubt some of their capacities to do so. Years ago Audi faced lawsuits because their cars would begin moving as soon as they were put in reverse and "causing accidents". It was discovered that people who experienced this problem were so moronic that they failed to put their foot on the brake before shifting from park to reverse. Anyone driving any vehicle should be doing this. If they had, they would never have had these accidents. I mean really, who doesn't put their foot on the brake before shifting out of park? It's common logic. Volkswagen/Audi ended up having to build in an interlock that forced these dumbasses to step on the brake before they could put their cars in gear so that they didn't kill themselves.

 

In other words, the system has to be engineered to protect its least competent users from their own stupidity - and I think Apple's done that exceptionally well without compromising usability for advanced users.

[bikehorn]

Would it tweak you somewhat to know that the basis for the OS, aside from the kernel, can be had for any system for absolutely nothing? FreeBSD

 

No, it wouldn't, because I already knew that and the end product is hardly the same. It doesn't tweak me to know that I can go and cut down a tree in a forest for free when I can get a beautifully finished and well-constructed mahogany dinner table - but have to pay for it.

[PaulyWally]

In the right hands, Win XP is right there and should give you no problems, period. If you know how to use it, and keep your system clean, it runs perfectly.

 

 

And therein lies the problem with Windows.

 

The amount of effort it takes me to keep XP running smoothly is hardly worth the $$ for it. What the hell am I paying for? Are orphaned registry entries and DLL's just a feature? Did I pay extra for those things to cause conflicts?

 

Micro$oft markets Windows as user-friendly. And besides Mac, it's the only player in the game. But most home Windows users have major speed issues within 6 months. And it's not the hardware. It's the OS.

[ThrashmetalErik]

yes you cant play games on them, but they do have very user freindly recording programs like garageband. It all depends on what your gonna do with it. Me, ive owned macs, now im a PC guy.

[jonathan_matos5]

Im not a game person unless you count the occasional online flash game.

Things ive been considering so far in this purchase have been what im using the computer for reliability and compatability with the software ill be using with the school (i think ill be using sebelius)

[Bluescout]

I think the comparison of Mac to PC is overrated. The "just plug it in and it works" claims are hogwash. Much of the hardware I buy comes with a Mac install disk. Windows is also not without many nice features. If Apple had to deal with the plethora of hardware combinations Microsoft does, they would be screwed.

Just like a previous poster, I have a friend with a dual G5 tower that one of the processors has crapped out on. I can't even imagine what that will cost. He paid $3000 for it 3 years ago. $3000.

If I was to want a solid useable linux box, Apple's OS is without a doubt the best out there. Otherwise I'm a solid PC guy. If I feel the need to tinker endlessly without any decent results and "compile" stuff, I'll go with Red Hat or Ubuntu.

[LanEvo]

Out of all the people I know, I can think of maybe one or two others who know how to keep their XP systems "clean". The rest do not and will not learn - and even if they did want to learn, I doubt some of their capacities to do so.

That's really the bottom line for me. Getting reliable, trouble-free performance out of a PC running Windows means you've got to learn to do a bunch of stuff just to keep it running. My feeling is, why should I have to learn? Why doesn't it just work the way it's supposed to?

 

I think of it like cars. Sure, I know how to adjust my ignition timing and clean the points on my distributor cap and rotor. Sure, I can synchronize a pair of Weber side-draught carbs. I know how to flush my diff and transmission lubes and grease mybal joints. This is fine for a hobby car that gets driven on sunny weekends...but it's NOT acceptable for the Honda Civic that you rely on to get to work in the morning. That car just has to WORK. I shouldn't have to be a good mechanic just to get to the grocery store.

 

For you guys who see PC's as toys or hobbies, then I can certainly understand the DIY appeal. But if you see a computer as an appliance that is designed to increase your productivity, well...then that's a different story. That's what I'm paying Steve Jobs or Bill Gates for.

 

Emre

[LanEvo]

And therein lies the problem with Windows. The amount of effort it takes me to keep XP running smoothly is hardly worth the $$ for it. What the hell am I paying for? Are orphaned registry entries and DLL's just a feature? Did I pay extra for those things to cause conflicts? Micro$oft markets Windows as user-friendly. And besides Mac, it's the only player in the game. But most home Windows users have major speed issues within 6 months. And it's not the hardware. It's the OS.

That's exactly my point. My computer isn't a toy to me. It's supposed to help me get work done. I don't want to deal with it.

 

Emre

[Bluescout]

That's really the bottom line for me. Getting reliable, trouble-free performance out of a PC running Windows means you've got to learn to do a bunch of stuff just to keep it running. My feeling is, why should I have to learn? Why doesn't it just work the way it's supposed to?

 

 

I don't really have to do anything special to my desktop or laptop to keep it running right.

 

 

EDIT: something I just thought of, it's easy to buy a pc that doesn't have enough memory, which is the largest reason for performance slowdowns. Macs always come with plenty of memory because they don't have to play price games. The price is the price.

[HackedByChinese!]

 

Im not a game person unless you count the occasional online flash game. Things ive been considering so far in this purchase have been what im using the computer for reliability and compatability with the software ill be using with the school (i think ill be using sebelius)

 

 

Is Sibelius Mac-exclusive? Is there some functionality that you gain with the Mac version that isn't there with the Windows version?

 

The only compelling factor for the Macintosh, IMO, is iLife. If you think that you'll see some value from GarageBand, iPhoto, iWeb, and iMovie, then you should probably get the Mac. Just keep in mind that the Mac doesn't come with a word processor, spreadsheet app, or anything office-related, unless you buy iWork or Office for Mac 2004 with it. That might come as a shock when you need to write a term paper, and there really aren't any good, free, and easy-to-install office suites for OS X as there are with Windows.

 

For me, it would come down to the money issue. If you don't need Apple's bundled-in apps, then just get a slightly older Dell Latitude off of Ebay, like a D800 or D810 with the high-resolution screen (marked as WUXGA or 1920x1200) and a 1.8GHZ or higher Pentium M in it. This will run you about $500. Put 2GB of memory in it, grab Audacity off the web,

[badmotor]

I'm not a 'tech head', and I use Ubuntu fine. it's all free and devolping fast. There's a new release every 6 months and you just upgrade. Love it.

[bikehorn]

That's really the bottom line for me. Getting reliable, trouble-free performance out of a PC running Windows means you've got to learn to do a bunch of stuff just to keep it running. My feeling is, why should I have to learn? Why doesn't it just work the way it's supposed to?

 

 

Yep. People expect reliable cars, reliable stereos, reliable courier service, reliable weather forecasts, reliable paycheques and reliable banks - they want reliable computers and right now the only company out there supplying them is Apple. Windows is the weak link when it comes to PCs and that won't change. Otherwise the hardware is just fine. For years people have been paying large sums of money for computers that don't cut it for them. They wonder what their money is buying. The problems they can't fix cost them more at their local spyware-removal ripoff place. The frustration has reached a point where consumers are not afraid to spend a little more money on something that will do the job properly. Do it once, do it right, and spend the least money in the end.

 

There's more than just functionality too. This is a very intelligently designed operating system which keeps all of your frequently used things close at hand, and the less frequently used things out of the way but easily accessed. The Dashboard has changed the way I use a computer and without it, I can't help but suddenly feel restrained. Vista has a blatant copy of it, but let's not even talk about Vista. I feel better using an operating system that is not an insult to my intelligence.