4 Reasons I’ll Never Own a Mac
When I reflect upon myself honestly, I believe that I will always be a Windows user or to put it more bluntly, I don’t think that I will ever purchase an Apple computer. Here is my rationale. I am curious whether others might feel the same way.
1) Frugal. First off, I should tell you that I am very frugal. Like over the top frugal. I don’t like purchasing designer clothes, fancy jewelry and other ostentatious things. I am a business guy, and I know that the gross margins on these products are inflated because it plays to a person’s sense of self, and I avoid products like these as a rule because I always feel like I am overpaying. Just a quick scan of prices between PC’s and Apple show that Apples are consistently more expensive than its Windows counter parts.
2) Productivity. I have had a lot of computers in my life, and I imagine I will purchase many more in the future. The #1 reason by far why I own a computer is to make myself more productive. I can absorb large amounts of information quickly on a computer, and it is a fantastic tool for my creativity. When I am in front of a computer, I feel like there are no bounds to what I can dream of. So here’s a criticism of some Apple users. Not all Apple users, but at least some of them.
One day, I was in the airport in Rio de Janeiro waiting for my flight. It was April 2010, and the iPad had just been launched. There was a guy on the same flight as me, and suddenly he got on his feet in a dramatic sort of way. It was obvious he was trying to draw attention to himself. Slowly, and emphatically, he opened up his bag and pulled out his brand new iPad. He pulled it out and raised it well above his head while analyzing his new prized possession. I felt like at some point, he was be like a model on the runway showing off his latest designer glasses. BTW, he also had designer glasses.
I am picking on an iPad user but this behaviour is also common with Mac users. So back to my point. For me, my computer is about my productivity. For this guy, it was more an accessory to go with his pink scarf and goofy white shoes.
3) Standards. I am a main stream guy and I absolutely adore the adherence to standards in the computer space. Having been an executive at Gateway, we helped many of the standards on which the computer is built today. However in Apple’s world, they pick and choose the standards in an almost arbitrary fashion. There are two that irk me most.
Why in the h*ll can’t Apple use a standard mini USB connector for an iPod? After all, USB is internationally recognized and adopted standard. Would it be so much to ask that I can use the same mini USB cable that I use for my camera and Kindle also worked with my iPod?
Next, the iPad still to this day does not support Flash. I have started to use Flash on my personal web site, and PC Pitstop uses Flash for many of our broadband tests. Are all the Flash developers in the world supposed to look for jobs now that Apple decided that Flash was somehow sub par?
This is not so much a criticism about Macs themselves but the company that makes them. Best I can tell, Macs support the USB standard despite Apple’s prior support of the Firewire standard. I would venture to guess that if all Macs only supported Firewire that they would be far less popular.
4) Batteries. Some Mac laptops have non removable batteries. This is really bad news. For better or worse, battery technology has moved to Lithium Ion and has stuck there for the last decade. Lithium Ion is now found in all of our devices such as cell phones, wireless phones, e-readers, and off course laptops. Although Lithium Ion has certain advantages it has one huge disadvantage. Lithium Ion batteries have a set battery life. From the moment that the battery is manufactured, the clock begins ticking and it will ultimately die in a defined period of time. Historically and from personal experience, it seems that the life is about 2 years.
There is a myth out there that battery life is a function of use. That is not true, you can use the battery all you want or not at all and the battery life is about 2 years.
So here’s my beef with Apple. When I buy a new laptop, I know that it will last a little less than 2 years. After all, if the laptop has been sitting on the shelf for 6 months, then the battery only has about 18 months left. My problem is that after the battery dies, I want the option to put a new battery in the thing. Quite often, I hand down my old computers to other members of my family. I want that option, and now Apple has removed the option. Once the battery dies on certain Apple models, the machine just becomes useless.
Conclusion At the heart of the issue, is the old time tested question of form versus function. Or style versus substance. I know me, and I always have choosed substance over style and that goes for my computer too.
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You’re missing out big time if your not using Apple technology or products. Have you noticed how most good schools, Universities use Apple PC’s. I can’t even imagine how much further we would have been if Windows had not been invented. Pure junk. Wish Apple pc,s were more affordable though. Guess they can name their price since there technology is so much more superior to Microsoft. Awesome products. Well thought out and high quality.
Yes, lots of schools have Macs. That’s because Apple has always provided their computers to schools at HUGE discounts. They realized long ago that if they get young people using Macs early, they will be ill-equipped to use any other kind of computer, and therefore likely to keep buying Macs for the rest of their lives. Insidious, but good a business move by Apple.
@Jeff: If you consider a 17%-20% discount “huge” then you’ve got a problem. That is the largest discount Apple has offered anybody that I am aware of for any product.
Those are just the published discounts. Apple has entered into special pricing arrangements with educational institutions that were setting up computer labs where the discounts were a lot better than 20%. Still, 20% is pretty huge, and if you think someone thinking that has a problem, then you have a problem. Tag, you’re it.
@Jeff: @Bill C.: And yet when the kids went home they all still bought PCs. I remember someone making a joke about that saying no one wants something they HAD to use in schools.
To call it a good business move is crazy. Apple sales have always been crap until recently when they started acting more like microsoft. Advertized and hype a crap product like the iPhone.
Just like when win95 came out, people were lining up around the block at midnight to buy it and it was an over-priced piece of junk that could do barely more than anything else.
Technically you can’t do more with an apple than any other computer. It just takes so long to make software that companies will choose to target the audience that will buy it. So artsy stuff usually is made for the Mac, but not because windows couldn’t do the exact same thing.
I laughed out loud once years back when I had to use a mac for the first time at a college. The mouse had only one button. I thought it was a joke.
It’s still dumbed down for the non tech savvy buyer. A flip camera for computers if you will.
The first computer I saw was my brothers apple, which had a cassette tape deck to store information. Since the early 80's I have worked with Windows. Imagine the surprise when graphic interface and the mouse came out on the market. I was forced to use MACS when I was in graphic design school. Yes, I hated it because I was not familiar with them. I cursed them for years. Now, I use both and yes, they both have their ups and downs as does everything else in life. I just feel complaining about which computer I use is waste of my time. I just learned to use both and now I really do not care because a computer is what you make of it. Yes, I use Imovie, photoshop, etc. and don't discriminate what computer I use. I still remember when this argument begin and I still find humor in it. My friends use to make mac vs. pc's videos. All I can say is "same game, different players". Enjoy whatever you have and don't worry about the rest.
I curse the day I bought my MAC but at over $3000 I'm extremely reluctant to pass with this piece of shit.
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When did this guy check out mac and apple devices, 2002? These myths are so out dated and inaccurate that this author should be embarrassed he even wrote this
LOL
Last time I used a Mac was 10 years ago.
It was a complete nightmare.
MacOS sucks *ss. Windows is 100 times easier to work with.
I swore right then and there I would never use a Mac again.
@JJ: Poor boy. You really don’t know what you’re missing, do you?
The Mac of today is not the Mac of 10 years ago, and even that one was better than the Windows of its time.
@Vulpine: Really? Because I remember it having a single button on the mouse. I thought it was a joke, but the mac guy next to me was seriously like, “How many do you need?”
Oh My God. It’s a computer for morons really.
What an utter pile of rubbish this article is.
1) YES Macs are more expensive. So what? When you purchase a Mac you are buying the entire package. The hardware, the software, the ease of use, the great customer service.
2) Productivity – This point is utter rubbish. Sure if you use proprietary applications from 1998 there may not be a Mac equivalent. You can spout that BS that macs are for untechnical folk either. If you look at a lot of the tech industry there are probably many mac users within it. Look at the web industry, from my personal experience the amount of web devs (both developers and designers) that prefer mac’s and won’t touch windows pc’s with a barge pole is 10 to 1!
Mac are SO much more reliable than even well built windows machines. I’ve been a system builder years and I used to hate Macs – then I actually tried one and my productivity for work has never been higher.
Also, you really base your purchases off of the actions of a few users of a product or brand? Wow, thats foolish.
3) Yes, perhaps a standard USB connector would be great on iDevices. However, this point clashes with your point about flash. Apple is PUSHING WEB STANDARDS – one of the main reasons it won’t implement flash on iOS (other reasons including flash is probably the largest venerability around, and that it hogs CPU time and thus battery like absolute turd). Apple wants developers to embrace the HTML5 standards and not help people buy into the property, closed system that is Flash.
4) Batteries – You obviously have zero experience with Apple computers so I’ll just say this. My Summer 09 MacBookPro has been used EVERY DAY, since July 2009, for probably 10-12 hours and my battery health is only down to 86%. If a battery goes in a Window slap top, you’ll have to buy a new one right? If a battery goes in a MacBook – BUY A NEW ONE. You can replace it even if it isn’t meant to be removed – or you could take it to apple and ask them to replace it. If your machines not that old they may even offer to do it for free (From my experience Apples customer service is second to none.)
So before you write an article next time, try actually using the device your about to slag off. I can’t believe I wasted 10 minutes of my life reading your trollop.
Now I remember why I don’t read PC-Pitstop anymore. The content is dire. *Unsubscribes*.
[ /rage]
Pro Mac users are so funny. they get so bent out of shape when you say anything back about MAC.
Fact is apple ties your hands, so if you like being controled and guilded to what somone else feels is best for you then sure go mac, be a sheep let them guide you to the safe places lol.
Personally I like to be able to do what ever I want to on my equipment i paid for and if i tear it up its my own fault.
Apple wants control of yoru equipment even after you purchase it. If you need somone holding your hand making sure you don’t break stuff then mac is for you.
What you cant do, you cant build a top of the line machine and put MAC OS on it. not allowed.
You cant give your self the best video card available so when you are doing movie production type renderings yoru stuck with what apple says you should use.
The OS may or may not be the best, but because they want total control and micro manage your hardware, only those with sheep mentality will use macs.
@James:
“James says:
November 2, 2011 at 6:08 am
Pro Mac users are so funny. they get so bent out of shape when you say anything back about MAC.
Fact is apple ties your hands, so if you like being controled and guilded to what somone else feels is best for you then sure go mac, be a sheep let them guide you to the safe places lol.
Personally I like to be able to do what ever I want to on my equipment i paid for and if i tear it up its my own fault.
Apple wants control of yoru equipment even after you purchase it. If you need somone holding your hand making sure you don’t break stuff then mac is for you.
What you cant do, you cant build a top of the line machine and put MAC OS on it. not allowed.
You cant give your self the best video card available so when you are doing movie production type renderings yoru stuck with what apple says you should use.
The OS may or may not be the best, but because they want total control and micro manage your hardware, only those with sheep mentality will use macs.”
Ok, let’s look at your arguments:
* First off, you’re typing so fast in your rage that you’re misspelling like crazy–offering a totally emotional response without any logic or reasoning in it.
* Apple ties your hands and treats you like sheep, yet Apple gives you the freedom of usage without the incessant concerns of viruses and malware that so inflict Windows users’ machines while Microsoft’s huge flock of sheep rely on weak shepherds and inefficient sheep dogs to keep that flock in check–hardly noticing that their flock is shrinking on a daily basis. Who, really, is tying your hands?
* Now here, really, is your core argument: you want the ability to tear up your machine and play with it as you will. Well guess what, that’s what Windows and Linux are for–the techie-minded people who want to work under the hoods of their devices. The problem is, you’re the exception, not the rule, as evidenced by the fact that the IT department of Windows-centric businesses are the single largest loss-producing, costly departments in industry–the regular user simply doesn’t have the know-how to maintain their own machines and have to rely heavily on paid technicians to keep them running. When you have a company who’s best policy for a dead PC is to “re-image it”, that company has failed to provide the best possible product for their employees. With Time Machine, a Mac can be back up and running much more quickly after a hard drive replacement–taking a fraction of the total time of repair for most Windows PCs even with re-imaging the drive. The user gets the freedom of significantly-improved productivity and the company gets the freedom of greatly reduced maintenance costs.
* This argument falls into the one above–crawling under your own hood. Again, most people don’t really know or care what’s under the hood, as long as it works right and works reliably. Business especially could hardly care less about a “new video card” unless they’re a graphics-oriented business, and even then they’re more likely to be using Macs than Windows PCs for the simple ease of use.
* It’s interesting that you mention Apple and movie rendering, since most documentary films are produced on Macs–quite often Macbook Pro, not a desktop–and even some commercial films have been rendered on Macs–”Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” actually created and storyboarded on an old Mac, as well as some production video. The point is that it’s not the video card that makes the difference, it’s the quality of the software producing and editing that video. The video card only affects the rendering speed.
So the micro-managers are not Apple, but rather the techies who feel they have to stick their fingers into every light socket to see how it works. The users aren’t sheep, they’re the foxes who know how to get things done with the least effort; they’re the wolves who prey on those sheep and nibble away at the flock. They’re the bulls who butt their way through that barbed-wire fence to show the sheep they have another choice in how they can live online. No, Apple doesn’t have a flock of sheep, Microsoft does–and the predators are eating away that flock.
You folks have way too much time on your hands. You make me jealous.
Final decision:
Mac is for those who are rich, and are capable of putting a $2000 hunk of laptop in somebody’s hands after it dies. And, after dealing with “customer service”, is able to upgrade.
Windows is for those who want to upgrade all the time, and are willing to work on things themselves. Y’know, get your hands dirty by digging through your case to get the wires set up. Installing drivers and making it a beast inside and outside with expansions and such.
Windows is good for those who can adjust to working on it and have really good patience. Mac is for those who just don’t care and want something they can show off and STILL work/have fun with. It’s like a belt. It looks good and is easy to customize/show off. But it has a purpose.
Two more practical matters:
1. I really don’t like standard Apple keyboards (2011 anyway). (And I’m not a touch-typer either.)
2. I have used PCs since DOS 2.?? and have a lot of experience with DOS/Windows. Learning a whole new keyboard/mouse combo – why? Even linux etc. is similar to Windos.
@Colby: Unsubscribe because of one artical? Be real. Learn to self edit and sift thru the junk. Nothing in real life is 100% perfect and the true gem in this artical is in the reader responses.
I’ve always liked windows since I helped my dad build a windows 98 PC when I was 7. I could spend 500 bucks on a new laptop with 4gb RAM, 500gb SSD (put in myself) and a decent chipset. OR pay 500 bucks for 2gb RAM, 100gb SSD, horrible service and a non-linux friendly board. I hate apple services, my father wanted to get the battery repaired on his iphone and they said “no, that will cost **** amount if you didn’t pay 199.99 for our extended warranty first”. Sorry, I just like windows.
Seriously, what does an iPhone battery have to do with laptops?
You are comparing two different things. Have you tried to get the battery replaced on a Macintosh? If not, then you really have nothing to compare Microsoft to Apple with. You sound like a Windows “fanboi.”
Next time, sit down and think about what you are typing and make things a little more objective. You could start by doing a list of pros and cons, without lying to yourself, and see how much you like one more than the other. I started off with Windows back in 1998 and didn’t use Mac until 2010–well over 10 years. I was once just like you, thinking that Mac’s sucked. When I did get my Macintosh I loved it and proved to myself I was wrong all along.
I am A+ certified, among others, and have no problem using a Mac or Windows. I just prefer OS X, and the software that runs on the platform.
“Don’t knock it until you try it.”
Typed on a MacBook Air, but not by a fanboy.
You missed the most important reason to not own a MAC. It has limited software only allowed by Jobs on HIS computer. You just borrow it is how he seems to feel about the Apple products. I have software I’ve written way back in 1985 that I still run on my PC. If the things I use my PC for were allowed by Jobs on his Mac’s, then why should I spend thousands of dollars to buy a machine that wasn’t an improvement over what I already use. People running around with apple laptops think the only use for a computer is playing online. For them, I guess it’s OK, but if you ever need to do any real computing on the device don’t ask your buddies over in Starbucks how unless your prepared for a load of bullshit.
Dude!! Function first is one thing; grammatical ignorance is another. You only undermine your already questionable argument with a boner like “I always have choosed…” versus the 4th grade grammar lesson “I always have CHOSEN…”
Here’s the hard facts:
Estimates for 2011 Note: These are current-year sales estimates, not accumulative usage share for all PCs that are in use.
In August 2011, Gartner estimated Apple’s PC market share in US as 10.7% for Q2 2011. Apple’s worldwide market share not listed, because not in top 5; can infer is 5% or below. Gartner’s numbers include netbooks, but do not include media tablets such as the iPad. Total units in Q2 2011 from all vendors ~ 85 million.[3]
“A Gartner forecast calls for Mac OS to ship on 4.5 percent of new PCs worldwide in 2011 and 5.2 percent in 2015. Gartner does not expect Google Chrome OS, Google Android or HP’s webOS to get ‘any significant market share’ on PCs in the next few years, and expects Linux operating systems to remain at less than 2 percent share over the next several years.”[4]
Apple reports selling 4 million Macs in Q2 2011 (which is third quarter in Apple’s fiscal year).[5]
Seems like nearly 90% of the US are PC’s and nearly 95% of the world.
Lot’s of emotional outburst here. Facts are, Macs are for those with limited application needs and little technical expertise. You can’t do what we do as CPAs with an expensive cult toy. No real business uses Macs, there are simply too few business applications available. Once you incorporate into a Mac the capabilities required to run business apps, the Mac will inevitably bog down and be even slower than it already is. I have two clients (husband & wife, separate businesses) that each bought a Mac for their respective small businesses, both now use Quickbooks for Mac. Now they can’t get a backup CD to me to use in preparing their tax returns, can’t figure out how to open a PDF, can’t figure out how to create a PDF. Oh sure, the capability is supposedly built-in, but it doesn’t work reliably.
I have another client who just bought a new iPad and a new iPhone. She just can’t get enough of shoving it in my face. I don’t give a rats behind about browsing the net with a 3″ screen, about taking photos with a
comparatively low pixel count camera with a plastic fixed focal length lens (I use a Canon DSLR when I want to enjoy my hobby), or the tinny sound of a tiny speaker (I have a $20K A/V system at home for that hobby), so I just use my fast as hell Dell desktop computer to do all the things I need to do at work so I can afford to buy REAL cameras and REAL A/V systems and browse the net with a REAL computer at home – another fast as hell Dell desktop. BTW, after trying to use laptops in my business for several years, I learned one thing, they aren’t practical. Fragile, slow, battery dependent. ‘Nuff said.
Just made upgrade to my home built PC, replace board,CPU Ram and power supply 1.5t hard drive for $482.88.75 all i needed to do was plug in hard drive.copy old drive to New drive.This is why I used a PC they are so easy to build.
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX
Board ASUS
8GB Ram
600W powersupply
Use old case DVD drive and CD/RW/DVD drive
Old PC was built in 2004 It coast little over $500.00
I don’t get what problems have with WindowsXP so much. I bought my computer back in 2005 and still use it today just fine. I’ve had only 3 computers since 1995. With the notable exception of WinME the OS’s have never given me much problems. And XP work fine. I don’t know why everyone else seems to keep having problems.
I don’t even bother with an antivirus as I know how to avoid downloading programs that are questionable or from unknown sources.
Yeah, maybe the software needs to be updated and patched always to fix these security holes that do get found, but that isn’t an issue for me as it rarely requires any work on my part.
My only time I used a Mac was about 15 years ago in college just for one day and the thing had one button on the mouse. I laughed about it to the guy next to me. He was obviously a mac fan and said quite seriously, “how many do you need?” To explain the benefits of options shouldn’t be needed. Now macs may have finally come around as more people are using them and there is probably more software options available. But much like the article I like productivity. I COULD get a free linux to save money, but I’d spend about 2 weeks of my lifetime dealing with learning the nuances of it. Time is money. I’d rather pay a bit for what I already know how to use then tinker with the latest greatest.
This is similar to Firefox and chrome. They have benefits over whatever is the current “best” browser. But I can still get to the sites I want with what I have. They work fine. The advantages don’t factor in that I don’t want to keep learning whatever is the latest bestest thing you just have to have.
Overall from my lifetime experience in this world of computers, I don’t see so much better things coming from mac users that would convince me to spend that much more for propriety software. I need to buy the mac, then the software and the time spent learning how to use all the stuff I already know how to do.
From I understand Macs are really pretty tho. And have cool sleek user interfaces. But to say it’s easier to work with when you already know how to do it with what you do have isn’t a strong argument. The argument that Macs are easier to learn is also weak, since who hasn’t used a computer already by now. Everyone knows that ease of use is very subjective anyway.
Apple seems to be heading in the microsoft direction of world domination, so eventually they may become the better choice if they are ubiquitous.
I thought I’d enjoy your rant as I do like all the emotion the apple v microsoft stirs up, but it was a little LOL a lot biased. I primarily use win7 on my PCs and still have machines with XP at work, but I also have a mac. I enjoy tinkering with everything in my pcs and endlessly improving (or ruining) it and figuring out how to solve bugs etc myself. The mac sadly is more how computers will be in the future as people like us who grew up as computers have evolved disappear. The mac is becoming a turn on, run whatever program you need, turn off, get on with your life…. and never even think about there being an operating system behind it all, type of experience. It’s not for everyone, but they’re doing something right, plus from an engineering viewpoint the unibodys are beautiful things to hold.
Good Articles with good points. I have worked with computers for 32 years and been A+ certified Tech for 17 years. 2 years ago, I worked, briefly, as an Apple Repair tech. Let me tell you this about Apple Hardware: Beauty is only skin deep. All Apple computers experience failure rates greater than 15% in their first 24 months of service, VS less than 5% for PCs and PC notebooks. All Apple computers have terrible cooling capability and purposely destroy themselves with heat, even Power PCs with huge fans, as the chipsets are on the underside of the system board! All iMacs with intel CPUs have an OPEN CIRCUIT PANEL power supply, so none of them carry an electrical certification (like: UL, TUV, CB, etc). Further, I have opened 3 iMacs, out of about 300 worked on, where the lack of a metal box (spark arrester) around the power supply had led to entire interior being destroyed, including a BBQed HDD (say goodbye to that data!). Makes me wonder how many offices have been set abaze by an iMac left on in the middle of the night! Not to mention every iMac repair tech I know has been electrocuted by those open power supplies many times. Some Greedy lawyers should form a class action law suit against apple for all the nerve damage caused to techs because of this! Further still, The Mac book pro has half the features of my Toshiba at 3 times the cost! I can put 2 HDDs in the 17 inch Toshiba in less than 60 seconds, but have to completely disassemble a Macbook to install just one HDD and replace 4 ribbon cables as they are the one use only kind. Did your Apple Service center do that when you upgraded your Mac-books HDD?!?!? bet they didn’t, and so let me guess: now your sound system has an issue? HAHAHAHA …
Reading this from my Linux machine and laughing hysterically. Enjoy your ongoing (and going and going) convo, guys.
I avoided buying a mac for many years, I did want one though! I finally broke down and bought a macbook pro. I DJ on the side and the laptops with windows just didn’t cut it. I have to run software and a controller to DJ (sometimes stream music as well) and the Macbook pro has been flawless – worth every penny so far! I don’t just use it to email or whatever that person said earlier that mac users are good with. I design flyers, edit photos, and of course the big one, DJing. Im also not one that ever thought it was a status symbol (even though I am very much into fashion, mac just doesn’t seem to be what I would consider an accessory, its a necessity for me) I use windows and linux at work so Im really familiar with all of them but once you learn mac – it is the easiest worry free computer I have ever used. I do wish there was an extra usb port and I do miss somethings about windows 7. The battery I have yet to run into a problem with but it does have 7+ hours when it is fully charged, I cant complain even if I do have to pay apple to change the battery. They are expensive but you get what you pay for especially in my instance. I needed a reliable powerhouse and I got it
The benefit of Apple is that they sell an entire system – hardware, software, everything, all in one nice box. As a result, it (usually?) works with itself fine. And they charge a fee for making that system.
The bad thing about Apple is that they sell an entire system – meaning you can’t easily add or subtract, trade, fix, or integrate with others. And that they charge a fee for making the system (which some ppl don’t want).
Personally I’m cheap, I like the idea of replacable parts, I like being able to run more things at the cost of potential crashes, and I hate fanboys of any type.
My Dell Vostro 1510 laptop with Windows Vista Business takes 4-5 mins to startup and 3-4 mins to shut down. Is this a fault of Dell or Microsoft? Obviously it’s Microsoft. Apple users refer to MS Windows as “Windose”. I agree with them. Further, I think Microsoft creates user unfriendly software and Apple creates user friendly software. Look at how friendly the iPhone and iPad are. Apple is a creative company. Microsoft is a follower. Apple laptops startup in 30 seconds and shut down in 15 second. How’s that for an increase productivity. I have not had an Apple for many years because they lacked a userbase. Now they are outselling PCs. My next laptop will be made by Apple. I can run MS Windose on it during my process of weening from Microsoft.
Seriously, it takes that long for a windows to start-up and shut-down? No wonder, coz you have too many software installed!!!!
FYI, When i first installed XP pro sp3 in a brand new pc with just MSOffice, the start-up is like less than 30 secs and shut-down is like 15-25 secs. It has been 4 years (with lots of installs and uninstalls) and now my pc takes 2 minutes to start-up and 3-4 minutes to shut-down. IF i formatted and reinstalled it fresh with just XP and Office…it will still beat any MAC out there.
Apples will also take that long if you have that many software installed. Be realistic. Apple uses the linux OS as its base. Its the same.
From 1986 until 2008 I used PCs. Then I got fed up with dealing with the slow-downs and the virus software and firewalls. It seemed that after loading a few pieces of software on the computer and trying out a few other pieces that would never completely uninstall, I had a computer that had gone from fast to the speed of a Galapagos tortoise. And I never could get the speed back. I also got tired of jumping through Microsoft’s licensing hoops. On the Mac, you buy the OS once (for $30) and you install it on as many computers as you want.
My first iMac, purchased in 2008, works as fast today as it did the day I bought it. My MacBook Pro, purchased in 2009, is the same way. While I would like to be able to purchase cheap computers again, I don’t want to have to deal with the headaches Windows brings. I haven’t used a PC OS since XP, so maybe the old problems with Windows no longer exist. I’d love to know that if it’s so. And, frankly, there were some things about the Windows OSes that I did like better, like the interoperability of different programs, which Apple doesn’t allow apparently for reasons involving security against viruses. So there are trade-offs with any OS. You have to pick and choose the ones that matter most to you and go with that. On the whole, though, the Macs have been rock solid and, as they say, they “just work.” Configuration and other problems are a fraction of what they were with Windows, and I don’t spend a tenth of the time researching problems with my computers that I spent when I was using XP and earlier Windows OSes.
Ferdinand: Anyone can load any MicroSoft OS as many times as they wish on as many computers as one wishes. A very old fallacy that many fall for and MicroSoft sure doesn’t mind the fallacy being fostered by those that don’t know any better. Try to understand how your PC works and you’ll find it much more useful then a Mac.
i fully agree they are very over priced & toooooooo hard to operate so i will never buy or use a mac
Oh correction…reasons
Here are the reason I stray away from a Mac:
If the hardware breaks – I’m not allowed to fix it. I have to pay a ridiculous amount to have it fixed with apporved Mac parts. Joke!!!
Apples closed culture – Why would I want to buy Windows 7 – install it on a Mac (bootcamp) in order to play a Bluray on my Mac? Mac works because they control the culture – however brainy – innovative, techie type people are limited.
No thanks Apple – cute, and I love GarageBand but….it’s not worth it to me.
Hmm. Both sides wrong on this one. The human brain; it’s installed at conception. It has no software, the instructions are hardwired, and it reconfigures itself.
The computers, Apple or other PCs, built to get a robot to clumsily walk weigh a quarter ton – maybe a little less. Brain pilots humans, humans who pilot other machines.
The human brain invented Macs and other PCs.
I began to use my brain for some of the jobs I previously used a Mac or other PC to do. It is refreshing.
So I can’t access the internet with just my brain. I can play mental chess, checkers. The brain is a wonderful word processor; it’s as fast as I think, therefore I am happy.
I use PCs, Mac and Window, for the less exciting jobs, and as support for the fun: thought.
Do you actually have anything remotely interesting to say or were you just stoned or on a different planet when you wrote this comment?
I dont think alot of you guys posting “got” the article…it was posted as a factual argument against owning an Apple product, it was written as the writers reasons he wont own one. he did not mention anything about being fact, just what he percieves to be huge problems for him, personally. As for the guy at the airport… if he was wearing designer glasses, a pink scarf and white shoes, id be willing to bet it all that he was / is an attention whore and chanced are very high that he did buy the Ipad just because he wanted the attention. I know as well as anyone that not all Apple products users are just buying them just because. theres tons of folks who buy stuff because they are too lazy to do any research and sice to them at least, it seems Apples are the most popular, they must be the best so off they go to the Apple store. So, whatever system you like, you like… there really is no reason to go one way or the other, both systems are great, its all about what features and functions you want / like. But, just an FYI, the whole Apple battery issue really stinks and Apple really should get a clue and allow users to change the batteries themselves, c’mon Apple, you cant be that greedy… can you?
Corporate business stands (or falls) on its backbone of standardisation.
Businesses (and sysadmins) don’t care whether someone likes Macs, Windows, Linux or anything else – they only care that they all play nicely together and that the users can work productively with them.
Apple: native support for Exchange 2003 was dropped from Snow Leopard onwards despite Exchange 2003 having more live installations than later versions when Apple released it. If you want Exchange emails, you need Entourage as part of MS Office for the Mac.
Entourage: drops support for previous versions of Exchange in the most recent version of the application, so anyone on Exchange 2003 (for example) can’t use Office 2011 for the Mac because, quite simply, native support for it has been dropped. Office/Entourage 2008 only if you still use Exchange 2003…
MS Office for the Mac: doesn’t play 100% with MS Office on Windows and introduces document anomalies in formatting between versions/platforms. On shared networks it can also bring various share problems with Windows users after documents have been edited on the Mac.
iPad: version 1 didn’t even have a camera. Version 2 does, but has no native support for USB or flash memory and can’t print out of the box. You need an app for that…
What’s in a Apple ?
Time was Apple meant hardware and software. When their hardware was left standing by Intel’s faster processors things had to change. These days you can buy certain Dell PCs (at far lower cost) and install Snow Leopard or Lion with little or no messing around.
So Apple MacBook and iMac ranges are now simply an Intel PC at their core with an HD screen and a more attractive (subjective) case, at much higher prices.
Keynote: the killer Apple application that is the only reason why businesses should (IMHO) be interested at all in Mac computers.
Businesses flourish on standards where X + Y = repeatable and dependable results every time. Apple and the software it runs to tie into your typical business backbone fails the “it just works” brief by a country mile.
Netbooks: useful beyond words to people like me. Mine was one quarter the price of Apple’s closest offering and gives me twice the battery life of Apple’s counterpart product. Mine triple boots XP Pro, Windows 7 Pro and Linux offering me any and all of the tools I might even need for network management, diagnostics, productivity and leisure, with a 10 hour battery life (actual, not just claimed). Apple’s option is prettier, offers me less connectivity options, half the battery life at almost four times the price.
For the record I own and work with Mac, Linux and Windows machines and I look after several very large and complex infrastructures and, for my money, give me an all Windows environment or a Windows/Linux stack any day of the week. Fewer problems arise as a result.
Home users who surf the web, send emails and faff around with music collections (and who don’t mind getting trapped in the whole iTunes fiasco) are fine with a Mac.
Business users who want to be able to employ standards that work across the board aren’t, unless their entire underlying backbone isn’t Microsoft.
You can achieve broadly similar results no matter what your preference for operating system is as an individual, provided you know how to use your applications, but anyone who raves about Macs has never tried to use them in anger in a large business environment with a Microsoft or mixed Microsoft Linux underlying infrastructure.
I’d happily throttle whoever came up with the “it just works” strap-line because, quite frankly, it doesn’t.
Bottom line: I’m not shallow enough to give a fig what anyone thinks of the kit I work with – I need to know I can depend on it to do what needs to be done within the environments I work. Windows does that for me with far fewer issues than my Macs, so in the interests of a commercially simpler life and higher productivity I have no sensible alternative. At home I have the luxury of whatever choice I wish to make – in business where productivity and stability within the working environment is key, that is not a personal option.
In case anyone was wondering, I like Macs.
A lot.
A lot of folks need to understand the fundamental differences in personal preference, marketing hype, and something that does what it says on the tin within the realms of your typical working environment.
But what do I know, right ?
Very nicely put. I work in the publishing business and even though the programs I use are available for Mac and PC (I use both, by the way) I much prefer the ease of operation on the Mac. With Photoshop there is no comparison! I travel to both Costa Rica and Germany on a regular basis and take a 10 inch notebook with Windows XP. I don’t have to share it with anyone so the Windows platform is fine.
My son, who is a programmer, travels to the orient and has found that for his purposes the MacBook Pro is his choice. He can put it in any language so he can let his clients work with his laptop in their own language. I know how much of an advantage this would be because I’ve had times when traveling in Latin America when I had to use a computer that was programmed in Spanish. Even though I lived there for over 12 years and am quite proficient in Spanish it’s a considerable disadvantage to have to rely on it for technical issues.
It’s such a shame that so many people have to feel they belong by owning Apple products. The vast majority of them are “sheep”, and there are better and cheaper products out there. I hated the early Mac computer and will never buy anything from Apple, and I find them to be even more money grabbing then Microsoft, and that tells you something.
Having never bought into iPod, iPad and iPhone on the grounds that these products are totally unecessary to life as effecient life is about organization I can to a certain extent agree.
The idea that a battery is not replaceable and a mini USB cannot be used in all cases also would wind me up.
As for Flash I personally feel this is the worst form of Web Design ever introduced.
As for Windows I only use 98se or XP as Windows themselves create situations where they will disable your machine if you happen to change HD configuration, ie Partitioning or adding hardware.
So I am now mainly a Linux user on a Gateway PC or IBM laptop.
I still use a Pentium III Gateway PC with 6xx of RAM so when I enter a Flash site that takes forever to load I simply leave the site.
There is not need to upgrade my PC it works just fine with whatever OS I boot into. It is the websites that are the problem. Flash and Ajax being the worst culprits.
As an IT person, I view computers……Win or Mac as tools plain and simple. What I have noticed over the years is the cult like behavior of fruit worshipers. In my life I have NEVER tried to tell a person what computing platform to use. Yet, in my line of work, EVERY FREAKING MAC user that I have come across has tried to “CONVERT” me to the fruit. Strange, because most Windows users could care less what OS or brand you are using. The author of this piece states his reasons for HIM……NOT YOU, will ever buy a mac. I agree with his reasoning. Then again you may be different and those reasons may not be valid for YOU. Granted, the title of this piece is flame bait, and I fully expected iTards to come out of the woodwork on this one. This whole “I am a better person than you because of my choice of electronics”, is indicative of a cult. Don’t believe me? Why are there websites called Cult of Mac? Why do YOU, a Mac user care what I use……or WHY I use it? I have my reasons and I respect your reasons for owning a Mac. I use Ubuntu and Win 7 and I have ZERO problems. ZERO BSOD’s and ZERO compatibility problems. So why am I inferior in the eyes of EVERY Mac user? Bigotry plain and simple. You hear the word every day. Look it up. “A bigot is a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs.”
When I first got into computing the Apple II was $4000 in 1982 dollars!!!
“If you are really serious about art or photography you must have a Mac!” Must! and on and on . . .
I friend who uses a MacBook bought an Ipod2 and discovered that there is NO WAY to get the pictures from her Sony Memory Stick using camera into her new toy. I offered to research and found that she could buy a “Camera Connection Kit” that would give the thing a USB port – thought I had solved the prob until I found that the current supplied to the port is limited to 24 ma. FUBAR.
i have been a happy mac user for over 2 yrs now. i got burnt with win vista. as we happy mac users say, once you go mac, you never go back. the above article is poorly written with no real substance behind why macs are bad. i get the impression that the author is some sort of micro soft employee promoting MS to the uninformed masses.
I have never been subjected to such a load of rubbish, technically Macs are faster, more powerful andso much more reliable I have used Macs and PCs in my business life and now in my retirement. Windows is beginning to catch up after 30 or so years but it is still
@Colby: Why can’t you see this is an OPINION piece not a technical comparison!!