Mac vs. PC

[FLAME_ON]

What are you? Smug, Mac hipster? Doesn't-give-a-shit PC user?
What do you have? What's your setup?
What are your likes? Dislikes?

http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~mrakos/mac-vs-pc.png

[BlownCamaro]

I run an AMD X2 2.6 GHz with 3GB of crucial RAM and 500GB internal SATA drive with a (2) 120GB external drives. I was running an EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Superclocked edition but sold it on ebay last week. I am using the onboard video now because I stopped gaming besides Halo CE which runs fine on the onboard video. Running Windows Vista Home Ed but I am probably going to dual boot XP on it as well in the near future.

I also had a Windowx Vista Ultimate box with 1GB ram and a Hauppage(sp?) tv card and a 250GB internal Sata drive that I used as a media center PC to record shows and play back video but I sold it too about 3 weeks ago. Been tight on money so getting rid of the extras.

I have nothing against MACs, I can fix them as easily as I can a PC but they are just more expensive unless you are heavy into audio/video/art type things. The people that buy a Mac because Justin Long seems hip are morons and have too much money.

[QUENTIN]

I generally prefer PC because, despite the popular wisdom of Macs being more user-friendly, I find PCs more instinctive and simple to use, maybe because I grew up with them. I'm pretty much required to use a Mac though because I very regularly use Final Cut Studio. The lack of harmful bugs and viruses is certainly a plus, but I hate having to get my Mac repaired and the so-called "geniuses" at the shop. They overcharge you outrageously and don't do a very good job, whereas if my PC broke my brother or dad could usually fix it for me.

I have a MacBook Pro I got about a year ago, I have very little knowledge of its specifications because beyond the handful of programs I know well, I'm pretty computer illiterate.

[Abbie Normal]

I have used pc all my life. Never used Mac before. I do not like the attitude many Mac users seem to have. Like they are better than the rest of us pc users. I have vista on my home computer and love it, but I am a pretty basic user.

Mac is probably better, but there are reasons why. If Mac were nearly as popular as PC n the business world, Mac's issues would come into sharp focus.

[zombievictim]

I've been a PC guy all my life. But recently, because of my major, I had to make the switch to Mac. I now have a 15" Macbook Pro with a 2.8 GHz processor, 4 gigs of ram, 500 gig hard drive, and an integrated graphics card (Nvidia GeForce 9600 with 512 mb I believe). I love it. I've never understood people being completely against one or the other.

[jolanar]

I've used Windows my whole life. I'm a gamer so Macs are 100% out of the question.

I've never had any problems with Windows either.

[BlownCamaro]

I repair PCs for a living, believe me Windows has its issues. Random crashes on updates, virus issues, security issues, and more things like that. I have never had to do anything on a Mac except add a new Mac to an existing network and also help speed one up that was lagging. The current Mac OS is very Windows like so it was easy to find my way to network settings and to add the info as needed.

I really need to do a system that runs 100% Linux and give that a shot see how it compares to the Windows experience.

[ericdraven]

Mac is probably better, but there are reasons why. If Mac were nearly as popular as PC n the business world, Mac's issues would come into sharp focus.


I find it much easier to openly criticize a PC than a Mac, because PC's are the popular product, but Macs are probably quickly overtaking that.

[Et3rnal L1ght]

I've never had any Mac but my cousin does and in my opinion, It sucks.

[Badbird]

I've only used PCs. I messed with Macs on a very basic level a couple of times and really didn't like them, but that was because it was so different.

If I had to use one, I'm sure I would adjust, but I'll stick to what's familiar.

[The Postmaster General]

I've always used Macs, just because with one exception, my computers have been hand me downs. The one exception was one purchased for me.

I don't know why Mac user's get a rep for having an attitude, because I only ever hear PC users getting an attitude about their machine. (see also: this thread) The only time I ever see Mac users say anything is when PC users are complaining about something, and a Mac user says they have a Mac, so they don't know how to help, and the PC user gets bent out of shape.

[KcMsterpce]

Computer Case:
Cooler Master Cosmos 1000 full-tower

Motherboard:
Asus P6T LGA Deluxe V2

Processor:
Intel Core i7 920 CPU OC'd to 3.4GHz (modest OC)

Fan/Heatsink: Thermalright TRUE w/Noctua fan, Arctic Silver 5

PSU:
Zalman ZM1000-HP (1000w)

Memory:
6134MB Corsair Dominator DDR3/1600

Hard Drive:
(2) 1 TB WD Caviar Green, 74GB & 300GB WD Raptor 10k rpm
One 1TB drive has XP HE, with 50GB partition for OS and three more partitions
One 1TB drive has Vista64 HP, with 70GB partition for OS and three more partitions
The 74GB Raptor has Windows 7 RC 64-bit
The 300GB Raptor is for games and video editing

- Both 1 TB drives are backed up with important files from ALL drives in case of a HD failure from any one of them.

1TB MyBook for easy backup in case the BACKUP drives don't work for some reason.

Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295

Monitor:
24" BenQ FP241W, 1920x1200 native

CD drive:
LG Blu-Ray/HD DVD 2x DVD/RW yadda yadda

Sound Card:
Creative SB X-Fi Elite Pro

Speakers:
Logitech Z-5500 5.1

Keyboard:
Logiitech G15

Mouse:
Logitech G5

Fans:
2 Scythe 140mm exhaust fans at top
1 120mm Noctua fan over hard drives
1 120mm Noctua back exhaust
1 120mm Silverstone FM121 on bottom w/front controller panel
6-fan front control panel, with all fans attached to set desired fanspeed/noise levels



---- If I got a Mac, I never would have had the fun of putting this shit together. I also love to play games, and I do shitloads of video processing/editing.


A Mac is a quality product that is perfect for the known software that it's famous for (photo and movie editing, music creation... and, uh... well yeah). It's also really good for not fucking up and belching errors as consistently as Microsuck OS's, but it also isn't as much fun. I like tweaking and fucking around with my shit, and if there's a problem I usually know how to fix it. If I DON'T know, it becomes another learning experience for me.

I don't knock the Mac or its' users. It's just not palatable for my tastes.

[BadCoverVersion]

We have a 24" Imac.

I have a Sony Vaio laptop which runs on Ubuntu.

I can't claim to be a Windows fan.

[Cosimo]

shieeeeeeeet i aint multi skilled enough to start using a mac. i tried getting to grips with it for two minutes one day and gave up. pc aint perfect but i'm too lazy. minimizing pisses me off with the mac, it gets me so angry akhkjshlkashskahlkaslkhas!! *me go nuts*
aslong as i can steal muzik, films and watch them fembots remove their delicates i aint fussed. yeah today i'm a disgrace!

[rilocay]

Pc's are awesome for the amount of free-ware available, Mac's you need to pay for everything even if it's a basic program (unless of course you choose the ohter way of attaining it..). Macs I just find alot better to use, simpler once you get around the change in o.s., but due to all the film work i have to get through which is all done on Mac programs, i'm very used to it. I recommend it over a pc anytime in regards to design work, film and sound stuff - but having said that it's the person behind the screen that makes the difference.

FTW, i was a heavy pc user until 2005 where i learnt the wonders of a mac & Final Cut Pro (and the apps that work with it). For work school or at home, i've been lucky enough to ever have any issues, which i can't say for when i was on pc.

Use what works for you i say!

[Cronos]

Always had PCs which do everything I need them to, tried a mac a few years back, useless paperweight.

As for the whole "lololol, macs don't get viruses/malware/whatever" bullshit, first it's not true. Sure PC's have more of them but that's because, shock horror, there's more PCs than macs. The more people that buy macs the more of the above will appear for them. Second if you get a virus on your PC it's likely because you've been carelessly downloading any e-mail attachments you might receive/clicking on any links sent in an e-mail or downloading/running dodgy ass shit or visiting dodgy sites. Whenever my brother has gotten a virus it's always from one of the above because he doesn't know what he's doing.

Been using this PC for 5 years (in dire need of an upgrade), constantly connected to the net when it's on and never had a virus.

Sorry, but mac users always tell me that when giving me some of the apparent "pros" of macs and it's just irritating and stupid.

[Frosty_86]

Ive always had a PC and I probably always will. They're more user friendly than Macs, everybody that I know can get on a PC and start using it without any prior experience. And one thing that really irks me about Macs is how stuck and snotty the owners are, they look at you like your idiot for using a PC. Ive heard some Mac owners use the terms feeble and archaic to describe PCs. The only reason why they like them better is cause they have a heftier price tag.

[The Postmaster General]

I'd say that anyone who uses the terms "archaic" and "feeble" has issues unrelated to using a Mac.

What this thread has taught me is that you don't have to agree with Mac's marketing campaign to buy a Mac, and more surprisingly, you don't have to have bought a Mac to have totally bought into the Mac marketing campaign. "Oh, that damn Justin Long, thinks he's Mr. Cool!"

[BakeTheMooCow]

I have a PC desktop and a Macbook. Both work excellently. I've used PCs since Windows 3.1 and only hated Windows 98. Vista is fantastic. I got a Macbook in December '08 and it's just a beautiful machine. The battery lasts forever and the kind of control and customization you can do on a Mac is unmatched in PCs. My desktop is an HP Pavillion and it is a fucking beast.

[Lotis]

I've used Macs and PCs and had originally been a long time PC user (started back in pre-Windows days). As my work involves a lot of graphics, video and audio, I primarily use Macs but I own both a Mac desktop and a PC laptop. Having used both, I find that Macs are superior machines in regards to overall quality, longevity and all around stability.

In the past I've had to train others, both on PCs and Macs. My experience has been Macs are far more user friendly than PCs. That is one of their deliberate key features, to be plug n' play, especially for those who are not tech oriented. When I've taken classes and there have been network managers of PC offices who needed to learn Macs, their biggest "issue" was that they expected Mac trouble-shooting to be more complicated than it was because they were use to having to go through more steps when troubleshooting PCs.

Generally speaking, the level of quality for hardware is more consistent with Macs because owning a Mac means you have an Apple machine. Owning a PC can mean you have a Dell ... or Sony or Toshiba or HP or Acer or Compaq or ...

I've worked in Mac environments and PC environments. The Mac environments have had less tech issues than PC environments. 90% of the time simply relaunching the OS or rebooting a Mac will resolve whatever was going on.

It was once true that Macs "don't get viruses" but that's not true, or less true, today. More correctly, Macs CAN get viruses, i.e., become infected. It's just that there are still very, very, very few Mac-based viruses (to the point where the likelihood of a Mac being damaged is still not a strong likelihood). But Macs are not impervious to Window viruses. Those viruses may not wreck havoc on the Mac but the Mac is still infected and can act as a carrier, passing the virus on to other PCs and Macs a like. Macs systems are now on the Unix kernel, and while that's a pretty secure operating system it doesn't remove the fact that some Macs are as susceptible as any PC because some people run virtual PC on their Macs.

Even so, I think it which is "best" is determined on a case by case basis. Deciding which to get shouldn't be based on what someone else prefers. The person needs to take stock of what they're going to primarily use it for and how their brain works. I've seen people who were not proficient PC users become proficient Mac users and vice-versa.

[countchocula]

Lotis pretty much said it all. Generally speaking, I hate PC's. I hate the fact that PC users think that Mac users are snobs. Most people only use PC's because it's all they know and they don't want to be bothered with learning something.

Macs might be more expensive, but they're WORTH IT. They last longer, and overall, they're so much simpler.

[Homyrrh]

Most of the replies here seem to support the reality that much depends on one's trade or profession. The engineering profession, for example, will have nothing to do with Macs. I have seen one student on this entire campus that uses a MacBook. Of course, to be fair, the school offers a can't-beat deal that includes a Lenovo t61p loaded with an outsized suite of engineering and technical software (Maple, LoggerPro, NX 5, AutoCAD, Labview, Matlab, Microsoft Office 2007, etc.).

[BadCoverVersion]

As far as I can see, Mac users just try and spread their word dictated by personal experience...and PC users accuse them of having a stick up their anus and being all hoity-toity.

I think it's a gross generalisation that Mac users are arseholes.

Apart from my ex-boyfriend - super Mac fiend - who was/is an arsehole of the highest order.

[BlownCamaro]

I find that Macs are superior machines in regards to overall quality, longevity and all around stability.


The problem with that is that yea if you buy an emachines PC, it will last 2-3 years tops. If you buy a mid level dell you will get 3-4 years. I build my computers though and I get a minimum of 5 years out of mine with no issues. Much easier to upgrade and repair if issues come up as well than a Mac.

[BakeTheMooCow]

I've only once had an issue with my Macbook (wifi was cutting out) and took it to the Apple Store on Michigan Ave. in Chicago - made the appointment online, had it looked at, fixed for free, was done in an hour. Is there any comparable place for PCs? Unless you have a warranty or service plan from Best Buy or something, I doubt it. Apple's service is unmatched.

[drc5145]

Was PC for a very long time but converted to Mac about a year ago. Have not regretted it in the slightest although, I am very impressed with a new PC my brother bought recently, installed with Vista running. Great specs for a relatively low price. Have been essentially hogging it to play Fallout 3. Otherwise, Mac has been great to me.

[BadCoverVersion]

As a sidenote...the Mac/PC ads are done by Peep Show pair over here in the UK.

http://tech.petegraham.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/macad.png

Still annoying as all fuck though.

[KcMsterpce]

These are great!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc4oP_ITqMc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkRjQSP79ho&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=DED094DC7559526D&index=13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmbfWayfikY&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=DED094DC7559526D&index=10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjpn3L3bSJQ&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=DED094DC7559526D

[shoe1985]

I had a Mac a long time ago, and it was great, but crashed a lot. Then moved to Windows, and never turned back. I have considered moving back to a Mac, but the price is too much when I can get a PC that is cheaper. I have been using Vista for a while now with no problems. I don't really have too many negative things to say about Macs. The one I had crashed, but I think it was due to the lack of memory. Back then it was difficult to find anything for Macs too.

I think it is easier to just get a PC. Most people I know use Macs for their degrees because they are supposed to be more stable. I guess it depends on what you plan to do with the computer. If you have an extra grand to throw around, get a Mac. If not, just get a PC. It is a computer no matter what.

[electriclite]

My personal consensus in regards to the price of a Mac against a PC, is that the price of a Mac is probably the same price I would eventually rack up with a PC constantly buying, subscribing, updating and researching Anti-Virus software, AdWare, etc...

The best thing about a Mac to me is the thousands of hours I have cut out not looking up that shit anymore. I know there are a few Mac viruses, but compared to the MILLIONS that are for PCs, I think I'm just a little better off.


And btw, once upon a time I too hated Macs, until I got to art school and that's all they had. I had a few instances early on where I was dangerously close to crushing a Mac mouse with my bare hands.

It like anything, you adjust to it.

[The Postmaster General]

Those Mac ad spoofs are funny, I'd seen them before but forgot how funny they were.

I was actually coming on here to comment about the ads, in that I think people sort of vilify the intent Mac is making with those ads. When I first saw them, I never thought like "Oh PCs are nerdy, Macs are cool." --- I always thought it was pretty clear that they were making a point that PCs are mostly used by business persons, but Macs are more geared for regular joes.

The fact that people have turned an image I saw as a regular Joe into a "smug hipster", I think says more about those people than about Mac's marketing campaign.

It's also funny because descriptively, the PC personification shows more smug traits in the commercial -- He is always bragging about what he can do, whereas the Mac is more humble with a "I can do that too, but also this." approach. It's always the PC being smug, and then getting humbled by the Mac. The fact that people don't see that tells me they have some kind of personal shit going on that has nothing to do with the computers, but maybe some friends that brag about their machines or something.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of the commercials (I miss the older ones with Goldblume) but it's hilarious how much inner pain they seem to bring out in some PC users.

[The Postmaster General]

The problem I ran into recently with my Mac was trying to uninstall Windows XP. I might end up reformatting the drive, but it's been going for 3 years anyway, so it's time.

[cloneofkelso]

Unfortunately i guess i am a pc,but if they were more affordable i'd definately be a mac

[RustyRazor]

What are you? Smug, Mac hipster? Doesn't-give-a-shit PC user?
What do you have? What's your setup?
What are your likes? Dislikes?

http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~mrakos/mac-vs-pc.png

I've used PC since I first started using a computer.
I can appreciate that there is another computer system out there and if you enjoy that system, I say enjoy.

ENOUGH OF THESE FUCKING COMMERCIALS.

Windows has had and still will have bugs. ALL systems have bugs. That's part of the process of development of the software.

Let's make smarmy commercials about it and DRAG IT INTO THE FUCKING GROUND. We didn't get our point across a fucking year or two ago mentioning our strong points on why you should buy a Mac. Let's just keep fucking doing it! People won't get tired of it! People love repetition! Jingle keys, jingle keys! Dance, dullards! Dance!



I'm a fucking PC. Byte this.

[The Postmaster General]

Unfortunately i guess i am a pc,but if they were more affordable i'd definately be a mac

Nothing unfortunate, just enjoy what you got and make the best of things. That's my motto. At least that's what I say when weeding the hairs out of my comb.

Windows has had and still will have bugs. ALL systems have bugs. That's part of the process of development of the software.

Let's make smarmy commercials about it and DRAG IT INTO THE FUCKING GROUND. We didn't get our point across a fucking year or two ago mentioning our strong points on why you should buy a Mac. Let's just keep fucking doing it! People won't get tired of it! People love repetition! Jingle keys, jingle keys! Dance, dullards! Dance!


Aside from having XP installed on my Mac, I haven't used Windows since having 3.0 installed on a 386. Only using it for writing, and playing in Paint, I had no problems. Granted, now computers surf the net, play videos, and wash your car... Overall I think it's all a matter of knowing about what you are using. Anything is like that. Someone who takes it on themselves to learn about cars will have more luck with one car than another person will, but not all cars are the same -- someone who knows how to tweak engines will get more out of a used car than someone who doesn't car to learn it.

The same can be said with Macs. I'm able to do a lot of things with my computer in terms of moding it and so forth, that my wife can't. The idea that macs are "as is" just isn't true. I'm not saying this in praise of Macs, but just pointing out that even with something that's marketed as it "just works" - you can still learn more and make more out of anything regardless of what it is. You can even take a 20 carat diamond and one person might make a dozen wonderful rings, while another will use it as a paper weight - or as a real life example of African diamonds, toys for little kids (although that's actually a use I can get behind more than it being worn on a princesses neck...)

About those commercials --- I think they influenced why while watching Drag Me to Hell, I was routing for Justin Long to get dragged to hell. Not that I actually mind the guy, but I found it disturbing that every time I saw him, I'd mutter "I'm a Mac." Well, not as much as it disturbed my wife who hadn't seen the movie yet.

Going back to something I touched on earlier, am I the only one Mac or PC-user, who genuinely doesn't like that the thread starts off making it seem like Mac users are "smug hipsters" and PC users don't give a shit? To me, that's just as bad an attitude as what the Mac marketing gets slammed for and has no place when we are talking about people sitting in front of computer monitors. Guess what? I'm a Mac, but I also really don't give a shit.

[CyclicNightmare]

This should be a poll.

[countchocula]

I just bought a laptop with Windows 7 on it, and I must say, it rocks! If you'll notice, the latest Mac commercials don't slag on 7 because...they can't! It will be interesting to see how they change their marketing drive now that PC users have a solid operating system.

So yeah, ignore my earlier post in this thread.

[zombievictim]

In no way am I fanboy for either sides but it's hilarious how alike they made Windows 7 to Snow Leopard. Hell my friend sent me a screenshot of something and I was like "When did you get a Mac?" But it was really Windows 7. I mean, I feel as though that gives Apple even more ammo with those commercials.

[The Postmaster General]

zombievictim - Wasn't Vista modeled after OS X?



This should be a poll.

Do you mean that it was started more as a "which rules" type thread instead of trying to have a discussion on it? There's no doubt that there's more PC users, I thought. Why should it be a poll?

[zombievictim]

That's one thing I couldn't tell you. I only noticed the similarities between Leopard and W7. Then again, I was on Vista long before I was on Leopard, so I'm sure I just didn't notice the similarities.

[Vong]

I've used a PC since I was 5. I'm adept with all the OS's to date and can work my way around a problem to find a solution. I have no harsh words for the Mac. I just don't know how to use one.

That being said, I think the "Mac/PC" commercials are sometimes funny, but ultimately are retarded. I understand that Mac is trying to break into the 90% PC userbase, but they aren't really accomplishing anything by creating these commercials.

I'm not sure if you guys ever saw this video. It's a parody of the previous line of commercials from Mac that's a few years old. Still holds true, and is damned funny.

"Crash Differently" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axC-7O4Yq-w)

[zombievictim]

That commercial cracked me up. I remember using one of those Macs back in elementary school. That was what had originally turned me off of Mac completely. What pieces of shit they were.

[Natty]

PC. I don't really know all the advantages and disadvantages of both but I had my PC before Mac were around and have just stuck with it.

[FireCaptain4]

Ah! The old rivalry. A few friends and I were discussing this the other day because we're all Computer Science and Engineering nerds.

The reason Macs have less viruses is because Mac computers make up about 5% of the market. If you're going to make a virus for a computer, are you going to aim to spread it to 5% of potential users or 95%? Most don't waste their time trying to breach Mac security.

I'm a PC man, but I've heard from many that Macs are amazing (I've had limited exposure to them, myself).

[Tagia_Romero]

As long as it works, I don't care.

[Criminal Rock]

In my opinion Macs and PC's are very similar in that they both are capable of a lot of the same activities, such as watching movies, browsing the net, playing music, organizing photo's, writing documents, creating spreadsheets, etc.

More often than not, however, anything a PC can do a Mac can do far better, except when it comes to gaming and software compatability (for obvious reasons). Nevertheless, a $1,400 iMac can run Windows Vista 71% faster than a $1,800 Gateway One, and it does it with only 400MHz more processing power and with only 1 GB of Ram as opposed to the One's 3 GB of Ram! And that's because the architecture of a Mac computer is designed for performance, whereas the architecture for Windows/PC is for flexibility.

So obviously, if you want a faster computer out of the box, you'll want a Mac for sure. If you want a PC with access to one of the largest catalogues of games and software, you'll want a Windows based PC.. otherwise, they're essentially the same.

[KcMsterpce]

...Nevertheless, a $1,400 iMac can run Windows Vista 71% faster than a $1,800 Gateway One, and it does it with only 400MHz more processing power and with only 1 GB of Ram as opposed to the One's 3 GB of Ram! And that's because the architecture of a Mac computer is designed for performance, whereas the architecture for Windows/PC is for flexibility.




To mention how a Mac runs Windows better with "less power" or other pre-installed components is a terrible argument.
It's not because it's a Mac. There are countless factors involved in how and why an OS operates better. Hardware AND software components make a difference. If one system has the same specs (this much speed, that much hard drive space, this much RAM) as another, it doesn't really say anything. Many CPUs, motherboards and RAM - let alone everything else - process information differently. EVERY generation of CPU has a different kind of "architecture", and they will handle different kinds of processes better, the same as - or in some cases WORSE than - anything that's gone before it.
If one computer is 3.0GHz and running a single core processor, that is NOTHING compared to the way a quad-core 3.0GHz would handle a lot of processes. A single core can't do video encoding on one core while playing a movie from your disc drive on another core. On the other hand, you won't be utilizing all your cores properly if your OS and/or the software you're using to play that movie or encode that video file don't know how to task your computer to operate on multiple cores.
RAM can be of the same amount of memory but have drastically different timings, AND it can be processed and bottlenecked in performance from the other parts of the computer.
There are TONS and TONS of reasons why one PC will work better than another... and big surprise, Mac are Intel Inside. All new Macs use Intel processors. It's the same stuff, but the Mac OS will run a fewer number of programs faster because it processes information more proficiently... but not in ALL ways. Go into having several programs running at once, and having tons of windows up and that's where Windows starts to show one way it does have an advantage over Mac.

When talking about Macs' "architecture", I think you mean the way in which Mac OS handles information. Windows and Mac take on multitasking and other programs in very different ways.

Because it's "a Mac" doesn't make the hardware so different that it makes Windows run better.

I don't hate either one, and I said a lot already in this thread so I don't think I'll go repeating the same old arguments.

Both are proficient tools for the purpose that's intended. Neither one is a "wrong" choice, but depending on your needs there is a more APPROPRIATE option.
I play PC games. I love building computers. I don't just use Windows, either. PC is my weapon of choice because I need to play my games. And lots of other things.

[SuperMarcey]

I've just gotten an iMac, and so far so good. I mean I started off with a Mac and this is going back to the 80's, the 90's till well now I've mostly used a PC with Windows (Going back to 3.11) and they both have their ups and downs, and certain things just work better on different systems. I don't honestly think there is a clear winner, I am happy using something that works. Unfortunately I've had so much bad luck with PC's and bloody Vista being a piece of shit I am happy to be on something which is working. It is my goal to have money next year to build my own PC and get Windows 7.

[CyclicNightmare]

Do you mean that it was started more as a "which rules" type thread instead of trying to have a discussion on it? There's no doubt that there's more PC users, I thought. Why should it be a poll?
Oh. Carry on then.

[The Postmaster General]

Oh. Carry on then.

Oh Lord, I'll try to.

[ThatGuy09]

I've been a PC user since Windows 95.

I did try a Mac and while it is good, I don't think it's better. Besides, if Macs are so much better, then how come the laptops don't have the big amounts of free space that Windows have!

[sarah1980]

i've been a PC since i bought a computer 10 years ago

i did think about getting a Mac but there just too much fucking money

[Silverload]

The thing with Macs is that their OS is built to run on a small selection of hardware. There isn't much diversity with a Mac, they pick out a few bits of hardware that cater only to their OS and only allow this hardware into their systems. Because of this they have a more stable computer.

PCs on the other hand are very modular. Their hardware selection is massive. Unlike Macs, Windows has to cater to a very wide range of hardware (which is much harder to do). PCs may be full of diversity, but not all of the hardware plays well together. This is where PCs get a "bad reputation". Systems are sometimes built as cheaply as possible and parts that don't like each other are thrown together for cost reasons. This can create an unstable system.

I'm a PC guy and I built my own system. I did research, learned which hardware works best with other hardware, and built a system that runs as smooth & as stable as the best mac. I built this system for 1/3 of the price of the equivalent Mac.

Fun fact: Years ago I almost bought a mac for my main editing system, but then those pompous commercials started and I was immediately turned off by the brand.

[Jig Saw 123]

I just purchased a Dell recently, and later purchased Windows 7 Ultimate. Prior to 7, I wanted a Macbook Pro as soon as possible, but I was, and still am, completely satisfied with Windows 7. Macs are too expensive, and don't offer basic essentials (Word Processing) right out of the box. Though I'm sure they're worth it in the long run, I don't intend to consider getting one for another four years, by that time I'll be in graduate school, so maybe they'll be cheaper.

[The Postmaster General]

People keep harping on the price of the Macs, and I agree, but want to give a shout out to the Mac Mini --- It's not expandable or anything, but at $499, is a helluva deal. If I was using my own money, that's probably what I'd end up with.


I just purchased a Dell recently, and later purchased Windows 7 Ultimate. Prior to 7, I wanted a Macbook Pro as soon as possible, but I was, and still am, completely satisfied with Windows 7. Macs are too expensive, and don't offer basic essentials (Word Processing) right out of the box. Though I'm sure they're worth it in the long run, I don't intend to consider getting one for another four years, by that time I'll be in graduate school, so maybe they'll be cheaper.

http://www.macswest.org/index_assets/simple_wordprocessor.pdf

[KcMsterpce]

Macs are expensive.
But I will say this: The Macbooks are much more well designed and assembled than most crap for PC. They blow Dell and those other in-store brands out of the water. If you open up a Macbook, it's so nicely organized and efficient that it puts almost anything else I've seen to shame.

Macs are quality machines. You pay a premium price, but you do get a premium product. I don't do Macs, but I can't knock the QC.

It's like a nice car; you pay more for the higher end stuff, but you do get better stuff WITH that price.