PC vs Mac-help me plead my case

[Stephanie]

This topic has probably already been addressed but I'm too lazy to look it up. I'll be in the market for a new desktop soon and have been influenced by Jay's passionate love for his machine to convert to mac. I still have to persuade my better half to go along with me on this (he doesn't like change). So, I want everyone's opinion on the pro's and con's of mac vs pc.
Thanks in advance.

[Kay]

I'd say the positives in a PC are:
1) cheaper as a mac
2) more programs run on it, esp games and free stuff (progs are cheaper)
3) you got much more to choose from, when it comes to style, and power and so on
4) there are more people who can help you if you got PC problems
5) i'm pretty good in pcs yet, i wouldnt start with something i cant do or troubleshoot anything.

well the biggest pros for a mac are:
1) they are stylish
2) they got better programs when it comes to creativity (graphics, audio,...)

My opinion here - and I must say, here in Austria practically no pricate persons have a mac, just design firms and freaks. So it's slightly different.
So well that's it.

Yes, but you forget that the newer Macs with the Duo Core Intel processor can run a Windows operating system as well as OS X, and can thus run windows programs. So I'd definitely go for a Mac. They are great for style as Kay said, but on a Mac...everything just...works. Much unlike a PC. Plus Macs are great for multimedia.

[Steve]

dharmainfinity said:

Yes, but you forget that the newer Macs with the Duo Core Intel processor can run a Windows operating system as well as OS X

I have an iBook G4 (PPC) and I can run windows on it with Virtual PC.

True, there are more programs for Windows. But Macs come with just about every program you would need, and there are many more you can get. I don't think there is a single thing (or something similar) that I haven't been able to find.

Oh and maybe you could show this website www.apple.com/getamac/ to your husband.

[PogsKlinc]

Go with PC definitely. They beat Macs by a long shot. At least, that's what I think.

[Uncle Igmar]

Well - I have been a PC guy my whole life - but I am plunking down my tax rebate on an IMac - they are better for multi-media things if you're into that sort fo thing. I mean even if you just consider what Jay does with the AAC version of the podcasts with the graphics and stuff like that.

But what it really comes down to is what you want to use the computer for? If it's just basic stuff - maybe some gaming - stay with PCs - they do tend to be less expensive in gen eral.

I mean you could get a "starter" like a MiniMac. I know Jenny (Servo3k) uses one and she seems happy with it - maybe get some input from her

If you want to get more involved in multi-media applications - I am adding a music keyboard to my IMac set-up - then go that way.

Or you could get your Mac and leave the PC to your husband LOL

.

[Steve]

I think you've all learned how to ride a bike, right?

Well I think of PC's as the training wheels. They get you used to computers, and how to use them. But to really take full advantage of what you learned, you should get a mac. They are I guess "cleaner" and more organized than PC's. Not nearly as many of those folders that are hidden and stuff. No A: B: C: D: etc. drives, just Hard Drive, External Drive, CD Drive, etc. But really, if you just want to surf the web and check email, go with PC. If you really want to use a computer for more than that, definitely get a mac.

[Kay]

I must confecc as my computer burned down a couple of weeks ago, I went with another PC for simple financial reasons. But maybe, one fine day, I'll get a Mac as a second computer, get comfortable with it, and maybe just have Macs one day.

(My hubby would kill me tho if he couldnt trash it with millions of games he bought for a couple of bucks. ;D but sounds like an advantage for me!)

Steve, I mean that a newer mac can run Windows natively using the Boot Camp software included with the Intel Core 2 Duo Macs, you don't need virtual PC for that at all.

But I do have to agree with a few of you guys...if you don't want or need anything really fancy or special...then you really don't need a Mac. Like I said, they're great for multimedia, Jay uses an iMac and a Macbook to work on the podcast I know, Mac has some kick ass software for that. I love my iMac cause I do use it for a lot of multimedia things. Also I grew up on Macs, so yeah, thats my story.

[大杂烩]

i converted from pc to mac a few months ago and i LOVE the mac. so far i havent had any problems unlike my pc that froze up on me so often. i dont use any of the multimedia software but i still think that the mac is a better buy.

[Dez]

Everyone else has everything about the Macs covered, so I'll just throw in another "satisfied customer" report

I'm satisfied with my Mac computer at home ;D

On the other hand, my school requires the high school to buy IBM laptops for use. Those things are terrible. My motherboard died twice in a period of 6 months (and I got a brand new one after the first). I am always good about taking care of things, but these IBMs are worthless. I'll be glad when I graduate from high school and can get an Apple laptop

I know thats not a desktop computer, but I've had bad enough experience to suggest not getting IBM or the like...

[oLO von B.org]

10 years of happyness
Apples are also very healthy and stressless.
PS: I NEVER had to reinstall an operating system during those 10 years.

oLO

[Steve]

dharmainfinity said:

Steve, I mean that a newer mac can run Windows natively using the Boot Camp software included with the Intel Core 2 Duo Macs, you don't need virtual PC for that at all.

I didn't know it was included in the Intel ones. I had to "acquire" Virtual PC through "other means"

But My iBook is only a little over a year old, I don't need a new one.

[Shinra]

ugh, more people saying "macs work" and 'macs dont crash". yall kill me, really.

We have all-macs for our school district, so theres at least 1 in every room and 5 labs full of them. and since i help out with the tech dept, i get called out of class what seems like every other period to fix some stupid thing. most comonly, the newer macs (the flatscreen intel-based iMacs) freeze. a lot. like seriously. no joke. all the time. every hour or so. and more than half of them can't start up in the morning, and have to sit there in the loading screen until ya restart them two or three times. I also get a lot of program closings, especially IE which loved to crash every hour but has since been updated and doesn't do so bad (tho i still prefer safari, opera, or better yet firefox).

As for macs being able to run windows, its rather slow and has quite a few bugs.

As kay noted, there's a lot more free programs for PCs

Shocking as it may sound (and im sure 20 ppl are gunna challenge this), macs are more vulnerable than pcs. here's a quote from Bill Gates in a recent interview:



"We made it way harder for guys to do exploits," said Mr. Gates. "The number [of exploits] will be way less because we've done some dramatic things [to improve security] in the code base. Apple hasn't done any of those things."

In another portion of the interview, he added, "Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine."

While stupid users who install spyware, malware, and visit suspicous sites give PCs the title of "volurable", they really are pretty secure. I didnt have any sort of firewall or virus protection for 4 years, and got a grand total of: 0 viruses, 0 worms, 0 takeovers from hackers, and 1 piece of adware (that SaveNow thing that came with kazaa or something, and it was easy to get rid of).

All-in-all, I think im most sided towards PCs because it is sooo easy to do whatever i want on a PC (especially with aid from torrents). There's never been something I wanted to do, and I couldn't. That and all the complaints I hear about the macs acting up.

Also, repairs to a Mac can get very expensive, or be impossible. I got the cheapest eMachine (horrible brand of PCs) i could find, and it still runs smoothely after 5 years. Regular matenince, cleaning, a yearly format, and 512mb more ram

Most importantly to me is the price. I saw during turkey break a PC on sale at some store with a dvd burner and 512mb ram for around 250. iMacs start at...999

[addicted2lost815]

I have to agree with Shinra. My boss has a bunch of Macs and all notebooks have completely crashed and had to be sent in to the shop to be repaired/recovered. He is a composer and the macs are better suited for that kind of thing, but certainly aren't less problematic. I have had my Sony Vaio for 6 years and only borrowed the boss' only pc laptop, because I filled up my memory and need to install more. Other than that, no problems. The macs freeze a good deal and have to be rebooted. That is a real pain in the posterior.