A pro-Apple commenter said it perfectly…
… when he pointed out that Apple is selling a lifestyle, not just a computer. And he’s right! Personally, I don’t need to buy a lifestyle from a corporation. I need a computer that can do the things I want it to do, not a personality surrogate.
Crazy, huh?
I thought the other comment was better – that PC’s are for tinkerers, and Apples are for…well…not for tinkerers. There’s some truth to that.Report
Yeah, I liked that as well, Erik. I’m just stirring the hornets nest; what can I say, I’m a glutton for punishment.Report
E.D. Kain,
I’m a “tinkerer” and while I still have a PC for gaming, I rely exclusively on Macs for serious work.
Similarly equipped PCs may cost less than Macs, but Windows and Linux are no substitute for the stability, performance and ease of use of OS X. It’s tough to explain, but when I’m on a Mac I usually get lost in whatever program I’m working in. In Windows or Linux I feel like I’m always fighting the operating system.
Ultimately, I’m willing to pay the Apple tax because the time saved in OS X is worth it.Report
It’s nice to have both. And I really do need to get Linux up on something. But which distro? That’s the question…
And yeah, Freddie, I always wonder if it’s some masochistic impulse that prompts you to write about Apple/PC….I think my Israel analogy is bad. These threads seem much more heated…Report
E.D. Kain,
I’ve had positive experiences with Ubuntu. I’ve put it on a few of my family’s aging machines and once it’s setup it works solidly for the basic tasks my family requires.
The best part is that Ubuntu is not only popular, but pushing to be accessible to non-techies. Their help documentation, and forums (which you will need to use, believe me) are chock full of helpful information.Report
I like Ubuntu, but I’ve had a terrible time with wifi. I really like the Compiz Fusion stuff available for Linux, and I’ve had in the past a fairly easy time getting that going on Ubuntu…Report
I hate the Apple marketing schtick.
But on the other hand, we use Apple exclusively at work, for a number of reasons (networking is less time consuming, compatibility with familiar software [GCK, Filemaker Pro], reduced susceptibility to viruses). I use a PC at home (price, superior media center options).
I actually think Apple’s main advantage is the operating environment. A lot of their hardware is low-end for the times and their mouse sucks. Sucks hard.Report
My 3 month old Toshiba Satellite (16″, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB HD, Intel Core2 Duo), bought for $7o0, seems like it starts to encounter relatively similar Mac models at $2000-$2500 (on Apple.com: Macbook Pro, 15″, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB HD, Intel Core2 Duo for $2000; or with 4 GB RAM -$2500).
Haven’t tinkered on a single thing, and don’t want to. My girlfriend’s Mac could use some tinkering, because you have to hold down the touchpad button throughout any streaming videos you play. And I’ll also try to forget all the times I hit “Force Quit” on my girlfriend’s IMac while just doing basic internet browing, because I know that Macs don’t have the bug problems that PCs do.
If you choose to pay this 100-150% premium for a Mac, good luck and I wish you well! I hope you don’t end up having to see your friendly (and cool!) Mac technician.Report
Pendulum, good to see you back from your Mojave gig, but with all the time you put into sharing your specs, you forgot to brag about your Vista OS. A simple oversight, I’m sure.
As for your girlfriend, the touchpad issue doesn’t make any sense. Obviously user error (or possibly observer error). Macs aren’t idiot-proof.
When your experience with your new toy stretches beyond Q2, let me know if you’d like to downgrade to XP, as so many in my company have done. There is a lot of experience in that field.
Oh, and don’t forget to forward your glowing testimonial to the Microsoft Marketing Group. They’ve been kind of down in the dumps lately.Report
Why are you guys fighting over products while the two corporates laugh all the way to your bank? Use Ubuntu, it’s free and open source.
Buy a second hand macbook and keep a copy of XP just in case you need them … then just use Linux … I got an XP partition that I only use to support my client’s Ms Access database
As for Mac, I have no need of it … my friend said the only reason he uses Mac is to use GarageBand … even then I think he is just a Mac fanboy and is just an excuse
Sure there are special cases, but generally Ubuntu is enough for everythingReport