# Should I Get A Mac?



## Tarq (May 12, 2002)

They look good!
They are well equiped!
They have IE and Messenger!
They have office!
I don't really play games!

?


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## putasolution (Mar 20, 2003)

You have a work of art to look at, fine! 

But you want to be able to DO something with it, don't you!!  
but if you want to throw some money away, my address is.....


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## Tarq (May 12, 2002)

What do you mean it does everything I want it to do. What else would I want it to do that I might like doing now on XP - the best operating system there is!


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## putasolution (Mar 20, 2003)

End of debate!


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## JetPrincess (May 7, 2003)

Given that a MAC does everything that you want it to do and most likely things that you don't need it to, I say go for the MAC. I have 2 PC's, One IMAC and One IBook and out of PC's or the MAC's I'd go for the MAC every time. Be careful if you are going for a used MAC as certain IMAC's are limited in their ability to be upgraded. My IBook has run flawlessly, never crashed, no blue screen of death...and if you look to back issues of PC WORLD...I believe it was the Sept 2002 issue, Steve Manes rote an artical on the MAC. He asked something to the effect of "If OSX were available for the machine you have now, wouldn't you be frusterated enough to give it a try."?


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## plejon (Jul 26, 2001)

The MAC is a certainly a good solution. 

But face the facts: the world is 90+ % windows. There drawbacks when you choose an alternate OS (Mac, linux, ...). 
- if you're not computer literate yourself, there's always some geek amongst your friends/family who can help you with windows
- the windows software collection is a zillion times bigger than any other
- you could run into a situation where you get an application from someone (eg electronic banking soft, custom developed soft, ...) that exists in windows version only. Your only solution would be to install a windows emulator on your mac
- compatibility problems: the same version of a program might not react the same way on windows or mac. I recently visited a friend with a mac. He tried to open a website with IE for mac, didn't work. He had to try two other browsers before the site displayed correctly. Windows IE worked fine the first time. Now you might say that this site was not well designed, and the developer probably didn't test it enough, but this is a fact of life. Developer's aim at the masses, and if time and budget are limited, test for non-windows will suffer.


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## JetPrincess (May 7, 2003)

BUT...the reality of it is PC users, whether they admit it or not, are using Apple's concepts. Even Microsoft admits that. In 1985 they signed an agreement that Windows was a dirivative of the Macintosh AND Lisa. Also....Windows from the start to XP is becoming more like MAC. Don't get me wrong, I own two Macs and two PC's. Iv'e never had a problem with IE for Mac. Firewire was invented by and in Mac's before PC users even heard of it. I NEVER have registry problems that PC users do and even though you say there is always a friend, neighbor to fix a PC when it goes bad...I NEVER have to find a friend to fix my Mac because simply put, it's more stable. I agree there are more software choices but I also think that if you are looking for a computer to only play games than you might as well go Alienware. XP runs smoothly on my IBook. And many people out there use computers mostly for the net...using the applications that came on it to open attachments. The fact is that for the vast majority of home users, the Mac would be fine. I even know businesses that have moved over to a network of Macintosh and it's working fine. Don't get me wrong....for many businesses, Wondow's platform is the way to go. But...for those users whose main use is limited to online...digital photography (which is a HUGE area in personal computer use) and music....the Macintosh is the way to go.


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## Guest (May 12, 2003)

I never got one but played one in the Apple store and my dad got one which I see him play alot and he's soooo happy with it. I'd say YES it's much better then Windows.

HexStar


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## deuce (May 26, 2001)

Ok so it is a one-sided critique...but I couldn't resist...


> They look good! *<----- sure but you pay for a computer and not a work of art*
> They are well equiped! *<----- depends on your definiton of "well"*
> They have IE and Messenger! *<----- sortof *
> They have office! *<----- again...sortof *
> I don't really play games! *<----- you are in luck! *





> BUT...the reality of it is PC users, whether they admit it or not, are using Apple's concepts.


SO!!!! This arguement isn't worth squat. If people were loyal ONLY to the inventor of an idea, there would be no market competition, and each and every consumer would get raped. You could argue that we owe the concept of the modern car to Henry Ford, but does that mean we must buy Ford cars only? In my opinion, the Japanese are far better at it.


> simply put, it's more stable.


That's because you aren't allowed to change anything. It is so user friendly, it is sterile and un-customizable, something can't possibly be built best when it is built to please each and every consumer at the same time.

This is a debate maybe more detailed than it has to be. But this is all just my opinion. I'm not telling anyone what to do, just offering thoughtful debate. Macs are necessary to the computing industry. As I mentioned, market competition is important, so if it weren't for Macs trying to ballance Micro$oft, us PC users would shove out even more money to an already uber-rich man. I only use PCs because control is important to me. I won't buy a pre-built computer because I need to control the quality of the parts being used, and don't want to pay for crap I don't need and ontop of it all, I enjoy saving the savings found when building it yourself. In short, I can't do this with a Mac. Also, I would feel like a prisioner in OSX because I need to tweak and customize things and you can't do that with a mac. But macs work great for people who just want to do their one or two things and get on with life completely hassle-free, but in my opinion, pay extra for it. Also, if it's about a hatred for M$, other alternatives work great in the PC world......for instance, Opera. As it is not an OS, you don't need to worry about the availability of software. It works great, and I find it is just as good as IE. Linux is nice, but right now using Windows is just the logical way to go.

So sorry if I dragged this one out, but I felt the need to add a few cents...


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## mole (Aug 24, 1999)

> BUT...the reality of it is PC users, whether they admit it or not, are using Apple's concepts.


I use PCs and prefer the command line interface. It is very powerful and doesn't take fancy pictures and a mouse. Most important, it does what I want.

It doesn't matter what the case looks like either.

mole


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## JetPrincess (May 7, 2003)

Regardless....as I said before...I have 2 of each...Mac is MY preference. What it looks like has never been an issue...be that the case I'd have bought Alien Ware. All that should matter is that it does what you want. My Mac does exactly what I need it to.


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

I would recommend it absolutely.

I find that *most* folks who bash the Mac have never owned one or have had a chance to really USE one.

I have 4 PCs (XP/98 dual; 98/Linux dual and two w/just 98) networked at home with my G4 OS X Powerbook. I use the PB all the time. I can say it does *everything I need it to do*. (And I am a CS teacher!)

Hope that helps.


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## JetPrincess (May 7, 2003)

Thank you. It would seem that for the most part, the people who argue most fervently with Mac users are those that have never even used a Mac. I don't know why this is. On the other hand....the majority of Mac users are also proficient in PC usage. BUT, once again...it's all about what you are looking for and what works best for the individual.


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## Tarq (May 12, 2002)

Thanks for all your advice guys much appreciated! Whats CS? Computer Studies? We call it IT in the UK - Information Technology.


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## Rockn (Jul 29, 2001)

Go to Apple's web site...they have millions of reasons to switch but the prevelent one is that MAC users don't want ot be bothered with knowing how to do anything for themselves. The ads make MAC users look like morons. I personally would never own one becauwse my PC works fine and was built by me.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Closed at user's request.


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