Microsoft

[EYEdROP0]

Has so much dominance over the computer industry that some customers are completely oblivious to the fact that there are alternatives that would suit there needs just fine, if not better than a Windows PC. It only seems like recently, people are figuring out the same company that makes iPods also makes computers Of course there is the issue of cost. But the little extra you spend on something like an apple can go a long way for some people, especially with repair and maintenance costs. Another thing that bothers me is there is no way for the competition to compete if Microsoft writes there own formats and protocols under closed source instead of following the open industry standards like the rest of the operating systems. How is this fair? How can the industry evolve healthily if one company is practically running show? The alternatives are obviously good enough to compete, but how can they compete if people dont know or care about them, let alone use other operating systems without driving them insane because its "different". You wouldn't believe how many people complain that our brand new iMacs wont "right click", "Maximise windows", "close programs", "program isnt on the dock", etc... Anyone here feel me?

 

[MinusTheBear]

Since I do not play video games on my computer or use it for any advanced multimedia I will never buy anything but a P.C because they are so cheap to buy for my needs. Since I have a official install disk and serial number of windows vista ultimate that my brother gave me for free when microsoft visted his university, I see no need to upgrade to anything else. I also do not buy into apples hype in their advertising. I will not buy their products based on the fact they try to convince you to buy their product by slandering another product...I do not support sleezy advertising.

 

[EYEdROP0]

Since I do not play video games on my computer or use it for any advanced multimedia I will never buy anything but a P.C because they are so cheap to buy for my needs. Since I have a official install disk and serial number of windows vista ultimate that my brother gave me for free when microsoft visted his university, I see no need to upgrade to anything else. I also do not buy into apples hype in their advertising. I will not buy their products based on the fact they try to convince you to buy their product by slandering another product...I do not support sleezy advertising.

I hope your PC serves you well. I know my Mac will do so seamlessly for years to come. My point is people think Macs simply "suck" when thats not necessarily the case.

 

[mike c]

i have both ... and i prefer my PC.

 

[MinusTheBear]

I hope your PC serves you well. I know my Mac will do so seamlessly for years to come. My point is people think Macs simply "suck" when thats not necessarily the case.

I do not think that is the case at all that "Macs suck" because I have never owned one, all I know about is their advertisting and that is what I do not like. With every product there are very biased fanboy opinions and with huge company's like Microsoft and Apple it is even worse. I am glad you enjoy your Mac. Just out of curiousity what do you like about it that is different than PC's (software, hardware)?

 

[yettitheman]

Hmm... somehow I can forsee this becoming a flame thread.. with that in mind;

I own quite a bit of PC's and I've always been wanting an Apple (that isn't a II GS) and now that the Intel processors and Boot Camp is on every Mac now, it makes it even more tempting to me to get a Mini. However, they should have left the price at $499 instead of $599...
If I had the loose change I'd actually get a Mac Pro; lots of processing power for what I think is a pretty small price, and it's pretty much dead quiet. Perfect for the HT.

However, there is so much PC based equipment and software that getting Mac programs and hardware would add to the cost (I always add on things).

 

[EYEdROP0]

I do not think that is the case at all that "Macs suck" because I have never owned one, all I know about is their advertisting and that is what I do not like. With every product there are very biased fanboy opinions and with huge company's like Microsoft and Apple it is even worse. I am glad you enjoy your Mac. Just out of curiousity what do you like about it that is different than PC's (software, hardware)?

The main thing that appeals to me is the fact that you can run OS X, Linux, Windows, or any x86 compatable OS nativley on one machine. And the Windows drivers for Mac hardware are excellent. Another thing aboout OS X is is Linux/UNIX compatability integration, as well as classic Mac OS applications being well supported. And mabey its just me, but I find most all of the software for Mac to be well written and usefull. Less "junk" programs, although there arent as many applications to chose from (simply because of Window's marketshare). Which is fine because I can run Windows on it anyway. As far as hardware, It seems to be of very good reliability/quality. But You usually cant change out the mobo or cpu without alot of time, equipment, and knowlege. There is PC hardware which is of equal or better quality than apple. But in my opinion they make some really nice machines.

 

[Hi Ho]

I have always admired Apple design but I have never really been tempted to pay a premium for it. There are two main reasons I use Windows.

1. Gaming

2. I build my own machines.

I built my current rig for about $1,400 a year ago. I would have paid quite a premium to get an equivalently spec'd mac. I think my all aluminum Lian Li case is pretty damn sexy too.

The same goes for laptops. I would love to have a Macbook Pro but my Toshiba with similar specs cost me under $500 while the mac would have cost three times that.

A co-worker of mine just purchased an Ipod Touch and I've been playing around with that. It is a really cool gadget but the more I think about it the more I realize that my Creative Zen MicroPhoto does just fine for 1/3rd of the price. I've had it for 2.5 years and though it needs a new battery I can simply buy one and pop it in just like a cell phone and it will be like new. Can't do that with an Ipod Touch.

I have another PC that is dual booted with XP and Ubuntu. Ubuntu is really cool but again, not much gaming. Also, I can't use my beloved Maxthon browser in Ubuntu (or Mac).

I have nothing against Apple I have ogled over quite a few of their products. My logical side always comes through, however, and I realize that I don't need to spend more for the same.

 

[EYEdROP0]

I have always admired Apple design but I have never really been tempted to pay a premium for it. There are two main reasons I use Windows.

1. Gaming

2. I build my own machines.

I built my current rig for about $1,400 a year ago. I would have paid quite a premium to get an equivalently spec'd mac. I think my all aluminum Lian Li case is pretty damn sexy too.

The same goes for laptops. I would love to have a Macbook Pro but my Toshiba with similar specs cost me under $500 while the mac would have cost three times that.

A co-worker of mine just purchased an Ipod Touch and I've been playing around with that. It is a really cool gadget but the more I think about it the more I realize that my Creative Zen MicroPhoto does just fine for 1/3rd of the price. I've had it for 2.5 years and though it needs a new battery I can simply buy one and pop it in just like a cell phone and it will be like new. Can't do that with an Ipod Touch.

I have another PC that is dual booted with XP and Ubuntu. Ubuntu is really cool but again, not much gaming. Also, I can't use my beloved Maxthon browser in Ubuntu (or Mac).

I have nothing against Apple I have ogled over quite a few of their products. My logical side always comes through, however, and I realize that I don't need to spend more for the same.

Completely understandable. One thing people dont take into consideration is that OS X requiers alot less hardware power to do the same tasks as Vista or sometimes even XP. In your case, you have to run Windows to play your games so none of the above matters much. Just thought id make that point.

 

[10010011]

Hmm... somehow I can forsee this becoming a flame thread.. with that in mind;

One thing PC users can do that Mac users can't...
----
Now that I got that little bit of ugliness out of the way...

EeePC to the rescue!

I just got an EeePC-900 last week, orders it the day they were released. Comes with Xandros Linux or XP installed.
I opted for the Linux version because you get a bigger hard drive with it.

Specifications

Display: 8.9" Display, 1024 x 600 resolution
Color: Pearl White, Black
CPU: Intel® Mobile CPU
Processor: Intel Mobile Chipset
Memory: DDR II 1GB
Display Card: Intel UMA
Storage: 12GB (4GB built-in + 8GB flash) SSD (Microsoft Windows OS Version)
20GB (4GB built-in +16GB flash) SSD (Linux OS Version)
Audio: HD audio / built-in speakers
Wireless: Built-in 802.11b/g
Camera: 1.3M Pixel webcam
Storage Cards: SD / MMC (SDHC)
Input / Output: 3xUSB / VGA-out (D-Sub, 15pin) / earphone jack / mic / RJ45 10/100 Mbps
Power: Output: 12V, 36W; Input: 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz universal
Tracking Control: Utilizes FingerGlide
Operating System: Windows XP Home / Linux
Dimensions: 22.5cm(W) x 17.0cm(D) x 2cm~3.38cm(H)
Weight: 0.99 kg

 

[MinusTheBear]

Does anyone have any accurate figures of the market share of P.C computers (all popular brands) vs Mac?

 

[rnatalli]

I used to build my own PC's and run Linux on them, but now I have a Mac. Macs are overpriced and Apple is the devil in disguise, but at the minimum, they use good hardware in their machines and their OS is excellent. I know it's possible to run the OS on generic hardware, but it's not worth the potential aggravation to me at least. If OsX were legit for generic x86 machines, I'd be the first to line up, although this would probably spell the end of Apple as hardware is where they make money. One thing I do not use is Windows except to play a game or two.

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

Does anyone have any accurate figures of the market share of P.C computers (all popular brands) vs Mac?

It's like 99% to 1%.

I like the Mac OS, it's a nice operating system. I don't like how they don't allow anyone to clone their stuff so people can afford it. I think that's as bad a business practice as anything Microsoft supposedly does.

So until the day MacOS is affordable, I'll stick with PCs.

 

[skizzerflake]

I don't like that there is only one supplier of Mac machines. I also don't like the effete attitude of Mac zealots...as though anybody with a PC is at best an uninformed, inbred cretin. And, I am real tired of those dumb ads.

 

[MinusTheBear]

I also don't like the effete attitude of Mac zealots...as though anybody with a PC is at best an uninformed, inbred cretin. And, I am real tired of those dumb ads.

Yes I agree. I do not like their advertsing at all. Like you said all they do is bash anyone who one's a p.c. What I do not understand is why they do this because since they are implying Mac's are far superior to P.C's why don't they tell the consumer how/why the are different/better (because they are not). They each have pro's and con's. One is not necessarily better than the other. The main reason I will not buy a mac is cost, they are just way to expensive and I cannot justify paying a premium price for something that will not make a difference for my computer use.

 

[EYEdROP0]

The truth is, all OS's have their pros and cons. Windows, mac os, and linux are all great systems for different things. But they all do the same tasks with relative ease.
And Im sorry to say, but its comments like the "One thing PC users can do that Mac users can't..." link that are filled with lies and stereotypes (no pun intended) that make people think Macs suck. And believe me, I hear it more than people saying Windows sucks. Im tired of this stupid argument. Im tired of Windows zealots stating pre-concieved notions (not saying all of us at audioholics, just in general) like "you cant drag and drop", "Macs cant be upgraded", "Macs are good for media and thats it". "you cant customize the OS", "Macs cant game", the list goes on. Are people still living in 1998 or what??? You cant have a good argument on which OS is better if your lying about one another (including some of apples ads lying about vista). But when you have 85-90% of the computer industry backing Windows and everyone putting apple down with blatent lies, it gets a little one sided.

 

[MinusTheBear]

I know Mac's use different software than p.c's, but what about hardware? Do the same companies that make video cards, processors, ram etc.. supply the same products to both companies or does intel or NVidia sell exclusively to one camp.

 

[aberkowitz]

Yes I agree. I do not like their advertsing at all. Like you said all they do is bash anyone who one's a p.c. What I do not understand is why they do this because since they are implying Mac's are far superior to P.C's why don't they tell the consumer how/why the are different/better (because they are not). They each have pro's and con's. One is not necessarily better than the other. The main reason I will not buy a mac is cost, they are just way to expensive and I cannot justify paying a premium price for something that will not make a difference for my computer use.

Why do they advertise like they do?? Because it works!! Apple just broke 20% market share in the US and 10% worldwide. http://www.pcretailmag.com/news/29628/Mac-market-share-on-the-rise-globally
That's some pretty amazing success considering it had to be in the single digits only 5 years ago.

Do you really expect Apple to go out and tell consumers the cons of their machines? All companies advertise this way, Apple just happens to be really good at it.

As for the cost- it's a lot closer than you think, particularly when it comes to laptops. I recently priced out a Lenovo laptop vs. a Macbook for my boss. With approximately the same processor speed, RAM, hard drive size, screen size, comparable software, etc. the Mac was only $100 more and that's b/c he wanted the black laptop. I will agree that Mac desktops are definitely more expensive by a few hundred dollars than the comparable Dell or Lenovo, but if people are willing to pay the premium there's nothing wrong with charging it!!

Personally, I have no problem paying a premium b/c I'm on my 2nd mac and both of them have run better than any PC laptop I ever worked on. As an ex-consultant I used no less than 4 different laptops in 4 years (HP, Toshiba, Dell, & Compaq), and none of them could hold a candle to a Mac. To me the premium is worth it.

 

[EYEdROP0]

I know Mac's use different software than p.c's, but what about hardware? Do the same companies that make video cards, processors, ram etc.. supply the same products to both companies or does intel or NVidia sell exclusively to one camp.

Yes, everything in a mac is the same as PC's, except apple makes their own motherboards with gold circuit traces, fiber optic inputs, etc... Usually when a new videocard or something comes out, the manufacturer has to modify the existing chipset on the hardware to support the macs extensive firmware interface, which takes a month or two usually. And of course, they supply their own cases. If thats what your asking...

 

[mouettus]

One thing PC users can do that Mac users can't...

LMAO! Just what I was thinking! Good way to prove you have a good product... by pooping on your opponent.

US politics works that way too!