Apple's "Get a Mac" Ads: Fact? Fiction?
Posted by Harry McCracken | Sunday, June 25, 2006 10:00 AM PT
Whatever your stance on the great PC vs. Mac question, one thing is beyond debate: Macs have always had better commercials. (Actually, has there ever been even
one great PC TV ad campaign? The original IBM PC ads with a Chaplin impersonator, maybe; the "Dude, you're getting a Dell" ones were more unavoidable than memorable.)
After a long drought of Mac ads on TV, they seem to be everywhere at the moment, in the form of the "Get a Mac" campaign with actors
Justin Long as a Mac and
John Hodgman as a PC. There are now nine commercials in the series, all of them entertaining and most of them riffing on three major notions:
Macs are good at photos, video, music, and other fun stuff. Mostly because they all come bundled with iLife. (Some ads talk about iLife explicitly, but even those that don't seem to make reference to its media savvy.)
PCs are dorky. There's a reason why the ad casts a young, trim, handsome guy as a Mac and a portly, older, badly-dressed geek as a PC. (John Hodgman turns 35 this month, incidentally, but he has the soul of a middle-aged man; Justin Long just turned 28.) So many blogs have commented on the actors' resemblance to Bill Gates and Steve Jobs--who have served as technology's Mr. Nerd and Mr. Cool for more than three decades--that I'll just move on here.
PCs are good at business tasks. It's the one favorable thing about PCs you'll hear in these ads--the PC never gets a chance to point out that he runs more software, is the only viable choice for serious gamers, is available in more form factors, and starts at a lower price point. "Business" seems to equal "boring" here, so this idea is an extension of the "PCs are dorky" meme. It also innoculates the Mac against accusations that it's less useful in an office environment--for all intents and purposes, these spots
revel in that fact.
Those are the big ideas, but the ads make lots of little points about Macs and PCs. What follows is a humble attempt (and an unbiased one--I use both PCs and Macs every day, and like 'em both for different reasons) to audit their accuracy, one by one. Click on the titles to view videos of the spots at Apple's site (QuickTime required)...
Viruses
Stated or implied claims: PCs are liable to catch viruses and Macs aren't; PCs are prone to crashing, at least after they've gotten a virus.
True? Yep, pretty much. Even with
security attacks on Macs in the news lately, the Mac is still a vastly safer platform in the real world. As for crashing, XP does it much, much less than earlier versions of Windows, and Mac OS X is by no means uncrashable. But it's still reasonable to suggest that PCs, on the whole, are less stable than Macs.
Restarting
Stated or implied claims: PCs and Macs both run Microsoft Office and they can share files. PCs are more...hmmm, I'm not sure whether this ad is saying that they are more likely to lock up, require rebooting, or what exactly. Well, it's probably saying they need restarting, given the spot's name. But I'm not sure if it's referring to reliability problems or the fact that Windows still wants you to reboot after adding certain software.
True? PCs and Macs do indeed both run Office, and getting data between them is usually a cakewalk. (But not always--I've managed somehow to create PowerPoints in Office for the Mac which Office for Windows won't open.) As for the restarting bit, it's still true that PCs are more likely to want rebooting than Macs...so I'd say the basic idea here is vague but defensible.
Better
Stated or implied claims: PCs and Macs both run Microsoft Office. PCs are great at spreadsheets. Macs are better at "life stuff" such as pictures and movies. Making a Web site or photo book is easy on the Mac, and hard on a PC.
True? Yep, Office runs on both platforms. I don't know if PCs are better at spreadsheets per se, but business software is plentiful for Windows and somewhat sparse for Macs.
As for Macs being better at "life stuff?" They certainly are
reliably good at it, thanks to the fact they all come with iLife. With PCs, you're either at the mercy of the manufacturer and whatever it chose to bundle, or you're required to choose and acquire your own applications. (In which case you can choose from a bunch of options, a luxury that Mac users don't have.) In any event, there are plenty of easy tools for creating Web sites and photo books on a PC, so the Mac's unqualified statement that it's hard is unfair.
iLife
Stated or implied claims: PCs can use iPods and iTunes. iPhoto, iMovie, and iWeb come on every Mac and work like iTunes. Windows comes with bundled apps like a calculator and a clock.
True? PCs can indeed run iTunes. The idea that if you like iTunes, you'll like the rest of iLife is pretty compelling. But Windows
does come an iTunes competitor--Windows Media Player. Many of the PCs that Macs compete most directly with run Windows Media Center Edition, which adds a bunch of other multimedia features, including some that Macs don't come with, like the ability to record TV. And virtually any PC aimed at home users will come with at least a smattering of additional media-related tools.
Side notes: Showing the PC using the iPod is a clever ad-within-the-ad, especially since it somehow simultaneously reinforces the notion that the PC is a nerd, with his clumsy grooving and goofy belt clip. Oh, and for the record, Macs also come bundled with a calculator and a clock.
Network
Stated or implied claims: It's easy to network PCs and Macs. They can share Internet connections. The latest digital cameras from Japan work well with Macs. And maybe they don't with PCs.
True? The stuff about networking and sharing a Net connection is accurate, and a big reason why it's possible for PCs and Macs to happily coexist under one roof. But this may be both the most entertaining and least fair ad in the series, since it seems to say that PCs have trouble talking to new cameras. Getting cameras to talk to a PC
or a Mac is pretty brain-dead simple these days, and there isn't a camera on the market--with the exception of Apple's iSight Webcam--that works with a Mac but not a PC. An ad which claimed that PCs are more prone to have peripheral connectivity problems than Macs might have a point, but that doesn't seem to be the claim here.
Side note: Built-in memory card readers are pretty much a standard feature on consumer PCs, and a boon for digital camera fans. Macs don't have 'em, but should.
WSJ
Stated or implied claims: Walter Mossberg of the
Wall Street Journal said the iMac was the best desktop on the planet.
True? Walt Mossberg did indeed call the G5 iMac the best desktop PC in existence. He says that the current Intel-based version remains the gold standard in desktop computing, although his review has
a few reasonable caveats. Meanwhile, the ad suggests that when it comes to favorable reviews, the PC has to resort to making stuff up. There's no question that the Mac line is the best-reviewed assemblage of computers from one company, but if the PC was, oh, a ThinkPad, I suspect it could also summon up a glowing review or two.
The above six ads made up the campaign's first wave. More recently, they've been joined by three more...
Out of the Box
Stated or implied claims: Right out of the box, Macs let you make movies and Web sites, and they have built-in cameras. With a new PC, you'll need to install new drivers, erase trial software, and read manuals. PCs come in multiple boxes.
True? The overarching idea here--that Macs have a great out-of-the-box experience, and PCs may not--is fair enough. But it's easy to pick at the details. For one thing, Macs also need software updates from day one. (Try running the Software Update feature on a brand-new Mac and see what it tells you.) While Macs are pleasingly free of obnoxious, in-your-face marketing stuff, they do come with preinstalled trial software (namely demos of Microsoft Office and Apple's iWork).
And I'm not sure what manuals the PC is planning to read--one thing that Macs and most PCs have in common these days is that their documentation is pretty darn skimpy. (The association of PCs with daunting manuals reminds me of an early Mac commercial, from the days when PCs
did come with an avalanche of docs.)
Touch?
Stated or implied claims: Macs can run OS X or Windows. You can't run Mac stuff on a PC.
True? Most of this ad is devoted to a gag about the PC not knowing the proper use of the word "touch?," not the details of running Windows on Intel Macs. The Mac's claim that he's a PC too is plausible, but if the PC had been on top of his game, he might have said, "Yeah, but an imperfect one." Apple's Boot Camp is still in beta and has gotchas like the fact that it doesn't support the Webcam that the Mac mentions in another spot. Meanwhile, the other major method of running Windows apps on a PC--
Parallels' virtualization software--lets you run many but not all Windows programs, but doesn't really turn a Mac into a PC from a hardware standpoint. (Right now, for instance, it doesn't support USB 2.0.)
But when the Mac says he's a PC, is he talking about Boot Camp or Parallels, or both? Hard to say. This ad's classy simplicity is broken up by a footnote. Oddly, though, the footnote is different in different versions of the video on Apple's site:
In case you can't make the disclaimers out, the top one says a Mac needs XP and Parallels; the bottom one just mentions XP. I'm not sure what explains the disparity, but the one that only mentions XP seems inaccurate by any standards, since Boot Camp is a download, not something that comes with any Mac. And it's still a beta with its share of glitches, which might be why one of the versions of the ad mentions Parallels, which is a shipping product.
As for the claim that PCs can't run Mac software--very true.
And the fact that the Mac can do PC stuff but not vice-versa is a point in the Mac's favor, if a confusing one in the context of this particular PC-bashing ad campaign.
Work vs. Home
Stated or implied claims: Macs do music, movies, and podcasting. PCs do timesheets and spreadsheets and pie charts.
True? Okay, this ad works only as a flight of comic fancy. Other ads in the series point out that all Macs come with lots of well-integrated digital media software, which is a specific and reasonable point in their favor; this one suggests that PCs just can't do music, movies, or podcasting, period. Note that the PC was using iTunes back in "iLife." And wasn't the Mac bragging in other spots that he could run Office, too?
That's all the ads in the series...and all the musings I have about them. The commercials may be kind of unspecific in their claims in many cases, but the
Get a Mac section on Apple's site supplements them with a lot of information which, while not an even-handed comparison of the two platforms, does do a good job of clarifying some of the vaguer statements in the ads; it's a pretty good overview of points in the Mac's favor.
Here, incidentally, is a piece by Slate's ad critic, Seth Stevenson, who isn't a fan of the commercials. You?
yea im getting pretty sick of these commercials. evrytime i turn the channel, theres young Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs arguing over whos the best computer choice out there. Frankly i like PCs better, for the diversity of software out there. And i only spend about $60 a year for Internet Security, so seems like more sense to pay $600.00 for a descent PC and $60 for a total of $660.00 with a Mac, a comparable Imac is $1300.00 just for the 17"
But, Seth, you'll have that $600 computer for longer than a year. You also don't get this lovely UI that macs have.
I have an iMac G3 that is over 7 years old. Still runs. Still usable. If you had your $600 PC for seven years you would have a total over $1,000. You would have also wasted countless hours of maintaining such a PC.
Seth, where you find comparable PC for 600 with iMac features.
My first computer was an Apple IIgs it was wonderful! Then...Apple stopped supporting it and left us twisting in the wind. Who cares if you spent over two grand on the system. They needed Apple users to buy thier Macs instead. For that reason and because you pay through the nose for everything...I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER APPLE PRODUCT.
Suggestions that the Mac does not have the luxury of choice in applications is complete nonsense. In any field I choose there are choices for the Mac, fewer than Windows yes, but with better overall quality.
Basically Macs represent QUALITY over Windows' QUANTITY.
i love macs. they last long and dont waste your time running all kinds of secuirty programs that hog resources. and even after you run so much security, you are still venuerable. how many hours i have spent scanning/fixing is unacceptable.
Apple might as well face the reality that their computer line has been "betamaxed". As far as
software and especialy game selection goes, PC wins hands down.
Hahaha.. but when you live in a country of pirated software are a common, you'll think twice to buy licensed software.
Hmm, my folks bought a $600 PC about 6 years ago, still works fine. Does what they want to do and the only thing that may have added to that $600 is a new video card I gave them when I was upgrading another machine (free to them, worth about $50 on eBay). I still have to see them "waste countless hours of maintaining such a PC" since they haven't.
So, Jon, where do you get your figures that a $600 PC for seven years = $1000? It just doesn't add up.
While I'm at it, isn't iLife $80 a year? :) Hmm, that adds up.
I was at my Uncle's house this weekend (a Mac user) and I was showing him some freeware that I recently downloaded. He really liked a couple of the programs, so he went to the websites to download the programs. Funny thing is, both were PC only; imagine that. Two really cool programs that were not available for the Mac, and there is no real comparable software for the Mac unless you want to spend tons of money. And Jon, you can get terrific virus protection for a PC for anywhere from $0 to $30. The Mac is a superior machine, but better hardware doesn't necessarily mean a better overall experience. (See X-Box v. PS2). Face it - the PC is by far the most bang for your buck.
Joey, what programs exactly are you talking about? I bet you there were Mac equivalents that are actually much MUCH better, you just didn't know the names. You being ignorant about what software will run on a mac doesn't mean no software runs on a mac :P
I recently purchased an HP computer for $850. It has a dual core athlon64 4200 processor, 1 GB RAM, DVD/CD burner alongside a DVD-R, a 250 GB SATA hard drive, and memory card slots in the front. Unless Apple can figure out a way to offer me a computer with similar specs for the same price I won't be switching anytime soon.
*this deal was without a monitor, but with XP Media Center
commercials are freakin' annoying. even nerds hate this commercial.
matt wins.
So instead of running a flash based ad, PC World decides to instead write a full article based on commercials for Apple? I wonder how much they got.
Only a complete idiot would have to spend countless hours securing a PC. Windows Defender is free and Live One Care ins 49.99 a year for three PC's. 10 minutes and you're good to go.
Please be honest about the comparisons.
Posted by John on Monday, June 26, 2006, 07:37 AM (PST)
commercials are freakin' annoying. even nerds hate this commercial.
John Also Wins.
I would Like to comment that the commersials really are annoying. There are GUI or "skins" out there that can make a PC resemble a mac. My friend has them, but I'm not too sure about them for I haven't seen it. I personally like PCs more than Macs. that FREAKING ONE BUTTON MOUSE is P***ING ME OFF.
I'm pretty much fed up with the Mac Vs. PC debate. Pretty soon, I'll be rich enough to have both. No doubt Mac makes nice computers. And when you start comparing their "touche" with botique PC vendors, suddenly, Mac isn't all that expensive (But then, no iMac or MacBook (Pro) can perform on par with a custom Voodoo, Falcon Northwest, or Alienware). But does that really matter when all you want to do with the thing is surf the net, watch movies, type letters, and listen to music?
Would I choose PC over Mac in business? Yup. Folks, there is a reason why the vast majority of servers are PCs. No, they aren't all Wintels (in fact, the best ones are probably Opterons running some distro of linux).
But would I choose a Mac over a PC for home use? (As in photos, movies, games, internet, music) I'm not sure. Here's why...
1. In a notebook, I like the Mac, but it supposedly runs rather hot. Since I use mine as a portable DVD player, I'm not sure I would like that. My XPSm140 gets warm, but not as hot as the reviewers of the Macbook have noted.
2. Using wifi without having to worry to much about internet secutiry would be nice, but then I've already got a good firewall, and the capable (and FREE!) AVG from Germany. (I'd consider buying the paid version, except I've never gotten a virus on five computers in six years with the free one, and I don't need to schedule network scans. And I'm patient enough to wait my turn in line to download updates.)
3. For multimedia, sure Mac's got appeal. But I already own full-version software. Talking about iLife to the owner of Avid, Premier, Photoshop, Indesign, Publisher (a better product than many give it credit for), or Dreamweaver is like talking to a Ferrari owner about the advantages of BMW over Ford. It just doesn't work.
4. Finally, what about music? I personally think the audio quality of WMA 9 VBR is superior to MP3. Granted there are other things involved besides the codec. That is why I use the latest Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 24 bit cards to encode. (My files end up being around 400kps.)
Besides having to recode all my music to mp3 or ogg-vorbis (there is no way I am using a conversion tool, I would have to re-rip ALL of it), I would have to use a PC to do it. I'm NOT going to use integrated audio to encode my music. (That's what comes with MacBooks and iMacs). Finally, I would have to use an iPod, which would ruin my tough-guy image. (Okay, that's a joke.)
I probably wouldn't make a decision based on games. The only ones I like playing are RTS or turn-based and Madden. I'm not sure Mac can do either, but I rarely have time to play anyways. I haven't played Civ since I bought my last computer in Feb. I've got a desktop for that, and my current laptop wasn't designed for that anyway.
I tend to evaluate commercials for their appeal. I don't give a dime whether I would by the product or not, I just want to know if it was funny, sarcastic, "smart", or nerdy. Any of these are acceptable. My favorite commercial is the old Fed-Ex "beef jerky" commercial. Sorry, I'm a beef eater, and it just struck a cord.
sp: "secutiry" security
NB: my full-verision software is no-doubtly available on Mac, and of course, Final Cut Pro is top notch. My point being that I'm not going to buy a Mac because of iLife. No way, no how.
I hate macs. I'll never buy one. the commercials annoy me, but I like justin long, so they're watchable.
For me it comes down to one thing. Games. PC has got em, Mac does not.
P.S. Commercials are annoying, also it is funny that the Mac guy who is "cool" in the commercials is one of the nerdy characters from Dodgeball.
You PC people always have to try and find any little thing to nag about when it comes to apple and macs. If you go to Microsoft's website (Vistas website), there is a video saying all the great things you can do with Vista and it shows all of the great websites and how great it is in Vista blah blah blah. I though that Vista might have something special that makes those sites show those videos and lets you move some items around, so I went to those sites using Safari in OS X and it does the same thing in the Vista site. I understand you are trying to defend the PC platform but remember IT'S ONLY A COMERCIAL. Just like those skin care comercials "Your skin will be Perfect and Silky Soft and Blah Blah Blah" everyone knows that's not 100% true but yet they say it and now one says anything about it.
It all comes down to "to each his own". They are both good in their own rights and its up to each person's preference. End of debate. Period.
I'm currently running a 486SX/25 with Windows 3.1 that was initially configured in 1991 and hasn't been reloaded since. Maintance time didn't take very long. Defrag and walk away. I recently built a new computer and took advantage of the task scheduler in XP so maintance time is virtually zero since all tasks are automated. I just get tired of people saying that Windows is so hard to use and so time consuming. Sure, if you sit there and watch the meters run because you decided to manually run the tasks before working on something, then it would be time consuming. Me, I manage my time better and have the task run when I'm not using the computer. If I ever have to run the task manually I run it right before I walk away from it or do something else that doesn't require the use of the PC while it is running.
Who cares which one is better. I have a PC and a Mac and like them both for different reasons. I just hope that neither of the two goes out of business.
For the record, I've never owned a Mac either but i've used OSX and consider it the best looking OS out there...but sorry, that's not enough...i don't buy off-the-shelf computers like Dells and HP (excepting laptops for obvious reasons)...i've always built my own computers (i use Linux mandriva and XP), and typically my computers' specs change during the year...at any given time both my PCs can outperform every Mac out there..now if Apple were to play fair and release a OSX version for windows i'd be first in line to buy it...but i'm not going to buy an inferior machine just to get a particular OS...if i could build and customize my own mac with parts from various manufacturers as i can presently do with my PC, then we can talk business as long as i don't have to sell my left kidney to pay for it...at this point i feel that selling out to Mac is like selling my soul...that's not for sale...i know that not everyone will have the cash to upgrade components as much as i do, but at least us PC users have that option...
as for security, the most important PC security you have is your own brain..think before you click...all security software can be run automatically so i don't see what the big deal is...i haven't had a virus in years, all my issues had been with drive-by installion of spyware....but lets get something straight...winxp may have it's bugs but at least it's been scrutinized closely by all the hackers and virus writers and all the obvious holes are now patched...i can't say the same for OSX even though it's touted as being much safer...i know Xp'safer now, not because microsoft has issued tons of patches, but because the hackers are still out there trying to exploit the software and are failing to make successful viruses...i judge the security by the level of effort that has gone into trying to get past it...not by taking steve jobs word for it...for me it's a worrying sign when you stop looking for holes in your own software because you've already concluded it's safer...Since Vista will be the first OS from MS that is actually written with security in mind, i'll expect that we'll see less security issues from it than XP...Having said that, I'd still want to see much more open source OSs out there of the visual quality of OSX...PC's can be more that just places to run MS OSs...try open source and see for yourself...Customizability = PC, Mac now + 2 years later = Desk Ornament of the future
PC's can't run a Mac OS? INCORRECT! The version of OSX that runs on Intel cpu's HAS been loaded and booted on a PC!!!!! (CPU Magazine) It takes some hardware hacking (something not possible on a Mac, OOPS, overclockers are S.O.L.) but it WILL work.
I know that...but i don't think hacking OSX qualifies as a full PC compliant release, do you?...i don't need or want any instability on my systems...so the use of hacking is not an option...
Thank you for bringing up the subject of defragging. Try to find the defrag option on a Mac. OS X (and unix/linux) filesystem does not require defragging. It doesn't jumble the files up in the first place.
"You would have also wasted countless hours of maintaining such a PC."
This particular anti-PC argument has to be taken out back and shot. I mean seriously, who spends countless hours securing and maintaining their PC? Anyone with half a brain knows that all you need to do is get a decent software firewall (i.e. ZoneAlarm) and an antivirus solution (take your pick), spend about 10 minutes configuring each, and you're done. I haven't had spyware or a virus in years, and the only time I spend with either is upgrading when a new version is released. If you've had to spend countless hours maintaining and cleaning out your PC, perhaps the problem isn't with the PC, if you know what I mean.
Let's "Bottom Line" it here, ladies and gentlemen.
Until the price AND software diversity of Mac (not just one or the other) comes even close to PC's, the vast majority (upwards of 90%) of people who actually use the doggone things rather than writing about them will be buying PC's. Period.
I actually like Macs for their stability, but I am savvy enough to keep my PC maintained (without paying $60 a year, Jon) so that mine is so stable and trouble-free that it's not worth it to spend the extra money on a Mac, it's just not. I know I would have fewer problems with a Mac but the difference between what I have now and zero isn't worth the difference in price. I know, the Mac can run Windows software, right? But that's only one half of the equation; there's still the huge price difference. Debate it as you like, but you can write this down and show me when it changes; Macs will never have more than 10 percent of the market (if it ever even gets that much).
M$ is just jealous that they cannot make ads that good.
How come nobody has mentioned this: 10.2 + 10.3 + 10.4 = $129 + $129 + $129 = $387, plus another $129 to buy it in the first place. That's $516 in operating systems. And that doesn't take into account needing to buy new hardware because the OS has hardware dependencies. Critics of MS Vista seem to forget that about OS X.
That said, I do have a Powerbook. Why? Because the thing just works, and setting up a wireless network took about 10 minutes. I don't use office applications on it (I use OpenOffice on my PC) and I'm not a gamer so software availability is not a big issue. Was it expensive? Heck yes. I wanted a laptop and came very close to ordering a Windows laptop at half the price. In the end I gave in, more out of curiosity than anything.
I work in tech support for a large company where my job is to support end-users of our product. What I've noticed over the years is that the majority of Mac users that call in are so condescending and obnoxious that it makes me sick! The first thing out of their mouth is how inferior our product is just because they can't get it to work on their Mac and we really need to get our act together. They wonder why their systems are slow when using our product and that there is something definitely wrong with it. Hmm..seems to work blazingly fast on a Windows system running windows 98 though. Here's my take on the 2 systems:
* Macs are slow and are overpriced yuppie machines that make the user's think they're better than 99% of other computer users out there because they paid all that money for it.
* Sure PCs require occasional reboots but who doesn't reboot their system these days?
* This is corporate america and if you can't open a frickin spreadsheet or ppt file because you want to be different then your ass should be fired! Don't cry to the IT dept. saying there must be something wrong with the file!!
* Macs may have comparable business software but if 99.99% of other employees or companies are on PCs what are you going to do? Convert all of them to Macs so that you can tout how superior you are? Give me a break. It'll take more frickin tech support reps like myself to show you highly-educated mac user's what you are doing wrong.
* I won't even talk about remote control capabilities. You just better have someone on hand to show you what you are doing wrong since you're too big-headed to follow this tech support's complicated instructions to fix it.
Finally, please don't get me wrong. I love Macs myself. It's just the user's that get to me. They're a lot dummer then PC users especially when they fail to think that nothing can go wrong with their Mac and it must be someone else's fault.
To each his own. But you can't ignore the common threads in the arguments for one over the other.
The PC group is all about cheap Hardware, Free software and of course Games. My bet is the majority of this group has more time than money.
The Mac group is all about getting stuff done. They don't care about playing games. My guess is that they have more money than time. And are willing to spend that money to save them time.
To the PC group, As you get a little older you'll begin to realize some fundemental truths.
1. That you do tend to get what you pay for.
2. Time is money.
These ads don't work, and you can tell it from the responses here.
1. One guy hates Macs because they have one button mice! He obviously hasn't done his homework. Macs come with multiple button mice. Or you can get one if you have an older model.
2. Several claim that PCs run more software! Not anymore. One of the ads tries to point out the fact that Macs run Windows software - including games! - as well as Mac software. Message is not going through.
3. Some claim that PCs are cheap. Having experience with both platforms I can tell you they are not. There is a difference in the price on the shelf. But when you weight in the _awful_ user experience in Windows (a Swedish researcher just conluded that XP is even worse than 2000), all the time needed just to figure out how things work (I'm thinking of charging B. Gates for all the unnecessary hours I've spent), and the fact that Macs command a high price on the second hand market, PCs are extremely expensive.
One poster points out that the more frequent upgrades of OS X makes it more expensive. But it's a sorry fact that OS X is updated so many times in one Windows cycle. Microsofts development is bogging down more and more, and Windows lags more and more behind. Reason is that Windows development is getting mindboggingly complicated, and the more engineers you throw at it, the worse it gets. Jumping ship now was a wise move by Gates.
If all you need to do is to type and browsing home pages, well, then things are different. But you are still in an unsecure environment if you use Windows. I wish it was a ten minutes affair to solve that one, as some claim here.
On the other hand, if you try to make the most of the machine (and I admit you are in a minority if you do), I'm sorry, PCs are an awful choice. I can tell you as a long tome PC user (not by choice, but forced by company policy).
Having long experience with running and maintaining both Macs and PCs I conlude that macs are vastly superior. But these ads will not convert people that are up to there knees in a delusion - however outdated or incorrect there arguments are, they will stick to the PC.
Its a well know fact in consumer psychology that people tend to defend an important purchase decision once its made, even though it is wrong. But it's a good thing for those who want to stay ahead that so many choose ignorance.
Please Don't Buy A Mac
I love the fact that the majority of the world uses PC's. As a Mac user I get paid buy these people every day to do the stuff they can't on their PC's. So everyone please keep buying PC's So I can keep putting your money in my bank account.
"* Sure PCs require occasional reboots but who doesn't reboot their system these days?"
WOW is all i can say... i thought the idea was that you had to reboot less these days. i think robert needs to drink less coffe and chill a little bit. maybe if he were a mac user he would not be as high strung. by the way i have never had a problem finding software for my macs since i switched from peecees 3 years ago.
>> To the PC group, As you get a little older you'll begin to realize some fundemental truths.
1. That you do tend to get what you pay for.
2. Time is money. >>
Since I first started working (for money) on computers in 1970, I guess that makes me "a little older,"
And you don't tend to get what you pay for with a Mac.
And there will always be someone, in the absence of any real selling points, who will attract impressionable buyers with image and a free series of ads for a lifestyle you can't attain.
Ask a Mac user about the G5. How come it was the "world's fastest computer," and now it's 4-5 times slower than Intel chips?
>>Since I first started working (for money) on computers in 1970, I guess that makes me "a little older,">And you don't tend to get what you pay for with a Mac.>And there will always be someone, in the absence of any real selling points, who will attract impressionable buyers with image and a free series of ads for a lifestyle you can't attain.>Ask a Mac user about the G5. How come it was the "world's fastest computer," and now it's 4-5 times slower than Intel chips?<<
I believe the 4-5 times faster claim is compared to the G4 chips not the G5 and I'll also point out that the G5 is still used in Apples Pro Series towers and servers.
>>And you don't tend to get what you pay for with a Mac.>>
Every Mac i've bought has proven to be worth every penny. I have yet to own a PC worth the hassle.
>>Since I first started working (for money) on computers in 1970, I guess that makes me "a little older,">
Venture, please tell us about your experience of Macs rather than your age.
Have you any experience of Macs?
If so, when?
What are your qualifications as an expert on MacOS X?
Sadly, most nay-sayers when it comes to the Mac has _no or little own experience_ with todays machines running the modern OS X. That doesn't stop them from claiming expertise on MacOS X and Mac hardware, or the value of Apple's offerings.
--
"That is just the way with some people.
They get down on a thing when they don't know nothing about it"
(Mark Twain trough the voice of Huckleberry Finn)
Sorry guys, but the PC environment is here to stay...it's an international standard now...you think you could find a Mac in the third world? They'd starve just trying to keep up with the cost...Frankly, i don't want Mac users to switch to PCs...ever...they're snobbish and narcissistic, they don't have the brain for dealing with anything even slightly complicated and wouldn't be able to keep up with the rest of us where computer are concerned...if you're used to a very simple view of the world like they are then PCs are not for you...that 10% market share only applies to the US..i don't think you'd want to see the market share for macs worldwide...
The fact is that the PC market is much more open and competitive...an Apple-dominated world would stifle innovation...it's the PC market that drives new technology...we have major chipmakers competing for greater market share, we have harddrive manufacturers pushing the limits of the technology...and they're not doing that because of the Mac...the only reason why Mac is now using Intel chips is that their own chips were falling so far behind PC technology that it would have been obvious with their next generation of machines...they're not stupid...they cover the real reason for the Intel move by saying they're allowing XP to dual boot...
MJ
WOW, spoken like a true PC user. The thing that most of you PC users forget it that the majority of Mac users are PC users as well. Most Mac users are forced to use Windows at work. So the choice to use a Mac is based on real world experience with both platforms. You guys make it sound like we have blindly made a choice based on some advertising. The truth is we did something that most PC users don't, we looked at both platforms and made a choice based on what we perceived as being better. Rather than stick our heads up Microsoft's butt just because that's what everyone else is doing. Mac users are Mac users by choice not because they have to be. The problem PC users have is that they can't wrap their heads around the fact that don't have the balls to make a choice that goes against the grain.
>> Have you any experience of Macs?
If so, when?
What are your qualifications as an expert on MacOS X?>>
I didn't know you had to be "expert" on OS X to remark on it. I've used OS X for about two hours. Nothing about the experience caused me to want to drop XP.
And I had three years of hell in 1996-1999 with a work Mac that crashed daily (and no Mac expert could fix), plus various periods with other Macs.
And the ads were just as illusory then, and there were twice as many people using Macs. Now it's just two percent.
>> The problem PC users have is that they can't wrap their heads around the fact that don't have the balls to make a choice that goes against the grain.>>
Not if it's the wrong choice. That's why it "goes against the grain," 98 to 2 percent.
"On the other hand, if you try to make the most of the machine (and I admit you are in a minority if you do), I'm sorry, PCs are an awful choice. I can tell you as a long tome PC user (not by choice, but forced by company policy)."
As a long time reality user I can say for certain Macs are not better buys than pc's. (p.c.; personal computer. unless your Mac has ovaries, it's a pc)
Macs are over priced. There is no way around it. The same exact hardware, when used in any other pc, is hundreds cheaper.
The only drawing point is OS X. More specifically, the way it looks. If Microsoft got some actual designers on board (Aero does look nice) and came up with something just as sleek Macs would be no more.
Simple, clear-cut,...
>>Not if it's the wrong choice. That's why it "goes against the grain," 98 to 2 percent.<<
Ford sells alot more of their Focus model than Mercedes and BMW sells of all their models combined. With that logic the Ford Focus must be a better car.
So outside of the 98-2 percent argument what exactly is the wrong part of choosing a Mac over a PC.
Please tell us, we really want to know. Maybe you know something we Mac users don't. Enlighten us O wise one.
Oh BTW experience from 1996 - 1999 doesn't count the game has changed considerably.
Used both for 21 years and can say this.
PC - You work for it.
Mac - It works for you.
I make $200 a hour, I'm not wasting my time on a PC.
21 years Virus and malware
Mac - 1 time about 18 years ago
PC - Daily. Fsck you Bill Gates
I think it's all a fairly rediculous argument. It's all some sort of personal preference. I do graphic design work and have had to use both sides. I bought a G3 Powerbook when I first went off to school, and it lasted me great for about 4 years running whatever the current versions of Photoshop and Illustrator were at the time. Then I decided to save up and get a PC one summer and eventually purchased Adobe CS2. It's no big deal aside from the occasional font problem. There's no right answer to any of this and I'd rather be versed in both platforms anyway.
Why do PC users defend their choice in the piss poor copy of the Mac that they refer to as windows so strongly. When the truth is they are Mac users and don't even realize it. The Windows PC has been since day one a sad attempt to copy the Mac. And the new Vista is just a wanna be copy of OSX. So why don't you all wake up and realize that you are one the inferior version. The copy produced by an abusive monopoly. The one that can't even figure out how to keep your data safe. Please tell us poor Mac users why we have it so bad and that we have made the wrong choice.
MS has nothing to do with anything, mr.anonymous...PC users are not all Xp users so we're not all MS slaves...we use Linux and other open source programs as well, most of our software being non-MS in origin...you guys, however, are just slaves that went from one master to an even worse one...one that has the power to control what's on and in your Mac...you guys are too narrow minded...its amazing...and you can't even make the distinction between a PC USER and WINDOWS USER...I use XP but i'm actually defending the PC architecture not the MS OS...FYI, My cousin has an iMac as well as 3 other PCs and i've gotten lots of experience with OSX from his machine...but i have DECIDED that the Mac philosophy is not for me...i'm not one of those persons who just likes very things simple and laid out for them...i enjoy complex challenges and complex software because they help keep me sharp...for me to want a Mac i'd have to be reduce myself to less than i am...
sure, you made a choice but you're acting as if we haven't as well...there are more things to consider than which software is better at the moment...on a PC you simply have more choice on everything...period...it's unmatched in Macs...with a PC you can get any hardware configuration under the sun...you, on the other hand, have to depend on what Apple gives you...you can't even do a simple motherboard upgrade!...you expect me to move from the hardware freedom that i currently enjoy? sorry, but the Mac is for the simple-minded not the technically oriented...
As someone who uses both PCs and Macs and doesn't seriously favor either, I believe I have a more balanced emotional state about the whole issue. Each has strengths and weaknesses but the truth is that the PC's weaknesses have been slowly disappearing as have the Mac's compatibility issues.
There are still a few areas where one platform pretty much has it all over the other. With PCs, that's games and the ability to choose from dozens of applications. The former is an undeniable advantage for serious gamers. The latter is largely irrelevant for most users as most business users use a narrow suite of applications as do home users but lots of hay is still made of it. The truth is that, unless you work in a business environment which requires specific tools which are only written for PCs, you're not going to need access to one of those many PC-only applications.
With the Mac, the multilingual environment is vastly superior to the PC. If one has to work in Japanese (or any other double-byte language), the Mac is much easier to input and read files in even when the OS is English. The PC is more likely to render double-byte characters as gibberish and you can't install Japanese software on a PC at all in many cases (or at least not in a readable state). Macs blithely accept them and they are displayed perfectly (as if the OS were in Japanese). Macs have only gotten better at multilanguage environments as OS X has progressed from OS 9's language kit approach. However, this is an advantage only for a limited number of users who need this functionality.
I've also encountered instances on the Mac where the Mac deals with PC files better than an actual PC. For instance, my company exchanges Filemaker Pro database files with me when I work from home. My versions (on both the PC and Mac) are newer than theirs. They have a PC version but my PC can't open it without wiping out half the data fields whereas the Mac opens it just fine.
As someone stated, it is very much based on the individual user's needs. Unfortunately, there seems to be a strong need to see one's platform choice as a part of one's personal identity and to judge other users as if it indicated something flawed in their personality because they made a different choice. The only thing one can conclude is that those who see platform choice as an indication of intelligence, wealth, or technical savvy are insecure and lacking in a concrete identity. A computer is a tool, not an indication of what kind of person someone is.
Oh sorry, You're right I shouldn't have assumed that all PC users are Windows users. But I beleive that in the context of what we are discussing that is the differentiator. Technically all personal computers are PC's It is the OS that makes them different. Hardware really isn't what makes these PC's unique. More so now than ever.
>
You Windows guys are a kick. That has to the most appologetic sadomasocistic reason for using a product i have ever heard.
With this logic you must prefer buying automobiles that have only one door located on the passanger side and peice of rope as a steering wheel. Because you "prefer a challenge to keep you sharp"! That's beautiful! No wonder Bill Gates is a so rich he's got you guys believing that computing is supossed to be work.
Own both, like the Mac better for most things. Use the Wintel laptop for the things it won't run. Basic overview.
OS-Mac is miles ahead
Hardware-Mac has better build quality.
Windows-Runs some must have apps.
Security-do I have to mention this? Mac
Corporate Philosophy - Apple
Cost-about the same these days.
If I had to choose only one platform now, it would be Mac. Not to say that Vista wouldn't change my mind. Depending on price point, performance, security.
To those who don't use Macs, yet feel compelled-due to insecurity-to nay say them. Just don't say anything-it's obvious you don't know what you're talking about. To the Mac zealots, what's the big deal, you've got the better end of the computer stick. Most new users come from the ranks of the Windows disgruntled, not from posts on tech boards. Apple's ads make their point. I wouldn't want anyone using a computer they didn't want. People should use what they need. I need both, I have both. Most pros do. Nuff said-have a nice digital day!
"sorry, but the Mac is for the simple-minded not the technically oriented..."
Hmm...you might want to call all those astrophysicists at NASA and genetic engineers at Genentech; such simple-minded people are obviously in the wrong line of work.
I just love it when PC users use the Mac's ease-of-use as a argument *against* it. Tell me, MJ, do you put extra objects around the house because the "challenges" of avoiding them as you try to walk around "help keep you sharp"?
It also amuses me when Mac users are accused of blindly following Apple's marketing. If you ever read a Mac-focused website, you see nothing but complaints about Apple's marketing and suggestions for what kinds of commercials they should make. Those suggestions are invariably about actually using the Mac and never about how cool it looks. I have never met anyone who bought a Mac because it looks cool. And if you think putting an OS X skin on Windows (or Linux) makes it anything like a Mac, you are terribly mistaken.
The reason's used for making a choice are always an indication of the personality type and intelligence of a person...some mac users here are only using software issues to decide on their preference of operating system...that's fine and i've got no problem with that...but you can't then criticise others for not making the same choice, because not everyone will use the same criteria to make their decision...that's where intelligence levels comes into play...they assume that everyone is having the same problems on their computers as they are...i don't have computer problems, viruses or crashes...my linux crashes on rare occasions but that's it...hardware considerations are my most important consideration...for the Mac user, making the switch has more to do with the OS than anything else...for me that's not the case...i like OSX as much as the next guy, but that's not enough of a reason to simply buy a whole computer that's not even faster than what i have already or could have in the next six months with another upgrade...also, for most users of macs, it seems as though the ease of use is more important than every other consideration...that's simply not so for me...to many of these guys a dvd-rw is a dvd-rw...not to me...i pick and choose hardware brands based on performance benchmarks...i don't just put anything in my computer, and i don't use anything that's integrated...they simply have to accept that Macs only suit those persons that buy brandname computers...but all PC users don't fit that model...for me, using their OS is not an option if i have to lose so many of my other options.
MJ
From what I can tell from your posts, you are a hardware guy. You build your own computers because that's what makes you feel good. That's cool. I enjoy working on cars for similar reasons. But when it comes to how the vast majority of people who use computers rather than build them. They need something that doesn't get in the way of getting the job done. That's what Apple and the Mac is all about. They could care less about the motherboad or the DVD drive, as long as it works. Mac users care about performance and quality much like the BMW buyer does. He just doesn't want to build one for himself. The thing that agravates most Mac users is that they are looked upon by guys like you as idiots. Because they bought a Mac instaed of building their own machine. That's like telling the guy who bought a new BMW he's an idiot cause he didn't build a kit car.
"I just love it when PC users use the Mac's ease-of-use as a argument *against* it. Tell me, MJ, do you put extra objects around the house because the "challenges" of avoiding them as you try to walk around "help keep you sharp"
since i know you like things simple, here's the simple answer...no i don't... As for NASA, i wouldn't even bring them up...their safety record and system flaws leaves much to be desired of late...As far as i'm concerned, my reasons for not leaving the PC platform stand...i can leave the windows OS, sure...but i'm not leaving the PC...because unlike you guys i have more open-source options and hardware options...and that's what's important to me...you're basically fighting a war that you've already lost...windows will eventually vanish, but the PC environment that it created will remain the driving force of the industry...i wonder who's going to foot the bill for all the new advertising? it won't be me...
i get what you're saying, anonymous, but that's what i strive to achieve as well...i don't just build PCs for the fun of it..i build them to achieve a certain benchmark and a certain level of quality to match what i need to do most with it...i don't need to switch to branded computers to improve my computing experience...my friends are just like me in that respect...we all grew up being able to fix our own computer problems...i've never had to call any sort of customer service about anything...that's why i don't have any problem with using windows or any other OS on a PC...i'm used to being under the hood of the PC, but thats unfamiliar territory to most people..
the fact that mac computers are now using PC parts is very promising....i guess what i'm saying is this...i won't switch to OSX until i'm given the opportunity to build my own mac...and by mac i mean a computer with all my own handpicked components just like i do now...but if apple insists on preventing the PC market from supporting their OS in exactly the same way that a windows PC enjoys then they shouldn't expect to gain any real ground...the PC has long been an international success...that's what apple's competing with...
Wow. I'm not here to enter into a Mac vs PC debate. I know which side of the fence I stand on. But what is amazing is the effectiveness of Apple's marketing. Amazing, isn't it? Stories have been written about this ad series and threads just like this one are feeding the buzz.
Irrespective of the accuracy (or otherwise) of the ad content, the ads have achieved exactly what they were supposed to.
And then some.
Overall, the ads are doing the job they were intended to do. People are talking about the ads and that works in favor of Apple.
More and more people are making the switch. Many friends have made the switch.
I really don't understand why people are satisfied with the "extra" work they need to do and the "extra" software they need to purchase to protect their PC's running Windows.
http://switchtoamac.com
We're satisfied because after doing the 'extra' work we get stable PCs and retain the ability to put whatever 'extras' we want inside our PCs...fact is, i can't duplicate my overall PC experience by using a Mac...anyone who can should probably switch...it would just make it safer for the rest of us since we'd have less virus writers to worry about...
Saying I should get a Mac because it can now run Windows is stupid. If I am goinig to spend the majority of my time in Windows why bother purchasing a Mac? For the hardware? Please, I already own superior hardware than the average Mac. Dual booting is great if I want to check the consistency of an application being developed for multiple operating systems or things of that nature but it is pretty stupid to have dual boot as a solution for productivity.
Switching to Mac also means restricting your computing experience. PC has a wide range of applications and operating systems and generally has greater support (not referring to technical support which varies from vendor to vendor). PC gives you more options and can do everything the Mac can do. Yes, PC does have some bad programs for it however when you own around 90% of the market this sort of thing will happen to any product.
Lol,
I think your missing an important point here. First of all the hardware is basically the same between Mac and PC. There is a however a large difference in the level of engineering that goes into these products. On the PC side machines are all just boxes of off the self components. Offering the ability for any one with a screwdriver to build a PC. Apples are highly engineered well thought out machines. Designed buy people who are way better at designing and building this stuff than any of us.
Take a look at any Apple product produced over the last ten years and you have to admit that they are in a class of their own. You may not like everything they do but you have to admit they put any PC manufacture to shame.
Apple hardware also offers the ability to run the widest range of operating systems period. PC hardware can't run Mac OSX. And that really is a big deal. Mac OSX is the system all others aspire to be like. Again you may not like evrything about it but i guanantee if it had a Windows logo on the box rather than an Apple you would be singing it's praises and claiming it to the finest of them all.
The market share argument simply doesn't hold weight. Yes I will conceed that the Mac offers fewer software choices but the choices we have include the best that the computing world have to offer. And as far as gamming goes, even MS is pushing it's gamers off the PC and on to consoles. So iit will only be a matter of time that the PC looses this advantage as well.
"On the PC side machines are all just boxes of off the self components."
Where do you get the idea that off the shelf components are inferior to 'in the box already' components such as those found in Macs, HPs Dells and the like...those 'in the box already' components have always been limited in quality becaue the manufactures have to work to keep costs of the final machine down...on the shelf components will vary in quality from low to high end, the latter using their mastery of the technology to sell their product...the cost of such mastery in design has always been too high for companies like Dell and Apple to emulate...the best benchmarks have never come from the Dells, Apples or HPs...
"Designed buy people who are way better at designing and building this stuff than any of us"
i guess that's why you use a Mac while i'm building my own...
"First of all the hardware is basically the same between Mac and PC."
and you then said
"PC hardware can't run Mac OSX"
So which is it?
If the basic hardware is now the same, why won't Apple just allow everyone to install OSX on a PC-based system, since what they're offering now is really just a basic PC without the same upgrade options as the other basic PCs in the market? It would seem that the only difference these days is the OS...
Hi, I'm a Mac user. I'm so cool. I make $200 a minute. I'm making money right now, just for being on a Mac. Lets all go to Starbucks! Ew, PC users are smelly, and they aren't cool, and they are poor.
haha Thats about all I see from the Mac users on here. They keep saying how their Macs are so much better engineered, they're so much more productive, blah blah blah. But where is your proof, besides you opinion? How can Macs be cutting edge when you can never upgrade or modify them to be cutting edge? If there wasn't a new Mac out for the next 5 years, all you Mac users would be stuck with 5 year old technology. And since Macs have basically become Intel machines, you can't claim technological superiority anymore. All Macs now are basically just Intel machines that make up 2% of the market because they can only do 2% of the things an Intel/AMD PC can do.
Verdun, you say you have _2 hours_ of experience on OS X, and that is enough for you to understand what working in this environment means?
If you've stayed in Italy for 2 hours, would you claim to be qualified to tell wether Italy is more pleasant than Portugal to live in?
I don't want to be rude, but there is no way you can make a similar judgment on OS X vs. Windows. But with tens of thousands of hours on both I think I can, don't you?
On top of this, you argue against a different product than what we are talking about here. 1996 - 1999 the Mac was a completely different product alltogether - and it had many problems. An old and unstable OS, overpriced and underpowered hardware. This is absolutely true.
I used the NeXT OS in those days (even less common, and more superior in its day). Today Macs runs a modern version of NeXT - and on top of that OS X - on PC hardware (branded "Macintosh"). The PC hardware in a Mac runs industrial strength Unix at the bottom layer in the Mac OS X environment. It also runs Linux, Windows, OS2 etc. if you like... You have for more choice than on a Windows only PC.
Market share is a matter of opinion and also a matter of vewpoint. The 5% of the total is not awfully interesting as a figure. If you want to do video editing, for instance, you'd find Apple leading the market with the most popular software suit. How interesting is it then that only a few office workers are using (and are allowed to use) Mac? It's irrelevant.
On top of this, I feel that the Microsoft business model - the desktop lock-in - is doomed. it's getting harder and harder to get people to upgrade Office. How many features do you need to type and print? With Web 2.0 and its future iterations, choice is coming back and prices drop rapidly for office applications, and then the monopoly will crumble quickly. Googles stuff works well for most people, and comes for free. Which is why Microsoft is so ancious to diversify into other areas of business today,away from the desktop.
I respect PC users who make a concious choice, and I have seen some here. Some run Linux (or some other Unix-like OS), and then I respect you even more. I am also running Linux on a PC. It does some stuff the Mac can't, and it does it very well.
What I can't respect is people who makes judgments without having any real knowledge to back it up with.
i am a windows user. i am also a mac user. i am a long time windows user. which one is better? MAC IS. i am in the creative industry and apple dominates this area. and for good reason. time really is money is this area. one is it saves time becasue they really are far more reliable. try comparing premiere with final cut. are you kidding me!?
about the OSX operating system. some mentioned it being a simple system thats bascially for idots. YOU ARE KIDDING ME RIGHT!? shows how much you know... if you look underneath the software and OSX it will drive you insane in how complex it is.
if games are important to you, windows is better becasue of all the choices. also windows is better for spreadsheets. its true! ;)
their is a surprsing amount of truth to the ads. just read the above article for one.
about Winows. XP is an aging operating system. many features of upcoming VISTA are copied from OSX. "imagine that." I think even after vista is out, it will still not be as good as Tiger. And by the time Vista comes out, Leopard wont be too far behind. LOL. poor mirosoft. once Micorsoft and Bill Gates got rich, they stopped thinking.
maybe bill gates is semi-retiring because he cant compete against innovators like apple and google.... and hes gettting sick of buying out companies and thier ideas.
OSX update is now updated to 10.4.7. this is a pretty big update. they update OSX somewhat frequently. the only time i remember windows giving a true update was SP2. but that didnt seem to do anything at all! still a haven for security problems.
long live apple
innovators in technology & software
The longer that i have to wait for OSX to support all the hardware that i'd want to use with it, the more likely it is that i'll just move completely over to the Linux platform...once i get as proficient with Linux as i am with the MS OS i really don't think i'll consider anything else unless it's open source...
hanske, you're right about Office...i stopped upgrading since Office2000..there's no point to it...i just need to type letters at home occasionally...the computers at work have the latest Office software but the reason they had to upgrade has never sat well with me...it was done so that everyone could open files sent in the new format...total nonsense...if Vista doesn't support my copy of Office2000 then it's OpenOffice all the way, and there'll be no turning back!
i love macs.
i love my 12 inch ibook and my imac G5.
& i love the mac in these commercials.
Sooo Funny!!
I have to agree with this from mr.anonymous..:
".PC users are not all Xp users so we're not all MS slaves...we use Linux and other open source programs as well, most of our software being non-MS in origin...you guys, however, are just slaves that went from one master to an even worse one."
I've been a PC user for years and used a Mac for about six months.
I like both. Hower,when push comes to shove, I like Linux best. I only moved to Linux in Jan. of this year and have no plans to return to Microsoft, or get a Mac.
One thing I would enjoy seeing is spoofs of these ads made by Linux users,who can step back from the argument and can perhaps offer a fresh perspective.
lol, the mac computer in the box screwed up at one point it notes that pc has to get the rest of his parts out of the box, sure the mac can be used right out of the box, and you have to assemble your p.c., but i can upgrade my pc every two years and keep it from being obsolete, no mac can do that...
and also i enjoy playing games...not to mentio n the only reason mac doesn't have ot worry about virsuses is that noonw would program a virus for 5% of the computer market
Apple is just buying time.
Remember the days of TI 99, Commodore, Z80, TRS 80, Apple and all the other Computer Company that manufactured computers that could not communicate with one another. Yes, that was the days. All were junk until IBM clones came along. At less you have a choose now, if it was left up to Apple you would have no options .
This entire debate is ludicrous. If it came down to having only one real choice in computing, where would innovation be??
The truth of it is, it is just different strokes... As a Windows user from day one, I can say any annoyances I have had with them have disappeared completely since the introduction of XP. My system is completely stable and I cannot remember the last time I had an issue with security. In fact the whole security arguement for switching platforms is equally laughable... if Macs became the dominant player tomorrow, we would still be faced with the same risks. The problem is with the end-user not the platform.
So I guess that means you Macs folks will really be in trouble if that ever happens.
Where can one find a real, unbiased assessment of the two platforms? I want to try MAC however, no matter how hard I look, I can't seem to find any unbiased assessment to make this decision. Nor can I find a compelling reason to buy a MAC even though I really want too.
A thought to all the Mac fans arguing that Macs are as good as PCs because they can run Windows...
Doesn't that mean that what makes them "good" is that now they're the same as PCs?
So why not just buy a PC and skip all that dual boot/virtualisation crap AND save a ton of money?
I guess this may sound a little silly to some but PCs get my vote for more visatility simply because of their simple and traditional programs that they come with. Case in point;
PAINT- Sure it may seem silly to some but this is just a nice little picture editor that is simple to use.
Windows Picture viewer and print controls- Allows you to view whatever pictures you have with having to open them up seperatly. The slideshow option is awesome and the print feature allows you to actually have a CHOICE of what size you want your pictures to be.
MS Office- It opens simply without all the slow-loading features on a Mac. When I want PP, it just opens. It does not take 5 mins to load and then ask me wehter or not I wanted PP in the frist place. God damn it, I chose Power Point! Don't ask me if I want to open Excel instead.
Real Player- Most PCs I have worked with already have this program installed and depeanding on what version you get, RP can play many differnt types of media files which is an added plus.
Media Player- To me iTunes is one of the most overrated music programs created. Sure MP may considered outdated but it can play mp3s, midis, wmas, avis, hell even FLASH moves and games. MP on Macs do not feature all the capabilites and sometimes do not play the video but instead just the music. I say bah to that.
Over all use- I actually don't see the problem with PCs. They are easy to use and even if you are not connetced online, there are much more things to do including some of the games and video editing programs that are already installed.
Another thing I have noticed is this out of the box crap or whatever. I'm a multitasker and MACs, sorry to say it again, just don't have all the systems that I need. I use both CD ports and Floppy drive that my PCs offers and I thank god that my computer already had a CD buring program already installed when I purchased it. I had to DOWNLOAD the CD buring program for my Mac and had to go through a headache of trying to get the zip folder opened because it had some sort of Zip error or something. Plus, what DOES happen when the screen of a MAC goes out? Does that mean you have to pruchase another MAC? With a PC, I can just buy another screen and get on with my life.
PCs may seem old or out of date but most come with programs and softwear that require downloading or seperate purchases for a Mac. Hunting for MAC versions of softwear is headache at times and what makes it worse is the fact that some programs do not have MAC versions which sucks.
In the end, MACs are overrated. I really don't care for iTunes or iMovie because I have Media Player and all the Adobe programs to my disposal. I guess I shouldn't really diss Mac but if they really want to beat PCs or whatever, they need to improve their program capabilites and compatabiliy and even feature such things such as burning softwear and better picture editing programs already INSTALLED. MACs are great at times but they are really overblown and the price really doesn't help either. I'm a bit more free with my PC but if MACs offered just a bit more and really lived up to the fact that they are so powerful, then I might switch...but for now, I love my PCs because it works for me.....and I don't have to worry about the CD getting stuck.....Gah, that was terrible at school. Feel free to e-mail me about what you think. I really don't mind.
I can't afford a Mac. I've had the same pc for 4 years w/o problems.
If someone wants me to use a Mac well then buy me the damn thing because I can't afford it.
The ads suck because they're arrogant. Not everyone wants to be some stubblely faced 20-something doing kewl schtuff on his Mac. To assume that other people find that guy appealing along with his claims is just plain moronic. Along with Apples big assed ego plastered all over these ads. bleh.
Now, Im not a MAC user, so Im not going to make any assumptions about MACs because...well, I don't know anything about them. But as a PC user, I think I'd like to just make some points...
1) "Maintaining/keeping secure a PC is harder" ... What? What PCs have you people OWNED? Really. I have never once run a security or firewall program on my pc (they were already installed and running) and I haven't had a virus, spyware, or anything in the last 2 years. The only reason I stopped using my old computer was because it was Windows 2000, and MS stopped providing automatic security updates for it. Whoever says that PCs are harder to keep secure, you must be using an older PC, because this one has required exactly 0 minutes and 0 seconds of maintanence time. Literally.
Man, this is going to take more than one post...
2. "Macs are good for life things" How so? I can scan edit and store picture on a PC, without any hassle. I do it all the time. I can even make my 13 year old brother understand without a hitch. What else is there? Music? Windows Media Player. Its nothing fancy, but it does what it needs to, and I've never had an issue with it.
But then how is this actually...LIFE? What do I REALLY do in life on my computer? Play games. Surf the internet. Do homework in Microsoft word. What do people with jobs do on their computer? Their JOBS maybe? Like make speadsheets or pie charts. All this stuff is possible with a PC, so I don't see why Mac users think it's a big deal. Its really not hard. I don't even have to THINK to scan a picture or upload a picture, or organize files or ANYTHING.
I think you beleive its harder because you arent used to it. Heck I think Macs are confusing, but thats only because I don't use them. That doesnt mean that they are actually confusing though. Its just me.
I have 5 PCs here, 3 PC (oldest is a dual core 2.2) and 2 Mac (including a G5 with 10)
Video - PCs win. Vegas, Premier, Lightwave, Maya, etc. They all just run faster on the PCs.
Audio - Equal(cheaper on PCs). Even the older PC works as well as the rest. Had to BUY the software for Mac tho.
CD/DVD/Burning - Again, nothing to compare. All work equally well.
Crashes - The Macs crash just as often as the PCs. I don't even see where this argument comes from. In fact I get the fewest crashes on my newest PC. (Running XP, I will not do Vista)
Virus/Spyware - Well 90%+ of all computer users are PC users, so duh, which will they make a virus for? side-note I pay $0 / year for all my protection and 0 infects in 9 years.
iLife - iHate that stuff. Proprietary media formats are the stupidest idea ever, and even Apple is realising it and finally getting around to changing things.
Overall - PCs have far more options and adaptability, Macs are overpriced and overlimited.