20 reasons

[sourceninja]

Originally posted by: lokiju
Anything you can do on a Mac you can do on a Windows PC and for less money ...

Develop iPhone software on windows please.

 

[clarkey01]

Originally posted by: sourceninja

Originally posted by: lokiju
Anything you can do on a Mac you can do on a Windows PC and for less money ...

Develop iPhone software on windows please.

Boot up leopard in vmware like I can...Plus with it overheating and batteries dying after heavy use there isn't much point is there.

 

[aphex]

This thread doesn't seem to be going anywhere. I'm starting to think the OP may have been trolling.

 

[sourceninja]

Originally posted by: clarkey01

Originally posted by: sourceninja

Originally posted by: lokiju
Anything you can do on a Mac you can do on a Windows PC and for less money ...

Develop iPhone software on windows please.

Boot up leopard in vmware like I can...Plus with it overheating and batteries dying after heavy use there isn't much point is there.

Yea, the last thing I'd want to do is develop apps for a very profitable app store anyways. My 3GS gets used everyday, the battery is dead every day by the time I go to bed. No heat issues, and it still charges. My wife's 3G (my old phone) has been used the same way. It did have a failure, but apple fixed it for free.

Such a piece of shit isn't it?

I have a friend who tried the vmware approach. It ran like shit on his 6 month old dell notebook and never quite worked right. He ended up building a hackintosh. But besides that, running a entire OS virtualized doesn't count as "Doing anything on windows you can do on a mac".

That's like saying OSX has IE8 because I could install vmware fusion, install windows xp and install IE8.

 

[hans030390]

Originally posted by: MotionMan
You can still run Windows on new Macs
No need to restart/shut down
Time Machine
Battery life on laptops
Easy install/uninstall of apps

1. I'll give Macs a plus for supporting Windows.
2. I have to restart OS X all the time when I install things.
3. Time machine is nice...but I don't ever need to go beyond Windows 7 backup and System Restore. I understand Time machine has more features than that, but I'll probably never use it.
4. There are many "PC" based laptops that get great battery life (6-8 hours), though Macs do pretty well for having dedicated GPUs (even if they're so-so).
5. Most apps on Mac install just like the do on Windows (from my experience). Some you can drag and drop, but not most. It is nice that everything is organized in the applications folder. And yes, they are easy to remove...but is the control panel method in Windows THAT hard? No.

Originally posted by: mmntech
1. The OS is dead easy to use for n00bs but offers full UNIX power for pros
2. Mac comes with everything you need and always has
3. Macs are the de facto system for the media, graphic design, and entertainment industries.
4. It can run Windows as well so no need for two systems to run all software you need
5. Systems offer top notch build quality. Aluminum chassis versus plastic... enough said.
6. Excellent customer support
7. Laptops offer some of the best battery life in the business
8. OS X uses a lot less system resources than Vista does and is more responsive
9. Macs are only susceptible to a tiny fraction of malware out in the wild. They don't need to be locked up like Fort Knox
10. No annoying UAC, period.
11. No IE. Internet Explorer is a nightmare for web programmers and doesn't work properly with half the websites out there.
12. Easy integration with iPods and iPhones
13. Works right out of the box and requires no instructions to set up. An idiot could do it.
14. You'll wonder how you lived without the multitouch trackpad
15. Stylish contemporary design
16. Offered many innovative features, such as GPU accelerated desktops, long before Windows did.
17. LED backlighting on Macbook and Cinema displays offers superior picture quality and battery life
18. Steve Jobs is the man. Love that sweater/jeans combo. Wish I could wear that to the office.
19. It's a well known fact that Steve Balmer is either psycho or from another planet
20. Windows fanboys are lame.

1. Dead easy? Maybe if you're used to Windows XP. I've been using Vista and Windows 7 for a while now, and some parts of OS X are definitely less intuitive than Windows 7.
2. Macs do come bundled with good software. However, the software, if available on PCs, would still make the Macs more expensive (given the same hardware).
3. Basically, yeah. But the "good" software that's used is CRAZY expensive.
4. True, but I'd rather be able to have something better than a 9600m running Windows.
5. Build quality is great. However, there are many other laptops, even plastic, that feel just as sturdy. Generally, though, this is not the case.
6. True.
7. See comments above.
8. Windows 7 runs the same as OS X on my MSI Wind. Arguable, OS X is more efficient than Vista, but it feels about just the same as 7.
9. They're only more "secure" because less people use them. Why target the smaller audience? Also, Apple recommends installing anti-virus software now. On top of that, a Windows based PC is very secure with something like AntiVir, which barely uses and resources. Most of it comes down to smart network usage, though.
10. Hey, guess what? You can turn that off really easily. Especially in 7. Oh, but wait. OS X asks for my password ALL THE TIME when I want to do things...especially installations.
11. Then don't use it? Good thing about Windows, it has the best/biggest support for web browsers out there (I believe). Use Google Chrome, Firefox, or Opera and be rid of IE.
12. They work just fine with iTunes on Windows. However, Macs are less compatible with most devices than Windows (this is based on experience). My HP printer (fairly new and common) did not work automatically on OS X. I had to get drivers for it. Guess what? It worked right away with Vista and Windows 7. Plug it in, and I'm ready to go.
13. It is easy to set up...but so is Windows. The only difference is that Windows based laptops usually have crap installed on them. This is basically the only difference.
14. I've used it. Nothing that special. I actually don't prefer it. But, if you do, there's Windows laptops that have it (a $650 Asus comes to mind).
15. They are sexy...but so are some other laptops.
16. Ok. So? We're talking about NOW. Both OSes do it.
17. This is true.
18-20. *sigh* At least most Windows fanboys know what they're talking about. Everyone outside of these forums that I've talked to regarding Macs (fanboys) are just ignorant, arrogant, and usually dumb (I could say misled).

I've been using Windows 7 and OS X 10.5 for a few months now each. OS X was not as impressive as it was made out to be.

 

[Kmax82]

Originally posted by: hans030390
9. They're only more "secure" because less people use them. Why target the smaller audience? Also, Apple recommends installing anti-virus software now. On top of that, a Windows based PC is very secure with something like AntiVir, which barely uses and resources. Most of it comes down to smart network usage, though.

This is simply not true. Macs cannot be targeted in the same way that Windows machines can be. You can't click on a link and have someone gain complete control over your system. This is a bug that currently plagues IE8. On OS X, you have to give access to the virus/trojan in order for it to infect your system.

 

[sourceninja]

You could go back and forth refuting points all day long. It all ends in a matter of opinion. I prefer OSX to linux, before that I preferred linux to windows XP (and vista). I can give you dozens of reasons why in both cases. You can refute them, I can refute yours, then you can refute those points.

For me there are a list of things I don't care about and a list I do. My requirements for a computer are as follows.

1) Must look very nice and be light (this probably means led backlight).
2) Must have a backlight keyboard.
3) Power management must work properly.
4) Must have wireless N and bluetooth
5) Must have a dvd burner
6) Must have a very large trackpad (I'm looking at you dell and your stupid tiny trackpads)
7) Must support USB and firewire (I still have firewire devices I like to use)
8) Must have a time machine like backup solution. (I'm in love with time machine and use something similar on linux as well)
9) (now for the important stuff) Must have a native *nix shell environment (I'm a bash whore) This means if it doesn't have a real terminal, it's not going to cut it. Sorry power shell.
10) Must have a solid x-windows implementation (I run a lot of remote apps for my job)
11) Must have safari and firefox for testing purposes (mostly firefox for firebug as the safari developer tools are not as intuitive).
12) Must have itunes. I use an iphone and I need to be able to sync, backup, and update my phone.
14) Must have java, php, and python support (ok what doesn't?)
15) Must support photoshop and flash
16) Must Must Must have multiple desktops and good multiple monitor support.
17) Must Must Must have the ability to program iPhone and OSX applications. I recently started a company to write an iphone app with a corresponding windows, linux,and osx app. I am responsible for the iphone and osx apps because of my familiarity with objective-c and xcode.
18) Must be able to use access oracle, postgresql and sqlite databases.
19) Must have a free high quality home studio application for recording music.
20) Same as 19, only for video
21) Must have a openvpn client
22) Must Must Must have something as powerful as applescript/automator. Applescript + interface builder is just simply amazing. I have never had the level of automation in linux or windows that I do in osx. It seems like ever app in OSX has applescript hooks and is scriptable. Linux comes close, but just isn't as easy to do sometimes. Windows scripting is simply in the dark ages when it comes to this.

Things I like but could live without
1) Should run textmate (god I love this damn editor)
2) Should run keynote (This thing is way better imho then powerpoint)
3) Should run Warcraft3, and the upcoming starcraft2/diablo 3 (I'm a huge blizzard fan).
5) Should have a built in means of encrypting your home directory.
6) Should be able to develop native GUI apps in languages I enjoy such as python, ruby, C/Ojective-C.
7) Should have some kind of preview system built into the OS to quickly preview documents (word, spreadsheets, images, pdfs, etc) without opening any application.
8) Should have some kind of coverflow system
9) Should have a virtualization software platform with something like Unity from vmware fusion. (Great for running full fledged gnome/KDE apps on my mac or windows apps such as vmware infrastructure client). I don't do this currently, but in the past I use to do this and it was really cool.
10) Should have a built in calendar that supports webdav or some other real time read/write with google calendar.
11) Should be able to install and compile software available on linux (macports/fink type stuff)

So my requirements can almost 100% be met with windows, mac, or linux. The difference for me is the mac UI and development tools and paradigm. I enjoy it and find it much better then windows or mac. I get a Unix system that works out of the box without any tweaks, and all the advantages of being a commercially supported operating system (read good commercial software like photoshop). I could meet my needs with windows, but I wouldn't be as happy.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Kmax82
Macs cannot be targeted in the same way that Windows machines can be.

:laugh:

You can't click on a link and have someone gain complete control over your system.

:laugh::laugh:

On OS X, you have to give access to the virus/trojan in order for it to infect your system.

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: hans030390
On top of that, a Windows based PC is very secure with something like AntiVir, which barely uses and resources.

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

[sourceninja]

Honestly, I feel safer on osx and linux then I do on windows. Simply because I know those two operating systems are not as targeted. I know I'm not running as administrator (which is actually usable on osx and linux unlike windows xp), and I don't do stupid things like run software or open files from people I do not trust. On top of that all my important data is stored in encrypted containers.

Honestly, even on windows I never really felt unsafe. I've never had a virus, trojan, or worm on any of my computers. I keep them patched, I keep them firewalled, and I don't do anything stupid.

Here's a true story. I built the windows computer I was using at work (built as in installed the OS and apps myself and didn't use a build). I never put antivirus on it. I kept it patched myself, and I didn't use IE. We had a massive outbreak of about 3 worms including conflicker. I was the only machine on campus that didn't get conflicker. In fact my boss asked me if I was using a different antivirus because everyone else got hit and only after infected did the antivirus tell us.

I will never run a resident memory virus scanner. I find the whole concept pointless.

Security is 90% the user and 10% operating system choice imho.

 

[Parasitic]

This really is a thinly disguised Mac bash thread. Let's have it locked please.

Originally posted by: hans030390
...(list of things)

I've been using Windows 7 and OS X 10.5 for a few months now each. OS X was not as impressive as it was made out to be.

Windows 7 is newer than every single OSX release to date, so I would expect it to have more features, perform better, and support more future hardware than OSX.

Most of what you said can also be said re: Windows. Restarts are inevitable on both OSX and Windows systems. Usability is heavily subjective. Software can still get expensive on Windows systems. Leopard's UAC equivalent doesn't blip, lock up everything else for a second, then ask for your permission.

 

[TheStu]

OS X and Linux are more secure less by 'security through obscurity' than it is by the 'broken windows' philosophy. Crap is generally not tolerated on OS X and to a close extent on Linux. Crap is expected on Windows.

Now, in my entire life I think that I have had 1, maybe 2 viruses strike my windows box. The first time was when I first got my computer to college and I had previously had no internet connection on there, so antivirus was nowhere near up to date. The network was not setup correctly (all 400 students in the dorm had access to everyone else, no subnets, no nothing in place to prevent this from happening) and 1 person had a virus which then spread.

I honestly can't remember if the second time was a virus or just a glitch in Windows since my solution would have been the same. Blast away the partition and reinstall.

Apple has recommended an anti-virus program on OS X for YEARS, and it is mostly there to A: consume resources and B: scan your files for Windows viruses so you don't pass them along to your friends.

Also, if OS X is only secure because of its small market share, it should still get some viruses. Let's say that there are 100,000 viruses out there, and let us further say that OS X has 7% market share (the most recent number that I have seen). Should 7,000 of those viruses be targeting OS X? Instead the number of viruses is effectively 0 and the number of trojans is like 3.

There is FUD on both sides of the fence. For example, IE8 is actually a pretty secure browser, (last I heard) more so than Firefox 3 and Safari on Windows. IE6 was/is crap, but we all know that.

The OP did a hit and run, which obviously means that he doesn't care about the answer and wanted to spark a flame war. So let me get this out right now.

I use OS X as my primary OS since everything I do on a day to day basis works better there.

I have 7 and OS X installed on my desktop and I genuinely like 7. I think that it is the best thing to come out of Redmond in years, and I hope they keep up the good work. Now all they need to do is start to eliminate the legacy stuff, slim down the OS further (a la Snow Leopard and it's 6GB installed footprint) and fix the networking stack. There is no excuse for files to move at 60MB/s from HFS+ -> HFS+ (desktop to laptop, OS X and OS X), to 5 MB/s NTFS -> NTFS (OS X to 7). Even accounting for the fact that my NTFS driver cripples the speed by about 50%, that still means that it would be at 10MB/s. Really? 10MB/s? Ugh. This was over the same gigabit port, from the same systems, from the same physical hard drives (different partitions).

If a person can't think of their own reasons to get a computer, then they don't need us to tell them what to get.

 

[n0cmonkey]

If Apple got their stuff together OS X could be as secure as Windows. Kudos to Microsoft.
:evil:

slim down the OS further (a la Snow Leopard and it's 6GB installed footprint)

:shock;

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
If Apple got their stuff together OS X could be as secure as Windows. Kudos to Microsoft.
:evil:

slim down the OS further (a la Snow Leopard and it's 6GB installed footprint)

:shock;

You're right, there is a difference between security and 'safety'. You are secure in Windows, you are safe in OS X.

Also, due to the text limitations of the internet, what shocks you about that statement?

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
If Apple got their stuff together OS X could be as secure as Windows. Kudos to Microsoft.
:evil:

slim down the OS further (a la Snow Leopard and it's 6GB installed footprint)

:shock;

You're right, there is a difference between security and 'safety'. You are secure in Windows, you are safe in OS X.

Also, due to the text limitations of the internet, what shocks you about that statement?

You're not safe. Period. Apple constantly holds back OS X. Proper security implementations haven't been produced, and patches come way too slowly.

6GB is HUGE. I'm used to MUCH smaller OSes, that's all.

 

[sourceninja]

My vmware install of windows 7 was about 6 gigs.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: sourceninja
My vmware install of windows 7 was about 6 gigs.

That's weird, mine was around 9GB... huh.

 

[Kmax82]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: sourceninja
My vmware install of windows 7 was about 6 gigs.

That's weird, mine was around 9GB... huh.

I've installed the RC a few times.. usually cuz I find the performance lacking so I'll jump back to XP and then try RC again.. but I've noticed that the 64bit install is much heavier than the 32bit. It's almost 10GB on the 64bit version, but closer to the 6GB limit for me with 32bit.

EDIT: Just checked.. Right now with all the updates, Firefox 3.5, Chrome, Safari 4, and SQL Management Studio.. I'm sitting at 9.56GB. That's the 32bit version running in Parallels 4.