Kaido
Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
- Feb 14, 2004
- 50,630
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Originally posted by: Injury
Originally posted by: Kaido
Originally posted by: SZLiao214
Fanboyism.
That's exactly it. It's just like an AMD or ATi fanboy, nothing different. Personally I am a Mac nut; I love them, I love the design, I love the OS, I even love getting sucked into their marketing. But just because I love Macs doesn't mean I have to go around snobbishly pushing my newfound joy into everyone's faces. Yes, they are great machines; yes, they are more stable than Windows; and yes, they're neato. But they're not for everyone.
After living with a Mac for nearly a year now, I would not recommend one to a normal user. There are 3 groups of people that I see: basic users, normal users, and power users. Basic users are the technophobe grandparents, moms, and dads of the world who just use a computer for email, Word, and the Internet. Normal users are those who do that plus use more apps like games, business apps, and so on. Power users are your standard AT geek who understands how the Windows structure works and is comfortable installing operating systems and programs on a regular basis. I would recommend a Mac to a basic user because you can get Microsoft Office for Mac to be compatible with the rest of the world and still use email and the Internet like normal. I would also recommend a Mac to power users who know how to use google to search for replacement applications and don't mind being bothered learning new installation techniques, operating system shortcuts, and so on. I would not recommend one to a normal user because it is just so much easier for them to coast on Windows. They don't have to learn anything new or find replacement software, which could potentially be a struggle for them. If they had a Mac person in the house, it would be fine, but otherwise, no.
I think that's where the problem with overzealous Mac users happens. Most people fall into the "normal user" category and don't really have a want/need to switch. Therefore, most people that Mac zealots talk to don't really have a want/need to switch. Thus Mac users bug most people.
I see your point, but at the same time I'd have to say that even the "basic users" should be wary of choosing the mac... for one... the macs are way too expensive for a person that uses the computer only a couple hours a week. Two, those are the people that are most likely to have to pay someone for support, and they are the least likely to understand why the people at your average computer store can't service their computer, or why their nephew/grandson/neighbor kid can't show them how to do thisAndThat or whatHaveYou.
For the most part, I agree with your statements.
I work in the design department of a large-scale printing company... the design people work entirely on mac and the other people work on PC. I'm a PC person, but I'm versed enough in mac to be an advanced user.
I don't mind working on an OSX machine, but they are really akward about some things.
I see both sides, but I definately don't see ANY purpose for an entire office to go mac. It's just not cost-efficient, and finding someone to do your tech support that knows mac in and out is going to be an issue. Contrary to popular belief, I think the learning curve for macs is actually pretty steep.
That's definitely true. I should re-assess my basic user group - those who want a tiny (Mac Mini) or all-in-one (iMac) computer on their desktop, or want to make a fashion statement with one of the neato laptops. I've tried recommending them to people, but when they say "Why should I pay $599 for a Mac Mini when I can get the same-spec Dell with a 17" CRT for $299?" - I don't really have an answer other than "it's small and cool".
I think it would be neat to use them in a business, along with a good Linux or Unix server, but there's no way it could happen realistically - you wouldn't be compatible with the rest of the world.