Why do apple products just work?

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: soydios
Apple products only have to work on a small number of known configurations. Windows has to (and does) work on everything under the sun, it just might need some convincing before it does.

I used quicktime pro for windows, works smashingly.

quicktime is the $hittiest player known to mankind. maybe it's encoding isn't bad, but playback support is godawful. an HD-quality video in QT will stutter like crazy, but the same video in WMV plays perfectly on my rig.

 

[sdifox]

I can't stand Macs. I have been playing with computers since the Sinclair, TI 86/A, Apple ][ days and MACs just drive me nuts.

 

[weflyhigh]

We have those "fancy" Macs at our school for the TV Production/Photography/Graphic Design courses... Anyways, I took one of the courses and wow are those Macs crappy. It takes forever to load (Final Cut Pro) and would crash on me constantly. It literally took us 6 different attempts to get one section of video to slow down (would begin to render and crash)
The one Mac would let you run something, then go black, then come back one, then black, etc, etc.
And the program (FCP) is not good at all. I probably could have accomplished more with my WMM. If one of the windows permanently disappeared, the teacher's solution was to "copy what you have to a new video"... how efficient...
It's so basic

 

[Chryso]

One manufacturer.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Quality control.

 

[n7]

They don't "just work"

There are lots of issues with Macs...the fanbois just try to cover them up.

 

[chris7b]

Umm...i have had problem w/ both mac laptops i purchase out of the box.

Still like em though.

I think mac owners are like VW owners. They know their product has faults and may be high maintenance, but they still keep buying them.

 

[oogabooga]

Originally posted by: weflyhigh
We have those "fancy" Macs at our school for the TV Production/Photography/Graphic Design courses... Anyways, I took one of the courses and wow are those Macs crappy. It takes forever to load (Final Cut Pro) and would crash on me constantly. It literally took us 6 different attempts to get one section of video to slow down (would begin to render and crash)
The one Mac would let you run something, then go black, then come back one, then black, etc, etc.
And the program (FCP) is not good at all. I probably could have accomplished more with my WMM. If one of the windows permanently disappeared, the teacher's solution was to "copy what you have to a new video"... how efficient...
It's so basic

I'm no fanboy, I don't even own an apple, but to compare final cut pro to WMM? Seriously?

 

[zeruty]

Originally posted by: nboy22
For example it sometimes doesn't shut off correctly and I have to let the battery die

It may actually be crashing. Try resetting it. Try holding down the center button and the menu button, it should reset (On my 4G iPod, this is the center button and the top button. Don't know about others)

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: soydios
Apple products only have to work on a small number of known configurations. Windows has to (and does) work on everything under the sun, it just might need some convincing before it does.

I used quicktime pro for windows, works smashingly.

I agree, Quicktime Pro 7 for Windows works very well. Better than iTunes imo. Apple is a company who's goal I believe is to have hardware/software that works as good as it looks. They aren't 100% successful, but then no company is. You can never completely believe any company's advertising, Apple included. Overall I am satisfied with their products, even though I have had a variety of problems with their products myself. Any complex system will have problems, I don't care who makes it.

There are 2 problems I see: the first is that there are Mac zealots who totally buy into Apple's marketing scheme and then proceed to rub it in everyone else's face, which turns everyone else off, and then there are Anti-Mac fanboys who totally buy into it as well and base their complaints off commercials. I like Macs. I am an Apple fanboy. BUT, they are not perfect. I think that happy Mac users are happy because they don't have to put up Windows anymore. Macs aren't for everybody, but if you're fed up with Windows and want to switch to something else, they're not a bad way to go.

 

[mugs]

This thread is going places

http://members.aol.com/kungfugripzine/erik_estrada_kung_fu_pimp.jpg

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: oogabooga

Originally posted by: weflyhigh
We have those "fancy" Macs at our school for the TV Production/Photography/Graphic Design courses... Anyways, I took one of the courses and wow are those Macs crappy. It takes forever to load (Final Cut Pro) and would crash on me constantly. It literally took us 6 different attempts to get one section of video to slow down (would begin to render and crash)
The one Mac would let you run something, then go black, then come back one, then black, etc, etc.
And the program (FCP) is not good at all. I probably could have accomplished more with my WMM. If one of the windows permanently disappeared, the teacher's solution was to "copy what you have to a new video"... how efficient...
It's so basic

I'm no fanboy, I don't even own an apple, but to compare final cut pro to WMM? Seriously?

He wasn't comparing the programs. He was saying that with the macs crashing all the time, their ability to be truely productive was killed.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: chris7b
Umm...i have had problem w/ both mac laptops i purchase out of the box.

Still like em though.

I think mac owners are like VW owners. They know their product has faults and may be high maintenance, but they still keep buying them.

I'm with you there...I think I've had problems with nearly every Apple product that I've owned, but I still like them. That's like saying you've never had a crash in Windows...it's just not going to happen. Anything man-made will break eventually. I think the extreme fanboyism is what turns people off to Macs. Personally, I've had the famous "1418" error on 2 iPod Shuffles, random shutdown and overheating problems on my MacBook, and wifi problems on my iMac. But I still like them.

Here's what I think everyone needs to know about Macs:

1. Apple's products are NOT perfect, just like everything else. Anything man-made can and will break. Any complex system will have problems. A computer is a complex system; a Mac is a computer; therefore Macs will have problems too.

2. There is a small but loud and very vocal segment of the Mac community that promotes Macs as the best thing since sliced bread. You can find this in the Linux, Windows, AMD, Xbox, and any other community as well. If you only listen to those people to base your opinion on Apple (or any other company or product, for that matter), you are not making a wise decision. It's the same thing with religious fanatics - whenever someone tries to shove something down your throat, your automatic response is the opposite.

3. Marketing != product. Yes, a lot of people hate the Apple vs. PC commercials. Since when does marketing have anything to do with the product? It won't make you run faster, jump higher, or be a better person. It's just marketing. If you believe in commercials representing products, then you're making a mistake.

4. Apple DOES try to focus on making the end-user experience nicer through nice hardware and software design. Their goal is to simplify the computing experience and even make it a little bit fun. Instead of a beige box, you can have a shiny all-in-one iMac on your desk. Instead of a boxy Windows design, you can have fun and colorful icons. Apple goes in with the idea that your computer should be a tool for you to use easily and on a regular basis, not a system that you have to maintain constantly just to keep it running properly.

5. Apple products are trendy right now. It's "cool" to have an iPod or a MacBook.

6. For the average user, Apples are easier to use and less frustrating to work with. Most users just want to use their computer to do things like surf the net and not have to worry about running the latest firewall/antivirus/spyware programs. Properly maintained, a Windows box is just as good as a Mac box in the long haul...but not everyone likes to do maintenance on their computer. Apple removes that hassle from the user. People seem to like that.

7. Many Apple users promote Apple's products simply because they are so happy with them, compared to working with Windows. Your average user knows nothing about registry edits, antivirus, spyware cleaners, etc. They just want to use their computer. Macs are less hassle and run better than Windows machines over time. Just look at our Windows security thread and then see what you have to do to maintain a Mac - night and day.

8. Macs are not great for gaming.

9. Macs are typically a bit more expensive than a comparable PC, but they are not that much overpriced. If you compare the hardware in any given Mac to the hardware in a similar PC, the price is pretty close, sometimes even less. Click here for a cost comparison of a Mac Pro tower versus a similar PC. Part of the problem is that Apple chooses not to sell certain lines of products, such as a mid-range, expandable tower, which makes it harder to do a comparison to what most people have under their desks at any given time.

10. Macs are not for everybody.

Conclusion? Stop buying into Apple's marketing campaign as your source of opinion about Apple's products, and stop buying into the hardcore Apple zealots as your other source of opinion about Apple's products. I know plenty of people who own Macs who don't go around advertising the fact that their computer is soooooo much cooler than yours is; like I said above, there is a small but vocal percentage of Mac owners who feel it necessary to tell everybody "how it is" with Macs. Personally, I love Macs and would recommend them to anyone, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go around saying your Windows PC is a piece of junk and that you're dumb for not getting a Mac. Again, Macs aren't for everybody.

 

[Philippine Mango]

Originally posted by: thespeakerbox
Just admit it. Windows is boring and doesnt work like any OS should.

You have no idea what you're talking about.

 

[AMDZen]

Obviously you haven't read, been a part of, or experienced all of the issues with iTunes running properly on Windows. The software is a pile of trash. Of course it does run fine on a mac.

Oh and I'm not talking about iTunes on Vista but on XP

 

[EKKC]

even apple admitted, besides graphics and publishing work, mac is designed for home users while the business users are completely windows dominated

 

[evident]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: soydios
Apple products only have to work on a small number of known configurations. Windows has to (and does) work on everything under the sun, it just might need some convincing before it does.

I used quicktime pro for windows, works smashingly.

you were ok w/ quicktime loading up everytime you start windows loading 10 processes in the background too? =

 

[amddude]

What about that airport wireless that can't handle vpn connections? That is friggin sad.

 

[Philippine Mango]

Originally posted by: amddude
What about that airport wireless that can't handle vpn connections? That is friggin sad.

I was under the impression that most routers can't handle VPN...

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: EKKC
even apple admitted, besides graphics and publishing work, mac is designed for home users while the business users are completely windows dominated

Yeah, when I recommend a Mac to someone, it's either to a very basic users or a power user. Very basic users have limited needs - email, Internet, Office - things that can be cross-platform pretty easily. Then there's power users, who use a variety of apps but are capable of finding replacements on their own. I typically don't recommend Macs to normal users who have a variety of programs, because it's hard for them to go out and find replacements for all the stuff they use, and it's not really something they're interested in doing. Personally I use about 55 programs on a regular basis, and I have managed to find suitable replacements on Apple's platform for every single one, but it did take a lot of research. I also don't recommend Macs to heavy gamers - you can get a Mac with a decent gaming card in it, but it's going to cost you $2,000 at least. You can build a pretty sick gaming machine for that.

I typically don't recommend them to most business people unless they have a lot of web-based systems. I got a MacBook last summer for work/home use and ended up selling it because I was running Windows on it 99.999% of the time. I still have an iMac strictly for personal use, but it couldn't cut it for work/school because 100% of the programs I used were only for Windows. If you only have a few Windows-specific programs, then you can probably get by with running Parallels, but otherwise it's just not worth it. Personally, my startup company will have Linux servers and Mac computers for the employees, but I'm starting from the ground up so I have a lot more control over what happens.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

because their platform is tighter than a nuns chuff?

seriously, its no way like windows, which considering the amazing range of hardware combos it runs on and an even more vast range of 3rd party developed software that it works with it, its quite a triumph that it works as well as it does.

most of apples stuff comes from them, or from people who work very closely with them, so of course its bound to work.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: otispunkmeyer
because their platform is tighter than a nuns chuff?

seriously, its no way like windows, which considering the amazing range of hardware combos it runs on and an even more vast range of 3rd party developed software that it works with it, its quite a triumph that it works as well as it does.

most of apples stuff comes from them, or from people who work very closely with them, so of course its bound to work.

Yeah...Apple's stuff works great because they only support their own hardware, not everything under the sun. I'm convinced that a good amount of Window's instability is due to their massive array of hardware support...too many products that can have crappy programming that can corrupt Windows. Properly setup and maintained, my Windows 2000/XP machines have been just as stable as my Macs.

 

[Kaido]

I should add that I do not recommend pre-Intel and pre-OS X Macs to people. Also, pre-Intel Macs aren't that bad if you put OS X on them

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: chris7b
Umm...i have had problem w/ both mac laptops i purchase out of the box.

Still like em though.

I think mac owners are like VW owners. They know their product has faults and may be high maintenance, but they still keep buying them.

I'm with you there...I think I've had problems with nearly every Apple product that I've owned, but I still like them. That's like saying you've never had a crash in Windows...it's just not going to happen. Anything man-made will break eventually. I think the extreme fanboyism is what turns people off to Macs. Personally, I've had the famous "1418" error on 2 iPod Shuffles, random shutdown and overheating problems on my MacBook, and wifi problems on my iMac. But I still like them.

Here's what I think everyone needs to know about Macs:

1. Apple's products are NOT perfect, just like everything else. Anything man-made can and will break. Any complex system will have problems. A computer is a complex system; a Mac is a computer; therefore Macs will have problems too.

2. There is a small but loud and very vocal segment of the Mac community that promotes Macs as the best thing since sliced bread. You can find this in the Linux, Windows, AMD, Xbox, and any other community as well. If you only listen to those people to base your opinion on Apple (or any other company or product, for that matter), you are not making a wise decision. It's the same thing with religious fanatics - whenever someone tries to shove something down your throat, your automatic response is the opposite.

3. Marketing != product. Yes, a lot of people hate the Apple vs. PC commercials. Since when does marketing have anything to do with the product? It won't make you run faster, jump higher, or be a better person. It's just marketing. If you believe in commercials representing products, then you're making a mistake.

4. Apple DOES try to focus on making the end-user experience nicer through nice hardware and software design. Their goal is to simplify the computing experience and even make it a little bit fun. Instead of a beige box, you can have a shiny all-in-one iMac on your desk. Instead of a boxy Windows design, you can have fun and colorful icons. Apple goes in with the idea that your computer should be a tool for you to use easily and on a regular basis, not a system that you have to maintain constantly just to keep it running properly.

5. Apple products are trendy right now. It's "cool" to have an iPod or a MacBook.

6. For the average user, Apples are easier to use and less frustrating to work with. Most users just want to use their computer to do things like surf the net and not have to worry about running the latest firewall/antivirus/spyware programs. Properly maintained, a Windows box is just as good as a Mac box in the long haul...but not everyone likes to do maintenance on their computer. Apple removes that hassle from the user. People seem to like that.

7. Many Apple users promote Apple's products simply because they are so happy with them, compared to working with Windows. Your average user knows nothing about registry edits, antivirus, spyware cleaners, etc. They just want to use their computer. Macs are less hassle and run better than Windows machines over time. Just look at our Windows security thread and then see what you have to do to maintain a Mac - night and day.

8. Macs are not great for gaming.

9. Macs are typically a bit more expensive than a comparable PC, but they are not that much overpriced. If you compare the hardware in any given Mac to the hardware in a similar PC, the price is pretty close, sometimes even less. Click here for a cost comparison of a Mac Pro tower versus a similar PC. Part of the problem is that Apple chooses not to sell certain lines of products, such as a mid-range, expandable tower, which makes it harder to do a comparison to what most people have under their desks at any given time.

10. Macs are not for everybody.

Conclusion? Stop buying into Apple's marketing campaign as your source of opinion about Apple's products, and stop buying into the hardcore Apple zealots as your other source of opinion about Apple's products. I know plenty of people who own Macs who don't go around advertising the fact that their computer is soooooo much cooler than yours is; like I said above, there is a small but vocal percentage of Mac owners who feel it necessary to tell everybody "how it is" with Macs. Personally, I love Macs and would recommend them to anyone, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go around saying your Windows PC is a piece of junk and that you're dumb for not getting a Mac. Again, Macs aren't for everybody.

Excellent post :thumbsup:

 

[EKKC]

call me stupid, but personally i just can't get used to the mac myself. i mean, one mouse button?

oh, and i was trying to set up VPN into the office network for the office assistant the other day on her ibook (i work for a small company and she doesn't use PC much so she brings in her own mac), took me 30 minutes to figure that one out, after that I have no way of not using the VPN gateway to get to internet.

i'm sure it's pretty amazing or I won't hear so many talk about it and recommend it, and it may be just a matter of using it everyday to get used to it, but I rather use Windows XP SP2. The most stable windows evar.