To MAC or not to MAC that is the question
It’s still that age-old computer debate.
Well, there is one question facing anyone wanting to buy a computer: splurge on a MAC or use a PC with “windoze”? After a little over than 5 years in the making, Vista hit the stores this year and was touted as a “revolution” in the Windows OS system.
It’s not all it’s been hyped up to be.
Many people have opted NOT to switch over to Vista and remain on XP. Things like incompatible hardware, software glitches, and the like make it harder to just switch over to Vista. Also, you just don’t know what to expect with Vista!
And the proof is in the numbers. Microsoft was originally forecasting that Vista would outsell XP by at least 2 times. So far, not even close.
Also, is it really a “revolution”? Or just a cheap knock off of MAC OS? I’ll be addressing this topic as soon as I’ve test-driven a PC with Vista on it.
SHOCKER: I haven’t always loved the MAC
I’ve been a MAC convert (surprise, surprise) for quite a few years now.
In design school, I was using MAC OS 8 — and I absolutely hated it. Then in about 2001, after being tired of constantly fighting my computer, I switched over and have never looked back.
What do I miss about the PC?
- Pressing the delete key to delete files rather than having to drag them to the trash.
- Pressing the “X” in the title bar to close a program
- Pressing the maximize button in the title bar and having the windows take up the whole screen
- Copying an entire folder to a directory that contains a folder by the same name. On the PC, only the files within the folder that have the same name get replaced. On the MAC, the entire folder is replaced
- The start menu and the quick links toolbar to quickly launch applications
- File maintenance (like deleting cookies and temporary files) is more accessible on the PC
- Formatting a drive is way easier on the PC
- Microsoft Publisher (for clients) is only available on the PC
- Internet Explorer is only available on the PC
- Cannot host a goto-meeting on the MAC but only on a PC
- Web sites featuring content only available for Internet Explorer
- Audio and video content on certain websites can only be played on PC computers
- Shockwave is still not available for MAC Intel processors!
What don’t I miss about the PC?
- The blue screen of death or computer crashes!
- The VIRUSES and security issues on the PC. To date, virus count: PC = over 114,000, MAC = 1
- Windows updates happening so often! Why does Windows need so many security updates?
- Hourglass going round and round “thinking” about you are asking the computer to do
- DRIVERS! How hard it is to connect and get working peripherals. It’s definitely not plug and play.
- MAC is more customizable than the PC
- Lack of an iLife suite compatible software for the PC
- The MAC “just works” and is unbeatable in terms of graphics!
- Setting up networking is so much easier on a MAC!
- From box to desk and working in minutes. You can get set up and going on the MAC in a couple of minutes.
- No need to be a technician to use and upgrade my computer (MAC)
- OS getting upgraded every half decade!
C O N C L U S I O N
I wonder if some of the problems with Windows isn’t for the fact that they are writing an OS that has to be compatible with a lot of different hardwares. MAC writes its OS for their own hardware. Windows has to contend with so many different manufacturers.
Another point of contention with me is that in the past, they’ve also given us OS that were, quite frankly, crap (remember Windows Millennium).
A FINAL HINT: Never, ever buy a new version of Windows until you’ve read the reviews from people. Wait at least a few months for them to work out the “quirks” and “security issues” have been addressed. One friend never buys a Microsoft product until the first “SP” (service pack) has come out.
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