PC vs. Mac
- Thread starter AustinBat
- Start date
LazyEngineer
500+ Posts
I'm in charge of developing control systems for billion dollar pharmaceutical plants and refineries. If the control system fails there is the potential for loss of life (not to mention millions of dollars). Our next generation is using Windows 7. Previously we used Windows XP / Windows Server 2003. Trust me, PCs are plenty robust.
Clearly though, Mac marketing is light years ahead of PC.
Clearly though, Mac marketing is light years ahead of PC.
wherzwaldo
1,000+ Posts
So are you suggesting cheap PCs attract viruses and malware? Never knew that. I thought Windows was the culprit no matter the price of the box.
While Macs are nice looking, there's a lot more to it than just the looks. Start with stability. I live in both worlds daily. No comparison.
And just bought my daughter a brand new MacBook released last week for $899 delivered. No need to drop $2K.
While Macs are nice looking, there's a lot more to it than just the looks. Start with stability. I live in both worlds daily. No comparison.
And just bought my daughter a brand new MacBook released last week for $899 delivered. No need to drop $2K.
wherzwaldo
1,000+ Posts
Didn't mean to put words in your mouth. My point was that no matter the price of the PC box there's nothing you can do to escape viruses and malware except constant diligence and discipline. That's a Windows issue, not the underlying hardware.
My PC is a higher end Dell Latitude, don't recall the model number, running XP. (IT dept wouldn't touch Vista) It's about 18 months old and cost about the same as my MacBook Pro which has the same Intel processor and is the same age. In addition, I got it with an external Dell monitor, keyboard, and mouse. So far, the Latitude motherboard, monitor, and keyboard have had to be replaced under warranty. The Dell mouse hasn't been replaced, but that's probably because I use a Microsoft mouse. It doesn't dock/undock reliably so I avoid doing so. The wifi is flaky and unreliable. Most of my coworkers have similar Dells and many of them have had similar issues. I find XP to be stable and responsive enough to get my work done, but not without regular frustration with its limitations. Many times a day at work on my PC I think about how much easier or more productive I could be if I was on OS X. Perhaps our IT dept will move to Windows 7 and I'll see some improvements. The reviews I've seen for 7 indicate that it's much improved, but still not as good as OS X. Hopefully it passes muster with IT.
I saw a comparison of Vista and OS X a few months ago that I wish I'd saved. It showed a flow chart of the OS operations required for a browser to open a typical web page. The Vista flow chart was the biggest incomprehensible rat's nest you ever saw. No way you could ever make that reliable. The OS X flow chart, on the other hand, was structured and minimal by comparison. Clearly much easier to keep it reliable. And that was before Apple released Snow Leopard which was primarily an effort to streamline and tune up OS X.
While not perfect, I still contend the Chevy/BMW analogy is a good one. Chevy offers everything from basic transportation to the high performance Corvette. Reliability will usually be acceptable, but is not top notch. Not sure how to make an analogy for the virus/malware issue. How about Windows is like having a huge flock of grackles following you everywhere you go trying to crap on your shiny Chevy and you're constantly having to chase them away? And, for some reason, grackles couldn't care less about BMWs.
Are Macs theoretically vulnerable to viruses and malware? Yes, but there's also the fact that by and large virus/malware perps don't bother. Also, the latest version of OS X includes virus/malware protection in addition to fixing vulnerabilities. The list of threats is very small so it doesn't take much for Apple to include it. It remains to be seen how they respond if the threat increases, but it's clear they've laid the foundation to address it if necessary.
For me, the choice is clear: Mac.
My PC is a higher end Dell Latitude, don't recall the model number, running XP. (IT dept wouldn't touch Vista) It's about 18 months old and cost about the same as my MacBook Pro which has the same Intel processor and is the same age. In addition, I got it with an external Dell monitor, keyboard, and mouse. So far, the Latitude motherboard, monitor, and keyboard have had to be replaced under warranty. The Dell mouse hasn't been replaced, but that's probably because I use a Microsoft mouse. It doesn't dock/undock reliably so I avoid doing so. The wifi is flaky and unreliable. Most of my coworkers have similar Dells and many of them have had similar issues. I find XP to be stable and responsive enough to get my work done, but not without regular frustration with its limitations. Many times a day at work on my PC I think about how much easier or more productive I could be if I was on OS X. Perhaps our IT dept will move to Windows 7 and I'll see some improvements. The reviews I've seen for 7 indicate that it's much improved, but still not as good as OS X. Hopefully it passes muster with IT.
I saw a comparison of Vista and OS X a few months ago that I wish I'd saved. It showed a flow chart of the OS operations required for a browser to open a typical web page. The Vista flow chart was the biggest incomprehensible rat's nest you ever saw. No way you could ever make that reliable. The OS X flow chart, on the other hand, was structured and minimal by comparison. Clearly much easier to keep it reliable. And that was before Apple released Snow Leopard which was primarily an effort to streamline and tune up OS X.
While not perfect, I still contend the Chevy/BMW analogy is a good one. Chevy offers everything from basic transportation to the high performance Corvette. Reliability will usually be acceptable, but is not top notch. Not sure how to make an analogy for the virus/malware issue. How about Windows is like having a huge flock of grackles following you everywhere you go trying to crap on your shiny Chevy and you're constantly having to chase them away? And, for some reason, grackles couldn't care less about BMWs.
Are Macs theoretically vulnerable to viruses and malware? Yes, but there's also the fact that by and large virus/malware perps don't bother. Also, the latest version of OS X includes virus/malware protection in addition to fixing vulnerabilities. The list of threats is very small so it doesn't take much for Apple to include it. It remains to be seen how they respond if the threat increases, but it's clear they've laid the foundation to address it if necessary.
For me, the choice is clear: Mac.
notreally
1,000+ Posts
btw burnt, i was just messing with you with that link. he just cracks me up.
i can certainly understand some people's reasons for loving their mac's.... they certainly are a well made computer. and like another poster mentioned, i am in IT, and have known how to fix most anything on my computer, and have for a long time. if i didn't have this skill, then my PC could certainly be very frustrating at times. of course it would be better to not have to ever fix it at all, but it is just part of having a computer to me.
i can certainly understand some people's reasons for loving their mac's.... they certainly are a well made computer. and like another poster mentioned, i am in IT, and have known how to fix most anything on my computer, and have for a long time. if i didn't have this skill, then my PC could certainly be very frustrating at times. of course it would be better to not have to ever fix it at all, but it is just part of having a computer to me.
Longhorny630
1,000+ Posts
Orange&White
1,000+ Posts
Longhorny630
1,000+ Posts
I agree that with certain games that a PC is the only way to go, but there's plenty on the consoles to keep me fully entertained. Besides that, when's the last time you saw more than two hot chicks at a LAN party? Bust out a Wii at a party, and the big screen is suddenly covered with hot chicks and all you can see is booty.
Longhorny630
1,000+ Posts
I don't think people who go to LAN parties worry about a lack of girls, there's usually enough on the computers themselves.
notreally
1,000+ Posts
the most complex games are and will continue to be designed for the PC. some of that has to do with the keyboard, some of it with the power of a gaming PC, but really.... more than anything.... it is about culture. and that culture will NEVER move to mac or a gaming console. or at least not within the next 10 years.
chango, I guess you don't read Rusty's Grill. Other than family, my interests are Macs, fly fishing, and coffee. Yes, I do roast my own beans for coffee and espresso. As esoteric as that may sound, it's actually very easy. The only downside is once you have really good fresh coffee you'll never be able to drink ordinary coffee again. Sort of like the downside of owning a Mac.
I have both. At home, I have a PC running W7 (was Vista until recently) and three feet to the right is my mac I use for work. I leave both on all the time (they go into sleep mode). 5 of 7 days when I come in, my PC is locked up and requires a reboot (even since W7).
On my work mac, it is pretty good. It's lighting fast. I've only had it lock up 2-3 times. I have, however, found several irritating things about it that make it less than ideal in the workplace:
1. No way to schedule and be the owner using MS Live Meeting.
2. No way to deal with excel spreadsheets that are locked at the cell level -- you have to crack the entire spreadsheet. Behavior is different on a PC: prompts you for a password.
3. Entourage is a far less sophisticated email client than Outlook. There are lots of small things that just don't exist. On the other hand, it is lighting fast, and I can generally find things in seconds versus minutes or hours on a PC.
4.
On my work mac, it is pretty good. It's lighting fast. I've only had it lock up 2-3 times. I have, however, found several irritating things about it that make it less than ideal in the workplace:
1. No way to schedule and be the owner using MS Live Meeting.
2. No way to deal with excel spreadsheets that are locked at the cell level -- you have to crack the entire spreadsheet. Behavior is different on a PC: prompts you for a password.
3. Entourage is a far less sophisticated email client than Outlook. There are lots of small things that just don't exist. On the other hand, it is lighting fast, and I can generally find things in seconds versus minutes or hours on a PC.
4.
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