what's keeping you from getting a MAC?


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I know I mentioned price earlier, like many others, but another thing that has always stopped me is I've never used OS X much and I would hate to spend that much money just to find I hate it. I could put Windows on it, I suppose, but that's a lot of money for a Windows box.

I don't like the way Apple handles its business

App store, and ads particularly

I also don't need a laptop, and I have a desktop, but I built it myself. I am fairly certain what I built would cost a lot more if I bought it from Apple. Plus, then the issues with games and software... Which then leaves me to ask myself. Is there any reason I want a MAC? I can't find a reason

Alternatively, if I were to get a laptop, the same games and software issues exist, plus I'm not so obsessed with the external looks of a machine, which I feel is pretty much the only real selling point MAC's have

People can argue and bash Windows Vista; however, Windows 7 is freaking awesome and does everything that I need in acceptable ways... so I'm not enticed by MAC's operating system as I don't see the benefits.

I can do everything on my PC that I would possibly do on a MAC (the reverse is probably not true), except I'm saving money in the process and this wasn't due to compromising on certain things. PC's and Windows 7 provide everything I need and want from my computer

Same here and their atrocious fanboys ... arguing with them is like arguing with a table, that's not going to work.

...and a lot of Windows users are real angels. There's good and bad people in both camps.

It's really about preference, I have had my Mac for awhile and I don't think I would ever buy a PC again. I currently have OSX,XP and Windows 7 installed on my machine. I prefer OSX so I use that the most, but I also have some programs that require Windows. To me each of these operating systems are like tools, I use all of them for different reasons. I don't get this made up rivalry, so what if one uses a PC or a Mac. Neither are inferior to the other, it's just a freaking computer.

That's probably the most intelligent response I've seen in this thread so far. Somebody that buys something for their own needs to help them with work or every day to day activities. Not because what the masses are doing so they must follow and some of the other responses are very pathetic it reminds me of school. Somebody said because of Steve Job's thats like saying I'm not going to buy it because he touched it.

It would also appear most in this thread believe all the marketing and hype ending up easily manipulated causing such hatred towards an item. So easily influenced.

Price and support in India isn't the same as that in the US. + No OOTB DVD-RAM, TV Tuner and desktop-class components (sorry Apple but you can't put mobile-grade parts in a desktop machine). :p

LOL this thread is funny, Windows users justifying why they use Windows rather than Mac OS X.

1. hardware is not the issue ROFL.... You don't say hey that Ferrari has a 4lt engine and so does a ford xr6 so I'm not buying the ferrari based on it having pretty much the same specs.

2. You pay for what you get.

3. Yes it doesn't play games (that's all it doesn't do)

4. It does everything a Windows machine does without the virus' and spyware.

I'll keep laughing at this thread its a good one! :)

1. Yeah, hardware IS the issue. Show me a iMac with a quad core. Please.

2. Most of the time, in this case... you're paying extra for the Apple logo.

3. Blu-Ray is another thing it can't do. Yeah, don't forget about that one.

4. *see pic*

idiocracy4.jpg

LOL this thread is funny, Windows users justifying why they use Windows rather than Mac OS X.

1. hardware is not the issue ROFL.... You don't say hey that Ferrari has a 4lt engine and so does a ford xr6 so I'm not buying the ferrari based on it having pretty much the same specs.

2. You pay for what you get.

3. Yes it doesn't play games (that's all it doesn't do)

4. It does everything a Windows machine does without the virus' and spyware.

I'll keep laughing at this thread its a good one! :)

(Y)

I passed my turning point 2yrs ago and stayed with PC when I was looking for a laptop for Uni. Since the machine was to be my primary one, I didn't want to risk the switch to a system I knew nothing about. I know my way around Windows pretty well, and the word is that OSX is not very friendly if you want to dig under the hood of the system. Depends mostly on personal experience, however. And buying a Mac to use Windows as primary OS on it.. no reason.

On the other hand, I got a gut feeling my next laptop might as well be a MacBook Pro 13", especially since they bumped up screen quality.

Forgot to ask if I can buy ANY Apple product that has a Core i5 or i7. Can I? Where are they? Do they come with BD? Can I change the sound card or maybe add a TV capture card? Can I has eSATA? Can I do dual monitors on an iMac? If I can, how much is the adapter to go to DVI or HDMI? Can I get optical out for audio?

Sorry, a Mac can't do a fraction of what I need a computer to do.

LOL this thread is funny, Windows users justifying why they use Windows rather than Mac OS X.

1. hardware is not the issue ROFL.... You don't say hey that Ferrari has a 4lt engine and so does a ford xr6 so I'm not buying the ferrari based on it having pretty much the same specs.

2. You pay for what you get.

3. Yes it doesn't play games (that's all it doesn't do)

4. It does everything a Windows machine does without the virus' and spyware.

I'll keep laughing at this thread its a good one! :)

1. Hardware is the issue. If you want a Ferrari, then buy a PC. You can get a lot more for your money than buying a Mac.

2. To some degree yes, so buy a PC, as mentioned you'll get better specced equipment for the same price as a Mac.

3. Yes it does, just not all the games that are available for the PC (Nice half truth there ;))

4. LMAO - you are seriously dillusional. So you're saying that I can natively run something like Visual Studio 2010 and the .Net 4.0 Framework? I've been running various PCs for 15 years and in those 15 years I've only ever had 2 viruses. Haven't had one since windows ME. I notice you failed to mention the viruses and spyware that are out there for the Mac as well, or do you just get your talking points from the Mac vs PC commercials apple produces?

In my long time of consulting/IT support/helpdesk support/infrastructure design/etc etc etc, about 5 sites used apples (out of 3000-3500) which consist of a few schools and a doctors office. So you can say that Microsoft indirectly pays me to support their products. Until Apple becomes more desired/required in a business environment, I will not get one or have the need for one. What keeps me from getting one is simply the lack of a need for one.

I have a white Macbook and I had nothing but problems with it. Palm rest cracked, bright white spot in the screen along with uneven backlight and it scratches easily, overheating, trackpack button malfunctioning, battery dying way too soon, bad contact in the power circuit, and the list goes on :cry:

I would be willing to buy another Macbook though, the aluminum ones are so damn sexy, definitely the best looking ones out there . But as mentioned, THEY'RE SO DAMN EXPENSIVE ...

That, and OS X just doesn't appeal to me. I try to like the Dock, but its overall window management is horrific. Windows 7's superbar and the new Aero features like Snap, Peek, and jumplists greatly increase work flow.

I do have a 100% functional Hackintosh running Snow Leopard, though, and I use that from time to time.

For me, I would have to say the money is the biggest factor. A equally spec'd Windows/Linux PC is waaaayyy cheaper. I have three computers at the house, 1 Windows machine strictly for gaming (another place Mac falls short in), a Linux laptop, and a Linux server. For all three, I couldn't even buy a MacBook Pro 17". No need for a Mac in my house.

I have to say though, what they do (media, imaging, movies) they do very well, and definitely have a place in business for their machines.

Another issue is with most[/] of their fanboys. I know Windows and Linux have their share, but the sheer smugness that flows from them is like no other. It's almost unbearable. There's a local mac users group which has the acronym S.M.U.G. - very fitting.

Forgot to ask if I can buy ANY Apple product that has a Core i5 or i7. Can I? Where are they? Do they come with BD? Can I change the sound card or maybe add a TV capture card? Can I has eSATA? Can I do dual monitors on an iMac? If I can, how much is the adapter to go to DVI or HDMI? Can I get optical out for audio?

Sorry, a Mac can't do a fraction of what I need a computer to do.

no Core i5 or anything like that..... But Mac Pros have 8 cores ;)

Do they need to come with BD? It's really not a standard item at the moment and I'm sure its not hard for them to implement - But you are correct it doesn't

TV capture card can be installed, eSATA can be used and you can have dual monitors and the adapter is something like $30 AU, yes there is optical out.

So because it doesn't have Core i5 or i7 you can't use it? WOW interesting concept there.

1. Hardware is the issue. If you want a Ferrari, then buy a PC. You can get a lot more for your money than buying a Mac.

2. To some degree yes, so buy a PC, as mentioned you'll get better specced equipment for the same price as a Mac.

3. Yes it does, just not all the games that are available for the PC (Nice half truth there ;))

4. LMAO - you are seriously dillusional. So you're saying that I can natively run something like Visual Studio 2010 and the .Net 4.0 Framework? I've been running various PCs for 15 years and in those 15 years I've only ever had 2 viruses. Haven't had one since windows ME. I notice you failed to mention the viruses and spyware that are out there for the Mac as well, or do you just get your talking points from the Mac vs PC commercials apple produces?

Why would you run .Net framework on your Mac.... Pointless comment completely.

I have never had a virus or spyware on my Mac machines.... pointless comment again.

Why would I need to run Visual Studio when their is perfectly good applications that can do the same thing for Mac OS X? .... Pointless comment again.

I was part of the Windows crowd once, then I received a Mac through work and put Windows on it straight away.... My boss pretty much said just to use OS X see how it goes.... I slowly moved across and now I wouldn't have anything else. I work with Windows machines and they are constant trouble I want to be able to work and not worry about having issues...

I find Windows to be very uncontrolled and random now.... There are so many Windows applications that do exactly the same thing when with the Mac usually there is one application that does that 1 thing and its made to work and work easily.

Since moving about 7 friends and family which would have constant issues with Windows switch to Mac OS X I have had 0 complaints and I don't have to fix their machines any longer... Plus they don't need to pay someone to fix their machines when I'm not around (COST!)

The terminal is one of the other things I could not loose, that is something Windows has always lacked compared to any *nix machine.

Think people look at the Ads to much and all the other random hype, personally screw that stuff, if you guys why would you care about this stuff its marketing and Windows and Mac completely lie to you in ads anyways.

The whole isheep thing and what not..... I think every Windows user (majority) has posted price, compatibly, and arrogance.... I don't think many of you have actually used a Mac OS X machine because I don't have any issues with compatibility between Windows and Mac only thing I can't do is play up to date games.

Anyways its up to you what OS you use, but most of the people that post in this thread are very incorrect.

Edited by offroadaaron
no Core i5 or anything like that..... But Mac Pros have 8 cores ;)

Do they need to come with BD? It's really not a standard item at the moment and I'm sure its not hard for them to implement - But you are correct it doesn't

TV capture card can be installed, eSATA can be used and you can have dual monitors and the adapter is something like $30 AU, yes there is optical out.

So because it doesn't have Core i5 or i7 you can't use it? WOW interesting concept there.

Yeah, let me look on Apple.com and check out the price...brb...

$3,299.00

Two 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon

6GB (6x1GB)

640GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s

NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 512MB

One 18x SuperDrive

Apple Mighty Mouse

Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (English) and User's Guide

I can build something better than this for WAY less. lol.. a GeForce 120. Yeah, that's some top of the line stuff right there.

Face the facts, Apple over-charges for the same hardware. If it's worth it to you to spend more for the OS, go ahead. Just don't pretend not to notice the MASSIVE Apple Tax.

Face the facts, Apple over-charges for the same hardware. If it's worth it to you to spend more for the OS, go ahead. Just don't pretend not to notice the MASSIVE Apple Tax.

You go to a car place to get your car tuned, now you could get all the parts yourself install them yourself and have to worry about each part and where it came from and the tune may not even work well in the end.

Or you could go to the tuner they say you have a certain price range and ask what they offer, they can install the product and say expect 150-160wrkw from the tuning and the parts being installed.

Now it might not be the latest and greatest parts and might cost you more but in the long run you will have less issues, and more reliability and you can take it back to the 1 place and not worry about chasing up on every part. Also Mac OS X is built around the hardware machine it work quickly and smoothly without driver issues. It's not all about the hardware, its the way the software uses the hardware as well.

You might have the time to tinker around with computers but I work with them each and ever day and really when I sit down and want to read the news or look at emails or watch a movie, I don't need a core i5 or i7 to do this.

<snipped>

You might have the time to tinker around with computers but I work with them each and ever day and really when I sit down and want to read the news or look at emails or watch a movie, I don't need a core i5 or i7 and Mac OS X is built around the hardware machine it work quickly and smoothly.

*your car example holds no water because Macs and PCs use the same parts. Cars, however... do not.*

Right there you're implying that I have problems with my computer and yours "just works". Sorry to burst your RDF bubble, but my PC runs fine with no problems- games better than ANY Mac close to it's price range and has way more power over all.

Maybe you're not into cutting edge hardware, but many are. I am. I don't want to be locked into some dated hardware with an OS I can't even play games on. Well, not any good games anyways.

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So, these were some of the biggest tech news and other updates from this week. There will be more issues of our 7 Days series in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned. You can also support Neowin by registering for a free member account or subscribing to extra member benefits, along with an ad-free tier option. Have a great weekend!
    • Well I've done a grand total of nothing, and it now clocks between 2010mhz and 1995mhz (stock is 1710mhz) and hovers around 80c, warmer than it used to, but tolerable clocks seem to have returned. Thanks for all the advice on this thread. Will review the evidence and make a choice.
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