Mac vs Windows [Merged]

Mac or PC?


  • Total voters
    54
  • Poll closed .

NickC

Professional
You're bi-computer. An outcast of both the PC and Mac worlds.....unless you're a girl. Then it's kind of hot.

Not a girl. Not an outcast, either. I use a PC for school and gaming, and take my laptop with me on trips. I've always had a Mac as my home computer. I've had my current Mac for 6 years running, or something around that. Solid machine.
 

WBF

Hall of Fame
I'm saying that you don't need to install any extra security on a Mac, unless you're clicking every popup out there and downloading all the porn in the world. So you, WBF, would need extra security on a Mac.

Errr... Unless you 'click on every popup out there and download all the porn in the world', you don't need any security suite for Windows either.
 

kimbahpnam

Hall of Fame
Mac.

If you don't like Mac because you can't run PC programs, then install Bootcamp (which is free btw) or Parallels and you can run both!

You can't run a Mac OS on a PC, but you can run Windows on a Mac.
 

Lakoste

Professional
Errr... Unless you 'click on every popup out there and download all the porn in the world', you don't need any security suite for Windows either.

Not entirely true, sometimes it is inevitable for a Windows user to avoid a virus since there are so many of them out there. I even remember an article not too long ago saying how some people got infected by going to a phony Obama site. Lucky for Macs, the market share is way too low for viruses to be made for OSX. That will probably change in the future as Macs get more popular, but I've been saying the same thing for 5+ years now.
 

maverick66

Hall of Fame
Not entirely true, sometimes it is inevitable for a Windows user to avoid a virus since there are so many of them out there. I even remember an article not too long ago saying how some people got infected by going to a phony Obama site. Lucky for Macs, the market share is way too low for viruses to be made for OSX. That will probably change in the future as Macs get more popular, but I've been saying the same thing for 5+ years now.

theres one now thats coming from torrents. it was gonna happen everyone knew it. its disgused as one of the new programs for mac. it had to happen and all the mac users have to start being a little more carefull.
 

J-man

Hall of Fame
Not entirely true, sometimes it is inevitable for a Windows user to avoid a virus since there are so many of them out there. I even remember an article not too long ago saying how some people got infected by going to a phony Obama site. Lucky for Macs, the market share is way too low for viruses to be made for OSX. That will probably change in the future as Macs get more popular, but I've been saying the same thing for 5+ years now.
Its not market share. Macs are harder to write viruses for. Plain and simple
 

WBF

Hall of Fame
Not entirely true, sometimes it is inevitable for a Windows user to avoid a virus since there are so many of them out there. I even remember an article not too long ago saying how some people got infected by going to a phony Obama site. Lucky for Macs, the market share is way too low for viruses to be made for OSX. That will probably change in the future as Macs get more popular, but I've been saying the same thing for 5+ years now.

Lakoste: Nope. That involves user action.

Also: Now that Macs are making inroads on the desktop, they are seeing more vulnerabilities... But ultimately, Windows and Unix will be the largest targets, given the sensitive data they often contain (Unix being used in servers, Windows on the desktop and servers in various organizations).

Windows is also a huge target for OS exploits that have been patched, given the inability of pirated copies to update. I think MS made a huge mistake on that one. Conficker is a great example, with countries like the US (less piracy) having far fewer infections than Asia and Latin America. MS has made huge inroads in the world of security, but there is certainly more they could do.

Ultimately, the biggest issue is ignorance. Ignorant users, ignorant corporate types who forgo security at the early stages of design/development (apps are far more problematic than operating systems, and these issues appear on every platform. Most don't update automatically, and many have numerous vulnerabilities) etc.
 

diredesire

Adjunct Moderator
Mac.

If you don't like Mac because you can't run PC programs, then install Bootcamp (which is free btw) or Parallels and you can run both!

You can't run a Mac OS on a PC, but you can run Windows on a Mac.
You can run Mac OSX on PCs. It just requires a little finesse ;)
Why do you think we can run windows (natively) on apple hardware? It's all x86 compliant! For the same reason now that we can run OSX on intel hardware, we can run OSX on "PCs."

It's not super easy, by any means, though. Like an above user has said, Windows supports a wide variety of hardware, whereas OSX only supports a limited slice. Thus, hacked drivers, etc are necessary for some/many configs.

Not entirely true, sometimes it is inevitable for a Windows user to avoid a virus since there are so many of them out there. I even remember an article not too long ago saying how some people got infected by going to a phony Obama site. Lucky for Macs, the market share is way too low for viruses to be made for OSX. That will probably change in the future as Macs get more popular, but I've been saying the same thing for 5+ years now.

I used to agree with this approach re: mac security, but I think it's going to be pretty outdated very shortly. People downloading Photoshop and iLife (or was it iWork...) '09 were happy to receive... trojans! I'm not commenting on the appropriateness of pirating software, but security vulnerabilities and issues ARE there.


Also: Now that Macs are making inroads on the desktop, they are seeing more vulnerabilities... But ultimately, Windows and Unix will be the largest targets, given the sensitive data they often contain (Unix being used in servers, Windows on the desktop and servers in various organizations).

Windows is also a huge target for OS exploits that have been patched, given the inability of pirated copies to update. I think MS made a huge mistake on that one. Conficker is a great example, with countries like the US (less piracy) having far fewer infections than Asia and Latin America. MS has made huge inroads in the world of security, but there is certainly more they could do.

Ultimately, the biggest issue is ignorance. Ignorant users, ignorant corporate types who forgo security at the early stages of design/development (apps are far more problematic than operating systems, and these issues appear on every platform. Most don't update automatically, and many have numerous vulnerabilities) etc.

I agree with your post! Don't forget that OSX is "based" (i use this term loosely) on UNIX. I agree with what you said about pirating, limiting security updates to legit copies was a bad idea. I think that for the most part, high importance security updates are still deployable to pirated copies (they retain eligibility, IIRC).

Either way, there are ways to get updates, if you are "smart" enough to use a pirated copy of software, you should be smart enough to figure out how to do so. The ignorant thing really rings true here.
 
How crap are Macs?

Just how crap are they?
Like the Mac OS 9, which the monitor Apple built for it looked like it was designed by a 3-year old.
Or the one for the OS X in which looks like a flattened potato.

In fact the Apple 2 is aesthetically the best. And that was released in 1984.

Go figure.

Anyway, this thread isn't just about macs 'looks' (if it has any).
This thread is also about:
1. how slow they are
2. how annoying they are
3. how crap they are

DISCUSS!!!!!
 

Polaris

Hall of Fame
Just how crap are they?
Like the Mac OS 9, which the monitor Apple built for it looked like it was designed by a 3-year old.
Or the one for the OS X in which looks like a flattened potato.

In fact the Apple 2 is aesthetically the best. And that was released in 1984.

Go figure.

Anyway, this thread isn't just about macs 'looks' (if it has any).
This thread is also about:
1. how slow they are
2. how annoying they are
3. how crap they are

DISCUSS!!!!!
I think you are deliberately trying to stir up an argument. Many people think that Macs are extremely well-designed computers. I use Ubuntu, but I think I would be quite happy with a Mac.

BTW, they aren't any slower than Vista PCs, though they might be slightly slower than some versions of Linux. Regarding your other points, "annoying" and "crap" say nothing about anything.
 

HipHerring

New User
Macs are pretty much the standard for the audio/video industry.

Although somebody actually in the industry could tell you better than I could. I think macs are equal to PCs in everyday usage. I primarily use my computer for gaming, so PC is better for me. :D
 

goober

Legend
At one point MACs were easier to use than PCs, but that pretty much went away around Windows 98. Now I can't see any major advantages to MACs for home use other than they don't have as many viruses and worms.

OTOH PCs have cheaper hardware, software, wider range of choices for everything. Gaming on a MAC pretty much is a frustrating experience.
 

canadave

Professional
I think they should add "Mac vs. PC" discussions to the list of taboo topics that people should never discuss at a social event, along with religion and politics. They always wind up descending into childish name-calling.

But I'll bite on this one, because I'm bored.

I've worked with PC's for over 20 years doing tech support, from Wall Street to small Canadian towns. My first PC was a TRS-80 and I bought my last PC about five years ago. So I think I know a tiny bit about PC's.

I used to look down my nose at Macs. I had a Mac Classic many, many moons ago, when I was a kid, but that was it. I thought Macs were overpriced and I thought the Mac fanboyism was just plain silly.

However, when Macs went to the Intel platform and I realized I could have a PC AND a Mac in the same box, and because my wife liked Macs, I bought her a Mac laptop when she asked for one for Xmas about 3 years ago.

After using it, I was hooked, and wound up buying myself a Mac Pro, which I love. To me, Macs are so much simpler to use in terms of things like playing around with photos, composing movies, doing "human" things. Obviously they're not ideal gaming platforms, and they're not as fully upgradeable and customizable in hardware as PC's are. But those drawbacks to me are not major big deals, since I can run Windows on my Mac Pro for the things I want to run there, and I can use the Mac side for the things I like doing on the Mac side.

The fact that a Mac can also be a Windows machine, AND is almost completely immune to viruses out of the box, AND has a smoother interface than PC's (that last bit is just my personal opinion), to me makes them worth the extra cost. It's a closed system that works well for me....I'm not as much of a tinkerer as I used to be, I just want the damned thing to work without me tweaking a million things. Macs do that perfectly.

Just my .02...if you love PC's, that's fine too...but definitely try using a Mac if you haven't tried it. Once you go Mac, you'll never go back ;)
 

RD 7

Rookie
I own a pc and a mac. I like them both. the main difference is the viruses. the pc requires bulky security measures and a lot more general babysitting to keep the OS fast.
 

kimbahpnam

Hall of Fame
I've had both...actually still have both.

Macs are way more stable. Don't have to worry about them crashing or blue screening. OS interface is better. Audio/Visual engineering programs are better.

With bootcamp I can enjoy a PC on my Mac.
 

logansc

Professional
Having used both and owning both, I personally love my Mac for everyday use, I love the interface, it's fast, doesn't crash and is very portable. My PC on the other hand, I use for work and for gaming, though I am more of a console gamer myself.
 

mucat

Hall of Fame
It is a way of life.

PC is about freedom. You can pick and choose the components you want, video card, cpu, motherboard, harddrive, all the way down to fans, color of fans, screws, color of screws. Then you can pick the OS you want to use. It is all about freedom.

Macs is about some old guy telling you that you are cool and hip and please buy my product while you are so cool. Did I mentioned you are so cool today?

(non-Macs) Pre-built machine is somewhere between this two.
 

NickC

Professional
Grew up using both, still have both and use both. One isn't simply "better", it's just a matter of what you're trying to do. I use both on a consistent basis and love both of them.
 

kimbahpnam

Hall of Fame
It is a way of life.

PC is about freedom. You can pick and choose the components you want, video card, cpu, motherboard, harddrive, all the way down to fans, color of fans, screws, color of screws. Then you can pick the OS you want to use. It is all about freedom.

Macs is about some old guy telling you that you are cool and hip and please buy my product while you are so cool. Did I mentioned you are so cool today?

(non-Macs) Pre-built machine is somewhere between this two.

Well, the whole point of having different models/options in Macs is pretty much so you can pick and choose the components. Granted, there isn't the variety of options that PC has.

I don't have a desktop Mac, I use my MB Pro for everything including PC games.
 

mucat

Hall of Fame
Well, the whole point of having different models/options in Macs is pretty much so you can pick and choose the components. Granted, there isn't the variety of options that PC has.

I don't have a desktop Mac, I use my MB Pro for everything including PC games.

Comparing Mac models/options to what you can do to a PC is like comparing a 2.0 to 7.0 player. It is not in the same league.

I would like to see you upgrade you Mac to sli videocard(s), aftermarket HSF and overclock it.
 

goober

Legend
Comparing Mac models/options to what you can do to a PC is like comparing a 2.0 to 7.0 player. It is not in the same league.

I would like to see you upgrade you Mac to sli videocard(s), aftermarket HSF and overclock it.

TO be fair, the only time you ever have to do that is with high end 3D gaming. Even then it is questionable if you if it is necesary in most cases if you are not a hardcore gamer. That said, I have OC'ed my CPU, GPU and even tried water cooling at one point:mrgreen: But now I am back to normal-hehe
 

kimbahpnam

Hall of Fame
TO be fair, the only time you ever have to do that is with high end 3D gaming. Even then it is questionable if you if it is necesary in most cases if you are not a hardcore gamer. That said, I have OC'ed my CPU, GPU and even tried water cooling at one point:mrgreen: But now I am back to normal-hehe

I've been down that path too, building a PC from scratch. It's a fun learning experience and there's some pride in knowing you built it yourself. I had nifty lights and stealth drives, big fat arse heatsink for OC'in, etc. I also now returned back to a life without all that stuff. My MB Pro has done the job for me just fine. All I need is bootcamp and enough to run counterstrike to meet my gaming needs :twisted:
 

Rob Johnson

New User
I have a macbook, and I love it also. I prefer it over Windows, but mainly because I think it's more intelligently designed. It doesn't crash, and it generally runs smoother with the same amount of RAM. The Clip-Screencap feature is genius (Command + shift + 4).

Having said that, my work PC still has Windows XP and is extremely stable, and I've never used Windows Vista. So take my opinion for what it is.
 

Roy Hobbs

New User
Just how crap are they?
Like the Mac OS 9, which the monitor Apple built for it looked like it was designed by a 3-year old.
Or the one for the OS X in which looks like a flattened potato.

In fact the Apple 2 is aesthetically the best. And that was released in 1984.

Go figure.

Anyway, this thread isn't just about macs 'looks' (if it has any).
This thread is also about:
1. how slow they are
2. how annoying they are
3. how crap they are

DISCUSS!!!!!

I own and use a Mac as well as multiple PCs on a daily basis. Could I get by with just one platform? Sure, probably. But the creative professionals in my field all speak Mac. And the business stuff gets handled via PC.

1. I've had no experience of a Mac being slow relative to a PC.

2. The computer itself is annoying? Might want to be specific. I often find Apple's marketing to be annoying, though exceptionally successful. Seems like a lot of hatred comes from the perceived snobbery associated with Apple, e.g. higher price points, the "hipness" factor, etc. But I don't blame the wonderfully-engineering products themselves.

3. How crap they are? How crap is this question?
 

tennisguyak

Semi-Pro
I think macs and the mac os are much more aesthetically pleasing, but imo, pcs are more software friendly (as in more software for the os).

Here's what I would do if I could get my hands on a brand new PC/Laptop right now:
Uninstall Vista, Install XP Pro SP2, Install a mac transformation pack, Install all my favorite software.

But for now I'm stuck with my crap PC with 256 MB ram, 60 GB HDD, Sempron Proccesor.:(
 

mucat

Hall of Fame
TO be fair, the only time you ever have to do that is with high end 3D gaming. Even then it is questionable if you if it is necesary in most cases if you are not a hardcore gamer. That said, I have OC'ed my CPU, GPU and even tried water cooling at one point:mrgreen: But now I am back to normal-hehe

To me. It is not about high end gaming. It is about values. I already have the CPU and vidoecard that could do higher than stock speed and give a little performance boost. Why not use it? I don't put lights or custom fan grill in my PC. Because I don't look at the case when I am using it. I don't care. I care about values, performance vs. moola. That's why I don't do water cooling and sli (for now) because you will most likely to pay a lot more for a little gain. For the same reason, I can't go to Mac, I can accomplish the same task on a PC, why pay more. I don't like people telling me to pay more for the same thing, it sounds too much like I got scammed.
 

WildVolley

Legend
I think the Macs improved a lot when they switched over to the OSX and then moved to the Intel chip. The current Mac operating system just runs on top of Unix, but even it is becoming popular enough that viruses and bot attacks are being developed for it.

I like the new laptops, but I don't have any experience with them. Apple made a lot of dogs in the past, but their products are usually well designed. I once took a part an iBook and you had to almost completely disassemble the thing to get at the hard drive.

I don't have enough need or money to get a Mac at this point. I'm writing this on a PC I slapped together a couple years ago.
 

topspin

Semi-Pro
I've worked and sold computer for almost 20 years and have not got hooked on macs at all. I don't have a ton of experience with them but I do have a few clients that have them and have asked me to help them install software. I am not really impressed with the speed or the interface. I do know that macs are the preferred choice for graphic artists. But for everyone else, including myself, I can do absolutely everything I need with my pc running windows xp. Viruses are not a big deal as long as you have a decent antivirus software (They are not all bulky). The main thing to keep in mind regarding viruses is to just use common sense and avoid downloading executable attachments and avoid clicking popups and avoid questionable websites.

Incidently, one of my clients bought a new mac laptop and it would not shut down after about 1 month use. Macs are still computers and still prone to failure. Be careful with the whole marketing aspect behind macs. They are marketed to be 'cool'. But is it cool to pay a lot more and have limited hardware/software choice?
 

kimbahpnam

Hall of Fame
1. Macs are very slow compared to PC

2. Apples are very annoying in that they are so much more expensive than microsofts and they are a lot crappier (in most branches)

3. Apples are VERY crap, especially the OS 9, however the OSX isn't that bad, even close to vista in annoyingness, even though it looks like a flattened potato.
as you see it.

It's nice that you're offering your own opinion, but how about empirical evidence. You're not convincing anyone.

Here's what I prefer each system for:
PC - games, web browsing, some software
Mac - academics, audio/video editing/recording/watching/listening, aesthetics, reliability, more basic built-in functions

I think there is a slight speed difference in favor of the PC when it comes to opening/closing programs and boot up speed, but that's not enough for me to switch teams.
 

Fedfan4life

Semi-Pro
I don't understand what the OP is trying to get to. If you cannot afford apple stuff then stop hating, from what your telling us is that no one has you over a barrel and is forcing you to buy a mac. Stick with what your happy with and let us mac guys enjoy their what we've spent our money with.

And with the stop paying the "apple tax" microsoft campaign. Everyone can agree that that's microsoft's very bad marketing campaign against apple. Just ask the actress that MS hired for their latest commerial.
 
I don't understand what the OP is trying to get to. If you cannot afford apple stuff then stop hating, from what your telling us is that no one has you over a barrel and is forcing you to buy a mac. Stick with what your happy with and let us mac guys enjoy their what we've spent our money with.

And with the stop paying the "apple tax" microsoft campaign. Everyone can agree that that's microsoft's very bad marketing campaign against apple. Just ask the actress that MS hired for their latest commerial.

Well, from the way people on this thread are talking, they just think I'm just some guy who just wants to pick on macs just cos I have nothing to do and want to be annoying.

Well let me tell you this.
I had to spend 6 years in a high school full of Mac OS 9s and they were the crappiest, worst computers I have ever used in my entire life. So there you go Fedfan4life, for those 6 years I had no life, cos I just sat there for 10 minutes each time I wanted to use the damn computer, because the stupid thing took so long to load.

Now you may understand why I hate macs so much.
From what I have expeirenced with the new OS X, Macs have improved dramatically since then, but I'm sorry to say that beacuse of that
stupid OS 9, I will hate macs forever.
 

kimbahpnam

Hall of Fame
Well, from the way people on this thread are talking, they just think I'm just some guy who just wants to pick on macs just cos I have nothing to do and want to be annoying.

Well let me tell you this.
I had to spend 6 years in a high school full of Mac OS 9s and they were the crappiest, worst computers I have ever used in my entire life. So there you go Fedfan4life, for those 6 years I had no life, cos I just sat there for 10 minutes each time I wanted to use the damn computer, because the stupid thing took so long to load.

Now you may understand why I hate macs so much.
From what I have expeirenced with the new OS X, Macs have improved dramatically since then, but I'm sorry to say that beacuse of that
stupid OS 9, I will hate macs forever.

Come on.....you're telling me Windows ME and 2000 were jewels?

...let's not forget Vista
 
Top