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PC vs. Mac

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PC vs. Mac

-or- the suit vs. the slacker

from JoeUser Forums
By now, I am sure most of us have seen the new round of Mac vs. PC commercials. You know, the one with the middle age, sort of uptight looking, fuddy-duddy dude in a suit representing a PC, and the young, hip, cool, laid-back dude in old jeans and a T-shirt representing a Mac.

I have seen a couple of variations, but they all focus on the same thing. They all are trying to convey the same message: Macs are just cool and "work", whereas PCs are out of touch, laborious and problematic. Of course, I find it odd that so much of the advertising lately is on the hardware (considering I am typing this entry on my Windows laptop with Intel Core Duo processors, an pretty nice ATI graphics card, more RAM than a Mac Book and a larger HD than a Mac Book, at easily a few hundred dollars lower cost).

Nevertheless, I am not a Mac hater. In fact, I fully anticipate owning a Mac someday, when I can afford to have one IN ADDITION to my Windows computers. But I have to admit, I really don't care for these new ads. They just seem like such a faulty use of details, that honestly, I think they are embarrassing. In that spirit I share the following (sorry, can't paste the image myself as it is not mine and I don't have permission to be pasting it):

An alternative comparison between PC dude and Mac dude.

I found this quite entertaining.
131,988 views 263 replies
Reply #26 from JoeUser Forums Top
Kias are probably cheaper than Ford hybrids, but some people actually prefer Ford hybrids to Kias and might even argue it's more cost-effective. Unless you compare the two computers feature-to-feature (including FireWire, webcam, and whatever else I take for granted on Macs), as well as the fact that it could run both Windows and OS X, then one might as well say criticize Alienware computers for not being as cheap as eMachines. Is that comparing two computers with the same features (i.e. firewire, webcam, etc.?). If not, then one can argue that I can find a cheaper computer than yours on eBay. Sure, it'll be a P2, but it'll be much cheaper! Hell, Kias are cheaper than Ford hybrids. After all, you didn't need to spend all that money on the notebook you bought. You could have probably bought a much cheaper P2 one on eBay.

As for why I'd say OS X is better than Windows XP, here are my reasons: Spotlight, AppleScript, the uniformity of it all (I believe Brushed Metal, Aqua, and Polished Metal compliment each other quite well), Expose, the cleanliness of it (even troublesome programs [or just very big ones like X11] on OS X can be uninstalled without as much residue as the average program leaves on Windows XP especially with that awful registry, but most programs uninstall quite fine, even big ones), and the whole integration of it all. I haven't used Windows in quite a long time, so it's hard for me to compare and contrast, but last time I checked, XP didn't include something like Spotlight or AppleScript and Luna didn't quite cover everything. Oh, and Automator. That's been a blessing too. I know there are programs that can give such functions to XP, but then it lacks that whole integrated and part of the OS feel. That's probably what makes OS X so great: the fact that it feels so integrated.
But to show that I'm not a complete Mac bigot, I'll acknowledge that I never had much of a problem with XP. In fact, it's quite a beautiful OS.
Reply #27 from JoeUser Forums Top
I have PC's in my life. My brother, a journalist/writer/academic has Macs. We have these pissing contests (jokingly, of course) about which is better. He keeps telling me that Macs are the industry standard in publishing houses and good recording studios around the world but everytime I talk to anyone else about my requirements, virtually none of the software I'm using in my home studio will run on a Mac. So I'm sticking with PC's

Sure, the Macs look cool and funky but that doesn't make up for the impracticality.
WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #28 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Okay, so it's not likely to happen any time soon, and maybe it'd p!ss some fanboys and purists off, but it would be good if MS and Apple combined to make Wac or Mindows OSes, to offer the best of both worlds, greater variety, better options.

No, I'm neither a purist or a fanboy....and maybe the third party software developers would have a few problems, but they'd adapt to remain viable, popular, in business.
Reply #29 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You typed it up on your Windows system, well, I type this up on my x86 Debian/KDE system in Konqueror using the KHTML engine. So what? Across from me my iMac sits watching text scroll by on it, as two make jobs compile Mac-on-Linux on Gentoo. A FreeBSD system is routing my connection from both these machines to the internet.

PPC32, PPC64, x86, x64, who cares really? What Apple SHOULD mean to say is that Mac hardware is better selected, leading to only purebread systems instead of the mongrels in the PC world. And almost any BSD system can make the same claim, as BSD is 99% Standards-Only.

Anyways, I hate misinformation so:
Viruses - The macintosh design is pretty insecure. So is Linux. SELinux is pretty good, but requires "manual intervention." Non-Point. Security-by-obscurity has been debunked, multiple times.
Crashes - Well, if you have an administrator who installs unknown software, from unreputable sites, which links statically to libraries, and frequently uninstalls them, there will be trouble here no matter what. AppDirs are great Macintosh thing that self-contain those statically linked libraries. Klik, 0-install, etc. are all solutions for other operating systems. Even vmware player is a solution. Point exists, but not to the extent advertised.
Device Interoperability - If everything works according to the standards, then everything works with Windows, Linux, Macintosh, or other obscure OS. Non-Point.
Software - Who really cares what's bundled with the System? Apple tools are generally "easier" to use, but there is a wealth of free, or non-free software out there for Windows. Heck, the GNOME project is even easier than Mac OS X, IMO. iLife may be so simple a brain-dead monkey could use it, but if it weren't for Anti-Trust laws Microsoft could bundle applications with Windows to give it equally good "out-of-the-box" software. Non-Point.
Music - iTunes sucks. All hail Quod Libet and Amarok. Ok, I'm biased. Point exists. iTunes is a 100 times better than WMP. Extremely good interoperability, IFF you use other iLife products. Apple should provide a drop-in interface for selecing alternatives, similar to how the KDEPIM project did [a bloody fantastic job].
Pictures - am I the only person who hates the Mac OS pictures app? F-Spot is my tool of choice. Point exists, when compared to Windows. But even then, Anti-Trust ruling are hampering Microsoft here.
Networking - please tell me someone has tried to set up an NFS connection on a Mac. You know, the Unix one? Instead on SMB, or CIFS, the Windows one. Sure, it's possible, but it might as well not be. Non-Point.
Restarts - Ok, so the Windows Kernel can not load/unload sections at a time. It's monolithic. So is Linux. Mach is a microkernel. Wow, that just means so little. Windows only needs restarting when its kernel crashes. Here's the problem - ignorant users who assume a program locking up makes for a mandatory restart. The pinwheel-of-death is an instance of Mac's "crashing." Just because a Mac has the equivalent of xkill means nothing. End Process works in Windows. Non-Point.

So, in my opinion, in six ads, they made three points [and not just one point per ad]. The rest was just factoids or "look what we come bundled with." Pathetic. And the style was completely below what I expect from Apple, unless they were targetting business users. Which they weren't. Apple's stylish ads have always been "Hmmm, what's that?" to get your curiosity peaked, then in an article, a website, or something, an elegant description of smooth velvet. Followed up with an otherwise excellent product except it overheats and has bad capacitors. That, IMO, is good advertising. Information is not what people are interested in these days, unless they look it up themselves. Evolution of TV advertising - first it was all text, then it was emotional concepts with no product, now it's curiosity-peaking elements followed up by smooth detailed text with no intellectual requirements. Seriously, that's how ads have gone [1990+].

@ #27, that's why vendor lock-in sucks. And Apple is a worse offender than Microsoft. (I REALLY HATE Apple business practices. More than Microsoft, by far.) Unfortunately, the only solution to Vendor lock-in is something people don't like, as the geek stigmata is associated with it - Free [as in Freedom, but you all know this] Software.
Reply #30 from WinCustomize Forums Top
wtf?
I must admit, apple is a bit cheeky with the ads and stuff.
Reply #31 from WinCustomize Forums Top
"In addition to." I like that.

I have a Sony V505 13" screen laptop with XP and Object Desktop, along with a lot of other stuff. I love it.

I am also planning on buying two Macs. One will be a Duo Core Mini, which will be used for both a server and a media center. The other will be a used "iLamp" (G4 iMac) from eBay for my kitchen to watch DVDs, casual surfing, and videochatting. Both of these are luxuries which I don't need.

My Little Sony *giggle* is my window into cyberspace. It's what I use for computer work. Playing music (as in MP3s, not being a musician). Etc.

At work I have a 17" PowerBook. It's nice. When I bring it home, it makes a great DVD player. But that's it. I don't have any other personal use for it. And I can have the UI be any color I want, as long as it's brushed steel. *blegh* Judging from the lookalikes here on Wincustomize.com, some of you like the Finder UI. I don't. I'll stay with Explorer and Object Desktop. Or if I get bored with that, I'll re-install geoShell. Or install liteStep and gnuStep (think of gnuStep as Cocoa for Windows or *nix). Or boot into SuSE Linux and run KDE, or Window Maker and gnuStep, or Gnome.

As for Finder, it seems like some other people feel like I do. I hear rumors that Leopard, the next version of OS X, will have a different UI.

Maybe when Leopard comes out, I'll decide to switch. We'll see. Until then my plans are when Vista comes out, I'll get a new laptop and load Object Desktop on it.
Reply #32 from JoeUser Forums Top
You typed it up on your Windows system, well, I type this up on my x86 Debian/KDE system in Konqueror using the KHTML engine. So what?
My point exactly. It is all about preference. I disagree about iTunes though. It is decent, but has some serious flaws, such as the inability monitor folders and a serious lack of options when it comes to naming ripped files, etc. Integration with the music stores is done well, but other than that, I still don't see what the big deal with iTunes is. Now, that is, of course, on a Windows system, so it may be a very different story on a Mac.
Reply #33 from WinCustomize Forums Top
What's wrong with itunes, it's great. Everybody at school I know has it.
Reply #34 from JoeUser Forums Top

What's wrong with itunes, it's great. Everybody at school I know has it.

Like I said, it cannot monitor or smart scan folders.  This is huge.  You have to manually add and remove any music you want.  Winamp can automatically scan any folders you want and add and remove files, foobar 2000 can, WMP can (and has been able to since at least version 9, if not before).  

It has very limited naming capabilities.  I like all my mp3 files to be named Artist-Album-#-Title.  WMP can do that for me, as can many other programs.  iTunes gives me the option to name files # Title.  Weak. 

iTunes has a lot of problems with reading album art from ID3V2 tags.  If iTunes isn't the program that put the album art there, it won't recognize it.  I have files I have tagged with album art.  Winamp can read those, foobar2000 can read those, CD Art Display can read them, WMP can read them.  iTunes?  Not unless I manually go in there and add that album art, even though it is already there in the tags.

iTunes has very limited (and pretty crappy) DSP capabilities.  You cannot adjust the sound of your music nearly as thoroughly as foobar, Winamp or even WMP (especially through external plugins).

iTunes is bloated as can be.  I don't really care that much since I have 2 gigs of RAM, but iTunes will use at least 40-50 megs of RAM (with that much virtual memory as well).  WMP, foobar and Winamp all use at most half of that, even when using lots of additional plugins.  Very inefficient.

There.  You have a beginning list.

Reply #35 from WinCustomize Forums Top
ok ok, i get it. I still like it 'cause it's easy to use.
Reply #36 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Rarely have I logged in to post a comment on anything besides a Windowblinds skin, and this would actually be my first time commenting on a article. But when I saw the 'alternative comparison' ad, I lost it!!! It automatically makes me think of the smug little pr*ck that work in the IT department at my job... He is the epitome of the Mac jerk, down to his wrinkly jeans and perpetually-worn-on-the-outside-and-4-sizes-too-big plaid shirt.

That being said, never having owned a Mac, I don't really have the right to criticize them. They do seem somewhat easier to use (most software installation instructions seem to have 7 steps for Windows and 3 for the Mac), but you gotta figure if somewhere around 90 percent of the world's PCs run on Windows, it's gotta be for a reason.

Thanks for the laugh, BlueDev!
Reply #37 from JoeUser Forums Top
The alternative comparison is pretty funny.

No secret that I use Slackware Linux as my OS of choice. Never did like Mac but that's a personal choice.
Reply #38 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It automatically makes me think of the smug little pr*ck that work in the IT department at my job..


Sort a reminded me of when pollies accept a huge pay rise and try to convince voters it's for the better good of the country.
Reply #40 from WinCustomize Forums Top


there are programs that take care of the registries whenever you uninstall a program, even if the program is a jerk and doesnt want to..

"your uninstaller 2006"

would be the name.
Reply #41 from JoeUser Forums Top
It automatically makes me think of the smug little pr*ck that work in the IT department at my job..


He reminds me of Apple Store staff. I've never ever bought something from an Apple store and not had to deal with some pretentious dickwad with a superiority complex. It's probably the biggest disincentive to buying Apple around - at least at a PC store there's no instant assumption I don't know what a computer is.
Reply #42 from WinCustomize Forums Top
One of my roommates is looking at getting a Mac. The iLife apps are the main selling point for him. It's kind of funny, because he hates iTunes and once said that Unix is "disgusting." He got a free copy of Windows XP from being an engineering student (courtesy of the MSDN Academic Alliance) so if he gets it he'll dual-boot with Windows. For what he wants, it's the best out-of-the-box solution that won't require additional software purchases.
Reply #43 from WinCustomize Forums Top
that is kind of wierd, because on the apple website say "if you know iTunes, you know mac." they are probably not going to like it if they don't like iTunes.
Reply #44 from WinCustomize Forums Top
An alternative comparison between PC dude and Mac dude.





I love it!
Reply #45 from WinCustomize Forums Top
WEll let me give you another point of view:

I am a graph designer, with the wrong job, the Co gave me a hp,windows is slow,bug full and bothering, finally i got the solution, i bought a Mac Book Pro, its amazing, i installed windows for MS office only (which i stoped using cus mac one is better, u just have to get used to it) it is actually faster than the core duo HP my buddy has, except his has a better HD (7200 rpm vs. my 5400)my computer starts up windows faster than the same pc based on the same specs. What i like bout ppl login here is that they change the OS appearance cus its ugly,and yet u complain bout a beautiful workfull os like mac, interesting how the "better" ad goes, windows is better in office work, that's true, however,all work in mac perfectly well, only with some changes (for instance excel formulas, same speed and all, but windows CANT MATCH performance on PHOTOSHOP,ILUSTATOR,ACROBAT READER,and the list goes on.Most windows users have to re-install XP after 6 moths to a year,or sooner (virus,lots and lots) and it has to do on the terrible oranization of windows, when u uninstall something, loads and loads of dll and other archives stay on the HD and registry, mac is just, grab and drop in the bin! surfing the desktop is wonders with EXPOSÈ, plus, the dock is way better than a start menu.Just correct me if i'm wrong, how come ppl with windows make skins that look and work like mac, and ppl with mac dont make skins that look and work like windows?
The hardware is cutting edge, but the software, for instance this quote correct me if its wrong: Macs use an ultra-modern industry standard technology called EFI to handle booting. Sadly, Windows XP, and even the upcoming Vista, are stuck in the 1980s with old-fashioned BIOS. But with Boot Camp, the Mac can operate smoothly in both centuries. MAIN REASON WHY WINDOWS PC'S WONT NEVER DO NATIVE MAC OS.
AND GETTING BACK, WHAT IS WINDOWS PLATAFORM HUMMM---OH RIGHT..............MS DOS, well whenever i see more MS DOS based super servers than UNIX BASED SERVERS, ill give u a call.
tell me a good thing bout windows i cant do on a mac, can windows dualboot? can windows do heavy graphics? can windows NOT get virus, can windows DONT crash, can windows have a IDVD IMOVIE OR IWEB, nah ill stick up with the clock and the calculator LOL, PPL UR IN A FORUM WHERE PPL COME TO CHANGE THERE OS ALMOST IN EVERY WAY, SO I GUESS WINDOWS IS NOT THAT NICE THEN...
sorry bout my spelling im from Spain.
Reply #46 from WinCustomize Forums Top
UPS JUST GOT A VIRUS IN MY MAC, ITS SOMETHING CALLED WINDOWS XP LOL

ONLY BETTER APP IN WINDOWS MSN MESSENGER
CUS OF THE NEW EMOTICONS.
Reply #47 from WinCustomize Forums Top
C's in my life. My brother, a journalist/writer/academic has Macs. We have these pissing contests (jokingly, of course) about which is better. He keeps telling me that Macs are the industry standard in publishing houses and good recording studios around the world but everytime I talk to anyone else about my requirements, virtually none of the software I'm using in my home studio will run on a Mac. So I'm sticking with PC's

Sure, the Macs look cool and funky but that doesn't make up for the impracticality.



What apps do u use in windows?
Reply #48 from WinCustomize Forums Top

tell me a good thing bout windows i cant do on a mac, can windows dualboot? can windows do heavy graphics? can windows NOT get virus, can windows DONT crash, can windows have a IDVD IMOVIE OR IWEB,

Yes.

One thing?....there are millions....millions more applications have been written for the Windows platform than the Mac...

....and, along with clone PC manufacture and DIY....it is ALL ABOUT FREEDOM OF CHOICE.

Something a Mac does NOT have....and it does NOT have it in droves.....

Reply #49 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You are right Jafo, but that's a good thing.  For every 100 programs for the PC maybe one is good and actually works.  Macs might have two or three, but they all work very well. 
Reply #50 from WinCustomize Forums Top

For every 100 programs for the PC maybe one is good and actually works. Macs might have two or three, but they all work very well.

Yes....but do the math....there'll still be more 'good' ones working well with Windows than all those select Mac ones....