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Doolan · 06-10-08, 10:55 AM

I have been using both a Mac and a PC for many, many years, and well, it all boils down to what you want to get out of the computer.

With Boot Camp and intel processors, gaming is no longer a barrier. SH4, for example, plays beautifully on all mid to high end Macs under Windows.

The two largest problems the Mac has are a relatively high price for the average consumer (it's only cheaper for some design studios because of the truckloads of bundled software and the mostly free upgrades) and the lack of expandability (severe in the Mac Pro, total in the other models unless HD and RAM upgrades are the only thing you want to do)

As for getting stuff done, after more than ten years using both, I'd say the Mac wins.

I have used Macs since the Powerbook 100 and the Mac Classic, and so far I have never, ever experienced a shutdown problem or a serious lockup. After the upgrade to OSX, even after lockups or a couple of power grid farts, I found after powering up again that my OS was in perfect condition and all my unsaved work recovered automatically.

Since most of the software you'll end up using for productivity has been made directly by the creator of the hardware or under their strict supervision, you will find that interaction is total.

As for "tricking the Mac to do what you want" this is far from true. The way Windows XP handles user permissions (this has changed in Vista, btw) has always been openly criticized even by Microsoft personnel, as it locks the user out from certain functions while allowing anyone (malware included) to access vital system functions. OSX works on a BSD base complete with user terminal and superuser access, so there is literally nothing you cannot do with the OS.

The video, by the way, is comedy and nothing else. Apart from the "OMG IT CRASHED" witty humor that can be found (also unfairly most of the time) in most criticisms of Windows (OMG BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH LOL), the few "objective" things the video mentions are false.

For starters, drag and drop from a CD does not make a shortcut, it copies. My apologies to the comedian, but anyone who DOES have a Mac can confirm it works that way...

I still keep a PC for gaming for a very simple reason. I don't mind lockups or crashes or spending a full hour solving driver conflicts when I want to play a game as much as I would if I was trying to work. Plus, if a new game comes out and I need a more powerful video card, chance is I quite simply won't be able to get it for my Mac, and if Apple does market one, it will cost three times as much as a similar PC video card. Even as a Mac user I just can't deny that fact. The PC is more expandable and more affordable.

My formula is, desktop PC for gaming, Mac laptop for actually getting stuff done.

06-10-08, 10:55 AM	#8
Doolan Torpedoman Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 112 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 0	I have been using both a Mac and a PC for many, many years, and well, it all boils down to what you want to get out of the computer. With Boot Camp and intel processors, gaming is no longer a barrier. SH4, for example, plays beautifully on all mid to high end Macs under Windows. The two largest problems the Mac has are a relatively high price for the average consumer (it's only cheaper for some design studios because of the truckloads of bundled software and the mostly free upgrades) and the lack of expandability (severe in the Mac Pro, total in the other models unless HD and RAM upgrades are the only thing you want to do) As for getting stuff done, after more than ten years using both, I'd say the Mac wins. I have used Macs since the Powerbook 100 and the Mac Classic, and so far I have never, ever experienced a shutdown problem or a serious lockup. After the upgrade to OSX, even after lockups or a couple of power grid farts, I found after powering up again that my OS was in perfect condition and all my unsaved work recovered automatically. Since most of the software you'll end up using for productivity has been made directly by the creator of the hardware or under their strict supervision, you will find that interaction is total. As for "tricking the Mac to do what you want" this is far from true. The way Windows XP handles user permissions (this has changed in Vista, btw) has always been openly criticized even by Microsoft personnel, as it locks the user out from certain functions while allowing anyone (malware included) to access vital system functions. OSX works on a BSD base complete with user terminal and superuser access, so there is literally nothing you cannot do with the OS. The video, by the way, is comedy and nothing else. Apart from the "OMG IT CRASHED" witty humor that can be found (also unfairly most of the time) in most criticisms of Windows (OMG BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH LOL), the few "objective" things the video mentions are false. For starters, drag and drop from a CD does not make a shortcut, it copies. My apologies to the comedian, but anyone who DOES have a Mac can confirm it works that way... I still keep a PC for gaming for a very simple reason. I don't mind lockups or crashes or spending a full hour solving driver conflicts when I want to play a game as much as I would if I was trying to work. Plus, if a new game comes out and I need a more powerful video card, chance is I quite simply won't be able to get it for my Mac, and if Apple does market one, it will cost three times as much as a similar PC video card. Even as a Mac user I just can't deny that fact. The PC is more expandable and more affordable. My formula is, desktop PC for gaming, Mac laptop for actually getting stuff done.