Just... Why a Mac?

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Skyline On Fire

Skyline On Fire

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I've never quite understood what the love for apple PC's and laptops was. Looking at the stats, it seems they are just incredibly overpriced, albeit very pretty, PC's, with a different OS and software. Granted i've never actually used one.

Im looking for a new laptop soon. And i was considering a Mac... But i wasnt sure why. I think its because i see it recommended so much, but i've never understood why. I'd mostly be using it for editing video and photos, itunes, web browsing. I have my gaming PC for anything else. I just need a laptop as im going to be living in quite a few different places soon enough.

Now... Can anyone here persuade me, or even just explain to me why i'd drop a thousand pounds on a macbook pro, rather than a top of the line windows laptop for the same price? Im more than willing to admit i was wrong in my initial impression of mac's, but i still havent seen a legitimate reason why they are superior. What can i do with one that i cant with the windows equivalent? What is in it that is worth so much more?

Thanks guys.
 
Macs are apparently more stable and less likely to crash...
(I have the ability to frequently crash Macs.)

Software wise all I ever use is Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Lightroom and Photoshop. And occasionly all at same time, it runs fine on windows.

Unless you get the big expensive macs, there not worth it, theyre basically just fashion accessories.
 
Thats the thing, ive never had any issues with windows. Even vista, i got along fine with it, never had a crash, and im very intensive on it. I want to like macs i really do, i want a mac. I just dont see how i can justify that cash, for... As far as i can see, no gain in anything. Except aesthetics.
 
A load of mac fan boys will moan say a Mac is so much better.

But save the cash, buy a better spec laptop or desktop for 1/2 the price and if you havent used it yet, Windows 7 will blow you away!
 
and with windows 7 I think the arguement for stability is non existant any more.

I'm a PC (but I do like to look over the shoulders of mac users with my mouth making that "oooohhhhhh" sound!)

Mac's are primarily design icons, but thats ok
 
@Crazy Dino, i said in my post, got a gaming desktop, dual monitor setup that i wouldn't trade for the world :) I've never ever had an issue with a windows operating system, and i've been through them all since 95. Even vista, which i quite enjoyed...

@Hughes_jh agreed on the windows 7, great OS. Any good laptops that look similar to macs? I mean... Nobody can deny they are gorgeous pieces of kit.
 
Windows 7 is a huge improvement on anything before and is pretty much as stable as os x now. Macs do have some nice features in the os but so does 7 and you used get used to them both anyway.

I've got a Macbook and a windows desktop... and I cant see me ever buying a windows laptop, but I can never see me buying an Mac desktop either!!

In my opinion apple really does make the best laptops (its my opinion before anyone moans! :razz:)

Had a macbook for about 2 and half years and its been awesome. The new alu mac pro's are so far ahead of most in build quality its daft.

I have thrown mine in my bag for uni, travelled all over with it and no probs. had a few friends who have had other makes just fall apart!

Final comment before I shut up... dont just compare specs and prices. Loads of laptops can match the apple specs for half the price but the quality is utter crap.

Lenovo, sony, high end dells etc are what you should be comparing too!

Over and out! :)
 
I've used PCs for the last twenty years, used to build them, used to program them, I loved them.

The time had come recently to get a new processing machine and I fancied a change, so bought a fully pimped up Macbook Pro, it flies.

I'd never used a Mac before and within a couple of days had it sussed, the OS is so intuitive. I've installed loads of software on it now and everything just works so slickly. And the big thing for me - it keeps going, no matter how long the computer is on for, it keeps going the same speed. I reboot once a week maybe, usually because some update requires it.

Windows 7 looks good now, but I bet in 18 months time those machines will have got the Windows malaise where the registry, etc just clogs up and you end up with a machine running 30% slower than the fresh install. If not, it'll be the first ever version of windows that doesn't. I ain't going back to PCs.
 
WeddingHack said:
I've used PCs for the last twenty years, used to build them, used to program them, I loved them.

The time had come recently to get a new processing machine and I fancied a change, so bought a fully pimped up Macbook Pro, it flies.

I'd never used a Mac before and within a couple of days had it sussed, the OS is so intuitive. I've installed loads of software on it now and everything just works so slickly. And the big thing for me - it keeps going, no matter how long the computer is on for, it keeps going the same speed. I reboot once a week maybe, usually because some update requires it.

Windows 7 looks good now, but I bet in 18 months time those machines will have got the Windows malaise where the registry, etc just clogs up and you end up with a machine running 30% slower than the fresh install. If not, it'll be the first ever version of windows that doesn't. I ain't going back to PCs.
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I tried to keep it unbiased but all of what weddinghack says is true!! ;)
 
I look at the specs and it just seems so little for so much. Sure the build quality is important, but it isn't as important as the spec of the actual computer.
 
The current range of 27" iMac are not expensive when compared on a like for like basis

Once you add up all the spec and price for a READY BUILT machine there won't be much difference.

i5 Quad Core
1Tb Hard Drive
DVD writer
4 GB of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
Webcam
Speakers
Wireless Mouse
Wireless Keyboard
WiFi
Bluetooth
Firewire/ USB/ SD card Ports
10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet
Headphone/optical digital audio output (minijack)
Audio line in/optical digital audio input (minijack)
Operating System and accompanying software
27" ISP Screen.

Now that's $1999 which may sound a lot,but seeing the Dell is just about to launch the same 27" screen for just over $1000 make the rest not that much at all, and all the little things like a webcam,mouse set of speakers soon add up.


Now somebody will say you can self build for less, which yes you can, if you want the hassle,and as andy m says your looking high end quality built product, not some DIY plastic box and keyboard


As for the OS, in therms of reliability neither is better, I never had a problem with winXP, and from what I here win7 has really caught up with OSX in the looks and feel department.

Having had my first mac for just a couple on months, would I go back to a windows desktop NO.
 
Skyline On Fire said:
I look at the specs and it just seems so little for so much. Sure the build quality is important, but it isn't as important as the spec of the actual computer.
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Darn it I knew I should have bought an old Lada car the specs where great and cheap too :thinking:
 
Its the elitist drivel that gets me too. A 1000 pound laptop, isnt going to be poorly built, and its going to have a far better spec than a mac. Im looking for reasoning as to why i should go for mac over PC.

If a Lada has a similar spec to an Audi, and is far cheaper, it makes sense to buy the Lada does it not? @whiteflyer, i didnt suggest a cheap old windows laptop, i stated a comparably priced laptop to the Macbook pro alternative.
 
Skyline On Fire said:
@Crazy Dino, i said in my post, got a gaming desktop, dual monitor setup that i wouldn't trade for the world :) I've never ever had an issue with a windows operating system, and i've been through them all since 95. Even vista, which i quite enjoyed...

@Hughes_jh agreed on the windows 7, great OS. Any good laptops that look similar to macs? I mean... Nobody can deny they are gorgeous pieces of kit.
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You obviously never used Windows ME...;)

As for lovely designed Laptops, you can't go wrong with Sony (foe example the SR series), also some of the Dell ones are nice.

WeddingHack said:
I'd never used a Mac before and within a couple of days had it sussed, the OS is so intuitive. I've installed loads of software on it now and everything just works so slickly. And the big thing for me - it keeps going, no matter how long the computer is on for, it keeps going the same speed. I reboot once a week maybe, usually because some update requires it.

Windows 7 looks good now, but I bet in 18 months time those machines will have got the Windows malaise where the registry, etc just clogs up and you end up with a machine running 30% slower than the fresh install. If not, it'll be the first ever version of windows that doesn't. I ain't going back to PCs.
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TBH they sorted out both these problems with Vista, XP was nasty but Vista was completely rewritten and it doesn't slow down (noticeably) through either being on without a restart or not being reinstalled every few months. :)

Essentially both Apple computers and higher end laptops from other brands are identical. Think of the different OS as being like a differently styled laptop. They both do essentially the same things in essentially the same way just with a few differences here and there. If you want a change then try a macbook but have a play at a store first to see what they are like and whether you can deal with the changes in the OS.

Price wise, there is a slight premium on Apple products but when compared with other high quality brands there really isn't much in it... If you want cheap then get a windows laptop, if you have the money then you have the fun of choosing between both.
 
Skyline On Fire said:
Its the elitist drivel that gets me too. A 1000 pound laptop, isnt going to be poorly built, and its going to have a far better spec than a mac. Im looking for reasoning as to why i should go for mac over PC.

If a Lada has a similar spec to an Audi, and is far cheaper, it makes sense to buy the Lada does it not? @whiteflyer, i didnt suggest a cheap old windows laptop, i stated a comparably priced laptop to the Macbook pro alternative.
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One thing buying a mac isn't going to do is change your life (other than maybe starting to worship the ground that Jobs ****s on ;)) however it may make your way of doing things better and may make things slightly more "exciting", not because it is better but more likely because it is a change from the normal.
 
yep... buy a decent price lenovo, hp business (not a fan of their consumer stuff), ASUS (very very nice), dell or sony laptop and you can't go wrong :)

windows 7 is fantastic, huge step up in many ways from even vista :)

that said, I have been tempted to buy a macbook pro second hand, load it with windows 7 (really not a fan of OSX here...) and get some of the best of both worlds...
 
You seem to have reached a few conclusions already. I use macs for business and always have. Macs have pretty decent specs and the suggested price premium is not excessive. Macs are just another flavour of pc, so if you can pick out a pc on the specs alone, you probably understand what you are buying. The OS is what makes macs different. That is something that is just personal opinion.
Graham
 
This topic comes up frequently and in 4 years of using this forum it generally turns out to be a of why joe bloggs hates mac and posts a bunch of numbers and joe frank loves macs a posts a bunch of numbers.

Lets hope it doesn't turn out that way.

Yes a PC is cheaper. Yes it will get viruses. Yes you might want to hack Bill Gates to tiny pieces and feed them to your pet frog. Yes a Mac is expensive. Yes they are pretty. Yes they have a tendency not to crash. Yes you want to hack Steve Jobs to tiny pieces and feed him to your pet frog for charging so much.

Really it boils down to what you want.

I run both, web design on the PC (application specific), photography on the Mac, again, application specific.
 
I have both an iMac and a new laptop with Windows 7 loaded.

The laptop has crashed more in 3 weeks than the iMac in 9 months.

I find not having to run virus software on the Mac a major plus. The speed and reliability is superb, it looks and feels good to use. The quality is excellent. The screen is outstanding. But, you pay a price for it and it's up to the buyer if they want to pay the premium (if indeed there is one once you compare like-for-like properly).
 
neil_g said:
having an entire floor of the things at work i can say that is not an accurate statement.
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You've posted this quite a few times neil, and in the friendliest possible way, I have to ask - what on earth do your guys do with the macs to make them crash so much?! ;)

I imagine it must be something pretty hardcore, because, as here again, most home users find Macs that bit more straightforward and reliable than their PC equivalents.
 
Skyline On Fire said:
I look at the specs and it just seems so little for so much. Sure the build quality is important, but it isn't as important as the spec of the actual computer.
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The build quality of mac's is terrible. No-where near as good as decent PC manufactuers.

There was some report a while ago, stating that Mac's have the largest return rate of any desktop pc.

I've used PC's for years, never had a problem. I've tried a MAC a few times, but I'm used to PC's. I use Lightroom and Photoshop just fine on 64bit Win7.

@OP: You seem insistent on making yourself justify getting a mac, but you dont even know for what reasons. Personally I'd stick to what you're used to. At the end of the day, there isn't a massive difference in what you'd do on it, just you can get more bang for buck going PC route.
 
Did someone just say "You can't go wrong with a Dell"?

I need to sleep a bit longer.
 
It's each to their own really. I started using a Mac 15 years ago at College, when i left and got a job i worked on a Mac and always have done. I do have a desktop PC, it's about 5 years old know i never gets used probably down to the fact i find Window a pain in the ass. Think i've probably had a fresh install on it once a year. If you use a PC then you may well find OSX a pain!

Anything i need to do PC wise i have Fusion 3 and Windows XP installed on the Mac.
 
For me, it's the overall look and feel of the complete package (iMac). With regards to the software, I couldn't care less. Windows 7 is awesome, Mac OSX is awesome. Both do a good enough job for what I need, and there is no need to "belong" to one camp at the expense of the other.

The iMac screen I also find hard to "match" with monitors...not that I have looked hard. I have a £700 dell 26" digital dell panel and my iMac destroys it for overall look and feel. The colours are superb.

Gary.
 
martsharm said:
You've posted this quite a few times neil, and in the friendliest possible way, I have to ask - what on earth do your guys do with the macs to make them crash so much?! ;)

I imagine it must be something pretty hardcore, because, as here again, most home users find Macs that bit more straightforward and reliable than their PC equivalents.
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a combination of mahoosive multi layer illustrator graphics, a couple RDC sessions to windows apps, normally the designers have itunes and safari/ff running too to name a few. they do get hammered though.

edit - thats not to say they crash A LOT. but in comparison with the XP boxes we have, statistically they're on level peggings with reliability. theyre certainly not "crash proof" as a lot of mac users seem to suggest.

Marac said:
Did someone just say "You can't go wrong with a Dell"?

I need to sleep a bit longer.
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nowt wrong with dell, the other 2 floors (3 if you include the server room/floor) at work are full of them and i cant remember the last hardware failure we had.
 
I've been in IT for the last 17 years, spent the first 15 of it doing windows support and development. I moved over to a mac 2 years ago - the price was actually less than my previous Sony Vaio had cost me. Since then my entire company has moved to macs, including all my developers (we now develop web based intranet solutions in php), even the die hard windows fans have moved over and have also bought macs for at home. I would be very surprised if I ever went back to a windows machine. I still run windows in a VMWare environment as I need to be able to for testing, but it would take a hell of a lot to make me have it as the main OS again.
 
In all seriousness guys, live and let live, and if you can have both, even better...

Do you notice how this argument exists in so many different places?

Just a few I remember from a few years back!

Commodore vs Spectrum
Sega vs Nintendo
Mario vs Sonic
360 vs PS3
Streetfighter vs Mortal Kombat!
Mountain Bikes vs Racers
HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray
Cant'on vs NIKON :D

Biased to the old video game industry...but still. Pointless arguments :D

I bet there are MANY more, the arguments ALWAYS go the same way too.

G.
 
Why not embrace both? I do. Windows has its strengths and weakness, as does OS X. I use a Mac for video editing and Windows for most everything else. And I agree, OS X and Windows are about as stable as each other. All software has bugs :)
 
In a previous life I ran an IT department and at the time was a fairly knowledgeable bod when it came to windows and puter hardware.

Then I ditched all that for full time snapping and had no choice but to go Mac for my digiback software. Those machines cost me a fortune and I was not happy having to make the change. Within a week I was totally converted to OSX.

It's not any better, it doesn't do anything that windows can't do. In fact I think the beauty of it, is that it does less. It seems to me that windows (which I've not seen past XP) is designed to let the user have pretty much total control over the way the system runs. OSX is designed so that the user can have minimal contact with the workings under the glossy cover.

Personally, I don't get any enjoyment from puters or their operating systems. The more it can do for itself and the less I need to know, the happier I am. This wont suit all folks but as a generalization, arty type folks tend to not do techie puter stuff too well.

Hence, make a machine that panders to our whims, make it look pretty and we'll pay the premium. :)
 
I really never understood the way topics like this can get so heated - Canon vs Nikon, PC vs Mac, c'mon, we all have our favourites and everyone is different. I use Canon simply because that's what I started with and I've stuck with the brand. However, if I had tons of money and decided one day to try Nikon I might prefer it and switch, or even use both. It's the same with Macs/PCs. I have always had PCs, always believing they were cheaper, I know them inside out and am pretty competant in their use. However, I got a bit of money together last year and purchased an Imac - top spec, hey why not? I just fancied one, they look pretty and everyone seems to rave about them.

Well, since I've had it, I've had to refresh the operating system a grand total of zero times. I've never had to "Alt+Ctrl+Del" it, I've never lost a file I've been working on due to a "Blue screen of death" either. I also have a top spec £1700 HP Laptop. It's newer than the Mac, it's had battery problems, I've refreshed XP twice, had several viruses despite me being very careful and using decent anti virus software/firewall etc (which slows it down no end) and it crashes all the time. The PC desktop I had before that had so many problems I threw it away before it was 12 months old :thumbsdown:

In short, real world use of the Mac has been trouble free and I have had more than my fair share of problems with PCs. I still use PCs and always will, but in my opinion I now prefer Macs.

The sales jargon for macs states that all the components are made by Apple themselves, all to work together. This does make a difference in terms of stability. PCs generally tend to have components from all sorts of manufacturers, they all have to work together and they're all made to a price. Then MS has to write operating systems that work with all possible manufacturers components. Apple don't have this problem.

Also, you can't compare the spec of a mac with the spec of a PC to the same extent as a PC vs a PC, macs and OSX use resources better than PCs do. If a mac has a 1 Ghz processor, a PC with a 1.3 Ghz processor isn't necessarily going to be faster, in the real world.

Now, none of my comments above will be agreed by any PC fans, and it doesn't matter as it's only opinion and I won't be upset any time soon, I know what I prefer to use and what is better for me :D
 
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