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The Big Mac vs PC Debate (1 Viewer)

What he said. I still think that Macs biggest selling point is their 'snob value' which seems to be alive and well after all these years, which is surprising. If you want to pay 3 or 4 times as much for a machine that does exactly the same job as a pc , knock yourself out. Dont get me wrong, Macs' are sexy and yes, they work ever so well - but so do similar spec'd PC, but as Roy C says, you need to be a little bit savvy. Perhaps there's a clue in the fact that Mac still only holds about 20% of the market share?

I guess it's all down to personal choice? After all, why pay loads for an Aston Martin when it does exactly the same job as a Reliant Robin? :t:
 
Kits, Aston Martins do not fall over going round corners!! and also have a reverse gear.:-O:cat:

I refer my honourable friends to this recent comparison by the venerable "Popular Mechanics" :smoke:

The battle between platforms is over. In our tests, raw performance was almost identical. Support for third-party software was close to equivalent. While our Mac felt faster by a hair, our PC was cheaper by a mile. Our PC came with a bundle of free software, but our Mac was impervious to viruses. The point is, as tools, these machines are both hugely—and equally—capable. And make no mistake: In 2011, tools are what they are. Smartphones and tablets have stolen our attention and affection away from laptops and desktops, and they're not giving them back. Besides, Google, Facebook, Twitter and Bing, where we spend so much of our time, are apolitical. So, if you love Macs, stay put. Likewise for PC partisans—Apple's touch-inspired software and sleek hardware are neat, not essential. For everyone else, the choice is simple: Save your money and buy a PC. It'll get the job done. And if you're interested in the real future of computing, take that extra cash and pick up an iPad.
 
Great comments people!

I see the value of each system but as mentioned have been increasingly frustrated by poor performance from my Windows machine over time despite running security software/defragging regularly etc. I really can't be arsed to re-install OS etc when problems arise.

As mentioned some very IT savvy friends swear by Macs and I respect their opinions while there are, for example, also many highly regarded academics around the world who have found these to be the best systems for their needs.

I have limited knowledge of how these machines work (likewise my car) but an important consideration is that it gets me from A to B. I simply want something that is comfortable and reliable to use. As a matter of fact I may well eventually upgrade my Windows machine and purchase an i-Mac as well for various reasons (eg software availability etc).

And just to get something clear... as anyone who knows me (and IMHO anyone with half a brain will realise) following trends/fashion just for the sake of it is pure vanity but each to their own, I dont get 'status anxiety' because I dont have the latest optics/clothes/IT equipment. Just because something is popular/expensive does not always mean it has any real value!!!!!

Maybe my life would be easier if I wore skinny jeans, listened to Lady Gaga, followed Chelsea, read The Sun, was a premiership club twitcher with a very long and dangly life list and had the latest i-phone!!! I suspect not...

I am proud to say that I now wear a Tillley hat because it does what I want it to do - and even carry a Scopac thing for the same reason - not because every Tom, Dick and Harriet has one.

Sorry for that rant (not directed at anyone in particular) and really very sincere thanks for ALL the responses.

BirdForum has got to be the next big trending fashionable happening in-thing in my humble outdated opinion :-D
 
Kentbloke, I love that quote in your signature B :) B :)

The next discussion will be if the ipad has enough of an advantage to justify the extra price relative to its competitors :-O :-O B :)

Niels
 
I guess it's all down to personal choice? After all, why pay loads for an Aston Martin when it does exactly the same job as a Reliant Robin? :t:

Perfectly put. May I just add that Reliant could be replaced by Skoda or any other cheap make car. No offence intended to Skoda drivers but I wouldn't want to be seen dead in one.


Great comments people!

And just to get something clear... as anyone who knows me (and IMHO anyone with half a brain will realise) following trends/fashion just for the sake of it is pure vanity but each to their own, I dont get 'status anxiety' because I dont have the latest optics/clothes/IT equipment. Just because something is popular/expensive does not always mean it has any real value!!!!!

Me too. I have an HTC Wildfire 'S' which is a pain the .... to answer without cutting the caller off, I use a Windows laptop daily, and I use a trouble free, 6.5 year old iMac at home which I absolutely love. The fact that I own a Mac somehow makes me a snob - go figure, as they say.

The next discussion will be if the ipad has enough of an advantage to justify the extra price relative to its competitors :-O :-O B :)

Niels

I asked that same question seriously 3 weeks ago on another forum and I've yet to receive a printable answer.
 
Lol.. you'd never get your tripod in that.. or make it the last 200yards to the beach cafe at Cley!

It's Redeyedvideo's response I'm most looking forward to, to be honest! ;)
 
Oh no, I have a mac, an iPhone and bugger me I drive a Skoda (a superb octavia scout)
What kind of sad bloke am I????
Oh yes and to make it worst I use Nikon I'm an outcast
 
You drive a Skoda, right?

If Macintosh made cars...

I do yes. I'm not offended, but your comment about Skodas seems weird in this day and age.
True they were really naff in the 1970s/ 1980s, but they borrowed a lot from VW and have been pretty good for the last 20 years or so. Put it this way.. I've driven a lot worse!

Wasn't sure if you were thinking they were still naff and hadn't done your homework since the days of Skoda jokes,
or if you think every make of car is not-to-be-seen-dead-in, except your favoured brand. (Which would of course be snobby).
 
I find that the loudest anti-mac people are the ones that don't or have hardly used them.
There's several people in this thread who obviously use both pc and mac daily (including me) and I don't see any of them preferring a pc.
That to me answers any question on the pc v mac debate.
 
I just love the way the conversation wanders...

Back in the mid-80's I was a bit of a filthy teenage twitcher and experienced a variety of rides while desperately hitchhiking to the next tasty bit of rare. I fondly remember a Skoda pulling up one day. This resulted in both great relief that someone had finally stopped for me and much guffawing at the prospect of a lift in a crappy car. Still, I was utterly blown away at the sheer comfort of the thing (maybe I had been standing on some hard shoulder for hours). And I recall it got me from A to B with no mechanical problems - but it was the seat that did it for me!

I have not dissed the Skoda posse since :-D
 
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Ha ha... hitchhiking days are long overdue!

I won't go into the details, but let me say that I had a few too many potentially dangerous incidents as a passenger!

Fortunately I am still in one piece and have overcome the deep psychological scars from "over friendly" automobile drivers...
 
Once upon a time there were "Macs" and there were "PC's" and they had differing hardware (Macs used the power PC processor and PC's used Intel chips) and operating systems (mac os on macs and microsoft DOS/Windows on PC's). A few years back Apple realised that the powerPC had had its day, and they switched to Intel for their CPU's.
So, now there are Apple PC's and Windows PC's sharing the same basic hardware. If you buy a Mac you are buying the same internal hardware in a nicer box. The difference lies in the Operating System.

So, you have a choice of only 2 operating systems?

WRONG!

I moved to Linux about 10 years ago, it is FREE, I NEVER even think about virus problems (there is NO virus/spam/phising/ software on my PC at all.

Your move to the "Mac" club will cost you money, moving to Linux will cost you nothing AND you can try it on your existing system for nothing, you don't even have to install it. Download LinuxMint, burn it to a disk and reboot your computer. The complete system will run from the disk (it does not need to use your hard drive) and you can connect to the net by logging onto your router and look at and use any files on your hard drive (jpg, txt, doc, wav, mp3 etc. etc. etc). just by looking for them on your hard drive and double clicking on them.

Linux is a "unix like" operating system (as is Mac OS) that will GREATLY improve your PC experience on your existing hardware and costs NOTHING apart from your time. This used to be a route taken mainly by "geeks" (I don't think I'm a geek at 58 tho') but with todays "distrobutions" such as Mint, it really is a breeze.

If after using the system for a week or so from the DVD you think its for you, it will install itself alongside Windows and give you a "dual boot" system which allows you to pick the operating system you want to use (Windows or Linux) at boot up.

Try it, its the future ;-) here http://www.linuxmint.com/

Have a good look around there and then download the latest version and give it a whirl. If nothing else the disk you make will be a fantastic tool to rescue your files if/when your Windows system dies.

Pete

p.s. it will also run fine ON A MAC!
 
I'm sure the original poster has long since decided on which way to go, but just to add a bit more to anyone who might also be making the decision.

I've been using Macs, Windows (then DOS) and Linux machines since their early days and have always found the Mac an easier and more pleasurable experience to use. The difference and advantage Macs have over the other two, is that Apple, although now using an Intel based system as with Windows and Linux, have restricted the amount of manufactures parts used and have their own purpose built motherboards.

Windows in trying to make their operating system as compatible with as many components as possible has meant it is more likely to go wrong. The other thing Apple can so also do is integrate to a degree their operating system into the motherboards chipset which is why when a Mac starts up you hear a gong sound then its own gray startup screen - no black screen with BIOS text that you see with the other two systems.

At the end of the day it comes down to what you need and can afford, and just on the cost - the recent new versions of Mac and Windows - Mac OSX is much cheaper (12.99) although Linux is free. Advantages since getting my Mac earlier this year, it has never crashed or slowed down, it has been compatible with my scanner, printer and network, can connect and share files with Windows (Windows can't do the same back), third party software seem better and cheaper, it's more versatile (I use it for creating music which Windows just wouldn't work as well) as well as everything my Windows machine could do.

The only disadvantage I have found is that it doesn't have my favorite and best blogging software which is ironically Microsoft's LiveWriter.

One final word. The above poster is right about Linux and worth a look at. It's come a long way but I feel it still need a few more years to make it easier to use for complete novices or those who don't want to be bothered with the technical side.
 
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