Apple or Windows? Which is better?

[xarcom]

I don't know why everyone is all worked up over this, I think eliezer's question is sincere. Unfortunately the answer to that question is very subjective. I use my ibook as my main machine (I guess what could be called average home user use: email, web surfing, digital content like photo's and music) and I have no complaints. If I want to play a game, obviously I boot up my PC because most just aren't available on Macs.. I think that will change though as Apple gets more market share.. but for the moment I still use my PC for certain things. I personally prefer OSX to XP (as I'm sure many people here do as well) and again thats personal preference.

I like my mac because I can do what I want without having to reboot 6 times and its just a more elegant OS. Also for work (unix) I can still use it which isn't the case for my PC.

Basically, Macs are renown for their ability to efficiently and easily manage digital media (pictures, movies, music)... so if thats your thing... you might come back to your mac after trying to do that stuff on your PC... It can still be done on your PC... but its just not as easy...

In conclusion, the best thing to do is to try using a PC for a while.. and then you'll know which is best for you.

[pds]

umm - enter the nit-picker...

You can't compare Apple to Windows. Apple is a computer company, Windows is an operating system.

If you get straight what you want to compare, you can do so. For every type of software that runs on Windows, there is a comparable app that runs on Mac OS. It may be the same exact program, or a similar one written by another company. How each one works, whether the Mac OS app or the Windows exe completes the task better, is a matter of subjective analysis.

Or you could go the other way and compare Apple machines to - Toshibas, Dells, Compaqs or others.
I still have two LCIIs running System 7.5 and being used on a daily basis, and a couple dead pentium IIs stuffed under the bed. Hands down the equipment rocks. (admittedly though - build quality has suffered a bit of late).

[Lt Major Burns]

my mac is brilliant because it's solid, very stable, dependable, and i can do my work on it.

i could do my work on a pc, just as easily. but i like my mac. it's a nicer way of doing things - everything is impressive on a daily basis - something actually makes me go wow! at least once or twice a week... i like that. it's pleasant, and stable, and fast. there's something extra - noone loves pc's, yet as soon as i got a mac, my geekiness soared.... i love her

[Viro]

Originally Posted by eliezer

i really cannot believe that you people are telling me that the only thing mac is good for is graphics design!

Nonsense. You are completely misunderstanding Zammy's point. He's giving you an example. You need to specify exactly what software you are trying to use and as others have said, any software available on Windows will almost certainly have a similar alternative on OS X.

Personally, I use OS X mainly because it is UNIX done right. I know, some traditional UNIX gurus will complain about how OS X doesn't adhere to UNIX standards (like ignoring most of what goes on in /etc), but for my needs it suffices. I get all the open source applications I need via fink, and I get to use commercial software like MS Office to interact with the rest of the working world that has standardized on Microsoft Windows.

There is also TexShop, a brilliant piece of software that makes working with LaTeX fun. I don't think you have anything similar on Windows, or Linux for that matter. If there is, tell me so I can tell my supervisor who is stuck on Windows! Related to LaTeX is BibDesk, a bibliography manager that to my knowledge has no equal on Windows or Linux. Sure, there are commercial alternatives, but BibDesk is free .

On the office suite side, Office 2004 is available for the Mac. Doesn't run as well as the Windows version, but it works. For presentations, Keynote blows Powerpoint away in terms of visual presentation and it won't be available on the PC for the visible future.

There is nothing that I need on Windows that I don't have on the Mac. Well, that's a lie. I'd normally need a de-fragmenting tool on Windows, an Anti-Virus package, and some other maintenance tool like Norton to keep the awful registry in good shape. There aren't any spyware cleaners like Spybot or Ad-Aware on OS X either. So I guess there are loads of software that I need on Windows, but aren't available (or needed) on OS X .

[ljc]

My powerbook G4 is the most be beautiful toy I ever played with, and that is it.

As a developer, I really would prefer to have a intel, to be able to run different OSs and to be able to find answers to my problems at the Internet, without paying, and without having to relearn the MAC way, that is completely different of the others. And don't tell it is different to be better, it is different to be different.

I just have this crap because it is what my school gave me.

[Viro]

Originally Posted by ljc

My powerbook G4 is the most be beautiful toy I ever played with, and that is it.

As a developer, I really would prefer to have a intel, to be able to run different OSs and to be able to find answers to my problems at the Internet, without paying, and without having to relearn the MAC way, that is completely different of the others. And don't tell it is different to be better, it is different to be different.

I just have this crap because it is what my school gave me.

I don't understand your point. What other OSes are you really missing? You can run any x86 based OS if you invest in Virtual PC. If you want Linux, you can run it natively on PPC (I used to do it until Tiger came out).

Of course, if you are interested in developing for .NET, you are stuck on Windows since Mono isn't really an alternative. Java runs really well on OS X though.

I develop a lot, and OS X is no worse than Windows or Linux in that department.

[lilbandit]

ljc just go and get a cheapo Dell laptop if that's what you feel you need. I'm not having a go just saying the obvious. The rest of us have better thing to do than listen to this kind of bs

[michaelsanford]

No viruses or spyware for Apple...if you need a reason that's a pretty darn good one.