Apple or Windows? Which is better?

[Cat]

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

Hear, hear! Absolutely right. I would defnitely miss things like that on a Windows computer. The Macintosh platform is better than Windows because it allows a magnificent interaction of hard-core Unix with a very useable Graphic User Interface. You have all the strenght of the Command Line and all the interactivity and overview of Point 'n Click and Drag 'n Drop. You can run X11 apps alongside with Word and Photoshop natively without emulation. What more can you want?

I think that by sheer force of numbers there is MORE software for the Mac than for any other platform. Look at all the packages in Fink and Darwinports, look at MacUpdate: tons of freeware and shareware of all kinds and types. Both by commercial and by freelance developers.

Currently you can run 4 OSses on Apple hardware: Mac OS X, Windows (in Virtual PC), OS 9 (in Classic) and all kinds of PPC unix and linux distributions (and use OS X from within them with Mac-on-Linux ). Who's bitchin' about compatibility here? There even is Gentoo/portage for Mac OS X!

Last but no least the Mac avoids two of the worst things in windows: virusses and the registry.

[Scottfab]

Ugh, LOTR humor, spare me...

Anyway, I think i actually prefer Windows computers. More upgradability, more programs, and despite the badness of IE, more sites work for it. Though Firefox is better. Firefox for PC is far superior to Safari IMHO, but Firefox for Mac is terrible. But there are benifits. No viruses. Fewer crashes. Better OS. But if I prefer Windows, why am I on a Mac? Simple. Powerbooks are hands down the best laptops. I'm on a powerbook. If I were picking desktops, I would chose a PC over Power Mac. And even though iMacs are neat, they're not that great.

[michaelsanford]

How is firefox on Mac worse than firefox on any other platform? Page rendering? Plugins?

[Cat]

More upgradability, more programs, and despite the badness of IE, more sites work for it.

Put a name to it then. Upgrade what? What programs? Up to Tiger IE for Mac was included with the platform.

You can choose Mozilla, Camino, Firefox, iCab, Lynx, links, Opera, Netscape, Omniweb, Shiira, Sunrise Browser etc. on the Mac beside Safari. Plenty of choice, plenty of specializations and features to choose from. Very little compatibility problems. The net is based on standards. Safari has one of the highest degrees of standards support out there, IE has the worst. Sites need to be specifically hacked to work also in Win/IE, because it chokes on the standards.

There's some japanese websites (kodawarisan for instance) that post complete tutorials with pictures and step by step instructions for disassembling, upgrading and reassembling all types of Apple products as soon as they are released. The first thing everyone did once the mini came out was to look at the upgrade options and especcially how to do it yourself. The iMac had a self-service program, where the user was encouraged to open it up and upgrade it tehmselves. There are numerous hacks and tweaks for the G5 to fit multiple optical drives, SCSI Raid arrays etc. in it. Just because it is not in everybodies face, does not mean that macs are not moddable or upgradeable.

Name the programs that you miss on the mac platform. I sincerely hope that you are not just talking about games here.

[Lycander]

Originally Posted by michaelsanford

How is firefox on Mac worse than firefox on any other platform? Page rendering? Plugins?

Just one minor nuisance: even though I plug in a Logitech mouse (2 buttons + wheel) I can't middle-click to open a link in a new tab. All other platforms I've used mozilla/firefox on works fine that way. It's just a little annoying to have to hold CMD and click a link to open it in a tab.

[Scottfab]

excuse me for not wanting to void my warentee by hacking my computer apart. and atleast with PCs, I can build my own instead of having to deal with apple proprietary issues. wintel also tends to be cheaper.

[Lt Major Burns]

i frequently get "you are using a mac, sorry, this site only supports windows 95+" etc. bbc news feeds for example, among many.

plus there is no, decent, proper video libray-all-in-one app, say like real, or WMP. much as they are shite, they offer a function not supported properly on mac (i ignore VLC. it's not finished yet)

there's also games. petty, but irritating also.

and chat support. there's nothing better than basic text-over-IP. other than iChat, which no-one outside of the apple "reality distortion field" uses.

and epson printers. and a lot of hardware is a struggle to get going at first.

my phone (nokia pc suite). i can currently transfer one photo at a time via bluetooth. i have 97+ photo's on ther, that neeed to be transferred off. it takes a minute per photo. i need some mates pc to use it properly.

thats the bad, which is outweighed by the good, but it's still bad. it;'s makes you go hmmmmm... from time to time

[Zammy-Sam]

Originally Posted by Scottfab

excuse me for not wanting to void my warentee by hacking my computer apart. and atleast with PCs, I can build my own instead of having to deal with apple proprietary issues. wintel also tends to be cheaper.

Well, and later you have to beg VIA or God knows which chip producer to finally get an appropiate driver that works with current windows versions.
See, some ppl like to work around the computer, and some want to simply work on it. I don't want to deal with hardware issues, driver updates and God knows what. I buy my computer to do what I want it to do as much as I buy my car only for drive. I don't care if I can easily exchange the engine. When it's obsolete, I go for a new one.