# Why did you buy your Mac ?



## chevy (Jun 6, 2005)

Let us know why you bought your Mac (maybe we'll understand if moving to x86 makes sense to you).


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## RGrphc2 (Jun 6, 2005)

I got into the Graphic Design Field and the industry Standard for that is Mac, and i just got a new Dell from my folks a year ago, (now running Ubuntu Linux) and I couldn't justify getting a 2nd Desktop, and i needed something small faster and portable.  Hence the 12" PowerBook G4, and i want to get rid of my dell for an iMac G5...


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## chadwick (Jun 6, 2005)

Hmm, you need more choices. 

I bought mine because I'm a developer & geek and I like to keep up with whats going on. Until OS X didn't feel the Mac was worth any of my time, quite honestly.


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## CreativeEye (Jun 6, 2005)

good lord!

what an awful bunch of options - what do you actually hope to derive and achieve with such a poll - offering such loaded and directionless choices to the question?

could you at least make sure people know this is totally tongue in cheek and pointless?...


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## gphillipk (Jun 6, 2005)

well, maybe M$ will think of releasing Visual Studio .NET for Mac...


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## AdmiralAK (Jun 6, 2005)

The OS...definately the OS.
I started using the Mac in the DOS days, and it kicked serious heiney back then and still does now. I had an option to get an x86 laptop last year when I upgraded but when with the mac because of (1) previously owned software (2) lickably great powerbooks and (3) Panther


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## RacerX (Jun 6, 2005)

chevy said:
			
		

> Let us know why you bought your Mac


I originally bought a Mac because of Theorist... which was a Mac-only application.







That, and I couldn't stand DOS. 




> (maybe we'll understand if moving to x86 makes sense to you).


As I've been using Rhapsody on my ThinkPad for 5 years now (most of my web site was constructed on that system), I would guess that I've already made the move.


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## Carlo (Jun 7, 2005)

LOL.. your actually using Rhapsody still. .Much respect.

This is a very good move.. I didnt buy a mac because of its processor I brought it for the operating system.

As long as the machines hardware is stable and fast (something no doubt apple will ensure) then I am happy.


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## HomunQlus (Jun 7, 2005)

Just out of curiousity... I voted now. For me it was mostly the OS and the applications, its robustness and because it's virus free. But now: The last one is "...because you're in love with Steve Jobs". There are *2* votes showing up for this one. Can those people please stand up and explain this further?   

OK, maybe not....


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## Viro (Jun 7, 2005)

I don't think the move to x86 will affect things much. Well, it won't affect the level headed users much anyway.

What really bugs me about the move is the move itself. I'd still be just as bugged if they moved to any other architecture. The reason is that it dilutes the developer's focus. What are they meant to focus on now? Optimizing code for Altivec? Optimizing for G5? For x86? 

I moved to the Mac because I thought that it provided a very coherent Unix desktop that wouldn't have the problems that Linux had. Especially as a developer. DLL hell is especially prevalent on Linux with all the different version incompatibilities and all. I moved to the Mac because I thought that this would end, and to a certain extent it did.

This is a real shame because with 10.4 (since 10.3 really), we've finally got a mature OS that serves as a very good platform to build on. Keep a stable API with no more or very little changes, means that developers will have a clear roadmap of what they should develop and when. It also helps now that they're using GCC 4 since previous versions of GCC were notorious for breaking binary compatibility, especially with libraries. This is the reason you have GCC 2.95 if you want to target 10.1, GCC 3.1 if you want to target 10.2, and 3.3 if you want to target 10.3. With Tiger and GCC 4. 

Sure, the solution is to run the so called 'fat binaries' but this makes the assumption that 
a) the software will run acceptably fast. This is hard to guarantee under emulation. Witness the years of VPC development and it still runs like a snail on steroids. 
b) Developers will bother with fat binaries. While Apple has had two lines of development (x86 and PPC) for years since the introduction of OS X, not all companies have such luxury. For the small developers, it could become more cost effective to just develop for one platform and they'd choose x86 since that seems to be the future direction things are heading.

This whole situation of having one OS running on many architectures reminds me of the early Windows Pocket PC days. Back then, there were all sorts of different processors being used, all running different architectures. Users were confused because when downloading software they were given a choice of 3 binaries. One for each processor. Developers were confused because sometimes code that ran fine on one architecture did not run correctly on others.

So yeah, I just don't get the move to x86.


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## Damrod (Jun 7, 2005)

Various reasons. One for sure is that I work with Macs since System 7 (I remember working with 7.1 and 7.2...) and never owned a x86 PC. I also always liked the fact that I never was affected by worms, viruses and malware like Windows is. The system is robust, and comes shipped with most software I use and need. 

PCs most of the time look butt-ugly as well, so maybe the better look of my G4 was a reason as well. Another reason is it's long livity. Before I got my G4 MDD, I had an iMac Rev. B (one of the original Bondi-blue ones). I used that for about... 5 years? I'm not 100% sure. But I am sure that in the time where I only changed the HDD and RAM in my iMac, my friends on Windows changed about 3/4 of their PCs, literally making it a new one, in the old ugly case. 

That I never had to upgrade really, as my machine still was suitable for my needs after years was always a plus. And I'm sure that I will use my G4 (as long as I have a more or less up-to-date OS running smooth on it) quite a while. Even when the new Wintel Macs will be a common thing.


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## nixgeek (Jun 7, 2005)

Damrod said:
			
		

> That I never had to upgrade really, as my machine still was suitable for my needs after years was always a plus. And I'm sure that I will use my G4 (as long as I have a more or less up-to-date OS running smooth on it) quite a while. Even when the new *W*intel Macs will be a common thing.



Scratch that "W" please....


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## ngcomputing (Jun 7, 2005)

I've built, repaired, operated, networked and developed for the x86 since 1986.  I really got my first chance to work with a mac and pc side by side in 1996 while employed as a digital artist.

Honestly, I tinkered with Unix and Linux a long while and liked it's stability much better than Win.x, however, the applications I need for website development are not availble for linux.

With OS/X I was attracted to the stability and security features of Darwin, and most importantly, the applications I need such as PhotoShop, Flash MX, Dreamweaver MX etc, are readily available.


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## fryke (Jun 7, 2005)

Damrod said:
			
		

> Various reasons. One for sure is that I work with Macs since System 7 (I remember working with 7.1 and 7.2...)



... Which shows that memory can't be trusted and we should focus on the future.  (There never was a System 7.2, it went from 7.1.x to 7.5.)


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## MacFreak (Jun 7, 2005)

When I was 7 years old. My parent live in Los Gatos and live closer to Steve Woz's house. One weekend, He threw a party. Woz invited us. My father and woz talked about business thing. Later, Woz gave to my father a free LISA in 1983 for business purpose. Later, my father founded RasterOps for Mac. I have using System 1.1 since 1983 . Thanks god, I have never buy any PC in my life time. I have used PC many times at work. (SUCKS) Therefore I born hard core Mac user.


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## Damrod (Jun 7, 2005)

fryke said:
			
		

> ... Which shows that memory can't be trusted and we should focus on the future.  (There never was a System 7.2, it went from 7.1.x to 7.5.)



I was sure about 7.1, not about 7.2 though...


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## MacFreak (Jun 7, 2005)

System 7.0.1 fixed a few bugs. System 7.0.1p was a Performa-specific release with System 7.0.1's fixes, plus some special features for novice users. (Performa was the name of Apple's home computer line for a number of years.)

System 7.1 implemented the Fonts folder so that fonts could be easily added and removed  previously they were buried within the System itself  and the Enabler scheme  which mean new models could be released with an Enabler file instead of a very minor update like with Systems 6.0.16.0.8. There was also a System 7.1p for Performas.

System 7.1.1  also known as System 7 Pro  bundled AppleScript, QuickTime, and PowerTalk, all of which used to be available separately. System 7.1.2 was made to support the PowerPC chip. System 7.1.3 fixed bugs in System 7.1.2.

Therefore no 7.2

System 7.5 integrated all of the features from the Performa releases. It also added the much more helpful Apple Guide help system. The startup screen finally had a progress bar.


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## ebalch (Jun 7, 2005)

Why did I go (back) to Macintosh?  

NeXTSTEP->OpenStep-> Apple/NeXT Merge ->Rhapsody->Mac OS X

also

ProjectBuilder, InterfaceBuilder, and now Xcode


So it's all about the OS and Dev Tools for me.  Though the hardware has been a super-sweet bonus!  Of course the NeXT hardware was (is) sweet too!  

Additionally, I always hated DOS and Windows.  Most of us that have been in this thing since we called the little computers Micro Computers (before they were called Personal Computers) started off using somthing other than an IBM PC -- be it an Apple ][, Atari 400/800 etc, Commodore 64 etc, etc, etc, etc...  I think many of us just stayed in the other camp and never have left.


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## bobw (Jun 7, 2005)

Was highly recommended by Steve Jobs.


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## Viro (Jun 7, 2005)

Good grief... 15% of the respondents are in love with Steve Jobs. That requires explaining.


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## Cat (Jun 7, 2005)

My faculty ran on macs, hence I started purely for compatibilty reasons. I had to do some spreadsheet/admin stuff, some design stuff and browsing/e-mail and wanted to be able to do it exactly as in the computer labs of my faculty. Hence, I got an iBook. I could even plug it into the network and make it boot from the standard lab-network image. Then when I needed/wanted to upgrade I didn't consider anything else at all: it had to be a Mac. I wanted a more powerful portable and right then, when I was agonizing about the choice between the 15" TiBook and a 12" iBook, the new 12" AluBooks came out: I was immediately sold. Now I've upgraded to the 15" AluBook and I think this will remain my preferred model in the future, whatever the processor that drives it. 

I choose the Mac ultimately for the whole design: hardware and OS, not just how it looks, but how it works. OS X is indeed "the software equivalent of a cross between a Porsche and an Abrams tank: an operating system with sleek, animated graphics and an abundance of useful and novel features built on top of industrial-strength code."


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## Chazam (Jun 8, 2005)

For me it's all about having a stable and more secure OS.
Windows (imo) is no good with all the adware/spyware and virii about. I know you can secure a PC against _most_ of it but i don't want to own a powerful pc, only to bog it diwn with Antivirus, Firewals and Anti spyware software.
It's like getting in a car with a crash helmet on, it'll only get in the way!

The whole x86/intel thing makes sense to me. If IBM promised steve 3ghz when they did they should have delivered. Perhaps IBM couldn't care for Apple after scoring deals with Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. They deserve to lose the contract with apple!


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## fjdouse (Jun 8, 2005)

Back in the late 90's I bought a Mac because it was something different, it looked great and ran well.

But I am very anti-Windows and make no apology for it, I find it boring/depressing to use and I get very annoyed with it.  I am very pro UNIX.  UNIX(and related families) feels right to me, it makes sense. I've had Linux as my primary x86 OS since November 1994! and as my sole OS since 1998.  I also ran a Solaris SPARC workstation.

I moved back to Mac because:

* I was bored with the bland, uninteresting, uninspiring army of PC clones.
* I was sick of the "PC" clutter and buzzing boxes eating power.
* The price of the Mac mini was affordable.
* Unique architecture which separates itself from "PC" hardware.
* A fully matured BSD UNIX environment, probably the best OS in the world.
* An investment, which I could use for at least 5 years.


I have mixed feelings about the switch, I think too many people are glad to welcome it without considering the implications. 

Windows running natively on a Mac is bad, in time people will use it more and more until the Mac is reduced to a mere PC. "Well this OSX thing never really gets used, I mean, I can't play Doom 4 on it"

Then we WILL have people with their Dixon's supplied Packard Bells using this latest little hack from a group of idiots who write their names using numbers to fool OSX into installing on their PEE-CEEs.  Apple CANNOT prevent it if they are developing the OS for a machine which is a PC in all but name.

Plus we don't know the cumulative effect of all this yet, sure, in years to come Steve Jobs will walk on the black stage with a looming Apple logo, crowds with smiles and a tear in their fanatical eyes will still clap and cheer , crying "We love you!" and the messiah will deliver his latest revelations.. "We're really excited about these new machines".. Yeah, we've seen the hype before, but now it's for a mere PC!

As I say mixed feelings...

Because it could be done really well, hardware so different to a "PC" that swapping the OS about is difficult or impossible. Windows or any OS can run at near-full speed on a 64bit Intel using integrated virtual machines, maybe even Jeff Goldblum will get wheeled out again..

"The all-new, faster, smaller Mac!   Now with iPC." (music fades out)..


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## perfessor101 (Jun 8, 2005)

Monday I got a graphic reminder of why I first moved from the PC to the Mac. A friend called and said her Dell was making a strange noise and kept hanging when it booted -- could I help. I went by and after a little basic troubleshooting discovered the problem was a failed floppy disk drive. No problem just disconnect the power connector and disable the drive. Problem - it still would not boot. She finally found her Dell manual so I could figure out how to get into the BIOS setup routine (hold down the del key while the Dell logo was displayed). To make a long story short I had to disable the blankety blank floppy drive in four different places in the BIOS setup and force the BIOS and then Windows to rescan the attached devices to finally get the PC to boot without errors. What should have taken 10 minutes including figuring out how to open the case wound up taking nearly 2 hours.

Now I remember why I bought a Mac. 

I am not opposed to Intel _per. se._ but the thought we might wind up with a PC in an Apple enclosure gives me the dry heaves. Then I read that the new MacIntel will be based on a Pentium *4* which will be five or six year old technology by the time the first MacIntel ships.   

But not to worry, your new MacIntel _will_ run Longhorn.


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## JonKemerer (Jun 8, 2005)

I'm glad the title of this topic wasn't "why did you *switch* to Mac, because that would leave people like me out.

I'm a practical, imtermediate-level computer user with a need for a computer that's fun to use, fairly crash-free, speedy, and adjustable.  I'm an artist (hobbyist), so I use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Corel Painter a lot..., so the technology has to be there as well.

Mac OS X is a great little OS.  It's very well thought-out (compared to Windows XP) and provides plenty of features and adjustments for different levels of computer users.  I love the look, the animations, etc.  There's lots of great ideas in the OS, like spotlight is great, as is the Dashboard.  But, I dare to say my decision to buy a Mac was as thrilling as I thought it would be.  I didn't buy it for the hardware (I bought the $499 Mac Mini), I bought it for the OS.  I would never consider it the most advanced operating system.  It crashes, freezes up, and does funky things just like my Windows box.  I expect it to, it's a computer, but it's not that bad that I pull my hair out all the time it happens.

It's hard to say this on a Mac-centered website, but I find the two OS's comparable to each other, with both providing benefits over the other. If I absolutely HAD to choose between one or the other, I'd pick Mac though, if only because I love Spotlight and the fact it looks great.  I wish some things were easier to do in the OS, though.  Simple, basic things,... like deleting files or saving, moving, cutting, and browsing them.  I can deal with these shortcomings though.

I dunno, I'm just a fan of computers.  I love reading about the technologies available and the pushing of bounderies.  computers are very interesting, I am, and I'll say it loud and proud, a computer geek.  

Oh well, I'm happy with my first Mac, but I find it hard to believe it's as good as some Mac-addicts say it is.  You can love it or simply use it, it won't affect me any, I still like my Mac.


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## chornbe (Jun 8, 2005)

chevy said:
			
		

> Let us know why you bought your Mac (maybe we'll understand if moving to x86 makes sense to you).



iPhoto + Unix + no viruses + versatility


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## j2603 (Jun 9, 2005)

..in love with Steve..
and because I live my life trying different things and one of them was Mac OSX. It took me 10 minutes of playing with jaguar in a CompUSA store to make the switch. And now I know that I can live the rest of my life without using Windows (at least at home). 
in love with Steve is a joke.. although he looked great at the conference. ;-)


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## Lt Major Burns (Jun 9, 2005)

i voted "in love with steve'..... a bit strong, possibly, but i find i'm watching keynotes on tenterhooks, waiting for him to reveal something in that really coy, dry understated way...

i bought mine because i was attracted by it.  it is by no means miles easier to use than windows. but it tips the post.
XP, people forget, has come a long way from 95. it is genuinly easy to use most of the time.  

however, i like having such a ridiculously powerful OS. i love minimizing a 1080p H.264 moive to the dock in slow motion, watching the movie play in HD as the genie bends and crushes it down.  

i actually shout at XP now for it's poor window management. i used to love the taskbar, it was so much better than macs application switcher in the top right.  now i just hit the scroll wheel and all my open windows fly apart into perfectly scaled miniatures, working in real-time.  the power of the most advanced OS in the world.  nothing seems shoddy in MacOS. even the finder, while being shoddy by design... still looks nice!

i was unsure when i bought it if i was pumping £2300 in the toilet, on a bad choice. now i'm a mac user for life


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## fjdouse (Jun 13, 2005)

There is something attractive in wielding the mighty titanic power of UNIX with the simplicity of a mouse click. It took me years on systems with CPUs the size of my office and studying for my systems engineering degrees to *really* appreciate UNIX.  It took my 70 year old neighbours about 20 minutes.  OS X is not only a great UNIX, it's the best desktop OS on the planet IMHO.


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## MacFreak (Jun 13, 2005)

Not only great Unix? MacOS X is the best OS than any OS as many business reported.


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## TommyWillB (Jun 13, 2005)

I started with a Mac SE when we were running OS 6.1 with MultiFinder. I used it because it had a GUI unlike it's competor MS DOS.

I use OS X on my current machine because:
...it runs Apache/PHP out of the box.
...it is as solid as Unix.
...it has a command line.
...I can ssh to it.
...it really IS plug-and-play.

But not because:
...it's quiet. It AIN'T!!!
...it has a lot of horsepower for the price... It didn't!


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## fuzz (Jun 14, 2005)

i started using Macs when i was a junior in college as an industrial design major.  it was still OS 9.1 or 9.2 back then.  i'd describe my experience with OS 9 as "eh" ... I had a Cyrix 200 processor in my PC running Win98 that-drove-me-nuts.  The case was idiotically designed.  the floppy disk drive died and it was almost impossible to remove the disk to get it replaced b/c of the design.  Then I was working on a catalog which I tried working on a Compaq presario with a K6-2 AMD processor with integrated video ... which drove-me-nuts.  I worked on 1 page, click next page on CorelDraw, wait 10 minutes ... (The catalog was 25 pages total).  so i swore to rid myself of PC's, and got a Powermac g4 400mhz while still running OS 9 in anticipation of the so called OS X.  And when OS X did come out, it was like a dream.  and no, the intel news, while shocking at first, probably won't be that big a deal to the end user like me.  While I'm now in graphic design/business dev., I would still love to see all those industrial design and CAD applications come to Apple.  sometimes if things don't come your way, you gotta take a step towards it.  i think that's what apple is trying to achieve with this move to Intel amongst the other issues.


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## fjdouse (Jun 14, 2005)

fuzz said:
			
		

> if things don't come your way, you gotta take a step towards it


What a great expression!


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## AdmiralAK (Jun 15, 2005)

When OS X came out it was awful!
(that is when I joined this site). I loved the idea of a new OS, but I was not impressed by the Public Beta which I ordered and installed (installed it on my PPCLinux partition lol), Then 10.0 and 10.1 came out - again I was not impressed. O booted into OS X once in a while, but I remained a classic guy until 10.2. Jaguar REALLY impressed me and that is when I made the switch.

More stability, more apps, better backwards compatibility made my switch painless and more useful


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## Jason (Jun 15, 2005)

Need more options. But I bought it simply because I like the OS *shrugs*... Now I have two macs, and a PC, the PC sees more action because its newer, but the ibook still gets a lot of use.

meh


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