Comments Like This... (Why Mac's Still Better)

[fryke]

As read on Slashdot: --- An anonymous reader writes "With upcoming chipsets such as the SiS648 claiming support for the latest AGP8X standard, we asked ourselves if there were any performance benefits. We took the SiS648 and Xabre 400 reference boards, modified them and compared the results." I can't even get 4x stable under XP, so I figure 8x is half as likely to let me play NWN ---

The last line makes me think that we're still better off with the Mac. Plus other things. A friend of mine had to go to the dark side (for a while) because he needed Windows 2000 for the job. Those were our mutual experiences:

1) He bought a Cisco wireless card and we wanted to surf on my wireless network. Incredibly weird configuration on Windows 2000, it worked sometimes, sometimes it just didn't on his IBM Thinkpad X20. My TiBook always just worked. Out of the box.

2) He bought a bluetooth card for his X20, because he had an Ericsson, bluetooth enabled phone. Same thing as with the wireless network card: It worked, then it didn't - and as soon as he added a third thingie (a printer adapter for his HP printer): Everything bluetooth stopped working.

3) I bought a CD-Rewritable. No-Name, Firewire. Worked out of the box with Toast and with Finder & iTunes after some iTunes CD Burning update. He bought a Freecom Traveller USB & Firewire CDRW. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Plus driver installation hell.

Btw. I've been a professional Mac & PC supporter, so I've actually got some experience with DriverHell™ (Windows 2000: First nobody supported it, and when XP came along, the drivers for 2000 finally started arriving, although they don't always work).

But the comment on /. about AGP 4x 'sometimes not working' really got me thinking. I rather have fun working 12 hours on a 'slow' computer (as many of you say when claiming X86 the better platform) than spending half of my time configuring the computer and shouting at it.

 

[voice-]

Yes, we're lucky on stuff that just works, but the influence od azosx has got to me. We still have to wait longer for compatibility. Bluetooth may work for you, but think how late it came for Mac...

That combined with the way Apple are behaving (are they gonna change their name to MicroApple?) makes me really wonder if it's worth it. I might find myself buying a PC next time I buy a computer.
That said, it's a long time till I'll buy a new computer cause I don't need a new now and there's plenty of time for Apple to get mack in to my good book.

 

[toast]

In my -humble- opinion, the Mac stays the best choice as far as what I know of computers, taht is computer design, is concerned.

I feel better with the Mac. I'm not the only one: check out www.desktoppublishing.com forums to learn through a bunch of old topics that Mac still rules in DTP for many reasons: stability, no viruses, better color management, simplicity of the whole.

What stinks with Mac is:
1) The new Microsoft-like behaviour.
2) The hardware. It's just SLOW. I'll need to get some more RAM to make OSX move at decent speed.

Mac also lets my girlfriend use the computer to browse and check mail in a simple, nice interface. That's what she needs, being very representative of the basic customer.

Yes, we're better with Macs. And some mystery is: I feel more creative with them. That's why I'll stick to them.

 

[azosx]

But the comment on /. about AGP 4x 'sometimes not working' really got me thinking. I rather have fun working 12 hours on a 'slow' computer (as many of you say when claiming X86 the better platform) than spending half of my time configuring the computer and shouting at it.

"I can't even get 4x stable under XP, so I figure 8x is half as likely to let me play NWN"

This was posted by CmdrTaco, not the anonymous reader, as a follow up to this quote attached to a post from earlier this month.

"I was gonna say something witty and insightful here, but I can't think of anything. At least I can't make a windows machine stable enough to run Neverwinter or my brain would be toast."

So some anti-MS idiot can't run NWN in Windows, thus Macs are better? CmdrTaco is the biggest MS basher on Slashdot. If what he says about Windows really gets you thinking, well, nevermind.

BTW, I've run NWN on my PC with 4x AGP with no problems. Could it be that this is just an isolated incident?

I can't play my Castaway DVD on my G4 Cube but it plays on my PC flawlessly. PCs must be better then according to your logic? It runs fine on my PB G4 so who knows what the deal is. I never really stopped to think about it.

I run Windows 2000 Advanced Server and never have had driver problems. I don't know what exotic or crap [Freecom Traveller USB & Firewire CDRW] hardware you've been trying to run but driver support in 2000 is top notch. Sure, when 2000 was right off the line, driver support wasn't immediately available. I guess similar to what OS X users first experiened with their printers and FireWire devices.

Some of these totally absurd posts and points are like p*nis envy and really annoy me. Why is everyone grabbing at straws to drive home the point that Macs are better than PCs?

 

[toast]

Why is everyone grabbing at straws to drive home the point that Macs are better than PCs?

I suppose this annoys me too. It annoys me because even PC users know Mac is better. Why repeat it all day ?

 

[ksv]

Originally posted by azosx


"I can't even get 4x stable under XP, so I figure 8x is half as likely to let me play NWN"

This was posted by CmdrTaco, not the anonymous reader, as a follow up to this quote attached to a post from earlier this month.

"I was gonna say something witty and insightful here, but I can't think of anything. At least I can't make a windows machine stable enough to run Neverwinter or my brain would be toast."

So some anti-MS idiot can't run NWN in Windows, thus Macs are better? CmdrTaco is the biggest MS basher on Slashdot. If what he says about Windows really gets you thinking, well, nevermind.

BTW, I've run NWN on my PC with 4x AGP with no problems. Could it be that this is just an isolated incident?

I can't play my Castaway DVD on my G4 Cube but it plays on my PC flawlessly. PCs must be better then according to your logic? It runs fine on my PB G4 so who knows what the deal is. I never really stopped to think about it.

I run Windows 2000 Advanced Server and never have had driver problems. I don't know what exotic or crap [Freecom Traveller USB & Firewire CDRW] hardware you've been trying to run but driver support in 2000 is top notch. Sure, when 2000 was right off the line, driver support wasn't immediately available. I guess similar to what OS X users first experiened with their printers and FireWire devices.

Some of these totally absurd posts and points are like p*nis envy and really annoy me. Why is everyone grabbing at straws to drive home the point that Macs are better than PCs?

We're here to discuss Mac related topics, have fun and help other users. If you're here to discuss which platform is best, go somewhere else.
If you think your PC is best, fine for me. You probably belong to an other user group with different requirements.
I never visit PC discussion boards to make heated discussions and hurt their community.

 

[marmotton]

Originally posted by azosx



I can't play my Castaway DVD on my G4 Cube but it plays on my PC flawlessly. PCs must be better then according to your logic? It runs fine on my PB G4 so who knows what the deal is. I never really stopped to think about it.

FYI: I have played a rented Castaway DVD on my G4 Cube without any problem. I remember watching the 2 CDs, with all the extras. I was running Mac OS 10. You may want to check your system and/or configuration.
Sorry I can't be any more help.

 

[azosx]

Originally posted by ksv


We're here to discuss Mac related topics, have fun and help other users. If you're here to discuss which platform is best, go somewhere else.
If you think your PC is best, fine for me. You probably belong to an other user group with different requirements.
I never visit PC discussion boards to make heated discussions and hurt their community.

How exactly is starting a thread on 8x AGP on a PC and how it will or will not run a Mac related topic? Give me a break. This whole thread was created to discredit PCs and to discuss which platform is best. I think you're telling the wrong user to go somewhere else if you have a problem with PC/Mac comparisons. Talk to fryke. Biased and blind. People like yourself humor me.

 

[toast]

What I like with azosx is his rough stupidity when it's time to insult people.

LOL

Hey, azosx, could you launch a poll where we could all vote about your OWN blindness ? Thank you.

As for fryke, I must tell you his design experience should learn you much about Macs and PCs. If you cared to read what he writes.

 

[azosx]

Originally posted by toast
What I like with azosx is his rough stupidity when it's time to insult people.

LOL

Hey, azosx, could you launch a poll where we could all vote about your OWN blindness ? Thank you.

As for fryke, I must tell you his design experience should learn you much about Macs and PCs. If you cared to read what he writes.

The fact that some PC user couldn't get NWN to run on Windows with 4x AGP got him thinking as to why Macs are better than PCs, thus he has something to teach me? Wow, seriously, it's the blind leading the blind around here. What design experience is to be learned from this thread? Did you actually read the entire thread before writing that? I'm confused.

I do read what fryke says and I've found him to be very nonbiased and intelligent. This just didn't happen to be one of those moments.

All I was saying is that's quite a silly reason to start a discussion on why Macs are better than PCs. Do you honestly believe otherwise or do you defend everything Apple no matter how silly it makes you sound?

And exactly how does seeing two sides to everything make me blind? I'm no Mac fanboy nor PC fanboy. I know it's popular to pretend Mac is king and PCs suck but screw popular. Why don't we discuss something intelligent that we could all learn from for awhile. The same old Mac vs PC BS is so tired and counter-productive. Nothing is to be gained from it.

Also, take the time to read my posts. Never once have I said PCs are better than Macs.

 

[ksv]

Originally posted by azosx


How exactly is starting a thread on 8x AGP on a PC and how it will or will not run a Mac related topic? Give me a break. This whole thread was created to discredit PCs and to discuss which platform is best. I think you're telling the wrong user to go somewhere else if you have a problem with PC/Mac comparisons. Talk to fryke. Biased and blind. People like yourself humor me.

*comment deleted*

Yeah, laugh at me. Great to see people having fun

 

[gibbs]

funny to say this twice now but azosx yet again seems to have more common sense than anyone else in this thread.

Although im not sure why you even bother az- its falling on deaf ears in this forum.

 

[fryke]

Rehi. I thought I might say something about why this thread was created.

In the last few weeks the general tone on this forum was that Apple basically sucks and should get its act together, that they should switch processors right now 'or else!'. Although I share the opinion that Motorola has fallen back too much in recent years concerning processor speed, I'm still a person who thinks the Mac lets me be more creative and work in a more natural way. (Plus what Toast said.)

This thread is not about Taco's comment. I also don't think it's impossible to get NWN to run just fine on a PC. I have also installed some software on an MS box and it worked the first time and was all pleasure. But the comment reminded me of years of experience with Macs and PCs (running both Linux and various variants of Windows). And from that springs the reason for this thread (plus that I think we should remember this, although the current PowerMacs might be slower than the current AMD/Intel boxes):

I can set up a new Macintosh computer for various purposes (and I'm not saying for every purpose) in a very small amount of time for a new user, and the result is - not every time, but 19 out of 20 times - a happy new Macintosh user, inviting me for a dinner and for a drink every now and then.

I can set up a new Windows user for more purposes (and even here not every) in a larger amount of time (and with one or the other driver issue plus some crashes, this being part of the time penalty), and the result is - not every time, but 1 out of 2 times - a new PC user calling me every other week (if I'm lucky) for support.

So, that's where my question stems from (and I've written some experiences and a /. quote down for a starter at the top of the thread), and I might repeat it for you: "Are we still better off with Macintosh?"

And my answer, along with many people as I get from the poll by now, is a clear 'Yes!'.

I respect your opinion, azosx, and I'm sure your Windows 2000 Advanced Server experience has been as good as you've told us. But keep in mind that you also - like me - know a bit more about Windows 2K than your average Mac user. Users - and I don't want to sound mean, it's just a fact that I have made money from in my life, too - have problems with Windows and PCs. We have been joking many times at the school where I've been teaching graphics design that millions of people would be jobless the day Microsoft released an operating system that worked as well as the Macintosh. And those were 'pure' Windows people, maybe one or the other linux fan among them.

 

[toast]

What design experience is to be learned from this thread? Did you actually read the entire thread before writing that? I'm confused.

Though not being a native English speaker AT ALL (I'm French, do you realize ? We fought against England for centuries ), I don't see any reference to design or learning about design in this thread. I used fryke's experience in this domain as a back-up to his comments. I understand your confusion, I hope you didn't search for design opinions in this thread for too long .

I do read what fryke says and I've found him to be very nonbiased and intelligent. This just didn't happen to be one of those moments.

Yes, of course. For the moment he's just Dr Jekyll, biased and blind. Quote from yourself: "Biased and blind. People like yourself humor me." Moreover, I don't remember you finding fryke nonbiased and/or intelligent at ANY moment. I remember more insults, in other threads.

Also, take the time to read my posts. Never once have I said PCs are better than Macs.

Please quote the line in which you understood I was saying this of you. I'm just doubting of your English again.