PC v Mac... Which do you prefer?

[King Kovifor]

:\ OS X is based off NeXT/BSD, so that would make it part of the Unix family. GNU/Linux is, essentially, a Unix clone and usually called "Unix-like", but not Unix.

The only similarities between actual Unix and GNU/Linux is the fact that the programs all follow the same scheme for hierarchy, naming, etc. The underlying code is different, even though it does pretty much the same thing (drastically simplifying this).

Although I might be wrong, I believe OS X doesn't run the X Window System like most distros using the Linux kernel do. Off the top of my head I think it uses Darwin? Although you can install it, but I have no clue why. If you wanted to do that, why not just use BSD in the beginning and get it over with. Surely it'd be cheaper, anyway.

Any of you Mac guys wanna clear that up better than me?

OS X is NeXT. Apple was going down the drain without Steve Jobs and Steve's NeXT operating system and company were doing extremely well. They got Steve to come back to Apple, bought NeXT Computer, and renamed NeXT to Mac OS X.

[Vtec44]

vtec44, before you make wrongful assumptions.

linux is just like unix

Leopard is an Open Brand UNIX 03 Registered Product, conforming to the SUSv3 and POSIX 1003.1 specifications for the C API, Shell Utilities, and Threads.

I've always treat Unix-clones and Unix almost the same, my bad.

[Cromulent]

OS X is NeXT. Apple was going down the drain without Steve Jobs and Steve's NeXT operating system and company were doing extremely well. They got Steve to come back to Apple, bought NeXT Computer, and renamed NeXT to Mac OS X.

Not quite.

Mac OS X is a combination of Mac OS 9, major parts of the NeXT operating system and BSD Unix. Mac OS X is not just NeXT OS though.

[HexOnxOnx]

A few comparisons between using a Mac and a week old HP Vista Home Premium computer.

I use four Macs, a MBP 4GB ram, a Mac Pro 2GB ram, a MacBook 2.4 2 GB ram and an iMac with 3GB ram. All four Macs have been problem free for months, not one lockup, kernal panic nor any hardware problems. Maybe two Safari browser crashes over the past several months, same with Firefox.

My MBP will be a year old the middle of July and because I have not had one problem with it, I won't be getting Apple Care.

Ok, so the Windows machine is a week old. I removed allot of the junk that HP like to install on new computers including Yahoo toolbar and even disabled the sidebar thing that is a copy of OS X widgets. Only software added to the machine has been Agent newsreader and I added a Micorsoft basic mouse.

Last night, I had the computer completely lock up with a spinning wheel to where I had to simply hold the power button till it shut off. Upon restarting, it did the same thing. These were the stupid problems that I was having with my old XP HP laptop that I still currently own. The XP laptop would freeze up every so often for several minutes than return to normal. There were no virus or spyware causing this and it took restoring the laptop to several different restore points before I got the problem to go away.

It is during the times Windows runs well that it is a very enjoyable experience and it is because of this that I decided to buy the HP laptop last week.

I still love the way that my Macs work flawlessly every single time I turn them on. I don't do any real work on any of my computers, just use them for internet and watching my videos purchased on iTunes as well as my music and ripping my DVDs.

People seem to get upset when they hear other people say the old tired phrase that Macs just work. Well to me, Macs just work. I don't have to waste time on them trying to figure out why it keeps freezing up once an hour or why it completely locks up for no good reason.

I still love my Windows machines however and during the last year, I tried to go without them by just using Macs only. Once I turned on my old XP laptop though, I realized how much I missed it.

It's a OS X and Windows world for me and always will be even with Windows odd problems.

[JimK76]

My next computer will be a Mac, just because of the constant little bugs with PC's. I never hear anyone complain about Mac's just PC's.

[Kier]

For all it is worth, Menu Bar -> Go -> Go to folder....

1. Requires opening a separate, modal dialog
2. Does not take its starting point as the currently viewed folder
3. Has no auto-complete or suggest facilities

In short, rubbish. This is an extremely poor alternative to the Windows Explorer address bar.

[Kier]

I never hear anyone complain about Mac's just PC's.

This is me complaining about Macs. I find it unfathomable that there are so many idiotic interface decisions and inconsistencies in such a tightly-controlled system.

[King Kovifor]

1. Requires opening a separate, modal dialog
2. Does not take its starting point as the currently viewed folder
3. Has no auto-complete or suggest facilities

In short, rubbish. This is an extremely poor alternative to the Windows Explorer address bar.

I don't use Finder enough to hate it. Also, have you thought about submitting bug reports for those three things?

This is me complaining about Macs. I find it unfathomable that there are so many idiotic interface decisions and inconsistencies in such a tightly-controlled system.

10.4 was worse with the Brushed metal windows. They looked horrible and completely confused the heck out of a good bit of people. Leopard comes a long way, but I agree there were some idiotic moves.

[legionofangels2]

PC.

I just don't like Mac's too well.

[bboy]

I have been a Windows user since WfW 3.11 and feel that I am coming to the end of the Microsoft line. I am planning to hop off at the next stop and make the switch to Mac OS X.

That said, I'm still waiting for the next iteration of the Mac Mini before I do make the jump. The main thing that has kept me from changing over was that the software is tied to the hardware but with the Mini I feel that I can let this slide as the cost is not very high and the box is easily modifiable by the end user (replacing HDD, RAM, etc). I also do NOT want my system and my monitor to be in one box. In any case, I still await Apple's announcement and if it does not come well....I may stay aboard with Microsoft.

ps - needless to say that if I do switch over, I will still be using XP in VMWare Fusion.

[King Kovifor]

I have been a Windows user since WfW 3.11 and feel that I am coming to the end of the Microsoft line. I am planning to hop off at the next stop and make the switch to Mac OS X.

That said, I'm still waiting for the next iteration of the Mac Mini before I do make the jump. The main thing that has kept me from changing over was that the software is tied to the hardware but with the Mini I feel that I can let this slide as the cost is not very high and the box is easily modifiable by the end user (replacing HDD, RAM, etc). I also do NOT want my system and my monitor to be in one box. In any case, I still await Apple's announcement and if it does not come well....I may stay aboard with Microsoft.

ps - needless to say that if I do switch over, I will still be using XP in VMWare Fusion.

For a little more, you can get Mac Pro (high end processor + tower).

[Kier]

I don't use Finder enough to hate it. Also, have you thought about submitting bug reports for those three things?

They aren't bugs, they are design decisions conciously made by Apple designers. Submitting a bug report for that would be somewhat akin to submitting a bug report to vBulletin because you don't like our use of the Verdana font for UI text.

[Kier]

For a little more, you can get Mac Pro (high end processor + tower).

Hmm bboy is talking about a Mac Mini and you suggest that for a little more he could get a Mac Pro? I think your definition of a little more is somewhat different from mine, given that the Mac Pro costs upwards of five times the price of the Mac Mini...

To address his points, I think there are great hordes of people who would purchase a new, better specced Mac Mini, and even more who would like a PC-form factor Mac tower that isn't the ultimate powerhouse of the Mac Pro. Just something like a Core 2 Quad Q6600 with a user-replacable graphics card and hard drives, easily expandable memory and no built in monitor. The iMac is all very well for those people who are a) rich enough to dump their monitor each time they upgrade their PC or b) too stupid to realise that they could buy one good display and keep it for years and years, but for the technically savvy, we want an affordable tower from Apple where we have a little more control over the hardware spec, upgradabiity and expansion capabilities. Unfortunately, I don't think Apple will address this market - if they have any plans to do so, why haven't they already?

[King Kovifor]

Hmm bboy is talking about a Mac Mini and you suggest that for a little more he could get a Mac Pro? I think your definition of a little more is somewhat different from mine, given that the Mac Pro costs upwards of five times the price of the Mac Mini...

To address his points, I think there are great hordes of people who would purchase a new, better specced Mac Mini, and even more who would like a PC-form factor Mac tower that isn't the ultimate powerhouse of the Mac Pro. Just something like a Core 2 Quad Q6600 with a user-replacable graphics card and hard drives, easily expandable memory and no built in monitor. The iMac is all very well for those people who are a) rich enough to dump their monitor each time they upgrade their PC or b) too stupid to realise that they could buy one good display and keep it for years and years, but for the technically savvy, we want an affordable tower from Apple where we have a little more control over the hardware spec, upgradabiity and expansion capabilities. Unfortunately, I don't think Apple will address this market - if they have any plans to do so, why haven't they already?

Yeah, I don't actually know how much the Mac Mini costs. But, it's the only other option for a tower mac. I personally like having everything in the monitor, as it saves space on my desk (of which we actually have none), and computers for me last quite a long time.

And, there are suggestions feedback hidden somewhere on Apple's website. I will post it up if I find them.

EDIT: I think the only way for finder Feedback is here as there is no specific "Finder" feedback section:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

[Wayne Luke]

Yeah, I don't actually know how much the Mac Mini costs.

The basic model costs about $600.00.