It Seems We (Me and Wife) Are Joining The Converts To Mac

[Steve Machol]

The one statement that seems universal from Mac owners is "I just got my new Mac and installed Windows". Why by a Mac then?
I own Windows and I am not trying to install OSX.

Speaking for myself, the ONLY reasons I would install Windows on a Mac is if there was some software I wanted to run that was not available on a Mac (i.e., Quicken Home & Business) and to do troubleshooting for customers having problems with IE and vB.

Other than that, there is nothing I want from Windows that I can't already get from a Mac.

[anthonyparsons]

Yep... finding that out also Steve. Mac informed me that existing software I have purchased, I just ring them up and they will send me the mac version. Adobe stuff is already on its way, free of charge.

[Wayne Luke]

That's a valid point dilbert, it would be horrible to always switch between two systems according what program I need as a power user in my eyes. Better solution may be to have one win pc and one apple, if I could afford it I would do that.

You could run Windows 7 or Windows XP in a virtual machine using Parallels without having to reboot. Of course, you can run OSX in a virtual machine under Windows 7 using VMWare. Probably could get it to work on Virtual Box as well or create a Hackintosh PC.

[Trevor Hannant]

You could run Windows 7 or Windows XP in a virtual machine using Parallels without having to reboot. Of course, you can run OSX in a virtual machine under Windows 7 using VMWare. Probably could get it to work on Virtual Box as well or create a Hackintosh PC.

Just need a copy of OSX and I'll be doing that!

[Quillz]

It's funny... I was considering upgrading to the recently released 27'' iMac models when all of a sudden my current iMac now completey freezes up from time to time. I'm probably going to wait until the holiday season to actually buy one, though.

[EPCZ_Jack]

The biggest problem with Macs, is the cost and lack of upgradability.

I built a 6 core computer with high end graphics, 24" LCD monitor, and all peripherals for around ~$1,500

My specs:
PhenomII x6 1055T (hecta core)
Ati Radeon 5850
4GB Ram

Let's take a look at the Mac Pro entry level. Price: $2500, and that's with no monitor or peripherals. Already double what I paid for mine with a monitor.

Xeon Quad Core, yeah 2 cores behind there.
nVidia GT 120, not even in the same league as the 5850.
3GB Ram, 1GB behind

Behind in hardware, and they're charging more than double for it, than a custom built PC. What are you paying for? An apple logo and a "sheek" case?

As far as the operating system goes, it's all preference. I have never, ever experienced stability problems with Windows 7, it doesn't crash, and it does exactly as told, without hogging all my resources.

Mac is prettier no doubt, but no more functional. By the core definition of the word, Windows is more functional, since it supports a much larger amount of applications than its apple counterpart.

I am by no mean a "fanboy" for Microsoft, I just don't understand where Apple get off charging as much as they do, for as little as you get.

[dilbert]

Wow, I hate to admit it, but it looks like I might be wrong (ouch, that hurts). Macs don't sound as unfriendly as I thought, though I do really hate the look - I hate the dock on the bottom (or any dock at all) and I hate the little circles at the top right.
I have a fairly new Alienware with Win7 Ultimate 64. As far as reliability, since I upgraded to Win7 in October, I haven't had any trouble. It still starts in less than a minute, and never locks up.
I use Microsoft Access a lot, and haven't seen that available for Mac, that would be huge to lose that program.
I also own Office, and Adobe Web Developer Suite (along with many other smaller programs) and that would be a lot of money to upgrade those.
I suspect I'll be in the market for a new PC in a few years, maybe I'll give Mac's a better look at that time.

[Wayne Luke]

I am by no mean a "fanboy" for Microsoft, I just don't understand where Apple get off charging as much as they do, for as little as you get.

Why does Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi charge as much as they do when they are selling the same basic products as Toyota and Honda?

Apple doesn't want everyone in the world to have their computers. They want people who consider them to be the best to own them. Same with Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi. There are markets for high-end consumer goods that aren't affected by recessions or downturns in the market. This is the market that Apple is targeting with their products. There comes a time in most people's lives where they stop settling and want to start living. Purchasing pre-configured devices from companies like Apple, HP and Dell allow people to do that. Purchasing server level hardware from any company will cost about what Apple charges for its Mac Pros. You can't really compare the Server CPUs in them to the Consumer AMD chip in your custom built machine. It isn't always about Ghz, number of cores and so forth. It is more about stability, reliability and getting work done.

I used to be like you and build all my computers. Spend time maintaining them and so forth. It consumes a lot of time. Especially when you live in a household with six computers and a dozen other networked devices. Nowadays, I want to get a new computer, plug it in and get to work. No hassle, no fuss. Now I spend more time with my family. We watch more movies, baseball games or go to the aquarium.

That is why Apple can charge what is does. Obviously 3.4 million people felt the same way in the last three months to buy their computers. Personally, I don't have Apple PCs yet but am looking into a Macbook Pro for my wife to use in Veterinary School. However my current workstation, which was purchased from HP, costs about the same in line with the Mac Pros. I only have four cores as well but hardly anything actually uses more than two.

[Sfitzgerald]

I love my MAC BOOK Pro 17inch I7 with 24 LCD display ... Run Windows 7 / XP with parallels just for support issues with clients and customers other then that MAC is the best.

@Dilbert .. you can move the dock or not even show it if you don't like it as well as tweak a lot of the desktop to show or hide what you dont want or do want ..

[anthonyparsons]

Yer... that's the bit that cracks me up with peoples impression on more cores are better, when its not actually the fact at all... well, I believe the new i core from Intel now have all cores on a single level, so what used to use one core can now use all cores simultaneously to process, regardless of software being used. Could be wrong, though I thought that was the significant change with the icore for performance improvement.

Using just this base model with an i3, 4gb ram and 256 graphics, it is running faster than my other system using quad core, 4gb ram and 1gb graphics. Actually ran battlefield on here which stuttered in parts on the other system... flawless.

The tech guy at apple was telling me that what the IBM type system uses, the new imac can achieve for near 50% less, ie. 256 graphics is like 512 graphics on other systems due to the way the imac is now integrated... and using LED... very clear and bright, low power. Much nicer to type on that my other 22" LCD using DVI.

[WhatChaMissin]

Why does Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi charge as much as they do when they are selling the same basic products as Toyota and Honda?

Comparing a Honda to Mercedes Benz is like comparing Chef Boyardee to Fine Italian Cuisine. You only need to drive/taste the two and its easy to see why one cost more than the other.

[WhatChaMissin]

Yer... that's the bit that cracks me up with peoples impression on more cores are better, when its not actually the fact at all...

Reading this bit here almost made me spit out my Pepsi! Have you ever gone from a single core to a multi core machine?

[Wayne Luke]

Comparing a Honda to Mercedes Benz is like comparing Chef Boyardee to Fine Italian Cuisine. You only need to drive/taste the two and its easy to see why one cost more than the other.

Many would say the same thing about an Apple vs. a mass market Windows machine.

[WhatChaMissin]

Many would say the same thing about an Apple vs. a mass market Windows machine.

And yet you hardly hear anyone say please pass the ketchup when eating Fine Italian Cuisine compared to the number of people who first action is to install Windows on their newly purchased Apples.

[Sfitzgerald]

And yet you hardly hear anyone say please pass the ketchup when eating Fine Italian Cuisine compared to the number of people who first action is to install Windows on their newly purchased Apples.

Believe me if I didn't have to install W7or WINXP it would have never touched my shinny mac book pro - but due people using and buying a inferior operating system I have to load it so I can support people but believe you its not up and running till I need it or I cant remote view into a system or RDP into a server to take a look ..