Now that Apple is Windows-compatible, to switch or not to switch to Mac?

[von Rothbart]

Apple just released a new software Boot Camp that will let Intel-based Mac to run Window XP. Users can choose which OS, Window or Apple, to use during boot up. The software will be built into the next generation Apple OS Leopard.

I am not an Apple user but from what I've heard, Apple OS is more advaced, user-friendly, and stable. And more important much less likely to be under virus attack. If I can use my Window softwares and files with a Mac, I don't see any downside by switching to a Mac for my next computer, do I? A Mac is just more cool looking that a PC.

So Apple users, what's your experience with Apple OS and Macs?

 

[skalogre]

Actually, this would quite possibly work against Apple. They make their rmoney from the combination of OS/HW. They cannot compete against say, Dell, on H/W alone. If the applications can be written for XP and run on Apple PCs and Wintel systems, what is the incentive to port an application to an OS that is marginal at worst and a minority at best? That is part of what killed OS/2 (well, and MS-IBM fighting). If I ever were to switch it would be for the BSD core of OS-X - certainly not for the chintzy boxes and expensive expansion "options" that Apple offers. Remember the Mac clones? Apple pulled the plug pretty fast once they saw their profit margins erode.

 

[tangerine]

Windows running on a Mac is the worst of both worlds; a clumsy and buggy OS prone to virii and spyware, running on overpriced, unreliable, proprietary hardware. What a joke.

Now, if OS X would run on a PC I could build myself, I would be in heaven.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Hahahaha

There is so much that I could say... but its already been said (for the most part) with less swearing and better punctuation.

Apple is being run by idiots!

 

[Brian SD]

Sounds like a bad idea to me. Though not sure about the unreliability of Apple parts. I, and everyone I know has had some issues with breakage of every custom-built PC encountered.

 

[Babar]

I think this is a smart move. There's a lot of people that want to switch over but still need to run Windows, so a simple setup like this should be perfect. Mac OSX is really a joy to use, and I somehow doubt Vista will reach a similar state of maturity for quite some time..

And Apple hardware isn't really proprietary, unreliable, or overpriced. They start at, what, $599 these days, use only standardized components, and last for years (ime).

 

[tangerine]

Not going to get into a religious war about Mac vs. PC, but here are my observations:

At work I have two PCs, one I built, one is a corporate Compaq/HP box. I have a G4 Quicksilver dual 1 GB, a G4 Quicksilver dual 1.25 GB, and a G5 dual 2.5.

I cannot use a Mini or iMac for our professional video applications. They don't have the power or expandability, full stop.

The G4s are not too bad, they burn through HDs and optical drives pretty often but so far at least no processor or main board failures.

The G5 is the worst lemon I have ever seen. Both processors and the main board had to be replaced within the first week. Apple had the machine for a month, after first insisting that I swap out HDs, memory modules and I forget what else. They finally returned a mostly working machine, but they never fixed the problem with the built in gigabit ethernet. I needed the machine for production and so have just lived with the problem (it drops off the network from time to time.)

I have been using PC and Mac professionally for the past eleven years and feel quite comfortable saying that Mac's quality control is getting worse. I am sure that the problems with the processors are one reason for the deal with Intel. I believe Apple has said as much.

Where can you buy an Apple main board or processors? I haven't seen them anywhere but Apple. If that is not proprietary, what is?

Overpriced is a matter of opinion, I have already stated mine.

Neither PC has "broken", other than the usual Windows (software) problems. To be fair, I don't do serious video on the PCs, the OS and applications aren't anywhere near good enough, and video really stresses the components, so the Macs take much more of a beating.

The 9600 and early G4s were much more robust machines, though.

That's my two cents. Everyone should run whatever they like, but I stand by my experience. Peace out.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by Babar

And Apple hardware isn't really proprietary, unreliable, or overpriced. They start at, what, $599 these days.
$599 for an underpowered, extremely limited usage, difficult to upgrade toy. What a bargain! I wonder if they've fixed the problem with their crappy 64MB integrated video chip yet? It has problems powering CRT's and quite a few larger monitors IMMSMC. Apple hardware isn't proprietary? What universe do you live in? Name a third party company that makes readily available computer parts for Apple computers? Apple is a computer hardware company. They are in business to sell you an expensive computer. That will never change. That is why you will not see Apple allowing OSX to be run on a PC *EVER*. The main reason to buy a Mac would be gone! It's also why Mac will never again sanction people upgrading, repairing, altering, (re)building, or changing their computers other than Apple people. They use proprietary hardware to make sure that you HAVE to come back to them for anything. Its a big money funnel. Apple would rather get kicked in the balls than take another hosing like they did with the Mac clone fiasco.

 

[skalogre]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

$599 for an underpowered, extremely limited usage, difficult to upgrade toy. What a bargain! I wonder if they've fixed the problem with their crappy 64MB integrated video chip yet? It has problems powering CRT's and quite a few larger monitors IMMSMC. Apple hardware isn't proprietary? What universe do you live in? Name a third party company that makes readily available computer parts for Apple computers?

Apple is a computer hardware company. They are in business to sell you an expensive computer. That will never change. That is why you will not see Apple allowing OSX to be run on a PC *EVER*. The main reason to buy a Mac would be gone! It's also why Mac will never again sanction people upgrading, repairing, altering, (re)building, or changing their computers other than Apple people. They use proprietary hardware to make sure that you HAVE to come back to them for anything. Its a big money funnel. Apple would rather get kicked in the balls than take another hosing like they did with the Mac clone fiasco.

Pretty much sums up my sentiments. And again, for the record, I am not a Wintel fanboy nor Mac hater. I am a bitter ex-Amiga user that wishes his games and apps ran on Linux (and is fed up with the fake "alternative culture of pseudo-cool" that the Jobs reality distortion field creates).

 

[Babar]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

$599 for an underpowered, extremely limited usage, difficult to upgrade toy. What a bargain!
The mini is meant for casual use like surfing the web, sending e-mails, listening to music and storing your digital photos, or simply connecting it to the HDTV to watch movies and stuff. For that kind of use, it's perfectly specced (and good luck finding a similarly sized PC at that price).

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

Apple hardware isn't proprietary? What universe do you live in? Name a third party company that makes readily available computer parts for Apple computers?
Umm.. All components in Macs are made by third parties. Standard RAM-chips, hard drives, CPUs etc.. They simply have a different approach than the wintel world. They deliver the complete package themselves, which incidentally is the model that made the iPod so successful.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by Babar

The mini is meant for casual use like surfing the web, sending e-mails, listening to music and storing your digital photos, or simply connecting it to the HDTV to watch movies and stuff. For that kind of use, it's perfectly specced (and good luck finding a similarly sized PC at that price). Umm.. All components in Macs are made by third parties. Standard RAM-chips, hard drives, CPUs etc..
1: I can build a similarly specced PC for around $300. A black one. White sucks. 2: Ok Mr. Fantasy land, go buy a Mac CPU or motherboard at the computer store. See ya in a few years when you figure out that you can't. There are no third party CPU's or motherboards, RAM is fine, but you can't upgrade it, only put in MORE, and how many more is limited by your PROPRIETARY motherboard. If I wanted to upgrade to 4GB of PC2-7200 memory from my 1GB of PC-3200 I could do it. I could switch from my AMD processor to an Intel Processor and still run all the same programs and keep my RAM, HD's and optical drives static. Can't do it in a Mac.

 

[Babar]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

2: Ok Mr. Fantasy land, go buy a Mac CPU or motherboard at the computer store. See ya in a few years when you figure out that you can't.
Why would I want to? I can't build my own Xbox either, or iPod. If that's the main argument against Macs these days, then I guess it's time to load up on those Apple-shares.

Btw. seems like some people did get a new "Mac CPU" for their mini: http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/...05155848.shtml

 

[Tekhintsi]

just fyi many people have been able to get osx to run on pc hardware, albeit with mixed results

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by Babar

Why would I want to? I can't build my own Xbox either, or iPod. If that's the main argument against Macs these days, then I guess it's time to load up on those Apple-shares.

Btw. seems like some people did get a new "Mac CPU" for their mini: http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/...05155848.shtml
Why would you want to? I don't know. Why would you want to have a faster computer without buying a whole new $$$ box? No idea. Continue to fall for the hype. Ignore the voice of reason. Nothing to see here. Its always been the argument against Mac's. They aren't very upgradeable. They have proprietary hardware, they tell you what hardware you want instead of you deciding. PC's are much more versatile machines. It's always been that way. You COULD easily build your own Xbox. All you would need is the OS. Xboxes are just PC's after all. It wouldn't be cost effective though, because video game consoles are generally sold at a pretty steep loss. The "upgrade" they are talking about is for the two newest apples only (mini and iMac), and its just because apple was too cheap to solder the CPU to the boards like they usually do to keep you from upgrading. If you REALLY feel like spending $260 on an overpriced CPU that you will have to add a water-cooling system to, re-time your RAM, and probably end up breaking your power supply...go right ahead. It's not an official upgrade, and the computers in question were not designed to be put under that kind of load. It's not like a PC that you can just upgrade your CPU to the top of the line in your slot/socket configuration whenever you want and it probably won't cause any problems. The mini and iMac weren't designed to be upgraded at home. Thus my point. Also, if you need to add a cooling fan, or a new power supply to your PC, you can. I would assume as well that the Intel Yonah being offered online like this is Intel's little dig at Apple for dissing them for years in the common market, telling people what "inferior" chips they were compared to PPc.

I hope Intel stuck it to Apple and refused to sign the non-consumer agreement that Apple made IBM swallow that made it impossible to get PPc's anywhere but Apple.

 

[SGladwell]

What this news will mean to a smart person who does not require any Windows-native anythings for work or whatever: nothing, because she or he will already have a Mac. To someone who does need some Windows use, it will mean she or he is free to make an intelligent decision and not be shackled to an inferior solution for everything.

Originally Posted by Brian SD

Sounds like a bad idea to me. Though not sure about the unreliability of Apple parts. I, and everyone I know has had some issues with breakage of every custom-built PC encountered.

When professionals like Apple do it, things seem to be more reliable then when amateurs randomly assemble different bits and peg them together.

Some people seem to want to whine that Apple actually expects you to settle on a package. Well, I wouldn't want to assemble a suit by taking a Huntsman sleeve, an Attolini shoulder, Kiton lapel canvassing, and Oxxford chest canvassing, the shoulder off of an Attolini, so why the hell would I want to build my own computer?

One person posted his Apple experience, but here's mine. Since January of 2001 I have been through rev. A (Apple-ese for "first model year," which are traditionally the most trouble prone, obviously) versions of the Titanium PowerBook G4, "Sawtooth" Power Mac G4, and Mac mini G4. In addition, my current stable of Apple products includes a rev. A MacBook Pro as my personal do everything machinee, a dual 2.3 G5 Power Mac at work, and the newest addition of a rev. A Mac mini core solo for HT purposes.

Total number of problems: 0.
Compare that to my silly baby brother, who has to do everything different from me. His obese Dull break-your-lap-top averages three months between shop visits.