Mac vs PC

[Will Easley]

For my own research, I was just wondering as to how many people on SLAP are using Macs & other iOS devices as opposed to those on Windows & droid, and various reasons why you prefer one over the other.


Personally, I'd been on Windows all my life and was perfectly fine with it until I updraded my dell inspiron to a macbook pro w/ retina and I just dont think id ever go back. The user interface just seems more comfortable & the magic mouse makes shit even easier to navigate. System settings & using the applications folder is also way easier to navigate than the Windows control panel & install/uninstall system. Apple Boot Camp also lets me install a fully functional Windows OS on a seperate partition which bascially gives me 2 computers in one, and Skyrim looks great on high graphics with the retina display.


Like I said this is for a personal research project so I'd be interested to hear yall thoughts & opinions on either one.

[Merked]

Been using Windows XP since I build my comp seven years ago.  By far my favorite OS. 

Vista was on my laptop and it fucking sucked, so I got rid of it and put on Ubuntu, a linux based OS.  It works great, but it isn't good for gaming.  It does come with like all the programs you would ever need though.  Has like a Word, Excel, and PP thing that is linux based.  Also, it is fucking free...

On a different note, a computer savvy friend told me that Windows 8 is absolutely horrific.

Lastly, I just hate macs with a burning passion.  I have used them on several occasions and everytime I just get frustrated.  It may be easier to use once you understand how the shit stick works but, to me, it is not worth it.  It is all flare with a hipster homo functionality.  Basically, Windows XP and 7 take the cake for me.  Great for gaming, easy to use, easy to clean out and they just rape.

My two cents. 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

used to love windows 98/XP since i am kind of a geeky guy and loved to install all kinds of software and see what happens, then i got a macbook pro for cheap and i will never go back. sounds pretentious, and i am well aware that its too expensive, but what isnt nowadays.

mobile phone is running with android though, i cant afford to pay 600? everytime i thrash a phone.

[max power]

built a desktop pc that's running windows 8. i mostly use it for rendering/photoshop/3d modelling. also have a lenovo thinkpad.

i would never buy a mac. they look nice, but the apple premium is definitely not worth the money.

[sleepypancakes]

I run CAD and rendering software as well as photoshop on a new iMac at work and at home, it's just what I'm used to honestly. I started using Macs in college and recently bought a new macbook pro.

I've got an iPhone 4S as well, and yes I'm gay. So maybe the homo functionality is what appeals to me.

I tried Windows 8 and thought it was absolutely terrible. Terribly hard to navigate.

[Matze]

working with windows at the office and at home with a macbook. if you're into internet porn then mac is the better solution.

[jay]

I got a MacBook Pro like 4 years ago and wouldn't think of going any other route.  I'm not a gamer or nerd so I could care less about "restrictive" features of the OS.  The aluminum body is awesome, I can't tell you how many times I have dropped it or dropped stuff on it and it has survived.  Spills? Survived and still going strong (though they were only minor).  I still have like 60 percent battery life as well, and the computer itself hasn't slowed down too much (so much porn).  My brother has had two or three cheaper Windows laptops in the time I've had this, and I can see this lasting at least another year and a half/two years.  All in all, worth every penny.

[_UniversalTruth_]

Basicaly the same as the ones before.
Got iMac, iphone 3gs (why buy a new one?), use CAD and graphic programs and watch porn. lol

[Cthulhu!]

All of my computers are running gnu/linux. I dual boot with windows 7 on this laptop though.

[Mooley]

MacBook Pro. I've never seen a better built laptop. You definitely pay a premium but after two years I've had no problems whatsoever with it, which is more than I can say for any other Windows laptop I've owned before it. The display isn't limited to some bullshit viewing angle, the hinge doesn't wear out and let the screen fall constantly, and after all my usage it still destroys all my friends' computers in battery life. The mouse alone is worth the money, but I'm a big fan of the operating system too.

But the most important thing is that in all that time I've had zero problems with software. No fucking around looking all over the internet for drivers to make some bullshit work, no updates that have crippled my computer, no problems on start-up or shutdown, and no gradual accumulation of shit that runs in the background and bogs everything down. Everything just works. At times I've thought "I could have gotten a Windows PC for way cheaper" but then I remember all the headaches I've had with every other PC I've owned and realize my time is worth the premium.

I've got an iPhone 4s too, but truth be told I know exactly shit all about smartphones and only really got it for compatibility. All I can say is I've had no problems with it, good all around.

[Sleazy]

it's a real simple comparison. there's a usability principal that simply states that fewer options means that something is easier to use, this is why driving a car is easier than flying a 747.





mac has embraced this and they try to anticipate a users needs and provide a great experience for 80% of the users out there who only need to go to the store. they also have embraced design and lead the way in showing the importance of design, especially in the consumer space and how design relates to usability by creating a desire to use the product in the first place. these are all good things.

however, for a power user who actually does want to flight international, mac can be incredibly frustrating as all the controls are hidden from you by default because the OS assumes that you will only be driving to the store. i personally can't use their products as i'm in the other 20%. the level of abstraction that they want you to work at is not the level i'm most comfortable at. i like to know where i'm at in the file system, i like to b able to tell what an images path is, ect... so for me it's extremely painful to have to guess my way around an apple device because i'm very comfortable with how computers work and the abstractions they use to simplify things obfuscate details that allow me to do what i do efficiently.

and fortunately for guys like me, windows has finally caught on when it comes to usability and design and i'm currently working on a think pad twist that has windows 8 on it and the overall experience is awesome. it's sleek, light, sturdy, fast, quite, has a touch screen and functions both as a tablet and pc as well as a few other form factors that i enjoy more than tablet for the content consumer role. it's a great time to be a PC guy.

On a different note, a computer savvy friend told me that Windows 8 is absolutely horrific.

your friend doesn't know what he's talking about. it might not be his preference but windows 8 is an amazing operating system for new devices. notice how i stated my preference above without saying that apple is horrible, it's just not aligned with my needs. windows 8 will change the landscape of computers, mark my words. mac's with touch screens will be here before too long and you will see an official end to apple following steve job's idea of "monkey pawing".  apple will be doing this 100% because windows 8 got it so right.

windows 8 also runs over 30% faster than windows XP, it's more secure and it supports touch. your friend is probably one of these idiots that is trying to use windows 8 on two 24 inch monitors without a touch screen and doesn't get what all the hype is about. that'd be like installing ipad software on a desktop and then complaining that it's not good. the windows 8 experience is a combination of software and hardware that is forward thinking. if you are not going to buy a new device and embrace it for what it is, then don't be an idiot and use xp.

[Baron Samedi]

I've always used both. I use a Dell running Windows 7 at work and an iMac at home. I like both, and the PC my company gave me is pretty powerful, but being a non-gamer and not really needing the level of customization and versatility that PCs afford the user, I go with Macs for personal use. It's funny too - people always stereotype Mac users as yuppies/hipsters/snobs and shit, but I've encountered quite a great deal more condescension from die hard PC advocates when they find out I like to use a Mac.

[Sleazy]

I tried Windows 8 and thought it was absolutely terrible. Terribly hard to navigate.

so this ui pattern is hard.

use case: "how can i adjust my mouse settings?"

1 - start typing mouse
2 - click settings
3 - click mouse icon

use case: "i want to use auto cad"

1 - start typing "auto cad"
2 - click icon


that same ui pattern hasn't failed me yet. what's so hard about that? the complaints about windows 8 usability are really complaints about cheese being moved by people who haven't actually tried to use it properly. it takes less than 30 minutes to figure out how to do what you did well in windows 7.

(big phones are for morons)

and women. i'm rolling with the htc 8x. amazing form factor. sleek, light, fast and no need for case. apple really needs to get away from aluminum, it's heavy and feels cold in your hand. rubberized composites are lighter, stronger and can have a good aesthetic.

[sexualhelon]

it's a real simple comparison. there's a usability principal that simply states that fewer options means that something is easier to use, this is why driving a car is easier than flying a 747.





mac has embraced this and they try to anticipate a users needs and provide a great experience for 80% of the users out there who only need to go to the store. they also have embraced design and lead the way in showing the importance of design, especially in the consumer space and how design relates to usability by creating a desire to use the product in the first place. these are all good things.

however, for a power user who actually does want to flight international, mac can be incredibly frustrating as all the controls are hidden from you by default because the OS assumes that you will only be driving to the store. i personally can't use their products as i'm in the other 20%. the level of abstraction that they want you to work at is not the level i'm most comfortable at. i like to know where i'm at in the file system, i like to b able to tell what an images path is, ect... so for me it's extremely painful to have to guess my way around an apple device because i'm very comfortable with how computers work and the abstractions they use to simplify things obfuscate details that allow me to do what i do efficiently.

and fortunately for guys like me, windows has finally caught on when it comes to usability and design and i'm currently working on a think pad twist that has windows 8 on it and the overall experience is awesome. it's sleek, light, sturdy, fast, quite, has a touch screen and functions both as a tablet and pc as well as a few other form factors that i enjoy more than tablet for the content consumer role. it's a great time to be a PC guy.

Expand Quote

On a different note, a computer savvy friend told me that Windows 8 is absolutely horrific.

[close]

your friend doesn't know what he's talking about. it might not be his preference but windows 8 is an amazing operating system for new devices. notice how i stated my preference above without saying that apple is horrible, it's just not aligned with my needs. windows 8 will change the landscape of computers, mark my words. mac's with touch screens will be here before too long and you will see an official end to apple following steve job's idea of "monkey pawing".  apple will be doing this 100% because windows 8 got it so right.

windows 8 also runs over 30% faster than windows XP, it's more secure and it supports touch. your friend is probably one of these idiots that is trying to use windows 8 on two 24 inch monitors without a touch screen and doesn't get what all the hype is about. that'd be like installing ipad software on a desktop and then complaining that it's not good. the windows 8 experience is a combination of software and hardware that is forward thinking. if you are not going to buy a new device and embrace it for what it is, then don't be an idiot and use xp.

Nailed it.

[Thrillho]

Saying Windows is anything like a 747 is a bit ridiculous.  I'd say if Mac is driving an Infiniti, then Windows is driving a Lexus with a standard transmission.  I use Linux for the most part.  Try Ubuntu if you're curious.  There's always WINE if you get homesick.  The world mourned the loss of Steve Jobs, put him on the cover of time magazine.  John McCarthy and Dennis Ritchie both died in the same month as him, and no one even mentioned it.  Ever since the iMac came out, everything Apple has done seems to cater to a persons narcissistic side.  There's not a ton of substance, just the prestige of owning one; a lot like dating a super model.  Windows is more of your "I'll do anything you want, baby!" type.  But, as with any kind of tool, it's all about what you're using it for. Duh.

[Sleazy]

the analogy was meant to bring home the usability principal and not meant to be accurate to scale and i hadn't considered the type of car when i grabbed the image, seems kind of irrelevant to the point being made. and yes of course, linux is the other end of the spectrum and the most "street" os to use.

linux -- window -- mac

options\power <--> ease of use


and i agree, it's all about getting in where you fit in. it can just be annoying when people don't realize that when the say "it's hard to use" it's really "it's hard for me to use" that they mean.

[KoRnholio8]

OP: going from Dell Inspirion to MacBook Retina? No wonder you love Mac so much ...

I've been using Kubuntu for 8 years now and virtual Win 7 for work. Never had any problems with my laptops, even though I upgraded them myself etc.

Sleazy explained it right - no product is the right choice for every user.

[Merked]

the analogy was meant to bring home the usability principal and not meant to be accurate to scale and i hadn't considered the type of car when i grabbed the image, seems kind of irrelevant to the point being made. and yes of course, linux is the other end of the spectrum and the most "street" os to use.

linux -- window -- mac

options\power <--> ease of use


and i agree, it's all about getting in where you fit in. it can just be annoying when people don't realize that when the say "it's hard to use" it's really "it's hard for me to use" that they mean.

Interesting.  I like it.  Even though you basically called me a moron in your prior posts.  You make valid points.  I will have to try Windows 8 for myself.  Also, I know for a fact my friend didn't fuck with any of the touch screen application when he used it.  Also, you can't knock XP.  It is the OG OS.  Love it.

[Donkey Lips]

If you think OS X is any less powerful than Windows 8, you haven't used OS X to the fullest. You can sit there and say that the initial UI of OS X is targeted towards ease-of-use users, but it is by no means a less functional OS compared to Windows 8.

I've been using Windows 7 on my work machine for a few years. Always been really happy with it.

[Sleazy]

merked, i didn't mean to insult anyone, i let my frustrations with the windows 8 hate get the best of me sometimes.

if you are going to try windows 8, i strongly recommend spending a lot of time on selecting the hardware. there are so many corny form factors out there. i mean seriously, wtf are sony and dell thinking





really you kind of have to think through how you want to use it. if you travel a lot, are mainly in content consumer role and don't need a super fast system then tablet form factor might be a win.







if you want more power and you are also in the content producer role a lot then maybe a convertible





i'm currently using the setup below. it's a think pad twist that has enough ports to support a good work setup but i still small and portable. laptop folds into table, tent, and stand allowing for great a great content consumption experience (watching news in morning while making coffee or brushing teeth, ect...) and the monitor on the left is usb and goes in my backback so that if the 12 inch screen is too tight i can take out my second monitor where ever i'm at. i keep the touch monitor close by and it allows me to sometimes use mouse and sometimes simply touch the screen depending on what i'm doing.



also using the windows 8 wedge mouse that allows for side scrolling and greatly improves the windows 8 experience.

[Sleazy]

If you think OS X is any less powerful than Windows 8, you haven't used OS X to the fullest. You can sit there and say that the initial UI of OS X is targeted towards ease-of-use users, but it is by no means a less functional OS compared to Windows 8.

I've been using Windows 7 on my work machine for a few years. Always been really happy with it.

they all allow you to get to the same place, but they are configured to provide better experiences for different types of users by default. most of the programmers i currently work with work on mac book pro's for reasons that escape me.

that said, my experience with apple as a company has left a really bad taste in my mouth. there's a general smugness that permeates that company which i can't deal with. you are seriously going to create an external hard drive that allows playing mp3s (ipod) that doesn't support syncing from the device to the computer and then tell users "we don't support that use case" when the call in about it. asshole, i just spent 500 bucks on an external hd for my music and you are telling me i have to have the music on my computer too and i'm only allowed to have it on one and then act like i'm the asshole? only apple would do something like and get away with it because of their fan base. you go in the store and you get mac geniuses at the genius bar? seriously, haha, wtf no way am i'm waiting to talk a mac genius (aka broke ass hipster with an attitude), it's beyond obnixious. i personally can't get into that in the same way that on the rare occasion i order a coffee at starbucks it's a medium black, i'm not doing the venti or whatever pretentious non-sense wording they want you to use. i'm ranting but as you can see, the whole thing just isn't for me. i want products that work the way i expect them to, not the way some big company has structured it so that i pour more money into their services.

[Yushin Okami]

Let's be fair... if you're buying an iPod to use as an external hd you kind of are an asshole.

[Will Easley]

MacBook Pro. I've never seen a better built laptop. You definitely pay a premium but after two years I've had no problems whatsoever with it, which is more than I can say for any other Windows laptop I've owned before it. The display isn't limited to some bullshit viewing angle, the hinge doesn't wear out and let the screen fall constantly, and after all my usage it still destroys all my friends' computers in battery life. The mouse alone is worth the money, but I'm a big fan of the operating system too.

But the most important thing is that in all that time I've had zero problems with software. No fucking around looking all over the internet for drivers to make some bullshit work, no updates that have crippled my computer, no problems on start-up or shutdown, and no gradual accumulation of shit that runs in the background and bogs everything down. Everything just works. At times I've thought "I could have gotten a Windows PC for way cheaper" but then I remember all the headaches I've had with every other PC I've owned and realize my time is worth the premium.

I've got an iPhone 4s too, but truth be told I know exactly shit all about smartphones and only really got it for compatibility. All I can say is I've had no problems with it, good all around.

Totally agree with all of this. I've had 4 windows laptops since I've started getting big on computers and whatnot about 7-8 years ago and all of them except my last one fucked up. First one had the hinge problem until it fell from about 1-2 feet and never turned on again. 2nd one got raped by this AVG free update that had a terrible bug on 32-bit systems that deletes some file deep within the OS which basically made only able it to start up ONCE before installing regular windows updates and getting stuck ona black command screen. I reformatted my shit about 2-3 times and itd always happen after the second reboot until i actually reinstalled the entire OS all over again. (That was moreso AVG's fault, but it still wouldnt have even happened on a mac). And my 3rd one was only about 2 years old before the processor randomly just burnt out in the middle of a studio session (thought it went to sleep mode after being idle for a while, but turns out it actually just bricked my laptop.) I've only had this macbook for about 2-3 months but its obviously built MUCH better than all my bulky plastic laptops. Again, bootcamp works like a charm once you download all the hardware drivers in windows so to me having the full Mac experience (really just not the same as running Mac OS ona PC) as well has the full windows experience (including gaming which is usually a big plus for windows vs mac) whenever you need to cant be beat.  That premium cost is a bitch, no doubt about it but it can be justified in certain aspects.


Same thing with phones. Bunch of shitty LG & droid phones and my iphone 4S slays them all in every aspect except file sharing in certain instances.

Id also like to say that ive just started using icloud and that shit is fucking raw. when i just had my pc & iphone it was useless to me but now that i have my macbook, iphone, and iPad mini, syncing contacts, notes, calendars, reminders, etc. across all 3 devices seamlessly is super convient. I write songs on my iPad then go to the studio with the lyrics already on my phone without pressing a single button. Thats the type of shit that gets me really, how Apple seamlessly blends all their hardware & software together is just very well executed and simple to use. I feel like you can do mostly of the same stuff across PC's but somehow Apple just makes shit feel right when you do it. It just makes for an overall more satisfying experience, to me anyways. And we all know apple products are MILES ahead of windows in terms of build quality & visual appeal. I mean seriously, show me a complete windows desktop that looks better than this

[Seamus_McShamebag]

I've got an iPhone 4S as well, and yes I'm gay. So maybe the homo functionality is what appeals to me.

I tried an iPad out at an Apple Store and the the first thing that happened was the screen fired up a landing page that could best be described as a looping animation of two penises touching each other to the beat of some German house music.  I involuntarily screeched  "What the fuck is this?" and an Apple Genius walked over and told me that someone must have just set the "Homo" feature to "High" and I could just change it under "Settings".  It's configurable.

[Mooley]

Expand Quote

If you think OS X is any less powerful than Windows 8, you haven't used OS X to the fullest. You can sit there and say that the initial UI of OS X is targeted towards ease-of-use users, but it is by no means a less functional OS compared to Windows 8.

I've been using Windows 7 on my work machine for a few years. Always been really happy with it.

[close]

they all allow you to get to the same place, but they are configured to provide better experiences for different types of users by default. most of the programmers i currently work with work on mac book pro's for reasons that escape me.

that said, my experience with apple as a company has left a really bad taste in my mouth. there's a general smugness that permeates that company which i can't deal with. you are seriously going to create an external hard drive that allows playing mp3s (ipod) that doesn't support syncing from the device to the computer and then tell users "we don't support that use case" when the call in about it. asshole, i just spent 500 bucks on an external hd for my music and you are telling me i have to have the music on my computer too and i'm only allowed to have it on one and then act like i'm the asshole? only apple would do something like and get away with it because of their fan base. you go in the store and you get mac geniuses at the genius bar? seriously, haha, wtf no way am i'm waiting to talk a mac genius (aka broke ass hipster with an attitude), it's beyond obnixious. i personally can't get into that in the same way that on the rare occasion i order a coffee at starbucks it's a medium black, i'm not doing the venti or whatever pretentious non-sense wording they want you to use. i'm ranting but as you can see, the whole thing just isn't for me. i want products that work the way i expect them to, not the way some big company has structured it so that i pour more money into their services.

All other quibbles aside, I do have to say I absolutely fucking hate every single aspect of the Apple Store. I went in to return a pair of earbuds I got as a gift and I was told that because they were purchased more than 2 weeks prior I would need an appointment to do an exchange. A fucking appointment to exchange $15 earbuds. Fuck. That. Shit.

I love their products but that fucking cultish store is a load of shit.

[_UniversalTruth_]

@Sk8D00d: The thing I don't understand about the new iMac with the flat screen is, where is the CD slot!?

[Will Easley]

^ they rob you for $60 with this add-on to play discs because they couldnt make it so thin with a built-in drive & they want you to buy all your shit on itunes anyway. I got one for my macbook myself. It kinda seems worse than it really is cuz i haven't used to it for anything other than burning CD's, but thats just me.





Here's my setup. I'm a musician heavy on social networking & gaming so i basically tried to make the ultimate setup for all that. Behind the Thunderbolt monitor is two 1TB external hard drives, one for backup for my macbook & another that I use as an actual hard drive in windows. Xbox controller for gaming while in windows.

[MFLUDER]

merked, i didn't mean to insult anyone, i let my frustrations with the windows 8 hate get the best of me sometimes.

if you are going to try windows 8, i strongly recommend spending a lot of time on selecting the hardware. there are so many corny form factors out there. i mean seriously, wtf are sony and dell thinking





really you kind of have to think through how you want to use it. if you travel a lot, are mainly in content consumer role and don't need a super fast system then tablet form factor might be a win.







if you want more power and you are also in the content producer role a lot then maybe a convertible





i'm currently using the setup below. it's a think pad twist that has enough ports to support a good work setup but i still small and portable. laptop folds into table, tent, and stand allowing for great a great content consumption experience (watching news in morning while making coffee or brushing teeth, ect...) and the monitor on the left is usb and goes in my backback so that if the 12 inch screen is too tight i can take out my second monitor where ever i'm at. i keep the touch monitor close by and it allows me to sometimes use mouse and sometimes simply touch the screen depending on what i'm doing.



also using the windows 8 wedge mouse that allows for side scrolling and greatly improves the windows 8 experience.

You got it dog. Got given the Asus Vivo (not the Rt) and can't imagine running anything else. I also feel windows 8 is a great operating system and should hold a pretty strong position in the market. Apple stuff looks cool, but it isn't for me and its getting kinda stale. Its kinda just for non tech people to use email and Facebook.

[Yushin Okami]

I think the one thing everybody can agree on is Apple stores are one of the worst place in the world to be.

[Star Whores Episode I: The Fellatio Menace]

Dell Inspiron with Windows 7 and an iMac.