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469 Comments
- ATCclears, on 04/16/2009, -29/+228Verdict:
Overall, though, Mac OS X beats Windows. There, I've said it. And lightning hasn't struck me yet.
However, there's no doubt that you often pay extra for a Mac; there really is a Mac tax, even if Microsoft has overstated the amount of that tax. But after living with a Mac, I can understand why people would be willing to pay the tax. - Lightstab, on 04/16/2009, -18/+176Preston Galla is a NOTORIOUS, and I do mean NOTORIOUS Apple hater. If you look at some of the past articles he's written, you would understand why. Right before the iPhone 3G came out, he was bashing Apple every few days. He made this big stink about how nobody was going to buy the iPhone 3G because he didn't see any people lining up outside an Apple store near his house and then he had to eat crow when it sold 1 million over the weekend.
What makes me angry about this guy is that he's been presenting himself as some sort of expert on Mac and then in this article you find out he's never even used a Mac and more than that, HE LIKES IT.
Man, some Apple haters are so full of *****. He's another John Dvorak, trolling Apple for clicks. - Carpy, on 04/16/2009, -13/+122I can't believe a PC guy said this: "For PC users, Mac OS X takes some getting used to, but once I did, I found it a more elegant, polished piece of work than Windows (either XP or Vista). With so many nice little touches, it seemed as if I was finding a new one every day."
- inactive, on 04/16/2009, -5/+89OS X is great, but to dismiss other OS´s is a big mistake.
I say learn them all. - BrendanSheehan, on 04/16/2009, -6/+71Single page: http://bit.ly/vNHR
I'm getting fed up with this. If Computerworld don't change this method I'll soon get sick of going back, and I am. - nullcodes, on 04/16/2009, -12/+65No PC store I have ever been to .. Fry's, Best Buy whatever .. has internet access .. so why is it shocking that Apple Stores, all of which have internet access, sell more computers? They actually allow you to use the machines and see what it can do.
The new windows ads show people walking into a store and "trying out" the PCs .. my question is what are they doing? They can't access the internet .. and usually the PC itself is either locked down or has no media files and no usable decent applications are installed.
Part of the reason Macs sell better is because they are sold better. - Lightstab, on 04/16/2009, -16/+66Just so everyone understands how much this guy hated Apple and the Mac, before he had even used one, read this article he wrote back in April of 2008. And remember this article is coming from a guy that never used a Mac.
Five Reasons why Vista beats Mac OS X
http://blogs.computerworld.com/five_reasons_why_vi ... - Petronious, on 04/16/2009, -4/+48... and he hasn't discovered the two-finger right-click, Spaces or Spotlight.
- roxics, on 04/16/2009, -4/+42You nailed it. I've been a PC builder for over a decade now and also a mac user for the last year. Too many PC people look at the hardware specs and the cost of a mac and form a negative opinion based on just that. At least that's what I've seen 9 times out of 10.
They rarely take the time to realize that macs are all about the user experience. The OS, the cool little niche software and the way the hardware and OS work together so well. That's definitely worth the added cost in my book. - D14852001neko, on 04/16/2009, -7/+44... I prefer the double-finger tap for right-click than actually having to press a right-click pad on the touchpad. How come he didn't see that on System Preferences?
- serif69, on 04/16/2009, -12/+48"More disconcerting still is that when you minimize an application, the menu of that application remains open at the top of the screen, even though you may be now looking at an altogether different app. For example, if I was working in NeoOffice and then minimized it, the NeoOffice menu remained active, even though I was now looking at Firefox (whose window was initially underneath NeoOffice's window). Admittedly, once I clicked in Firefox, its menu became active. But I never did get used to this, and found it continually confusing."
That's because you're not minimizing the application, just the front window, numbskull. That's like minimizing a document in Photoshop on Windows and getting confused as to why Photoshop is still running. - hjdutch, on 04/16/2009, -3/+37a windows guru that doesnt use a classic start menu?
I DONT THINK SO - mistergoomba, on 04/16/2009, -4/+34That's exactly how I felt when I was making the switch (it's a process!). For me, I would eventually do things more efficiently with the Mac even though it took a little while getting used to.
- benologist, on 04/16/2009, -6/+36Apple hater? You realise these people just write what they think will appeal to people? The whole OS war, browser war, bla bla bla is just blogs making easy money.
Do you really think these writers give a ***** what OS you use? Or are constantly wondering what the top X firefox extensions are? Or are just itching to write a story about 6 buttons you never clicked on before in gmail? They tailor their contact to exactly-fit whatever group is most likely to react - either in support or in outrage - and drive ad impressions up. - molotovcat, on 04/16/2009, -0/+27I tried OS X twice, and the first time, I did NOT continue to use it and never expected to. Previous to using OS X, I was a Linux and Windows user (and still am). However, one must realize that you will not benefit from OS X enough to justify the Apple tax unless you use the operating system in a different manner. That means never minimizing apps (use Expose and workspaces), using Quicksilver and or Spotlight extensively, using smart folders, taking advantage of OS X only applications, and so forth. I tried OS X again and gave it more time, read articles outlining OS X specific apps and features, and became skilled with Quicksilver.
Only then did I start seeing OS X as what it is great at doing: Being the base productivity layer. I use OS X as my host OS and use VMware for Linux and Windows. It works wonderfully.
Simply being able to do the same tasks in the same way you would in Windows is definitely not incentive to switch for advanced users who don't have problems with malware. - benologist, on 04/16/2009, -12/+39Imagine all the free/open source software available on linux..... and then multiply it by a thousand. That's how many free or open source programs are available for Windows.
http://www.clamwin.com/ - EdGasket, on 04/16/2009, -1/+24I've never heard of this guy before, but the article kinda reads like the guy is really unfamiliar with computers in general.
I can't quite put my finger on it, but he just doesn't sound pro. - pixelguru, on 04/16/2009, -4/+27As a long-time Mac user, I recently had to go the other way when I left the economically uncertain world of the ad agency and accepted my first (and hopefully more secure) corporate job. The catch, of course, was that it meant driving the corporate standard Windows XP box instead of OS X.
Considering that XP came out in 2001, it's not even fair to compare the two operating systems. I do admit that a few features are pretty useful. Although Outlook is butt-ugly, it's a workhorse which keeps the torrent of corporate email and meetings organized. I also admit that I've quickly become accustomed to left-right clicking - even going so far as to mirror the same config on my home Macs (Yes, Macs have had two-button mice for quite a while now). Windows Net Meeting is also a useful ugly duckling, though the only way anyone knows to launch it is to open a "Run" window and type "conf" - tell me that is intuitive.
And yes, XP feels old as dirt (which it is), and the user experience is utterly devoid of polish. I haven't had a chance to use Windows 7, but when it hits corporate boxes sometime around 2016, it still won't fix some of the PC's basic usability flaws. The reliance on the inconveniently placed control key for the majority of key commands is an ergonomic clusterf*ck, and trying to muddle through the Adobe Creative Suite without having both a Command and Option key is infuriating - especially when I'm constantly bumping the utterly useless "Windows Key" causing the Start menu to pop up like a demented jack-in-the-box. I know Control-Alt-Delete serves some arcane security purpose, but it's really way past time to find something less intrusive to the user.
Say what you will about PCs having more available software but I really miss TextMate and BBedit. I've tried E-Text Editor (a supposed TextMate clone), Notepad++, and some IDE's like Aptana, but they all suck in their own inelegant and inefficient little ways. Photoshop on XP also has some really convoluted workflows when you need to do things like copy layers from one open document to another (open document in a (funny non-standard) new window). Apple has always kept developers in line with their UI experience, and it really shows... every PC application is an island with its own interface ideas and paradigms.
I wish I could say there was more to like on a PC now that I'm working on one. I think everyone agrees that XP should have been retired long ago, but the long absence of releases between XP and Vista, and Vista's stumbling have led us here. I have seen a couple of shiny new iMacs floating here and there in the sea of corporate Dells, so perhaps there's hope. - AndrewWiggin, on 04/16/2009, -1/+23Spotlight is amazing. If you use Windows XP you probably rarely search for things, and if you do, you need to know how to search/what to search for.
Spotlight is like using Google instead of the competition. - Andrwmorph, on 04/16/2009, -3/+24This invalidates everything he has ever said negative about the Mac in the past. He has never used one therefore had no real basis for comparison.
- nepidae, on 04/16/2009, -11/+32"Some getting used to" means like 2 minutes. Both windows and mac have their advantages, I really don't like people who romanticize either.
- neonblue2, on 04/16/2009, -3/+21Great article. He wasn't scared of the experience, didn't flinch from the changes (mostly), and found ways to do everything he wanted to.
My only complaints are that he didn't try hard enough to find answers to his problems. Since 2005 Apple have been shipping PowerBooks, MacBooks, MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros that support right-click on the trackpad. Put two fingers on the pad and click. That's all. Depending on the person it can be a much better experience than a physical button.
He also went about a very weird way to connect his PCs to the Air. I've done it before and it's not that hard. Just turn SMB on and make sure the account is selected and it should join automatically. I have a feeling that there's some extra restriction on his network that stops this from working.
Concerning the Network Map, he does have a point in a way. You can, however, get the same information from System Profiler and the Network window (Go > Network). He did look in System Profiler but not after he ran into this problem.
Other points of interest:
- The Mac "Delete" key serves the same purpose it's always done; to delete the last character. It's been that way for more than 20 years. That said, it was an Apple decision to name it "Delete" even when IBM PCs at the time were calling it "Backspace".
- The menubar still being active with a minimised application is due to a difference in ideas. Windows is window-based, Mac OS X is application-based. Thus you can have no windows on the screen yet have a application open at the same time.
- The renaming of the disk image is odd. That's never happened as far as I know. Is he sure it wasn't an IMG to begin with? VirtualBox doesn't accept the IMG file extension and this might not have been a fault with the OS.
And one more thing; who gives a reviewer a MacBook Air to reveiew Mac OS X? It's a good machine but it's the weakest computer Appple make. At least he didn't go on to say Mac OS X was slow but it would have been a courtesy to give him a more powerful MacBook to be a better judge. - Kerr, on 04/16/2009, -1/+18The irony.
- Shiftgood, on 04/16/2009, -9/+26Who are you trying to convince? us? or yourself?
you seem overly defensive. - HerrWolf, on 04/17/2009, -1/+18It amazes me how many people still believe that Macs can't right-click without pressing Control. It only takes a two-seconds trip to System Preferences.
- NathanCH, on 04/16/2009, -4/+21Macs are over priced, there is no denying it. I've been a Mac user for 3 years now and I have never denied it. However, I find it extremely annoying that it's the only thing people criticize nowadays. Furthermore people seem to try to tell me they're overpriced all the time, as if I didn't already know. Why does it matter to you so much that I spend a few hundred more dollars on a computer? If you don't want to buy one, fine. But I'm happy with my purchase so leave me alone.
- Wuss, on 04/16/2009, -9/+26"I took it to a nearby cafe to work,...." -1 credibility.
I find it hard that this is a write-up of a "Windows Guru".
I recently switched my main work station from an XP desktop to a unibody Pro.
Overall, I agree with the statement that OS X is more elegant. It's more logical in it's workflow, and generally speaking, things are where they should be.
On the other hand, I'm sad to report I can't praise the stability of either the hardware or software. I recently had a failed hard drive replaced by a "genius", and I've had to use the paradoxical Force/Close on my mac more times in the last 8 months than I can remember in the last 2 years with my XP machine.
Overall my experience is pretty neutral as it was on my many years of XP. And to kiss a little more ass, I recently installed Ubuntu on an old HP workstation to setup as my HTPC/file server so I can be further enlightened. ;P - falstaff, on 04/16/2009, -2/+18The way Apple separates the window from the application can lead to some confusion. I do understand what's happening, but for a new user (and I saw lots doing tech support), the open document IS the application. The way Windows keeps things a little more compartmentalized has its share of drawbacks, but don't blame the guy for getting hung up on a totally different window management paradigm.
- nullcodes, on 04/16/2009, -1/+17Dude, you can't change your background image? Ever thought about upgrading from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95?
Or least get a keyboard that supports lower case. - aaronbourret, on 04/16/2009, -3/+19Dvorak is an awesome crank. Love him on TWiT
- mattharvey716, on 04/16/2009, -1/+16do you not have an eject button top right of your keyboard?
- Mockylock, on 04/16/2009, -0/+14Indeed. Before I buy a PC, I want to see how much porn I can surf in 15 minutes AND do it without a single virus.
- doctechnical, on 04/16/2009, -7/+21@distressless - I respectfully beg to disagree. One reason that there aren't any Mac viruses (at least virulent and in the wild) is due to market share, true, but the main reason is that OS X is built on top of Unix, where security was always part of the operating system, and security in Windows is largely bolted-on and full of holes.
For the individual user there are enough freeware/open source anti-malware apps to get by, but from a business point of view, keeping Windows locked down is pricey, and users generally still do dumb stuff that gets them infected. The TCO of the Mac now looks a lot sweeter.
And I'm not a Mac fanboy trying to start a flame war, I've just used a Mac (and loved it). However, my personal bottom line is this: I know lots of people (including me) that make a living programming for the PC. I don't know anyone who makes a living programming for the Mac ;) - sonofabiscuit, on 04/17/2009, -0/+13Why are you getting dugg down? It says it right here:
"I asked for a laptop rather than a desktop, and what showed up on my front door about a week later was the latest MacBook Air, with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor running at 1.83 GHz, 2GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeoForce 9400M graphics processor and a 128GB solid-state hard disk." - distressless, on 04/16/2009, -1/+14I agree, and being able to jump onto any system that you need to is a big advantage to future employers.
- beloitpiper, on 04/16/2009, -1/+14FTA: "I quickly discovered the command-Tab key combination for cycling through open programs, much like Alt-Tab in Windows."
Alt-Tab? What does tha--OH MY GOD! - inactive, on 04/16/2009, -5/+18Final Cut Pro is the best. A lot of your favorites blockbusters were made with that software.
- eadnams, on 04/16/2009, -3/+15I hated trackpads until I used one of the new multi-touch pads on the unibody macbooks. The multi-touch stuff is intuitive, and you do it without thinking pretty quick.
- Virgule, on 04/16/2009, -1/+13"Only after one of my editors pointed out that there are small, glowing blue dots underneath running apps did I find out that there's a way to differentiate between apps that are running versus apps whose icons live permanently on the Dock. But those dots are so faint and subtle as to be of very little use."
I can fix you up :) All these little details are .png files stored into /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Content/Resources. Feel free to replace them... Right-click Dock.app and select Show Package Content then you can get into Content/Resources.
Here is the package I use myself: http://www.filedropper.com/dockdarkandvisibletheme
Just unzip and drop&replace the .pngs into /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Content/Resources
re-login. ur done
oh, one more thing:
"As for launching programs, the Dock isn't the only way to do it. You can also run them from the Finder, which is a more impressive and useful version of Windows Explorer. And you can put aliases on your desktop to run programs and access files and folders."
Get in Spotlight preference panel and activate "Applications".. there... from now on punch CMD+SPACE and start typing an app name. hit enter. there you go :) - AndrewWiggin, on 04/16/2009, -0/+12Wow, reading that article now knowing he hasn't used a Mac you can see that he's just spewing out the same old same old.
- saikyan, on 04/16/2009, -1/+13Hell yes. I have significant job security in that I'm the only member of I.T. who knows both Windows and Mac OS. Forget taking sides- I say use both and reap the sweet rewards of their brutal competition.
- bradleyland, on 04/17/2009, -1/+13You really nailed it. A lot of my customers ask me if they should switch to a Mac when they see that I'm using one (I'm an IT consultant). I always tell them that unless they're wiling to invest the time and effort in learning a new way of doing things, no, they should not.
Ironically, the computer users who possess the greatest ability to make the switch are often too blinded by their own misconceptions to give it an honest try. When I made the switch, it was unintentional. I used my first Mac for a specific project and ended up really liking it. Four years later I'm really glad I did, but I still enjoy using Windows, and I don't want to lose my familiarity with the worlds most popular desktop computing platform. - Angostura, on 04/16/2009, -1/+12The only thing I would say yottskry is that OS X is rather good for geeking around with if you want... the reason I switched to OS X in 2002 was that I wanted to tinker with Unix but also wanted a machine that I could run Office on. I also wanted to do some video editing and liked the bundled iMovie/iDVD.
It's been pretty much what I hoped for. I open up the terminal when I need to release my inner geek, but ignore it the rest of the time. - nextse7en, on 04/17/2009, -8/+19I paid 2 grand for my macbook pro unibody. I would pay three if I had to. The difference between this machine and an HP laptop, or an alienware, or even a thinkpad is simply astounding.
Best keyboard, best display, best trackpad I've ever used, hands down. The tactile response is amazing. It feels like you are working with a solid slab of aluminum, because, well, you are. The car comparison is apt. When you close the door on a 1982 Chevy Citation, you hear a rattling, creaking mess. When you close the door on a Mercedes even one from the same era, you hear precision machine work and a solid THUMP.
I've worked for Micron, Microsoft, and Symantec. I'm an MCSE (admittedly outdated) I grew up with PC's and loved them dearly. But when Microsoft failed for 8 years to come out with a replacement to an aging OS with an increasingly schizophrenic layout, I was pushed to OSX.
If any computer company, anywhere, ever makes equipment as good as this, then I'll take a look at buying a PC again. Until then its OSX for productivity, and bootcamp on my mac pro for gaming. - EdGasket, on 04/16/2009, -4/+15Err... Macs sell better? Do you want to re-phrase that? Because last time I checked (today), Apple wasn't in the top 5 computer manufacturers globally, and was number 4 in the US.
So technically speaking, HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo and Toshiba sell better.
Even if you excluded business purchases Apple is small potatoes globally. As indicated by their 3-5% market share.
And I went to John Lewis In Kingston, London two weeks ago and could access the internet on al of their PCs. - TheFinaleofSeem, on 04/16/2009, -1/+12Snow Leopard may fix that. Apple is building native Exchange support into Mail, iCal, and Address Book.
But yes, Entourage is a slimy turd. The only possible reason I can think of to use it is if you must have the right Exchange support. I shudder when I see people using it for regular POP3 or IMAP accounts. - x713, on 04/16/2009, -1/+12You have got to be stupid if you think that you are still secure. I use linux but in no way do I think I am secure. Most of the ***** that happens to windows is because of user stupidity. If you think you can bypass user stupidity than you are one hell of a computer scientist. Sure we are more secure, but don't underestimate what windows has done to beef up security. You are a moron if you think that customer base has no effect on your operating system. I am also willing to bet that you have no understanding of the windows security model after XP.
- MerchantofPanic, on 04/16/2009, -2/+12Completely agree. But then youd need to test against hundreds of hardware combinations and apple just dont have the engineers to do it. Also, theyd by carving up their highly profitable hardware division.
Now if they opensourced the whole Mac OS for the x86 platform....... - scriptcoder, on 04/16/2009, -9/+19Jeez how often does this type of article appear in these computer magazines and sites? Every month some dude goes "two weeks" with X operating system.
- distressless, on 04/16/2009, -15/+25The only reason why Mac doesn't have a ton of viruses is that there isn't a mob of people working on it. PCs are a juicer target with more company information, banks and so forth. They're day may come, although I will admit that the os being newer does mean its A LOT safer, but if someone wants in, they will find a way.
Plus I use Avast Free anti virus, don't pay for any "gobs" of productivity software, and I can upgrade my system myself without the apple tax if it starts getting slow. :) have a nice day -
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