Another Computer Question

Bad. Kirin "Ichiban Shibori" is the official beverage for sushi, and don't let anyone tell yer different.
Sashimi, especially when still partially attached to fish which isn't quite dead yet, requires Nihonshu (aka sake - which is, in fact, simply a term for alcohol).

 

The thing I find laughable is that Apple get applauded for including this admittedly nice software with the Operating System, while Microsoft get derided for having the temerity of including a BASIC web browser. Is it any wonder that Windows does not have the included software that the Mac has, when every IT nerd in the world would be screaming for Microsoft's blood. How dare they compete....

 

There is one major over riding factor as to why most people have PC's. They have them at work. Most people don't want to have to use two different OS's and slight variations of Office and mail client between Home and Office.

My job is as a Computer Desktop Trainer. I specialise in Excel, Crystal Reports and Lotus Notes/Domino. I have been doing this for 14 years. Only once have I trained in an all Mac environment. Even a company that created CG for movie houses using MAC and Silicon Graphic Farm, used PC's for their office work.

So all the time that businesses use PC, that is what will be used at home.

 

I know diddly quat about computers.

Not interested in downloading FKU223 Mk4 because MK3 is incompatible with TWAD4. I just want to come home, switch something on, and brouse the net, look at my photos, listen to some tunes without being told about fatal errors, and pressing Cnt/Alt/Del every friggin day.

With the above in mind, I am happy to be using a Powerbook. Everything is so intuitive and simple. The thing looks cool, hasn't crashed in 6 months, and doesn't try to redirect me to some Dutch porn site every time I fire it up.

It'll do for me - and I suspect a growing number of poseurs throughout th e world!

 

Paul, I didn't meant o wind you up as you clearly are, I think the problem here is one of 'the male'

IN that case I must be a female or gay, all I want is a computer that will do what I want. I don't want five years to learn how to assemble PCs no more than I want to spend five years learning how to build a Cdplayer.

The mac hardware is superior, by hardware I mean the case, I mean the screens (common I dare one of you to argue this point) I mean things like the wirless key board, and the isight, lets talk ipods.

Basically apple have tapped into a market of which I am part, elegent solutions for the home that just work.

Nothing compares in PC land, although as conceded Sony are having a go, but I notice there prices as well, a shocker.

The point of this thread was not to be 'bub like' as stated I was interested in if people considered mac when purchasing new. So it costs more money you are right. I spent 90 quid on a kettle for the kitchen, but I also know they are available for 11 quid from argos, however this kettle rocks.

Its about quality in my opinion, apple represent quality construction with an OS that works with the hardware and without the associated crap which happens when you purchase parts from a million manufacturers with an OS that has to try and keep up with a million holes. What a mess.

Seriously I laugh at people that buy PCs today with a floppy disk drive.

Why are Mac people like me? Because we love it!

 

Sharp make most of the TFT hardware in the computer industry. How much of a Mac's hardware is built by Apple and how much by OEMs (who make most of their componentry for the PC market)?

Apple doesn't make any of the hardware in the iPod IIRC, and the iPod OS is licensed from a third party. They add their design input, and produce nice products, but they don't make much of their own hardware.

-- Ian

 

Gary

I'm sitting in front of an Apple screen and a Dell 17" Ultra Sharp. The Dell is every bit as good - although the Apple is prettier.

Apple is a lifestyle product for me. I would not say it is better in any way - although I do find it easier to use and seemingly more reliable.

I can imagine some people being perplexed by some of your comments though.

 

No, not wound up

Fair do's.

You can get some very, very nice PC cases. I'm not going to argue about the Mac being pretty - it is - but PC's dont have to come in bland beige or black boxes. I happen to really like my brushed aluminium Lian Li case.

And I'm not arguing about that either. Once again, I have nothing against the Mac, I would consider it myself if I did what you did with computers, as I agree its polished. However, no point in trying to convert me, it wont happen As for IPOD, well theres I-River, a Creative something or other, so there are rivals, again I'm sure all have advantages and disadvantages.

Yeah, it is a nice machine, I agree. However, you cannot simply say that one cannot buy a very nice PC for what it costs for a Mac.

Thats your choice, I've made my choice. I guess it comes down to this: With Mac you pay for the aesthetics, the polished operating system and the experience. For the same money for PC, you CAN have aesthetics, you get a reasonable OS, but you get power and compatability for games. You pays your money, takes your choice.

 

So what is it with the one button MAC mouse then?

I have a very nice looking Logitech wireless mouse which works as it should and allows me to scroll up and down the page at the roll of a wheel, page up and down at a press of a button, go back and forward between screens in a browser on a click of a button. No need to navigate around a screen and click the scroll bars of the back forward buttons.

And as is obviously your want you have chosen to ignore my previous post. So a question why would I want 2 different machines, one at work and one at home which run differently, and won't necessarily be compatable (Excel VBA for instance) ?

Oh and another thing. My brother has sold his MAC to get a PC. Why, you ask? Because the schools his daughters go to only use PC's because they can get educational discount. You ever tried asking Apple for discount? I have when I set up a network of 80 machines in a Government Training Scheme. Obviously I went to Dell and got the same processing power for half the price.

 

Lilo, agreed with the mouse thing, but you can connect any mouse that has a USB lead into OSX and it works, no software required.

I use an MX700 wireless and its the dogs danglys

 

So the work compatibility isn't an issue as long as the kit looks nice

 

Hey their mouses work, but I agree that more buttons is better hence the MX700 with like a million.

I did my entire management trainees course culminating in around 4 reams worth of work with a one button mouse!

 

garyi, when you say that a multibutton mouse "works with OS X, no software required" what do you mean? Obviously the main mouse function (moving the pointer) and the main button will work but how does OS X know what to do with the other buttons?

I have a Microsoft optical mouse with scrollwheel and back/forward buttons for browsing and I really find it hard to use any other these days. Does OS X at least interpret the right-click as Ctrl + click to get a context menu?

IMO Apple really need to reconsider the sacred cow status of the one button mouse. It seems now like they're sticking to it on priciple rather than any good design or ergonomic reasons.

Michael.

 

Michael, the Apple one button mouse works almost the same as any other mouse. If you want to use a function that would normally require a mouse with a second button, all the user has to do is press the Ctrl key (well, the Apple function key) and click the mouse. Voila - same result.

I hope that made sense !

 

Lilolee - I also agree with you about the work "compatability". I don't generally have to transfer files between work and home anymore as I have a work laptop at home but constantly switching from one OS to another might become a pain. OTOH, I'm constantly switching between Windows XP and Unix at work and I don't find it a problem.

In the end merlin summed it up well: Apples are lifesyle products. They also happen to work very well, but not massively better than a PC with XP.

Michael.

 

Voodoo - I know that you can do Ctrl-click to get a context menu on a Mac but if you plugged in a 2 button mouse to a Mac would the right button automatically do that or would you have to configure it (if that's even possible)?

I personally find having to combine mouse and keyboard actions extremely cumbersome. Fortunately you very rarely have to do it on a PC unless you're doing drag and drop and want to modify the default drop behaviour.

Michael.

 

Mike, I guess a mouse tells the mac what it has and the mac does the rest. For instance if you connect a mouse with scroll wheel the mouse prefs has a new area for setting scroll speed. And yes when it has two buttons it makes the right hand but the right click.

 

Even then, you can use the right mouse button to drag and drop and quite often you get a menu so you dont have to use the keyboard at all if you dont wish.