Apple vs. PC

It only comes in big - I wouldn't buy it.

Um.. Ok. 15" and 17". I like the 15" myself.

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14" is the max. size I would buy.

is this baguette sizes?

I have a 17" PowerBook. I would never give up the full size screen. And no, I wouldn't buy another system if OS X could run on it. I too like the looks, durability and reliability I have always experienced with Apple hardware. Not to mention the superb customer support.

What is your basis for stating that apple hardware is more durable and reliable than any others? Don't they use the same off the shelf products?

I said that I had experienced those things. I had a ThinkPad and it broke in a year (about two weeks after the warrenty ran out). I've also had an HP desktop (which literally caught on fire) and a Dell, which I don't have any complaints about about than customer service perhaps.

Aside from the gereral hardware, Apple notebooks also have scrolling trackpads, which I forgot to mention. Have you ever used one of those? They're great! This is an argument that has been going on for a long time, and really neither of us will convince each other. In the foreseeable, I don't imagine myself getting anything but an Apple computer.

The only thing I'm really trying to get across to you is that Macs aren't more expensive than similarly equiped machines. Here's a good head to head comparison.

http://www.macworld.com/2006/08/feat...rice/index.php

There basically the same computer, with a few minor differences, and the Mac is over $1000 dollars cheaper (with the $309 taken out for the monitor that comes with the Dell).

So why not have everything and style?

Eek, those prices made we want to cry! I wouldn't pay more than £700 for a system for myself - although I wouldn't get a premade PC, unless the costs were lower (haha). In general, my friends that have macs have paid what I would call crazy prices for their systems. I'll grant you that Apple's customer service is great - but interaction with strangers scares me, so it doesn't affect me much

I have used scrolling track pads which were a vast improvement over normal trackpads - that still wouldn't persuade me to use them as an input for every day use. I'd need a mouse... lucky my laptop comes with a little red ball thing that I love oh-so-much!

As I've said I've always loved to the look of the IBM laptops - so hardcore.

But after all is said and done - I wouldn't mind buying a Mac if I was getting a good deal! If I'd researched and found that they had the best system for me at the right price, I wouldn't say no... I'm not prejudiced you see

Snow

I strongly disliked that red ball tracker on my ThinkPad...

I don't ever use a mouse when I'm on my laptop. It took me a week or so to get comfortable with it, but I can trace things with it in Photoshop now. I'm actually more acurate with it than a regular mouse.

I guess if you're argument is Macs are expensive, I can't argue with you there. Aside from the iBook and maybe Mac Mini's, they're high end systems that one would expect to pay more for, but they've got that much better hardware, yet they're still smaller and lighter than anything else on the market.

a $700 is a $700 computer and no Apple does not use standard off the shelf hardware. They have very specific levels of standards. When IBM, Motorola etc couldn't catch up with the PPC chips Apple first went to AMD, AMD failed and intel became the chosen ones. I was hoping for the AMD procs myself but eh. And if you are going to be picky about $$ a Mac mini is cheap cheap and a damn fine machine for the price. Hell even the Macbook's which are pretty cheap stomp many of the comparable "PC" laptops out there. And as stated previously price a dell with everything the Macbook has let alone the Macbook Pro. And from experience (And I have been using windows since 3.1 and for years built my own windows boxes) windows even runs smoother on apple's stuff. My Macbook Pro running XP Pro doesn't give me half the crap all the pc's I work on do.

Its just a way of being. If you like what you have then good! Not going to bash you for it, but just because you don't understand the Mac phenomenon no reason to bash it either. They have done studies on it and Mac users tend to have a "relationship" with their computers much more so than windows users. Its not just a piece of hardware. It is a life tool. I know I use my for everything.

On a completely different note, Macs also have incredible resale value. Roughly $1 per Mhz. give or take depending on obvious factors. I have sold every mac I ever owned on eBay within 24 hours prior to buying a new one. Try to get close to a 50% return on your IBM. a 5 year old Macbook Pro will still sell for 1k plus. You would be lucky to get $200 for a thinkpad. Which honestly probably wouldn't last 5 years.

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I didn't say I wouldn't buy one... I'd be perfectly willing if they suited my needs for the right price.

I do find it difficult to understand the 'relationship' with a piece of hardware and I'm kind of glad I don't! I love dev, and my little laptop - but I don't seem to have the same brand desperation that my friends seem to.

I have had to use macs many times, for long periods due to differing situations. They seemed to me to be equatable to other machines, and OSx to other OSs. I get that you have a personal preference - but crazy Mac users are just scary, cliquey and desperate to convert the masses

(not that anyone here is!)

Snow

I don't consider it brand desperation. I consider it a mild devotion to a company that has brought me excellent products and excellent customer support. I feel the same way about Whole Foods and GoDaddy. I'm not desperate to convert the masses either. I often suggest that people should give them a go, especially people who don't know how to use computers that well, because the interface is easier to understand. I have gotten about ten or so people to switch. Aside from the first week when they bombard me with obscure questions, every one of them has told me they'll never go back. Call it the perfect harmony between hardware, software and looks if you will, but there's no denying that the Apple community is a tightly knit one for a reason.

I fully agree with you. The quality is unbeatable in my mind.

I completely agree with Ryan's above statement. And now...
Paint!!! You forgot Paint!!!

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Daniel Thompson
danielwthompson.com

Apple cult...
Just kidding. My first computer was an old Apple a friend gave me. It was a good way to learn about using a computer. Then I started building my own. Since I want a computer just so (and I have never heard of building a Mac from scratch) I will stick with my own self designed and configured machines..desk and laptop.

I never was good at building PC's. I have one in my closet with a sweet case and what used to be top notch hardware, but it seems like there's always something wrong with the motherboard, CPU or hard drive. I spent 8 hours trying to get the damn thing to work a couple weeks ago, but I couldn't get past the boot-up part. Oh well, maybe I'll find someone who actually knows what they're doing.

I destroyed a good number of motherboards and other internals before I finally figured it out. But when I did...you can't imagine my excitement when I made it through the boot-up. That's when I knew my life had to deal with computers.

Haha, my building computerness is a zero. I always get so frustrated why it won't work when I plug everything in.

Ah, yes, sweet memories....My roommate didn't know I could swear like that.

I swear sparingly, I just throw things across the room as hard as I can.