Why do people use Macs instead of PCs?

[XU1]

Originally posted by dodgetigger


I am myself a Mac user, but what I think is funny is that at the time Macs had cooperative Multitasking (Mac OS < X) Mac people always said "I don't need that!" and now they say they use a Mac because they can do that...

Except print..and if you print then OSX is the most fustrating average OS on the market, just go to the apple.com site and look in the discussion forums on printer problems and OSX.

Not to mention other "unfinished" pains in the butt, like scrolling the HD directory with the scroll bars going beyond the screen...and see how easy it is to change the default system fonts, youll find it easier to draw each one by hand....and on the printer pain again..."Format for" and Setting the default printer are two different things...just because Apple techys want it that way.

I loved my G4 Untill I upgraded it to OSX...

Tony

[CCESCA]

Bare (sp.) with me im entering a tech-charged conversation and i am not tech-savvy at all.

My questions to all your experts are these:

1) My i-book G3 came with OSX but i always use OS9 because my office programmes need to open through classic and it takes so long.

2) I use Flash 5 in OS 9.2 and it constantly says i am not using enough memory and to go to get info area and allocate more memory. Well i do this all teh time and it does nothing. I am constantly having to shut things down and open them again (esp. flash) and they will then work again sporadically, or maybe not. Also while surfing in IE, i often get "cannot open Flash plug-in due to lack of memory, allocate memory to IE...." What am i doing wrong. I go in, make sure the minimum memory is set to application minimum and preffered at whatever, usually a lot more. I have tried all combinations but none work.

3) I am going to get Flash MX, very prematurely since i have hardly begun to understand actionscript, but mainly because i cant open many open source fla's which i want to see so i can learn. In the MM forum people are always complaining about Flash MX in OSX..............is this gonna be a huge problem for me?...or not because i hardly even know what im doing yet.

4) i have to get a bigger monitor (cant keep up all these hours on my ibook screen !).......so maybe i will buy a new desktop mac. What specs should i get to get the absolute best performance (like i said i am NOT tech savvy and do NOT trust salespeople in the store so im asking you guys). I use Dreamweaver, Flash, Internet Explorer, Photoshop, mainly.

I am sick of memory problems - what should i do or what am i doing wrong.

Thanks if anyone can even be bothered to read all that ; )

Cesca

[chimuelo]

I think it would really help people understand your problem, if you actually say how much ram you have... You didn't mention it anywhere and for all we know, you *may* not have enough ram.

I've got a fairly slow machine and don't have that many problems. I have an old Powerbook G3 with only 240mb of RAM. I'm running OS 9.1 and Flash MX. Flash MX runs a little bit slower than I would like, but never crashes or anything. I can have explorer and eudora open on top of that without any problems. Sometimes, If I try to open photoshop 6, it gives me a low memory dialog box. However, if I open photoshop first, and THEN open flash, I can have both of them open simultaneously. Same with illustrator. I do have to quit explorer though.
Flash MX and Dreamweaver can usually be open together without a problem, unless it's a huge document I'm working on.

But don't measure your machine against mine. I don't have OSX, and if you have OSX and OS9, that takes up a lot of memory.

[SJT]

Originally posted by CCESCA
4) i have to get a bigger monitor (cant keep up all these hours on my ibook screen !).......so maybe i will buy a new desktop mac. What specs should i get to get the absolute best performance (like i said i am NOT tech savvy and do NOT trust salespeople in the store so im asking you guys). I use Dreamweaver, Flash, Internet Explorer, Photoshop, mainly.

I am sick of memory problems - what should i do or what am i doing wrong.

If you're planning on getting a new desktop then wait for a few months because it's quite possible the desktop models will change dramatically come October (possible Mac OS 10.3 and the new PowerPC 970 Processors).
In the meantime you can always plug an external monitor into your iBook.

As for your current problems, the simple answer is get more memory, it's more than likely that you have the default 128Mb in your iBook by the sound of things, which will choke on running Flash in Classic on Mac OS X...
You can get quite cheap Memory from www.crucial.com.
Basically get as much as you can afford, you can never have too much RAM!

[CCESCA]

Woops - sorry.

Ive got 256 Built in and 256 Virtual...........

I never use OSx....i did when i first got it and love the interface, but my office package is not for OSX, so i got annoyed with having to open through classic all the time and now just run entirely in OS9.2 . Am i right in understanding that if this is the case, then there isnt any memory being used up by OSX at all, cause its not running - or am i totally wrong?

So i can just get a monitor for now, & plug it into my laptop? Really stupid question but i didnt realize youcould buy monitors on their own. If i added more memory then to my laptop then maybe i wouldnt have to get a new computer?

Thanks by the way

Any feedback on the Flash MX and OSX mac problems.......it would be so nice to actually use OSX again. Do most of you run Flash MX in OS9 because of problems in OSX?

Cesca

One more question (may be a question for Apple but ill ask here anyway). Sometimes, and i think its possible only when im in Flash but my memory doesnt serve me all that well, my mouse suddenly moves like a tortoise - super slow - as if ive changed the speed of it and the only when i can get back is by restarting th ecomputer - does anyone know what this i9s all about? Like i said, possibly this is a question for Apple........

[SJT]

If OS X isn't running, it's using no memory.

You should decrease your virtual memory down to 1Mb, over 64Mb or real RAM it's inefficient to use much more than that, and using another 256Mb of Virtual Memory is slowing your computer down massively.
If you need that much more ram, there's no point in using virtual memory, just buy that much more. Memory will make all the difference to the speed issues you're having.

As for a monitor, yes you can buy them seperately, any PC montor (VGA connection) will work, but you may need an adaptor if one didn't come with your iBook to plug into.

[egush13]

an adapter comes with the iBook but your still left with 1024x768 max rez

[sodamnmad]

Although I know I'm biased against the Macs, I do find the browsing the internet on them is a horrible experience. I'm working on a large project that involved a ton of dhtml and I find that just closes the browser without notice quite often. I guess since the os didn't lock up, people don't generally think of that as crashing, but from such experience, I find that Win2K is 1000's of times better than Mac osx and ox9 at browsing the net. Well that's just my input, but yeah... rock on mac!

[Black_phoenix]

i have several pc's bought over the years and 3 macs (ones a G4 tit... laptop) i use the macs mainly for print work, and pcs for web stuff and 3d rendering

most printers work on macs and use mac fonts if u do a job on a pc, it causes massive problems as there are for many no mac font alternatives

there are bits i like about both and also bits i hate about both, at the end of the day its personal choice, v handy to have 1 of each if u can afford it

note if u do get a mac get as much ram in it as u can afford (i suppose same goes for the pc) but on a mac if u asign XXX memory to quark and XXX to illustrator etc and u exceed it, it will crash

bp

[The Wendigo]

I study Design and so i am working with both systems. PC an MAC.
Both have their advanteges, but the both System have the same problem. If the system is not configured well, working with it is not nice. If i work with 3D (Maya or 3d Studio Max(that isn't avaible for Mac, Softimage XSI too) i'm using a PC, because the 3D-Prefomance of the Grafik board. Until two years ago, there was no real 3D-Graphic board for the Mac an even today you don't get a professionel 3D-Card for Mac (something like a Wildcat). Because of that i am using a PC for 3D. Videoediting with Final Cut Pro is realy amazing and i like it, but it would be possblie, doing Videoediting on a PC to (Avid Xpress is a nice program too). For Compositing i am using PC too, because an intellisation from IBM and a SDI Interface is realy a cool system. And it keeps running over days without any bluescreen or so. That would b possible on a Mac to, but why should i change it. Ok sometimes i use another System...Flint from Discreet. I am using Macs for Print, but thier is no special need to do that. All the programs are avaible for PC to, but i use a Mac. Don't know why. In earlyer times i hated Mac because of only one mousebutton. But i think the important thing is that you use a system to create something, not only to use a system. So go out an create something and don't fight out which system is better. The computer could be the fastes one the world the biggest and the best, but if you are to dumb to use it....

Greetings from Germany
Wendigo

[AJ Infinity]

The Wendigo: First off: You should use Apple's Shake compositing/effects/painting system. It ROCKS!!! It's faster than Discreet and like 10 times better. It's been used in movies like The Lord of the Rings and The Prince of Egypt. It's also used in TV shows. Plus Shake intergrates with Maya better than Discreet. Maya is for OSX. And it runs fine and fast. BTW, why are you using 3ds max and Softimage? They both are slow and suck. LightWave runs VERY fast on OSX (I use it too), Maya rocks, and Cinema and Universe run faster on Macs than on PCs.

Black_phoenix: That's Mac OS 9. Mac OS X doesn't crash and has auto memory management and preemptive multitasking.

sodamnmad: You should use the Safari browser. It's better than MS's Internet Explorer. And way faster. Safarii's the fastest browser on the market. Win200 sucks, dude. There's no unix support and it's hard to work with. I've used it before and I have to perform 10 different mouse clicks to do what takes only 3-4 mouse clicks on OSX.

[AJ Infinity]

Originally posted by XU1
Except print..and if you print then OSX is the most fustrating average OS on the market, just go to the apple.com site and look in the discussion forums on printer problems and OSX.

Not to mention other "unfinished" pains in the butt, like scrolling the HD directory with the scroll bars going beyond the screen...and see how easy it is to change the default system fonts, youll find it easier to draw each one by hand....and on the printer pain again..."Format for" and Setting the default printer are two different things...just because Apple techys want it that way.

I loved my G4 Untill I upgraded it to OSX...

Tony

heh, Panther's going to be released soon so everyone stop knocking the Mac. Jaguar was released in August 2002.

[The Wendigo]

@AJ Infinity
Shake is good, but it is not the best. The advanteges of discreet is the combination of for example combustion and and the higher systems as smoke fire...inferno. You can prepeare presets, effects...and use them on the higher systems. The discreet color correction and the keyer are unreached, even by ultimate.
Maya was first released for Irix then nearly a the same time for windows. Then with Version 3 there were more attempts to bring out Maya for Linux. But not until Version 4.5 there was a Mac Version this came with Version 4.5 .

Greetings from Germany
Wendigo

P.S.: But i think it is alittle bit useless to discuss this with sou, because you are absolutly focused on Mac, that you could not acept any system that could be faster or better.

[AJ Infinity]

Dude, I use Red Hat Linux too. SGIs rock when it comes to 3D. An article on 3D Festival.com once said that in a survey they took, this year 60% of 3D studios said they would buy Macs.

If someone gave me a high end dual processor Linux workstation running Maya and Shake, along with a heterogenous renderfarm of Linux workstations, Mac workstations, and Windows workstations, along with some of Apple's Xserve RAIIDs (the Xserve is the markets best server), I would use it.

[snuifkip.com]

everybody is screaming about SHAKE ... how do you guys get your license ? --
i mean the app is f****ng expensive ..., you must have an exploding buzz running to afford such piece of software ...

s

[info@netmac.net]

Because the Macintosh human interface doesnt suck.

The Windows human interface does suck. And... really bad.

It is in fact dreadful.

Windows is a case of 'Why use only one dialog box when fourteen will do.

Windows is a case of 'Why organize things for the users convieninece when we can organize things for computer geeks'

Windows is a case of 'Why concentrate on issues like security, software stability and conformity, and usibility... when we can make money training and maintaing the army of 'the enlightened preasthood' to keep what are basically unstable computing platforms running and online.

It is in fact nothing more than taking old, unstable software, and inefficient human interfaces, and running them faster and faster.

And if I hear ONE SINGLE PERSON SAY well PCs are business computers.. just remember these famous words....

"Due to its specialized targeted functionality, a 'business computer' is, by its very nature and, by that very description, an inherently less powerful, less flexible or adaptable device, than a computer designed from the outset for general computational use, using a wide selection of application software, which is quickly and easily re-configured to address and complete tasks, that are often comprised of frequently unforeseen incremental steps that are , by means of a stardardized intuitivie easy to use human interface easily adapted to quickly complete any given task, in a results oriented environment"


Doesnt that just say it all...
Does anyone actually remember who said them.

There REALLY is only one reason to choose a PC over a Mac at the moment of truth (ie when writing a check).

Because they are cheep. Yup... thats it.

To paraphrase someone above me...

If Mac are a better solution.. then why are there 25 PCs out there for every for every Mac...

Simple answer: The same reason that there are 25 old rusty pickup trucks for every Mercedes Benz on the road.

An old rusty pickup lets you haul a lot of dirty stuff, over a bad road, cheeply, at the cost of your comfort and sanity.

And since I spend a great deal of my day with computers, I dont want to be uncomfortable and go insane (something I see PC users all around me in this office doing)

Thats My 2¢
And i'm not interested in your 2¢

[snuifkip.com]

Originally posted by info@netmac.net
Because the Macintosh human interface doesnt suck.

The Windows human interface does suck. And... really bad.

It is in fact dreadful.

Windows is a case of 'Why use only one dialog box when fourteen will do.

Windows is a case of 'Why organize things for the users convieninece when we can organize things for computer geeks'

Windows is a case of 'Why concentrate on issues like security, software stability and conformity, and usibility... when we can make money training and maintaing the army of 'the enlightened preasthood' to keep what are basically unstable computing platforms running and online.

It is in fact nothing more than taking old, unstable software, and inefficient human interfaces, and running them faster and faster.

And if I hear ONE SINGLE PERSON SAY well PCs are business computers.. just remember these famous words....

"Due to its specialized targeted functionality, a 'business computer' is, by its very nature and, by that very description, an inherently less powerful, less flexible or adaptable device, than a computer designed from the outset for general computational use, using a wide selection of application software, which is quickly and easily re-configured to address and complete tasks, that are often comprised of frequently unforeseen incremental steps that are , by means of a stardardized intuitivie easy to use human interface easily adapted to quickly complete any given task, in a results oriented environment"


Doesnt that just say it all...
Does anyone actually remember who said them.

There REALLY is only one reason to choose a PC over a Mac at the moment of truth (ie when writing a check).

Because they are cheep. Yup... thats it.

To paraphrase someone above me...

If Mac are a better solution.. then why are there 25 PCs out there for every for every Mac...

Simple answer: The same reason that there are 25 old rusty pickup trucks for every Mercedes Benz on the road.

An old rusty pickup lets you haul a lot of dirty stuff, over a bad road, cheeply, at the cost of your comfort and sanity.

And since I spend a great deal of my day with computers, I dont want to be uncomfortable and go insane (something I see PC users all around me in this office doing)

Thats My 2¢
And i'm not interested in your 2¢

great- the truth -- indeed, no SUBstandard OS for me --

ah- and btw, welcome at flashkit !



s

[AJ Infinity]

The Wendigo: I don't agree with some of what you said. Maya came to the Mac with version 3.5. Plus Shake is faster than Discreet and is the best desktop compositing, painting, and effects solution. Finally, Shake intergrates with Maya like no other app. It can even render Maya files within the Shake program itself.

[Ask The Geezer]

I don't think one brand of computer or OS is better than any other.
It's certainly not a question worth getting upset over. These things are machines, tools. PC's are simple, cheap and you can get a lot of hardware and software that works good with them, cheap. Cheap enough that it's almost easier to throw away your old printer than it is to find new ink refills for it. Anybody can own one, not just companies, or rich Americans. Anybody. That fact has touched lives all around the world, for the better IMO.

I hate admitting my age, but I can remember when the first plastic transister radios came out on the market, the first tuning fork wrist watch, and FM radio stations. Nobody ever heard of so much as a hand held calculator, let alone a "Personal Computer".

I don't waste a lot of time following minuatea of who's who in the computer world, what they did or who they screwed out of a fortune. I do know enough that it was Uncle Bill that made possible a lot of what the real world is today. I think he is directly responsible for breaking the back of the mind numbing TV networks and the brainwashing that most of us have recieved from governments everywhere. Today, I can converse with people from Russia, China, Japan, Africa, or anywhere in between. Not just today, but in another window, as I write this, if I chose. I think Bill Gates and his company have done more than anyone else towards that end.

Hey, as far as I'm concerned, he can start printing his own money if he wants, as long as I can still get free updates to W98 SE, IE6, Outlook Express and Media player.

[AJ Infinity]

Because they're cheap, you run into problems. I've never had a [I[single[/I] problem with my Mac. But with every PC I've used, I've always had problems. On Win98, on Win2000, on WinXP Home, on WinXP Pro, and on WinME.

On Mac OS 9 I used to experience quite a few problems, but on OSX, I've never had a problem. Never, not once, not ever.

Find out more about Mac OS X, the world's most advanced OS, here