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Thread: Switching - The Challenge to Windows Lovers

  1. #1
    Moonlight shadow asheep_uk's Avatar
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    Switching - The Challenge to Windows Lovers

    I've swtiched - and I love it.

    I bought a PowerBook. 12", 1.33GHz with 768MB of RAM.

    I can not believe how nice it is. Every single last little detail has been looked into. The catch on the lid hides so you can break it or catch your hand on it, the disc drive is very clever. It's so quick I can't believe it does it all by itself. I bought the Apple wireless keyboard and mouse to go with it and they're both amazingly great. I never thought about screen quaility though - this is really amazing, I've never seen anything quite so clear!

    So yeah, I love it.

    But many of you are thinking, why on earth did I swtich to Mac? Well, you people are missing out - it's 250 times better than Windows.

    The way to describe it is, it doesn't get in the way, at all. It just lets me do exactly what I want and when I want. I've barely waited for anything to happen, it just does.

    How about some hard evidence? Well I thought this kinda summed it up nicely:
    Here is the Windows XP Time Zones window:


    Here is the time zones window on Mac OS X:


    (I've got the XP theme turned off because it makes me sick.)

    First of all, the Windows one does nothing at all. Nothing. It's just a picture. If you click on it, it does nothing. It is just pointless.
    The Mac one - well, you click anywhere on it and it will select the closest city and timezone to where you clicked! Pretty clever.

    Now note all the extras around the edge.
    On the Windows one I can, well, not do much else apart from change the clock.
    On the Mac, I can go back to the main System Preferences window, I can go to one of my favourite preferences.
    Also on the Mac I can lock the preferences to stop anybody messing about with them.
    Also on the Mac, I can go to the clock and from there I can change the clock format. In Windows, I would have to open up a whole new window.

    Now, this is just one little example. Every time I do something at the moment, it just does it the way it should.

    One thing that always annoyed me about computers was their stupid ability to loose files. Create a file in MS Word, save it. Now close Word. Move the file somewhere else. Now try to open it using the Word Recent menu. It can't do it, it's lost it. How can a computer will all this amazing technology not take note that I moved a file somewhere? Well I moved a file on the Mac, and it didn't loose it.

    I'm writing this now and it's got a nice blue border around this text box - I always forget where I'm typing and this is helping me a treat!

    It's either the monitor or the quaility of the graphics, but I'm finding this screen much easier to read than my Compaq TFT.

    Safari - wow! What a browser, it's like Firefox, but 50 times better.

    Anyway - my challenge to all those who think I'm stupid for swtiching to Mac - you may only complain and defend your silly Windows OS if you can find a laptop with the following spec avalible on Windows:
    12" screen
    768MB of RAM (maybe 1024)
    At least 2.5GHz Pentium
    DVD-RW
    FireWire/USB 2.0
    Bluetooth in-built
    Wireless networking in-built
    10/100Mbps Ethernet
    64MB graphics, supporting dual-screen
    60GB HDD
    and in software:
    Video editing software (not Windows Movie Maker)
    Photo managment (e.g. Photoshop Elements)
    DVD authoring software
    Font managment
    Music creation software
    and find it for less than £1500 (US$2100)

  2. #2
    Illuminatus! fospher.com's Avatar
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    I'll wait till Apple buys Discreet.

  3. #3
    Moonlight shadow asheep_uk's Avatar
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    Originally posted by fospher.com
    I'll wait till Apple buys Discreet.
    Who? Explain. In detail. No less than 100 words.

  4. #4
    Huygens to Titan PCRIDE's Avatar
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    http://pcclub.com/systems_notebook_s...model=ENP04703


    That will blow your computer (MAC) away in a heartbeat. Big deal that mac has better visuals, if you don't know what timezone your in, then your in trouble. I could see use on that if you travel around the world. But I do agreee the clock in Windows in lame, the pic does nothing when it should.

    I don't see why your losing files, seems to be a part where the user can't make folders and keep track what is where, I know I can.
    All out of Honey Buffers, so i grabed a few Goose Heads

  5. #5
    Moonlight shadow asheep_uk's Avatar
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    Woaaa. If people are going to get all upset about their favourite OS then can a mod please close this thread now.

    This is my challenge, that computer doesn't have a price - but it looks more than US$2100.

  6. #6
    Illuminatus! fospher.com's Avatar
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    Originally posted by asheep_uk
    Who? Explain. In detail. No less than 100 words.
    http://www.appleinsider.com/news.php?id=264

    Not the best or most recently updated article I've seen on the topic, but yeah, it'll happen. And if it does, Apple will most likely make it OSX only.

  7. #7
    Harmony & Justice Veniogenesis's Avatar
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    Holy crap. If Apple buys Discreet... Two of my favorite things in the world will be together! Oh I can't wait!

  8. #8
    Retired Mod aversion's Avatar
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    I own Macs and PCs, I don't find the mac OS easier or more intuitive to use and half the programs I use for development don't work on the Mac. OSX also crashes more.

    That's all that's important for me.

    I'm happy you're happy with the change, but it's not for everyone.

    (Safari is a buggy pain in the ass.)

  9. #9
    supervillain gerbick's Avatar
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    Apple's not gonna buy Discreet. Heck, they just got some developers from Discreet and they made Apple Motion for Apple.

    Besides, Apple has Shake - a competitor to Combustion and Smoke, and they'd be killing a damn good money maker in 3ds max.

    naw... rumors suck.

    Oh... and welcome to Mac. I've not had the crashes that seem to plague most people on either platform - my mac has crashed three times in the last 6 months (due to overheating nonetheless) and it's about the same on the PC - and I use Firefox on both platforms.

    Using Safari at the moment, but I'm testing a site.

    But the whole switch thing... it's not for everybody. But I loved my mac the moment I made the switch.

    [ Hello ] | [ gerbick ] | [ Ω ]

  10. #10
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    Well I hate the new Windows XP Defualt Desktop so anything is better than that. I wonder what Microsoft was thinking?

    I have a mixture of Linux and Windows boxen here at my house. I would say that a lot, if not most Windows users could switch to Linux with few problems.

    Right now I am using a Fedora Box to post this. The Redhat computer has been running since June and finally had to be restarted becuase the Power failed. The Windows XP box in the other room has to be rebooted weekly at best and tends to kill stuff and reboot itself on its own.

    To make matters worse the XP box didn't like a lot of the older (Circa 1999-2001) hardware that I wanted to use with it. Lower TCO my left foot.

    I had to buy a lot of new hardware to run XP. I suppose the cutest XP trick was that I have a CD Burner which came bundled with Adeptec Direct CD. Windows XP refuses to run it, even the 2K/NT version. and directs me to Roxio to repurchase Direct CD from them for $69.99 (I only paid $59.99 for the burner/software bundle).

    Another cute trick that Microsoft XP does is with the video card and Open GL. First the card is a Radeon 7000 Based VE edition. I purchased it around 2000-2001. Microsoft recognizes the Card as a Radeon 7000 and supplies the driver. I try to load the ATI drivers and XP rejects them even though I tell it to use them and goes ahaed and uses the MS supplied Drivers. Now I try to play any OpenGL games and the MS OpenGL driver runs at like 5 FPS (Exagerated but it is slow as dirt).

  11. #11
    Originally posted by aversion
    I don't find the mac OS easier or more intuitive to use and half the programs I use for development don't work on the Mac. OSX also crashes more.
    Exactly. I just don't find working with macs easy, its been 3 years now sinceI've been using them at school, and I'd still take windows in a heartbeat. And desktop visuals are so customizeable now with skinning, the whole "mac OS looks pretty" argument doesn't really cut it anymore.

    Windows XP has been pretty good to me. The only time I've had crashes is when I've been playing around with some 'off the net' freeware programs. But that's my fault, and if you're going to do that stuff you have to acknowledge you might screw stuff up. WindowsXP doesn't just inherently crash, despite whatever mac advertising will tell you.

    It's great you love you mac, seriously. There's nothing worse than working with an OS and computer you can't stand, so all the power to you.

    (Unfortunately its usually the mac that I can't stand)

  12. #12
    Huygens to Titan PCRIDE's Avatar
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    http://pcclub.com/systems_notebooks.cfm

    2100 bucks man





    Woaaa. If people are going to get all upset about their favourite OS then can a mod please close this thread now.

    This is my challenge, that computer doesn't have a price - but it looks more than US$2100.
    In fact all the laptops on that page will out perform the one you got for that price.
    All out of Honey Buffers, so i grabed a few Goose Heads

  13. #13
    free-webmaster-resource.com deamothul's Avatar
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    never will i switch

  14. #14
    Harmony & Justice Veniogenesis's Avatar
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    My first computer experience was with Apple. The computers back then had System 6 and later 7, and they were appalling.

    The "switch" for me was actually from Mac to Windows. I was immediately satisfied and flowed with the crowd.

    I switched to OSX in early to mid 2001. The "switch" was perfect for me. I've loved Mac ever since.

    (Well, I still love Linux more, that is for sure. I started using Linux - Debian 1.2 back in 1988.)

  15. #15
    Senior Member whispers's Avatar
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    Lack of software

    Lack of intuative interaction and os navigation (maybe Im just used to Windows platform??)

    OSX crashes way more than ANY ZP machine I have been on.

    And double the price for LOOKS and not perfomrance is why I will never "switch"...

    Things LOOK cools...but most of the time I can buy/build a TWO PC's for the same price as most MAC stuff..

    -whispers-

  16. #16
    Domo Arigato! Ultima Designs's Avatar
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    Here's the thing - I can build my own, relatively comparable PC for around $1,000, versus a few thousand for a Mac. That's a hell of a difference - don't get me wrong, though. A Mac store just opened around here, and my friend loves Macs. I would love to switch, but for a networked office and a server, migrating to Mac simply isn't realistic with those sort of costs.
    I really enjoy forgetting. When I first come to a place, I notice all the little details. I notice the way the sky looks. The color of white paper. The way people walk. Doorknobs. Everything. Then I get used to the place and I don't notice those things anymore. So only by forgetting can I see the place again as it really is.

  17. #17
    Senior Member
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    Originally posted by PCRIDE
    http://pcclub.com/systems_notebooks.cfm

    2100 bucks man







    In fact all the laptops on that page will out perform the one you got for that price.
    Not really. To begin with the Powerbook comes with a DVD Burner, Wireless, Apple Works plus other software.

    This is the $1799 model with super Drive (DVD Burner);

    12.1-inch TFT Display
    1024x768 resolution
    1.33GHz PowerPC G4
    512K L2 cache
    256MB DDR333 SDRAM
    60GB Ultra ATA/100
    NVIDIA GeForce FX
    Go5200 (64MB DDR)
    Full size keyboard
    10/100BASE-T Ethernet
    FireWire 400
    AirPort Extreme built-in
    Mini-DVI out

    http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL....1.1.1.0.0.1.0

    Okoay lets go over to the page you posted and Build a simular machine...

    The 12.1 Screen Model is the XNote Lite.

    Upgrade to XP Pro (OSX is the full non-crippled version of the Mac OS), then Upgrade the HD to 60 GB from 40, add a floppy, if you could upgrade to DVD Burner the charge 299 but they don't let you do that, and there is no option for MS Works (299 for MS Office SB so its not included in the upgrade price). Okay the price for just the upgrades they allow puts the computer at $1756- be aware that we haven't bought MS Works yet ($109) nor do we have a DVD burner with DVD Software. So once you add MS works the Mac is already cheaper. You should note that the processor in this model is the Pentium M 1.5 Ghz while the apple is 1.33 Ghz Power PC G4 (which actually performs better than the Pentium M). You should also note that the 1.5 Ghz Pentium M performs as well as a 2.5 Pentium 4. Also there is no Firewire support or Mini-DVI out on this machine.

    I even modified a XNote Genie to aproximate the PowerBook and ended up with a price of $1596 but agian there is no firewire, no Mini-Dvi out, and no software. When you start buying the software equivalant that comes with the Mac, the Mac is indeed cheaper.

    The same is true of the Imacs- When you start adding in all the features that the IMac includes the PC equivalant is the same price or more. It just looks cheaper.

  18. #18
    Huygens to Titan PCRIDE's Avatar
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    well software allways gets ya, they can bundle video and photo stuff with mac, cuz its their own programs, In windows you have choices.

    like I was watching the Home shopping network, they are selling a crappy computer and then they give you a list of over 100 software titles and the prices which comes out to be like 2600 $ just in software, most of the software is useless cheap poorly written prgrams that just end up cloggig the computer and will never get used. I couldn't belive all the cheesy photo software.
    the marketing scheme for selling those are just downright dirty, no one in there mind would use all that.


    Preinstalled - Microsoft Works 8.0,
    Money 2004,
    Picture It!
    Premium,
    Encarta Online,
    Adobe? Acrobat? Reader,
    Internet Explorer,
    Media Player,
    Real Player, Power DVDNero 6 Suite,
    AOL 9.0,
    Norton Antivirus 2004(90-day complimentary subscription)
    PC Essentials requiring installation -
    Printmaster Homework
    Helpers,
    Easy Language 61,
    Typing Instructor Deluxe,
    Women's Day Cookbook,
    Scrapbook Factory Standard 2.0,
    Photo Explosion 1.5 SE,
    Photo Show 2.5,
    Send Photos,
    Anytime Organizer 8,
    Professional Resumes Quick and Easy 7.0,
    Quicken,
    WillMaker Plus 2004,
    TalkItTypeIt (Voice Dictation into any Application),
    MyMix,
    iClean,
    Stuffit Standard 8.0
    , Eudora Pro Email,
    Easy Fax,
    Atari 80 Classic Games,
    Monopoly 3,
    Madden Football 2003

    yaa! I get IE and Norton, whoopy doo!


    When your selling computers on a scale that big with anycompany , Dell Gateway ect.. the software cost;s nothing to them, just about free, atleast the OS.

    I can out build a PC with price and the QUALITY of parts of anycomputer manufacture, buts its the software bundling that makes their computer cheaper for what you get.

    Its the quality of parts and the universal selection you get with a custom PC, I know apple there is not much you can upgrade for a reasonable cost.

    I made the mistake of buying my first computer from gateway back in 97, BUT the technology back then would make anycomputer obsolite now.

    Windows
    PROS- better software
    - more choices
    - make your own
    -cheaper

    COns- M$ is the olny choice for a general OS for most of the public


    Apple
    Pros- look good?

    cons - limtied choice in software
    no rightclick
    $$$$ very$$$$
    can't customize
    and limted hardware choices


    THERE!
    Last edited by PCRIDE; 09-13-2004 at 12:04 AM.
    All out of Honey Buffers, so i grabed a few Goose Heads

  19. #19
    ^My names up there Doubting Thomas's Avatar
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    Well, my old laptop (thats not even mine, I share it with my bro), that is like, really old, a Dell 2500, has 80 gigs of space total.
    -Thomas DeNicola
    Head of Chaos Inc. The man who works hard and yet accomplishes nothing... strange how that works out....

  20. #20
    Illuminatus! fospher.com's Avatar
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    Good post until you got to the pros and cons part.

    Macs, proven by gerb are customizable, but even by his step by step mod sequences, it looks like a pain in the ass - they were not really made to be modified - its just an 'option'. Plus, the cost of rebuying all the software would break my back for a switch.

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