First, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support and generosity. I am touched and humbled. And quite tingly in the pants, too—but I suspect that has more to do with the satin boxers than anything you people did.
Second, for those of you who’ve asked: having gone through a Dell Inspiron and a HP zd7010 in the last 15 month or so, I am leaning toward finally giving Mac a try. Anybody familiar with Macs who’d like to offer advice?
Having said that—and looking at the Apple Store prices—I still have a ways to go in the fundraising portion of my CITIZEN JOURNALIST REALLY NEEDS A NEW COMPUTER SO THAT HE CAN POST THINGS THAT HUGH HEWITT LIKELY FINDS APPALLING—AND DO SO QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY THANKS TO AN ACCELERATED FRONT SIDE BUS! campaign.
Don’t be the one to KILL THE MAGIC! Please contribute today!
[this post will remain on top for the remainder of this week; unfortunately, I don’t have access to Photoshop just now, so the Martha Chronicles entries will have to remain in the queue, unless I can somehow get them done by proxy.
New posts appear below. Thanks again to Jeralyn for use of this Powerbook]
UPDATE: A note to those who have found this fundraising campaign distasteful: JOIN THE FUCKING CLUB! But I’m in a bind, and I’ve only got 1 kidney left. So.
FOR THOSE WHO DON’T SEEM TO GET HOW THIS WORKS: Feel free NOT to donate. And try not to think TOO hard about the irony of my paying to host your snotty comments about this request for help.
****
UPDATE 2: Wednesday’s posts appear below; as a way of saying thanks to the bloggers who’ve contributed, if you have a blogad set up, contact me and I’m happy to put it up on the site for a few weeks at no charge.
Is it just me or do the words, “Martha Chronicles” and “get… done by proxy” seem so very appropriate together?
Oh, I love Macs! You cannot go wrong with one – no matter which one you get. My current one is … three or four years old, and I still love love love it. I’ve been using macs for …shesh, 15 years, so I’m pretty immersed into the cult. And, excuse the light hit on the tip jar, but I am a SAHM of five.
Don’t forget to go on a lengthy vacation/bookwriting jaunt as soon as you get your new CITIZEN JOURNALIST MACHINE/Pie.
I am one of those people who uses both PC’s and Macs. So here are my pros and cons.
Pros
No More Spyware, Rare viruses
Rare System Crashes
Beautiful interface (can be a con if your personal learning curve is steep Hold the ctrl button while clicking for a right click, that sort of thing)
Great for organizing media files, video editing and desktop publishing.
Stable network
Lovely Mac Periphials
Did I mention everything is pretty and easy to find?
Cons
Software availability
(It is expensive and some things you just can’t get for Mac, fortunately you can now run some windows programs on the mac, but first you have to buy the WIndows simulator $$$)
Gaming, most games don’t come for Mac.
Mac files can’t always be read by PC’s. (Though Macs can read the PC files)
Upgrading is expensive, but the computers last long enough you don’t have to do this very often at all.
Overall, if I could afford it I would use Macs all the time. They are more stable and reliable. But the Evil Bill Gates has brainwashed society into thinking that his “windows” are somehow better. LAME. A Mac Powerbook would probably last much longer than your HP, but if you don’t go for a mac I recommend a Dell with the service pack. But the new Mac Mini’s sound pretty cool as long as you get the Ram upgrade.
Good luck with your fundraising!
I’ve had a MAC for several years now, and I can say with confidence nothing has ever propped my door open better than that MAC.
Personally, my computer is in such bad shape – I’ve been forced to use an etch a sketch. I would be glad to have a used laptop.
Macs hate me, so I may not be the best person to answer that question.
If you stick with a PC, I’d recommend Toshiba. Beyond that, I’m no help at all.
Jeff,
I’m a committed Mac user and have had no problems with the two Powerbooks I own. The oldest is four years and it has never had a problem.
I second all of the things Shinobi said above. There are drawbacks and, given the added expense, you would do well to consider them.
I switched to Macs precisely because you don’t have to mess around with them much, like I had to do on a Windows machine. Futzing around with the computer is ssoooooo 1990s, and I know you’re an 80s man. Good luck with the search.
Turing code: when.
It will cost me $10 to say this but I think Shinobi was right on. I’ve bought at least 100 Macs for clients and myself over the years and while I don’t consider Al Gore being on the Apple board of directors a selling point, that’s about the only criticism I can add.
The software bundle that comes with new Macs is worth nearly as much as the computer.
I bought an iBook in October, and it is by far the best computer I’ve ever bought. The prices start at $999, and when you compare it to the less capable Dell 700m it’s a great deal. The internal wireless is excellent, it’s incredibly light, and the bundled software is excellent. The 12.1” has a rather small screen, but it’s not bad once you get used to it.
It really depends on what you’re looking for. If you need the power, the Powerbooks have it. If you’re going to mainly be reading e-mails, writing blog entries, and maybe a bit of Photoshop, an iBook will probably do what you want, and is quite a bit cheaper than the Powerbooks.
Is the Powerbook you have running OS X? Mac Classic is (IMHO) a royal piece of crap, and is much more difficult to use than OS X.
And if you want a desktop, the Mac mini really can’t be beat for the price, or the iMac is also a good deal if you want something really powerful.
One caveat: no matter what you get, it’s a really good idea to bump the RAM up to 512MB. That will give you quite a bit performance increase, and Apple’s prices for the upgrade aren’t as unreasonable as they are for jumping to 1GB.
A Macintosh? Sheesh, Jeff you heretic, gimme my money back. Never buy a computer from a music company pretending to be a computer company.
I’ve got a 17-inch aluminum Powerbook and a 2nd Gen iMac (the CRT screen, not the LCD one that looks like a lamp). I also had a titanium Powerbook, but it took a spill related digger. The only issue I have with Macs in the price; the only problem I’ve had with one was the old Powerbook, it cost a fortune when I dropped it three feet and the hinges to the screen broke. It was poorly designed, the new ones are much better.
If I were you I’d get a 12 or 15 inch Powerbook. The 17 is great for watching DVDs, but it just isn’t that portable, it’s even a chore to pick up and use while I’m watching TV. Or get a iBook, they’re much cheaper.
Buy the service plan. The standard one year of support just isn’t enough.
Macs are great except for the insane price. I mean, seriously, I like the stability, ease-of-use and the groovy aesthetic, but I don’t like being dorked up the kiester by Steve Jobs just to have them.
For a PC, I’d recommend buying from IDot (http://www.idotpc.com). They’re a smaller company, but you can order everything a la carte. Everything is fully customizable so you don’t buy a lot of bundled crap you don’t need.
Go mac. I’ve been a mac user for about, one month. Loving the experiment. Different pond than PC (had to google mac keyboard shortcuts), but enjoying the experience. Bit faster, fewer restarts, and programs built for the OS integrate more seamlessly than PC.
Full disclosure. Not a gamer.
Regrets? Would have gone for more RAM and a superdrive. Safari not the best browser.
But I did get in at less than 1100 bucks.
More seriously, I would point out that it is unlikely that Mac’s have a long supported life ahead of them. I would estimate that Apple will be out of the computer business in 5 years.
This actually would have already happened but for a brief period of time when their Powerbook had a surge in market share. But that denoument cannot be long deferred. Look at their financials today, they are a music delivery company that also sells computers.
Now that is probably not a reason to avoid buying one today if the machine satisfies your needs and you are comfortable with the price differential. After all, the expected life of one of ‘em isn’t more than 2 1/2 years I suspect.
In spite of my previous comment, I think macs are nice machines. For me, it comes down to a couple software and hardware issues that are important to me.
I like to play a fair number of computer games, especially fairly cutting edge ones in terms of graphics. The best game variety is out for windows boxes…if my fave picks for games come out on the Mac at all, it can be a year or more after the PC release. A smaller consideration for me is that I used to code in Visual Basic for fun, which is a windows only platform. Plus, I really like my three-button scroll-wheel mouse, an innovation that Apple turns up its collective nose at.
It used to be that macs had better software for graphics, but they’re probably a lot more equivalent now between the two platforms.
In terms of community, you can choose between the Borg (MS) or the ‘speak-truth-to-power’ community of the Mac folks. Both make me uneasy for different reasons.
So no recommendation, really…it all depends upon what you want to do.
A Mac?
I thought you liked girls?
Way to spell accelerated. Might want to add a spellchecking program to that list of features you’re looking for. citizen commenting – going there so you don’t have to.
FWIW – I’ve been acquiring Dell workstations and laptops for my business over the past several years and am now running a variety of about 35 of them. I still find them, even the oldest, pretty reliable / maintenance free.
Shank —
Gimme a break, would you? Words look different in all caps. Plus, I’m on an unfamiliar computer, composing on an unfamiliar keepboard, and I’m tethered to my kitchen table.
I’m also quite naked, but that is incidental.
Diana —
I had a Dell Inspiron, which I liked, but when it started to go it was a nightmare, and for all of Dell’s supposed vaunted service, they were unwilling to help me at all once I got rid of the horrid Windows 98.
Mac Mini Jeff! $499 and don’t buy that garbage that Apple will be out of business in 5 years. They started saying that 20 years ago.
http://www.apple.com/macmini/
Oh, and since your fellow CITIZEN JOURNALISTS are throwing in some cash, it’s a good idea to spring for AppleCare. If anything happens to your Mac, they’ll fix it, no questions asked. You can wait for a year to get it before your 1-year warantee lapses, but it’s worth the $250 to extend it to 2 years.
My experience is that Apple sucks up to its consumers like you wouldn’t believe – just this morning they actually gave me a call out of the blue to see how things were going and answer questions.
Robin.
1) I’ll take any bet laid on the table that Apple will still be in the computer business in five years. What a ridiculous statement to make. That’s just PC bigotry coming to the fore.
2) Apple does not, in fact, “turn up its collective nose” at three-button mice with scroll wheels. They just don’t sell them by default with their systems. You can buy any third party usb mouse in the world, and it will work with OS X.
Stop spreading FUD, and actually try to contribute to this conversation.
Jay – I second that.
Jeff, here’s the Mac Mini you can get for about $1300.
Items you have selected Part No. Qty Unit Price Ext. Price
Mac mini 1.42GHz Z0B8 1 $1,123.00 $1,123.00
Accessory kit 065-5321
Internal Bluetooth + AirPort Extreme Card 065-5390
80GB Ultra ATA drive 065-5326
4x SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) 065-5635
56K v.92 Modem 065-5328
1GB DDR333 SDRAM – 1 DIMM 065-5338
Mac OS X – U.S. English 065-5323
AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac mini (w/ or w/o Display) M9859LL/A 1 $149.00 $149.00
QuickTime Pro for Windows D2092Z/A 1 $29.99 $29.99
Granted, this is decked out and may exceed your needs but I highly recommend it.
I am a PC guy – have been all my life and used to scoff at Macs. Now I have a 17” Powerbook G4 in addition to my PC and I absolutely love it.
You will not get a better buy for the money.
My word is shown – as in being shown the way.
They probably didn’t know what to do with that browser of yours (I have XP Pro on all stations and Win2003 on the Dell server) …. these new operating systems handle the hardware beautifully.
I, too, love Macs. I’ve been using them since thier first model. It didn’t even have a hard drive. One floppy held your program and another floppy saved your document. That was when I was 10. I’m 42 now. I currently use a huge G4 desk model and a G4 15” laptop, but I have several that still work although they rarely used. I have an old G3 iMac that I’ve loaned out to my stepdaughter for word processing and surfing and I have an even older 8600, from 1994. Both still work wonderfully.
I’ve been eyeing that Mac Mini as a spare.
Granted, they can be more expensive but it is a small price for a machine you almost NEVER have to reboot and will not let you down for years.
Lunacy
You’re NAKED!?!?!?
Hey!! Where the heck did that post go, Goldstein? I typed out a heartfelt comment, and now it’s vanished.
What’s up?
For Valentines day I bought my wife and I iPods with our tax return money. Based solely on the iTunes interface the next time we have some expendable income (next year’s tax return?) I’ll be buying a PowerBook. If the rest of their software and hardware are as intuitive and easy to use as this stupid little music box, then I’m sold.
Jeff was naked??? And then chickened out and deleted it.
Geeze, the guy will do anything for money. Let’s start calling him Jeff Gannon.
Well, anything except accept my generous offer.
He’s still naked !
Hmmm.
I’m pretty hard on computers, I don’t coddle them, but even I don’t go through computers like you do. Frankly I think you need to have your electrical lines checked. While surge protectors are useful to a degree, they aren’t quite the protection that most people assume. For one thing they don’t protect your computers from line instabilities or other fluctuations that don’t trip the fuse.
I’d suggest purchasing a APC/UPS along with any new computer equipment. You’ll get a warranty that might cover replacement gear but you’ll also have something that’ll take care of badly wired electrical wiring.
I’d still get my wiring checked though.
Nukehill,
First of all, I’m not a PC bigot. In a previous career, I wrote software for more varieties of hardware manufacturer and operating systems than you are probably able to count – since you’d run out of toes even if you do possess six on each foot.
Take a look at their financials guy, they are increasingly a music delivery company that sells some computers on the side. I’m not making that up. Technical preference is one thing, market share another, and real business financials yet another.
As for 5 years, things happen fast in the real world. Regarding the mouse, I didn’t make any such comments. That was MarkS.
I’m both a PC and a Mac user, having used both for over 15 years. Buy a Mac. I’m a graphic artist, and I certainly enjoy the enhanced user interface of the Mac, but I have to do my taxes and lame MS Word documents just like everybody else. Software selection/availability is not an issue. So many developers already program using UNIX, they’re loving this whole Apple/UNIX conversion.
Anyone who thinks Apple will not be making computers in 5 years is delusional.
Additionally, Macs come with software that’s *very* well integrated into the system – software that on PCs costs nearly $1,000 (iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie) makes life sweet for Mac users.
I still want to know why Jeff deleted that post….
I guess I sort of can figure it out now, actually.
I still can’t believe what useless nutsac that Mr. Helpful guy is.
Damnit, Jeff, I can’t find your Paypal button. If you’re gonna ask for money, you have to make it simple enough for even drunks to give.
Where’s the button???
Oh. It’s under the t-shirt right near the top of the page. I see it now.
Shut up, I need a drink.
An additional comment goes to Mark S … “It used to be that macs had better software for graphics, but they’re probably a lot more equivalent now between the two platforms.” I believe that I have good experience regarding the *real* graphics benefits offered by both PC and Mac. As far as *real* graphics go (outside of gaming “graphics”), there’s really no comparison between PC and Mac. The Mac wins every time – there’s just no denying that, no matter how you look at it. Gaming is important to me as well – I play Neverwinter Nights and various other RPGs that are extremely video card-intensive. It’s totally worth the wait for the Mac software, IMO. My experiences gaming on PCs have been horrible, regarding upgrading video cards ($150 a pop) and other various equipment upgrades for the purposes of playing the latest and greatest. Games written for Mac are always stable and work well with the Mac system. PC people can be very dismissive of the Mac OS – unfortunate.
Lunacy, I’m 42. I was a teenager (17-18) when the first Macs appeared. Perhaps you’re thinking of the old Apple machines?
I’ve been using these things since the 80s. I’m on my 4th Mac. They’ve always been better-designed than any other computers, and in the internet age it’s especially nice to be able to laugh when the subject of computer viruses comes up.
I went for the 12” Powerbook, but the iBooks are plenty powerful, and a little lighter.
Cautionary note: the one irritating thing about Macs is the tendancy to have just a bit too little memory. This is especially irksome in the context of Macs costing more. When you put together your budget for the computer, assume that you’ll need a memory upgrade within six months of purchasing the machine (though I’m still limping along without having had to do that quite yet–still, that moment is on the horizon).
And Macs do come with oodles of software. Also, it’s nice to be able to get help at the “genius bars” in the Apple retail outlets. (Which is another argument for a laptop rather than a desktop machine, if you can possibly afford it.)
You know, they’ve been making the “Apple will be gone in X years” comments for-freakin-ever. I say they’ll get my Mac when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.
I shipped you $5 worth of pennies, postage due.
It works out that it’ll cost you $5.38 to get the $5. But at least you’ll have $5 to put towards your new computer.
Cheers!
If you’ve got the cash, add me the chorus of “Get a Mac!” I’ve been slowly converting over my circle of friends and family, and not one of them has ever come back to me and said “I miss Windows. Why the hell did I let you talk me off of it?” Not having to deal with the viruses and spyware alone makes switching a beautiful thing. You should also be able to find equivalent apps to what you used on Windows pretty easily or, if you can’t live without them, install Virtual PC and continue using them.
What it comes down to is you need to determine how much $$$ you want to spend and budget the computer from there. If you have a small budget and want to go Mac for a desktop you have two choices: the Mac Mini or the eMac (originally for education but now sold to consumers). Both use G4 processors (as do all of the iBook and PowerBooks.) If you have a spare Monitor and USB Keyboard/mouse I’d go with the Mac Mini, the system that was priced above.
If you have a higher budget then next choice would be the G5 iMac line, and for close to $2K you can get a 17” iMac with 160Gb HD, 1G RAM, Superdrive and the AppleCare extended warranty. If you want Bluetooth or Wireless it will run a bit more (I didn’t). I just got one in November and love it.
If spending more you can look at a G5 Power Macs, which are configurable to your needs but don’t include all the iLife software that the iMacs do. then there are the iBooks (consumer) and Powerbooks (Pro) but as I’m not in the market for a portable I don’t pay much attention.
Now, if you want to play games then yes you are limited with Macs. Most of the new hot games are PC only and I have a PC that’s just for games. However there are plenty of other applications that are cross platform (MS Office) and some that are pure Mac as well so you should be able to find the software you need.
I’ve used Mac’s for 15+ years professionally for Video and Audio and hands down they beat PC’s for that. Add the stability of OS X over XP, the small number of virus, worms and security exploits compared to PC’s and you’ll find that over the long haul the little higher price on the front end is worth the less hassle and cost down the road.
As you mentioned getting a Mac, is this like a top-of-the-line computer you are going for or just one that works? I saw where Fry’s had a laptop going for $499, no rebates, a couple of weeks ago. I was sure wishing I had a spare half-grand to gamble on getting one of those. They had a good desktop unit for under $200 in last week’s ad.
“Don’t forget to add protein wisdom to your blogroll!” I did, awhile ago. Do you repay favors or is my style just not your cup of tea?
By the way, as far as the hosting stuff goes … did you ever get an invite to become a Munuvian? Our benefactor, Pixy Misa, for whatever reason, bankrolls the whole Munuvian Empire and that Rusty Shackleford sucks bandwidth like Paris Hilton sucks everyone she can.
First of all, I’m not a PC bigot. In a previous career, I wrote software for more varieties of hardware manufacturer and operating systems than you are probably able to count – since you’d run out of toes even if you do possess six on each foot.
Ooh. Nice. Nevermind that you know jack shit about what my current career is. Way to toss in that ad hominem.
What, are you going to pull out your cock and show us how big it is, just ‘cause you happened to have read a manual on Posix, or programmed with Actor, or some esoteric bullshit like that?
Dumb fuck.
Jeff: Small advice, I know, in light of the Apple fans, look your requirements. The Mac OS, for you, will be a new baby and it will take you a bit of time to learn the ins & outs (like how to find your files). The best of the old DOS structures allowed “user” friendly “names” to navigate the OS. UNIX gave me the jitters when the commands started with “csio.. WTF”
Well …. (not to give anything away) … when Apple first came out, the graphics artists marvelled at the creative capabilities, and, at the time, and still, they were/are right.
Ultimately, the platform will be driven by the desired product of the user. Games, graphics, simplicity will take you to the Apple platforms.
For example, I’m still a diehard fan of WordPerfect. Far superior to anything Microsoft a.k.a. Word ever pumped out for publishing (’cause they had to design 5 different products to produce 5 different mediocre word processors) but WordPerfect does it all-in-one and has always been efficient/easy on the user.
Well, I could ramble on (I won’t divulge our punch card games) but you need, first, to look at the product you want.
I would not advise to get a Mac unless you enjoy learing a new system. Macs are not really any better than Linux or Windows, just different. Most people who hate Windows, probably haven’t used it in a while on a regular basis, or are just Mac die-hards. (Re: the Above – there is no possible way, that a Mac’s gaming graphics are better than a PC’s.) But if you have a big wallet, and want to join a cult, go ahead.
If you go for a PC, and don’t want a laptop, I always advise either going to your local computer store (Locally Owned, not BestBuy or CompUSA), and either building it your self, or having them build it. Its not really difficult at all, and you get exactly what you want.
Well, if you’re using a borrowed Powerbook in the interim, I’m assuming it has OS X. If that doesn’t sell the Mac by itself then nothing I can say will. I use both XP and OS X. I can’t say whether the Mac hardware will be more reliable since I have not had problems with hardware failure with any of my computers. You will, however, spend less time futzing around with the computer under OS X. Unless there’s some piece of software that only runs on XP that you just gotta have, go Mac.
Aside from that,
1. Unless you need a laptop, the best deal is going to be a G5 iMac.
2. Upgrade to 512 MB memory minimum. Applies to XP also, for that matter.
3. If you have a printer, see if an OS X driver is available. You may be looking at a new printer purchase too if your printer does not have Mac drivers. Happened to me but it was time to upgrade anyway.
Man. You can sure get a whole lot for 20 bucks on protein wisdom. You can tell Mac users they suck, and PC users to kiss off, you can hand out free *and* unsolicited advice on which computer to buy – with your 20 bucks, you tell the host he sucks and how he’s a cheapskate muther-effin’ freeloader, you can get free cock, and you can come back and re-read this shit you posted again and again.
JG is nothing if not a giver.
SO …. HAVE YOU MADE A DECISION YET?
HEH!
[keyword “also” as if!]
re. update. atta boy!
I look forward to reading more, free of charge.
me –
You can fuck off too! FREE OF CHARGE!
I am aware of that, thanks.
Testy bunch.
Man. You can sure get a whole lot for 20 bucks on protein wisdom. You can tell Mac users they suck, and PC users to kiss off, you can hand out free *and* unsolicited advice on which computer to buy – with your 20 bucks, you tell the host he sucks and how he’s a cheapskate muther-effin’ freeloader, you can get free cock, and you can come back and re-read this shit you posted again and again.
You’re paying for this? *snicker*
Jeff – I’ve been using Macs since 1988 and have owned quite a few of them over the years. I’ve also always had to use PCs on the job and am quite familiar with both OSs. Bottom line, I’d never spend hard-earned cash on a PC. Apple’s imminent demise has been predicted since before Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard.
That having been said, there are a couple of points:
1 – If you’re using a borrowed Mac, this is the best test to see if you like the OS. If you do, you’ll find that crashes, viruses, malware, and bizarre behavior are a thing of the past.
2 – Most major SW is available, but you may have to spring for more than you think if you get a ‘power’ as opposed to an ‘i’ version. MS Office, Photoshop, and the like are pricey, and you may be able to live without all but PS with the SW that comes with the Macs, especially the ‘i’ versions which come with Apple’s own productivity SW.
3 – Suggestions about memory are spot on. Apple should have doubled the off-the-sehlf memory a long time ago. Whatever the machine comes with, double it or more.
4 – All things being equal, ‘i’ machines are cheaper but slower and ‘power’ machines are faster but more bucks. The only place you’re likely to notice is in PS.
Feel free to e-mail with questions. Cheers!
Jeff, Are you still tethered naked to the kitchen table? Just checking.
Dang! I bow down to your superior blogginess. A fund-raising campaign! Of course!(Slapping forehead)
When I killed my computer all I did was whine.
Stephen Green can’t find the button. Is anyone else finding this even mildly amusing? No? Ah, well, more room for me in this here gutter.
Is Jeff still naked and chained to the kitchen table? ‘Cause that could be a tee shirt or a fundraising thing. Just saying.
Get a Mac Mini. Best computer for the $ and if you are creative and don’t mind a TINY amount of work, you can get one for free. Details available on my blog.
I’d, personally, avoid Macs.
* The oft-alleged superiority of the Macintosh graphical shell is just that—alleged, by Mac partisans. If you’re already proficient and/or comfortable with the Windows graphical shell, there’s no real good reason to switch.
* The “megahertz myth” is, itself, largely a myth, one which is supported chiefly by contrived and dishonest benchmarks paid for by Apple. In open benchmarks, the only area in which Macs compete performance-wise with comparably-equipped PCs is in processor-intensive graphical applications; otherwise, PCs win, hands down.
* Similarly, there’s a “stability myth” surrounding OSX versus Windows XP—essentially, that OSX is this bulletproof never-crashes dreamride, while XP is a bluescreening nightmare. Reality is somewhat different: XP is orders of magnitude more stable than previous iterations of Windows, and crashes no more frequently than OSX (basically FreeBSD with Apple’s graphical shell) experiences kernel panics.
* The peripheral hardware (video, sound, yadda) in Apple machines is generally behind the SOTA curve, oftentimes two and sometimes three generations behind what’s being shipped in Wintel PCs. Den Beste had a series of essays about this.
* The software support for the platform is basically sufficient, but not all that thrilling.
* You pay considerably more for Apple products, because Apple ships fewer units over which to amortize the cost of product development.
* The history of Apple’s post-sales customer support is fraught with horror stories even from Apple die-hards, and yet Apple is the only show in town.
Far be it from me to suggest that PCs are the end-all and be-all. With Apple, for instance, you’re free of most of the virii and worms floating around. But frankly I can think of a lot more reasons to avoid Apple than to invest in Apple.
Hey, why are you getting a new computer anyway? Your laptop should be under warranty, and even if it isn’t, a new hard drive won’t cost more than a couple hundred bucks.
Or save some cash and get a desktop system.
Oh, and even if Apple is out of the computer business in 5 years (I don’t think they will be, but Robin is right, they could possibly to better as a pure music company), who cares? The extended warranty is only 3 years, you know they’ll honor that, and it’s not like they’ll run out of parts.
I always break it down. How much time do you spend playing first-person shooters? How much time do you spend tweaking pixels in Photoshop? How much time do you spend reading emails and browsing web sites?
More importantly, the Mac will enable you to do some new things. You may find that you need to budget time for that.
Then ask yourself the compatibility questions. Do you use Windows-only applications? Do you have major Windows-only preferences? Do your sites use anything that’s Windows-specific? Do you have to send and receive files with Windows users who might be using Windows-only software? Do you have a digital camera that requires file download software? These answers may be yes or no, but you should consider them.
Then ask yourself the feasibility questions. Do you have enough to buy new versions of your primary software applications? Do you have enough time to learn the differences between the two platforms? Do you expect productivity advantages on the Mac, and can you handle the productivity hit you’ll take while you’re learning a new system?
There are functionality questions to consider, but they’re less important. All Macs have built-in FireWire, for fast external storage, so you don’t need the biggest internal hard drive in the world, and you don’t need an internal SuperDrive – you can add high-speed external storage, or a DVD burner, at any time. All Macs have an exceptional software bundle, the iLife applications. All Macs can fully use the .Mac service, with its exceptional ability to do simple things like synchronize your contacts and bookmarks among multiple computers (try that on Windows some time).
Macs can usually use 3rd party multi-button mice without additional software. Macs can use printers, scanners, monitors, blah, blah blah. Anyone who says the Mac is limited in terms of connectivity simply is not speaking from real knowledge, and is getting into their opinion – in many cases, opinions based on the Mac platform of four or five years ago.
In my opinion, you will see some time savings, no spyware or other malware, a gigantic improvement in ease of use and interface elegance. You will achieve major cost savings due to the longer usable life of modern Mac hardware and the improved residual value if you decide to sell them to upgrade.
Have a realistic idea of the costs. Plan on purchasing Microsoft Office for Macintosh – it exchanges files seamlessly with the Windows version. Plan on purchasing a .Mac subscription, which is $99 a year. And of course, you’ll need to re-purchase products like Photoshop. Plan on buying as much memory as you can stick inside the case, because it will improve performance. It can cost $2,000 to buy a modern Mac and associated software, which is not out of line. You’d pay a similar amount if you were buying a modern Windows computer with the same functionality. (Now watch the $399 WinClone trolls come out of the woodwork and try to say they can get a comparable computer for half that – you can certainly get a *computer* for half that, but the *comparable* part is subject to interpretation.)
All the best.
Matt – you’re suggesting that Jeff knows how to use a screw driver?
A laptop will fry your nads. It all comes back to nads.
Sorry MAN! We can build ‘em! but it’s a bitch to explain!
Great minds think alike.
Ana – THAT’S the PROBLEM! Jeff’s been working with the ‘top in his lap! No WONDER it’s overheated!
I’d hold off on concluding this begging stunt until you can suckle at least a 15” powerbook.
To get those internet dollars going your way you might try denouncing the war, slurred onomatopoeia, demonstrating your willingness to blog in Old Europe languages (or at least Cajun as this will not burn as many bridges since Cajuns love Jesus and make people smile), or maybe just suggest that the Euro makes more sense as a vehicle currency. That last one has a chance to attract BIG €€€ bucks.
Diana – Nope, but I do! If he runs to MicroCenter and buys a drive I’ll be happy to drive over and throw it in for him. I’ve only fried one motherboard in my life, honest.
But I really was asking… I get the idea that Jeff just doesn’t trust his laptop when HP should be bending over backwards to fix whatever is wrong.
Thought of another solution: my renter’s insurance had a 40 dollar a year program where if your computer broke it was replaced at full purchase price, even if you spilled a beer on the sucker. So get that, then spill a beer, collect new computer.
Talkinman – High five! But, bets on another PayPal, Jeff’s now more confused than ever before. Our man needs ease of transition …. so what’s he most comfortable with? This is an artist we’re working with.
Because, Martha’s waiting in the wings? BECAUSE YOU CHEAPSKATES AREN’T PUTTING UP WHERE YOUR MOUTHS ARE !!!!
Transition’s a bitch! … and he’s workin’ on his PhD!
Wow Brett, exceptional assertions. In my line of work, we refer to that as DuFuS – Data-Free Speculation.
I’ve used XP. It crashes. A lot. I’ve used 2000. It crashes more. I’ve even used it on a Mac on Virtual PC where oddly, it’s more stable than on a PC. OS X crashes almost never. Malware is huge – I know of not a single PC user who hasn’t been affected, including my own Virtual PC.
Peripherals – a misleading statement. Who was it first using ethernet? USB? Firewire? Wireless? Bluetooth? Not the PCs. As to superiority of interface – to be sure, somewhat in the eye of the beholder, but there is really no question that since Apple has pioneered almost every aspect of the modern OS it’s typically ahead and more polished. Apple also pioneers design features which show up in PCs 18-24 months later. Who’s really behind the curve? You do, after all, get what you pay for.
Until the MacMini came along, where you get considerably more than you pay for. But I’m a laptop guy.
Megahertz – the sole thing PC users can really point to but outside of arcade games – who cares? If you play them, you’re right, you don’t want a Mac. I don’t play them. My Mac(s) are plenty fast for what I do.
I’m not a Mac zealot, just an informed customer. I’ve always been satisfied with a Mac, and always disappointed with PCs.
Jeff – My spam-blocker knocked out your response to my donation before I read it. No further response necessary, however please note that when I hit the pay key in my PayPal account, it locked up—so for the record, it was only a measly $20, not $2,000! K?
Hello?
Innovation in the personal computer business has begun to flatten out, but the personal computer business as a business will change immensely in the next five years.
If you disagree with my predictions about Apple, that’s fine but regardless of the probability that I’m right, I’m far from delusional.
Notice that I said nothing about the comparative advantages or disadvantages with respect to features of PC’s versus Mac’s themselves but I’m the evil PC bigot?
Bwaaahaaaaa.
MartinPundit – WOW!
You still haven’t explained the ease of transition for our friend ….. because we want him back a.s.a.p.
XP does not crash “A LOT”. 2000 doesn’t crash “A LOT”. Environment and usage will determine the stability of your systems.
AND ….. BTW …… HIT THAT FUCKING PAYPAL BUTTON BEFORE YOU LEAVE !!!!!!!
Matt – Absolutely! HP needs a whuppin’! … because “word of mouth” references will sink ‘em faster than they can salute.
Insurance? Comprehensive coverage was what it was designed for .. as long as you don’t take it “off premises”.
Stalker?!?!?
I swing both ways, running Mac OSX and WINXP Pro. If you are running an art-machine – graphic design etc – can’t go wrong with Mac. Reliable, stable – I have a machine from 1999 still running and it totaly pon3s big honkin’ photoshop files. I’ve had a couple power supply failures on my PC, which is a pain, but WinXP Pro is a good OS.
Tim McNabb
fivehundredwords.com
Still nude? Still in the kitchen?
I’m thinking webcam. You know: for your next fundraiser.
I still love the word tethered …
Tethered, Attila Girl, don’t forget tethered.
jinx
And I immediately thought “chained.” Go figure.
Apple isn’t going anywhere. M$ will continue to bail them out as long as necessary (as they have before) because of antitrust concerns.
Then M$ can say, “Monopoly! What monopoly? There’s, like, fifty people that don’t even run PC’s! How in the world can they call us a monopoly when there is whole different type of computer and operating system competing with us?”
The judge will look over his glasses at the M$ lawyer, and raise an eyebrow. The M$ lawyer will say, “OK, Your Honor, I mean, they’re fucking Macs, but still.” And the judge will nod in agreement.
This is an approximately true story. I was there. I guarantee M$ will keep Apple alive for exactly that reason. Well, not guarantee, but, you know.
Zee women folk are thinking of alternative fundraising schemes. Strangely, they are starting to sound like something out of Gitmo.
Funny how the men are ignoring us and just talking about equipment.
Diana –
Obviously your mileage will vary. XP and 2000 are a long way from 95, but still clumsy, crash-prone, virus and malware vulnerable systems. I simply don’t have such problems – at all – with OS X.
Transition costs are significant in a SW sense, which I mentioned.
Robin Roberts –
I’m afraid you’re as delusional as all the others who’ve predicted Apple’s demise over the last 25+ years. They are not a music company – music downloads are a fraction of revenues and are not likely profitable. Hardware – including iPods – make up the vast majority of revenues, and even there, the Mac is still the lion share of revenues. Does one compare Apple’s computer market share to Dell, or to the PC world as a whole? Even if you’e correct, there will still be those who support the platform. The BMW 2002 has an avid following and vibrant after-market parts market 30 years after the last car rolled off the line. The Newton has been officially dead for 7 years but continues to have not only an active community but support, maintenance, and even SW development. Even should Apple go under or get out of the computer business, there would be a helluva lot of money to be made supporting the existing base. Further, few people keep a computer for five years anymore, certainly not a prolific blogger such as Jeff, so what the vendor is or is not doing in five years is less than relevant.
Go figure!
HIT THAT FUCKING PAYPAL BUTTON!
Do they talk about anything else? Doesn’t it all eventually boild down to equipment? “I won this arguement so, clearly, my equipment can overheat more laptops than your equipment.”
I think our thread is the “tasty marshmallow” portion of this comments section.
mmmmmmm. marshmallow.
I dunno! Try to supply a little sexual lift to the dialogue, and fall flat … again! No equipment necessary.
MartinPundit – the issue here is what Jeff needs. Not the popular precis. We want our friend back in action … FAST …. and what is the best transition for him!
Jeff’s decision …
I hate to nitpick (okay, I lie), but I think you mean “front side bus” (FSB), not “front size bus”.
HIT THAT FUCKING PAYPAL BUTTON!
Mac. Mac. Mac! I’ve had several Macs since my first in 1984, and I’ve been forced to use DOS/WINDOZE boxes at work for at least as long. Macs do EVERYTHING better than PC’s, except games for the last few years (they’re perfect gaming systems, but there are fewer gaming titles). I’ve never in my life had a compatibility problem using PC work on a Mac, but occaisionally the bone-headed PC’s won’t recognize Mac work (tho I knew the work-arounds so no prob). Now, nearly all Mac software will allow you do save in a dumbed down format that PC’s can handle.
Come on people, ante up so he can do the right thing. GET. A. MAC!
My advice: Don’t buy a laptop if what you want is a fulltime, powered-on-24-hours-a-day computer. They’re not designed for that kind of load, and they’ll burn out. I’ve burned my way thru a Dell Inspiron and a Sony Vaio laptop in the last 4 years.
Only get a laptop if it’s going to be your part-time machine, i.e. powered off for many more hours of the day than it will be on.
See. MY equipment has burned out four laptops. It’s all about nads.
Think he’s still tethered? I think that the kitchen was a nice touch. And when the hell does he have time to work on his PhD and take care of Satchel and babysit us? Did his clone show up or something?
My bad. Not so hot equipment. Only two laptops in four years. Jeff’s got you beat by a fairly wide margin there.
I feel like I’m going to throw up every time I use a PC.
Stop dropping it on your stomach, then.
I was very relieved to see that the Macaholic commentary above gave way pretty quickly to regular alcoholic commentary. The latter is more intelligent.
Seriously, my comments: Macs are pretty good, but they are to PCs as Jaguars are to Corvettes: they cost too much, they break down, you can’t find parts, upgrades are impossible, and…well, my analogy has broken down already.
More briefly: Macs suck compared to PCs. If your only goal is to avoid viruses, then avoid PCs. That way you can avoid the many good things, like A REAL HELP SYSTEM, A REAL INSTALLER SYSTEM, REAL UPWARD COMPATIBILITY, and many other things that Macs simply, um, what were we talking about? avoid.
I know whereof I speak. I’ve managed products on these platforms, and others. Windows commands 97% of the marketplace. Go ahead; be a Pepper; buy a Mac. Spend too much and don’t bother being able to do the stuff we Windows users do.
Don’t you understand how this is supposed to work? You set up one paypal account where you take donations from people who want you to get a mac. You set up another paypal account for people who want you to get another PC. Then just start a flame war between the 2 sides and watch the cash roll in.