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Does Michael Miller have a problem with spaces? What is with "MacBookPro," "MacMini," and "BootCamp?"

can u honestly say that Miller has not used a mac? considering his article is about using macs im pretty sure he's more then qualified to give his opinion. And i agree, mac users (such as myself) will intall windows to play games, i dont think i will ever change back to windows because, lets face it, its windows. But there are things windows just has to be used for such as games. Will many convert from mac to windows, i doubt it, but who knows. I think Mac users are a bit like Linux users (although linux is worse then windows) they're to ready to defend it, let people have their opinions. ps macs rule.

In Germany they had a computer show (c´t) on TV about Macs. They praised them, but regarding Bootcamp they did not recommend it - reason; Apple keyboard problems in Windows OS and touchpad on Mac is one button only.

Hello everyone. Just spend 20 minutes or so at millers site:
http://blog.pcmag.com/blogs/miller/archive/2006/04/27/980.aspx

It was a VERY interesting read. No, not his stuff, but the replys from pc and mac people below. The incredible thing I found was the reasoning of the people making their comments.

Forcast. PCs (and probably windows) are going to be around for a long time. Live with it. The reasons people give for liking windows or PCs show why. OK, some of the reasoning may sound stupid to you or me, but the fact that people are reasoning that way is there. The least we should do is to understand what they are saying.

It will allow us to have sympthy for them later with their buggy, virusis infested and crashing machines driving them crazy.

N.

I generally like the stories you guys run. But beating the point about the missing spaces in the Mac model names seems a bit childish, especially in light of the often less-than-perfect spelling and grammar in your articles. (For example, "Ownsership.")

So many jackasses (macasses?) that want to lynch anyone who doesn't say everything is perfect in the Apple universe. Gimme a break, this guy did a pretty decent job and what has come from it? Mac users are assholes. That's what people will remember now.

GET THIS: Apple doesn't compete well in price on the low end. IT'S A FACT. DEAL WITH IT.

GET THIS: MS Windows has more software available for it, especially in the Games and Business markets. IT'S A FACT.

and, my personal gripe: The Mighty Mouse SUCKS.

I love Apple, and am a huge fan, but I'm not a freakin' extremist, or fundamentalist, or so emotionally involved that I lose sight of reality.

norm,

I don't want to have sympathy for them. I want them to either leave me alone or follow my advice. I use a Mac for a reason. That reason being that I don't want to put up with junk computers and I don't want to do tech support for them either. I want them to quit asking me how to remove a virus or how do I get my wireless to work or how come my PC doesn't recognize my camera/printer/scanner/etc.

Leave me alone, that's all I ask. There is a reason that I appear to have a nice computing experience. I use a Mac, not a PC. I am no more smarter than at least half of the people that ask me the same stupid questions. I'm just smart enough to use a Mac!

There are no "Mac Fans", there are people that like good computers, and those are the Mac users.

I mostly agree with you on software availability, except in two areas: Trip Planning softare (M$ Streets & Trips, or whatever it's called has no equivalent in the Mac world) and Air Combat simulations, which seem to be weak in the OS X world (some may disagree, but my needs for a simple piece of software that just works have not been met).

The software I'd most like to see updated is Appleworks. It's probably the best single piece of software ever, but it is just out of date with the current Mac interface. I don't know if Apple will ever update it, but where else do you get word processing, presentation, spread sheet, data base, paint and drawing all in one tightly knit package. Yes, there is software available for each of these areas, but a there is no other package that has the foundational concepts for all these areas in one place (more that foundational, enough for many users total needs).

Microsofts greatest ally is the hardcore Mac fans. They are the ones that are making PC users adamant about not using a Mac.

There are tons of Windows-only programs that will never get ported to the Mac (IIS, SQL Server, Visio, etc) that tons of people are using and will continue to use. Sure, there are alternatives on OS X and Linux, but if your company has chosen these options, and they are functioning well for you, then there is no incentive to switch. So, while to say there are software alternatives on the Mac is technically true, in reality switching is often so impractical that it just won't happen.

That's why the Parallels solution is so exciting to those of us who work on PCs during the day, but have Macs at home. I want to be able to run all the OS X software that is reasonable, and only use the PC software that I have no choice but to use.

The ENTIRE article is illogical, when you consider that Macs also run Windows! Every intel Mac runs thousands of more programs than any PC competitor. Windows apps + Mac apps.

Before y'all start puttin' on yur Grammar police badges, I really don't think that MDN is even using OS X for these posts of theirs. If'n they were, it would have caught the misspelling of "Total Cost of Ownsership."

And while we are grammar checkin', ya don't need to be placin' your "[sic]" all over the place. It only needs to be done at the first instance of the misspelling of the word. The continued misspelling of the word is taken as being the originator's fault, because the cluttering of "[sic]" all over the page is very distracting to the reader.

This comment says it all:

"I was expecting some comments about my recent blogs and columns on the subject."

He's a troll. DO NOT FEED HIM!

Tell you what MDN, why not by default simply tell us not to contact this (or any other troll) directly ourselves, (because that's what they want).

Let's allow MDN to answer for us, with a balanced, non-zealot retort, also mentioning that you speak on behalf of millions of Mac-users.

That way the troll is informed to do their homework/use a Mac/open their eyes/get their tongue out of Bill Gates' a** etc, and the troll does not get the traffic that their editor is demanding.

In future, they would have to actually work at an article in order to get decent hits, and they just might learn something in the process.

If you write about the Macintosh, you’re only bound to get a lot of negative comments if you write something that makes little or no sense.

No, that's not true. Time and time again, especially at sites like MDN, the more fundamentalist Mac users will often post scathing comments if a reviewer is only slightly incorrect! They won't care that a columnist is 99% right, if they find a teensy tiny error, they'll jump all over the guy! I've seen it over and over again. And then the Mac community wonders why it's thought of as a cult. As a Mac user for over 20 years I read that article and it didn't look too bad.

As proof, look at this article, headlined "You can never say enough nice things about a Mac," yet MDN <b>still</a> finds a way to blast the guy.

Sheesh, way to treat your allies.

My wife likes to use the PC.

People who attack a platform's users and myths about that platform rather than make logical arguments about the platform itself are just . . . losers.

MDN will criticize any writer regardless of whether they do their homework or research. MDN will not allow the "complete" truth to ever go by uncontested.

solid take MDN

Most of us enjoy the prospect of reasonable debate about the relative merits of the Mac. However, informed disagreement cannot take place when one party believes something false.

Sites like this one are a service to the Mac platform and its users by pressuring lazy writers to come up with good grounds for criticism. For example, i am curious to see what Kantor's next Mac article will look like, given the way MDN slapped him around last time.

This is a good thing.

Well said, Dan. Well said.

Dan:

<b>still</a>[sic]


Just having a go at you. You made some excellent points.

The debate about tinking/modifying your PC vs. a Mac kind of reminds me of why the fsck would you rice a nice BMW (or any car for that matter)?

Not my taste, and folks can certainly do what they want. But when a slammed and riced Eclipse comes up to me to race my stock M3, it's no contest. They probably spent more (I got mine used) and those multi-layer wings and neon lights certainly don't make the car faster. But the huge fart pipe certainly makes it louder!

To each his/her own. But more options certainly doens't mean better results.

G SPANK!

I understand your point about being snobs, or a-holes, or elitists, and all. Unfortunately it seems to be conditioned behavior. After using Macs for many years, and having people say they are crap, they are for kids, not serious machines, and all of the uninformed nonsense that still recycles, it makes people kind of rigid after a while. It's frustrating to hear people who aren't even worthy of an opinion regurgitating the same garbage over and over. They feel that the tiny market share is so unjust (I agree), it can make folks defensive no doubt.

i love lamp, why cant we all just get a long? some of my best friends are windows users, they're people too

I use a mac/windows hybrid. I can edit my iRegistry values inside borderless windows, then throw up some ghey dashboard widget to tell me the last ten programs that crashed.

Lets face it, all computers are crap, regardless of which OS you're using.

I think that Mac users can often be overly defensive. I believe that this comes from having to defend your choice of OS and computer constantly. I'm not sure why it is necessary to defend your choice, but I find that PC users will often make comments that are disparging or just flat out wrong and it is difficult to let that go by without trying to defend or correct misinformation.

Personally, I really don't care if 95% of the world uses Windows, but I don't want to use it unless I really have to. And I do sometimes, so I know about Windows. I don't tell Windows users that they are retarded for using it, that is their business.

But I do get irritated by FUD and ignorance about the Mac platform. It is tough to let FUD go by unchallenged.

Think of being a Mac user like being a nationalist in a nation unhappy with its government (where there is a single one in this world, I have not heard of it).

The nationalists and revolutionaries are out to put a stop to the wrong that this government has placed on us. With the prior knowledge that they are powerful, even if their numbers are small, they know that they can make a difference- even if it takes time. Some nationalists are peaceful, others are violent. Both kinds have been able to eventually overthrow their oppressors and soon enough, things finally are tuned to the ways of the new ruling party- whether you agree with them or not.

Now apply that same idea to the Mac users (or fans, zealots, elitists, and smug assholes as we have been called on so many occasions):

*I will bold the changes in the following story to the first one.

The Mac users/b> and <b>Apple/Mac supporters are out to put a stop to the wrong that the Windows world (Microsoft, Redmond or the PC world works too) has placed on us. With the prior knowledge that we have the advantage of having hardware and software clearly superior to that of Windows, and even though our numbers are small (in contrast to the Windows users), we know that we can make a difference- even if it takes time (((And for all the people that think everyone is is going to move to Mac within a year, think again. Its how we wish it would go, but its far too unrealistic to move that fast))) Some Mac users and Apple/Mac supporters are sympathetic to the PC-ers. Others are belittling, smug, and sometimes just downright nasty. But both kinds are hoping that they can overthrow the PC empire and and someday achieve a more satisfied world, and things are finally tuned to the ways of the new "ruling party"</b> -whether you agree with it or not.


I'm not saying we're all always nice or always mean. Even the nice people can be somewhat belittling and vise-versa.

I will say this however. I know many more PC people that are belittling of Mac people because of some pointless and stupid reason that usually turns out to be wrong.

"Patience is a Virtue" isn't just a quote.

Autocad, Solidworks, MathCad, Electronics Workbench, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Mechanical Desktop, SolidEdge, Rhino 3.0, plus a hundred other engineering apps that macs dont have.

DOGFRIEND

That was precisely my point. G Spank is probably right though. Being

condescending and arrogant to Windows users probably won't create any

switchers.

Bill Rules: Get it right, Bill. Mac has all those applications. OS X doesn't, but any Intel-based Mac certainly does.

I have an engineering and manufacturing firm with over 350 people working for me and these apps amongst many others are made for Mac. And may never be made for mac. All of our cutting, welding and cnc machine are run by windows.

I guess you meant to say...


I have an engineering and manufacturing firm with over 350 people working for me and these apps amongst many others are NOT made for Mac.

Yes, your point is correct. If Apple gains more market share, then maybe some of these apps will finally surface for Mac, just maybe.

I hope you don't miss the point that those cutting, welding, and cnc machines could do some real damage if your windows are penetrated or bugged. You are braver sole than me.

It has been fascinating to see industrial businesses take on such a badly designed system as windows. Would you go under the knife if the systems that monitored and controlled your vitals needed to be rebooted during the procedure? This will only happen under windows because OS X and all other systems (including Linux) are based on the solid kernel model of UNIX.

Last year a large manufacturer had two fabs shut down because of viruses which ravaged the windows based controller machines. Imagine if those hackers had the knowledge to actually control the machines rather than just disrupt them by flooding the network to spread the virus.

just took an interest in mac now. I use linux. Funny how mac users use broad sweeping brush strokes to describe the superiority of their OS... whereas linux users get ridiculously technical. kind of reminds me of a Dilbert cartoon I read once.

What? That jive dont square with the shimmy, man! Just chill the shill, it'll be A-rite if you just moooooove a little to the side and wobble B4 U step off into some real unfunkyness. Uh huh! The lobble get it just fine. Grok me? Never mind the mumfuckery. Ya just lay on back and scratch yer badger.

@G Spank - Agreed. Finally, some objective truth.

And - "my personal gripe: The Mighty Mouse SUCKS"

I want to second, third and millionth that. The Mighty Mouse SUCKS BIG TIME. Apple (Steve?) is so stubborn about having a ONE button mouse that it is becoming somewhat of a joke. YES, I KNOW THAT THE MIGHTY MOUSE HAS SENSORS ON EACH SIDE so that it will "act" like a two button mouse, but I have found it to be an ineffective solution (no real tactile feel like a TRUE 2 button mouse). I right-click HUNDREDS of times a day. The "revolutionary" 360º scroll ball is ridiculous to say the least, and the side buttons are worthless. AND, to top it all off - it's cheap, as in cheaply made - NOT Apple quality.

My solution? - an MS 2 button wireless optical mouse with a REAL scroll wheel (smoooth) and no damn side buttons (if you need 'em fine, but I can't stand 'em). The Mighty Mouse is like all the extra software they load onto PC's these days as a "selling" point to the unaware. The first thing you do when you get home is get rid of it. What can I say? - MS makes great mice.

@ Hott
That's one of my favourite vids!

I thought his article and the comments were very interesting, however, one major point seemed to be missed by (almost) everybody:
with the ability to run either OS X, Windows, or Linux, there is very little reason not to buy a Mac!
Having said that though, I do understand two major obstacles for making the switch:
1)for large companies, providing enough incentive to replace thousands of dollars worth of machines (they may be crap machines, but still...$$)
2) there are many more options in the PC world as far as hardware configurations go, from many vendors. Sure, many of these (most actually) vendors make crap machines, that can't run OS X, and a similarily configured PC to Mac comparison will often NOT equal cheaper (for the PC) but these are things that many home users will often ignore or overlook.

P.S. I would NEVER put Windows on my Mac. I bought a Mac to get away from Windows! But Boot Camp is a great idea from a marketing standpoint. What's important is that people become aware of it, or it won't do much good.

correction: missed by (almost) everyone who wre making the comments on the article.

"Mac users will start installing Windows (to do things like play games) and eventually start doing more and more on Windows."

I'm about as hardcore of a Mac fan as you can get, and I'll tell you right now that I will be booting Windows on my new Intel Powermac this summer to play GTA and a few first-person shooters on it as soon as I get it. I can promise you that the only thing on my Windows partition will be Windows and those games, but I will be booting it, that's for sure. Rest assured though, I'll be booting back into OS X right after playing. One more guarantee: I'll have that ethernet cord unplugged before it boots into Windows. No chance I'll take that risk.

--mAc

MW: Pay --> It doesn't pay to take the chance of connecting Windows to the internet.