“So I sold my 17-inch widescreen iMac to a friend (for a smoking deal) this week… What now? Part of me honestly considered bagging Apple altogether: I’ve switched from the iPod to the superior Dell DJ anyway, and I’ve stopped purchasing songs from Apple’s iTunes Music Store. I’ve been unimpressed with the performance of the Macs I’ve owned (and have no desire to spend $3000 or more on a new Mac) and have been equally unimpressed with the quality of Mac OS X, which yes, is beautiful, and in some ways quite capable, but still lags XP in key areas,” Paul Thurrott writes for Paul Thurrott’s Internet Nexus.
“So if you have a second, and are interesting in doing more than just dump on me for being a Windows shill or whatever warped thing it is you think I am, I’m really looking for some advice. I figure I can spend about $2000 on a portable Mac without raising too many red flags with my accountant/wife. But I have questions. I also have requirements,” Thurrott writes.
– It has to burn DVDs.
– Should I get the 14-inch iBook G4?
– Or is the 12-inch PowerBook a better deal?
– Should I wait for the WWDC? (Inevitably, Apple will introduce faster machines the second I buy mine).
Thurrott asks, “Am I missing anything? One thing I can promise is that, whatever it is, I’ll likely return to bringing this device with me on business trips, which I can assure you, causes no end of discussion in the Microsoft-oriented world which I frequently ply in my day job. I’m happy to keep covering Apple–I figure this machine should last two years, or less than the iBook did–but it’s pretty clear that won’t happen regularly from my home office. Is this the right thing to do?”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If you’d like to tell Paul what to do, where to go, or something else entirely, have at it. “Superior Dell DJ?” Paul’s a laugh riot, huh? And in which “key areas” does Mac OS X lag behind Windows XP? We’ve identified a few after much use of both systems.
Key areas where Mac OS X lags behind Windows XP:
– Ugliness
– Unusability
– Worm and virus plagues
– Inability to sleep and wake up instantly
– Nag screens
– Baked-in Microsoft-related advertising
– Device non-recognition
– Adware and spyware availability
– Bundled bad copies of Apple iLife applications
– Bloatedness
– Invoking hatred and/or fear of your personal computer
If you have additions to this list, please feel free to add them below.
Related MacDailyNews article:
Defending Windows over Mac a sign of mental illness – December 20, 2003
Tell him to get a UNIX server, so it can spread email viruses
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One reason I visit MDN is to see articles like this from/about Thurrott. I can’t wait to see the feedback from this one.
What I think is funny is that he acts like the G3 ibook is a complete turd. Sure it is compared to anything new out there, but I have the same exact G3 ibook that Paul has and I run Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Safari, Mail, iChat, Konfabulator, and iTunes simultaneously and don’t mind the minimal hiccup in performance at all. Granted, I don’t get much chance to use a faster machine unless I use my parents 17″ iMac, but even so, I am happy with the performance I am still getting out of my well over 3 year old iBook. I would like to see a 500mhz PC notebook even run XP alone without crashing; my two month old 2.8ghz Dell doesn’t even like to run Word if I have Outlook and Firefox open at the same time. Wait, it doesn’t like to run Word, period.
Look, as much as many of us may dislike this fellow’s opinions, let’s just try to answer his questions, which are legitimate. I would suggest the 12-inch PB. Other thoughts?
My emailed answer to Thurott’s question, “Is this the right thing to do?”
To: paul@thurrott.com
Subject: Your question: Is this the right thing to do?
Answer: No, it isn’t. Stay away from Macs. Keep on using Windows and forget there ever was such a thing as a Mac. You obviously don’t get it, so why torture yourself and others? It is obvious that you have been tortured enough already, to the extent that you see your tormentor (Microsoft) as a friend and savior.
Your opinions about the Mac platform are so far removed from most other columnists (and I use that word generously), that is a shame that you have a podium from which to preach. I assume there are many people that read your articles, and at least a good fraction of them probably make the assumption that you know what you are talking about and give your reviews based on a fair and objective stance. So, do some of your readers a real favor and stay away from Macs.
-Richard
Gene: I was thinking of a 14inch iBook for him, but he would need to add more memory. Richard, I see your point…
“…the superior Dell DJ…”
This guy is a laugh riot!
Paul needs to be hanged from his balls on a tall tree on a gusty day!
I would go with a 14inch iBook and then just buy afermarket memory, but I am sure he would bitch about Apple memory typically costing more than PC memory. He says you need to spend at least 3k for a Mac? I don’t think so.
MAC USERS! Stop sending feedback or posting Thurott’s articles! We’re being used for hits that help pay for the crap he writes!
Get a Dell, Paul, subscribe to Napster or that Real whatsitscalled service (Ecstasy?). Get anything you want. Write anything you want. Who gives a sh*t anyway? Think of the “no end” of time you’ll save having to explain the Mac in the Windows circles you run around in. Instead, you might find yourself engaging in real conversations on more important topics. You’re not scared of that … are you? Do you have an identity other than that of an “Apple basher”? Can you stand not being the center of attention? The quirky fella’ who has to carry around a Mac because it’s his job? Geta Dell! And go to hell.
Mario, you’re making an assumption about the guy. Two actually.
I’ve switched from the iPod to the superior Dell DJ anyway,
omg…..I just am speechless, the guy is a nut
but of course….the dell dj outsells the ipod every day….lol
Deus: I didn’t go to his site, cause I know that is one of the main reasons why he does what he does. Just sent an email. And guess what? I got a reply already. I was surprised. Here it is:
“So the fact that I’m not towing the company line makes me … Less valuable?
Odd. I prefer to remain outside of Apple’s back pocket, unlike the
“journalists” you no doubt follow avidly.
I’m sorry you don’t agree with me, but I’m more freaked out that you would
try to silence a dissenting opinion. So much for “think different,” eh?
Paul”
I’ve said my piece so I have no intentions of starting an email exchange with him. Wouldn’t do any good for either of us actually. In his reply I perceive that he is intending to correct my reference to him as a “columnist” by his use of the word “journalist”. No, I meant columnist. A columnist writes a column for a newspaper of magazine, whereas a journalist does “writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation” (amoung other similar definitions), and we all know Paul Thurott doesn’t do THAT!
P. Thurrott asks if he is missing something? He most be the only one on the planet prefering a Dell DJ over an iPod, that sure says something about him. He is such a waste of time, the only way for him to get noticed is to bash Apple. Leave this loser alone, let him rotten in solitude!
He don’t get it, never had and never will. Just like MS, it don’t get more pathtic than this.
he must be using 10.0! My inlaws have XP and its fine if u like windows, but so many annoyances. Starting up is quick, but then you get 20 pop-ups from every App. You cant have older software start in a quest account, only admin! the usual ugly as hell (and dont tell me you can skin it, thats not an excuse). Too much stuff you cant turn off. Jaguar is better and it has many missing features (im about to get Panther at work).
People!!! Let this guy buy a windows laptop/desktop and learn from his mistakes when he gets hit constantly by Viruses. Then we’ll see another article asking for forgiveness for switching to the “Dark side”.
“Thurrott asks if he is missing something?”
A brain for starters. ;o)
That Dell DJ plug surpassed every other moronic comment this Wintel tool has ever spewed forth.
What a complete waste of bandwidth, time and space.
1st. e-mail him like you wnat, but don’t go his site: in that way the mac community finances his business.
2nd. on second thoughts: don’t e-mail him, because no response or getting neglected is worse than getting hatemail. I assure you: when he gets no response, he will severe his criticism next times untill he gets response. He likes this game and is having more fun than the Mac-fans who keep attacking him (look at his reply to Richard).
3rd. this guy is nuts: he’s covering Mac he says and advising people about the mac. But if he wants to buy a mac, he needs to ask for advise.
Please buy a pc. Leave the Mac completely alone. If your opinions are as ignorant and uninformed in the pc world you’ll be doing a great service for Apple.
I too have found that leaving these types of BAKA’s to go back to Windows is the better move. I could care less what he uses, I am only concerned with what I use, and thank god I understand what a good computing experience is
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moo.
Is it not better that he have a mac to make somewhat more informed opinions about the platform we love? We all know why we love macs, and I’m sure there are things we would change if we could. For example, the driver and device management in OSX is painfully out of date. WinXP has a great system manager to deal with drivers and 3rd party hardware. Addmittedly there is less 3rd party hardware on macs (because so much more is built in), but…often problems with external hardware become the bane of my OS-Xistence.
For me, however, the UNIX underpinnings of OSX, the comfortably clean GUI, and the FREE developer tools are the major draws of macs. Digital hub apps that actually work are also a key reason I use osx.
I wish Paul’s skepticism extended further into windows-land, but…us mac users should probably be a little more reasonable and thoughtful this comment board would suggest — i mean…isn’t that WHY we’re mac users anyway?
Am I wrong or are most of the purchase decisions when buying a Mac, have more to do with price, rather than features?
“- It has to burn DVDs.
– Should I get the 14-inch iBook G4?
– Or is the 12-inch PowerBook a better deal?
– Should I wait for the WWDC? (Inevitably, Apple will introduce faster machines the second I buy mine).”
As a former computer salesman, none of these features would help define what kind of computer to buy, with the exception of the DVD burning and that is a minor consideration.
The “answer” to his questions is the biggest screen, fastest processor, most memory machine he can buy.
Kind of a trollish question.
I agree… a trollish question. I think he’s trying to acquire ammo about how Mac zealots completely lambasted him when all he was trying to do was “ask for a widdle bit of help”. Just steer clear of this guy… he makes a living bashing a computer company that, according to him, has only 2% or so market share. Why bother? Because he has no talent or intelligence to write a thoughtful, concise, accurate article about the computer industry, and hides his ignorance and garners his paycheck by agitating Mac users. Just leave him to his own swill and don’t give him hits that add to his pay stub!