“Many of the great pop-culture debates of our time involve intense rivalries — Yankees versus Red Sox, Britney versus Christina, Ford versus Chevy. Among these great discussions stands one that has shaped the technological world: Macs versus PCs,” Daniel Holevoet writes for Yale Daily News. “Ten years ago, the computer world was different than today, and it seemed like Microsoft had bested its rivals. Beleaguered was a popular phrase used to describe Apple, and Linux was less than a year old and unknown outside small circles of avid coders.”
“But today, the decision is not so clear-cut, and Apple has made a much larger comeback in Yale student and faculty computing than its 10 to 12 percent national market share would indicate. According to Yale Information Technology Services’ registration records, nearly 20 percent of University students and 33 percent of faculty choose Macs over Windows PCs,” Holevoet writes. “With a reinvented, cutting-edge operating system and a cool, sleek design, Apple is clawing its way to technological equality on campus. Products like iPod and iTunes have transformed the Apple brand into a status symbol as much as a technological tool, and alternative platforms such as Linux have moved out of the shady realm of hackers and into the public eye. The debate is renewed.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: This is a fun article to read, with one Mac user quoted as saying, “I have an Apple bumper sticker on my car, a patch on my hat and a poster in my room. You don’t find that kind of loyalty with Windows users, and there is a reason why.” After reading the article, we’re not sure if the writer and/or people quoted in the article understand that Apple’s Mac OS X is UNIX-based. Let us know what you think. There’s even one student who said insists that “his Windows system was adequate for his needs and purchasing a Mac was not worth it” and that he is “more comfortable using Microsoft programs and prefers Windows Media Player to Apple’s iTunes,” as if to offer proof that one can be “booksmart” enough to get into Yale and still display a certain lack of other smarts, not to mention taste. Meaning: if you haven’t used both Mac OS X and Windows XP, how much is your opinion as to which OS you prefer really worth? The comfort of familiarity, self-imposed ignorance, and some people’s resistance to change would seem to be some of Microsoft’s last best weapons against the superior Mac solution.
In a world without fences and walls, who needs Gates and Windows?
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Survey shows Apple Macs owned by nearly 10 percent of US small and medium-sized businesses – February 17, 2005
More people use Apple Macs than you think; 8-12 percent of homes use Macs – March 31, 2004
10 percent of computer users use a Mac; 3 percent is Mac’s approximate quarterly market share – February 10, 2004
Syracuse Post-Standard: 3 percent is a false stat; Mac holds ’10 to 12 percent of the market for PCs – August 27, 2003
Chris
Use a computer offline? Are we allowed to do that?? Can it even be done? If it could (theoretically) what would be the point?
Only half joking
Okay everyone, Chris has declared an end to the debate. You can all go home now. Chris has spoken.
So please don’t laugh your asses of when he says things like “BOTH platforms are great”, or “XP is just as solid as OS X”, or, and this one’s a doosie, “If you use XP offline, then you will most likely NEVER have a problem with it. In fact, you would probably enjoy it as much as OSX”.
Having to use XP offline? LMAO!
Never have a problem with it? LMAO!
And that last line:
“You would probably enjoy it as much as OS X?”
Well Chris, words fail me.
In closing, Chris, I have to say that I’d wager a big pile of cash that you don’t have much, if any, experience with OS X. But don’t worry, we’re not going speak the truth anymore seeing as how it upsets you. Okay?
I also work in an environment with both Mac and Windows
platforms client and server. Yes, we’ve had our share of hair pulling days with both systems. Windows definitely needs to do something about security in the next iteration of it’s OS. In terms of general reliability of the OS i also would say the NT platform is rock solid.
Mac OS X is essentially a flavor of Unix and benifits
from the years of development that has gone into making
it a reliable OS. Let’s give credit where credit is due. Yes, Apple has done a great job in bringing a Unix based operating system to the desktop but, in my experience any system can be comprimised if not configured correctly out of the box. Apple users tout the operating system as being impervious to virus infection. I know the whole issue of security through obscurity has been debated but, if Apple gains serious
market share they won’t be crowing about their great
security for to long. Also, if they ever hope to obtain any serious market share they’ll have to court
the business enterprise market not the home user!!
Business, from my readings, is definitely not turning
away from Microsoft towards Mac OS X but, Linux. A
truly Open Source operating system.
Macadoodle wrote: “Apple users tout the operating system as being impervious to virus infection.”
*************
No they don’t. That’s a strawman argument – arguing against a case that was never made in the first place. Since you’re not listening, what Mac users actually DO tout is that Mac OS X is far less vulnerable than Windows. And we tout it because it is true. And no, it is not through obscurity. Like it or not, Mac OS X is inherently more secure than Windows XP. Again, I did NOT say or imply that it was “impervious”, just far less vulnerable.
i can guarentee you that pretty much EVERY student at yale has used mac osx at one time or another. the way the computer labs are set up, macs are on one side, pcs on the other. if you have a specific application you need to run on a particular platform, you wait for a turn at the one you want. for most students with 10 minutes between classes, you plop down at the first available machine just to do your email.
mdn is completely wrong and should not be making up stuff just to twist the article around in such a defensive and juvenile fashion.