“Ten years ago, 26-year-old Barry Jones wasn’t such a fanatic. Back then, programmers wouldn’t be caught dead using a Mac. It was a ‘PC or bust’ mentality,” Justin Chappell writes for The Greenville News. “Jones, a Web architect, has worked and played PC for life, but he bought his first Mac in May. It’s a love story not easily chronicled, but let’s put it this way: Jones went from being a PC powerhouse to a Mac advocate in three months flat, and he’ll do his best to make you one, too. ‘I understand why people call people Mac zealots now,’ he says.”
Chappell lists a number of very stale “PC vs. Mac” comparisons and gets a number of things wrong in the process. He buys into the “Security via Obscurity” myth, hook, line, and sinker. Macs aren’t more secure because “only” 20 million people use them. Macs are more secure, period. Macs account for roughly 10% of the world’s personal computer users — (some say as much as 16%) — so the first half of the myth doesn’t even stand up to scrutiny. Macs aren’t “obscure” at all. Therefore, the Apple Mac platform’s ironclad security simply cannot logically be attributed to obscurity. There are zero-percent (0%) of viruses for the Mac OS X platform that should, logically, have some 10-16% of the world’s viruses if platforms’ install bases dictate the numbers of viruses. The fact that Mac OS X has zero (0) viruses totally discounts “security via obscurity.” There should be at least some Mac OS X viruses. There are none. The reason for this fact is not attributable solely to “obscurity,” it’s attributable to superior security design.
Chappell also thinks “PCs” (Windows) run more software. Someone needs to tell him that Macs run more software because only Macs can run Mac OS X and Windows and Linux. Windows PCs are the ones with a limited range of software nowadays, Justin.
There’s more goofiness — trying to justify the Windows PC when it’s increasingly impossible to do so — in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Macs are more secure. Macs run more software. Macs work better. Macs are price competitive when you spec out similar systems. Macs look better. Macs last longer. So, why waste money a OS-limited Windows PC?
Related articles:
Gartner analyst tries to propagate discounted Mac OS X ‘security via obscurity’ myth via BBC – July 06, 2006
Dude, you got a Dell? What are you, stupid? Only Apple Macs run both Mac OS X and Windows! – April 05, 2006
For a more objective comparison of OSs, try XvsXP.com.
The sad state of “journalism” on parade yet again….
This chode lives in the same town I do. I’m ashamed.
I will have to reply to him soon.
“Back then, programmers wouldn’t be caught dead using a Mac.”
I got news for him. “Back then” I was using a Mac for programming microcontroller chips, drawing schematics and circuit board design & layout. Hardly ever got caught up in something going wrong with my tools. But now, things are different. The chips I use today only have language compilers/assemblers that run on a PC (Codewarrior). And I’ll be damned if I don’t have to spend a good 10% of my time just figuring out the quirks & kinks of the “just good enough” software, and in finding & fixing the problems that just spring up one day from out of nowhere. Being a Mac user I am appalled by the low quality of the software, but in the Codewarrior forums people seem to just take it on the chin and come back for more.
If I had a choice I wouldn’t be caught dead using a PC, either now or tens years ago or in 10 years from now.
Sorry. Had to vent a little. I’ve been in combat with Codewarrior since early this morning.
Can someone, please, tell me where I can get a job as a journalist? I’d love to poll a few friends, all using Windows XP, and then write an article about Mac OS X based only upon their regurgitated myths and biases. No facts. No statistics, not even twisted ones. I would really like a job like that!
Ahhhh, another breath of fresh air…and being from my home state just made my day…
MDN Magic Word: HOT
Like it’s soooo freakin’ hot outside…
I’m not buying the argument that “Macs are 10% (maybe even 16%)” of the world’s computers.”
How many personal computers have been sold in the past five years or 10 years? In the US and the world? How many Macs have been sold in the same periods?
How many computers are currently in use in the world? 500-million? If so, that would put Mac numbers at 50-million to 75-million. How many Macs has Apple sold each year for the past five years, or 10 years? What’s the total?
60-million iPods since 2001? Yes. Macs, at best, get a nearly 5-percent market share in the US and barely 3-percent market share in the world. If Macs last 50% longer than the average PC, then the share of computers still working in the world would be higher.
But 16%? Get real.
This is precisely why there is no Apple store here in the state of South Carolina. I’m glad I’m not from here. One can tell why this state has the lowest SAT scores and graduation rates in the Union. Look at the gibberish their local media spews. The sad thing about it is that a huge chunk of the population will take this guys word for it and not give it a second thought.
Oh, and Uggy Buggy, you’re neglecting the fact that some of those “500-million” PCs are also sold as kiosks, ATM machines, and POS (Point Of Sale) systems/cash registers. So, reducing that 500 million while keeping the Mac number constant would yield a higher percentage of computers that are actually used by individuals for more than a commerce transaction.
“For a more objective comparison of OSs, try XvsXP.com.”
I just checked this site, and the first thing I look at is that under video editing and OSX got a 1 and XP got an 8 (out of 10). The reason. because iMovie ships free with Macs, but isn’t part of the OS.
Yeah, that sounds like an intelligent site.
The sight also gives OSX a 4 for video playback, and Windows a 7.
The reason, because quicktime charges money for the Pro version. The problem with this is that, that applies to XP as well. Therefore, they should both lose the same marks, shouldn’t they?
“For a more objective comparison of OSs, try XvsXP.com.”
It gets even better!
They give OSX a 4 for Photo Management, and Windows a 6. Why, you ask? Because iPhoto is dismissed because, although it comes free with a Mac, it is not ‘part of the OS’. Therefore, they use only Image Capture for the comparison.
There is no mention of Windows XPs great download feature, which I spent hours using one day to try and get some pictures off my camera onto my cousins Windows machine. Fortunately, my other cousin had an iBook, which downloaded them in about 20 seconds, with no searching for sofware and drivers.
Ray Lane: I agree those PC dumbos are so biased. Just this morning I grabbed the australian PC Authority magazine, the latest edition. I found similar stupidity, but the funniest of all, is, they compare Tiger and Vista.
They gave mark down for tiger because of this n that, compared to the promised features in vista.
Now the problem is, tiger will be 3 year old (or 5? or 7?) by the time vista is released (if ever).
Pc users are dumb, that’s why they use PC.
The truly sad part is about this article is it has te feel and wording of about 10 years ago.
How’a that for “journalism”?
Just another stupid article by a very untalented writer.
Why or why do Mac sites, again MDN give the hits to these people. Stop posting the link to the article. Summarize like you do. If people want to fine the article, let them Google it. By your posting the link, you enable and reward poor writers and websites.
“For a more objective comparison of OSs, try XvsXP.com.”
Even better:
Protecting your computer (firewall securiy) OSX:6 XP:9
Furthermore, there is NO comparison of viruses, etc.
The final result: OSX: 643 XP: 642
Well, I am off to buy a windows machine since the OSes are essentially equal, but Windows XP has better firewall security, and photo management.
“There is no mention of Windows XPs great download feature, which I spent hours using one day to try and get some pictures off my camera onto my cousins Windows machine”
Obviously you’ve never used XP, since all you do is either (a) plug the cable from the camera into the USB port, and XP automatically detects it and asks you what you want to do (or, it gets added as a drive); or (b) plug the CF/SD/whatever card into a card reader, and then it does the same thing. All in less than 20 seconds.
Unless you spent a day looking for the USB port?
“Price: PCs are cheaper. There’s a cool factor you’re paying for with Macs”
Better OS, iLife included, NO viruses/spyware, seamless integration… yeah those things ARE pretty cool!
uhhhh….
nobody uses macs for serious business.
that’s what OBSCURETY means, people.
running word and office the RIGHT way needs a pc, where you have outlook.
or lotus or apache or directx or ecommerce or all the other things macs dont do very well, just for hobbies not for business.
list me 5 companies that use macs, real companies and i will admit macs are not obscure.
and then i will name you 50 that use windows and love it, THEY are not afraid of viruses.
“There is no mention of Windows XPs great download feature, which I spent hours using one day to try and get some pictures off my camera onto my cousins Windows machine”
Obviously you’ve never used XP, since all you do is either (a) plug the cable from the camera into the USB port, and XP automatically detects it and asks you what you want to do (or, it gets added as a drive); or (b) plug the CF/SD/whatever card into a card reader, and then it does the same thing. All in less than 20 seconds.
Unless you spent a day looking for the USB port?
Nope you’re wrong. We hooked a Canon point and shoot into the machine. The ‘Found new hardware’ cue came up, and had us try to download software. The camera did not mount on the system for easy dragging of the pictures, and the ‘new hardware’ prompt did not find the proper software.
We then went to Canons website, and searched there for software, we downloaded their recommended software from there, and that would not import import the images from the camera.
We then went to Download.com to find some shareware, that also did not work.
Finally, my cousin brought in her iBook, I plugged into that and iPhoto did the rest.
While I will admit that I am not a Windows expert, and perhaps you could have figured it out. But, if it takes another person to figure it out, isn’t that part of the problem?
nobody uses macs for serious business.
I believe the Apple Store does, and they are a pretty big business.
The company I used to work for used all Macs, and they were a larger small business (50+ employees).
My small business runs solely on Macs.
Did you know that there are more Hyundais sold than BMWs? Therefore Hyundais are for serious driving.
Uggy Buggy, it’s quite common for Macs to be in use for twice as long as Windows PCs, so only looking at sales for the past 5 years is not giving you an accurate picture of number of computers used. Also, a large percentage of Windows PCs are used in things like ATMs, kiosks and cash registers, which may not be considered ‘in use’ for purposes of measuring the actual user base of each operating system. Servers are also not considered to be part of the desktop market, but many desktop PCs are used as servers.
Hey 7up:
Here are a few:
Genentech
Applied Biosystems
HP
Apple (Okay, had to throw that in their)
Adobe
Yahoo!
Google
etc, etc, etc.
All of these companies use Apple laptops or desktops, but you should have qualified your statement with “What five companies use Apple products EXCLUSIVELY?”
The answer should be none, at this point, other than design, advertising, marketing agencies. But all Apple users are expecting is that big companies adopt Apple for positions that could benefit from them and don’t rely on any custom built apps based on Microsoft proprietary formats (of which there are better options: PHP for ASP or ASP.NET and MySQL for MSSQL, for example).
Mac users just want to be acknowledged as part of the computing community to the tune of 25% market share. Is that too much to ask?
[The rest will take care of itself]
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If you say that macs run all this software because you can run windows, then you have to admit that macs that run windows are vulnerable to all the viruses that infect that OS.
Is a mac a mac if it’s running windows? If so, then a mac is vulnerable to viruses.
I say that the mac is only a mac when it is running the mac OS. Like the commercial said, the Mac is a Mac and a PC. When it’s a PC is it just a pretty PC.
Ah, leave it up to the South Carolina bigots to reveal their intelligent, evolved necks in this forum, just long enough so I can chop them off! So do they teach bigotry where you are from, Sir? If so, then that’s one thing that South Carolinians have going for them, that you lack. How about cooth and class? Three to zero. How about logical reasoning? Overgeneralization is a favorite tool of bigots. You use it well.
To wrap it up, that kind of assinine journalism is EVERYWHERE. It’s just as bad in New York City as it is in South Carolina. It’s as bad in Maine as it is in Florida. There are probably less than twenty decent newspapers in the entire United States, so don’t go on about how this state produces dreck but this state doesn’t. Quality is rare no matter where you go.
How about almost every movie production studio and animation houses? Most of what you see on a TV or a movie screen is produced by Macs. Jackass.
Sigh,
Similar story here with a friend of mine. His cousin spent all Christmas day 2005 trying to download the pictures off his digital camera to his brand-spankin’ new (OK, 2 weeks old) Dell laptop. After 3-4 hours, he gave up. My friend stepped up to the plate – plugged the camera into his 4 year old Powerbook, downloaded the pictures lickety-split into iPhoto and had a slideshow set to music cooked up 2 minutes later. The quote from his 80+ year old grandmother to his cousin? “You should have bought one of those instead.”
Freakin’ pricless!
Now go crawl back under your Winblows rock.