“With Windows 7 coming up, it’s time to yet again ponder on whether Microsoft has the upper hand in operating systems,” Dan Warne writes for APC Magazine. “Here’s 15 reasons it doesn’t.”
Warne’s 15 reasons Macs are still better than Windows:
1. Reliable sleep mode
2. Extremely fast boot times
3. Apple uses good quality parts
4. Less blinking lights
5. Mac OS X + Windows is better than just Windows
6. Easier to troubleshoot Macs
7. A culture of good quality community software
8. More useful apps out of the box
9. Neat and contained system settings
10. Apple doesn’t load the system up with crap
11. Tons of small reasons make Mac OS X better
12. Still no need for additional security software
13. Apple seems largely to be lameness free
14. Power of the Linux command line with Photoshop CS4
15. File sharing is much easier
Warne writes, “Macs just let you get stuff done, whereas Windows computers constantly find ways of annoying you.”
Full article here.
Cool. Yep, I agree. Pity he didn’t mention that a PC will get groans, but a Mac will get “Hey, cool. I have one of those too!”
Sorry, just to clarify I agree with the article.
They forgot to mention that Windows is a turd.
@Reality Check
“- I’ve never had problems with Sleep in Windows since the mid 90’s”
You must be the only one.
I’ve been maintaining Windows networks for well over 12 years and this is still a problem on various desktops and laptops no matter how clean the Windows installation.
I have yet to say the same about any Mac OS X machine I have maintained.
MDN Magic Word = “have”. As in Windows would love to have what Mac OS X has in droves. Reliability.
Just to add to Reality Check:
5. Mac OS X + Windows is better than just Windows
– But also costs more!
7. A culture of good quality community software
– But there’s far more softare for Windows.
8. More useful apps out of the box
– Obviously referring to iLife, and out of the box this is true. But Microsoft’s quick download Windows Live products close this one up.
10. Apple doesn’t load the system up with crap
– And in many cases, neither do PC manufacturers, anymore.
And the last 3 are just ridiculous.
I also have experienced a myriad of sleep related issue in Windows laptops. I admit, I haven’t tried Vista yet, but it sure has been an issue with 2000 and XP on Dell and Toshiba laptops.
Realty Check makes some good points, and some dumb ones. One mistake he made was assuming the article was about OS X vs. Windows, and it’s note.. it’s about Apple Macs (the hardware + software) vs Windows PC (the hardware + software).
I agree that some of those 15 reasons can be replaced with better ones. There’s still way more advantages of Macs over Windows PCs.
@Reality Check
1. Reliable sleep mode
– I’ve never had problems with Sleep in Windows since the mid 90’s
WOOOOWW1 you must live in some kind of reverse parallel universe. Because in our 156 nodes network, all the windows machines has problems with sleep mode since EVER!!!.
I believe you concept of “Working” differs a little bit of the actually meaning of the word “Working”.
Let me give you an example, for Mac users, the Sleep functionality is “WORKING” because if you put your mac to sleep, or if it sleeps by it self, you just move the mouse or press any key and it wakes up in no time fully operative. That is a definition of a feature that actually WORKS or is WORKING in Macs.
In PC, if the computer falls to sleep, If you get it to respond to the mouse or the keyboard, you have to wait a few minutes (it is better to have it turn off and then turn it on than put it to sleep). Once it “Wakes up”, some parts of the screen does not refresh, and some applications are marked as “in use” even if they are close, and that os when the computer does not hangs during sleep mode.
Even that I am a Wintel Engineer, I prefer to use Mac and I use it at home because IT JUST WORKS!!!.
What is this moron talking about??? The race isn’t even close at this point. Apple is pulling away. What is this crap about “still better”? Macs have always been better than Windows pc’s. It’s just that—in a stupid, brainwashed society—Macs had to be miles ahead before most pc users started to get the message. But the genie is out of the bottle. Microsoft is toast and, if the Windows peanut gallery were capable of being honest with themselves, they’d know it.
Poor choice of comparison. Mac refers to the hardware and Windows refers to software. This makes his blaming of hardware issues on Microsoft a mute point. Don’t get me wrong. I still give Microsoft their dues of making the worst operating system I’ve used to date.
To Rality Check:
Im sure youve never had any problem with sleep in windows, the problem comes when you want to wake it up!
Bottom Line
Macs are just SNAPPY !
Wow…that list was pretty lame. Reality Check’s counter was pretty good.
Anyone that has persistent sleep issues under Windows and still calls themselves a Windows administrator should be fired; if you don’t know how to set AHCI parameters, don’t call yourself a professional.
If these are the best reasons (most of them false) to persuade me to switch from a PC to a Mac, then forget it. Some of these comparisons might just about work if you were talking about XP running on an absolute budget piece of kit full of manufacturer’s crapware, but put Vista on a computer costing the same as an iMac and there’s only one choice for anybody not in thrall of the Apple b.s.
Yeah … Reality Check‘s counter was, for the most part, better than the lame article. Still … not quite right.
Point 3, for example. Apple may be “a PC” these days, but they do a better job of making sure the parts they get are properly specked and working when they ship. MS is not in the hardware business, but those who build “PCs” scrabble hard to keep costs low – even if it means not being “too fussy”.
Point 7, is debatable. There is more decent-quality software for Windows than for OSX. However, having a choice of good Word Processors is of questionable value. The fact that there is more absolute CRAP for Windows than all the software for OSX plus all the GOOD software for Windows, that’s something I can do without. Most games that start out on Windows are of questionable quality, the best of these generally get to OSX … eventually. The latest expansion for WoW was released for both platforms just yesterday.
Point 9, the article got right. Not that most of the more commonly used Windows settings are hard to locate, but many of the less common ones are well hidden.
Point 10 … how to say this … “really?”. Most Macs come with iLife installed. This is a Good Thing for most of us and most of us would be willing to buy our copies and install them ourselves were this not the case. Two of the three people I helped switch are not interested. OK, one let’s her boyfriend noodle with GB on occasion – he uses Logic on his own system.
The one Mac-related problem I’ve had was when I was wearing my “Mac Rocks” cap, recently, and was told I was brave for wearing it the day after the election. “Huh?” It’s time to store it over the winter in any case.
“Linux command line” What??
Mac OS X is *not* Linux; It’s for the most part BSD code with GNU and GNU-licensed stuff here and there. It pisses my off when people see a shell and assume it’s Linux.
There’s a recent thread on http://www.AppleInsider.com called Reasons to Buy a Mac, at: http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=92663
Poster Nobody Special offered these:
1. There are zero viruses on the Mac
2. Comes pre-installed with industry-leading applications like iPhoto, iMovie and Time Machine for automated backups.
3. If necessary, it’s possible to run Windows on a Mac
4. Apple Stores offer free technical support
5. Macs have the highest customer satisfaction ratings and are more reliable
6. Macs are widely considered easier to use—not just from a user interface point of view, but also when it comes to common tasks like networking
7. It’s easier to instal and uninstall applications
Poster Trevowski said:
8. Most macs, (from an everyday user perspective),have a much longer life over PC’s.
A PC machine must be updated every 2-3 years, macs 4-6 years.
9. MUUUUCH less upkeep, and a smoother OS
I continued the list with these (the last few are minor, obviously):
10. Higher resale value.
11. A more attractive upgrade path (to 64-bit Snow Leopard + Nvidia etc.).
12. Access to Unix under the hood.
13. Lower power consumption (on the Mini).
14. Quieter (often).
15. Trending “greener” (New MacBricks got a top environmental rating).
16. Company is the most financially secure (it’s hiring, not firing or hire-freezing).
17. Sturdier (the MacBrick laptops, that is).
18. Better looking.
How is it Reality Check manages to thoughtfully write that much and be the first poster?
Actually I’d complain about the sleep issues on the Mac. Honestly can’t compare them to windows laptops, since I never had any of those, but waking from sleep is one of the issues I’m unhappy about with my MacBook. It’s probably related to usb devices and external monitor, but that isn’t an excuse in my eyes.
Also used to have issues with computer refusing to shutdown. I’m hoping Snow Leopard will improve these general reliability issues.
#2 is mostly irrelevant because of #1.
#4 is just plain irrelevant.
It would appear that Jordan & Reality Check have a problem with understanding the article based on their replies. ” Good quality community software ” means LESS CRAP. Who wants more software if it’s crap ? Answer this documented fact : Why does it take fewer techs to support an equally numbered base of Macs vs PCs ? Also, everyone on the planet knows that Vista is simply an over bloated piece of software. Roger Knights makes some very valid and important points in his reply.
@Reality Check:
“1. Reliable sleep mode
– I’ve never had problems with Sleep in Windows since the mid 90’s”
Good for you. I never got it to work reliably and purposefully (for, say, noticeable longer battery life) on any Windows laptop I had.
“3. Apple uses good quality parts
– Apples are PC’s these days. The components are identical. The difference is the case design and other “features” like back-lit keyboards, but part quality is the same. Hell, Apple uses the same Taiwan factory as Dell.”
As others have said, Apple spends more on selecting the good bins on parts, and gets extra runs and slightly modified parts to fit on their custom made motherboards from the parts manufacturers. (Just look up and learn about the “Santa Rosa” MacBooks, that do not really feature Intel’s Santa Rosa chipset — but a modified, higher integrated, custom made for Apple chipset based on it.)
“4. Less blinking lights
– So what?”
Nearly none of the extra lights and buttons on all the Windows laptops I had in the past was ever useful for me (the only exception being the WiFi light, and that could have been removed if Windows had used a proper notification section on its toolbar, used properly by the driver programmers).
Now, I work in science and engineering and have to build prototypes for my science. I know that any extra light and button needs extra engineering, mounts, cables, and costs to implement. If I have a laptop where R&D;has spent all these extra expenses for things that fulfill no purpose (for me), but is still cheaper than a MacBook, I wonder where they have saved the extra money — i.e., the important parts need to be ‘junkier’. To pay for lights??
Careful… a few problems with your post:
8. More useful apps out of the box
– Very subjective statement. Out of which box? There’s some fine Windows software out there – and also a load of dross.
The computer’s box… as in, brand new machine.
10. Apple doesn’t load the system up with crap
– Neither does Microsoft. That’s a problem with 3rd party OEM’s. I agree this is annoying, but it’s not a Windows issue.
Comparison is with a PC, not Widows itself.
Ignoring the trolls who have infected this thread:
This list is actually a bit lame.
It wimps out on the fact that Macs can be an order of magnitude easier and less expensive to support. (aka 10x less).
It completely neglects the fact that every professional study ever done comparing Mac versus Windows PC prices has established that Mac computers have been and continue to be cheaper than comparably outfitted Windows PC machines. These reports never make the lame-brain mistake of looking only at a computer’s shelf price. Instead they take into account ALL cost factors, including those the occur after paying the shelf price. Specifically the full price of a computer includes:
1) Shelf Price
2) Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) – What you have to pay to get the computer running and keep it running so it does what you require.
3) Return On Investment (ROI) – What financial benefit you derive from the computer over the lifetime of the computer.
It is consistently amazing how Windows PC buyers think only of the cost of the box at the shop without considering its hardware and operating system quality and how that quality will impact their lives financially.
@Reality Check:
“1. Reliable sleep mode
– I’ve never had problems with Sleep in Windows since the mid 90’s”
Lucky you, my ThinkPad has serious sleeping issues and there’s no rhyme or reason.