Mac Lag Like PC?

[chscag]

For personal use there is no going back to microsoft for me, yeah there are some nice looking windows pcs but they will never be as high of quality as Apple or have such a fantastic operating system.

Microsoft does not make computers. Assuming you're talking about the Windows operating system, there certainly have been some duds (ME and Vista come to mind, and perhaps Windows 8) but there have also been some rock solid versions of Windows. (W2K, XP, and Windows 7) Apple certainly has had its share of duds too.

 

[G4 ibookboy]

I played with windows 7 for a little while, it seemed to be ok but os x is just far better.... seems finished. my 2007 macbook wont run 10.8 but lion seems faster than snow leopard with only 2gb of ram, still planning to upgrade the ram but don't seem like i need to be in a hurry to do so.

 

[S.SubZero]

This would mean about 2003 (since it is now about 2013).



As stated in the quote...this would be 2006.



OS 10.0 (Cheetah) was released around 2001.


Being a bit of an amateur "computing historian" of sorts...I just wanted to point out that a lot of dates were mentioned which span quite a number of years.

I think that your main point is Windows computers (from about 2006 on) are more stable...so mentioning Windows PC's being "crashy" from a decade ago (2003) is not consistent with that statement...and mentioned Windows PC's being "unstable" around the same time as Mac OS 10.0 (2001)...is not consistent.

Thus you mentioned Windows PC's being "unstable/crashy" since 2006, 2003, and 2001...so I guess what I'm saying is...pick a year and stick with it!

I think that your post has a lot of great info in it (from both sides of the discussion)...just pick a date/year when you REALLY feel that Windows PC's have been more stable (less crashy)...it can't be all three (2006, 2003, and 2001).

- Nick

The timeframe of 1996-2005 got fuzzy because MS was (a)still doing Win9x for part of that time (which was before the big stability/security push), (b)still trying to turn the NT kernel OS's into something sellable to a home user, and (c)still trying to get that whole security thing, even after the stability thing (see: XP pre-SP2).

In that period, one cannot say "Everything MS made was stable and secure." Because it wasn't so. Around '99 was when internally they started retooling for stability (Win2K was proof of that).

I was trying to say "switching to Mac just because of perceptions of Windows may be a large expense in money and time that is not necessarily warranted."

 

[G4 ibookboy]

windows xp was fair but still a real pain after using it for a few months, vista really sucked windows 7 seemed ok for the short time i played with it and windows 8 may be a total disaster. os x has been rock stable for me since i switched to mac with os x 10.3.9.... never plan on going back to windows crap

 

[MacInWin]

For what it's worth, I move from Windows to an iMac because my old PC had gotten progressively slower and slower, but when I replaced it with a brand new quad processor, top-of-the-line machine, it was no faster. What I realized was that while Windows XP Pro itself was pretty good as an operating system, the security issues that forced me to install antivirus software slowed the machine to a crawl. I was in a Microcenter store and saw in the lonely Apple section in the back this gorgeous iMac running Windows and was totally sold. I bought it that day, sold the brand new PC and have never looked back. I rarely run WIndows now (one app that I use about once a month that has no Mac equivalent) but when I do, it runs just fine.

 

[G4 ibookboy]

a Mac will always out perform a windows machine any day... Mac is just far superior to windows.

 

[vansmith]

That's not a universal truth - no platform will "always outperform" another. Windows is better at floating point operations and deconvolution for instance. Not that those measures matter to most people but it is a fact.

 

[dotdotdot]

Macs are not freeze or crash proof. I've had several instances of non responses in which case I had to pull the plug from the wall to resolve the issue. Fewer times than with Windows, though. However, I can't count the number of times I've had to do a reformat with Windows; I don't see this Mac ever failing to that level.

Now having said all that, I am forever playing "IT guy" on my mother's Win7 and that thing is a complete POS, slow and virtually unusable compared with my iMac so I am not complaining.

 

[Adric]

That's not a universal truth - no platform will "always outperform" another. Windows is better at floating point operations and deconvolution for instance. Not that those measures matter to most people but it is a fact.

This is why most 3D content creation (3D texturing / modeling / dynamic simulations / lighting / etc) is done on PC's. Both Maya and 3DS Max usually run better on Windows.

That and high end 3D graphics can require some massive workstation setups that you just can't get with a Mac. Not even the Mac Pro.

 

[chas_m]

I think what G4 ibookboy was trying to say is that a Mac will outperform a Windows machine in most important ways because the OS is more efficient* and logical and gets out of your way better.

*just to head off vansmith at the pass -- -- assuming an approximately equal amount of skill on the part of the operator, and general use rather than specific niche uses.

 

[vansmith]

You can't preempt my retorts. That's no fun.

Although I agree with you for what we generally use machines for, it's certainly not a universal truth. For many, Windows is more logical. Again, it all comes down to what you want to use a machine for. Take for example .NET development. Sure, I could use a Mac but really, that would be a terrible decision. Now, if I wanted to do some iOS development, I'd be much better off using a Mac since the cross-platform options are not nearly as nice or comprehensive as the tools that Apple makes available.

 

[chas_m]

There are indeed several areas where a Windows PC is both the best and least expensive choice, I completely agree.

 

[vansmith]

It's no fun if you agree. Can I disagree with your agreement?

 

[SmacMac]

My HP laptop with Vista, upgraded to Windows 7, is running faster than my Macbook Pro, with Snow Leopard, tried Lion, went back to SL. Mac is not all its cracked up to be, still vulnerable to malware, hacks, privacy problems. Last 2 upgrades of Lion/Mountain Lion I've read many problems with them. Apple is no better than MS WIndows -in fixing their problems, they are more into denying they exist. With each new upgrade in either platform, they are still beta form, which means the consumer must find the issues, then they get around to fixing them if enough people scream about it. That's the options after 10 years of using both systems. Get a good virus program, back up and pray on both types.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

My Mac laptop with Lion, upgraded to Mountain Lion, is running faster than my HP laptop, with Windows Vista, tried Windows 7, went back to ML. Windows is not all its cracked up to be, still vulnerable to malware, hacks, privacy problems. Last 2 upgrades of Windows Vista/7 I've read many problems with them. Microsoft is no better than Apple -in fixing their problems, they are more into denying they exist. With each new upgrade in either platform, they are still beta form, which means the consumer must find the issues, then they get around to fixing them if enough people scream about it. That's the options after 10 years of using both systems. Get a good virus program, back up and pray on both types.

There, Fixed That For You. Seriously, you are completely talking nonsense here with your generalizations and "stuff you've read about". I've been using OS X since 10.2 Jaguar and Windows since 3.1. Everything you say can be completely inverted and re-applied. Right now, I'm running Mountain Lion on a mid-2010 iMac and it's bug-free, fast, and easily the most refined version of OS X to date. That really can be said for all versions in comparison to their predecessors, but Mountain Lion is pretty well refined, having ironed out some rough edges and quirky ideas implemented in Lion. I said similar things about Snow Leopard... it was Leopard, but a much more refined and higher-performing version. In comparison, I think Windows 7 is a clunky mess.

 

[pigoo3]

Mac is not all its cracked up to be, still vulnerable to malware, hacks, privacy problems.

Get a good virus program, back up and pray on both types.

Short answer...not true! Windows computers have wayyyyyy more real issues.

- Nick

p.s. I agree...backing up is always a "good thing"!

 

[vansmith]

Mac is not all its cracked up to be, still vulnerable to malware, hacks, privacy problems.

So is every operating system on the planet including OpenBSD (the king of security).

Last 2 upgrades of Lion/Mountain Lion I've read many problems with them.

Have you tried either of these or just read about them?

Apple is no better than MS WIndows -in fixing their problems, they are more into denying they exist.

Because MS never has to deny anything.

With each new upgrade in either platform, they are still beta form, which means the consumer must find the issues, then they get around to fixing them if enough people scream about it.

How do you figure this? The previews of OS X serve this purpose with the final release being as bug free as any other piece of software (not perfect but as good as anyone knows).

Listen, your name implies that you're here to troll. If you want to play that game, I'd be happy to play it. If not, please offer up constructive and well balanced critique.

 

[mdurkin]

Hi.

Quicky question... do Macs lag (and freeze, and hang, and crash, and etc.) as much as PCs tend to? I'm asking 'cause I have a laptop (PC, obviously) and though it's only a few moths old, it's already having lagging problems. I know this question may be too generalized, but I'd like to know. Since Macs cost much more than PCs, I want to make a good investment. (When I can save up enough.)

Let's say we're judging PCs and Macs between 2006 and 2013 for better comparison. If you have experience that way.

I'm fairly new to Mac (in terms of owning, but not new to using), but in my experience it depends on the hardware that you are using on either PC or Mac. I have a massively powered Macbook pro, which has locked up on me more times in the last week than the most recent PC's I have used have in months. But, I think that is a problem with a software package (Neat Scanner software).

The overall performance of the Macbook is very good. But, I think if you have a PC with the same hardware specs, you will have equally good performance. I also have a Linux Laptop (Ubuntu) that is very close in hardware to the Macbook pro I have. It is also very high performing. I don't personally own a PC that is comparably equipped, so they are not nearly as fast. I do however work in IT professionally, so I often use PC's (servers mostly) that are very well equipped and perform extremely well.

Bottom line, it depends on the applications and the hardware. I wouldn't say that you will have less problems with Linux, Mac or a PC. It just depends.

 

[mdurkin]

a Mac will always out perform a windows machine any day... Mac is just far superior to windows.

Definitely not true. Depends on a variety of factors including hardware, software and user.

 

[mdurkin]

Completely understandable. And it is possible to get a well-made PC off-the-shelf. Most consumer-level PCs are junk, made with the cheapest parts possible for maximum sales. The better ones are pricier, but less problematic. You'd have to do your own research to see whose PCs are well-reviewed by respectable tech-savvy sites like Anandtech and Tom's Hardware. Or just get a Mac. You can even just get a Mac and run Windows in Boot Camp. You really can't go wrong here.

Absolutely agree!

My wife bought a Macbook Pro at the same time I did, beautiful machines. She made the comment that it was much faster and seemed better than her Acer laptop. I told her what you are saying here. We paid 400.00 for the Acer (including taxes) and over 2000.00 for the Macbook, it ought to perform better. If you spent that much on a PC, it would be totally rocking.

But, that said, that is also where Mac excels. Because they control the hardware, they can ensure a quality product. You have to pay substantially more for most Mac products, but you are assured of a quality piece of hardware.

You can do the same with PC, but not by shopping for the best price at Best Buy or Walmart.