- Joined
- Nov 6, 2007
- Messages
- 30
- Reaction score
- 2
- Points
- 8
- Location
- Cincinnati, OH
- Your Mac's Specs
- PowerBook G4 - 768 SDRAM - 667 MHz - 15" - Keeping it REAL..... real old that is...
Why Apple is more popular, yet less successful than Microsoft…
Lets face it; Bill Gates just can’t stand Steve Jobs. And Steve Jobs despises Bill Gates. And Steve Ballmer Just hates everyone (Apple, Linux, Open Source developers, Puppies and everyone in your family and mine).
This long-standing feud between Apple and Microsoft has done nothing but…. Well…. Benefit us, the consumer.
1 “COOLNESS” – Is this cliché? Come on, Apple wins hands down. Trying to compare an Apple Computer to something like a Dell or HP is like pitting the drummer from Def Leppard in a one on one basketball match with Lebron James. Lets be fair though, it is not Microsoft’s fault that most of the hardware that supports it looks like it was built by some color blind man with two left hands. Something everyone fails to realize is that Microsoft is not in the hardware business. When I hear the argument that Apple runs better, has fewer crashes and runs faster, I cant help but point out the fact that OS X was built to run on their hardware, so I would hope it runs extremely well. Perhaps if Microsoft built its own computers, Windows would work a little better. So if Apple looks so much cooler, than why does Microsoft outsell them Simple…price. Microeconomics is a funny thing. We see this clearly with Apple and Microsoft. As Apple Prices go up, their demand also rises, but sales fall, while regular PC prices go down, their demand goes down but sales go up. It is also seen as a substitute affect. For most non-tech home users, they could care less if they have Windows or OS X, just as long as it works and gets them on the Internet. We see this with Pepsi and Coke. For most people, you probably have a preference, but if one is on sale, you will probably buy the one on sale, even if it is Coke, and you normally drink Pepsi.
2 “EVIL EMPIRE VS. THINK DIFFERENT” – Marketing is so important to people nowadays. Is Microsoft really being used by stuck up businessmen who listen to Seals and Croft in their Towne Cars? Are Apple users really tree hugging hippies who carry their laptops around in hemp bags while sporting a button from seven years ago that says “Vote Nader”? Yes on both accounts. I get this information from Apple and Microsoft commercials… and of course Starbucks.
3 “PRODUCTIVITY VS. FUN” – I love the commercials where they talk about the hours of fun you can have with a Mac. Let me explain something to you, you are only allotted one hour of fun a day with iLife, I think it is in the iLife Help topic guide. Any time you spend on it exceeding an hour is pure boredom… is anyone in the mood for Halo 3? Lets not forget about the all-boring Microsoft, with its countless games and such. Don’t get me wrong, Mac has some great games too, good luck finding them though.
4 “SOFTWARE” – Try this little test sometime, go to a Wal-Mart, Staples or Office Depot and ask a cashier or store walker to point out the Mac section. Once they get passed the confusing question you just asked, you may be presented with these options… 1) “Sorry, we don’t really carry any Mac products.” Or 2) you will be taken to the section where Adobe cross-platform products are sold. Take your pick, Photoshop or Illustrator. Mac’s have a ton of great software, but you might as well plan a trip to an Apple Store, or just buying them online.
5 “HARDWARE AND UPGRADING” – I don’t know how many time I have heard the statement “I wish I could build my own Mac.” People have this strange misconception that if Apple would allow users the ability to build their own systems, then they would make more money. Apple would lose a ton of money by doing this. If all of a sudden Apple were dependent on making their money solely on just their software, they would fold within a year. And lets face it Apple designs beautiful computers. They know how nice they are and how popular they are. Think about how the new iMac’s look. Would you rather be using OS X on that, or would you rather use it on some beige 15” monitor with a black keyboard and a wireless mouse hooked up to your old Gateway box? OS X would lose some of its luster then. People tend to forget that you can upgrade certain things on Macs. You can upgrade processors and hard drives and memory, just look into it, it’s not that hard.
6 “ACCESSORIES” – Come on, iPod Vs. Zune? Are you serious? Now give credit to Microsoft for coming out with a portable media player to try and compete with Apple… but then take that credit right back by making it only compatible with XP. While not everyone has moved to Vista yet, a lot of people don’t have a choice, especially when buying a new computer. So instead of releasing a patch or compatibility updates, when you use the Zune with Vista, the computer must be restarted so that it can boot into an XP like clone of Vista in order to run it. Now bear in mind it has been a while since they released the Zune, so they may have fixed this issue, and knowing Microsoft, it was quick and prompt…
7 “BUSINESS USE” – Who out there has ever taken a Microsoft Server or Active Directory class, or who out there is a System Administrator? Lets go through an average day for you. Set up new users… set up new groups… change network policies… take break… come back and modify DNS server settings… change account permissions… ready to shoot yourself in the head? Of course you are. Now lets go through a day of someone running a OS X server… well, I cant really ad to that, I don’t know anyone using it! Unless you are a high school, college or run a head shop, you probably don’t use OS X server. Does OS X server even have active directory? I couldn’t imagine all of that junk on a Mac.
8 “SECURITY” – Macs don’t get viruses. Now don’t get me wrong, I didn’t say they CANT get viruses, they just usually don’t. The same principle applies to Linux. Lets look at it like this, if security on operating systems looked like sporting goods, than Microsoft’s would look like a tennis racquet. Why is it that Microsoft claims to not be worried about Apple or Linux, but every OS replacement claims to be even more secure than the last, just as secure and reliable as Linux and just as fun as Apple? Here is an idea; I would be willing to give up my Tiger/Leopard look alike in Vista for some security that didn’t need 100 critical updates every month.
9 “FORCED DEPENDABILITY” – This is by far my favorite discussion. Running Windows 2000? Well, if you want to keep up to date and want support for your $200 OS, you have to buy XP for $300. (Jump forward to 2007) so, how is XP treating you? That’s good, oh by the way, Vista comes out soon and… what’s that? You are happy with XP. That’s great, but you do know our policy on dependency right? There are some nasty viruses coming out, and after a year or so after Vista is released we are no longer going to help you with XP. We understand that all of your computers are running on XP, but that’s not our problem, that’s yours. Thank you for purchasing your 500 copies of our various versions of Vista, oh and by the way, none of your printers are compatible with Vista, have a good day. Isn’t it amazing that even though we are dependent on Microsoft in some way shape or form? Businesses don’t use Mac’s only because they are not familiar with them. And it would cost a lot of money to switch every computer in a business to OS X and then train every single person on how to use them.
I am going to be the first to admit that this simple thread I made was supposed to be about why Apple is great but it wont gain Microsoft status, but it somehow turned into a Microsoft bashing rant fueled by a lack of sleep, and it’s not like Microsoft is watching our every move… wait… new updates on the old Vista machine next to me… what the heck is WGA? J
Lets face it; Bill Gates just can’t stand Steve Jobs. And Steve Jobs despises Bill Gates. And Steve Ballmer Just hates everyone (Apple, Linux, Open Source developers, Puppies and everyone in your family and mine).
This long-standing feud between Apple and Microsoft has done nothing but…. Well…. Benefit us, the consumer.
1 “COOLNESS” – Is this cliché? Come on, Apple wins hands down. Trying to compare an Apple Computer to something like a Dell or HP is like pitting the drummer from Def Leppard in a one on one basketball match with Lebron James. Lets be fair though, it is not Microsoft’s fault that most of the hardware that supports it looks like it was built by some color blind man with two left hands. Something everyone fails to realize is that Microsoft is not in the hardware business. When I hear the argument that Apple runs better, has fewer crashes and runs faster, I cant help but point out the fact that OS X was built to run on their hardware, so I would hope it runs extremely well. Perhaps if Microsoft built its own computers, Windows would work a little better. So if Apple looks so much cooler, than why does Microsoft outsell them Simple…price. Microeconomics is a funny thing. We see this clearly with Apple and Microsoft. As Apple Prices go up, their demand also rises, but sales fall, while regular PC prices go down, their demand goes down but sales go up. It is also seen as a substitute affect. For most non-tech home users, they could care less if they have Windows or OS X, just as long as it works and gets them on the Internet. We see this with Pepsi and Coke. For most people, you probably have a preference, but if one is on sale, you will probably buy the one on sale, even if it is Coke, and you normally drink Pepsi.
2 “EVIL EMPIRE VS. THINK DIFFERENT” – Marketing is so important to people nowadays. Is Microsoft really being used by stuck up businessmen who listen to Seals and Croft in their Towne Cars? Are Apple users really tree hugging hippies who carry their laptops around in hemp bags while sporting a button from seven years ago that says “Vote Nader”? Yes on both accounts. I get this information from Apple and Microsoft commercials… and of course Starbucks.
3 “PRODUCTIVITY VS. FUN” – I love the commercials where they talk about the hours of fun you can have with a Mac. Let me explain something to you, you are only allotted one hour of fun a day with iLife, I think it is in the iLife Help topic guide. Any time you spend on it exceeding an hour is pure boredom… is anyone in the mood for Halo 3? Lets not forget about the all-boring Microsoft, with its countless games and such. Don’t get me wrong, Mac has some great games too, good luck finding them though.
4 “SOFTWARE” – Try this little test sometime, go to a Wal-Mart, Staples or Office Depot and ask a cashier or store walker to point out the Mac section. Once they get passed the confusing question you just asked, you may be presented with these options… 1) “Sorry, we don’t really carry any Mac products.” Or 2) you will be taken to the section where Adobe cross-platform products are sold. Take your pick, Photoshop or Illustrator. Mac’s have a ton of great software, but you might as well plan a trip to an Apple Store, or just buying them online.
5 “HARDWARE AND UPGRADING” – I don’t know how many time I have heard the statement “I wish I could build my own Mac.” People have this strange misconception that if Apple would allow users the ability to build their own systems, then they would make more money. Apple would lose a ton of money by doing this. If all of a sudden Apple were dependent on making their money solely on just their software, they would fold within a year. And lets face it Apple designs beautiful computers. They know how nice they are and how popular they are. Think about how the new iMac’s look. Would you rather be using OS X on that, or would you rather use it on some beige 15” monitor with a black keyboard and a wireless mouse hooked up to your old Gateway box? OS X would lose some of its luster then. People tend to forget that you can upgrade certain things on Macs. You can upgrade processors and hard drives and memory, just look into it, it’s not that hard.
6 “ACCESSORIES” – Come on, iPod Vs. Zune? Are you serious? Now give credit to Microsoft for coming out with a portable media player to try and compete with Apple… but then take that credit right back by making it only compatible with XP. While not everyone has moved to Vista yet, a lot of people don’t have a choice, especially when buying a new computer. So instead of releasing a patch or compatibility updates, when you use the Zune with Vista, the computer must be restarted so that it can boot into an XP like clone of Vista in order to run it. Now bear in mind it has been a while since they released the Zune, so they may have fixed this issue, and knowing Microsoft, it was quick and prompt…
7 “BUSINESS USE” – Who out there has ever taken a Microsoft Server or Active Directory class, or who out there is a System Administrator? Lets go through an average day for you. Set up new users… set up new groups… change network policies… take break… come back and modify DNS server settings… change account permissions… ready to shoot yourself in the head? Of course you are. Now lets go through a day of someone running a OS X server… well, I cant really ad to that, I don’t know anyone using it! Unless you are a high school, college or run a head shop, you probably don’t use OS X server. Does OS X server even have active directory? I couldn’t imagine all of that junk on a Mac.
8 “SECURITY” – Macs don’t get viruses. Now don’t get me wrong, I didn’t say they CANT get viruses, they just usually don’t. The same principle applies to Linux. Lets look at it like this, if security on operating systems looked like sporting goods, than Microsoft’s would look like a tennis racquet. Why is it that Microsoft claims to not be worried about Apple or Linux, but every OS replacement claims to be even more secure than the last, just as secure and reliable as Linux and just as fun as Apple? Here is an idea; I would be willing to give up my Tiger/Leopard look alike in Vista for some security that didn’t need 100 critical updates every month.
9 “FORCED DEPENDABILITY” – This is by far my favorite discussion. Running Windows 2000? Well, if you want to keep up to date and want support for your $200 OS, you have to buy XP for $300. (Jump forward to 2007) so, how is XP treating you? That’s good, oh by the way, Vista comes out soon and… what’s that? You are happy with XP. That’s great, but you do know our policy on dependency right? There are some nasty viruses coming out, and after a year or so after Vista is released we are no longer going to help you with XP. We understand that all of your computers are running on XP, but that’s not our problem, that’s yours. Thank you for purchasing your 500 copies of our various versions of Vista, oh and by the way, none of your printers are compatible with Vista, have a good day. Isn’t it amazing that even though we are dependent on Microsoft in some way shape or form? Businesses don’t use Mac’s only because they are not familiar with them. And it would cost a lot of money to switch every computer in a business to OS X and then train every single person on how to use them.
I am going to be the first to admit that this simple thread I made was supposed to be about why Apple is great but it wont gain Microsoft status, but it somehow turned into a Microsoft bashing rant fueled by a lack of sleep, and it’s not like Microsoft is watching our every move… wait… new updates on the old Vista machine next to me… what the heck is WGA? J
![:\](/mac_images/images/smilies/Undecided.png "Undecided :\")
