What makes it better?

mknabster · May 30, 2007

What makes a Mac better than a PC based computer? I'm doing price checks on other notebooks, since price is an issue. Now the Macbook pro that i customized turns out to be $2300, and i go to Dell or HP and it's below $2000. So what do you all think?

Edit: i actually compared prices with Dell and HP, and i put the same things as would go into the MAC, and they turned out to be $2815, and $3163 respectively. Why would Mac be less in this case?

James · May 30, 2007

I think that if price is your only requirement you had better go to dell and get you a pc and forget about a Mac.

jonnyd · May 30, 2007

There's no good answer to that, at least not one that won't turn into a 5 page debate.

Macs are well built, well supported, probably most importantly OSX is very secure without needing to handcuff the user. They'll also run Windows if you want them to.

PCs are more common, so it's possibly easier to get support for them. More people use Windows. It's simpler to attach a PC notebook to a Windows network than a Mac - you can do it, but there are more hoops to go through, and if there's a proxy server / firewall it can get a little beyond a casual users comfort level.

It's worth spending an hour reading through the switchers forum, there's lots of info there, but bear in mind you're on a Mac forum so you'll see a natural bias toward Macs.

D3v1L80Y · May 30, 2007

mknabster said:
What makes a Mac better than a PC based computer?

A Mac is a Personal Computer based computer.

(sorry, personal pet peeve. PC does not necessarily equate to only Windows, regardless of what the media and advertisers say and print)

If you're asking if Mac OS is better than Windows, it isn't. And Windows isn't better than Mac OS.

It simply comes down to which one you prefer and are most comfortable with.

Alexis · May 30, 2007

No viruses
No spyware
You may think the operating system looks clearer and more attractive
Simpler to use
Quicker startup time
Easier to launch programs
Better font management
Genuinely useful features like Expose (ways of laying out windows at the touch of a mouse button)
No nannying
Cleaner web browser
Better use of the space in widescreen monitors
Easier control panel to navigate
Widgets

etc etc.

core20 · May 30, 2007

does depend on personal preference. One OS may be better in the business field than the other, but as far as ease of use, it depends really on what you learn on first, because if you start with one over another it will be a pain to switch. I have used both and think MAC OS is much better because of the ease of use and the user flow with the unix based concepts.. TIGER is incredible, but it depends. ALso the MBP will do everything the Dell and HP will, except the mac won't break down nearly as much or at all in many cases, though not all ! and is lighter and thinner than both..

-MAC is beautiful

Nicholi · May 30, 2007

Can't believe no one has said iLife yet.

iLife is a huge reason i'm looking Mac when the MacBook Pro's get updated. Really really good software is hard to come by. Really good software that works with other really good software seamlessly is stuff of dreams.

Hellerphant · May 30, 2007

Amen to that, I switched yesterday and I love my new mac, and iLife is an awesome set of features, don't know if I'll lash out to buy a dot mac account yet ($129 here in Aus) but I will definately consider it

KoDorSean · May 31, 2007

mknabster said:
What makes a Mac better than a PC based computer? I'm doing price checks on other notebooks, since price is an issue. Now the Macbook pro that i customized turns out to be $2300, and i go to Dell or HP and it's below $2000. So what do you all think?

Edit: i actually compared prices with Dell and HP, and i put the same things as would go into the MAC, and they turned out to be $2815, and $3163 respectively. Why would Mac be less in this case?

Mac's are not better than PC's, they are just different. Its like trying to say a Honda is better than a Toyota.

Village Idiot · May 31, 2007

Nicholi said:
Can't believe no one has said iLife yet.

iLife is a huge reason i'm looking Mac when the MacBook Pro's get updated. Really really good software is hard to come by. Really good software that works with other really good software seamlessly is stuff of dreams.

Software (iWeb) that forces you to use really crappy software (iPhoto) sucks.

Alexis · May 31, 2007

Its like trying to say a Honda is better than a Toyota

But Toyotas are boring and Hondas are better actually!! LOL

Willem · May 31, 2007

Software (iWeb) that forces you to use really crappy software (iPhoto) sucks.

iWeb forces you to use iPhoto? Not on my Mac.

Gazmaz · Jun 2, 2007

Alexis said:
No viruses
No spyware
You may think the operating system looks clearer and more attractive
Simpler to use
Quicker startup time
Easier to launch programs
Better font management
Genuinely useful features like Expose (ways of laying out windows at the touch of a mouse button)
No nannying
Cleaner web browser
Better use of the space in widescreen monitors
Easier control panel to navigate
Widgets

etc etc.

Can I have this clarified NO SPYWARE, I assume that means NO SPYWARE if you use Safari surely if you use Firefox you could pick up Spyware, or does the fact that your using OSX mean that they are useless?
Sorry I still haven't got a MAC yet and these sorts of Q's are natural Windows users nightmares.
I have just come back from holiday and spent FAR TOO long updating virus definitions running spyware and the rest what a time saver if I don't have to think about that!

D3v1L80Y · Jun 2, 2007

Gazmaz said:
Can I have this clarified NO SPYWARE, I assume that means NO SPYWARE if you use Safari surely if you use Firefox you could pick up Spyware, or does the fact that your using OSX mean that they are useless?

(and that is only 8 out of over 500 threads that deal with the fact that currently, there is simply no spyware for Mac OS X)

Gazmaz · Jun 2, 2007

Alexis on this thread gave me the answer I was looking for
Thanks

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56820&highlight=spyware