Os x

I know this is a Windows 7 forum, and so the vast majority of people here have a PC preference. But I'm wondering, who has used OS X for a significant amount of time (as their main OS, not just at some library kiosk) and why they decided that PCs were superior? I know this is the eternal debate, but eh, in the spirit of WWDC today, what the heck?

I'll start with a few things I think PCs could learn from Macs, and feel free to contribute to whatever side:
1. Nobody but techies cares about specs. For the vast majority of people, a 2.4Ghz c2d isn't going to feel any faster than a 2.0Ghz. Comparing mac specs to pcs is irrelevant. Hardware advances so quickly that even if Macs are behind the curve by a year, most people would prefer a nicer screen and smaller footprint of an iMac, because even 2 years from the purchase, the mac and pc are both going to feel about the same, compared to newer models. And few people upgrade, and laptops are where it's at right now, so macs and pcs are on equal footing practically with upgrades of hdd and memory.

2. Closing apps just because you close a window is ridiculous, especially when working with large programs. It take a bit to get used to the mac way of window vs apps, but it pays off. There are lots of instances where you want an app running but no open window, and Windows method to minimizing to the tray is inconsistent and not as logical.

3. Apps. Windows 7 is stripping out most of the mail/calendar/photo type apps. Apple have an amazing integration that's brought only by making these standard. Little things like in Mail, where there's an icon by each email that indicates if the other person in online for IM, and you can right there start a conversation with them using ichat. And safari's web clips that allow you to make any part of a webpage into a dashboard widget. Literally hundreds of little touches in apple's software suite like these exist. iTunes, iChat, Mail, iCal, Safari, Quicktime, and PDF manipulation are tied together amazingly.

4. Automator rocks. Seriously. Right now I have a script set up with applescript helping out that in the morning, os x boots up, opens all my apps to load into memory so everything launches immediately throughout the day, closes the windows, checks for any mail and select rss feeds, starts an itunes playlist at a slowly increasing volume until a tone wakes me up for the morning at which time a pdf pops up on the screen and the built in voice capabilities begin to read off the time, any new messages, important rss feeds, the days events from ical, any reminders, todos, and will load in the background my morning browsing routine all while I get dressed. All using built-in apps. Sure, this can be done with third party tools in windows, but it's such a pain to get it working so effortlessly. I'm a total mac newbie, and figure out how to do this in maybe an hour. Microsoft stripping apps out means many will never see them, or that kind of integration. It's conceivable that many people could happily use os x without installing a single program outside of what's preloaded. Having a single vendor has its perks, though you could easily use other software you prefer on a mac.

5. Beauty. I've mentioned in another thread how much I hate windows transparency, but beauty permeates os x. Everything is tastefully animated in a way that help you visualize what's occuring, little things like ical's icon showing the correct date without even running. Jump lists are very similar to what os x already has had for a while and IMO os x does them cleaner. Widgets even look more appealing than windows counterparts

On the windows side: Aero Peek and Snap rock.

jw12345
Boy am I going to get mail on this.
Hey I have worked on both for more years than I care to admit. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. I use Macs for certain things and windows for others. I dont think anyone will ever solve that holy war. About your points above.
1-People DO care about speed. If you spend 8 hours a day in quark or PS the seconds you save add up. Then there is the satisfaction of a "snappy" box.
2- Closing minimizing macs and pc do it differently. I dont want things running in the background unless I tell them to. Resources are finite.
3-Apps. Windows Live mail (ok so I dont like it). What cant you do on one and not the other? Sure there is integration, and thats a good thing. But if it breaks and takes you you chat, mp3 player,calendar,etc with it its more trouble.
4-Automator/Scheduler. Having scripted on both platforms its 6 of one half a dozen of the other. Preference again I think. Having a single vendor= monopoly and cost.
5-Beauty. Its in the eye of... OSX slick nice, Win 7 slick nice. Eye candy is eye candy on both plaforms. I turn most off anyway.
On the windows side Aero, and snap rock. Yep, also on the windows side is a small thing price. Which would I rather buy a one button mouse for the mac $43, or a pc mouse for 20. then there is all the other accessories.
My own thoughts are macs do a good job with audio and video. Pc's also do a good job with them. For number crunching and opensource its gotta be PC. For me I have to use both for work. I could use both at home but dont. The busines world seems to have spoken. Whats macs' share of the business market? Tell you what, after working with both for a year see if you can say Only macs do this, or only pc's do that.
Thanks for a well written and thoughtful post

Ken

For business and when you need very fast systems to do pro work, you have a very good point and I agree with it completely. But the thing is, outside of enthusiast forums like this, most people don't do anything processor intensive, and if they were they shouldn't be using a laptop to get it done cheaply. It's possible to boot into os x disabling cpu cores, and when I boot using only 1 core at 2.4Ghz, I can't tell much difference at all from four cores at 3Ghz, except for video encoding (which is done in the background or overnight anyways, so doesn't matter to me).

Windows strikes me as an enthusiast OS, you can do anything a mac can, faster per dollar, with more choices, but it seems to me that pcs are moving away from such uses. In fact, I use a windows tablet pc almost daily. Cost is a huge issue, and in a business, it makes sense to use a cheap desktop with a cheapo monitor for most workers.

But some of your other arguments, I don't necessarily agree with. Just because Apple bundles their suite of mail/ical/ichat/itunes/safari/automator/etc and allows for tight integration, doesn't increase cost or make them any more vulnerable. Each can be entirely separated more the others and replaced, but at least with Apple, they give you that option of that integration that's difficult for the average joe to replicate on a pc.

A $200 premium isn't hard to swallow for a better OS (if it is indeed better). PCs used to cost several fold what they do now, and for somebody who relies on a pc (mac or windows), $900 vs $1100 is nothing. Sure Apple is a monopoly and their hardware prices can be a bit high, but really, who else makes laptops that slick? It's hard to find consumer laptops that aren't plastic junk.

A few months ago, I'd been arguing ardently on the windows side, but lately, after using leopard and windows 7 extensively, I'm starting to love os x. I'd really recommend anybody here trying a mac as long as they are willing to sacrifice pure specs for a bit of elegance, design, and software. You really appreciate them after using them as a primary computer for a while. My tablet is keeping 7 for onenote and touch features, but os x has won me over, and I think pc makers are in for a surprise if they don't take some cues from Apple's success with Joe Public

Steve Jobs...Good to see you're healthy again.

Dragonfly

I have a split personality. Today Im Steve, Tomorrow Im Bill. Makes check signing tough though

Ken

Thank God you're never Larry Ellison....

dragonfly
And on the 7th day here's Larry

Ken

jw12345

I agree completely. I don't complain about having to use leopard, I like it. I have a mini on my network at home. Its apples and oranges. Like em both but today I need my vitamin C

Ken

Don't know if you guys are keeping up with today's keynote, but apple is pretty aggressively cutting prices on their macbook and macbook pro line. The upgraded 13" unibody is now a $1200 macbook pro, which is tempting to say the least.