Can Windows 7 save PCs?

Barman58 said:

A recent conversation I had with the head of a major UK ISP's support department provided an interesting take on the ease of use and reliability situation,.

I believe that MAC market share in the UK is actually lower that the worldwide figure of c.10%, however, It was stated that between 20 and 30% of received calls related to the MAC OS and hardware,

The amount of calls received for MACs assuming exactly equal ease of use and reliability should be a lot lower.

No axe to grind but it does make me think that Apple's claims in this area may be a little overstated

Just in my experience with family and friends, it's much easier to get them going with their mail, calender, im, internet, etc on os x. With PCs, they typically need to download all sorts of third party software and set it up with inconsistent interfaces and integration. ANd not to mention the shovelware most pc makers put on computers. I don't quite understand the Apple hate here. I quite like both Leopard and 7, and their 13" macbook pro is affordable and a great laptop for most people, and will probably be my next laptop.

The only really confusing thing about macs seems to be the whole windows vs app division, but you grow to appreciate it quickly.

As for why most mac users would call support, I can think of tons of possibilities (recent pc to mac switchers are still getting the hang of the interface, the ISP has poor mac setup instructions/support, mac users have fewer friends/family that can help them set a mac up)

jw12345 said:

Just in my experience with family and friends, it's much easier to get them going with their mail, calender, im, internet, etc on os x. With PCs, they typically need to download all sorts of third party software and set it up with inconsistent interfaces and integration. ANd not to mention the shovelware most pc makers put on computers. I don't quite understand the Apple hate here. I quite like both Leopard and 7, and their 13" macbook pro is affordable and a great laptop for most people, and will probably be my next laptop.

I think those tasks are easier because the software comes with the OS. I could be wrong about that.

Win7User512 said:

I think those tasks are easier because the software comes with the OS. I could be wrong about that.

Yes, partially, but I've found the bundled software on OS X to be among the best you can get for most needs (there will always be somebody who needs more powerful solutions), but the programs themselves are dead simple to set up. Just type in your username and password, and much of this will be set up. Also the integration within the suite has no counterpart on the pc side. Even if you preinstalled the official AIM client, Windows Mail, Calendar etc, it can never work as seamlessly as if they were made by the same people with the purpose of working together. It works because Apple makes quality software.

To JW12345 and the rest of you, one of the problems is with government interference in Microsoft's business.

Whenever MS attempts to bundle software into their operating system, their competitors start crying "Foul!" and go whining to the anti-monopoly police that MS is attempting to drive them out of the business.

I am certain that MS would love to bundle a whole lot of software into the Windows OS so that all you would have to do is logon with your name, license and answer a few question.

Look at what is happening to MS in Europe with IE right now. MS was forced to offer to unbundle IE8.

Apple gets away with it because they are a much smaller operation and no threat to dominate the market; Microsoft can't do the same thing because the are too big.

Get the anti-trust units out of the PC business and so that MS could exert the same control over hardware implementation that Apple does and perhaps MS would deliver a better overall experience.

Personally, as a PC tinkerer and builder of systems, I would hate that. As a consumer and user I might like that.

Catch 22

that may be true catswold, but why doesn't Microsoft then do the following:

make an iLife suite equivalent, and offer it as a download?

Naturally this means people have the 'choice' to not have it, if they choose- perhaps just with a link or a flyer in the retail packaged OS telling them that its a gift as a way of saying thankyou for buying the OS.

After all, Apple do say they 'bundle' iLife with all new macs inferring that it's doing the consumer yet another favour.

I understand about the monopoly comission side of things, but ultimately when I used my mac, I still had my own mind, and made my own choices. - I chose to download and use safari over iE and firefox.

Alternatively shut them up by throwing in all the browsers !