Apple Macs...

[Sparky1]

I just don't get it. I really don't. My dad has just bought a brand new iMac 21 inch with Apple's latest OS - Snow Leopard. And while it admittedly looks the business; it's sleek, smooth and refined and takes up little space on the desktop (unlike my big tower) - I just cannot get on with the Apple operating system.

And the thing is everyone keeps telling me that Apple systems are so much easier to use! Someone explain it to me please!

I am giving this Apple Mac thing a go. I realise to some extent I’m conditioned to Windows but I am approaching it with an open mind!

Here are my complaints about Leopard compared with Windows 7 so far. I'm not a computer professional, I realise that Apple computers do have certain advantages in specific fields but I'm writing this as a regular user.

Having to drag and drop all the time.

As if this is easier than using the 'right click' options that a Windows system gives you. And before you say 'But you can right click on an Apple system - you just don't realise it!'. It is clear that Apple's obsession with taking a minimalist approach means that they clearly don't want users to use the right click option. Not only is it not even enabled by default but there are so little options available anyway. It's a pain in the ass to drag and drop when I can simply 'send to desktop' or 'create a new Word document' by right clicking.

The Dock.

Maybe it's just a case of getting used it but I find the damn thing frustrating. While it's nice to have a desktop free from cluttering icons it looks ugly and awkward sitting of the screen. Again you can set it to 'auto hide' so it only appears when you mouse over it but this is a pain as I like to see what applications are running and switch between them without searching through all the icons in the dock that I'm not currently using are having them all crammed to one side. In my opinion the taskbar or 'superbar' in Windows is much easier to use and looks better to boot!

Left behind?

A lot of the applications I use like Fire Fox and Skype seem out dated on the Mac. FireFox for example looks more like a Windows build from a few years ago! Many of the features aren't available and there aren't even bookmark icons like you get on a Windows machine. Is this a 'look' they've deliberately chosen? I know Safari doesn't have those icons but why haven't the developers at Mozilla used them in FireFox for Mac? Again yes, I know that you can still get the icons using an add-on but why should I have to bother? They are just there already on my PC.

Too much grey.

All that brushed aluminium looks cold and sterile and not warm and inviting like the Windows Aero thing.

Anyway, just a little rant. Anyone love Apple Macs? What am I missing out on using Windows 7 instead of OS X? Anyone got any suggestions or fixes for the things I’ve mentioned? Am I being an ‘Apple Mac Newb’? What’s better about an Apple Mac? (please don’t bring up the whole virus thing! – I’ve never spent money on anti-virus software only used free stuff and never had a single virus on my computer)! And there ARE viruses out there which effect Apple Macs too!

Anyway – ‘flame me’ or agree with me as you will.


Sparky

 

[Barman58]

One suggestion on how to improve things is set up a dual boot with windows 7

 

[Qdos]

Mac OS X is only Linux plus a designer badge... and a price tag to match... LOL...

 

[Tews]

Mac OS X is only Linux plus a designer badge... and a price tag to match... LOL...

Dont you mean UNIX?

 

[Qdos]

Err, yup, it's very late where I am and I am engrossed in a movie...

 

[Orpheous]

I don't know what all the fuss is about either. I guess some people actually believe that you always get what you pay for

 

[Barman58]

I don't know what all the fuss is about either. I guess some people actually believe that you always get what you pay for

and pay for, and pay for, and pay for ....

 

[Qdos]

And if you smoke, your Mac warranty is null and void...

 

[zezasu]

How long have you used it? I mean OS X, I felt that way when i first tried it. I still don't use it often, I guess I could say I bought the laptop for its looks and firmness. Anyways you could see http://www.youtube.com/user/SoldierKnowsBest. He shows you some cool things to do and use, if you let it get into you. So there is more of a option for things.

I like it mostly because of its iphoto (avg person such as yourself) is way better then windows photo er thing. and garage band. I like the stacks also, but i still go into windows 7 now. I hate not being able to maximize at times. It just takes time to get used if your coming from a different side. like manual transmission (windows) auto trans (mac). One just has more options like you said. (no offense to everyone who drives a auto trans*)

 

[DarkDavil]

My perfect computer - a Mac Case, all cool and white looking, windows hardware, windows 7 OS ... We have Mac's at school, impossible to program in, and really annoying to use, i just hate that the (close)(minimize)(exit) buttons are alllllllll the way to the left... instead of the right. I mean really? Theres a certain point at which being "different" simply becomes annoying...

 

[bigseb]

never saw any good in macs. i dont like the look of the hardware (am i the only one who thinks macs look totally gay?) and i dont like the look, layout and functionality of the os. most importantly, the bulk of my software doesnt run on mac os. rubbish.

 

[AntiSilence]

(am i the only one who thinks macs look totally gay?)

Nope, I don't like the style either. I don't think they look nice at all. I also hate Apple full stop... Mainly because of their policies, but their kit is over-priced designer tat and is more of a status symbol.

I also really don't like the whole computer built into the monitor thing. Especially if you've got, say, a 19" screen and want to upgrade to a 22"... Whole new computer? Rubbish!

And their OS is as grey and dull looking as John Major and Gordon Brown.

 

[pparks1]

Mac's aren't for everyone. I spent quite a bit of time (and money) setting up a hackintosh build for Leopard and it worked just fine...but I simply didn't get into it. And I am very glad that I saved the money from buying the MAC as I decided that I really didn't want one after playing with OSX for awhile. It didn't blow me away, it didn't make me want to leave Windows...it didn't really impress me. Like the OP said, too many limitations, too much grey (silver), and overall way too much cost.

I've got some friends who have MAC's. One of them is a coworker who has an iMAC on his desk and is a pretty accomplished developer and server admin. He has an iMAC at home and his wife has a MacBook. While his iMac at work has been solid, his iMac at home has been into the Apple store numerous times for repairs. In fact, it's been completely replaced 1 time in the past 14 months (after replacing just about every component including the mobo) and was just back into the store for various I/O issues. They just put a new hard drive into his replacement iMac and it seems to be functioning again.

Also, sit outside of an Apple store and watch the people dragging Apple hardware into the store for repairs. People have this impression that Mac's just always work and never break down...but that isn't really all that accurate. A few hours at the Apple store will give you a better impression.

 

[composer]

And if you smoke, your Mac warranty is null and void...

That's like the craziest thing ever. I live in los Angeles. Stick a fan in a window non smoking and by the end of summer it will be covered with black as the air quality is that bad. After reading that article on the mac warranty voided which I hope ends up in court, I went to the EPA website and found that living in places like Mexico and china is like smoking two packs a day. I'm sure california is preety close too plus they (Apple) make no mid range desktop as their desktops are made of server parts to increase profit margins and they will argue that most sales are laptops which they are but are normally crippled unless you buy the 17" which is the only machine that has an exress slot.

if you have a good, great gaming machine by Apple, you also have a device that will run their Pro Apps and oddly, Apple assumes they will lose money as the Pros, 2~3%, would buy the cheaper alternative, and their right, we would but so woudnt the gamers (who make up more sales then video sales and music sales combined), as well as the millions of ProSumers who don't really have the cash for a server made desktop but do have the talent, not to mention all the studios that had mac pros would also buy these non existent devices for their smaller rooms. In a nutshell, Apple would MAKE money not lose money due to lack of sales but they can't seem to figure that out yet.*

Avid/Digidesing did!!!! They saw people were no longer buying their $$10,000 TDM (processing chips in a card, thus reducing CPU latency which you cannot have in music), and saw computers were getting faster and faster and more core on a single dye were happening, so they purchased M-Audio which relies on the cpu only. In music it's caled native recording vs TDM. In fact, for the mac pro, for those left with the express slot, now only the 17" has it forces yet higher prices on the pro, with an express card, you can purchase something similar that puts all the processing on the card that goes into the express slot. Google. "UAD laptop express" card and you'll see what I mean. Apple could make more money simply by adding an express slot on the iMac. Add in esata and the sales go even higher. *

Anyway, Apple can do it but won't as I said earlier great grahics normally mean it can run pro apps and they don't really want that and rather have you buy the mac pro when in fact they would make so much more anyway.*

Check it out. Let's pretend apple released a $1000 i7 core with a great graphics card, 1000 FSB, normal memory, headless and in the future you could swap the CPU out. *
You would have thousands of gamers buy them.*
You would have millions of musicians buy them and buy their own ram after market, similar to gamers.*
You would have everyone that is tired of windows but has nice HDMI DVI diplays buy them.*
You would have the more semi pro photographer buy them. *
You would have most all semi pro video users buy these.*
And ironically, all the pros apple were afraid they would lose sale to, would buy these instead of the pc rendering farms as well as place them in their smaller studios, so it not a matter of how come, it more like their are misguided somehow. I mean they really only care about the iPhone now, example, One to One and Pro C are used to be one program. Now it's seperated and most of the training used to be pro apps, and is now iLife and $99 each. So why not go ahead and build them. *There is a huge market out there. The only problem I would see is people would want their own video card at new egg or Frys pricing and apple would have to start supporting numerous cards but all the companies are gone and there's only nvidia and ati, so that wouldn't be that big of a deal and it would for sure, put a dent in the hacntosh.

There are millions of users waiting. Just take a page from what digidesign did.*
They would have 20% of the marketshare within a year and to top it off, it would increase the sales of iMacs as business and enterprise started off with these mid range machines. 30% in less than 5 years. Is it really so hard to understand Apple?


On the other hand their iLife and iWork software is fluid throughout. For example, when I discovered pages, which is their version of word, it can open and save as word documents. Tge coolest thing though is that it's more like Indesign or word on steroid ond is ver cheap which also includes nubers like exce and keynot like power point and all have really nice templates and work fast. It sort of works like you think it should too. For exampele in pages you can just drag an image and poof, there it is. It has shadow and reflection alll ready to gi at a moments notice ir making a mask with any shape. Great for news letters and stopped using the clunky Indesign after about 1 week with pages.

The othervcool thing is all the toolbars are present on all their software bexample. If you learn how to use the inspector in pages, it's going to be the same in iPhoto, numbers, keynote. Sure each will have additional features but even iMovie willmhave inspector and there is nothing that comes close to there free iLife suite on new computers and iMovie is pretty powerful for what it is.

Like I said though. Apple tailors to either the consumer or pro and completely misses the boat with the prosumer. Example. Your a audio artist. Sure the iMac quad is faster than some newer mac pros but you have no esata ports no expansion and are stuck with what they think is best all because they fear the pro market would buy these cheap products instead of the pro machines. Fail. Pros would buy both and when it come to graphics, forget anything like after effexfs as you have to get the MacBook pro line and 17" at that if you want a smidget of expansion. My advice. Check out insanely mac at osx86,com and build yourself a $800 machine that will give the graphics of your choice and because you still have bios you can overclock and run circles around their $3000 machines.
Peace.

 

[Orpheous]

I read the Bible once, and from what I remember the serpent conned Eve with an Apple

 

[Lordbob75]

(am i the only one who thinks macs look totally gay?)

Nope, I don't like the style either. I don't think they look nice at all. I also hate Apple full stop... Mainly because of their policies, but their kit is over-priced designer tat and is more of a status symbol.

I also really don't like the whole computer built into the monitor thing. Especially if you've got, say, a 19" screen and want to upgrade to a 22"... Whole new computer? Rubbish!

And their OS is as grey and dull looking as John Major and Gordon Brown.

Basically.
Their style appeals to the rich, and guys who like shiny white.

Give me a flat black (huge) tower case any day. Just for the hell of it (as an Anti-Apple thing) I should go weld together a thick, heavy, nasty, evil looking black case out of steel....
Hmmm...

I just might to. I will post pics if I ever do.

~Lordbob

 

[AntiSilence]

Give me a flat black (huge) tower case any day. Just for the hell of it (as an Anti-Apple thing) I should go weld together a thick, heavy, nasty, evil looking black case out of steel....

Let us know how that goes lol

My PC case is pretty big, it's a Chieftec (one of these http://images1.speurders.nl/images/42/4289/42894791_1.jpg with 4x DVD bays and 2x Floppy bays) and the cables from the PSU have a job reaching the GFX card lol.

 

[Lordbob75]

Give me a flat black (huge) tower case any day. Just for the hell of it (as an Anti-Apple thing) I should go weld together a thick, heavy, nasty, evil looking black case out of steel....

Let us know how that goes lol

My PC case is pretty big, it's a Chieftec (one of these http://images1.speurders.nl/images/42/4289/42894791_1.jpg with 4x DVD bays and 2x Floppy bays) and the cables from the PSU have a job reaching the GFX card lol.

Cool. I got an Antec 1200.

Damn nice case, but the stupid HDD bays SUCK. For that reason alone, don't buy it....

~Lordbob

 

[pparks1]

Cool. I got an Antec 1200.

Damn nice case, but the stupid HDD bays SUCK. For that reason alone, don't buy it....

~Lordbob

What don't you like about the HDD bays? I have a couple of Antec Sonata II's (one of my favorite cases) and an Antec P182 (which I currently have in my Win 7 box). I don't like boxes with lights and windows...I think they look cheap and tacky.

 

[Lordbob75]

Cool. I got an Antec 1200.

Damn nice case, but the stupid HDD bays SUCK. For that reason alone, don't buy it....

~Lordbob

What don't you like about the HDD bays? I have a couple of Antec Sonata II's (one of my favorite cases) and an Antec P182 (which I currently have in my Win 7 box). I don't like boxes with lights and windows...I think they look cheap and tacky.

There is nothing cheap about the case. Very solidly built, and looks good.
The HDD bays are all slide out, and are just a pain. I want perpendicular drive bay.

~Lordbob