New buy, PC or MAC?
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I know which one looks like better value to me!
This, and this and this is the type of customer care you get with MESH.
Ohh and being a PC you get all the problems from the last couple of pages, BSOD, Crashing, Viruses etc
Speaking of Viruses ... how much did you budget for keeping the Mesh free from them? I guess if you add that to the price you end up seeing a Cheaper iMac
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I too can use a search engine to find forum threads which discuss poor Apple service...I can also decide to buy my computer from Dell, or Evesham or any number of manufacturers. Of course, the clued up actually build one themselves if they're looking for a desktop machine. Even cheaper, and you are in direct control of the build quality.
As I've said elsewhere, I've never had Vista crash on me, and only very, very rarely did XP crash before that. I was listening to a podcast the other day where Leopard owners were complaining about them having crashes to the BSOD, so that's no longer solely a PC problem!
In total, I've spent about £45 in my life. That was years ago....I bought a copy of Norton. Used it until the subscription ran out. Since then I've used Freeware tools. Not that I've ever had a virus anyway.
Ohh and being a PC you get all the problems from the last couple of pages, BSOD, Crashing, Viruses etc
Speaking of Viruses ... how much did you budget for keeping the Mesh free from them? I guess if you add that to the price you end up seeing a Cheaper iMac
Last edited by Gonzo; 20th Nov 2007 at 06:11.
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Apples and oranges, chalk and cheese, boeing and airbus..... and never the twain shall meet!!
For what it's worth I've been using Macs professionally for over 15 years and, yes I really like them / no, I wouldn't ever buy a PC. I do have to use a PC regularly and am frequently confounded by the lack of intuition built into the OS. For those of a techie disposition, I guess the ability to customise/fiddle with your computer makes the PC number 1, but I (like many others) care little for what happens inside the box, and only about doing what I need it to do - which, in my opinion, the mac does very well.
For those totally outside either camp, please be aware that you DON'T need to run a virtual version of windows on a mac to 'talk' to other PCs - you can buy 'Office for Mac' which runs in the Mac OS, and will run (...create...edit..) your Word, Excel, Powerpoint pieces perfectly well.
For what it's worth I've been using Macs professionally for over 15 years and, yes I really like them / no, I wouldn't ever buy a PC. I do have to use a PC regularly and am frequently confounded by the lack of intuition built into the OS. For those of a techie disposition, I guess the ability to customise/fiddle with your computer makes the PC number 1, but I (like many others) care little for what happens inside the box, and only about doing what I need it to do - which, in my opinion, the mac does very well.
For those totally outside either camp, please be aware that you DON'T need to run a virtual version of windows on a mac to 'talk' to other PCs - you can buy 'Office for Mac' which runs in the Mac OS, and will run (...create...edit..) your Word, Excel, Powerpoint pieces perfectly well.
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I too can use a search engine to find forum threads which discuss poor Apple service...
Once again, Apple and Sony are Readers' Choices, receiving some of the highest ratings for desktops. Once again, HP/Compaq and Lenovo/IBM receive some of the lowest.
In 2005, readers gave their desktops an overall score of 7.9 out of 10.This year, it's 7.8. Last year, the average score for likelihood of recommending was 7.7, and this year, it continues at 7.7. Look no further than Apple, the leader of the pack, whose overall score holds steady at 9.1. Last year, Apple's score on units needing repair was an impressive 11 percent—well below that of any other company in the survey.
You'll hear more positive things about Apple Macs than you will a PC. I've spoken to a couple of PC Techies and they said it's good PC are unreliable as it keeps them in a job, if we all used Macs they'd have nothing to fix.
Of the 8/9/10 PC's I've had over the years they've all needed TLC to work and often need repairs, I've had 18 months trouble free with my Mac. I don't work for them and I hated them when I was a die hard PC gaming fan and thaught Mac's were for hippy gimps ... Guess I was wrong, I can only pass on what I know and until my Mac plays up then I have nothing bad to say about it.
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I can only pass on what I know and until my Mac plays up then I have nothing bad to say about it.
I've used Macs on and off for years, At the moment I can never see a time when I'd buy one, I just don't get on with the OS at all, although I've not had a good go at Leopard yet. I might consider one if they ever bring out a desktop that can play Company of Heroes!
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As said before it's horses for courses.
I wouldn't knock anybody for enjoying their PC, I did for 15+ years but got so frustrated I thought I'd give the dark side a go. Like the original poster on here I didn't know if the Mac was worth the 'extra' money but was reassured by the Mac converts that it's worth every penny.
I took the plunge and have never looked back, I do however still own a PC to do my ASP.net work on and I was going to use it for FS2004 with all my add ons that I bought a couple of months back. (I've not had the time unfortunately to load them on ... plus my Stick has a different connector to what is on my PC).
I have an Xbox 360 to play games on so the PC was last used about 4 months ago
You pick whatever you most comfortable with at the end of the day, it might take you a week or two to get used to the mouse having only 1 button (you can just get a 2 button mouse), and there are a couple of things that you need to do differently - but it's not brain surgery ... apparently that is hard?
But for me, my basic MiniMac 1.66 Duo with 512Mb ram is holding up well. My works PC is having a RAM upgrade tomorrow to 2Gb and my Mac will be 1Gb Ram in the new year.
I can't find a fault with my Mac like many others, but that's my fault?
I wouldn't knock anybody for enjoying their PC, I did for 15+ years but got so frustrated I thought I'd give the dark side a go. Like the original poster on here I didn't know if the Mac was worth the 'extra' money but was reassured by the Mac converts that it's worth every penny.
I took the plunge and have never looked back, I do however still own a PC to do my ASP.net work on and I was going to use it for FS2004 with all my add ons that I bought a couple of months back. (I've not had the time unfortunately to load them on ... plus my Stick has a different connector to what is on my PC).
I have an Xbox 360 to play games on so the PC was last used about 4 months ago
You pick whatever you most comfortable with at the end of the day, it might take you a week or two to get used to the mouse having only 1 button (you can just get a 2 button mouse), and there are a couple of things that you need to do differently - but it's not brain surgery ... apparently that is hard?
But for me, my basic MiniMac 1.66 Duo with 512Mb ram is holding up well. My works PC is having a RAM upgrade tomorrow to 2Gb and my Mac will be 1Gb Ram in the new year.
I can't find a fault with my Mac like many others, but that's my fault?
Spoon PPRuNerist & Mad Inistrator
All,
I think that there are always going to be those for Macs and those for PCs.
I am pleased that the debate in this particular thread has remained largely free of the kind of unreasoned "other camp" bashing that often (usually?) accompanies the "discussion". For this you all deserve credit for your restraint.
Be that as it may, I remain dubious of the value of this kind of thread, however innocently started. This is a couple of pages of time, effort and bandwidth that has - ultimately - served little purpose, other than to demonstrate the validity of my first statement. And yes, I do have to read the posts!
In the future, therefore, do not be surprised if the "Great Apple Mac / Intel PC / Jobs/ Gates Debate" gets nipped in the bud, or posts deleted if they cross the line between relevant, pertinent debate and point proving / willy-waving, etc. And persistently robust offenders (if any) may be asked to leave the ball-pit for a cooling-off period.
Serenity, I hope that you have got some interesting views here, although - by your own admission - some of it has been "over your head", and that your purchasing decision has been made easier.
I am not going to lock this thread, as there has been useful and pertinent advice and information, and hopefully more to come, with the same level of maturity and restraint shown thus far - mostly!
SD
I think that there are always going to be those for Macs and those for PCs.
I am pleased that the debate in this particular thread has remained largely free of the kind of unreasoned "other camp" bashing that often (usually?) accompanies the "discussion". For this you all deserve credit for your restraint.
Be that as it may, I remain dubious of the value of this kind of thread, however innocently started. This is a couple of pages of time, effort and bandwidth that has - ultimately - served little purpose, other than to demonstrate the validity of my first statement. And yes, I do have to read the posts!
In the future, therefore, do not be surprised if the "Great Apple Mac / Intel PC / Jobs/ Gates Debate" gets nipped in the bud, or posts deleted if they cross the line between relevant, pertinent debate and point proving / willy-waving, etc. And persistently robust offenders (if any) may be asked to leave the ball-pit for a cooling-off period.
Serenity, I hope that you have got some interesting views here, although - by your own admission - some of it has been "over your head", and that your purchasing decision has been made easier.
I am not going to lock this thread, as there has been useful and pertinent advice and information, and hopefully more to come, with the same level of maturity and restraint shown thus far - mostly!
SD
Thread Starter
Well, all very interesting, but due to limited funds currently i`m opting for a pc. In a few years time with more funds , and maybe greater technical advancements, i may very well be tempted to the dark side!
Next question - HP, Acer, Mesh, Evesham etc ??????????????
Next question - HP, Acer, Mesh, Evesham etc ??????????????
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You'll find someone who has had a bad experience with all of them, but for what it's worth, I work for a small company (under 100 people) that has stuck with HP laptops for a long time; no one is telling them what to do, no corporate policy interferes, so if the reliability experience was not good they would have simply changed by now.
The only other thing to say is that I find that that the models that are available on the HP site are not always easy to find in their chosen retailers, so the online shopping experience is really very weak compared to sites that allow you to configure online what you want - and you rely on what is in stock from 3rd party retaliers. It seems only a few models are available online direct from HP.
The only other thing to say is that I find that that the models that are available on the HP site are not always easy to find in their chosen retailers, so the online shopping experience is really very weak compared to sites that allow you to configure online what you want - and you rely on what is in stock from 3rd party retaliers. It seems only a few models are available online direct from HP.
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Next question - HP, Acer, Mesh, Evesham etc ??????????????
Gonzo could make you a much better PC than 'Tiny' or 'Time' etc and you customise it to what you want.
Don't want to start a debate on Homebuilt PC v Factory PC
There are some good packages out these that include screen / keyboard / mouse / desktop / software / printer etc but it's whatever you need. You don't get anything for free so guess how much went on the PC components.
Warranty isn't an issue with homebuilds as the parts each comes with a warranty. I had a component that failed on me (HD) from a faulty batch and I had it replaced.
Good luck with your PC, Very disappointed I must say
lolIt's only a bit of fun and a debate that's been going for years and will still go on for years.
Good luck.
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It will indeed continue, until one of us converts
I was going to write "Finally me and tallsandwich are going to agree!!!" but as I went to post it my works PC died. i.e.
Shut down and won't re-load. I have an error message saying:
r corrupt:
Windows root>\system32\hal.dll
lease re-install a copy of the above file.
So I'm now computerless, lucky my employers don't use Macs or I'd never get a rest
What I was going to add though is I'd probably go for a Sony VAIO if I had to get myself a PC Laptop. (Maybe the Sony Vaio VGN-AR190G ?)
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mac
mac or pc? just changed to mac 2 month ago, going back to a pc?
never ever, this mac just works and works and works, not a single problem
and so user friendly.
kind regards
never ever, this mac just works and works and works, not a single problem
and so user friendly.kind regards
Cunning Artificer
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Think Applications.... Hmmm.... Let me see.
iTunes
Word processing
Spreadsheets
Adobe Acrobat
Make presentations
Watch movies
View and edit photographs
Browse the internet
Send & receive email
Is there anything there a Mac can't do?
XP keeps locking up my applications, does mysterious things on my behalf without my permission, downloads things without asking and generally behaves as if it owns the place. Like a small clone of Microshaft actually. Its my computer and I'll do as I like with it, d'ya hear Bill?
I too am fed up with the Microsoft experience and I'd really like an impartial comparison. Unfortunately the partisanship makes it really difficult to decide. At the moment my clapped out IBM notebook with XP Pro does most of what I need but the peripherals are wearing out and it will eventually expire. In the meantime it'll make a good replacement for my old Win 98 desktop. So, I'm tempted to try a Mac as my next notebook just to get that impartial comparison. I'll probably post a report once I've had a chance to try the Mac.
iTunes
Word processing
Spreadsheets
Adobe Acrobat
Make presentations
Watch movies
View and edit photographs
Browse the internet
Send & receive email
Is there anything there a Mac can't do?
XP keeps locking up my applications, does mysterious things on my behalf without my permission, downloads things without asking and generally behaves as if it owns the place. Like a small clone of Microshaft actually. Its my computer and I'll do as I like with it, d'ya hear Bill?
I too am fed up with the Microsoft experience and I'd really like an impartial comparison. Unfortunately the partisanship makes it really difficult to decide. At the moment my clapped out IBM notebook with XP Pro does most of what I need but the peripherals are wearing out and it will eventually expire. In the meantime it'll make a good replacement for my old Win 98 desktop. So, I'm tempted to try a Mac as my next notebook just to get that impartial comparison. I'll probably post a report once I've had a chance to try the Mac.
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Word processing
Spreadsheets
Make presentations
These are the areas not covered in a basic purchased Mac. Either run your old suite natively in Windows with 'bootcamp,' provided within the operating system or one of the neater, paid for, solutions like VM's fusion. About 50 quid I think.
Pilots being pilots just get a free download of OpenOffice Or Neo Office to run on the Mac OS. The Mac suite, iWork, costs 50 quid. That's not an education price but full retail. Family won't touch Word after 10 minutes using the compatible Mac equivalent, 'Pages.' Those Word users who get moist at the thought of creating a new macro won't like it.
Watch movies
View and edit photographs
Browse the internet
Send & receive email
All integrated in the basic installation. I use the one's supplied as my daily defaults with one exception.
Most road warrior Mac users do go for one particular add on for watching movies. VLC - highly recommended and free download. Open source and constantly updated.
Obviously there's a significant number of third party browsers as well with Firefox and Opera being popular additions to the one included. They're purely down to personal choice. We could debate the differences all day but they work - it's down to one feeling right for you. Our stats tell us that the vast majority stick with the built in one, just like PC users.
Same goes for mail - but folks are very different in how a mail system should look to them or out of habit are wedded in some way to webmail. Different strokes for each individual.
Rob
Spreadsheets
Make presentations
These are the areas not covered in a basic purchased Mac. Either run your old suite natively in Windows with 'bootcamp,' provided within the operating system or one of the neater, paid for, solutions like VM's fusion. About 50 quid I think.
Pilots being pilots just get a free download of OpenOffice Or Neo Office to run on the Mac OS. The Mac suite, iWork, costs 50 quid. That's not an education price but full retail. Family won't touch Word after 10 minutes using the compatible Mac equivalent, 'Pages.' Those Word users who get moist at the thought of creating a new macro won't like it.
Watch movies
View and edit photographs
Browse the internet
Send & receive email
All integrated in the basic installation. I use the one's supplied as my daily defaults with one exception.
Most road warrior Mac users do go for one particular add on for watching movies. VLC - highly recommended and free download. Open source and constantly updated.
Obviously there's a significant number of third party browsers as well with Firefox and Opera being popular additions to the one included. They're purely down to personal choice. We could debate the differences all day but they work - it's down to one feeling right for you. Our stats tell us that the vast majority stick with the built in one, just like PC users.
Same goes for mail - but folks are very different in how a mail system should look to them or out of habit are wedded in some way to webmail. Different strokes for each individual.
Rob
Think Applications.... Hmmm.... Let me see.
...
Is there anything there a Mac can't do?
...
Is there anything there a Mac can't do?
It doesn't fit my requirements: why does that make me, in AlphaMale's words, "a very silly boy"? I know it's a mild insult, but it's still unnecessary. I'm not anti-Mac; but I am anti-lock-in, anti-lazy-assumption, anti-ignorance, and anti-smugness. Apples are not the only fruit.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Please remind me where Apple stole the GUI from?
The first successful commercial GUI product was the Apple Macintosh, which was heavily inspired by PARC's work; Xerox was given Apple stock in exchange for engineer visits and an understanding that Apple would create a GUI product. Much later, in the midst of the Apple v. Microsoft lawsuit in which Apple accused Microsoft of violating its copyright by appropriating the use of the "look and feel" of the Macintosh GUI, Xerox also sued Apple on the same grounds. The lawsuit was dismissed because Xerox had waited too long to file suit, and the statute of limitations had expired........
Cunning Artificer
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Apples are not the only fruit.
I'm not anti- anything either, but when I'm to my eyeballs in problem solving, getting my PC to do what I want it to do, instead of it undoing my set-up because it thinks it knows better. Or else when it starts downloading a load of crap while I'm on-line, and freezes the browser. Or any of its other odd unexplained tricks, I do often wonder if something else might serve me better and maybe respect my privacy.
PCs seem to have been taken over by New Labour. They know best...