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XP smackdown!
- Thread starter tuartboy
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cantthinkofone said:
Exactly. Many people are predjudiced because of OS 9 or common Mac myths. But all it takes is a well-timed feature show and mention "no virusues" and they'll switched. Apple's website switched me as I was surfing that net on my peecee one day. Now I'm a Mac person through and through!
bgd said:
Well, Linux and BSD (on which OSX-Darwin is based) are only distant cousins, technologically speaking. I hope you will also find as you spend more time with OSX that the technologies separating OSX from Linux (and Windows) are many and various; far more than just a nice UI. Quartz, for instance.
As a custom builder of pc's and having worked in a windows enviroment all my life. I have always enjoyed the large hardware/software options available in the pc. From case mods, video cards, and multiple dvd burners to the numerous application and games. My latest custom build was for me. I bought all the latest hardware (AMD dual core 4200+ chip, Nvidia 6800GT, 2-GB's ram, 200GB Sata drive and Thermaltake case). The OS was Windows XP 64. It ran very stable. Total cost without monitor $2,000. Well after trying to install many of my favorite video/audio apps. I began to realize that most apps that would install only ran in 32-bit and not 64. It was very dissapointing. Those 32-bit apps did however run faster due to the hardware specs. At this point I started to think of what I might/should have done differently. Most notable was taking a Apple for a spin. Especially since I broke the $2,000 mark which is where Power PC G5 prices start. I have several family/friends that rant and rave about their Mac's. I also belong to many different forum websites where many Mac users congregate. I also attended Mac Expo 2005 in SF with many of my Mac friends. First time attending. But my biggest problem with making the purchase of a Mac is/was all the pompous arrogance I have encountered towards Windows. Myself I view all computers OS's the same. They are a means of getting the things I need/want done as effeciently as possible. In my years of pc usage, I have never had a virus. I had experienced spam once while testing some third party software that I got from an unreliable source but was quickly removed. But I recently decided to go ahead and switch. So I sold my custom pc and ordered my Power PC G5 2.3 Ghz w/Nvidea 6800 video card, 2 gb of ram, bluetooth. Cost just under $3,000. Will receive Sept 13th 2005. Expensive yes !!! But I am willing to spend to see how a Mac 64-bit OS and hardware/software configuration stack up. The other reason for switching is Microsoft unwillingness to secure it's OS. Not that I have personally been directly impacted but I do a fair amount of cleaning of infected pc's for family,friends and coworkers. I spend countless hours cleaning machines up, explaining to the pc owner the do's & don't's. Ya know, basic common sense that all users should use whether they are Mac, Linux, or Windows. What I do hope to see in the coming weeks is despite all the pompous attitudes from Mac users. That they are right !!! I then can begin to spread my knowledge base to other Window users that switching to Mac is/can be a very positive experience without the attitude. I just hope I can keep my hands off the G5 making case mod changes. 
Pizza Boy said:As a custom builder of pc's and having worked in a windows enviroment all my life. I have always enjoyed the large hardware/software options available in the pc. From case mods, video cards, and multiple dvd burners to the numerous application and games. My latest custom build was for me. I bought all the latest hardware (AMD dual core 4200+ chip, Nvidia 6800GT, 2-GB's ram, 200GB Sata drive and Thermaltake case). The OS was Windows XP 64. It ran very stable. Total cost without monitor $2,000. Well after trying to install many of my favorite video/audio apps. I began to realize that most apps that would install only ran in 32-bit and not 64. It was very dissapointing. Those 32-bit apps did however run faster due to the hardware specs. At this point I started to think of what I might/should have done differently. Most notable was taking a Apple for a spin. Especially since I broke the $2,000 mark which is where Power PC G5 prices start. I have several family/friends that rant and rave about their Mac's. I also belong to many different forum websites where many Mac users congregate. I also attended Mac Expo 2005 in SF with many of my Mac friends. First time attending. But my biggest problem with making the purchase of a Mac is/was all the pompous arrogance I have encountered towards Windows. Myself I view all computers OS's the same. They are a means of getting the things I need/want done as effeciently as possible. In my years of pc usage, I have never had a virus. I had experienced spam once while testing some third party software that I got from an unreliable source but was quickly removed. But I recently decided to go ahead and switch. So I sold my custom pc and ordered my Power PC G5 2.3 Ghz w/Nvidea 6800 video card, 2 gb of ram, bluetooth. Cost just under $3,000. Will receive Sept 13th 2005. Expensive yes !!! But I am willing to spend to see how a Mac 64-bit OS and hardware/software configuration stack up. The other reason for switching is Microsoft unwillingness to secure it's OS. Not that I have personally been directly impacted but I do a fair amount of cleaning of infected pc's for family,friends and coworkers. I spend countless hours cleaning machines up, explaining to the pc owner the do's & don't's. Ya know, basic common sense that all users should use whether they are Mac, Linux, or Windows. What I do hope to see in the coming weeks is despite all the pompous attitudes from Mac users. That they are right !!! I then can begin to spread my knowledge base to other Window users that switching to Mac is/can be a very positive experience without the attitude. I just hope I can keep my hands off the G5 making case mod changes.
Props go to you for the longest post I have ever seen
make sure to post an tell us if you like it... what do you use your pc's for? I have never gone a year without having to reformat my HD for one thing or another... but I use limewire so I should expect that. But then again using limewire on my ibook I never have any problems sooo.
AP_piano295 said:
If you like long posts, you should try the Politics forum.
Never gone more than a year without reformatting a hard drive? Wow. That is way too bad. I can't remember the last time I reformatted a drive to fix a problem. What are you doing to those poor things?
To Pizza Boy, I don't know exactly what you mean by "pompous arrogance." I've been to every MacWorld SF for nearly all of the last ten years now, and I have to say I really don't get what you are saying. If you ask somebody -- especially in a Mac user's party environment like MacWorld -- why they prefer the Mac to Windows, they are likely to tell you. I mean, they've got their reasons or they wouldn't do it, right? They are Mac fans or they wouldn't be at MacWorld, right?
Anyway, good for you overlooking your issues with Mac users and giving the platform a try. As anybody around here will tell you, it ain't perfect, but it is better. I hope you won't take that statement as pompous arrogance...
sorry for the long winded post. My kids complain to me as well. But I try tell it like it is. I hope I have not began a Mac vs PC discussion war. I don't think all Mac users think/feel the same way about Windows. The pompous arrogance users I referred to are anywhere not just Mac World. Usually if I mention I am a pc user in a room (real life/ or chat room) with more than 10 Mac users. It seems to bring out the ignorance in 1 or 2 . In retrospect, I have all seen countless arrogant windows users who talk out their ying-yang about how perfect Microsoft is when I mention switching to a Mac. Most of my computer work/fun is doing audio/video ripping,editing and encoding. I don't use limewire as I find it is a major risk for various reasons.There are other, more effecient ways than peer-2-peer without the risks. Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. I look forwarded to reading many more posts on tips/tricks using a Mac for audio/video editing. I will try in the future to keep my posts short.AP_piano295 said:
tuartboy said:Ha, yeah. I just came down and set up my powerbook in the student union and pulled up rendezvous just to complement anyone i could find on being mac users!
What is rendezvous?
Well, just to add some balance to this thread - I'm a recent "switcher" after 10 years of computer use, with maybe 9 out of it based on MS OS. I wasn't necessarily dissatisfied with Win XP, but rather was wooed by Mac hardware and OS interface.
However after spending about 5 month exclusively with my dual 2.0 G5 - I'm ready to switch back. Nothing major, but I lost more than I gained. Occasional crashes, random software bugs, some configuration limitations, Finder and game performance issues - are all contributing to my cold feet.
I've never experienced so many crashes on my XP machine, viruses and spyware were never an issue for me. Don't get me wrong, if I switch back there will be plenty of staff to miss from Tiger - like built in spell checker, pretty icons, zoom, my ACD display power button integration, dock and some other features...
However after spending about 5 month exclusively with my dual 2.0 G5 - I'm ready to switch back. Nothing major, but I lost more than I gained. Occasional crashes, random software bugs, some configuration limitations, Finder and game performance issues - are all contributing to my cold feet.
I've never experienced so many crashes on my XP machine, viruses and spyware were never an issue for me. Don't get me wrong, if I switch back there will be plenty of staff to miss from Tiger - like built in spell checker, pretty icons, zoom, my ACD display power button integration, dock and some other features...
Excuse me, but aren't all software bugs "random" by their very nature? Are you saying that software in Windows doesn't have bugs? Just wondering what you meant.
IJ Reilly said:
No, I'm not saying Windows doesn't have bugs, what I'm saying is that I have encountered a much lesser number of crashes and system freezes on XP than I have had on Tiger. I've had DVD Player quit with "illegal operation" type error on numerous occasions, today I had dashboard freeze waking up from sleep, I had Mail application fail to display Inbox content at one point for no apparent reason etc. There are no hardware issues because such problems are infrequent, but coming from 3 years of XP use, it does bother me. Basically as far as stability goes I feel like I'm back in Windows 95 days with its illegal operation this, illegal operation that.
But again , that's only part of my problem with Mac platform.
i feel ya
Its a human trait, to be afraid of the unknown, i always tell people, be a mac understander, not a mac hater, when im sittin there workin thru all of thier windows computer problems i just tell them "you know on a mac this doesnt happen, or this step doesnt exist on a mac" and soon you will have them asking more and more and there you go you got yourself a mac convert in the making.
cantthinkofone said:
Its a human trait, to be afraid of the unknown, i always tell people, be a mac understander, not a mac hater, when im sittin there workin thru all of thier windows computer problems i just tell them "you know on a mac this doesnt happen, or this step doesnt exist on a mac" and soon you will have them asking more and more and there you go you got yourself a mac convert in the making.
Wes said:
Another Correction. Back in 2000, the First PowerMac G4's had the DVD-RAM burners which could burn a DVD that could be playable in High-End DVD player boxes; this was on top line of G4's.
oh thats a simple wonderful networking technology thats available in All Apple Macs since 1.5 years ago and should be copied & available in the Microsoft Windows Vista/Longhorn when it debuts summer of 2006,
. It'll work correctly maybe in Xmas 2006 though with multiple security updates and maybe 1 service pack update, though, lol.
I'm waiting for a pc user to come up to me and start going on about how Macs suck or they can use only one button mice and so fort before laying the Mac smack down on him/her.
I must say I have more brand loyalty towards Apple after owning my Power Mac and iPod. I plan on getting a Powerbook but I'm waiting for what Apple has up their sleeves with the supposed upgrade mid this month.
I must say I have more brand loyalty towards Apple after owning my Power Mac and iPod. I plan on getting a Powerbook but I'm waiting for what Apple has up their sleeves with the supposed upgrade mid this month.
It's too bad that all the new switchers are getting switched directly into Tiger, which in my opinion is the most unstable and unreliable version of Mac OS X ever. If you want a very good Mac experience, downgrade to 10.3.9 and use that. You will have way less problems then you have had with 10.4.X. Hopefully this upcoming 10.4.3 update will make Tiger much more stable. It needs a lot of workforumBuddy said:
forumBuddy said:
Never had any of the problems you describe, so I can't really commiserate. OTOH, my XP box freezes about half the time I try to put it into standby mode. Or did -- I learned my lesson the hard way and never attempt standby anymore. Then it just forgot about my mouse so I had to reinstall the drivers. But that's only part of my problem with the Windows platform.
I think OSs all have their pitfalls. We get accustomed to avoiding them.
kainjow said:It's too bad that all the new switchers are getting switched directly into Tiger, which in my opinion is the most unstable and unreliable version of Mac OS X ever. If you want a very good Mac experience, downgrade to 10.3.9 and use that. You will have way less problems then you have had with 10.4.X. Hopefully this upcoming 10.4.3 update will make Tiger much more stable. It needs a lot of work
That's what I've been hearing, however my box came only with Tiger install, plus isn't Tiger supposed to be a better platform for G5? In any case, I too hope Apple get their act together with 10.4.3. The 10.4.2 update broke my 3rd party Airport support and I had to reinstall OS, all because Tiger doesn't have any concept of Restore Points as well as centralized Uninstall system - another thing that I miss about Windows.
As far as standby mode on XP - I never had problem with it, however I had issues with hibernating to a point where I stopped using it.
Pizza Boy said:
hey pizzaboy, im quoting the wrong post here but i just finished my ....fifth/sixth (
) beer and thats a lot for me. ok to the point. im not sure you'll be happy/sad ( ) with osx if your switching mainly for the 64 bitness i dont think its really implemented throughout the whole os. do a search about 64bit osx and see what you can find. i would hate for you to try and pull out of a situation that you werent happy with and jump into another.can someone help him out on what to expect from apple as far as 64bit....?
Yup, called bonjour now. Funny I called it that cause I have only been using OS X since July '05 and it's been bonjour since Tiger was released. I have been following OS X tech since last year though...Prom1 said:oh thats a simple wonderful networking technology thats available in All Apple Macs since 1.5 years ago and should be copied & available in the Microsoft Windows Vista/Longhorn when it debuts summer of 2006,
Just open iChat and in your accounts turn on bonjour. It allows for zero configuration with other users of bonjour. basically, you see who's on and the can chat with them over the LAN.
forumBuddy said:
Uninstall? I just drag the applications I no longer want to the trash. The only applications that might need an uninstall procedure beyond dragging to the trash are applications that install kernel extensions, and these are few and far between.
It would be nice if OSX updates could be rolled back to a previous version, but I don't think this option really exists in Windows either. A lot of people had trouble with XP SP2 but they had no options but to chase down software incompatibilities, or start from scratch. I don't know which if any of the almost weekly Windows security updates are removable either, but maybe I've missed something here because I use XP relatively little.
Not sure what you mean by "hibernating to a point where I stopped using it," but I think you are essentially making my point: standby on a PC doesn't work reliably. I understand that the problem is mainly a function of the primitive PC ROM-BIOS. I am in the habit of never shutting down my Macs because they always wake from sleep. On the PC, it's hit or miss, so I always shut down instead of taking the risk. Like I said, you get used to what the machine is capable of doing.
