PC vs. Mac
Has anyone seen these commercials on television where the person that is a “Mac PC” is talking to a “Windows PC?” Has anyone considered the absurdity of such things? Let me give you a case in point, as an IT professional we have had five systems just up and crash – hard – to the point of being DOA. So dead in fact that it is a replacement system to keep the folks in the position working the next day. If you believe the commercial, then despite the fact that we have about a two to one ratio of Windows to Mac machines, all of those should still be Windows-based right? Wrong. The ratio has in fact been three Mac machines out and two Windows machines out.
Take this one step further. The windows systems are straight, open architecture systems. I am getting spare parts to at least make those system backups for future crashes or using the systems to scavenge parts. Guess how much of that, outside of say the drives, I can do on the Mac systems – given their largely proprietary nature?
I am sure a few of you are saying, okay, but what really is being represented is the operating system, not the hardware. And what is really saying is the Mac O/S just works and Windows doesn’t. Anyone who thinks that Windows is still back in Windows 95, where it was crashing (largely when things were run in unprotected mode) is probably still running Windows 95 or O/S 8 on their Mac machine. And anyone who thinks that a Mac never crashes or hangs hasn’t used it for more playing music and watching a movie. Do some hard-core computing with a Mac or a PC and you will eventually have to reboot. It is just a fact of life for a desktop operating system that is GUI based. (Heck, I even have to occasion reboot my Linux when running a GUI – though I rarely have to do short of stupid mistake on Linux running command line – but that is another whole story).
Okay, I will give a point to the one commercial that really gives Vista crap. But then again, we all know Vista is crap, which is why we are staying with XP as long as we can. Even now, we can still “downgrade” and get XP. Which by the way, other than moving everything around, using a HUGE amount of resources, short of the latest most advanced games, I can not see what Vista has to offer – other than an extra few million for the Microsoft folks. Getting off into another story yet again.
Bottom line computers are just like cars, you and I could by the same model, same make, from the same dealer and our mileage is going to vary – as is the problems we encounter over the time period of ownership. Similar we could by very different cars, and we are still likely to occasionally encounter a lemon regardless of make, model, or dealer and possibly have long-term issues getting it resolved through the channels. Add to that in the computer world – you have 3rd parties selling most of the software that is ran on the systems – which makes it amazing you can do hardly anything at all on any of the darn things. It is akin to buy a shell and powertrain from one company and getting the interior and controls from another and expecting it to all work in harmony without modification.
Don’t get me wrong – Macs are computers and have their place. But I am not sure that they are any better about crashing, getting hung, or just plan quitting then any similar counter part running Windows. And when you consider comparably equipped, Windows system will run you 1/2 – 2/3 the price I really have to think twice if there is not a strong reason otherwise to go with a Mac.
