Why I hate Macs

[bikenerd]

Now, I'm a great believer in letting people use whichever damn computer they want.  And Windows XP is no where near as bad as Windows used to be.

But, for my line of work (scientific computing), if I had to use a Windows PC, I'd have to download and install lots of different software such as Cygwin, an X11 client, SSH client, C++ and FORTRAN compilers, etc.  Whereas with my Mac it's all built into the OS and works flawlessy.  Of course I could just use Linux but then I'd have to mess around getting the sound or wireless to work.  I probably would never be able to get it to connect to an overhead printer.

So, I like Macs as they're like Linux that actually does work*.  The University paid for it so the cost isn't really an argument.

* I know Ubuntu works almost as well now but I got my laptop 2.5 years ago when Ubuntu wasn't quite as good as it is now.  Even after 2.5 years there's no reason to replace my Macbook.

[alecstilleyedye]

Ian H - a brilliant anecdote of users not understanding how to use machines 


I just remembered a conversation I had with my brother-in-law recently.  He's fed up with having to go to his father's and mend the computer.  Out of frustration last time he just snapped "oh for goodness sake Dad, why don't you just ditch this Mac and buy a normal PC?"

he won't thank him for it. my sister's hubby is quite a pc boffin, and he's fed up of being my dad's first port of call when his pc malfunctions. my bro in law has tried to get dad to go mac as a) it will be less problematic and b) i'll be fielding the mac related questions. trouble is that dad can't look past the slightly higher price of the apple computers. oh well, easy life for me

[alecstilleyedye]

Mac work environments are far less common than Wintel ones, ergo it is easier to "acquire" expensive software for home use on a PC

that's an old fashioned view, what with limewire and the like. i've not had to resort to "borrowing" office software for many a year…

[keepontriking]

I dunno why there is all this Macs are better than PC stuff....

My spare Mac power adaptor arrived today.

The packaging is beautiful.

So that sorts it. Case closed. 

[pcolbeck]

. trouble is that dad can't look past the slightly higher price of the apple computers. oh well, easy life for me

Slightly higher ! A Mac mini with 2Gb of RAM a 160Gb Hard drive a 2Ghz Intel core2 duo and a 20 inch monitor is £950.
A Dell studio with 3Gb RAM a 640GB Hard drive , a 2.3Ghz Intel quad core processor and a 20 inch display is £613. Dell also chuck in a TV tuner.
So the MAC is 50% more expensive for a less well specified machine. Macs are quite lovely but well over priced.

[Mr Larrington]

Mac work environments are far less common than Wintel ones, ergo it is easier to "acquire" expensive software for home use on a PC

that's an old fashioned view, what with limewire and the like. i've not had to resort to "borrowing" office software for many a year…

(Googles)

Doesn't help if one's current employer doesn't have copies of Photoshop, Pagemaker etc. etc. lying about the place.

[Jaded]

So the MAC is 50% more expensive for a less well specified machine. Macs are quite lovely but well over priced.

Apparently some bicycles cost more than £99. 

[Hot Flatus]

With the demise of politicisation of the general public occuring at some point in the late 80's (ie.  CND, socialism etc etc), coupled with the increase in affluence,  people seem to register their individuality through hating big brand names, whether it be McDonalds, or Starbucks and aligning themselves to other brands that are perceived as being leftfield. 

Apple is a prime example of this.  Hating Microsoft and more importantly being seen and heard to voice that dislike is de rigeur.  Somehow Apple is seen as some sort of hippy underdog, battling away with the corporate behemoth of Microsoft. 

What a load of bollocks. Bring back CND.

[bikenerd]

Apple is a prime example of this.  Hating Microsoft and more importantly being seen and geard to voice that dislike is de rigeur.  Somehow Apple is seen as some sort of hippy underdog, battling away with the corporate behemoth of Microsoft.

Maybe 5 years ago, but not anymore.  Apple are the new Microsoft, especially in geek / IT circles.

[Jaded]

Actually hating Microsoft is more to do with what they have foisted on the marketplace and the way they did this.

[blackpuddinonnabike]

It's interesting reading through all of this.

I thought I'd bought my computer after some careful research based on what I needed to do at home, and what I intended to do in the future, finding that after making the purchase I managed to, for example, spend about 3/4s of the time previously spent organising the text and images for the website, allowing me to expand it in length and detail.

But it appears that I was wrong. I bought it because I'm a fashion junkie who worries about form over function having been carefully seduced and brainwashed by advertising.

What a weak-willed fool am I?

People are different. They like different things. They like different ways of working.

[bobajobrob]

Maybe 5 years ago, but not anymore.  Apple are the new Microsoft, especially in geek / IT circles.

+1. They are doing a lot of evil stuff with DRM and stupid software restrictions, bullying people who dare to make stuff that makes their products more useful, etc. For example, if I buy an iPhone, I want to run whatever applications I like on there, but I can't because it's locked down. Gee, I know I'll hack it myself and open myself to the possibility of the thing being intentionally bricked by some software update from Apple... Not much of a choice.

[bobajobrob]

But it appears that I was wrong. I bought it because I'm a fashion junkie who worries about form over function having been carefully seduced and brainwashed by advertising.

What a weak-willed fool am I?

Yes that is the typical anti-mac user rant, but by rolling it out again you're just perpetuating the whole tedious argument. There are some interesting and insightful comments in this thread, perhaps we should focus on those instead?

[blackpuddinonnabike]

But it appears that I was wrong. I bought it because I'm a fashion junkie who worries about form over function having been carefully seduced and brainwashed by advertising.

What a weak-willed fool am I?

Yes that is the typical anti-mac user rant, but by rolling it out again you're just perpetuating the whole tedious argument. There are some interesting and insightful comments in this thread, perhaps we should focus on those instead?

My apologies for not being interesting or insightful. It's cos I'm vacuous see. Although I had kinda hoped that the paragraph before...

Ah feck it. I can't be bothered.

Ta ra.

[bobajobrob]

I think I forgot this -

[bobajobrob]

I sometimes dislike the missionary zeal of their users...

Windows and linux users can be equally zealous. I think linux fanboys are probably the most entertaining. There was a wonderful blog called linuxhaters which was written by a dude who knows an awful lot about linux (I suspect he's a developer of some kind), with the intention of trolling for fanboys, or "lusers". Some of the comments, or "flames" on his posts are priceless. I find mac fanboys are a bit dull by comparison, but funny nonetheless.

[hellymedic]

I sometimes dislike the missionary zeal of their users...

Windows and linux users can be equally zealous. I think linux fanboys are probably the most entertaining. There was a wonderful blog called linuxhaters which was written by a dude who knows an awful lot about linux (I suspect he's a developer of some kind), with the intention of trolling for fanboys, or "lusers". Some of the comments, or "flames" on his posts are priceless. I find mac fanboys are a bit dull by comparison, but funny nonetheless.

Sounds as if it could be amusing but I can't summon up any energy to look.
A Pathetic of Edgware.
<Yawn>

[bobajobrob]

Sounds as if it could be amusing but I can't summon up any energy to look.
A Pathetic of Edgware.
<Yawn>

You probably have to be a software geek to fully appreciate it

[hellymedic]

Sounds as if it could be amusing but I can't summon up any energy to look.
A Pathetic of Edgware.
<Yawn>

You probably have to be a software geek to fully appreciate it

No doubt!
Meanwhile, in the lounge, sits David patiently uppgrading the OS on a third-hand iMac...

[Valiant]

Sounds as if it could be amusing but I can't summon up any energy to look.
A Pathetic of Edgware.
<Yawn>

You probably have to be a software geek to fully appreciate it

No doubt!
Meanwhile, in the lounge, sits David patiently uppgrading the OS on a third-hand iMac...

Could be worse, SP3 on a 2nd laptop

[andyoxon]

Have just tried to download some software for this mac running Mac OS 10.4.11.  Turns out the Mac version, only runs on Mac OS 10.3 which is 4-5 yr old(?), and the new version of the software coming out in two weeks will only work on intel based Macs.  So that means that anyone with a non-intel mac, either has to use out of date Mac OS, or buy a new mac.  This goes to show that for many software developers it’s not worth bothering with backwards compatibility for non-intel macs.   

[Valiant]

What software?

[andyoxon]

What software?

Sam, I've used a PC.   It's some free (to academic users) 'DNA' software - because the main software suite we use site wide, and no doubt pay some vast amount for, doesn't seem to do the job very well (on Mac or PC).