Advantages of OS X over Windows?

Mac OSX is better at 64-bit applications in general. In Windows, you have different sets of drivers for 32-bits and 64-bits. On Mac OSX, the driver issue is something that the OS takes care of you.

One huge problem with Vista right now is the absence of Cisco VPN for the 64-bit version. My Dell XPS M1330 came with Vista x64 (it comes with 4 GB of RAM and you need the 64-bit OS to take advantage of all of the memory). To run Cisco VPN for me to get into work, I had to install a Windows XP 32-bit Virtual Machine and use that to log into work. There's the expense of the additional Windows XP license and the overhead (screen space, disk space, latency) is a pain. Cisco is pointing figures at Microsoft. I consider it unacceptable that Cisco VPN isn't available so long after Vista shipping.

I use my MacBook Pro for work 100% of the time now. I shut off my office Windows desktop. My development environment at work is Linux so using Mac OSX and its character cell interfaces feels natural.

From a developer perspective, all Intel Macs support the SSE2 instruction set so when I write code, I can assume the presence of the additional vector instructions. On Windows, I have to check processor capabilities and variant code for processors with and without SSE2.

 

I really don't care about bloatware. Most people do, but 2 hours of my life isn't worth $400. I'm sure all you Mac users are CEOs of Fotune 500 companies. But I could care less if the OEMs put 500 bloatware apps on my new pc, as long as they knock off a couple hundred bucks off the price, I'm happy. A simple reformat and their ads convinced me of nothing.

 

Dell's new business models use magnesium alloy for their interior, bottom and screen lid. They also use AU Optronics as one of their screen suppliers, which also supplies Apple. I was lucky enough to receive an AUO4277, and cannot tell the difference between my friends MBP.

& Bloatware has absolutely -nothing- to do with Windows, or any OS for that matter. It's the OEM giving out the OS that decides to pack up the OS with the bloatware. Therefore, saying Windows sucks because of bloatware is erroneous.

 

Please get off your stereotypical high horse. Mac users are no more rich than people using Windows. It's not as simple as it sounds either, the majority of computer users worldwide don't even know how to uninstall a program in Windows let alone reformat an entire hard drive. Buying a shiny new computer and booting it up only to find it with tons of bloatware on the desktop ruin the out of box experience. That bloatware uses up valuable hard drive space. Sony includes 4GB's of full movies (of their choice) on a new notebook and you can't view them fully without paying for them. If a new user is not savvy enough they won't know how to get rid of them and it ends up a waste of good drive space. That's the unfortunate life of Windows.

If you want a clean drive, Sony and Dell charge an extra premium to buy a PC that way. To many people it's worth it to pay a premium at any cost to get a clean computer the way it was advertised. Apple is upfront about what's installed on their computers and you get exactly that, no hidden bloatware like Windows computer manufacturers like to sneak in.

 

depends on which models you are looking at, i was referring to the high end models, Z, TT, AW.. and previously the TZ and SZ..

they all have screen's that blowout the macbook pro's screen. The Z's screen is far less reflective than the macbook's screen.

it might not be one of the most durable laptops (like lenovo's and the business line dell or HP) but is definitely one of the state of the art laptops in the market. AFAIK they pioneered the hybrid graphics.. and they just have a superior build quality compared to HP, Lenovo, and Dell..

Plus, the Sony's have excellent heat management.

All in all, i believe that Sony is the equivalent of Apple in the PC world, in terms of hardware, materials, and design.

and i am referring to the high end models, not the CS and those other cheap BS

 

Sony used to just make high-end stuff which didn't sell well in the US but did sell well in Japan. Sony has moved downmarket to get more sales. Sony has had a lot of problems in this decade (batteries, CD rootkit debacle) and I think that their brand has suffered from the 80s when they were known as major innovators.

I have a friend with 3 Sony Vaios. One of his complaints was about the service experience. Unfortunately, you deal with the store where you bought it (CompUSA in his case) and the quality of tech support in those types of places (Circuit City, Best Buy, etc.) isn't always the best. They have to cover multiple makes and a wide variety of models.

Apple makes relatively few models and only has to deal with their own stuff and they try to make the service and learning experience far more pleasant than what you see at the box stores. You can buy your Apple at Best Buy and use their service too but you do have a choice if there's an Apple Store nearby. I wouldn't recommend the big box purchase. I went through a fix in one of those with my Dell XPS and it wasn't that great of an experience.

 

So Apple have not had any problems with batteries or anything else? Come on you know that is not the case.

The first MBP i owned the motherboard, dvd drive and the inverter needed replacing. It came back from the repair centre and needed to go in again not long after. I was then given a new laptop which turned out to be ok. Apple did recall the battery as well due to some problem.

I owned a MB as well and the dvd drive packed up within 28 days of owning it.

No company is immune from problems.

 

Yes Apple had problems with the batteries made by Sony.

So did HP and Dell.

Everyone has had problems with nVidia 8400 and 8600 chips. I blame the manufacturuer - nVidia. Just as I blame Sony for the battery problems as they sold them to other OEMs.

 

So you know that Sony is the only company in the last three years to make batteries for Apple?
Some of my problems were not even battery related.
I could list some of the other problems that some people have experienced with their Mac notebooks but it is pointless.

p.s The MBP's i owned i believe had the ATI graphics chip.

 

Because of a risk of fire, Apple Computer is recalling 1.8 million batteries that use Sony's battery cell technology, which also was at the root of Dell's historic recall last week.

The Mac maker's recall, while not as large as Dell's, affects users of its iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 laptop models sold between October 2003 and August 2006, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission. Users are advised to remove the batteries immediately and store them in a safe place.

Apple said it has gotten nine reports of batteries overheating, including two cases in which users reported minor burns and property damage. However, it says no serious injuries have been reported.

http://news.cnet.com/Apple-recalls-1.8-million-batteries/2100-1041_3-6109198.html

My point is that Sony has had a lot of problems in this century. It's a lot harder to be a company that has peaked and is falling than it is in one that is rising. Sony certainly has had better days.

It doesn't really matter who makes batteries for Apple currently. Sony has had a decent history of battery problems in very large quantities. Apple doesn't make their own batteries and can simply blame their suppliers for any problems. That Dell, HP, etc. have had the same problem with batteries from Sony pretty much says who the problem was with.

 

Most of the problems that i have dealt with in recent years have been with Apple computers. So far i have had no problems with my Sony laptop. I sent my laptop to Sony for something but that was purely was for comestic reasons i wanted a premium carbon fibre lid instead of the carbon fibre lid that is standard with my laptop.

The later iBook G4's had known issues and a class action was brought against Apple in Europe because of these problems.
There were so many complaints with the MBP when it was introduced that you could call Apple and they would schedule you to have your motherboard replaced without much bother.
People have complained about the past gen MB due to cracked casing and yellowing discolouration problems.
People have also complained about the build of the last gen MBA and its ability to deal with heat.
People have also complained about MBP's grainy screens in the past also.
People have been complaining about the new MB's battery and the way that it fits. They have also been complaining about slanted keys and dust behind the display.

Sony has had problems with the TZ but it is not to dissimilar like what happened with the MBP's in the past. They have also had problems with the SZ displays which were resolved in later models.
I have not read of many people complaining of cracked cases though. People have also been complaining about the Z's keyboard also.

Bottom line is that both companies have had problems and some people have said that Apple's quality control has dropped in recent years.

 

I think no company ever makes a product that is 100% perfect. Even if they do, usually theres a few that arn't perfect and may be defective. If you make hundreds of thousands of that product, those few will add up.

I'm not saying apple is immune to the problems, though in my own experience they've been pretty good at replacing them, without much hassle, compared to other companies.

But yea I guess it could be considered a quality control issue.

Also, it's the first gen of the new laptops, so unfortunitly there are going to be flaws and so forth.

 

Apple product are okay, but are WAY OVERRATED! Apple fanboys shout louder than other users on the internet and in real life.

Sorry, Apple hardware is not a religion. It is a sadistic, fascist cult.

 

You seem to be the one shouting louder than any Mac fanboys I have seen... You sure Windows fanboys aren't worse?

 

Yes, Windows fanboys are not any worse. New Windows user do not pray to the Apple gods and try to get everybody else to convert to their religion (a.k.a. Apple cult).

I cannot say the same about typical Apple users.

 

I had a Sony and liked it. As far as CompUSA and Best Buy taking care of your laptop for hardware problems, good luck unless you bought the extended warranty from them. All manufacturers will take care of there own product hardware for 1, 2, 3, years depending on the warranty that you also get from them. I have dealt with HP and had a great experience from them. My friend has a Sony and had to replace a HD and had no issue getting the HD replaced. The problem is that people think they can get hardware replaced out of warranty and when they cant they blow it way out of proportion and change the story to something that is not even close. I have seen this way to much.

Anyhow lot of systems have issues and most will eventually develop issues due to age.

Macs and PCs are all great. It just depends on the user, his taste, personality and etc.

 

I knew this thread would turn into a shooting match between Mac fans and Windows fans.

It took no time for us to get off topic.

Anytime someone asks me, "Mac or Windows," I ask them, "Which one does your IT department support?" Either? Great!! Only one of them? Use the other at your own risk. If I only get paid to support Windows here and you come walking in with a Mac problem, I'm gonna just hand you the phone buddy.

And vice versa.

 

At my office we have a group of Mac users and can usually find a solution within our own knowledge-base. If not, there's plenty of information on the web. We're all software engineers or managers and use Windows, Linux, Mac OSX and other operating systems and generally live math and technology.

 

I am new into mac and love using it as much as i love using my windows....

1. I like mac- Because it does what it says .. but it says so little...

2. I like windows - Because it does more than what it says. There are a million applications for everything .... But its usually these applications that cause trouble

 

OSX is a very much a complete piece of software. I imagine that the vast majority of people would be able to do everything they need to on a mac without purchasing any other software. The way the various apps all integrate with each other is also a joy to behold. It's also very pretty and as many have also pointed out, very intuitive. But it's not perfect by any means, Iphoto, Imovie and photobooth crash regularly on my imac, and I lost a significant amount of footage once when transferring video from an SD card onto my macbook.

It's the hardware that attracted me to apple, not the OS itself. Lately I've been finding myself using the vista partition in boot camp more and more, to the point where I'm only in OSX for 20% of the time, largely when doing image and video editing.

One argument that I've heard over and over here is that OSX doesn't crash. I can tell you that it does, and I've had the message that I need to restart my machine in four different languages on many macs over the last 3-4 years.