Michael Dell Thanks Steve Jobs For Making Dell M1330 Number One!!

If you could explain more, that would help. Who knows, maybe it's me. For example, I worked with this professor on a research project and she was like, "I only use Macs; people in academia are not PC users!" I was like, "uh huh." So she had Office for Macs on her MBP and it was nice -- looked nicer as an interface than the Windows version -- but it wasn't substantively different in any way. But she was like, "see how this is better?" I was like, "uh huh."

 

ATC, I will have to say I was the same. I used to consider iPods to be overrated, and I disliked Macs...but in reality, I barely had any experience with both. Then in 2005, my friend showed me his iPod Mini, and I just loved it, and I got an iPod Nano. Now I have an iPod Touch. Sure, its overrated in the sense that nearly everyone has one, but I did not buy an iPod to look cool or any sort. Heck, I ditched my iPod earbuds for better sounding ones. I bought an iPod because I just loved its design and the way it works.

Now, I have a Mac as well. I used to find Mac OS X to be awkward, but now, I love it. The way it works is more logical for me. Granted, I cannot get away from Windows altogether either; I use a desktop PC as well, but I just prefer using my MacBook.

 

The Macbook Air had nothing to do with Dell regaining the lead in the US. Apple continues to gain market share at the expense of Dell and other PC providers, and Dell had regained the #1 spot prior to the MBA being announced. Dell regained the spot because they've greatly improved their designs, their customer service, and most importantly, began selling through alternate channels.

Apple makes great products, and, if judged on technical merit alone, I think anyone with an open mind would have a very hard time saying that OSX wasn't equal to or greater than Vista. The fact that it's simple enough for grandmas, yet still powerful enough to do everything Vista does is credit to how good the OS is. MS and Linux could both take a lot of lessons here.

The only problem I have with OSX is that it's tied to Apple hardware. If they'd open it up, I'd run it without question. Why wouldn't you? It's as secure as Unix and easy to use. Everything Vista aspires to be (not that Vista's bad - I quite like it. personally.). Sure, it lacks games and other software support, but that's more a statement of its marketshare than its capability.

In the end we should be happy we have both Dell and Apple. Without Dell, we'd still be paying a -lot- more $$$ for computers than we are today. They completely changed the pricing structure in the industry. Without Apple, Dell and all the other PC makers would still be putting out ugly, boring, poorly designed beige boxes full of crapware. Apple is a definitely leader in terms of design - both hardware wise and OS wise, and user experience. And the better Apple OSX gets, the hard MS has to work - which is something MS hasn't had to do in 10 years or so. Competition is good for all of us.

 

This would be amazing. Maybe a reverse Parallels? I'd love to run OSX. But I'd need Windows for gaming and job/work software. And that, in a nutshell, is why I don't and won't own a Mac. Most of my PC time is spent in work and games.

 

Like I said, it's very hard to put in to words, and when I do it won't do it justice. For one, I'm not good enough with words to describe an experience that a reader would appreciate on the same level as the one actually experiencing it.

In any case, the first few hours I was very frustrated. I was outside my comfort zone and didn't have much patience. The whole single button track-pad thing drove me nuts until I learnt the tap-with-two-fingers thing. And now I wish Vista had that.lol

Experienced windows users for the most part can do a proper uninstall of intrusive programs, those that spread their roots deeply into the OS, with reg edits and deletes, temp files cleanup, hunting down the last of the little traces even in protected system files.

I had a fear of doing an uninstall in OSX because I really didn't know where to start. Would you believe simply dragging the application icon into the trash can absolutely deletes the whole program? I didn't either until I tried it. Not a single trace is left of you ever having that application.

I started reading this article in the NYT online and I came across a word I had never seen before. Simply tapping on the word once with two fingers brought up the option to look up the word in a dictionary that's built right into OSX.

I then started uncovering how integrated the Mail, Calendar and Tasks (to-do) programs are. I was impressed by how easily I was able to integrate a phone number in an email into a contact that was associated with a task on the calendar program, and this is coming from someone who's very comfortable with Outlook. This is the thing; it feels as though it was one person who designed the who thing rather than a group of individuals working independently and then slapping the thing together in the last minute. It's very apparent in practise.

I could probably fill out pages and pages of these things after merely using it for a few days and I still haven't touched many of the features.

What I'm trying to say is that collectively, these features I'm trying to describe place the OS as a powerful yet un-intimidating tool that is tightly integrated. You get the impression after using it that it is really trying hard to get out of your way and be essentially invisible, yet be right there in your face when you need it.

It's hard to describe. It's really an experience that one cannot do justice to it by simply putting it into words; like I tried above and failed (I think).

 

Failed?? LOL

Great post!

 

Sorry, but that only points out one glaring thing: that nobody developed for Apple. You know why things aren't that way with Windows? Because all the morons of the world ran around screaming about "MICROSOFT MONOPOLY!!" So if Microsoft ever tried to do what you talk about with Apple -- tying everything together -- they would be accused of collusion and manipulation. The reason Apple can get away with it is basically because 90% of computers run on Windows-based systems. Now, the outcome may be great, but don't go praising Apple for it. That's just the same as saying that Macs are hacker-proof (you didn't say that, just using the example). It's not that they are, it's that they're used by so few people that it's worthless to hack a Mac. But you can praise Macs for being so security conscious, too.

Now, Microsoft is notorious for rushing out their product, no doubt. And they were plagued by problems with their coding because it was so compartmentalized. So nobody is saying Microsoft is perfection or anything close to it. But the fact is that anyone who is unbiased will tell you that Microsoft was working with constraints that Apple coders never did. Microsoft was so successful in capturing market that basically everyone hated them just for winning. Everything became a target for criticism. Meanwhile, Apple would sell two computers to their fanboys and they would run around screaming about how awesome Macs were. That went on for about twenty years.

 

Good to see you don't analyze much when it comes to praising Apple. WIN!!

 

Dell serves a purpose and it is to market to the low end of the computer field which is a market that Apple cares nothing of as they are interested in quality, reliability, and brand image.



I think that is laughable.

 

Agreed. Apple could only hope to sell the number of corporate and government workstations, laptops, servers, and storage solutions that Dell does. These profitable markets are hardly the 'low end of the computer field'.

 

Apple did some wise investing, and still has the support of pretty much every school, elementary to university level.

 

I agree. I'm not sure though it's as much rushing as it is being constrained to tow the line with legacy support. It's like a powerful and sleek ship that has an anchor bigger than itself.

Out of all the submissions I've made to MSFT during Vista beta testing, I'd say a good 70% will never make it to the product. The typical correspondence I would get back is that it's being considered for the next release (in Vista's case, it would be something to consider for Windows 7). And then here I am waiting, while the code expands exponentially while more bugs are bound to be present.

We will inevitably come to a point where MSFT has to start fresh with a radical course change not unlike how intel went from the P4 to PM. Until then, we're going to be getting very familiar with buggy products that under-perform, littered with bug fixes and updates that tie us over till the next big release comes with the promise of extraordinary things.

On a personal level, I wish MSFT would branch out into two streams; one catering to their bread and butter corp clients and they can have all the legacy anchor weight they want, and then maybe create a separate platform for enthusiasts where they start fresh, code for performance at the expense of losing legacy support. One can dream, right?

 

I'm not sure that's still true, Lithus. Our local school district switched from Mac's to Wintel machines a number of years ago, and my daughter's university is completely Dell/Windows. I'm sure Apple still has a strong presence in .edu, but it's not as dominant as it once was.

 

Yeah, Apple has a niche market with academia-types, such as professors who do research. Other than that, you're just remembering Apple's glory days when every classroom had one of those clunky Apple II's with Oregon Trail on it. Most colleges and universities in America have computer labs with both Apples and PCs, but the PCs outnumber the Mac labs by 3:1 easily. Businesses, governments, and hospitals mostly run on PCs, too. Anyone who says they're even close in number is smoking some illegal stuff.

 

Apple market share is under 10% so I would agree.

http://www.appleinsider.com/article..._market_share_rises_to_8_1_percent_in_q3.html

 

Yup, I agree with all.

 

Not good to see that you've got nothing to post which isn't still simply negative, and that you've put yourself into so lofty a position that you're compelled to judge the opinions of so many people all in a single thread. Amazing!

 

My problem is I like all computers, all types and wish I could own one of each kind and make.
sigh....

 

I do, too, msjaneoly. Some of us just buy what we like, for whatever reason, and why anyone else would care is beyond me. I pay for what I use, and use what I like. What's the issue?

 

This thread is getting out of hand. It hasn't served any good purpose but act as a flame war zone for Dell vs. Apple. Time to close. Sorry guys, and thanks for your cooperation.