Michael M. Hughes

Emma Partnow, post: 5473 wrote: I have a PC (and Always Have Done); if I had the Money Spare I would have Investigated a MAC; however I Don’t; and at Present can’t see me Ever having any Spare Money; so Unfortunately I have No Opinion; apart from the High Price of MACS of course; which seem Extortionate; and I Certainly wouldn’t want a MAC to ‘Look Good’

I understand people who balk at Apple’s pricing or for whom it doesn’t make sense to shell out that much cash. But I think in the bigger view Apple computers are really not more expensive when you consider their value holds up better (you can sell older Macs at very good prices because they are still useful after many years), they are generally more well-built and less prone to hardware and software problems, and you avoid the hassles many users encounter, such as viruses and malware. So while you might pay more upfront, it evens out over time. There have been a few non-biased studies showing that the “true” price is really pretty similar when everything is taken into account.

And anyone who buys something just to look good… that’s just a shame.

I’ve tried to point out verifiable facts (satisfaction surveys, resale values, number of viruses, etc.), as in my last post, not just offer my opinion. But that’s okay, you clearly disagree and think I’m unfairly biased, and that’s why this discussion is always interminable—it’s more like a discussion of religion than comparing two inanimate objects and the code that drives them. So I’ll graciously bow out. Cheers.

Mac viruses are minuscule in number and realistically, most people on Macs have almost very little chance of getting one—and you definitely can’t say that about Windows. I’m not blinded by bias—I have worked on Macs in departments full of Macs all of my adult life. I see average users on Windows dealing with viruses and malware all the time, and as I said, the last virus I have dealt with, on my system or on another user’s, was over a decade ago. I have no doubt there will be more Mac viruses because of Apple’s increased market share, but when even *one* virus hits Macs, it’s big news (the Macdefender virus was the most recent).

And your Mac support comments contradict my own experience over 20+ years, so we’ll have to disagree on that one. I don’t see any real difference between the average Mac or PC user when it comes to needing support or in their abilities to fix things themselves, only that the average Mac user (say, my mom) has a lot less issues in normal usage (i.e. she doesn’t call me all the time asking how to do something since I got her a Powerbook).

And I also don’t think Macs are being promoted as counterculture computers anymore. Just a few years ago a Powerbook was a rare sight. Now, when I walk through the university cafeteria, it’s full of students using Apple laptops. They are most certainly “computer people” who like to use their computers, as much as any PC user. Your stereotype is something that might have been heard around a campfire as well 🙂

And running Mac OS on a Windows PC is not nearly as easy as setting up Windows on a Mac, by any stretch.

But again, to each his own. The Mac vs. PC debate is as dull and unproductive as the meat eater vs. vegetarian debate. The increased market share for Apple (aided by the “halo factor” of iOS devices) is proof that more people are seeing the benefit of Apple’s products, not that they’re being suckered by a brilliant advertising campaign. They’re going for superior quality and ease-of-use… and why shouldn’t they?

JeremiahD, post: 5407 wrote: It comes down to this.

Apple brands/markets itself as the computer company for people that aren’t computer people(back when geek was a derogatory term). Harken back to the “think different” counterculture campaign in the early 90s which was followed by the “I’m a Mac” brand association campaign in the late 90s and it’s clear to see how Jobes and Co. were trying to portray their company compared to PCs. DJs typically aren’t computer people, sure they enjoy technology and gagdets like most people these days, but in general they don’t care much to get into the down and dirty of what makes a computer and OS tick, and more importantly, can’t be bothered to figure out whats wrong themselves when something does eventually go wrong.

Mac people like to claim “it just works”, even though there are countless anecdotes of Macs failing in live shows, getting viruses, etc just like any other computer using any other OS. What they really mean is, when their PC didn’t work they didn’t know what to do, when their mac doesn’t work they call apple tech support line or take it into a apple store.

Windows is fine and great for those who are both comfortable with the OS and comfortable fixing any minor quirks themselves(google ftw). Mac is great for those who are comfortable with the OS and would rather have someone on call to help them with any minor quirks they find, for the added cost of course. Neither is a right or wrong choice.

I disagree. Most DJs I know are definitely computer people, especially those like us, on this board, who DJ digitally. Most Windows users, in my experience, also don’t care much about the inner workings of their PCs or feel the need to use terminal commands—they also want things to “just work.” But unfortunately, Microsoft has always forced them to dig down into multiple settings and install drivers/uninstall drivers and so forth just to be able to have things just work. Years ago, when my friend would get a PC game, we’d enthusiastically open the package and install the game. But nearly every time, there would be missing .dll files and other crap to deal with. It was often an exercise in frustration just to get a game loaded and playable, often necessitating a lot of research to find out why it wasn’t working. And he was quite proficient in operating his PC.

Then I’d buy a Mac game, install it, and play it immediately.

And Macs do not get viruses just like any other computer. I haven’t had a virus or malware infect any of my Macs since a bad MS Word macro hosed my system in the mid-90s. There simply aren’t any Mac viruses out there, except an occasional Trojan horse. I see my work colleagues constantly dealing with infected PCs and I just shake my head. In fact, ten minutes ago, one of my coworkers just had some rogue mail program/virus install itself because she opened an email. That just doesn’t happen on Macs.

And I also disagree that Mac owners are more likely to want to call someone for support instead of doing it themselves. That’s not an accurate characterization, from my many years of doing Mac support, professionally and just helping people out. In reality, Macs owners, even newbies, don’t encounter as many problems because the OS is much more user-friendly, whereas Windows is still, by comparison, much less so.

Again, I really don’t care what anyone uses as long as he/she is happy. But the Mac OS is not just for people who dislike using computers or digging into their capabilities. Many of my über-geek friends have switched to Macs because they can run OS X, Windows, and Linux all on the same box.

I think anyone with a critical need for stability and quality should go for a Mac. But I am an Apple fanboy since I first used a Mac Plus back in the 80s and have used Macs ever since. More than anything, it’s the aesthetics of the Mac OS that make me loathe to consider using a PC. I spend a large portion of my day immersed in my computer, for work and for play. Windows in all its variations has always just looked plain ugly and utilitarian, and the user experience is kludgy and awkward, while the Mac OS has always been more graphically pleasing and user-friendly.

Having said that, Windows has definitely improved (well, excepting Vista). But in all my years of using Apple computers I’ve rarely had to have anything fixed—the build quality of Macs is unmatched, and consumer surveys always rank Apple at the top of computer makers. And OS X is just rock-solid. DJs need to know their laptops aren’t going to seize up and fail, and I’ve seen too many friends suffering Windows woes (hardware problems, malware, viruses, driver incompatibilities, etc.) to even contemplate using one—especially for something as critical as playing live.

I’m sure many DJs are happy with the PCs, but I’d rather have my teeth extracted without anesthesia than use even the best PC laptop.

And don’t forget that Windows runs just as good or better on current Macs, so if you really need to use a Windows application it’s a piece of cake to do so. But you can’t run Mac OS on a Windows box.