In new Microsoft ad, it takes a long time to buy a PC
After Lauren, the actress, and Giampaolo, the model engineer, meet Jackson, the cutest kid you ever will see. His mom, Lisa, is quite nice too.
Yes, with its "laptop hunters" campaign Microsoft is going to keep punching with every possible demographic and every last letter in the extremely traditional advertising vernacular until it hears the merest whimper from those smug, designer-clad pretty-boys at Apple.
Lisa and Jackson are a charming pair. Revved up by the folks cunningly pretending to be market researchers, they scurry around Best Buy as if they're playing a sophisticated form of hide and seek. They're can't hide that they're seeking "speed, a big hard drive, and a good gaming computer," for under $1,500.
Their search, with the inevitability of the scene in most movies where the cute, lovable protagonist meets with bulbous-nosed, evil villain, has to conquer the Mac drawbridge.
Lisa's ready with an instinctive line: "Macs, they're kind of popular with this age," she says, pointing at 11-year-old Jackson. The deeply interred subtext? Macs are pre-pubescent toys, PCs are for those who know a Jaguar from a cougar (and who don't want to spend too much on either, of course.)
In order to emphasize this mature mindset, Lisa treats her son as she would a friend. Looking at the pretty Apples, she offers: "These are way more money, dude." While Jackson decides the Macs are just too small, his mom offers a curious, indigested grimace as Jackson sees that his needs can only be met by a PC.
Lisa and Jackson are far more convincing as, well, human beings than either Lauren or Giampaolo. That's why when they exclaim "Blu-Ray!" together, we don't necessarily say "Hoo-Ray!", but we don't want to reach for a remote, a beer or a set of car keys either. (We still miss Jerry and Bill, though. The most honest pairing in any Microsoft ad.)
However, just as Giampaolo's alleged tech savviness seemed to nullify the tortuousness of his search, so I find myself left with another curious cold compress at the end of Lisa and Jackson's laptop lagoon.
When they begin their quest outside Best Buy, it is light outside. By the time they deliver their last strikingly spontaneous thought about Jackson being 11 and Lisa being slightly more than 11, darkness is all around.
Does it really take that long to buy a PC? Or is this a symbolic, portentous message about darkness falling and the myth of the Tooth Fairy? (What do you mean, you never saw the movie?)
Chris Matyszczyk is an award-winning creative director who advises major corporations on content creation and marketing. He brings an irreverent, sarcastic, and sometimes ironic voice to the tech world. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. 
Last time I bought a tv from best buy, went in a dusk and came out at night.... you're reaching with that last statement...
I do have to hand it to M$'s ad firm though... I'm sure these commercials will be effective to slow people jumping the M$ ship. The average computer buyer doesn't know that much, so they are pretty easily swayed..... from either direction. Apple's ads have been brilliant... this is a reasonably good counter ad campaign.
I have no disagreement with you about Sony. You pay way too much for too little, and what all too frequently turns out to be no faster than a contemporary 2/3 the price. Vaios are dogs with a pretty design and a high price tag, much like Apple.
However, your statement "(if that is possible, given the OS)" made me laugh, and not in agreement. We established your partiality to Apple in our last encounter, not to mention the fact that you're not above a bit of tall-tale telling. What I see in you is a Microsoft refugee emigrant who settled happily for the first thing that could get him online easily, and without getting infected.
The aluminum chassis design is nice, but it still wouldn't save the hard drive if the unit was knocked off a table and onto the floor. Now anyone who knows how to image a HDD would be in decent shape, and I'll admit that it's a nice thought that the rest of the unit should be just fine. But if you intend to perform resource-intensive tasks, and record the screen and sound card simultaneously, then a suitable MacBook will cost you $2,500 dollars. A PC will not.
I'm curious as to what about Mac OS is better than Windows? Either OS can go into a reboot cycle, but Windows won't do it for no reason at all; Mac OS will. And whether or not you will admit to anything, I would never trust my flash data to any Unix-based operating system. Their USB drivers are far from stable.
One advantage for Apple is that there appears to be no one in Russia or China who knows yet how to make a drive-by download work on the Mac like Charlie Miller does. And they probably won't, either, until there are enough Macs online to justify the time it would take to learn how. But fortunately for Windows users, Vista and the upcoming Windows 7 are apparently invulnerable to drive-by downloads right out of the box. The only thing we'd have to beware of are Trojan horses, as Mac users themselves are being advised to do by Apple. In fact, the first Mac-targeted botnet program came out just days ago, called MacBot or iBotnet. Not as an opponent, but as an honest, fellow Internet user, please be careful.
Offhand, I can remember trying OS X, OS 9, OS 7 (never tried the others), FreeSBIE (FreeBSD live CD), Solaris, OpenSUSE, PCLinuxOS, Freespire, SimplyMEPIS, Mandriva, Ubuntu, DreamLinux, gOS, Mint, BeOS, and Windows. I've never owned a Mac, and have no use for a hackintosh. Whatever the Mac zealots say, there's not as much software for Mac OS as there is for Windows. That's why every other operating system has software to try and emulate Windows. Personally, I'll stick to the standard. Anything I want my systems to do, they'll do fast. My systems are faster and more stable than Macs with comparable features (while costing hundreds less) and even less autostart programs. And I'm not just saying this because I'm some refugee who was willing to get used to and overlook certain flaws (such as the Mac sleep bug that never dies) in the first alternative OS that would let me surf the Web and check my e-mail. Am I a Windows fanboy with an axe to grind as big as Paul Bunyan's? You bet. But unlike a Linux fanboy or Mac zealot, I don't try to hide my platform's flaws, and pretend when someone brings them up that I've never seen them; I can tell you how to fix the problems.
Some Mac users have little to no experience with Windows, and remain Mac users out of decades of die-hard loyalty, because Apple made the first GUI (or at least they stole it first). Others are former PC users who threw up their hands and emigrated because they couldn't figure out how to stay secure online, or because they installed too much security software or other autostart bloatware that ran their PC into the ground, intercepted other processes, and made the machine crash (or they had a hardware conflict and blamed it on Microsoft, rather than the hardware vendor who wrote the driver, LMAO). I don't have any of these problems. I don't use machines that work only when they want to, nor do I have to make a single sacrifice to have this (and I do a whole heck of a lot more than just go online and use e-mail). Anyone who makes sacrifices for an operating system has forgotten the very purpose for which it was invented. The operating system is supposed to accommodate the user, not vice versa.
For anyone with reasonable savvy (e.g. knows how to use disk imaging software - anyone who doesn't, and has nobody to do it for them is less than qualified, because they WILL eventually lose their data), Windows was and is the uncut Utopia. From 20 years ago to this day, Macs are for dummies.
I have no clue what you are talking about with a $2500 Macbook to record screen and sound, etc. If that is your Windows experience, then I guess you need to try a better multi-tasking system like OSX.
Win Vista and 7 'apparently invulnerable'... LOL. Now you're starting to sound exactly like what you call a stupid Mac user.
"Not as an opponent, but as an honest, fellow Internet user, please be careful." - Thanks... I'm as careful as I need to be... fortunately, at this point, that isn't all that careful on a Mac. If/when the time comes, I'll do what I need to do. (A sign might be me actually hearing of a Mac being infected somewhere.)
You are absolutely correct that there is less software for the Mac. Who cares? I use the best apps I can find for what I do, and those happen to be on the Mac. I don't need 100 word-processors, I need 1. I don't need 20 CGI rendering apps, I need 1. I don't need 30 audio studio apps, I need 1. etc. As for PC emulation, that is an option for OSX users, should they need some Windows app that isn't available for OSX. They can even run it without dual-boot.... right up alongside their OSX apps. I have this capability, as I got the software free with my MBP... but I've only used it once to make a CD with some update drivers for my Unix hardware, as the dumb manufacturer made the updater Windows only. (not exactly something the average user need to do).
You're a fanboy with an axe to grind.... that seems obvious. What are you talking about when you say 'sleep bug'? Sorry, you'll have fill me in. I never said Macs were totally free from problems... just that they have way less. And, in my experience, when they do, Apple is pretty responsive. Try to get support on a PC when you've built it... good luck.
"Some Mac users have little to no experience with Windows, and remain Mac users out of decades of die-hard loyalty..." - Yep, I agree... and that isn't me. I worked with and fixed DOS and Windows machines for years. About the only Windows OS I haven't spent much time with is Vista.
"The operating system is supposed to accommodate the user, not vice versa." - I agree, which is why I use a Mac. In my many years of IT experience... whether it has been helping a friend with a home-built, or working at a client site full of Dells, or working in a Fortune 50 server room with $20k HP servers... I have almost always felt the same. I'd think of what I was doing, and think how much more easily it could be done with a Mac. Granted, until recently with the Xserve, some of the hardware wasn't really server-room appropriate (and still, some of the management utils still aren't up to what some IT depts want, etc.) About the only experience more frustrating than Windows (OS wise) has been my Unix experience.... but in that case, it is FREE and I can make it do exactly what I need without the overhead. Never while I've been working on (or fixing) some friends PC for hours have I thought... wow, this was worth the $100 they saved (or even $500... we've blown through that in frustration after a few hours). I have, for the most part, stopped helping people with their PCs who I warned to get a Mac. Maybe that is part of the reason people are switching (if other Mac users who fix friends PCs are doing the same).
I use SuperDuper! on the Mac to make bootable images to various hard drives. Hopefully I'll never lose my data. I've fixed some pretty messed up systems from such images. With a Mac it is quite easy.... reload the OS fresh on the machine... plug in the external drive.... tell the OS 'import' the user(s) from the image.... back to where you left off. This is probably a bit better than what the average Mac user does with Time Machine... but for the most part, Time Machine will keep most users pretty safe with their data.
"Windows was and is the uncut Utopia. From 20 years ago to this day, Macs are for dummies." - Ignorance is bliss I guess. With this statement, you've shown just how much of a Windows fanboy you are, and how completely out of touch with Macs you are (or computing in general).
"@ santuccie - Umm, I was using Windows and Macs before there was an 'on-line' and these type of security risks to worry about. No, I picked a Mac because it does what I need to do better. Period."
>>>>Interesting. I thought you picked the Mac because it was a "fortress" compared to Windows. If I was wrong, forgive me.
"I have no clue what you are talking about with a $2500 Macbook to record screen and sound, etc. If that is your Windows experience, then I guess you need to try a better multi-tasking system like OSX."
>>>>Windows experience? I said a PC would NOT cost this much money. Do you have a Mac with which you can play a .PPTX slideshow and record the screen at 30-60 FPS? If yes, then how much money did this unit cost, and how much did the upgrades cost?
BTW, you really don't know what you're talking about, do you? For the record, Windows XP outran OS X Tiger on a Mac Mini. Don't know about Leopard, but Windows 7 is faster still. Bet it beats Leopard.
"Win Vista and 7 'apparently invulnerable'... LOL. Now you're starting to sound exactly like what you call a stupid Mac user."
>>>>Can you show me a drive-by download that can penetrate Windows 7 or Vista with UAC enabled? I think you've just crammed your foot in your mouth... AGAIN.
"Thanks... I'm as careful as I need to be... fortunately, at this point, that isn't all that careful on a Mac."
>>>Nor here, on Windows XP. All I do is lock the kernel, and use "Run as" to install software. I haven't been infected since I first learned how, which was about 2-1/2 years ago. Not even adware touch my machines.
"If/when the time comes, I'll do what I need to do. (A sign might be me actually hearing of a Mac being infected somewhere.)"
>>>>Ask, and thou shalt receive: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/16/new_ibotnet_analysis/ Like I said previously, there seems to be no one in Russia or China (where most malware has been coming from) who knows how to make a drive-by download for the Mac. It may be awhile before it happens, since hacking at this level takes years of study. But all the same, best you be alert to it, since it has been demonstrated.
"You are absolutely correct that there is less software for the Mac. Who cares? I use the best apps I can find for what I do, and those happen to be on the Mac. I don't need 100 word-processors, I need 1. I don't need 20 CGI rendering apps, I need 1. I don't need 30 audio studio apps, I need 1. etc. As for PC emulation, that is an option for OSX users, should they need some Windows app that isn't available for OSX. They can even run it without dual-boot.... right up alongside their OSX apps. I have this capability, as I got the software free with my MBP... but I've only used it once to make a CD with some update drivers for my Unix hardware, as the dumb manufacturer made the updater Windows only. (not exactly something the average user need to do)."
>>>>If you're talking about Parallels, then I know your Mac is less stable than you claim. What non-dual-boot emulator are you talking about?
"You're a fanboy with an axe to grind.... that seems obvious. What are you talking about when you say 'sleep bug'? Sorry, you'll have fill me in. I never said Macs were totally free from problems... just that they have way less. And, in my experience, when they do, Apple is pretty responsive. Try to get support on a PC when you've built it... good luck."
>>>>If you have the savvy to build your own machine, then you'll find all the support you need in online forums, where every Windows question under the sun is addressed. What kind of high-profile network administrator are you; can't you do a simple Google search? Try this one: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=mac+won%27t+sleep&aq=f&oq=
That said, the Mac may very well have "way less" problems, given the simple fact that there's less variety in all three categories: hardware, software, and price. However, I'd say Windows problems are more predictable and less difficult to pinpoint. Good thing Apple is responsive. If not for that, a lot of Mac users would be S.O.L.
"Yep, I agree... and that isn't me. I worked with and fixed DOS and Windows machines for years. About the only Windows OS I haven't spent much time with is Vista."
>>>>When you lie about working as a network administrator with as little as you know about computers and Internet security, and continue with an even more inflated claim about working with a Fortune 50 company; I'm afraid I can't put any stock in this statement here, sorry. You only just acquired current knowledge of market shares a week ago, along with a rudimentary understanding of how criminal hackers operate. I even had to spell out for you why Internet browsing activity is not only relevant to remote attacks, but the sole factor in and of itself!
There's no need to tell me you haven't spent much time with Vista. You made it obvious in our last encounter, and again with the foolish remark above about MY stupidity regarding Windows 7's and Vista's "apparent invulnerability" to drive-by downloads. And I doubt your experience with Windows XP and 2000 is much more impressive. Let's see just how knowledgeable you are, what with all your high flying around Fortune 50 companies: how do you block installation of services and drivers in NT-based Windows indiscriminately, without using third-party software? If you indeed work as a network administrator, then you will know the answer to this question. And if you don't, then don't make a fool of yourself by trying to Google it. You won't find the right answer.
"I agree, which is why I use a Mac. In my many years of IT experience... whether it has been helping a friend with a home-built, or working at a client site full of Dells, or working in a Fortune 50 server room with $20k HP servers... I have almost always felt the same. I'd think of what I was doing, and think how much more easily it could be done with a Mac. Granted, until recently with the Xserve, some of the hardware wasn't really server-room appropriate (and still, some of the management utils still aren't up to what some IT depts want, etc.) About the only experience more frustrating than Windows (OS wise) has been my Unix experience.... but in that case, it is FREE and I can make it do exactly what I need without the overhead. Never while I've been working on (or fixing) some friends PC for hours have I thought... wow, this was worth the $100 they saved (or even $500... we've blown through that in frustration after a few hours). I have, for the most part, stopped helping people with their PCs who I warned to get a Mac. Maybe that is part of the reason people are switching (if other Mac users who fix friends PCs are doing the same)."
>>>>Absolute nonsense. You know too little about computers to work in IT, much less a Fortune 50 company. You don't even know how hackers operate: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10199652-83.html
"Ignorance is bliss I guess. With this statement, you've shown just how much of a Windows fanboy you are, and how completely out of touch with Macs you are (or computing in general)."
>>>>I admitted myself in the last post that I am a Windows fanboy. But out of touch? Hardly. And with the tall tales you've been telling, even after falling flat on your face in the other thread, you have positively no space to tell me how "out of touch" with computing I am. You weren't even enough "in touch" to know how far out of your league you are, LOL. Your technical knowledge is very poor. I take it as an assault on my own savvy as a service tech that you would actually try to pull this "Fortune 50" nonsense over on me, when you already knew from our last run-in that I was on to you. Your bungle here is the final nail in your coffin. I hope this second trip to Front Street will help you remember in the future what lying does for you.
re: fortress - I've been using Macs since about 1987... long before the Internet was what it now is, or even before most anyone used Windows. I probably just said OSX was a fortress compared to Windows. Yes, it is one of the reasons I prefer it. My main reason is overall productivity.
re: PPTX - Why would someone play a .PPTX slideshow while recording the screen at 30-60 fps.... to each their own I guess. I've never tried that... I'd probably use Keynote. All I know is that my multi-tasking experience on OSX has generally been more favorable than on Windows... and with similar hardware, OSX feels faster to me (the overall feel, not how fast a window opens or closes, etc... that is artificial). I'm not sure what you are talking about XP and Tiger on a mini... I'm not sure how one would accurately measure something like that. What was it? One of those 'app launches in x seconds' or 'close x number of windows in x second' type tests.... yea, that matters a whole lot.
re: infection - Yea, yea, ibotnet... let me know when you find a real infection. Most people I know don't warez pirated copies of apps. If this is why so many PCs get infected... maybe it says something about the morality of PC users? My guess is that PCs get attacked in many other ways... ;o)
re: virtualization - I have both Parallels and VMware Fusion. Yes, I'm aware Parallels has had some stability issues. It has worked OK for me the couple times I've used it. I got it for free with my MBP, and my parents got VMware for free with their iMac and gave it to me as they don't need it. I haven't even installed Fusion yet, though friends tell me it is considerably more stable than Parallels.
part 2
re: sleep bug - like I said, some people do have issues with Macs now and then.. I didn't deny that. Though I think you've been searching a few too many forums there. I thought maybe you were referring to an actual wide-spread issue that couldn't be or wasn't fixed or something. If that is the worst of Mac problems... I think you have proved my case.
re: Fortune 50 and challenge - well, I don't really know how to do what you are asking... I could find out if I ever needed to (my guess is you're tinkering with the registry). The ability to research is key to executive jobs, not being able to pass some test you've been prepped for. I've worked with Windows at two levels mostly... 1) friends and companies I worked as a consultant for... and in those cases, we've hod no need to do such a lock-down. 2) server rooms.... where the servers are in a secure facility... again, no need to do something like that. I don't have much experience securing end-user machine... that's a different type of network manager. If you choose not to believe me about my experience, that's your issue.
re: how hackers operate - hmm... I have no idea what that has to do with the paragraph you're responding to. I was talking about my frustration in working with Windows systems at various levels in getting the job done... and how it would be easier on Macs... and you start talking about hacker attacks. I'm lost.
re: fanboy - well, if you're a fanboy, then by definition you aren't being very objective. Falling flat on my face in other thread? I'm not sure what you're talking about. I'm sorry you don't believe I've worked for a Fortune 50 company. I never said I was a network admin... I was a sr ops engineer... and spent PLENTY of time in the server room (unfortunately, because of the Windows boxen, way more than I'd have liked).
re: infection and my credibility - I think most readers would understand I was talking about real-world infections. Obviously, I know people like Charlie Miller have cracked through Safari when a browser was guided to his hack. Not real-world. I'm familiar with the botnet thing, but again, not real-world. If you get a trojan horse attack because you stole software on warez, you deserve what you get. So, do you know of any real-world infections? I'm not aware of any... I suppose they could be out there... but I'm not aware of them. I AM VERY aware of many people who have had their PCs infected by all sorts of stuff. I've helped clean and reload some of them. These people include friends, relatives, etc. I didn't have to look very far to find examples.
I suppose Mr. Matyszczykch is also responsible for drawing every ones attention to Lauren's immediate about turn at the Apple Store as well. Note the guy yet to pass the Apple Store as she supposedly shops for a note book and note the same guy as she heads out the Apple Store. Hilarious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIS6G...eature=channel
LOL. Sort of missed that, eh wdowell? The BD vs HDDVD war ended a long time ago. Suggest that you get over it. Even MSFT has a grip on the reality of where the world and its optical drive technology is today (though Apple ironically seems to think otherwise).
Regardless if they're actors or it's scripted, these ads still state truth...you pay a premium just for the Apple logo...customization isn't nearly as robust on Mac's as it is with PC's...and when it comes down to it, you as the consumer should have the final say on almost everything put in the machine you plan on buying...
Then why did my cost-cutting, Dell-loving boss buy me a Mac instead of a comparable Dell? Answer: THE MAC WAS OVER $2,200 LESS! Granted, we?re talking about high-end machines, which is obviously not what the people in the Microsoft ads are looking for. However, the idea that Macs are inherently more expensive hasn?t been true for at least half a decade.
The PC Laptop is NOT about choices. Low margins have driven all innovation out of these computers. People who think otherwise are fooling themselves.
Because he doesn't like you?
Or because he is about to fire you and wants it for himself?
That's because your Boss apparently isnt' that computer savvy.. Dell can be overpriced but one model line over you can find better specs and a better price.
You pay more for an Apple with the same conifguration & quality than you do a Windows PC. It's as simple as that. It's not as much of a difference as it used to be, but it's still there.
First, there are very few PCs built to Apple's quality... and the ones that are are expensive.... very near Apple's prices, or even more.
Second, then there are the included apps like iLife, which are real pieces of useful software, not just crumby demo-ware most PCs are loaded with.
Third, you don't have to spend money (or more importantly time) messing with anti-virus.... which also makes the machines run horribly in my experience.
Fourth, TCO (Total cost of ownership)... which includes many things like actual productivity, re-sale value, repairs (and tech time to repair), etc.
Fifth, and probably most importantly, you get a better OS.... priceless! ;) While Apple's certainly look better, its the actual usability of the computer that matters most to me. I'm certainly not buying because of the Apple logo.
Even IF you were to save $50 to $200 on a PC which looks to have similar specs.... ANY of the above things quickly eat up that difference.
More PC's then you think are built with the same build quality they are both built by sweatshop workers and I yet to find a PC that is falling apart in the box
There is freeware for PC that does more then iLife does no cost there.
Time doesn't cost a thing and most AV's are free if your spending more then 5 minutes installing a AV your retarded and most PC's come with a long subscription for one straight out of the box your point is flawed.
TCO most PC users will never take their PC to a repair shop and the resale value for a Mac is ussually extremely less then what you paid for it in the first place. And explain to me how you are more productive with a Mac then a PC?
And 5 what exactly makes it more usable? I think thats more of a opinion considering most PC first time PC buyers can buy a Windows machine and know how to use it straight out of the box. No entry level PC user is going to spend 1000+ on something they are just using to keep in touch with the times or get emails..
And its not just 50 - 200 its 500 - 1000 most of the time.
You're nuts if you think PC resale value is anywhere near Mac resale value. I've owned and sold enough to always be amazed that I often get 50 to 80% of what I paid for them after a couple years.
As to why I'm more productive on a Mac.... it is a bit hard to explain... you need to have extensively used both I guess to really understand. First, it is the little things, like a better thought out UI. The mouse control and text selection is much more 'natural'. Visually, things are rendered better (like text) so I get less eye-strain. The workflow of how the majority of apps work is more consistent, so is picked up more quickly, and then faster once you know the apps as well. More commonality in keystroke short-cuts. Much easier to troubleshoot issues when they do occur, etc. Then there are the bigger issues like better applications developed for Macs many times. There might be 100 word processors for PC and only 30 for Mac, but I only use 1. And the one word processor I use is heads and tails above Word or anything I've seen on the PC. Same goes for many other applications I use. There are either superior apps available in some category for the Mac, or the Mac version of cross-platform apps is generally better. Also, the actual physical design of the machine does matter. I can type far faster on my Macbook Pro keyboard than on just about any PC keyboard I've ever used (original equipment). I don't have to worry about my power plug being broken off, or some gidget sticking out and getting caught and ripped off.
I could go on, but that gives you a taste. I've used both Mac and PCs for years... I can afford either one... I know how to work on and fix either one (or unix boxes). I've repaired far more PCs than Macs. I use Macs. There is a reason... and no it's not the logo.
That's what they are getting into. The cost(s) keeps piling up keeping the licenses going, the malware infects when they don't, more frustration - more fodder for the computer tech!
Sigh!
It's the same old story.... Eventually, when little Jackson and Lisa go through the PC purchase roundabout a few times, they might just realize that they are being ripped off big time in the long run and then go out and start looking for alternatives.
Now Giampaolo is different. He is informed and makes a knowledgeable decision based on his preferences and values. He understands what he's getting into and is probably a lot more prepared to take the performance hit that Vista, underpowered graphics and 4mb of ram would give. He'll renew his Symantec/McAffee/TrendMicro subscriptions, pay extra to covert his trialware MS Office and be totally happy about his decisions.
What is NOT dealt with is why some people actually go and buy Macs and Linux based machines. Security maybe???
11 year old son = Student = eligible for free software from Microsoft via DreamSpark
The Big Commercial anti-malware products have been losing ground, and better !FREE! Anti-Malware Software is easily available.
Even for the non-students, there are multiple viable free solutions available for the PC for justa bout any need. Unless you're actually making a living using MS Office or Development tools, you can use Open Office or another free solution.
MAC's = Security? Currently, you are safer with the MAC, in general. They changed over their entire codebase relatively recently (from powerPC architecture to Intel Architecture, giving up on the in-house apple/NeXT kernel and going with BSD Unix as a base), have 1/10th the market penetration, and until recently really did have a computer savvy user base (high end video and graphics people for the most part), while IBM/MS/Intel was the ubiquitous workhorse PC for business, gaming, and casual use (due mostly in part to the price/performance ratio and Apple's desire to retain monopolistic control over the OS.) And, you will probably remain secure. As Hackintosh and Mac Clone makers continue to encroach on Apple's extreme hardware profit margin, Apple will probably revise their code-base and platform again. If they don't, and decide to license OEM's again, your security will probably evaporate quickly.
"If they don't, and decide to license OEM's again, your security will probably evaporate quickly."
That is one gigantic "if." Here's another one for you. Barring Job's dropping dead, IF you think Apple will be licensing their OS to 3rd parties again in the near future, you might also want to keep an eye towards your window and be on the look out for air-born Sus Domestica.
Free or not, anti-virus software impacts performance, and you still have to spend time keeping them up to date.
Frankensteining OS X onto a non-Apple machine does not represent the same security issues (or non-issues) as legitimate copies of OS X running on a Mac. Hackintosh enthusiasts and clone-makers (all 2 of them, only one in the US which Apple is currently in litigation against and will probably sue into oblivion) are not encroaching on Apple's profits in any meaningful way. If anything, Hackintoshers are encroaching on windows profits because they are putting the Mac OS on machines that typically run windows and/or are used by hardware enthusiasts who enjoy the challenge of trying to get OS X to run on non-Apple machines (as in Dells and such that won't be running windows).
I doubt very seriously that anyone who is in the market for a Mac and is willing to buy one is also someone who would rather jump through hoops getting OS X to run on a non Mac machine. A hackintosher is either someone who owns a mac anyway and likes the challenge, or is someone who would never have bought a Mac in the first place, no sale lost there.
"Currently, you are safer with the MAC, in general." - Yep, and if/when we aren't, maybe we'll consider something else. It really isn't a good argument to say... well , if and such, you'll some day be less secure. Who cares... right now, one of the reasons I use a Mac is that I don't have to do all the silly stuff to be safe... and my system works much better because of it.
"... and until recently really did have a computer savvy user base... " - and this is a bad thing because? Sure, the Mac now does have a LOT more users who know less about their computers than before... I'll buy that. You used to have to work a bit harder to be a Mac users in such a PC-centric world. I'm glad that is over... but even then, it was still well worth it to be a Mac user... the outcome far outweighed the extra effort. And.... those professionals STILL are using the Mac platform for the most part.
"If they don't, and decide to license OEM's again, your security will probably evaporate quickly." - maybe you could explain to us how that might be. Why would OEMs have anything to do with security? It might hurt Apple's reliability and easy of install, etc.... (which is why Apple won't do it)... but shouldn't have any effect on security. Most of the attacks are Windows attacks... ie: the OS, not the hardware. OSX running on a Mac or a clone would be just as secure. That said, I REALLY REALLY hope Apple never licenses... that would be the most stupid move they could possibly make. It is one part of the reason Windows is so wretched.
First, it was overcast, so very hard to tell the time of day. Next, there is still light mixed in with the clouds at the end, so it must be right after sunset. So, if they arrived at the store an hour before sunset, it would have still been full daylight, so there is no way to determine the amount of time spent.
Plus, as other posters mentioned, you have a lot more choice with PCs and if I was starting cold in the store making a $1,500 purchasing decision (and doing it at a Best Buy no less), I think I would take my time.
Seriously talk about tunnel vision! As for educated consumer, as a Windows user, in my time I've searched for a machine, some imbesile is always shoving a PC in my face, there ar never any other alternatives offered! KH!
if your just going to boot Windows off of it anyways whats the point of spending so much extra money on it?
Either way if you think your sticking it to the man by buying a Mac throwing Windows on it still gives MS the same amount of money they would of had if you bought a pc in the first place.
You're right about giving M$ the money either way. I don't think most Mac users only use Macs to 'stick it to the man.' That is only part of the reason. If we must run Windows for some reason, then yea, we gotta pay the guy. Fortunately, most Mac users don't need to do this. It is good for easing the transition though... I've had many PC using friends switch to a Mac thinking... well, I can still run my PC apps if I need to... and then discover they don't really need to.
But unlike past legacy Dell commercials that used that slogan, this time the kid uttering the infamous phrase looks aghast, his eyes wide with disbelief. "I can't believe it... a stupid Dell."
BTW M$ is getting $34 million to build a bridge across the highway to connect two campuses in Redmond, WA. They commit about half of that and get the rest as stimulus funding. Why does M$ need stimulus $? They are the largest stock cap company in the US. $Bill is still the richest man in the US and among the top five in the world. Why do tax payers have to pay for his bridge? Don't you think that $34 million is just chump change for him? He is playing us for chumps!
Get your facts straight. The $11M in Stimulus funds are going to the city of Redmond, WA who is building the bridge and Microsoft is privately funding $25M toward the "PUBLIC BRIDGE/Highway". MS just happens to have buildings on both sides of the 520 Freeway the bridge will cross. Which by the way has many other private residences and companies on both sides of the Freeway for all to use. How much of its own money has Apple contributed to the local community?
Why are you making this about Apple? It's childish to turn around an argument on an unrelated third party.
Any proof to your FUD?
You really believe those Mac's are unibody? If it was unibody it wouldn't have screws to take it apart once again more marketing BS from Apple
there's absolutely no talk about Windows or Mac OSX
even thought the Mac vs PC ads were greatly exaggerated they at least spoke about the merits or demerits of each product
all these ads a talk about are the tired old analogy's
Macs are Form over Function , Macs are expensive ,
Macs are toys blah blah ,they are nothing but cheap shots and there's no talk about Windows or Macs at all !
whatever a Mac is it sure as hell beats the heck out of a Windows PC for me which is why they are more expensive !
hey Microsoft - better things cost more , it's a universal phenomenon
So why even bring sticker Price into the picture !
and
since I buy computers only once every 3-4 yrs
why should I be penny wise pound foolish and buy a PC ?
Why put sticker price in the picture? Because money is finite you twit.
they run a Different Operating System For gods sake !
how about you try to make more sense in your comment ?
rather than mindless bashing !
Oh yes because Mac vs PC Ads are just loaded with information about the OS and don't take cheap shots at all.
PC's don't always blue screen in fact its a rare occurence and rarely fault of the OS. Apple's ads sure like to throw this FUD out there though.
Vista is more secure then OSX from a hacking standpoint not viruses Pwn2Own proves this every year..
and Viruses are a mere annoyance compared to if someone physically trying to hack into your machine your guaranteed they are after your information.
No OS is worth the $500 premium considering a free one offers the same benifits.
Windows is easy to use, it runs on anything even Mac's which just proves how much more scalable it is and MS still gets there license, It doesn't need to be dual booted with anything cause of missing functionality. If Mac OSX was so damn great why would so many people be dual booting windows next to it? I mean it just works right.
- by make_or_break April 10, 2009 5:25 AM PDT
- Not sure what the point of this article was. Then again, I could say that about a LOT of what CNET puts out on this website.
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