Comments on: Is an Apple more form than function?

One of the reasons people buy an Apple is aesthetics--and not just because some guy said it in a Microsoft ad.

[morton101]

I agree with a comment made, open source software is the best so Linux wins the competition on os usefulness, either way the hardware included doesn't really matter they are so close anyways. So Xp/Vista or MacOS, I have MacOS because it was basically derived off of unix/linux back in the day.

[keno210]

I have one word (this week, it's ALWAYS changing from one week to the next)
conficker

[experiencemusic]

"A quick glance at the features shows that the Dell beats the Apple. That said, the Dell isn't an aluminum unibody design, doesn't wow like the MacBook, and doesn't carry the cachet of the Apple brand."

This was exactly his point in the commercial. Instead of intangibles like 'wow' and 'cachet', he was looking to spend more money on actual/tangible computing power.

[newidforu]

Looks like the ISHEEP are out in force. Apple has been running the I am a Mac ad for years and yet I have never seen PC users come out in force and flood all the comment boards. The problem with apple users is that they take it personal every time someone attacks a mac. Its almost like they have to justify to the world that they did the right thing by buying a mac and that they did not get ripped off. Jeez relax guys! Its just an advertisement. I you like your mac, then so much more power to you. Personally, I dual boot windows xp and Ubuntu and I dont give a **** if some one trash talks windows or Ubuntu or my mediocre Toshiba laptop. :)

[Alphaman63]

I can't speak for all Mac users, but in my case, I only get dismayed or upset when people talk nonsense about a platform they know nothing about. Deliberate misinformation is what ticks me off, and I see more and more of it coming from Windows fanboys who've never even touched a Mac.

If you care to talk facts about specs and features, fine. But for those who come to trash without any basis, yes, I'll stand up and correct any kind of misinformation about any hardware, operating system, or software, be it from Apple or anyone else.

[txinfl]

Yes, those that carry a Mac look cooler, because they are.... or more educated on the true form and function of a "PC".

Technically it is the OS in the Mac that beats Windows boxes hands down, but it is the total package from, ease of use, to the cost of software, reliability, and of course the coolness.

When Microsoft released Vista, it shot itself in the foot. The newly re-designed interface is nothing more than a nightmare for previous XP and Windows users. So if you have to learn how to operate your computer from start..... AGAIN, why not look to alternative systems that might provide better service and reliability.

In addition to the tremendous faux pas, with Vista, Microsoft is about to get it's clock cleaned by new Linux OS's for NetBooks, which cannot run Vista due to it's massive hardware requirements and its design for full sized laptop monitors.

See if this does not set Microsoft back on its heels. You have to wonder about an OS that costs almost as much as the machine it runs on.

One last comment on the Apple Revolution, for $99/year you can take one, 1-hour class per week on any Apple product, hardware or software. I have done this to learn the Apple Aperture application, and I am very impressed at the quality of the session.

Watch, I think the next 18 months will be interesting.

Jack Mancini
securetechfl.blogspot.com

[monkeyfun14]

Really? Windows 7 is about to take last remaining marketshare from linux.

How is Microsoft getting there clocked clean when it stole the market right from under linux's feet?

[txinfl]

Yes, those that carry a Mac look cooler, because they are.... or more educated on the true form and function of a "PC".

Technically it is the OS in the Mac that beats Windows boxes hands down, but it is the total package from, ease of use, to the cost of software, reliability, and of course the coolness.

When Microsoft released Vista, it shot itself in the foot. The newly re-designed interface is nothing more than a nightmare for previous XP and Windows users. So if you have to learn how to operate your computer from start..... AGAIN, why not look to alternative systems that might provide better service and reliability.

In addition to the tremendous faux pas, with Vista, Microsoft is about to get it's clock cleaned by new Linux OS's for NetBooks, which cannot run Vista due to it's massive hardware requirements and its design for full sized laptop monitors.

See if this does not set Microsoft back on its heels. You have to wonder about an OS that costs almost as much as the machine it runs on.

One last comment on the Apple Revolution, for $99/year you can take one, 1-hour class per week on any Apple product, hardware or software. I have done this to learn the Apple Aperture application, and I am very impressed at the quality of the session.

Watch, I think the next 18 months will be interesting.

Jack Mancini
securetechfl.blogspot.com

[putworescamming]

That DELL is not worth $600.00 after its opened and used for a day. The macbook can be resold for the same price after a year. See the comparison? value vs crap.

If you run them side by side, that dell will boot a lot slower than the Mac. It will also run applications a lot slower than the Mac. Whay? Because it is running with BUGGY and VIRUS RESPOSITORIED Microsoft Windows. It also has Windows running with a lot of Bugs being enveloped by microsoft technicians with another buggy fix. They never fix their problems, they just hide them and present with new codes with more problems.... FORGET ABOUT IT..

Have fun with Linux. windows will disspear very soon. Any Linux flavored (Android, Chrome, PalmOS, OSX) will be the future...

TRASH THOSE MS WINDOWS MACHINES... THEY ARE WORTHLESS...

[pithenumber]

1 OS X is not Linux, its a form of UNIX
2 Chrome is not an OS, its a browser

[obvio-capitao]

How would you respond to the Microsoft ads?

Microsoft is positioning itself as "cheap" against "cool".

If I were Apple, I would respond: "Yes, Macs are cool. If you want cheap, look for Linux".

That would put Microsoft in the corner: if it continued to push the "cheap" card, would remind that there is a cheaper option. The only solution, for Microsoft, would be silence.

[websterphreaky]

MACS AND APPLE are all HYPE and NO SUBSTANCE! The BS and Lies coming out of Apple and all the AppleTards is only topped by Barak Obummer.

And ALL the Apple Hack Media - like CNut - BURY the negative news about crApple and Macs -

- Late-2008 MacBooks: Display hinge apparently loose
- Bizarre Mac OS X graphics glitches
- QuickTime 7.5.5: iChat freezing after a few minutes of Audio or Video chat
- Mac OS X 10.5.5: SystemUIServer crashing; Apple TV sync issues; MacBook external display issue (cont.)
- Desktop disappearing after installing programs/(OS X) updates
- iTunes 8 update resulting in lost music
- Jumpy and Erratic Trackpads (MacBooks / MacBook Pros)
- Missing or unavailable slideshow themes in iPhoto '09
- "Multitouch" zooming feature frustrating some users
- Restart not working with multiple users logged in. There is a bug in OS X that may prevent you from quickly shutting down a computer with Fast User Switching enabled.
- Apple 17-inch MacBook Pro brightness problems OS related!!!
- OS X Upgrades can cause RAM issues

AND THAT IS ONLY TWO WEEKS OF REPORTED APPLE BUGS on macfixit.com

Of course the ********, will IGNORE these facts and just FLAME me, but that's just with Juveniles do!

The crApple BS flows and flows and flows .......

[mikestatic1]

Is it juvenile to call a moron a moron? Then count me in, moron.

Continue to enjoy your $400 laptop and your $3000 car, I'm sure mom appreciates you saving money. Maybe enough that you can start paying her rent instead of freeloading.

[seven7dust]

plzz ! let me know when cnet allows you to post all the bugs in Windows and all PC related hardware problems in the last year alone !
the thing with macs is that even if a rare problem appears
it can easily be found and repaired

Macs aren't perfect ! infact of late far from it
but still they are far better than Pcs and Microsoft Software

[putworescamming]

That DELL is not worth $600.00 after its opened and used for a day. The macbook can be resold for the same price after a year. See the comparison? value vs crap.

If you run them side by side, that dell will boot a lot slower than the Mac. It will also run applications a lot slower than the Mac. Whay? Because it is running with BUGGY and VIRUS RESPOSITORIED Microsoft Windows. It also has Windows running with a lot of Bugs being enveloped by microsoft technicians with another buggy fix. They never fix their problems, they just hide them and present with new codes with more problems.... FORGET ABOUT IT..

Have fun with Linux. windows will disspear very soon. Any Linux flavored (Android, Chrome, PalmOS, OSX) will be the future...

And tech support at MAC is excellent and there are tons of independent tech support everywhere. And the MAC does not break. My mac never breaks.....

TRASH THOSE MS WINDOWS MACHINES... THEY ARE WORTHLESS...

[Homer1972]

Wow how many stories are they going to write about these lame PC commercials? These comparisons are still not accurate. This guy does a better job than others but still he only looks at the basic options on the computers, he doesn't go into the mother board or other important aspects when comparing computers. Furthermore he hasn't factored in the $50 a year a PC owner must fork out, which adds hundreds to the cost of a PC over its lifetime. Yes if Apple continues to grow market share it too will become a target of viri but for now it's pretty much trouble free computing.

And that's the point of the Mac, often when suggesting a computer to people I first ask what do you like to do, if any of those are video games or they have to interact with Windows only software at work I send them to a PC, if it's someone that likes to surf the internet and email, Mac 100%. Now with boot camp and VMWare I mention they can still have an Apple and run Windows if they choose, but they can jack up the cost another $200. But as most of us reading this story are probably the family nerd and get called constantly about computer problems I hardly ever get a call from my mom once i got her a Mac, before that it was never ending (she's a forward junkie and got virus on a regular basis).

Wow, anyway I can't believe I've been dragged into these conversations again... guess I should just ignore them and the commercials.

[monkeyfun14]

Microsoft doesn't care if you dual boot Windows on a Mac they still get their license fee..

[ogman]

Quality is what counts, and Apple wins on the quality of the hardware and the operating system. No silly commercials change that. If people are willing to accept an inferior product at a cheaper price, they should do that. Myself, I've had enough of Vista and cheap, badly supported hardware.

[jabailo]

I just bought a Dell mini 9 with Ubuntu. It's the bee's knees. Yesterday, it was sunny, so I slipped the 2lb dell into my knapsack and took off riding. At the park, where I ate my lunch, I was lucky to find free wifi. I read, computered, ate and enjoyed the day. Ubuntu Linux on a netbook is more appropriate to almost anyone's activities. The Ubuntu custom GNOME interface that Dell created (yes, in Linux, you can redesign the GUI!), uses big icons with all the basic application launchers.

As Bones would say "a child could do it"!

[kittyw2]

If I only ever had to use the hardware and no one ever looked at it, this would be a good comparison. As it is, it's not. Most Windows laptops are cheap-feeling, clunky, sharp-edged and poorly milled. They feel awkward to use and don't add anything. The software is frankly horrible and you have to jump through hoops to make it not-horrible, nothing works straight out of the box and there is no way to drill down into the OS and use it at a deeper level without splashing out for proprietary tools and programming languages. In contrast, Mac products are well designed and built with actual use in mind rather than the cheapest manufacturing technique possible. The OS is powerful, flexible, and not a giant resource hog. It's nice to use, instead of work. And as someone who uses my laptop 8-10 hours a day? Nice is important to me, and I'm willing to pay for it. (We'll leave aside the fact that my sister has gone through two bottom-line Dell laptops in the year and a half I've had a single MacBook, which has never yet made a trip back to support or to an apple store.) Windows users should certainly feel free to keep tearing their hair out over an inefficient and nearly non-functional OS, though, since their hardware was so much cheaper.

[Serenduil]

Well, my friend keeps asking me to fix problems in her MacBook for her. And I'm not even a Mac user. COming from Windows, I feel that Mac OSX is trying to pick a fight with me. It's not that easy to handle as most of you make it out to be. And files end up in strange places all the time.

Well, if you know what you're doing, no reason to tear your hair out on a Windows box. Mine behaves quite nicely; all my machines always have. Inefficient? Perhaps. Nearly non-functional? I'd beg to differ. If it were non-functional no one would be able to do a thing with it, and have gone elsewhere a long while ago.

Personally I reckon that Linux is the better bet, which is why I'm planning to switch over soon. I'd rather an OS that does exactly what I want, that I can tailor to my exact needs, than have either Big Brother Apple or Windoze on my machine able to hijack it anytime they like.

[stancoplan]

Hahahaha very funny. One slip-up at Apple and they are a dead company, they are form only, function can be found in any computer. Apple depends on it's ability to lead, not in computers, but in other HW areas. You can't always be the leader, too bad for Apple.

[Norseman]

Hey, Brooke. In your list of features, you left out the software that each machine comes loaded with. The crapware on Dell is a "feature" I can do without very nicely!

[Serenduil]

CCleaner, dude. Ever heard of it? Cleans all that off, takes no more than a quarter of an hour. And it's free. Cheaper than your fancy Mac. And if that's not good enough, there's always the clean reinstall option.

[chinapa]

I have used PC for more than 15 years and seen the development of windows OS. As you keep loading programs, the PC gets slower. At least once a year I need to reformat the PC and load all the programs again. Even with the best virus software and proper care, the windows XP pro crashed due to Trojans and virus and had to reformat the system twice.
I got a MAC G5 in 2004 and use it regularly with lot of graphic programs. No complaints, no slowing down, no virus problem and most of all no loss of data and no waste of time.
Recently I got the new MAC mini and also loaded windows XP through VM ware. Both the operating systems are working fine on one system - MAC. This is great.
You spend little more money and get Quality performance with MAC OSX.

[j_chai]

With a Mac you don't need live-in technical assistance. (I'm speaking as a fairly knowledgeable PC user, still hanging on to XP Pro.)

[bigpicture]

This is the typical Mercedes / Kia argument, they both come fully loaded, the Kia has a 5 year 100,000 mile warranty, they are both 5 star safety rated, they are both transportation. So which one are you going to buy???

It is a perception/priority issue, and apart from the economic means component in some ways it is really a human mystery. I bought my wife a laptop, I don't use one myself, it was an HP Pavilion. What was the decision process? It was the coolest looking piece of art in that price range. For my own desktop it was performance specifications all the way, so I bought it in pieces and built it. The best performing power supply, best cooled aluminum box, best performing motherboard etc. etc. I don't have any issue with Apple's products, it is just that they keep such a tight control on percieved quality (few sources of third party hardware) that I could not build an Apple this way.

So the issue of personal preferences/priorities is fairly ingrained, and probably fairly difficult to change. For instance when we go on a car trip my wife's priorities is getting the vehicle washed and shiny, and vacuuming it out etc., my priorities is to change the oil, tune up, inspect brakes etc. (assure reliability and return without incident) She has not been able to change my priority with respect to this, and I have not been able to change her's, so how will advertising do this?

I think with the Apple decisions a lot of it is the Ipod transference thing. The "This Ipod is a great gadget, maybe their laptop is a great gadget too" thing.

[Homer1972]

Oh I did want to say one more thing, Apple moved many of its engineers off OS X to the iPhone and since then 10.5 has become almost as buggy as Windows. I hope Apple realizes what a mistake they are making letting this happen. Much like Windows once the bugged code is in there nothing but a complete rewrite of the OS will get it out.

[seven7dust]

"10.5 has become almost as buggy as Windows"
I agree with the post but that line was a bit of a Exaguration
basically windows has so many problems that it takes ages to even Find and Fix them thats the problem with Pcs in general the problems are Difficult to solve
which is why their is a whole Support industries for this single purpose !