Comments on: The Personality of Computers http://equima.pfpfree.net/2009/the-personality-of-computers/ More techno ramble - but with a twist! Mon, 19 Jul 2010 07:14:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Joshua Meadows http://equima.pfpfree.net/2009/the-personality-of-computers/comment-page-1/#comment-739 Joshua Meadows Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:55:23 +0000 http://equima.pfpfree.net/?p=79#comment-739 As someone who uses both, I personally wish that Apple would drop the "I'm a Mac" ads entirely. At the base level, Macs are technically PCs now too-- there is no hardware difference between Apple computers and Windows machines now, only what OS is running on them. A Mac is a PC running OSX. So they confuse criticism of Windows with criticism of PCs, which, technically, they also are. Secondly, I think advertising one's self via really insulting ad campaigns reflects very poorly. When so often their criticisms against Microsoft are complete mischaracterizations that are nevertheless eaten up by "fanboys" it is so extremely annoying to watch. It also contributes to the atmosphere that people who use Macs aren't just buying a computer but buying into a cult. Regarding expense, one metric I was surprised to learn about Windows 7 was Microsoft saying that only 5% of users actually purchase a new operating system in the box. Overwhelmingly, people upgrade by virtue of buying a new computer. That was unexpected to me, but makes sense given that if you buy a PC, it's coming with Windows. So in that context the criticism of cost is irrelevant-- it's more expensive in the box because Microsoft doesn't expect most of their Windows users to buy the OS through anything than a new machine. Conversely, they also support their older operating systems with service packs far and above what Apple does. Snow Leopard aside, point revisions of OSX have necessitated 100.00+ upgrades, with Apple discontinuing support for older OSes in a few years. Meanwhile Microsoft has only just announced when XP will be losing its official support, and by then the operating system will be older than ten years. XP has already received three service packs (Vista is on its second), so it's not quite the same comparison to me when Apple charges you the same charge to upgrade to what constitutes a service pack as well. As someone who uses both, I personally wish that Apple would drop the “I’m a Mac” ads entirely. At the base level, Macs are technically PCs now too– there is no hardware difference between Apple computers and Windows machines now, only what OS is running on them. A Mac is a PC running OSX. So they confuse criticism of Windows with criticism of PCs, which, technically, they also are.

Secondly, I think advertising one’s self via really insulting ad campaigns reflects very poorly. When so often their criticisms against Microsoft are complete mischaracterizations that are nevertheless eaten up by “fanboys” it is so extremely annoying to watch. It also contributes to the atmosphere that people who use Macs aren’t just buying a computer but buying into a cult.

Regarding expense, one metric I was surprised to learn about Windows 7 was Microsoft saying that only 5% of users actually purchase a new operating system in the box. Overwhelmingly, people upgrade by virtue of buying a new computer. That was unexpected to me, but makes sense given that if you buy a PC, it’s coming with Windows. So in that context the criticism of cost is irrelevant– it’s more expensive in the box because Microsoft doesn’t expect most of their Windows users to buy the OS through anything than a new machine. Conversely, they also support their older operating systems with service packs far and above what Apple does. Snow Leopard aside, point revisions of OSX have necessitated 100.00+ upgrades, with Apple discontinuing support for older OSes in a few years. Meanwhile Microsoft has only just announced when XP will be losing its official support, and by then the operating system will be older than ten years. XP has already received three service packs (Vista is on its second), so it’s not quite the same comparison to me when Apple charges you the same charge to upgrade to what constitutes a service pack as well.

]]> By: tristan http://equima.pfpfree.net/2009/the-personality-of-computers/comment-page-1/#comment-679 tristan Sun, 06 Sep 2009 02:22:51 +0000 http://equima.pfpfree.net/?p=79#comment-679 OSX is a very nice OS. Objectively speaking it is very hard to deny it is the best operating system if you don't take external factors (eg; learning curve, market share) into account. Mac hardware is also very nice, but certainly nowhere near as easy to 'DIY', and way more expensive. The difference of course being that Apple can be described a hardware company versus Microsoft as a software company. Windows is improving in leaps and bounds, but for the money asked for it (I'm an honest kid who doesn't rip stuff much) I would never use it. It could still use a little touch of genius, which OSX has (and I don't just mean in trendy marketing way). As it stands now, my first preference is Mac. This is simply because I personally get a better deal paying lots for Apple Hardware than I do for paying lots for Windows. Just a case of which expense you're happier to be stuck with. OSX is a very nice OS. Objectively speaking it is very hard to deny it is the best operating system if you don’t take external factors (eg; learning curve, market share) into account. Mac hardware is also very nice, but certainly nowhere near as easy to ‘DIY’, and way more expensive.

The difference of course being that Apple can be described a hardware company versus Microsoft as a software company.

Windows is improving in leaps and bounds, but for the money asked for it (I’m an honest kid who doesn’t rip stuff much) I would never use it. It could still use a little touch of genius, which OSX has (and I don’t just mean in trendy marketing way).

As it stands now, my first preference is Mac. This is simply because I personally get a better deal paying lots for Apple Hardware than I do for paying lots for Windows. Just a case of which expense you’re happier to be stuck with.

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