[Up Yours Marxists]

That’s a matter of opinion, yes.

From a support perspective, one could say that people who use Mac’s are simpler and need more cushions of protections against things like porn sites and the like. That’s a software topic, not a hardware one.

Notice how so many Mac users still need to install Windows onto their systems. Could this be because Mac systems offer less flexibility because of these software protections? In other words, if you overprotect your users by offering less flexibility in the software, then one could say that Windows offers more power at the compromise of safety and the occasional software issues created by “inexperienced users”. Would this not be correct? And would it also be a correct statement that if you “harden” Windows to protect basic users, many of these issues would essentially go away?

From a hardware perspective many of the Mac systems have components built literally in the same Chinese and Korean factories side-by-side. Perhaps the “lack of failures” from hardware is due the fact that Windows machines outnumber Mac systems 10 to 1.

Comparing Apples to Apples is generally a better idea here.

[Swordmaker]

From a support perspective, one could say that people who use Mac’s are simpler and need more cushions of protections against things like porn sites and the like. That’s a software topic, not a hardware one.

You really want to go there? I suggest you don't. Macs are more sophisticated and capable of more than Windows machines. . . considering Macs can run easily run every variety of Windows in virtual machines, often several versions simultaneously.

Protections? I am one step away from the Terminal on a Mac where I have the full power of a UNIX™ computer. Where are those "protections" you have absolutely no knowledge about?

And you think that "Mac users are “inexperienced users”? Perhaps like the users who find that Macs are the best for technical use?? Like these Mac users?

This image shows Curiosity's Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) "war room" and its staff. On the night of
Aug. 5, 2012 PDT (early morning Aug. 6 EDT), 34 engineers who designed the Curiosity mission, gathered
in this room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to support the landing with their personal computers.


Curiosity Mars Lander Control Room. . . also with their personal Mac computers. . . plus a couple of Windows laptops.

And, no, Up Yours, they do not "need to install Windows" onto their systems. Those who do, find they don't use them. In fact, another Freeper who saw these photos claimed they were running Windows but had to eat his words when I posted a close up showing they were running OS X. I run SEVEN different operating systems on my big Mac system just so I can support my clients, not because I need anything they offer that I cannot do on my Mac.

From a hardware perspective many of the Mac systems have components built literally in the same Chinese and Korean factories side-by-side. Perhaps the “lack of failures” from hardware is due the fact that Windows machines outnumber Mac systems 10 to 1.

There you go with the ignorant opinion of "off-the-shelf" claims I just shot down above with facts.

[ReignOfError]

Notice how so many Mac users still need to install Windows onto their systems. Could this be because Mac systems offer less flexibility because of these software protections?

No. It's because Windows is the more common platform, and if a small developer or an in-house shop only develops for one OS, it is likely to be Windows. And because the vast majority of users new to OS X are coming from some flavor of Windows, and some of them either want to keep their old apps or want to keep Windows around as a security blanket.

OS X is Unix. The default mode is, indeed, more protected than Windows (though Microsoft has taken great leaps forward in dumbing-down with the Win 8 "modern" interface), but for folks who know what they're doing and are inclined to do it, the command line accesses an extremely powerful and flexible OS.

[generally]

RofE answer is closest to mine.

The reason I observe that so many people have Windows installed is because they need Windows compatibility. Most people who do this need to satisfy either a customer or an employer. I have found that satisfying an employer is often in irrational process - the very existence of the Windows OS is what satisfies him, not any actual compatibility.

I love my Macs. I tolerate my Windows (aside from Vista which was an unmitigated disaster all around). I’m not a Windows hater. It’s just not as good. I think the main advantage of Windows is to prevent Apple from having a monopoly and getting soft and lazy.

(If sheer numbers were proof of anything, that would mean the climate change crowd is right.)