Posted on 03/31/2003 8:06:47 PM PST by green team 1999
Although I'm a heavy Windows user, what I like about the new generation of Apples is the ability to run Unix and a high-quality GUI at the same time. On PC's, you can have either, but never both at once. And since Apple software is built exclusively for Apple hardware, I don't have to spend weeks fussing with device drivers to get Unix working, the way I used to do with each new distribution of Linux on PC's. I'm freed up to actually do interesting things with the computer.
I kinda like webmin for backend (read protected LAN) configuring. It's easier to steer the wife through that when I'm outta town..
;-)
Wow, just like my Mac, item for item. Funny, that. Get over it.
That's a plan of last resort, I doubt they want to tie themselves to Intel. All indications are that this year Apple will switch to IBM's PowerPC 970 (based on POWER4, 64-bit, 6.4GB/sec bandwidth, *much* faster than the G4) which will solve the performance problems they've had recently and may allow them to challenge Itanium and Opteron at the high end. Should be fun.
I am a cross platform consultant on both Macs and PCs. About 10% of my clients run Macs, the others run various incarnations of Windows from 95 to XP. The businesses with PCs pay me far more than the businesses running Macs for fixing their computers... because the Macs, as a rule, don't break down, don't get infected with viruses, and generally don't suffer from the "loose nut on the keyboard" syndrone.
I was just at one of my Mac client's office... for the first time in three months... and not because of a problem: I was there to install some new software. The previous visit was to switch his bookkeeping software from a Windows version of Quickbooks Pro (which ran in a VirtualPC window on a Mac) to a Mac OSX version of Quickbooks Pro. He runs 5 LCD screen iMacs networked to a Mac Cube as a server to operate his 16 employee dental practice. His Macs have been operating constantly since I installed the iMacs (replacing is older PowerMacs which replaced a Windows based system six years previous) without a crash. That's SIX computers, 24 seven, ethernetted, constant DSL connection, with no crashes.
PC's are far more "web friendly" than MACs, too.
Sure, right. To just how many friendly web based viruses, worms and trojans are Macs susceptible?
The MAC "OS9 vs. OSX" issues are beyond one's patience. In a word, it SUCKS.
It does? Strange. I have applications for both on this computer... as well as Windows applications... and all seem to operate as they were designed. If I want to start my OS9 version of Adobe Photoshop, I merely click on its icon... and it runs... just like the OSX applications... and with the the new version of VirtualPC, just like Windows applications. If either OS9.2 or Windows XP is not already running in the background (invisibly) they boot in their own memory protected window. No patience required.
If you're interested in a car that looks good, but always breaks down and needs one hell of a lot of software diagnostics in order to fix it, get a MAC.
On an OS9 system, reinstalling the entire system MIGHT take 15 minutes... without overwriting the old one. OSX does take a little longer... but then I have never had to do so. My OSX system has been running for about 11 months now (constantly on) without a system crash.
Several times I have had to attempt to restore PCs where the manufacturer failed to include all the driver disks for the no-name hardware they installed. Often generic drivers would not work... and locating the correct driver was nigh unto impossible. On one particular machine, we finally returned it to the manufacturer... and THEY failed to find all the drivers.
Even on name brands it is not really easy. Just last week I had to attempt to restore the system to an HP Pavilion (WindowsME) WITH the restore disk that came with the computer... it failed. After severak attempts, I tried a format and install... it also failed.
After talking with HP tech support in INDIA, I learned that this model could only be restored by REMOVING EVERY THING INSTALLED POST FACTORY, including software and hardware... and restoring the machine to factory specs. Then everything would have to be REINSTALLED, Windows update disks and patches all REINSTALLED... and then reinstall all the software. One minor problem... the owner had upgraded his graphics card and sold the factory original... so even after following the HP instructions, the restore disks failed and would not finish the restore. I finally wiped the harddrive, installed a new Windows98 disk and reinstalled all his software. Thank God the client had been religiously backing up his data.
Have you ever tried to remove all vestiges of an application installed on a PC? If I had a dollar for every file left behind by uninstalling programs from a PC, I would be very rich. On a Mac, it can be as simple as deleting ONE directory.
Just tonite a Mac client brought me his old PowerMac 6360 (Mac OS8.5.1) that failed to boot. Total diagnosis and time to install AND upgrade his operating system to System 8.6? 25 minutes. Defragging his 6 gig HD took another 15 minutes.
My average trouble call to a PC user results in over $200 in billing... to a Mac user, about $100. I expect a call from the PC users at least once a month... and the Mac users about every six months...
One client, who's computer had slowed to a dead stop, called me a couple of weeks ago. I found NINE different spy-ware applications running, stealing CPU usage and eating bandwidth on his dialup connection. He had no idea where they came from.
I feel so ... French.
"Hear hear!"
So, Al Gore is responsible for iMac's no longer being available on the market; am I reading this correctly?
Who will she side with? Al or Apple? My mind is reeling.
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