Tech: PCv/s MAC

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: redsnapper
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 09:06 PM

I've been responsible for a network of PCs at work, both using Microsoft and Unix servers (with virtual Windows machines), but always had a Mac at home. Most of what I would say has already been said. I am typing this on my work's laptop PC which is a functional and workmanlike device and which I also use at home.

But to enjoy using a computer I would always use a Mac.

RS

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Amos
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 08:03 PM

If you were doing prepress the chances are very good you skimped on the RAM needed to handle the very data-intense graphics files, or had a bad RAM chip.

OR, you filled the hard drive up over 85%.


A

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 07:39 PM

honestly I'm not the one using it so I can't say. But over the years we've had 3 different people doing pre-press in our shop so I don't think they were all the same impatient type.

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: M.Ted
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 06:04 PM

Yes, they have been known crash, freeze, and hang--more often than anyone wants to let on, but probably a lot less often than PCs doing the same things. In OS X, though, a program can hang, and you can step out of it to the desktop, where you can force quit the program and restart it without having to restart the computer. That works very well when the browser hangs, which a fairly common problem. Other problems,can come from running more applications than you have RAM for---t)his could be a problem for people with older computers who have upgraded to a new OS without adding RAM), and also from running an application that was developed for either a later or much earlier OS. I shamelfully admit to freezing up repeatedly when running a particular application in OS 8.6, only to discover that it was developed for 9.22--the tech support folks were amazed that it ran at all....

Nobodies perfect....

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: elfcape
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 03:38 PM

Have you got enough RAM? It still matters, but even then I've never known a Mac to crash. Maybe an application gets confused because you tell it to do something and don't give it a chance to do it before you tell it to do the next thing. Safari once in a while for me becomes unresponsive and I had my TiBook get very cranky this week because I added a new FireWire external drive and it was still formatted for PC.

Generally when my Mac slows down under X.4.9 I just quit all applications and restart and that restores things to normal.

There are also things like unresponsive web servers that make one think the Mac has the problem, but normally Safari or Mail will ping a site for at least a minute before you get the error message about the site's server being unresponsive.

Sending large files to some desktop printers is not a particularly speedy process.

I do have an impatient friend who, when something doesn't happen immediately, clicks on menus and buttons and the desktop, sort of like drumming her fingers on the desk, and then the poor Mac tries to remember all those little commands and that really slows things down.

Have you talked with people about what you were doing when the Mac appeared to crash?

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 01:44 PM

Thanks for your advice Mted and Amos.. but regarding the Mac crashing problem.. This isnt just the latest mac we have, weve had 3 generations.
over the past 10 years. They all crashed frequently - far far more than our pcs..
I Know its more elegant but weve just had bad luck with them..
Petr

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Amos
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 07:55 PM

I have the whole range of UNIX commands if I need them; but that is rare. I can do shell scripts and so on. I don't spend much time in the low-level command structure these days.

A

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 07:37 PM

Not to worry. Have just answered my own question: http://developer.apple.com/internet/opensource/opensourcescripting.html

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 07:30 PM

Do you have bash or similar, Amos?

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: kendall
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 07:28 PM

I think you have given me enough info, so I'm outta here. Thanks to you all.

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Amos
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 07:24 PM

What makes a good UI is that it makes it easy to do most of what YOU want to do. The Mac does this. In addition, if ever want to wander into the deep complexities of grepping or some such, I have a superb command line interface at the click of a button. Much friendlier than the Run==>Command++>etc. interface that won't let you copy, back-scroll, paste, etc.

A

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 06:47 PM

It all depends on whether or not you want to do what the computer lets you do.

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: M.Ted
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 05:33 PM

On the point that an elegant user interface isn't always important, I'll point out that there are even a lot of people around who disdain a GUI, and look askance at anyone who can't do everything with command-lines--here's a random quote that I found when I googled "I hate GUI's":

" ...ultimately what's wrong with a GUI: A GUI will only let you do what the GUI's programmer envisioned you needing to do, and programmers frequently have no idea what administrators need.

That's why command-lines are better: They're infinitely more flexible. I would even go so far as to say any command-line, even Cmd.exe, is better than a GUI when it comes to hardcore administration."

To each his own... but I still love my Mac.

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 04:41 PM

Just as an aside: I downloaded my first attempt at LINUX recently...a 'live CD' version of Knoppix. It fits on one 700 MB CD and works fine..I just need to get used to the file structure. I might be doing a partitioned dual-boot drive one of these days.

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,number 6
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 03:21 PM

Geeeesh Amos !

Then there are those who really couldn't give a rat's ass about the interface design of their platform, but just take the pleasure ongetting their inspiration from a concept to an object of completion.

In my case I've been inspired to take a foto of a 'something' ... I then download that 'something' from my camera to my computer 'platform' .. I then work on that 'something' via a foto tool application on that 'platform' to an object recognizble by me from that original moment of inspiration. Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass on what the hell is in that platform, I just give a rat's ass on that platform's capability to deliver. A jpg is a jpg to either a Mac or a PC

In short, my PC does the job. That's all I care about in a computer.

biLL

:)

biLL

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Amos
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 03:06 PM

I think there are, perhaps, two different ways of approaching a job of work. Creative souls take delight in tools that let them create the effects they intend, and those who are less creative but more oriented around efficiency just like a tool to get the job done. Either type will do better in the long run with Mac's general higher degree of reliability, but the sheer beauty of the interface design and many of the design features will be lost on the less inspired types.


A

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 02:58 PM

I've used Wintel boxes and Macs.

I've never fallen in love with an operating system or a package, though I have fond memories of Windows NT.

I'm a bottom line sort of techie.

Russ (Permanent GUEST)

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,number 6
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 12:51 PM

"Doesn't the fact that Mac users love their computers, and everyone else says, "It gets the job done" tell you something?

Yeah .... fanatical cultists vs rationally minded people !

*joking*


Mr. Ted ... in some ways you are correct ......... naw, I made the right decision, you Mac peeple got it all wrong!

biLL

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: M.Ted
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 12:24 PM

Number 6, you're grabbing at straws--you didn't buy the Mac, and now you've got a bad case of buyer's remorse. You could have even had a second chance, if you'd just given your new PC to your son--to quote the old song, "How Long, How Long....?";-)

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Amos
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 12:17 PM

Entropy -- and opportunities to emulate it -- abound in this wicked world. Creative energy and ethics, however, can still offset it. No one is obliged to organize along entropic lines. Jobs certainly does not.

A

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: M.Ted
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 12:14 PM

Doesn't the fact that Mac users love their computers, and everyone else says, "It gets the job done" tell you something?

The latest thing I love about my Mac (OS 10.4) is Dashboard, which allows me to put any of about 2500 "Widgets" on my desktop--I've currently got weather, my date book, Starry Night(which shows me that Jupiter is about 20 degrees above the horizon,about 2 minutes shy of due north, with Mercury about 5 minutes East of due north), and a bar that shows me the status of everything in my system. (I am going to add a radio widget so I can listen to my Pandora channels)

Since you have a lot of funny videos, Kendall, you might be interested to know that I have just downloaded a bunch of video clips from my camera, which I am about to upload to my video iPod--I have also got "Yellow Submarine" on the iPod, which I ripped from a DVD with software that is part of the Utilities bundle, and converted to a smallish MP4 file(the clips from my camera were already Mp4s)--all drag and drop--and all easier to do than to explain.

Sorry if this sounds like a sleazy product endorsement-I don't generally do this sort of thing, but I felt like it needed to be said, to give some idea of what the Mac experience really is--

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,number 6
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 11:55 AM

Regarding "quality standards adhered to by the organization." ... organization including the share holders who weigh a lot of influence regardless of the employees's vision .... we see evidence in todays world were the market demand is diminishing quality in a lot of goods we buy ... quality has been sacrificed for profits.

Newtonian mechanics can be applied to Apple (than again, the shareholders) ... it happened with IBM's PC's. Once they were high quality products ... eventually (as the market demand put pressure on production) they became more of a "pain in the butt" due to defincencies in quality ... eventually it was easier for IBM to sell that division off to Lenovo than try to regroup and bring the quality back to it's previous level and meet the market demand. Another good example is Volvo .... they certainly aren't of the same quality as they used to be.

biLL

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Amos
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 11:13 AM

The expression "economy of scale" seems to contradict the notion that increased volume requires lower quality and increased cost. I think this apparent phenomenon is a matter of quality standards adhered to by the organization.

And, as an aside, neither Steve Jobs nor any of his employees are moving objects, subjects to the rules of NEwtonian mechanics. They never could have accomplished what they have, were they such.


A

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,number 6
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 11:07 AM

"As Macs become more popular, the quality will erode"

As the sales for Macs continue to spiral upwards ... and all indications are there that they will ... the demand for these platforms will put considerable pressure on production .... either the cost will have to go up, which would put a kibosh on market growth or Apple will start eroding some of the quality aspects of the product to meet the demand of sales and keep the profit levels as high as they can. I doubt very much they can continue to keep the quality level as it is and satisfy the growing market share.

Regarding 'track records' .. An object will continue to move at a constant velocity, unless a net force acts on it.

biLL

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Stu
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 10:58 AM

"As Macs become more popular, the quality will erode"

And the evidence for this is?

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Amos
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 10:29 AM

As Macs become more popular, the quality will erode

Apple's track record does not support this statement. I think it is imaginary.

While some of the Mac's legendary lack of virus is due to their smaller installed base, another vector you seem to overlook is the architecture of UNIX.

A

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 10:26 AM

"The quality will erode" why, exactly?

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,Number 6
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 10:08 AM

Regarding Vista .... if your a techie, you'll hate it. If your just a 'user', you won't really know any difference (i.e. if your just gonna use it for email and web surfing)

Bought our son and his wife a new pc last week as a wedding gift ... would have got them a Mac but I'm a cheap sob ... anyway, he is about as illiterate as one can get regarding the technical aspects of computing ... he set it up on his own (Vista and all), and is very happy with it.

BTW ... Vista will evolve and the bugs will disappear ... remember the initial headaches re: Windows 98 and XP.

As Macs become more popular, the quality will erode and the hackers will attack bringing forth the usual headaches of viruses, spyware etc.

I don't love my pc ... but overall it does the job I want it to.

biLL

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Newport Boy
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 10:06 AM

Amos - I don't "love" any of my tools - hammer, shovel, computer or phone. I'm pleased when they are comfortable to use and last a good while.

Phil

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Amos
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 09:58 AM

There are a goodly number of Mac based servers out there, Grab.

I don't have a number, though.

Intersting how you don't hear anyone saying they "love" their PC.

A

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Alice
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 09:42 AM

My first computer was a PC.
I've owned 3 Macs since then.
I recently bought a Mac PowerBook G4 from
a refurbishing company in my town for $499.
I LOVE my Macs.

Alice

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: kendall
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 09:39 AM

I had a talk with my local computer guru, and he said if you buy a new computer, stay away from Vista. It is a troublesome pain in the ass. The only way to avoid that is to have one built including XP. Of course that costs more.
$300.00.

Right now I'm using Jacqui's lap top. I'm not impressed.

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Grab
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 08:53 AM

Elfcape, you're just illustrating precisely what I said - all user interfaces are easy when you know how. For any UI, there's a learning curve, and if you're going to change horses then you need to learn how the new horse behaves. If you already know a UI, then you might not want to move to a different one because of the time it'll take. I don't claim to be a proper Mac user, but I'm a fairly serious Windows user from the DOS6 days (my day job is software engineering), and if I have problems with switching to the Mac UI then you can be pretty damn sure that other people will too.

Keyboard shortcuts are the classic here - for example, on Windows, I know I can do Win+E and get an Explorer window up. Easy? Sure. Intuitive? Nope. Something a beginner would know without reading the manual all the way through? No way. Or there's Photoshop, from your example.

I've been meaning to fire up Linux for a while now, but I've never got round to it. There's no apps I particularly want from Linux, and I don't have that much free time, so there's little incentive. Similarly I probably wouldn't switch to a Mac in future because there's no apps for Macs which I particularly want that I can't also get on PC (or at least an equivalent). Unless the price of Macs came down below PCs, in which case there'd be an incentive. But having to spend extra time to learn a new system *AND* spend extra money to buy that system, all to do exactly the same thing - pointless exercise.

As far as security goes, AFAIK I've never been hacked, never been virused. Got a virus scanner and firewall going, and that seems to take care of business. Plus I'm fairly sensible about what files I open, what sites I go to, and how I access emails (hint: if you use web-based email then you're a whole lot safer, whatever system you're using).

Macs *do* get viruses and *do* get hacked, just not very often. But the major reason IMO is not particularly that Macs are secure. More importantly, it's that it's not worth a virus writer's time to code up a virus that'll only hit 6% of desktop/laptop computers and 0% of servers.

Graham.

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Amos
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 02:41 AM

Eudora 6.2 appears to function perfectly well under Leopard.

A

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: elfcape
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 12:45 AM

As for crashing, the only time I had a Mac fail to start up was when my hard drive went south.

That was in 1999.

Unfortunately I tried using Norton to recover it. What a mistake. Lost a whole year's scans. Bad scene.

But I'm far more conscientious about backing up now...

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Amos
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 10:56 PM

Eudora is still an alive and well-working email program, if you stick to Ver 6.2.4. QualComm has transferred the code to the Open Source Foundation and will not be supporting it themselves, but they have donated the code to be used in Thunderbird, the Open Source mail program. Qualcomm has dedicated some old Eudora hands to see to the migration of Eudora code to Thunderbird, but that migration is not complete, and it is not known when it will be. We are just now doing an experiment to see whether Eudora 6.2.4 will run under Leopard or not. It runs perfectly well under Tiger.

I would suggest going into an Apple Store, Kendall, and having someone show you the lines on a Mac and see if you like it. Sticking with a PC because you have had one in the past is no guarantee of your future happiness.

A

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 08:29 PM

Re Chris Newman's comments, and being interested in Linux, I'm curious (not that I'd ever really use it - no needs), how 64 Studio works out on a PC.

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: number 6
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 08:06 PM

I agree Guest Jon.

Last June I had my wallet opened and was just about to purchase a Mac ... at the last second I changed my mind. I went out and bought an HP laptop and I'm happy with it ... the $800 (difference) I saved with this purchase I went out and put that towards a new guitar ... a Taylor, not a Martin ... but then some people like a Mac, and some are happy with the PC.

Anyways Kendall, if your using your computer just for e-mails, web surfing, and some foto stuff and if you've been happy with a PC all along stick with the PC (and save your hard earned $$). You'll also save yourself from going through a techy learning curve.

But if you wanna fast machine go for the Mac ... but then again how fast do we need to go ... if we go any faster we'll implode :)

That's my 2 cents workingman's worth.

biLL

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 08:05 PM

I'm a confirmed Eudora nut.

Eudora, the last time I checked it - is dead. It will become 'Crowd Ware' - Open Source for Linux, but the 'improvements' touted' don't give me confidence that I will be able to take my existing mail files and use them on the Linux version in order to totally move from Win98SE to Linux.

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Midchuck
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 07:57 PM

Are you THAT Chris Newman? (Guitar genius partnered with harp genius) ?

Nahh, he's the other one, the one who makes the good chicken and noodles.

Peter

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 07:51 PM

"It looks like 6 of 1 and a half dozen of the other."

No, just different computers for different people, Kendall.

Amos clearly (and reasonably) likes a Mac and OS/X
It is (a near entry level) PC running Linux for me.

My impression from what you have said in this thread and past memories of computer discussions would suggest to me your best plan would be PC running XP.

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 07:03 PM

"the studio..."

Are you THAT Chris Newman? (Guitar genius partnered with harp genius) ?

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,Chris Newman
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 06:54 PM

I used nothing but PCs from 1992 until two years ago when I bought a Mac for the studio. It's _never_ crashed, unlike the machine it replaced. I now have 3 Macs and am working towards the time that the remaining PCs can be retired.

My take on this is simple - if you want to constantly fiddle with a system in an attempt to make it work better, buy a PC. If you want to actually do something useful, head for the Apple store.

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 06:50 PM

I would also like to reassure those PC users with concerns about Macs that despite their almost total invulnerability to viruses, you can access plenty of porn on them - if you choose.

Er, not that I'd know... honest :)

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: peregrina
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 06:32 PM

A while back a mac user group newsletter had a joke that ran something like this:

What if your car behaved like a PC. Stopped working or froze or crashed unpredictably. Needed to be restarted in mid-task. Had a back seat driver like that gizmo that says "I see you are trying to write a letter, would you like help" popping up all the time. And so forth and so forth. That vehicle would not last on the road--or be allowed there.

Macs rarely rarely have those problems.... and the OS X systems are set up so if there is any sort of problem, your work is saved in a memory bubble and can be retrieved.

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: elfcape
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 06:24 PM

Grab says :

"I've not had huge experience with Macs, but when I've had to use them, I've found it tricky to make them do anything that I wanted them to (down to simple actions like creating a new file, editing it and saving it)"

Simple action like creating a new file - not sure what could be simpler than holding down the Apple key and touching the N (for New) key.

Simple actions like editing a new file - well that's certainly open ended - just what sort of new file? Are you talking learning Word or Photoshop? If so, as a WordPerfect user I can't fathom Word, I'll never learn it on PC or Mac. It's horrid, stupid and unintuitive to me. As a Photoshop user for 13 years, and a photographer, it all makes perfect sense, but the keyboard commands on the PC are not consistent, so I prefer my Mac.

Now for saving a new file - not sure what could be easier than hitting the Apple key and the letter S, holding them down briefly until the dialog comes up and asks you where you wish to save the file.

So if you're not much of a Mac user, then I'm not sure you've even looked in the menus on the menu bar to find out how to do things when using the Mac. So I'm not sure you're in much of a position to talk about how intuitive the Mac OS is.

But I can tell you - I've been a Mac user since 1994, and one day last winter I had to borrow a PC running XP. I thought it might have some viruses so I launched IE and went off to see what updates Micro$loth had to offer. After considerable reading on their site I discovered that there was a Security Pack 2, and figured I should try downloading that. I started and it got hijacked by a Porn virus - locked me onto a Porn site. So I tried to Quit IE, but the porn site wouldn't let me.

Keep in mind that I have never seen a porn site up 'til now, and I'm not a spring chicken either with computers or the web. My Mac's browser doesn't get hijacked.

It took 2 days to fix that PC and I wouldn't have succeeded if I hadn't seen an ad on the NYTimes site for AVG/SVG (I don't quite remember which), a free malware protection application.

But, as a 13-year Mac user I'm happy to report that not only did I get that PC virus free, but I also installed the Security Update and returned the PC to its owner in good shape.

If your average Mac user can fix a PC without a manual, I'm not sure I'd give too much credence to a PC users negative opinions of the Mac. Most PC users pay people to fix their PCs.

Most Mac users don't have to fix their Macs.

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Amos
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 05:30 PM

Ptui.

a tech review of Vista in all its weird flavors.

My bang for the buck comes from happy hours of using the machine for my purposes, not answering to Microsoft's.

A

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 04:17 PM

Wintel PCs give you more bang for the buck.

Russ (Permanent GUEST)

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 12:55 PM

Mac.

Background to this choice: I'm a computer scientist these days. I do research on computers and research about computers and I teach computing. I use a Mac. Actually, I use two - an iBook at home and an iMac in work. I used to have a G5 in my last job and I loved it. I occasionally use Windows but I find it overinflated and unnecessarily complex - and a lot more unreliable.

I chose the Mac because it is based on Unix which I much prefer as an operating system. I have far less control when using Windows. I like to be able to get complete control over my machine and I can do that with Unix. I have previously used Linux on a PC and it was okay (I believe Ubuntu is touted as being very user-friendly) but often Open Source software isn't sufficiently documented for my liking.

Nowadays the Mac has much of the software PC users like, such as Office for Mac (so you get PowerPoint, Word, etc). The one thing I miss from Windows is TextPad, but the trade off is that so many other things are easier for me on a Mac. I use Thunderbird for my email, but many of my colleagues (in a university Computing Department) swear by the .Mac email software.

Security-wise, Macs are way out in front. They aren't foolproof, but there are only very limited ways of infecting a Mac. PCs are great big virusy stores.

Macs are brilliantly designed - great user interface design that just requires familiarising yourself with it, then it becomes intuitive. Apple pay a lot of attention to usability and user experience.

(The best thing about my new iMac in work? I have access to everyone else's shared music library on the network - completely legally.)

Subject: RE: Tech: PCv/s MAC
From: Amos
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 12:18 PM

Graham:

Macs interactions with peripherals are a breeze. As a rule, Macs avoid internal plug-in cards in the way PCs use them, although they have absolutely no trouble handling added hard drives or other internal components.

I doubt much time will be used learning the differences, aside from locating the various commands. THe functions of the windows and mouse interface established in 1984 by Jobs and Co are well estabslihed and consistent.

Last night BBW gave me a video camera to use with my multimedia workstation, a G5. It was so hard to use I nearly fainted. Here's what happened. I plugged it in. I started iMovie. My face appeared on the monitor. I talked for a few minutes, clicked a button, and emailed the QuickTime movie to BBW as proof of concept.

So, that was a struggle.

I suspect if I had plugged the same device into a XP machine, it would have argued that it needed a driver. Then I woudl have gone off looking to download the driver and what for it to install. Then it might have worked.

The general level of internal compatability and cooperative workability in Mac apps and peripherals is much higher than Windows users experience. The number of debugs and re-installs is much lower. The virus vulnerability is dramatically lower. The ease of use has always been higher.

'S a no-brainer.


A