Poll: Apple's commercial

[Niels]

Well, there's one thing that needs to be cleared. Mac does have some games for it, but thats not the thing. If you just like to browse around on the internet, MSN a little, or AIM, with some music, and all working perfectly smooth with just a handfull of still pretty cool games (Americas Army for example, was my game I used ) Then the Mac is the way to go for you.

I got Windows now, and I kinda forgot the first days of my PC. But the switch from windows to mac was a very painfull and annoying one.

And remember, if you dont really care about games, get the Mac, you dont have any virusses to worry about, we never needed graphic card driver to install, and go to all kinds of sites to download protecting programms and programms that make your PC work, like drivers (I never did at least), or stuff like that. It's all in one update programm that pops up when you start up your Mac.

Plus we got a G5 and that thing just NEVER EVER crashes. Dont make jokes about it, cause it's one hell of computer.
But I prefer my windows, seeing that the mac belongs to my mum and this windows thing belongs to....ME

 

[TheCracker]

GT4_Rule i think you need to get your facts right (strange feeling of deja-vu)

• The company is called 'Apple' not 'Mac'
• Apple is a hardware company, Microsoft produce software.
• PC's are not a Microsoft product - they just mostly run their software.
• Intel isn't a Microsoft company - why can't they produce chips for whoever they want?
• Windows opperating system is a copy of the Apple opperating system that they were using for years before Microsoft decided to imitate it - a poor, overly complicated copy at that.
• As a hardware company, why can't Apple run what ever software they want on it?
• I've been running MS Word on my mac's for the past 10 years.
• Industry standard software like Photoshop and Quark were developed for the mac well before they found their way onto PC's.

 

[Famine]

GT4_Rule i think you need to get your facts right (strange feeling of deja-vu)

• The company is called 'Apple' not 'Mac'
• Apple is a hardware company, Microsoft produce software.
• PC's are not a Microsoft product - they just mostly run their software.
• Intel isn't a Microsoft company - why can't they produce chips for whoever they want?
• Windows opperating system is a copy of the Apple opperating system that they were using for years before Microsoft decided to imitate it - a poor, overly complicated copy at that.
• As a hardware company, why can't Apple run what ever software they want on it?
• I've been running MS Word on my mac's for the past 10 years.
• Industry standard software like Photoshop and Quark were developed for the mac well before they found their way onto PC's.

• Linux

 

[FoolKiller]

GT4_Rule i think you need to get your facts right (strange feeling of deja-vu)

• The company is called 'Apple' not 'Mac'
• Apple is a hardware company, Microsoft produce software.
• PC's are not a Microsoft product - they just mostly run their software.
• Intel isn't a Microsoft company - why can't they produce chips for whoever they want?
• Windows opperating system is a copy of the Apple opperating system that they were using for years before Microsoft decided to imitate it - a poor, overly complicated copy at that.
• As a hardware company, why can't Apple run what ever software they want on it?
• I've been running MS Word on my mac's for the past 10 years.
• Industry standard software like Photoshop and Quark were developed for the mac well before they found their way onto PC's.

Thank you!

I have been reading through this thread praying that someone would say this eventually.

GT4_Rule, it is obvious that you have never worked in a journalism field. A Mac is the way to go for that, end of story. Microsoft made a poor attempt to compete with Publisher and it failed miserably. Of the three major operating systems out there Windows is the most unstable and resource wasteful. My professer in college had a Mac desktop that he had running for three years straight without one single shutdown or restart. Windows is lucky to make it three days.

Despite all of this I still have a PC with Windows running on it. Why? Software availability. Of course, that ios because when Microsoft gained marketshare through a contract with IBM they then started trying to tell third-party software makers and retailers that they couldn't carry Microsoft products if they carried Apple/Macintosh products. It wasn't that Microsoft made the better product but that they used strong-arm techniques. Whether you would consider that unethical or just smart business is up to you, but it was not because Apple sucked.

As for your school's Macs running slow: They are school computers at a high school. That is all you need to know. I screwed my high school computer lab up so much it wasn't funny. And that was on purpose, God only knows what gets done by accident. Your school alos probably bought cheap refurbished machines, as schools tend to do.

Now, compare that to when I was in college using Macs for audio and video editing in the telecommunications labs. Everyone there had a respect for and knowledge of computers. We were making full-fledged videos with overlapping audio tracks. We also used them to run the campus radio station, where one of my class projects was recording and editting the news breaks and another was recording a song one track at a time (4 tracks total) and then editting it all together into one full song. It did it all smoothly without ever being shutdown or rebooted. That was three years ago. At home now I have a Sony Vaio running XP with a 3ghz HT processor and 1gb of RAM. It slows down on cutting and pasting mpeg video. Last night I spent a couple of hours adjusting my virtual memory, clearing my autorun menu, running Norton Antivirus, Spybot, Ad-Aware, and defragmenting. It made me wish I had bought a Mac. You don't have to do any of that crap.

Are Windows based machines more flexible with other machines? Yes. Does that make Apple bad for importing versions of Microsoft programs? No, just smart. If Apple gained marketshare would they still use resource draining ports? I bet not.

Before you continually trash Apple/Macintosh make sure you do realize that Windows is, as The Craker said, a poor copy from Apple's original graphics based operating system. Apple, not Microsoft first made a graphics-based system available to consumers. Of course, after that is said I feel the need to remind everyone that the graphics-based operating system, including the mouse, was originally invented by Xerox. Management didn't think it would do any good and practically just gave it to Steve Jobs.

So the next time you use whatever system you prefer and it works well go give the office copier a big hug.


Of course, all of this is moot because, as Famine noted, Linux is the best. 👍

 

[ceiling_fan]

It's just a commercial, so I really couldn't care less .
Apple is horrible. They are made cheaply, and iMacs and eMacs will crash if you even look at them wrong. They have always mooched off of Microsoft (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc), and it took them how long to adopt a 2 button mouse? What do Macs have to offer? Stabilty, they say? Windows is perfectly stable, so long as you don't do something stupid, or try to run 345012 programs at once. No viruses? I've only had two major ones in six years, only one requiring reformatting, thanks to (free) virus and ad/spyware pretection programs. Great for graphics designers? So are PCs. And just try to name 10 computer games compatible with Apple. The only reason they stay in business is there massive discounts to schools and such, and the iPod (there are better, cheaper mp3 players anyway).

Sorry, had to get that out of my system.

Doom 3, Halo,WarCraft III, World of WarCraft, Sims 2, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon: Desert Siege, Medal of Honor, Diablo II, Unreal Tournament 2004...

I'm not offended by the commercial, as I am a Mac user. Even if Windows was as stable (which in my experience, it isn't) I find Macs much more enjoyable to use.

 

[Duke]

Wow, most of the die-hard Mac haterz in this thread have not the ghost of a clue what they are talking about. Thanks to everyone who set the record straight with facts above.

And yes, I use both OSX and WinXP machines, every day, in a technical field. Both have strengths and weaknesses, but if I could choose one, it would be the Mac hands down.

 

[FoolKiller]

Wow, most of the die-hard Mac haterz in this thread have not the ghost of a clue what they are talking about. Thanks to everyone who set the record straight with facts above.

I just can't believe that it took over 30 posts before it happened.

 

[Zrow]

I just can't believe that it took over 30 posts before it happened.

Hey, I defended Macs!


I definitely agree that the Mac is just more enjoyable to use. I think that for the vast majority of households in America that use computers for the internet and basic work programs, a Mac would be a better choice - the reliability and design are top notch.

 

[Duke]

I just can't believe that it took over 30 posts before it happened.

I can.

 

[Zrow]

Not sure if anyone frequents the webcomic Penny Arcade (www.penny-arcade.com), but it's one of, if not the most popular comics on the 'net.

They've recently been posting about their new Mac purchases (and how much they love them), and this is a site that gets millions of hits a day with a huge fanbase. Who knows if this will make any noticeable difference in Apple's Mac sales, but it's definitely not going to hurt; I can easily see this as something that would help convince many potential Mac buyers to actually buy one.

 

[FoolKiller]

Hey, I defended Macs!

Oops, sorry.

If you had told me 7 or 8 years ago that I would defend Macs when I was 26 I would have laughed in your face. I used to sound just like GT4_Rule. Then I was forced to use them with my major. It was a painful process adapting to the new system, but so was using Windows 95 the first time. Well, that is still painful, even as a memory. But once I adapted to the system and how it works and began to understand the ins and outs I realized the ease of use was much better.

I reacted the same way to Linux until I had to use it for my brief time as a computer science major. I was even running it on a separate partition on my first Windows 95 machine.

It comes down to a matter of an open mind in the end. If you use a decent machine and compared all three systems you would find Windows to be the worst performer. The other two can perform better with half the resources. What does that tell you?

And don't forget, it was a Mac that linked with the alien mothership in Independence Day. Even superior intelligences use Macs. That's why they were caught off guard by the computer virus. They had never seen one before.

 

[Jondot]

Offended? No. Amused that Intel let them get away with that? Quite.

Exactly 👍

I found it hilarious, before intel didn't like it and changed the UK version

 

[Nurbfanatic]

Well, I find your comment that Apple wouldn't be here without Windows to be a little amusing. Much less off base, since Apple's GUI was around long before Windows was, and Apple's hardware was around longer as well. I'm just wondering where you got your info on this?

 

[TheCracker]

I'm just wondering where you got your info on this?

Same place he seems to get all his info from - 'thin air'

 

[GT4_Rule]

Same place he seems to get all his info from - 'thin air'

Hmm...nice comments. Thanks for that. I didn't really need you to tell me where I get my facts. Anyways, its not true so either way you're wrong about me getting my facts from "thin air"

 

[Evolution.]

Wow, most of the die-hard Mac haterz in this thread have not the ghost of a clue what they are talking about. Thanks to everyone who set the record straight with facts above.

And yes, I use both OSX and WinXP machines, every day, in a technical field. Both have strengths and weaknesses, but if I could choose one, it would be the Mac hands down.

Quoted for the truth.

I am a gamer, so I use Windows, generally. If I ever become filthy rich, I'll have both a Windows and Apple system. Apple is best for everything Windows isn't. Windows is a really complicated layout of crap thrown into a hard drive. With an Apple, things are simpler than most people who used Apples from 1997 think. I'd rather use an Apple for everyday use (especially when I go to college, I'll go for Apple laptops) than a Windows OS. Apple has gotten EVERYTHING right in the field of everyday use and business use. It's not really their fault games aren't made for Apples (usually), it's the game developers fault, so you can't directly blame Apple for that. Overall, if it would come down to it, I would rather have an Apple OS X than a Windows OS, because of the sheer simplicity advantage. The only reason I can find that Windows OS is better than OS X is that Windows is supported by more game developers, thus giving Windows almost every game availible.

 

[Zrow]

I am a gamer, so I use Windows, generally. If I ever become filthy rich, I'll have both a Windows and Apple system. Apple is best for everything Windows isn't. Windows is a really complicated layout of crap thrown into a hard drive. With an Apple, things are simpler than most people who used Apples from 1997 think. I'd rather use an Apple for everyday use (especially when I go to college, I'll go for Apple laptops) than a Windows OS. Apple has gotten EVERYTHING right in the field of everyday use and business use. It's not really their fault games aren't made for Apples (usually), it's the game developers fault, so you can't directly blame Apple for that. Overall, if it would come down to it, I would rather have an Apple OS X than a Windows OS, because of the sheer simplicity advantage. The only reason I can find that Windows OS is better than OS X is that Windows is supported by more game developers, thus giving Windows almost every game availible.

I pretty much agree with everything in this post. If you're not an avid PC gamer, I'd go for the Mac.

 

[Small_Fryz]

I would personally rather linux..

I had a gander at linux suse and its great!, far better than windows and I think mac OS X is very nice also. Only reason i run windows and not linux is simply because of software capatabilty.

as for Intel, i would rather AMD. 4400X2 dual core all the way!! 👍

 

[Casio]

It's like a big Windows flame session in here.

Personally, I don't have a problem with Windows crashing every hour like you guys do. My computer is arguably the ****test in the universe too.

I'm hearing the whole 'OSX has such a simplicity advantage' arguement. Maybe instead of buying an entire, and honestly expensive system just so it's simple, you could possibly, learn Windows?! You make it sound like Windows is in another language. No doubt you've used windows for nigh on 10 years, I think by now you should have a fair idea of it.

I use OSX on almost a daily basis also. Sure it works well, but that's because it's not filled to the brim with random, useless internet software, because nothing actually runs off it.

It's like it's cool to say 'Yeah, I've got a Mac, Windows is gay'...

 

[GT4_Rule]

I don't like Mac's keyboards. It's probably because I haven't tried using any other ones that I can buy, but I don't like their stock white ones that came with the G4s - they offer little feedback, so I don't really know which key I pressed. I know its a stupid complaint but I really, really don't like their keyboards.

 

[Sage]

It's like a big Windows flame session in here.

I take it you haven’t read the first two pages of this thread?

I'm hearing the whole 'OSX has such a simplicity advantage' arguement. Maybe instead of buying an entire, and honestly expensive system just so it's simple, you could possibly, learn Windows?! You make it sound like Windows is in another language. No doubt you've used windows for nigh on 10 years, I think by now you should have a fair idea of it.

I don’t consider it simplicity moreso than the fact that Apple has competent UI designers. Did you know the Mac OS menubar is 7 times faster to use than the Windows menubar? That’s because Apple actually knows about something called Fitt’s law, which basically states that things with more pixels = easier to click, which should seem like common sense, but apparently nobody sent the memo to Microsoft. The OS X menubar is flush with the top of the screen, which means it has an infinite number of pixels in the y+ direction – thus, no matter how much you “overshoot” the menubar, you will always hit it. Same with the Dock versus the Taskbar – Dock icons are clickable when your cursor is flush against the side of the screen, but Microsoft decided to add a few pixels below the Taskbar buttons (so close to nirvana, yet so far). Another thing that Apple has done is that they have an algorithm set up so that you have some leeway when accessing nested menus so that you don’t “slide off” – with the Windows menus, you have to move directly horizontally to access a submenu.

So what?, you say. It’s the little things like this that matter – Apple doesn’t just squish together a bunch of crap and call it a day. They’ve thought through every little detail, not to mention a highly superior security model (application simply don’t self-execute without administrative permission, period).

Ask me any question regarding Apple’s User Interface design (or hardware interfacing), and I’ll answer it.

You wanna know why Apple likes one-button mice? (Even though they do ship 3-button mice now.) Because it forces developers to program interfaces that don’t rely on contextual menus – one of the huge paradigms in Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines is that every single function must be accessible through the menubar, with widgets serving as easy-access to commonly used functions. Nobody should have to magically stumble upon a contextual menu to do something.

You wanna know why there’s no Taskbar? (Aside from copyright issues.) I’m sure you’ve all seen a Taskbar that has so many windows open that you can’t read the text unless you mouseover. Apple wanted to avoid that, so we have one of two options – select an application from the Dock (OS X rarely has maximized windows, so “sifting” through windows is not a problem), or using Exposé, which shows you every single window you have open. Boom, no ID problem.

The Taskbar also inevitably leads to a document-centric way of viewing tasks, which, in my opinion, is why so many people don’t really understand the basics of using computers. OS X is application-centric, which means that users will associate applications with certain tasks, while a document-centric OS makes users associate a document with a task, not with an application. That’s why you have people who think that Internet Explorer is the Internet, because they don’t know what an application is. It’s a crutch – document-centric is great for new-newbie-newbie computer users, but lousy beyond that.

And let me just put this out there: I don’t mind people hating Macs. I fully understand – several years ago I was considering buying a Wintel PC. You’re entitled to like what you like and hate what you hate, and I know what’s wrong with OS X and I have my own criticisms of the system. But the amount of total and utter BS contained in this thread is beyond anything I’ve ever seen in a Mac vs. PC thread, and that really pisses me off. Newsflash: spreading misinformation is worse than not spreading any information.

 

[Casio]

The OS X menubar is flush with the top of the screen, which means it has an infinite number of pixels in the y+ direction – thus, no matter how much you “overshoot” the menubar, you will always hit it. Same with the Dock versus the Taskbar – Dock icons are clickable when your cursor is flush against the side of the screen, but Microsoft decided to add a few pixels below the Taskbar buttons (so close to nirvana, yet so far). Another thing that Apple has done is that they have an algorithm set up so that you have some leeway when accessing nested menus so that you don’t “slide off” – with the Windows menus, you have to move directly horizontally to access a submenu.

If someone does not have the coordination to use a mouse, then sure, I completely argee with you. For the other 99.9% of people in the world, who needs an infinite number of pixels in the y+ direction? I'm almost 100% sure that in my years of computing I have never 'overshot' the menubar.

not to mention a highly superior security model (application simply don’t self-execute without administrative permission, period).

Agreed.

You wanna know why Apple likes one-button mice? (Even though they do ship 3-button mice now.) Because it forces developers to program interfaces that don’t rely on contextual menus – one of the huge paradigms in Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines is that every single function must be accessible through the menubar, with widgets serving as easy-access to commonly used functions. Nobody should have to magically stumble upon a contextual menu to do something.

But I want a contextual menu bar. I like the ability to right click. It's one of the things about the Mac's that drive me up the wall. Could they not have incorporated the exact same interface, but released a mouse that has more then 1-button (Like they are now)? That way, you can still access all the functions in the menu, but if want I want to do a simple thing like Copy/Paste, I can right click that too?

You wanna know why there’s no Taskbar? (Aside from copyright issues.) I’m sure you’ve all seen a Taskbar that has so many windows open that you can’t read the text unless you mouseover. Apple wanted to avoid that, so we have one of two options – select an application from the Dock (OS X rarely has maximized windows, so “sifting” through windows is not a problem), or using Exposé, which shows you every single window you have open. Boom, no ID problem.

At any given time. I know what windows I have open. By virtue of the fact I opened them. What's so difficult about moving the mouse down, and changing the window I'm in?

And let me just put this out there: I don’t mind people hating Macs. I fully understand – several years ago I was considering buying a Wintel PC. You’re entitled to like what you like and hate what you hate, and I know what’s wrong with OS X and I have my own criticisms of the system. But the amount of total and utter BS contained in this thread is beyond anything I’ve ever seen in a Mac vs. PC thread, and that really pisses me off. Newsflash: spreading misinformation is worse than not spreading any information.

I use Macs almost daily for multimedia applications, nothing more. So I'll admit that's I'm not a Mac expert. However, I just don't think they are the be all and end all that everyone makes them out to be. I only use it because it's the fastest and best computer we have (2GHz Power Mac G5). The cost of these things is ridiculous as well. If you want to spend $4000 on a computer, because it has a 'menubar is 7 times faster to use than the Windows menubar', then fine.