Should I get a Mac?

[Rey C.]

I could point out that after you talk about statistical studies you then go on to give your own anecdotal evidence. For what it's worth with my own anecdotal accounts I can't remember the last time my PC froze, crashed, or even got a major virus. It was probably somewhere very slightly more than zero the past five years but not by much. Like I could probably count them with a couple of fingers and it was easily recovered from. Even then most of those were caused by me doing things outside the scope of what the program was intended to do stably. I could also point out that I find things like Consumer Reports unreliable for years now. For the sake of argument, lets say that Macs are indeed more reliable and stable. In my experience they aren't so far above everything else it's worth it for me. Plus if for some reason I want to go out and do things that Mac usually don't do well, like being a good gaming machine (I gave up modern computer gaming some time ago) I still have that option. It also has the benefit of me not having to learn any new quirks with the operating software when it's not a huge benefit to me.

Notice I also didn't say they were bad. I said they weren't cost effective for what one usually gets out of them compared to things that are cheaper, often much so. There might be a small number functions for ones technical hobby or career depending on what field a person works in that they perform to near perfection, and where the investment is worth it, but I don’t have no need for those.

Thinking something is overrated and thinking something is bad aren't two things that have to be mutually inclusive. Besides paying more for diminishing returns one also pays more for the brand name. Now if somebody gave me one free as a present would I turn it down? No I wouldn't. I would probably use it. If I had to go out and buy a new computer or tablet and had to pay my own money for it it wouldn't be my choice.

I referred to studies from Consumer Reports and JD Power - but there's also a UK study from the Temkin Experience Ratings. And yeah, of course I would relate my own experiences as well. You may be one of those people who dismisses studies that present results that you don't like (like Indy car fans who claim that the Nielsen ratings for their favorite sport are "unreliable" because they show that the TV ratings for Indy racing are similar to a test pattern or a late night infomercial). I've been dealing with people who dismiss data and statistical studies for years... usually when a study includes bad news about some sacred cow they're trying to protect. In my work, I use statistics to determine what I need to address and I use statistics to determine whether or not my efforts have moved the needle in the right direction. People get emotional about all manner of things (especially their jobs). But I like data because it is unemotional and just shows what it shows. While you claim to find Consumer Reports, JD Power, Timken or any other data sources (you don't agree with) to be unreliable, you also say that Macs aren't good at gaming. So according to you, my quad core 3.4 GHz i7 processor, Radeon 6970 with 2 gigs of video RAM and 32 gigs of system RAM aren't sufficient to do gaming? I don't play computer games either. But I do have to use AutoCAD, various other CAD/CAM programs and dynamic trading software that is memory and processor intensive. My girl's nephew has a MacBook Pro and he games on his computer. He probably has some games loaded on mine that I don't know about. I'm sorry, but I doubt that you have any real experience with Macs. Do you? And I suspect that you're just repeating the myth that Macs can't do gaming. Please! If this thing will run AutoCAD and MasterCAM at the same time that I'm running TeleCharts on the other screen without breathing hard, I'm fairly certain that it will walk the dog with some boom boom, bang bang computer game.

In addition to the studies I mentioned, here's another one that I used as a reference when I was making my decision back in 2011. I wasn't married to Apple. I wanted the best damn computer I could get that wasn't a custom build (been there, done that already - never again).

The American Customer Satisfaction Index.
Apple Sets a High Bar
One year after climbing 4% to a record-high score of 78 on ACSI’s 0 to 100-point scale, customer satisfaction with personal computers flattens out. The industry itself is in a state of rapid change, with technology advances accelerating amid shifts in consumer preference. As the demand for traditional desktop PCs weakens, the tablet computer market is skyrocketing—led by Apple’s iPad. Apple’s record of customer satisfaction preeminence in the personal computer industry continues unabated in 2011, as the company adds another point to its already exceptional score. At 87 (+1%), Apple outdistances its nearest competitor by 9 points.

And if you don't want to deal with odd quirks and having to learn something new with an OS, I suggest you stay away from Windows 8.

 

[Rey C.]

Haha, I still have it. What a piece of shit and I didn't get a cheap one either.

If you ever decide to destroy it in a fit of rage, I'll send you the IBM ThinkPad that I thought was going to be a great computer for travel. You can kill them both at once. It worked really well... until about a month after the warranty ran out. Here's what I learned about IBM ThinkPads: motherboards ain't cheap! It sets in my office closet now... on a shelf above four or five PC boxes that also don't work anymore.

We used IBMs where I used to work when I first started traveling - about 10 years ago. At first, I thought they were great, so I bought one for myself. Then the guy who was like my partner in crime started screaming "fuck! fuck! fuck!" in his office one day. I went down to check on him and it had locked up right in the middle of him building a PowerPoint presentation - dumped everything he had done. That was a sign of the things to come for both of us. Over the years, on the corporate side, I've used everything from IBMs to Dells to HPs. Some were better than others, but none stood out as great computers. And yeah, I know that what they lease to corporations tend to be wonky anyway (cause they're on lease, who cares if they always work or not). But those many bad experiences led me to search for something for myself that should cause me little to no heartburn. And I feel like I found it. Ya know, the best PC I've owned recently was a cheap, piece of crap Compaq laptop that I had to run out and buy on a weekend at Walmart when my other two PCs both decided to stop working at the same time. It struggles to even boot up now, but for about five years, that little disposable computer hauled the mail.

 

[Jobwell Dunn]

I would buy a Mac if I had enough money for original hardware and software, but I don't. I know they're better, but I also know how to get a PC to work without too many glitches. I don't need fancy video and picture editing and I don't care much for battery lifetime. Macs have their own problems. And the reality is most people don't know how to use a computer either Mac or PC, and there's this trend of buying Apple products now, so everyone's going "oh, Macs are way better", which is mostly true I guess, but people only say that because they haven't tried using it for complex things to see its limits.

I got 2 iPods. Would like an iPhone (there's some apps I really need for work and they're not available on Android). But I don't think I'm going to buy a Mac in the near future. I suggest Lenovo or Dell PCs. Got my Lenovo directly from China. It's IBM made by the commies. They don't mess with durability.

 

[luis1972]

If you got the money, yes.

 

[espnaddict]

Why pay more when you'll probably end up running Windows on the Mac anyway? I think of Macs as overpriced computers for kids & noobs. If I ran a school and was shopping for kids with other people's money that's the only way I would buy a Mac.

Windows 8 does suck though, I'd reformat a new PC and run Win7 or Linux.

 

[Rey C.]

so everyone's going "oh, Macs are way better", which is mostly true I guess, but people only say that because they haven't tried using it for complex things to see its limits.

I think being able to run any simultaneous combination of AutoCAD, MasterCAM, FeatureCAM and TeleChart is a pretty good horsepower test. Maybe one of these days I'll learn how to use Photoshop and I'll see how well it works while I have other stuff open. And if one of the Mac loving OCSMs will "tutor" me, maybe I'll buy a copy of Final Cut Pro and I'll start editing movies... that they make. See, there is a method to my madness.

But if someone just wants a plastic box that will surf the internet and lets them view pictures while they choke the chicken, no, buying a Mac is a waste of money. Buy a netbook or any generic Wintel box for $350 from Walmart, and when it dies in 6-12 months, just buy another one. You don't buy a Porsche when a Yugo will do the trick for ya.

 

[Rey C.]

Roald. Roald! Hey, Roald!!! Dammit! Roald! I got a plan, buddy. Just hear me out. Go to an Apple Store a couple of towns away from you. Wear a wig and dark glasses. Apply for Apple Credit in Petra's name - list the address as FreeOnes HQ. Order the new Mac Pro with all the bells & whistles - max it out!!! Get yourself a copy of AutoCAD, Final Cut Pro and MasterCAM. Hell, throw in any other software that you might like too. Go ahead and pre-order two... no three matching Apple Cinema Displays with 4K resolution (they're not out yet). Put it all on the new card. Once it all arrives, immediately re-ship it all to my shop here in the U.S. See, we need to keep you from getting caught. I'm just thinking of you here. I'm here for you. And this is the only way. Really. When you come to America, it'll all be waiting for you (hardly used at all).

Damn, I wish I could justify some reason for why I'd "need" 128 gigs of RAM, a 12 core processor and three 27" 4K displays! :drool2: