Apple computers

[mikester]

People tell me that Apple computers are really wonderful and that I should ditch my Dell with Internet Explorer and Windows 10. I'm pretty computer savvy.
What do people with Apples think?

Computers are computers. Think of computers as an appliance like a toaster. Some toast 2 slices, some 4, some are toaster ovens, but ultimately they are all toasters. It comes down to personal preference and you choose the brand and style you like best.

They ALL have software bugs and they ALL crash from time to time.
They ALL get software updates from time to time which may or may not make your life easier.

Apple charges a premium for outdated technology, give you less choice, but have pretty good support. The tag line for Apple support is that when their software update breaks something on your computer or one of the attached devices then you need to buy a new computer and all new devices. Its like taking your car in for an oil change and finding out you cant park the car in the garage anymore and you need to either move or build a new garage.

I think the best analogy for Apple is an elite private school playground. Some fun swings and slides in a fenced in area but they want you to stay in the playground area at all times with the teachers watching over you. There is no world beyond the school gates because the principal says so, the teachers play along and a bunch of cool kids will tell you how to play all the games. Keep sniffing the Apple glue and all is well in Apple land.

Windows based computers are more like going to the fair ground. You get a wider array of rides and thrills, sometimes with questionable rides run by questionable carnies. Microsoft is like the police who show up at the fair now and then wanting you to stick to the fenced in playgrounds, but like a sieve its harder to control the flow of water.

Linux is like venturing out into the Wild West for your playground. Some small towns with small sheriffs that want you to play by their rules because thats the way things are run around here. If you dont know the rules then something is wrong with YOU because everyone in this small town knows them rules. In reality you are on your own and theres no fence to stop you from falling into the Grand Canyon. The world is your playground. Got a flat tire in the desert? Oh well sucks to be you.

Choose your playground.

 

[Tomtint]

I have a Mac for my business computer, bought it about 5 years ago and neve had a single issue. ..ever. Had several Dels, HPs etc in the past and there was always some pop up, anti virus BS something or another going on with it. ..Screw that. We also have a couple iPads and recently got a Mac Book Pro that I'm still learning, but the more I use it the more I like it. .. I personally I'll never own another HP anything. ..ever.

 

[Cat_Driver]

My first computer was an Apple II series back in 1977. At the time I couldn't believe I was using a computer at home. You know those things I always saw on TV as big as a vehicle.
Go forward to 1984 when I started my business, I bought "The Macintosh". (my wife actually carried this to Japan as a laptop before laptops existed) and everyone said I was crazy as "apple compters were just toys"

I ignored them and went with Apple because it was so easy to use and I could see on the screen what printed on paper. At the time with the PC you needed to type lines of code to get a paragraph to print center, bold etc.

The Macintosh had a "WORD" type file called Mac Write and an "EXCEL" type file I think called VisiCalc. For me that's all I needed to run my business, Mac Write to write proposals and VisiCalc to see if I was making money.

Still, everyone told me I was using a toy, but that "toy" was making me money. I purchased a $5,000 laser printer one of the first made. Remember $5,000 in the 80's was a LOT of money.

The greatest story ever was when I did a professional-looking proposal from a huge company that was worth a lot of money to me. I lost that piece of business because that customer wanted to work with a smaller company than mine.

Here's the funny part, that "toy" made me look professional and ahead of my competition, so much so I lost that business. Now for the funny part, ant the time I was a one-man operation and they wanted to work with a "smaller" company.

From that day on I knew I had the perfect combination of computer and printer to compete with the "big boys" and compete I did and won over 90% of the proposals I sent out.

Now after 30 years of doing business with that "toy" my proposals started to include 3D animation, high-end photography, movies, sound, and CAD drawings. None of my competitors ever caught up to me and what I was doing with my proposals even today they aren't doing the things with computers that I did over 20 years ago.


I once won a huge job after my proposal cam in late because I found out too late about the proposal that was needed. I said what the heck, I'll be late but I'll send it in any way. The customer later told me once they saw my proposal they threw all the other proposals out and selected me. Again, using that "toy"

 

[Tomtint]

Computers are computers. Think of computers as an appliance like a toaster. Some toast 2 slices, some 4, some are toaster ovens, but ultimately they are all toasters. It comes down to personal preference and you choose the brand and style you like best.
They all have software bugs and they all crash from time to time.
They all get updates from time to time which may or may not make your life easier.
Apple charges a premium for outdated technology, give you less choice, but have pretty good support.

I think the best analogy for Apple is a school playground. Some fun swings and slides in a fenced in area but they want you to stay in the playground area at all times with the teachers watching over you. There is no world beyond the school gates because the principal says so, the teachers play along and a bunch of cool kids will tell you how to play all the games. Keep sniffing the Apple glue and all is well in Apple land.

Windows based computers are more like going to the fair ground. You get a wider array of rides and thrills, sometimes with questionable rides run by questionable carnies. Microsoft is like the police who show up at the fair now and then wanting you to stick to the fenced in playgrounds, but like a sieve its harder to control the flow of water.

Linux is like venturing out into the Wild West for your playground. Some small towns with small sheriffs that want you to play by their rules because thats the way things are run around here but really you are on your own and theres no fence to stop you from falling into the Grand Canyon. Got a flat tire in the desert? Oh well sucks to be you.

Choose your playground.

Anything Windows based is like playing Russian roulette with a full clip and 1 in the chamber.

 

[s219]

At work (science/engineering) we're about 50% Apple now, which is way up in recent years. Seems like it's now "cool" to use an Apple product. Back when I started work in the 1990s, Macs were more like 10-15% and you had to be somewhat of a fanatic to use one. I noticed the same trend on the college campus where I teach, but even stronger -- I'd say 80% of the students have Apple laptops now. I suspect much of these changes were driven by iPhones and iPads expanding Apple's reach to customers.

 

[Spindifferent]

People tell me that Apple computers are really wonderful and that I should ditch my Dell with Internet Explorer and Windows 10. I'm pretty computer savvy.
What do people with Apples think?

Easy to use. Very dependable. Reasonably priced for what you get. Highly recommend.

 

[Jchonline]

I am in the IT field and I have both. Apple is easier to use overall, kind of like iPhone vs. Android. I had Windows for years, then full swap to Apple, then back to Windows. Apple has gotten worse in the past 5 years or so IMO. QC is not as good as it used to be. I am happy with Windows.

I do still have iPad and iPhone though, just prefer the OS over Android.

 

[Sigarms]

Anything Windows based is like playing Russian roulette with a full clip and 1 in the chamber.

THAT is the BEST way I could make the comparison.

NOTHING man made is immune to potential issues due to usage. After my first Mac desktop 10 yeara ago, and after having to deal with my wifes Surface pro I bought her years ago for a christmas present, the ONLY computer I'll buy for home use is a Mac now.

 

[orezok]

I bought my first Apple about 1978 for the kids. There has been an Apple computer of some sort in my house ever since. I uses PCs at work for years because of several proprietary programs, but my heart is with Apple. If I need a PC program, I run Parallels with Windows 10 on the Mac and it doesnt know its a Mac.

 

[Sigarms]

I bought my first Apple about 1978 for the kids. There has been an Apple computer of some sort in my house ever since. I uses PCs at work for years because of several proprietary programs, but my heart is with Apple. If I need a PC program, I run Parallels with Windows 10 on the Mac and it doesnt know its a Mac.

My old company gave me a new laptop with Windows 10 on it because I had so many issues with my older company laptop and I asked for a new laptop.

After trying to play around with Windows 10 (great fancy touch screen options), I just kept my old laptop and didn't say anything because I didn't want anything to do with Window's 10.

What engineers forget is people are stupid. I'm stupid. When you make changes, you don't make something that is so far advanced that stupid people can't use it LOL FYI, I say the same thing in my own industry LOL

It's kind of like trying to write instructions on how to tie your shoe laces. You don't really think it's hard, but when you try to write instructions that even an idiot can understand, it becomes a lot harder.

One reason why for work, my heart will always be with the AS400 system.