PC or Mac...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusenvy @ Jul 9 2007, 05:55 AM) [snapback]475321[/snapback]</div>

Perhaps this is the best advice you can give in this context. If my focus would have been on video editing, maybe I would be working on an Apple. But, since I do professional software development, I feel Windows is better suited for me for several reasons.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusenvy @ Jul 9 2007, 05:55 AM) [snapback]475321[/snapback]</div>

Good point It always amuses me if people say "I hate this or that OS and can't use it". I feel that it tells a lot more about them than about that OS. I have worked on more platforms than I can count on my two fingers, and it never took me more than a day or so to make myself comfortable and become productive. And that included some pretty odd systems, such as a Siemens mainframe running BS2000.

The other thing that amuses me is that some people feel it as a moral obligation to try to counter just any positive comment about their "rival" OS, even if they don't know anything about that specific aspect. So much blind zeal must be a major limitation to someone's creativity.

So, in short, I would advice you to think deep about the major applications for your computer, look at the offerings on several platforms, and settle down on the one that offers the best solutions for your needs and your budget. All things equal and if you never intend to delve deep into your machine and add really exotic peripherals, perhaps I would have a slight preference for Apple because I think their OS looks cool and their machines have a nice design.

 

I use both. I'm equally comfortable on Macs or PCs, and reasonably comfortable under Linux (in that I can admin a server well enough to keep it secure and operational)

But really, I don't care much about the OS itself. I'm all about the applications. When I need to use PC software, I use a PC. When I need Mac software, I use the Mac.

I did buy a Macbook for my portable needs, but at home, my PC is vastly more powerful than my Macbook, so I tend to use that more.

Dave

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(vtie @ Jul 9 2007, 02:52 AM) [snapback]475392[/snapback]</div>

But there's a huge difference between hating an OS and being comfortable with it... Similar to you, i've worked on more OS's than i can count, and haven't had any trouble figuring out how to do stuff on any of them. However, I still find that i highly dislike Windows - not because i can't do what i want to do on it, but because i find that it generally requires more maintenance to keep it running smoothly, which sucks up my time that could be doing something more productive.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Jul 10 2007, 04:14 PM) [snapback]476082[/snapback]</div>

I think you are right, to a certain extent. You do need to spend a little effort in keeping Windows healthy (at least compared to Mac's). I would estimate an average of 5 minutes per week. For the way I use my main computers, that's approximately a productivity decrease of 0.2% - quite marginal.

But I can imagine that, if you use your computer much less than that and are not very familiar with it, this may become annoying. Again, some work to do here for MS. They should go for a zero maintenance configuration. They still can learn a lot indeed from Apple (and have learned already a lot).

 

That sounds about like my computers... however, i can easily spend several hours fixing my mom's computer once a month - and that has nothing to do with adware, malware, etc. You're average computer user like her just gets things so gunked up in window's it's not even funny... much harder to do that to a Mac.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Jul 10 2007, 06:51 PM) [snapback]476194[/snapback]</div>

I know what you are talking about... I have seen people screw up their windows configuration in more ways than I can ever imagine. But, it may help a lot if you can tune the setup. Use XP Pro, make sure that she doesn't run as administrator, and disable as many features for her account as possible without preventing normal operation.

 

trust me, i did that years ago... i honestly don't know what she does to it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Jul 11 2007, 03:34 PM) [snapback]476749[/snapback]</div>

Maybe you should record her computer activity and send that to MS so that they can find ways to improve the robustness of Windows!

Seriously, I can imagine that she would be better off with a Mac indeed. Why not, it would do all the things she wants to do at least as well, and in a more user-friendly and robust environment.

And, if the market share of MS would show some hints of serious erosion, I am sure that we would see a splash of innovation from Richmond like we have never seen before...

 

I think we'll finally be moving her over to a Mac by next summer... my sister is looking to get a new one around that time, and we should be able to get my mom on her old one. The only problem is freecell...