A few months back, I wrote a post about the Mac vs. PC ads (which, funny as they are, as a user of Macintosh, Windows and Linux PCs, I find to be a little misleading sometimes and downright untruthful others) before following it up when I heard an amusing Mac vs. PC parody on BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show. It was interesting to hear that Mac Format magazine judged the ads as ineffective because the largest group of consumers to whom they appeal are already Mac users (although Apple’s continuation of the Get a Mac campaign would suggest that it is working for them) and, in the comments on my recent post about some of the consumer-targeted features in Windows Vista being just as good as the functionality offered by Mac OS X, I was criticised for saying:
“Apple’s Get a Mac campaign draws on far too many half truths that will only become apparent to users after they have made the decision to switch, splashed out on the (admittedly rather nice) Apple hardware and then found out that the grass is not all green on the other side.”
Regardless of the effectiveness (or honesty) of the original ads, late last night, whilst researching for my rebuttal of those comments, I came across some more Mac vs. PC ads:
- The TrueNuff TV Mac vs. PC spoofs – which really are just about poking fun (and do it rather well).
- Novell’s extension of the Mac vs. PC theme, where Mac and PC gain a new playmate… SUS[i]E Linux!
I’ve said before that the whole “my operating system is better than your operating system” nonsense is quite ridiculous really but the TrueNuff guys have it all just about summed up:
“Why would you love a Mac? Computers are computers. Macs are great. So are PCs. So are toasters – what’s your point? It’s just a computer – get over it.”
I’m enjoying the spoof ads though!
This South Park-style Mac vs. PC spoof is pretty funny too, as is the Mac vs. PC vs. Linux version.
You have 2 platforms Mac and PC obviously.
What most people dont understand is that Mac & Linux are virtually cousins since they are Unix based. Windows is Dos based which is a copy of Unix to begin with.
You Macboys say that Mac just works, well so does Linux and Windoze. The thing that sucks the most, what most people dont even realize, is that you spend so much money on your beloved Mac or Windoze system than you realize.
Linux is virtually free, along with thousands of free programs to choose from when choosing from the top distributions.
The Linux developers out number the Mac & Windoze developers combined. This is due to the large open source community that volunteer their time to create fixes and help other users, versus depending on some customer service dept. handling your problem while on hold etc..
Linux has come a long way in such a short period of time, and guess what, more people are getting tired of high cost products and software, as well as proprietary crap that Mac and Windoze create. They are choosing a Linux distribution as their OS of choice.
Why?
Well, a majority of Mac users dont know anything about their computer. Basically Mac Dumbs the computer user down. Loads of Mac users dont even know they have a terminal program in OSX, or even know what its for. They just like to click on pretty pics an the lovely GUI.
If you need help from a Mac User for a specific problem you most likely will get an answer from them to take it to the Mac Store to get it fixed.
Windows & Linux Users are more in the know than Mac Users for creating fixes for specific Network, and configuration matters as well as others. I can hear the Mac User now, “We Mac Users dont have problems with our software and etc…”
Guess what you are wrong. There are loads of problems, do a google search for mac Problems or errors.
A very successful Linux based Distribution which is 100% free to the user is Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu. These are all of the same flavor of Linux, only with a different desktop manager, and GUI, hence the change of the first letter (I use Debian/Sidux). You can order CDs directly from the Ubuntu website and have them shipped to you anywhere in the world for free including the postage cost (also available for Mac)! Easy to install in 6 steps and boom you have a beautiful full functioning OS. There may be a few pitfalls due to some hardware configurations, but this is where you learn and help others. Some people in the community are geeks, but no Snobs (like Mac), and they extend their best efforts to help others who have problems (which beats crappy customer service 1-800-Mac-Win-Sux).
In Conclusion,
Mac Hardware is expensive, software is limited and expensive, and customer support is terrible.
Windoze OS is expensive, and only supported through registered hardware, Loads of Viruses, have to purchase more software to enhance the system to keep it virus free, customer support is terrible.
Linux is FREE to download, or inexpensive to order online ($2 – $5), Thousands of free software to download (most a minimal download), Configuration can be a little pain, but this is where you learn how your system works. The largest community is there to assist you for support for the distribution you use, and many fixes have already been resolved.
The answer is a no brainer which platform to use.
Oh dear Tony. Did you actually read anything here? Or did you just launch straight into Linux bigot drivel?
Now, let’s go through each of your points:
As I wrote in the original post, I use 3 platforms. I actually run multiple versions of each. I also have experience of operating systems going back to mainframe days.
Mac OS X is built on a development of BSD Unix. GNU software (like Linux) is, by definition “not Unix”; however they do have a lot in common. Windows 2000, XP and Vista are not DOS-based. They are built on the Windows NT kernel and have more in common with LAN Manager than MS-DOS.
Read what I write on this blog and you will realise that I am:
BTW, deliberately mis-spelling product names (e.g. Windoze) is childish. Why not go the whole hog and type M$ for Microsoft?
It may be free as in open, but many Linux distros are expensive to purchase support on (Red Hat Enterprise Linux for example). Then there is the issue of support skills. In an enterprise environment, Windows skills are much less expensive because the platform is so prevalent and well understood.
Do you have any statistics to back this up? My experience of open source product support (e.g. the WordPress platform that this blog runs on) is that it can be great, or non-existent (i.e. no-one ever answers). In a business environment, I’d rather have a support contract that can be enforced in law. On my home PCs, I’ll take my chances.
Linux has been around since the early 90s, BSD Unix goes back a long way but OS X is from the late 90s. Modern versions of Windows are based on Windows NT – from the early-mid 90s. All three platforms have come a long way. All three platforms have a way to go yet. And there’s plenty of open source software available for Mac/Windows platforms too.
At last, we agree on something. But it has to be said that is a bit of a generalisation – I know Mac users who love to dive into a shell, and for that matter Windows users who can hardly use a mouse.
Ubuntu is great. But I’ve yet to find any Linux distro that I could stake my career on to implement in favour of Windows in a large corporate environment. There are issues of training (user and support staff), application compatibility, process, etc. The list goes on. Technology is one thing. Using it to drive business forward is something else.
Expensive, but some people like it. And you can still run Linux on a Mac if that’s your idea of fun.
I think I noted on an earlier post that some of the enterprise-ready Linux products (e.g. RHEL) are actually more expensive than Windows.
I’ll refer to my earlier comments.
Use your brain and you’ll find that there is a world of choice – pick the platform that works for you. At the end of the day, it’s still just a PC.
To sum up, I’ll quote my own post above:
First of all, might I remind everyone here that this is the TRUTH.
Firstly, an operating system can only do so much given the technology, and the skill of the person using the computer. So with that in mind, All Operating systems, on Windows, Mac, Linux, Unix, ect ect; all of these are equivalent. Being so, this means we can ALL surf the internet, type a report, print out a document, listen to music, edit videos, edit songs, play video games, and virtually near EVERYTHING you do on that Mac, PC, or Linux Operating System. You can run a server on Windows as much as you can on Linux. I am sure you can do it on a Mac given the correct programs.
Down to the core differences.
Windows XP has a BAD KERNEL. Windows 7 and Windows 2003 have kernels known to be completely reliable, as much as the Linux and Unix kernels are. Sure, viruses are mostly written for Windows…thats because Windows holds 80% of the population of computer users. Being so, a hacker, programmer, scripter, script kiddy- whatever you want to call them- create them for Windows mostly. Linux and Unix (BSD especially) are known to host servers as well as Windows Servers (NT, 2003, 2000, ect ect.) So the majority of exploits, or flaws in programs, would be written for Windows or Linux.
Now down to CPU usage. In 2008, I am sure that program that runs a bit worse on Windows than Mac will not matter. Simply because of Duo and Quad core 2ghz+ CPU’s will not be burned out by this. Back in 1990, sure it would! But not in this time.
Down to graphics and audio editing. I myself, not only a programmer and musician, but as well as a Audio and Video Tech with computers, knows that Mac is known for there reliability in this. Sure, it may hold true for that period of time where the CPU was different, the kernels were unstable and would reboot or have memory failures. But this is where programming steps up. Memory is at 4 gigs (even though windows XP only uses 3 gigs) and CPU’s are up to 3ghz or even greater if you want to over clock. Not to mention dual core, or even dual CPU’s. Quads are also available. Hard drives are now SATA and terrabyte size (1024 sqaured). Generally speaking, in 2008+, Video and Audio production should ONLY be catagorized by software and intermediate devises (mixing board, camera, ect ect) and not by the hardware (computer used.) Sure, maybe if you are using that P2 or P3 it will suck…BUY A NEW COMPUTER THERE 300 FREAKING BUCKS.
Now hacking…lets talk programming? The reason programmers and any type of person who knows how to build a computer from source, knows they want Linux. Why? GNU. Simply because it is free. Meaning open sourced. They can edit anything they want, download anything they want, install anything they want. They can create and destroy anything on their own computer (programming i mean). The major reason why people use open source is because it is that, open source. It is a great way to know, learn, evolve, and do what we call enjoy our lives and not be contained by a leash. I like Linux because of that. Linux is not 100% secure, obviously, it takes maintaining. Like a brand new super car. A dumb ass at a computer would be like a 20 year old kid who has a Mitsubishi just bought a brand new Lamborghini. Obviously theres going to be some complications and horrific ends to that. Linux, however, isn’t for everyone, but only for the people willing to learn by them self. Linux is not for that kid who THINKS he can hack because he has an operating system. I mean, shit, you can hack a coke machine without that computer, can’t you?
Now debate against all three:
All of them are equivalent to ANYONE in this debate. They all do the same functions given the speed and power.
Money? Macs cost so much because of the name and the little amount of people who have them. PC’s used to cost 1000 bucks if I recall correctly. Mac, however, now has a name. “i” labeled in front of everything. May not seem like much, but thats advertising. That little thing can make 40% more people buy their product as well as remember who they are. The reason you see those commercials of macs is because Microsoft would be a monopoly if they take them off air. It doesn’t hurt business for Microsoft, so just leave it be.
Conclusion: To everyone who wonders, its all the same. Buy a PC, save your money for gas, since a PC is only 200 bucks or a little more. Trust ME! You can’t getting ripped off, unlike a mac, you can buy individual parts for a PC and upgrade it yourself without having to spend 2000 bucks more on that updated hardware.
Comments to sstgohanx@gmail.com or myspace.com/sstgohanx
Have a great day :].
— Josh Washington.
I’m not sure why I approved Josh’s rant… probably because I don’t like to censor what’s written here (unless it’s offensive in some manner), but please DON’T SHOUT AT ME.
Also, note that your your truth is just an opinion. One that, IMHO, is riddled with holes, but I can’t be bothered to respond at the moment.
(You might also have heard of some technology that checks your spelling.)
Mac (PC) vs. (Windows) PC vs. Linux (PC). Who gives a f*** any more. They’re all as bad (or good, depending on where you stand) as one another.
Just to sum up:
Not sure where I spelled something wrong lol, but I am glad someone finally agrees. Sure, not 100% of statements were true and some were opinions, but most of what I said was true. I forgot about some hardware being faulty, but remember thats not Windows, thats the company in which you bought that computer off of. If you buy Dell, it is dell’s cheap labor. If you buy E-Machine, its E-Machines cheap labor. So on and so fourth.
Windows 7 is supposed to be more reliable than all the windows kernels released- even more than the ever so reliable 2003 server if I am not mistaken.
Mac may of started looking flashy back in the day, but Windows and Linux both can do the same. Windows Vista has loads of XGL features, and I would assume that Windows 7 will have even more.
You are misunderstanding the concept of ‘free’ in Linux. Linux means free, as in boundary free. You can do anything, the cost is significantly lower than the other operating systems available, if not free, but for a common user, that update of the kernel may not matter. Besides, Linux isn’t free what so ever. I mean, sure some distro’s are free; but for a business its triple the cost of a windows server simply because of the work involved. You need specially trained technicians who know exactly what they are doing, not to mention the cost of keeping each service running at an efficient and effective rate. My mother is a computer technician at a company called Danahar Motions. They use Windows XP for their call centers and services. Apparently they want a more secure service, and it was going to cost triple the amount it would if they replaced the people working there. Just imagine how much it would cost to train the people working there to use this?
And I kind of agree with “the people need to get lifes” but seriously though, its just because of marketing why people believe what they have is better. Honestly, I know that all of them are the same if you are looking for an average daily usage of internet, work related (typing and documentations, so on…,) and several of games are available on each one. Linux even has emulators so you can use Windows and Mac programs on there. So does mac. And I am sure you can find one for Windows. The point being, they are all the same. I wasn’t talking about my opinion on that. I was talking in the hole perspective of what an average and daily computer user does. I did a 20 page research paper on internet crimes and saftey of the internet, and the research I have done in the past shows that the average Windows users gets viruses simply because it is the most used Operating system. Not because its worse, but because that virus can target 10 people instead of that 1 person (1 being either Linux or Mac). I am sure mac has its flaws, and I know damn well Linux has its flaws. I have to update my kernel, secure my scripts, create IP tables, ect ect, just to make sure no one can delete my information on my Gentoo drive.
Back to what I was saying;
Mac and windows were different at one point. It used to be hard to find a program to run in mac that makes you do something, in which you can get in Windows. It used to be that since Mac had ppc processors, they had more speed. Mac is on Intel now. Meaning the only thing actually different, besides the obvious OEM hardware, is the operating system, which in 2008, is the same.
Linux back in the day used to be extremely complicated and rare to figure out how to do something. You had to do EVERYTHING manually. There was no “insert this cd, click install, and your done!”, there was ‘partition this drive’ with no in depth instructs besides the command. There was ‘compile this kernel’ and to do so you had to use source. There was all these complex things you HAD to know. But that was early and late 90’s for both Linux and Mac.
Back to hardware for a few. Some hardware may be better than others. For example, you can buy a Windows computer with some chinese company all over it. The mother board is trash, the memory is trash, the CD drives are trash, the video card is trash…Everything on that computer is trash. THAT DOESN’T MEAN that windows is. That is only because you cheeped out and bought that 40 dollar computer off of Ebay, with a name that you have never heard of on TV. Mac, however, was smart in the early game.
Mac used hardware that was specially made only for a Mac computer. This made it so if something broke on a Mac, they had to have it replaced ONLY by a factory certified Mac part. There was no 3rd party contributers here. With this in place, Mac’s can raise their value to whatever they want, seeing as how they can’t go to some run of the mill store on main street and get it fixed, they have to get it fixed by Apple or Apple stores. A computer isn’t hard to build either, its just the hardware that is the tough one. Mac made it so you can’t mix and match. Windows and Linux, you can mix and match. The problem is hardware failures, as you would call it. You could buy a shit mother board and an amazing CPU. The computer then has errors in Windows and Linux all the time, causing freezing, blue or black screens, and even over heating from shit CPU coolers. Same goes with ANYTHING on a Linux or Windows box. Hardware has NOTHING to do with the operating system, once more.
Apple products are expensive because they do not use cheap parts, not to mention you are buying the name. An Ipod (music and audio speaking) is the same as that Zune, that Creative, that 3rd rate walmart mp3 player. The difference? One says “ipod” the other doesn’t. Sure some have unique features, but you are going to pay 200+ more for that small unique feature? “Oh its smaller so I want to pay 250, not 70..plus isn’t it made in like Korea? That must mean its garbage!” Thats what you will get also. It’s just a name. A Sony TV is made in japan, it’s not crap, is it? Besides theres products you wouldn’t even think are made in other countries, that are 3rd world, that actually are. Anyways, Apple is making it big now because of the “i”, thats business. I may have said that already above.
Anyways, I will let you all reply and comprehend what I said lol :].
Have A nice day.
PS: I just realized Mark Wilson is the owner of this blog lmao! Sorry about that. :] Haha.
Josh,
Yes, this is my blog. That’s why it’s my name at the top of the page, and why the comments from me are a different colour to the ones from everyone else.
Thanks for stopping by and I’m glad you managed to get a few things off your chest…
Perhaps you would like to read a few more posts on this site and then you’ll understand that I certainly do get what free means in Linux; that I’m more than familiar with the various Microsoft Operating systems (Windows 7 is not even a beta yet – Windows Server 2008 is the latest release – and yes, it is rock solid) and that I think that a Windows PC is more than capable when it comes to competing with a Mac.
It’s been a long week already though (and it’s only Tuesday morning), so please go easy on me with the length of your comments ;) LOL haha.
Mark
Lol sorry about that. I just googled searched “Mac Vs PC” and I got this as like the first link I could comment on, so I through in my two cents with some real logic and reason, instead of saying “Microsoft has flaws” or “Mac is over priced!” or “Linux is hard” lol. I’ll check out some of your blogs; I seriously didn’t notice until I looked at the address. Haa i was slow yesterday..it was a long day.
There also appears to be a revolution on YouTube where users are making their own Mac vs PC videos or using the concept for two other products like Coke and Pepsi!
Well, you said
“Apple’s Get a Mac campaign draws on far too many half truths that will only become apparent to users after they have made the decision to switch, splashed out on the (admittedly rather nice) Apple hardware and then found out that the grass is not all green on the other side.â€
I think Apple does that in order to make unsatisfied customers to go around preaching about how much better their purchase was than all others instead of returning it and getting their money back, so that they can justify their decisions and would feel like their purchase was totally the wisest thing to do