Question About The Apple Computer

[Mitchell]

When I was watching the news tonight, and Jim Gardner of WPVI in Philly was reporting on the passing of Steve Jobs, Mr Gardner made a point that the Apple computer is known for being "user friendly".

I'm a bit embarrassed to say, I've not had an Apple computer, and I dont have the Iphone. My old non internet computer in the 80s was an IBM. My last computer was a Dell, as most forum members know, and I just bought the Acer.

For those forum members who either have Apple computers, or have had or used Apple computers, and also other brands, how exactly is Apple more user friendly, than say, a Dell, or an Acer? I'm sure I will buy another computer at some point, and were I to consider an Apple, I'm just interested to know how it is different as a computer, from the other brands I have/have had.

Any info or insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

Mitch

 

[Marquis De Sade]

http://www.ehow.com/about_4759512_differences-between-pc-mac.html

http://www.differencebetween.net/technology/difference-between-pc-and-mac/

I only have a PC right now. But I want a Mac as well after having used several. There are pros and cons with both, it all depends on how the user uses it and for what purpose.

 

[Myriads]

Used macs all my life for personal use, and tended to have to use PC's at work.

The main difference with apple products is that doing things is often by instinct. If you move stuff in the way you think it should move to finish a task odds are it will. The base OS is more stable, and while the hardware is more expensive, its also a lot more reliable. The iMac I bought in 1998 Still works.

Apple support if you are lucky enough to live near an apple store is amazing. Walk into the Genius bar and they will show you how to do just about anything if you ask. They will trouble shoot issues if you have them, and the experience is good.

Basically Apple designs products with the concept that good design that is instinctive to use makes for products that people will like. The iPhone, and iPad are two examples. You can use them right out of the box, without reading an guides and start doing stuff.

Myriads

 

[socktickler86]

Walk into the Genius bar and they will show you how to do just about anything if you ask. They will trouble shoot issues if you have them, and the experience is good.

Basically Apple designs products with the concept that good design that is instinctive to use makes for products that people will like. The iPhone, and iPad are two examples. You can use them right out of the box, without reading an guides and start doing stuff.

I think this really sums it up. Macs are total average joe consumer products. However, beyond that, PCs are king. You almost NEVER find high end computing, large enterprise operations, scientific computing, etc done on Macs. People who use computers as tools as opposed to entertainment/creativity platforms always use PCs. Many high end tasks require control almost down to the machine-language level and this is unfathomable with Macs. Allowing such control is always at the expense of user-friendliness.

Of course, a large majority of people build their computers based off how big the screen is and how much memory it has, not on how many Tflops it can pull. That's where Macs make their money. A vast majority of people's day to day activities don't need anything beyond what Macs are fantastic as providing.

That's also why androids are always more popular with what are called "power-users". You can do some interesting things with things like iPads, but the open-source nature of things like android-powered touchpads allows them to be way more powerful in terms of the things one could possibly do with them. Of course, again, this is at the expense of user-friendliness.

 

[cloudgazer2k]

An Apple guy I used to work with told me that the company makes it's own hardware. Whereas a Dell may have parts from a dozen different countries, Apple's products are all Apple property. This makes for a more stable computer.

Macs are great for people that do a lot of graphic work, as well as for musicians, since the computers have the power and stability to process the data faster and with better resolution. I wouldn't mind having Apple products myself if they weren't out of my price range.

 

[socktickler86]

An Apple guy I used to work with told me that the company makes it's own hardware. Whereas a Dell may have parts from a dozen different countries, Apple's products are all Apple property. This makes for a more stable computer.

This isn't true. To wit, Macbook Pros use Intel CPUs, ATI/NVidia graphics cards, etc. The reason the computers are more stable is because they have a higher quality control in the components they buy. They buy the best of the production runs which is why they are a bit more expensive to build (of course, they recoup that cost and then some in the prices they sell at).

 

[Mitchell]

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

Myriads, your advice was especially helpful, and of course, I appreciate your input. You mentioned the hardware on an Apple computer, being more expensive, but being more reliable, and the OS being more stable. Thirteen years is a long time for a computer to still be operational.

Another issue Myriads mentioned that struck me is support. Dell support absolutely sucks. The couple of times that I did have trouble with my old Dell, I was told that I'd have to pack my computer up, and ship it back to Dell.

Had I known all of this before i bought my current Acer, I probably would have tried Apple. As I posted before, when finances permit, and I do get a second computer, I think I'm going to try an Apple. It sounds like it is a very good brand of equipment.

Mitch

 

[socktickler86]

If you are the type to actually require tech support, go with apple.

 

[cloudgazer2k]

This isn't true. To wit, Macbook Pros use Intel CPUs, ATI/NVidia graphics cards, etc. The reason the computers are more stable is because they have a higher quality control in the components they buy. They buy the best of the production runs which is why they are a bit more expensive to build (of course, they recoup that cost and then some in the prices they sell at).

Hmmm...looks like I need to set someone on fire later.

 

[EBunbury]

OK, I'll chime in. I've used Apples since Apple II days, and PCs since MS-DOS and Windows 1.0, and still use them both. I can't speak to some of the questions raised here, but here's my own experience.

I've had seven hardware failures of components in Windows machines from Dell and Acer and IBM. The only hardware failure I've had on a Mac was when lighting hit our building and fried half the computers in the office - my iMac got fried.

I find Macs handle new peripherals such as printers much easier than Windows machines. I plug it in - it either works, or it tells me "this is the driver you need", I install it and it works. With Windows machines, I've spent days hunting for the right driver, or had to wait a couple months until somebody wrote one.

In the old days, I found the Mac operating system to be much, much more stable than Windows, but Windows seems to have caught up now.

The two operating systems are more alike than they used to be (at least they appear so to the casual user). They have their differences, but it seems to take newbies only a week or so to get used to one after using the other. But to me at least, Apple's way of doing things makes more sense - seems more intuitive. (Except for ejecting media by dragging it to the trash - that's their silly quirk, analogous to Windows silly quirk of finding the off command under a button called "Start".

I do a lot of hardware interfacing to other equipment, mostly controllers and high-energy detectors at cyclotrons. I find it much, much easier to interface with just about anything using an Apple compared to a Windows machine.

Apples cost a bit more, but to me, they make up for that by sending me to the manual less often, giving me greater control at the hardware level (although Windows XP is a definite improvement), and making it much easier to talk to other gadgets.

 

[AphxA]

Never go with dell if your going to buy a pc, they will burn a hole into your wallet to the point where your going to say "i spent 3grand on what"

 

[Mitchell]

Thanks, Bunbury.

Aphxa, I see your point, but I actually didnt have a bad time with my Dell. I will say that I wont be buying another one, when the time comes for a new computer, whenever that is.

Micch

 

[ZenTickling]

I bought a Mac 3 years ago and will never switch back. I wish I could use one at work. 🙂