[POLL] Mac or Windows?

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Dufne, May 19, 2015.

?

Mac Or Windows? (Or other)

Mac 35 vote(s) 22.4%
Windows 112 vote(s) 71.8%
Other 9 vote(s) 5.8%
  1. I accidentally voted for Mac. Whoops.
    mba2012 and Ultimamaxx like this.
  2. For all my Mac friends:

    Customer: I'm running Windows....
    Helpdesk: Yes...
    Customer: ...and now my computer stopped working!
    Helpdesk: Yes, you already said that.
  3. -claps- That was beautiful.
  4. Windows users don't use a help desk, they use Google. Apple users need a help desk, because Apple tells them they do. You go to the "Genius" Bar, we go to the search bar.
  5. You cannot speak for everyone else... You may not use a help desk, doesn't mean that others don't.
  6. I am not sure that consumer help desks are actually a thing other than for Apple products.
  7. These are my views on Mac Vs. Windows. I added spoilers to find everything easier because it's a long post. I wasn't trying to be biased, this is just what I was able to think of off the top of my head. I could go on and on about the pros and cons of Windows and Macs, but I didn't. If you feel I missed anything, feel free to tell me.
    Honestly, I prefer Windows. It's more that I like the UI of Windows better and just how everything works. What I'll say about Windows, though, is Windows 8 was a pretty big fail. Sure, there were many optimizations that made it better than Windows 7, but the UI and a lot of the ways it works are bad, and tons of people that do like Windows still prefer Windows 7 over 8.

    Back to Mac VS. Windows, I have to say specs-wise, Windows still wins. There is so much talk about AMD VS. Intel (This will become relevant in a minute), and which one is better. I'm not personally saying AMD is better, I'm saying AMD is actually better. If you take an Intel core, and an AMD core of the same level, Intel will perform better in bench marking only. This is when running benchmarking programs that handle physics and graphics more from the core than the graphics card (I think). In terms of actual gameplay, on any game, AMD and Intel cores will perform at about the same speed. Intel might have a difference of 5 FPS, but it's not a noticeable difference at the speeds you'll be getting. And an AMD processor at the same level of an Intel processor is significantly cheaper. So, you're getting more performance for your money.

    On a Windows computer, you can easily choose between Intel or AMD, and therefore can choose which ever you prefer. I looked for a while, and could only find Macs with Intel cores. And they were all very expensive. Plus, you can't exactly open up a MacBook and change the components you want. Some PCs can do that, but you can't change much besides the RAM, HDD/SSD, and others that won't affect performance as much, so this isn't as important (Unless you want a desktop).

    Another thing about Macs, Apple seems to be making each new model of the MacBook as thin and light as possible, which means they have to sacrifice something to get everything to fit in that space, generally reducing performance or how cool the notebook can get. Certain PCs do this too, but there are just so many more manufacturers of PCs that don't go for the "world's thinnest/lightest laptop", and don't have to sacrifice performance.
    And, come on, Mac kind of took a large chunk out of their reputation with their Mac Vs PC commercials, comparing the newest MacBooks to the old Windows Vista laptops. They actually did that, but it shouldn't change your opinion on Mac or Windows.

    A downside to Windows, they (Microsoft) seem to be more interested in the money than their OS at this point, and aren't doing as well in developing operating systems. Based on what I've seen in Windows 10, it looks very similar to Windows 8, and I don't really like that. Also, most (or many) new Windows computers are those small touchscreen laptops and make them open at 350 degree angles (or whatever the angles are) or are tablets with keyboards, and those also have performance sacrifices and the prices are higher. Both Mac and Windows are basically going downhill.

    I would still go with Windows. Specifically, a desktop. Customizing them, you can choose what specs you want, AMD or Intel, and everything you want can be completely made to your preferences, and they can even be upgraded as new parts are released. Plus, and this isn't even arguable, a custom built desktop CAN run faster than Macs, or Windows Computers (Basically, everything pre-built), at a MUCH cheaper price. And, you can still install what OS you want on it.
    Ultimamaxx and L3A8 like this.
  8. First of all, you can use google even better on Mac than on windows, because there are so few models of Mac it is easy to find your specific issue with your software/hardware. With windows, there is an almost infinite number of combinations for parts, so there is, likewise, an infinity of problems that may arise. Second of all, most companies that deal in IT (yes even windows computer/software marketers) have help desks. I would be suprised if you could find a significant number of IT companies that don't have a help desk over the phone.

    The "Genius bar" is a resource for Apple customers to come into the store and have someone who has been trained to deal with the issues at hand look at your product.

    And with the whole "Google fixes most windows problems,"
    You need to be a power user to even remotely know what is going on when Internet posts are telling you what to do, and if they are wrong you can very easily screw your computer up. Many involve deleting files that are in folders with other files that are essential to the system. If you delete the wrong ones then on the next boot you computer is going to be broken.

    And not everyone is a "power user."
  9. To be fair all the good games in the past came to windows then to mac. *cough* league of legends. Linux still is the easiest to use and I enjoy it the most.
  10. This whole issue thing can be related to any device. Sure some are more popular and have less variety but how is that a plus? I feel the more options you can have the better there is always someone who can work to solve issues.
  11. You're not getting my point.

    There are approximately 16 times as many windows machines in use compared to macs to date. There is an extremely limited number of models that people still use. At most 30 different models that have significant use still. And then there is windows. There are hundreds of thousands of different windows machines and configurations that people use. There are tons of forms of the operating system that people use still. The rediculously vast number of combinations makes it a daunting task to track down problems.

    That's another reason why viruses, spyware, malware, et cetera is so prevalent on the windows operating system, not only because more people use it but because there are many different forms of it that security flaws can be exploited from.
  12. I believe it's just the operating system, what you use your computer for, and how good your virus protection software is that causes viruses and stuff to appear...
  13. 95% of those threads are filled with "go to the Genius Bar."
    If I am having an issue with my wifi connection, I can rule out things such as the HDD/SSD, video card, even RAM. Compatibility is not much of an issue with Windows. There are the times when there are lazy devs who make poor drivers, but those are rare.
    The keyword was consumer. Hardly anyone, if anyone, actually calls a helpline anymore about a PC issue. If it is really broken, they will bring it to a repair shop.
    The Genius Bar is Apples version of a greedy car mechanic. They are barely trained in technology, and mostly trained in customer relationships (read: customer manipulation).
    Windows does not allow essential files to be deleted, and if they somehow are, the system restore feature kicks in.

    Being a power user is relevant to this discussion. If you are not one, there is no reason to avoid a PC, the cheapest PCs out there do basic day-to-day tasks just a well as a Mac does (minus load time). If you are not a power user, you might end up needing your computer repaired. In that case, PC is still the way to go. Apple will empty your wallet while claiming the premium repair price is because there is higher quality in the part they use. This is simply not true, they use the same parts as in other computers, they just throw a 100% markup on them. This is why they are such a valuable company; they have managed to successfully convince people that what they are selling is worth much more than it actually is.
    Ultimamaxx and L3A8 like this.
  14. Try reading a few threads from here and see how many say that: https://discussions.apple.com
    Gimme a sec, going to edit the rest in in a moment

    Edit: Give me till the morning, I want to get a good nights sleep before exams tomorrow. Sorry :p
    jkjkjk182 likes this.
  15. One little question. How much did you pay for that mac? $1K for the iMac? There you have your answer. You can get a beast PC built with the same money and far better performance... You are basically paying the apple logo.
    L3A8 and Ultimamaxx like this.
  16. That is a bit of an outdated philosophy. I have yet to see the os crash on any modern version of windows. This all comes back to the hardware which isn't comparable. Sure, there are plenty of cheap junk computers that break often and can't do anything, but you cant ignore the rest of the market.

    Viruses are often brought up and there are more viruses on windows. The reason being that windows is much more common and a better use of a hackers time. Also, there are plenty of windows users who are ignorant to Internet security because they just wanted a cheap laptop for basic tasks. I have been using windows for a long time and have never dealt with a virus on my laptop. There are also plenty of fantastic free antivirus software that will keep help you out.
    there actualy aren't many versions of windows. You have windows 7 and 8, and that is about it. You say there are so many types of computers, but troubleshooting isn't that hard. They all follow the same setup all omputers do and will have similar problems. Your computer keeps crashing amd giving am error message about memory? Must be the ram. Just because the specific hardware is different does not mean it will have super specific problems and solutions. Also, the hardware used has almost no impact on security.
    ShelLuser, L3A8, jkjkjk182 and 2 others like this.
  17. You realise it was a joke :p
    ShelLuser and jkrmnj like this.
  18. Windows 7 and 8 sure. But people still use XP, in fact my entire county's public school system does. And you have all the different versions like home and enterprise.
  19. Well, school systems go for Windows because those computers are more affordable to buy in bulk, and it's a little too expensive to get newer computers, which is probably why they still have XP.
  20. My point simply was that there are plenty of people who still use XP.

    I actually only paid $900 for both of my old Mac pros... I turned in an older computer and they gave me those, "used." I use the quote marks because they had been opened but never turned on. So I think I got a pretty decent deal. Also, I suggest you check out a certain YouTube video/series. I think you will find it particularly interesting.

    Edit: here:
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DZVJnWcRHB8