Death to all but metal (uhm... apple!)

[Orpheo]

For years I've used mac, and at first, I really liked them, but now I start to loath them... What I had:

ibook (still working)
macbook (is crumbling under my hands; the plastics are breaking away)
ipod nano (exploded last week in my cupboard)
ipod touch (number 1: screen went dead, number 2: battery went dead, screen was dead too)
iphone: (hairline fractures).

Apple's customer support SUCKS. NEVER ever apple OR TMobile (their network is lousy). I'd never thought I'd say this, but I prefer microsoft. at least there they tell you 'yeah, our product sucks, but we're trying to fix it'

 

[taez555]

I'm still running my recording studio off a Mac G4, with OS9, I got back in 2000.  Still works fine, no issues (well, except for when I blew the power supply after a power outtage, but that was my own fault).

I'm actually a split PC/Mac person though.  I run everything else on a PC, except for my music stuff.  The only thing about PC's I really don't like is they're virus prone and tend to all have a 3 year life span before they're paperweights.   I don't know what it is, but every PC I've had it's 3 years and that's it.

 

[Mor Paul]

That Nano exploding is odd...

and my former gf's dad will be happy He's that Microsoft employee.

 

[erogenousjones17]

I'm a PC person sort of by default, having never owned anything Apple. I'm also far from tech-savvy (some have called me a Lddite). That being said, I just got a new desktop from Dell and it actually works really well running Vista. I also got one of those 9" netbooks; it runs Ubuntu and I can't stand it.

 

[bpmorton777]

Ive been a Mac user since 1986...love the way their OS runs. I have been working in the service dept here for a couple of years..we fix everything, mostly laptop PC's but Mac's as well. Id say that as far as laptops go, Apple has the best desined but that comes at the cost of easy repairs. Id also say that I really have started to favor PC desktops over the new Mac Pro's...easy to fix, parts are cheap and easy to get. I own a G5 tower but will probably go and get/build a PC desktop when I need to replace it.

on the other hand.....I had my yahoo account hijacked last week for the first time ever when I logged into a PC laptop that I borrowed from work. Checked my email on thursday or friday and on monday Im getting calls from friends/family that Im spaming them with ads for viagra and such.

Brian

 

[mayfly]

I've been doing computers since VAX11/780s.  Never been a fan of windows (prefer linux), but had to get a windows laptop (Dell) for a variety of reasons since I'm a management guy now.

It died after about 3 years.  I got a MacBook Pro to replace it and have been loving it.  It's got BSD in the back end, so I can accomplish something from the command line if I have to do anything tricky, and everything else about it just works.

it even fell off a music stand awhile back.  Top got scratched, but that's it.

BTW, Orpheo regarding the crumbling plastic on your macBook - you've  just convinced me that I should get an aluminum case macBook to replace the old PC home computer that my wife complains about daily  :headbang:

 

[tfarny]

The reality of Apple is so different from their public persona - they have fantastic PR. I'm about to upgrade from XP to Win7 on my home desktop - a bunch of Apple folks in the office chided me for not taking the opportunity to switch to Mac. Are you kidding? 1) I'd need a new computer, much more expensive than a windows-based pc 2) all-new software (more than $2000) 3) I don't even know how to change the wallpaper on a mac. 4) Some of my stuff (stats software) has no Mac equivalent. 5) their keyboards and mice are horrible, designed to be looked at and never used.
Besides that, if I did have a 4 year old mac and wanted to put on the new OS, it wouldn't let me - Apple doesn't even attempt to support its OWN older hardware or software. Every five years or so, they come out with a new OS that is incompatible with every piece of mac software ever made, and somehow maccies don't see the problem. Excuse my frustration, it comes from the tech center in my department who wants us all to go over to the fruity side, even though many of our students are using low-cost PCs and can't afford macs. They don't make a netbook (or any laptop under 1k). For my four year old PC upgrade to win7, I'm going to spend $75 on some memory chips (any brand I want), put them in (ten minute job including opening up the case), and go for it.
Don't even get me started on the whole Ipod thing!

There was an interesting article I read recently that said Windows 7 is now the best OS for audio purposes, they removed a bunch of bottlenecks and it takes best advantage of new hardware (multicore etc.) - they're talking about 3ms latency (ie nothing) with a lots of background tracks and automations. The article was linked from Cakewalk's page, and not a MS fluff piece.

 

[AprioriMark]

I just wanted to jump in and say that Windows 7 is freaking amazing so far for audio editing, games, streaming video, etc etc.  It quickly tabs between applications that make XP cry.  I have it running on a machine that's identical in every way to its XP counterpart next to it (exception of OS), and it's night and day.  All the bloated parts of the OS are gone, and whatever streamlining they did is amazing.  One of my brothers is a die hard Mac guy, and this OS sold him on switching over.

I'm not a fanboi of Microsoft, but as Orpheo and other point out, Apple's service, business plan etc have just turned me off.

-Mark

 

[AndyG]

I have worked on both Mac's and PC's, and have no real preference for one or the other.

However, I own 2 PC's ... my studio computer and my office computer.  I built them both myself from components I chose, and probably still spent less than I would have for a Mac.

Apple's biggest problem (which keeps the costs high), is they are doing what Sony did all those years ago with Beta.  VHS won, because ANYBODY could make them.
Now, I realise the computer game is very different ... and there's the whole "trendy"  factor with toys like the iPhone, but I find that Apple's products are all sizzle and very little steak.  Yeah, they do cute things, and are REALLY easy to use, but I've never had a real problem with either of my PC's, and I can't see myself justifying the cash to ever buy a Mac.

I'd rather spend that money on a Deluxe 5 body, with um, a wenge/wenge neck ........................................................ :icon_thumright:

 

[taez555]

Apple doesn't even attempt to support its OWN older hardware or software. Every five years or so, they come out with a new OS that is incompatible with every piece of mac software ever made, and somehow maccies don't see the problem.

Actually, as a Mac user, I gotta say I hate that.  There's a reason I'm still using OS9 on my 10 year old Mac.  The programs and hardware I spent thousands of dollars on are now incompatible with with OSX or newer.    So I'm stuck with either use what I have, or start from scratch every few years.  Luckily my Mac still keeps tickin'

The most infuriating part is the software companies that make plugins for my old software but refuse to sell me the old versions so I can upgrade my studio.  Some are even still available for download at their sites(sans authorization code), but because it's not the new version they won't sell it to me.  Argh!!!!!! 

There's a reason I'm sticking with buying outboard gear from now on.

 

[kboman]

I basically grew up using Macs and my main computer for almost ten years was a 200mhz, 64MB RAM, Macintosh 4400 that I got in '97 with a 15" screen. It had zero issues and as far as I know, still works without problems (I haven't had it up and running for a while). I switched to PC because it really was getting too slow even for YouTube and I have a genuine interest in games. XP sucked like nothing I've ever known, so I jumped on the Win7 beta immediately. When I get a job it will be the first time I ever pay money for a Microsoft product.

I will definitely get an Apple laptop in the future though (and an iPhone), because I still like their stuff. And on that laptop, I will be perfectly free to also install Windows.

Btw, I also got an old G3 from my grandfather when he passed and an iMac my sister wasn't using, and no Apple computer I've owned has ever had any issues. They just work, and keep going and going and going...

Also, there's something to be said for the financial pros and cons of building products last forever in a consumerist world, and the ways a company can deal with this, but I'm too hungry right now.

 

[kboman]

Every five years or so, they come out with a new OS that is incompatible with every piece of mac software ever made, and somehow maccies don't see the problem.

This seems a bit strange to me - surely OS7-9 was pretty much compatible? That's 10+ years right there. The only really major transition was to OSX, and that was overdue frankly. The earlier OS was getting very dated (no multitasking, no dynamic memory stuff, etc).

 

[whyachi]

Apple's customer support SUCKS. NEVER ever apple OR TMobile (their network is lousy).

I agree Apple's customer service is not great, and an iPod is pretty much always a 1-2 year purchase at best. But I love how easily OSX works together, and how I can have multiple desktops up and running at once on my laptop. Hell, OSX even runs Windows. Mac will run a lot of MS products. MS just kind of pretends Mac doesn't exist.

I had an old clamshell iBook G4 that survived being on the dashboard when I totalled two different cars. I dropped it down the stairs while it was playing a CD and the power cord was mostly electrical tape, and it kept on working year after year 'til I traded it for a pair of nice concert tickets. Bought the thing used for $100, was I think a 366mhz processor. I traded that up for a 2.16ghz duo core MacBook with 2GB ram and I've yet to run into a problem on that one either, though it's not quite as durable.



On that last note, I'm a T-Mobile employee, and I wish you luck with whatever service you have. Pay attention to the advertising. Verizon brags about coverage. AT&T brags about coverage. T-Mobile doesn't brag about much. We're too busy polishing the nine JD Power and Associates awards we've picked up recently.

 

[hannaugh]

Ipod < Creative.

I had an Ipod, and it broke my heart... over and over again.  And then it truly died a year after I got it, and the customer service dudes told me it was all my fault that it died.

My mom has 2 Creatives, and I have one.  I have never had a problem with any of them, and one of them is 4 years old and has been dropped several times.  Plus I can use them with Rhapsody, which you can't do with an Ipod. 

 

[Superlizard]

Windows 7 is what Vista should have been; it's far less clunky and seems to handle memory management much better.

Currently running Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (for general/gaming use) on a RAID 0 set of HDDs and XP SP3 (solely for DAW/recording) on another (non-RAID) set of HDDs in my own concotion:

- Lian Li all-aluminum case with 120mm Blue LED fans all around for that "cool" effect
- ASUS Maximus Formula mobo (X38 chipset)
- 8 GB DDR-2 RAM (1066)
- Intel E8400 "Wolfdale" Core2Duo 3.0 GHz
- 4x 750GB HDDs (1 pair RAID 0 for Windows 7)
- eVGA GTX275 "superclocked" 1792 (?) MB video RAM
- 26" monitor + 22" monitor
etc...

Apple is cool; they've got the looks/ambiance and their OS (being 'nix based) is good, but the reality is the majority
of the software out there is written for the PC world.

 

[blue313]

I've personally never had good luck with Macs.  Apple fanatics I've been friends with think I'm cursed.  If a Mac is going to malfunction in some odd way, it'll do it when I'm controlling it.  The exception to this is iPod and iPhone.  I haven't had one up and die on me yet.  I still have my 10G, white cased, black and white iPod from years ago.  It even still holds a good charge.  I did get a iPod 160G Classic in 2007 just for capacity and video.  No issues at all so far.   I really wanted the Creative Zen, but at that time nobody had an mp3 player with huge capacity other than Apple.

I've owned and custom built many Windows and Linux machines in my time.  They've performed great for a long time for every owner.  I changed my Vista/Ubuntu machine over to Windows 7 after running the beta all summer on a spare hard drive.  No hassles, and its fantastic.  

I just don't see the "bang for the buck" factor in Apple desktop hardware personally.  Way too overpriced and in some cases proprietary.


SL: I like your PC. I've got a Lian Li PC-V1000 with three 120mm blue LED fans (for that same cool factor).  I've also got the eVGA GTX275 with a Corsair TX750W.

 

[Orpheo]

I am a superfan of archos' hardware-stuff, I never cared much for creative (zen). Archos is a european company, and that helps a lot for me (bit chauvenistic I guess). I use a Eee PC netbook with xp home edition, and it works like a charm, never had problems with it. well, nothing worth mentioning. I really dig windows nowadays, cause now I understand it better than I used to. but at least windows is better than linux. i really can not stand linux...

 

[DangerousR6]

I'll have to agree with Orf on this, and personally will never own anything apple...Seen my wife go thru 2 ipods and an iphone, they were all junk.. I've always used pc's and will continue to, some people bitch about pc's being to proprietary and prone to viruses. True, but apple is even more proprietary than any brand of pc, and any good virus program will keep your pc just as safe as a mac. And someone said pc's are junk after 3 years....Ha....I have 2 HP laptops and an HP desktop all over 5 yrs old running XP and running strong. The machine I'm using to type this post is the desk top, and it's still just as smoking fast and relyable as the day I bought it..

And my wife just bought a brand new desk top HP the other day with W7, pretty kick ass I must say..... :icon_biggrin:
My name is DangerousR6, and I'm a PC....... :laughing7:

 

[Mor Paul]

I am a superfan of archos' hardware-stuff, I never cared much for creative (zen). Archos is a european company, and that helps a lot for me (bit chauvenistic I guess). I use a Eee PC netbook with xp home edition, and it works like a charm, never had problems with it. well, nothing worth mentioning. I really dig windows nowadays, cause now I understand it better than I used to. but at least windows is better than linux. i really can not stand linux...

Linux is not for everyone. I really like it. Installing it now on a virtual machine, actually. It was really quick when I tried it alone. And if you are just getting Windows, you may never reach Linux's potential. It's great if you want to save money for guitar stuff

 

[Orpheo]

I am a superfan of archos' hardware-stuff, I never cared much for creative (zen). Archos is a european company, and that helps a lot for me (bit chauvenistic I guess). I use a Eee PC netbook with xp home edition, and it works like a charm, never had problems with it. well, nothing worth mentioning. I really dig windows nowadays, cause now I understand it better than I used to. but at least windows is better than linux. i really can not stand linux...

Linux is not for everyone. I really like it. Installing it now on a virtual machine, actually. It was really quick when I tried it alone. And if you are just getting Windows, you may never reach Linux's potential. It's great if you want to save money for guitar stuff

I've got to use it at the university, but I just don't like it. its for me too clumsy, not direct enough. I don't want to mess around in software, I just want it to work