Getting a new computer

[OldClicker]

The first Mac was made in 1976...

Mark

I'm pretty sure that there were no Macs until the mid-80s. Maybe the Apple I in '76??? - Terry

[armando_m]

The first computer I used was an apple II

here is an interesting history chart


linked from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lisa

[mwfanelli2]

A bit over-zealous!

The first Mac was made in 1976, so your' buddy is pumping you.

Nope, you are about a decade too early.

Photoshop was originally written for the Mac, it inherently runs better on a Mac. For image editing, there is no better tool. It is the industry standard in the DTP industry.

Nope. It runs no better on a Mac than on Windows. For many years, new stuff come out on Windows before Macs. The PP market in Windows is so much larger. But yes, it came out on Apple first and it is the industry standard.

I've used Macs since 1992 and have never had a hardware problem.

You've been lucky. Many components come from very few sources. Lots of parts are identical in both PCs and Macs.

During my last deployment to Iraq in 2005 I watched state of the art PC laptops dropping left and right because of the dust. I kept chugging along on the 3 year old iBook I brought and never had a problem.

Once again, just circumstances. Dust affects ALL unsealed machines. More than likely you were much more careful with your Macs because you like them more. Also, I'm betting the Windows machines were used much more heavily as that is what most soldiers would be used to.

There is no networking problem with a Mac integrating it into a PC LAN. As long as you're running OS 10 it's almost automatic upon connection.

You are obviously not a full-time system admin. Ours is laughing as I type. Every place I've been has more problems getting Macs working with the existing network than PCs. Once set up, both types work well.

I had 14 Mac workstations, 3 Mac print servers, 2 Mac Xserves all seamlessly integrated on the Air Force LAN. I did all the system admin as a secondary duty. Talking to the PC sys admins who worked for me in the Network Control Center, they were astonished that my Macs never crashed, never had a virus problem, and didn't require all the constant maintenance that the PCs did.

Yes, Macs require much less babysitting than Windows. MacOS is much more stable than Windows. MacOS is faster than Windows. They are also free from viruses thanks to "immunity by obscurity." As Macs become more popular there will be lots of surprised Mac users. Look at iOS (and Android): they are under attack big time. Numbers determine this. But yes, for now, no viruses but plenty of trojans.

You won't regret switching over to the Mac platform, instead you'll be kicking yourself for not doing so earlier. True, you'll pay more for a Mac, but you get what you pay for.

Let's hope so. Not every one experiences this "euphoria"!

Cheers.

[Marc2B4]

The first Apple computer was built in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in Jobs' garage. The first Apple Macintosh came out in 1984. I think you'd better check your facts regarding Photoshop on the Windows platform. Wasn't ported over to Windows until either v 3.5 or 4.0; Can't remember, drank too much in my youth and damaged too many brain cells. As far as the reliability of Macs in the desert; I had Army troops sitting next to me who went through 2 Thinkpads during my 6 months. Far as I know, the old iBook G3 is still working, at least it was when I retired. And if your sys admins are having that much trouble integrating Macs onto a Windows LAN, they've probably never worked on Unix systems because since OS X came out, that's what Mac computers are running. The OS runs on top of the Unix kernel. Same way as Windows runs on top of DOS. It's all a matter of education, I've been to all the Mac sys admin schools and networking schools. As far as being accused of being overzealous, I'm far from that, just stating my own personal experiences. On my desk when I retired, I had both state of the art Mac and Windows machines. For admin, I used Windows because the Air Force had custom Windows software for admin functions. For everything else, I used a Mac. I still use a Mac, they just work.

[mwfanelli2]

First, you stated in your original post that the first Mac was created in 1976. I stand by my statement about that being wrong.

Look, I don't want to start a big argument here. I use a Mac and I'm happy with it. But like it or not, sunshine does not flow out of Steve Job's you know what. You are mixing realities and coming to false conclusions.

Microsoft does not manufacture computers, they only manufacture Windows, a software product. You can not compare Apple hardware with Windows software and make any sense! You might say "Apple hardware is more reliable that Dells, or HPs, or Toshibas..." It has NOTHING to do with Windows. Plus, look at how many people choose to run Windows on their Macs! For the record, not me.

Second, Apple hardware is expensive. More than once, comparisons have been made between the hardware you can get FOR THE SAME PRICE. They are compatible. Do you really expect a $500 PC to match the quality of a $1600 MacBook Pro? Apple caters to the high end, the other manufactures emphasize value for the price.

Talking about value, my very old P4 Dell 2100 still runs Windows XP wonderfully well. My even older Toshiba laptop still runs fine. Another creaky old P4 Dell here in the computer lab is still running it's heart out. But hey, the G4 died. Oh oh, PC's are more reliable that Apples! Anecdotal evidence just isn't good enough.

Our network manager is a guy of over 50 years old who has spent his entire life with networking, including large scale UNIX and Linux networks. He knows Apple networking inside out. No, that does not make him right by default but I am much more likely to believe him than someone I've never met. Please don't denigrate people when you do not know their background.

Look, you like your Macs, I like my Macs. There are advantages and disadvantages to both MacOS and Windows. I expect much more from my BMW than I do from my Honda Civic. That doesn't make one better than the other across the board.