I am looking at purchasing a new laptop.

Feedback about Apple vs Windows would be appreciated. Especially concerning the learning curve would be appreciated.

Moderator.
If this subject has already been approached, would you direct me to the proper link? I tried searching to no avail

Thx
Jim
Windsor Ont

You don't have enough info for us to give you good advice. What is your main purpose in having a laptop? What kind of work will you use it for? Is it mainly to surf and send emails? Play games?
There are advantages and disadvantages in either platform. We need to know more about your intentions.

You don't have enough info for us to give you good advice. What is your main purpose in having a laptop? What kind of work will you use it for? Is it mainly to surf and send emails? Play games?
There are advantages and disadvantages in either platform. We need to know more about your intentions.
It would be used for general home use; i.e. games, email, surfing the Net, etc

Thx for the response

i.e. games

What kind of games? That can be one of the biggest (only? ;)) reason to not go Mac.

There's nothing a Mac can do that a PC can't. If you're looking to spend a couple of hundred bucks more for the same hardware in an aluminum case, go for a Mac. If you enjoy playing games, downloading a wealth of freeware and shareware programs to try out, have a just about unlimited choice in software, and a new Windows 7 to enjoy, go for a PC.

Don't believe the Apple commercials that try to say their systems are troublefree, they aren't, and spend more time attacking MS than they do actually telling anyone anything about their own systems.

If you are worried about malware and viruses, Vista and Windows 7 are just as robust as any Mac. They are also just as stable an operating system, if not more so, than the latest versions of OS-X.

I think it's obvious that I'm not an Apple fan. I don't like their advertisements or their business practices. I think they are well overpriced and I like to be able to at least change the battery in my laptop if I want to carry a spare with me on a long trip. And I like having control over my own system and set it up the way I want.

But in the end, the choice is yours. Go check them out at your local shop and choose the one you like the best that does what you want it to do and fits your budget.

I would suggest you read as much as you can on the pro's and con's of each platform and evaluate your needs vs what each platform brings to the table.

I would also strongly suggest that people with little to know experience with either platform keep quiet...you do yourself no favor arguing from a point of ignorance.

Both Windows 7 and OXS are solid, reliable operating systems and generally speaking will both do what you are asking in terms of your listed needs. There are way more games for the Windows OS then Mac so the most part Windows is the OS of choice for gaming. Now for everything else there are plenty of free programs for both platforms that you can choose to download if you so choose. Microsoft offers Office for Mac as well so you are covered on that front if you go with an Apple product. The Mac will ship with all the iLife suite of tools so you'd get iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, iDVD and garageband etc to mange your photo's and multimedia. There are similar products for Windows as well (picasa is a good windows and mac photo manager).

I live and work in both systems everyday (I'm an IT guy) and a few years ago got tired of having to 'work' at home on my own computers so we made the switch over to Mac's and for the most part haven't looked back since. There are zero virus's for OSX and the only trojan was distributed in pirated software...and it still must ask permission to install so its a much more secure system from the ground up.

The learning curve isn't that steep really...the majority of the keyboard shortcuts are the same just substitute the control key for the command key (apple logo) and the simplest answer is normally the right one..it is easier to use esp. if you stop fighting it and 'go with the flow'.

OS X isn't perfect and there's room for improvement so don't let anyone tell you otherwise...but I'm more productive and over all I don't have to work to maintain our various machines anymore which is a big plus.

As far as hardware goes...yes Apple hardware costs more...it just does. But you get what you pay for...Apple doesn't make cheap budget computers and if you compare spec for spec there's not as big a price difference as it might first appear. The Lenovo (IBM's) that we use at work are actually more expensive and not as well built. Resale value tends to be much better as well if that matters.

Hello Andrew,

I've been working in IT since long before either Apple or Microsoft existed so I do know what I'm speaking about.

As far as viruses are concerned, they do indeed exist for the Mac platform as evidenced by almost all of the major anti-virus vendors now having Mac versions of their AV programs available. As for asking for permission to install, this is exactly the same on Vista or Win 7 with UAC turned on as it should be. UAC will generate no more messages than a Mac running OS-X does, no matter what the Apple commercials will have you believe.

When it comes to hardware, it is basically identical from one platform to another other than the fact that there is a much wider choice on the PC side. For one thing, you cannot purchase a Mac with an integrated Blu-ray drive as of this point in time or an AMD processor. But an Intel Core2Duo or Quad is the same whether it's in a Mac or a PC.

If you are comparing XP with Mac OS, yes the Mac is superiour for home use. If you compare it with either Vista or Win 7, Vista is at least equal and 7 surpasses anything Apple is offering at the moment. Especially if you intend on running 64 bit as Windows is the only pure 64 bit environment available at the moment in a major operating system.

But as I said in my last post, the best thing for anyone intending to buy a new computer is to check them out in person and get the one that will do what you want and you feel most comfortable with. If all you want to do is surf the net, play videos and some email, just about anything will do. I wouldn't buy a Mac to play games and I wouldn't buy an Alienware to run Office and surf the net. Narrow down your needs, compare your choices and buy the one you like the best.

Whether you buy a PC or a Mac, you will probably be happy with your purchase. Just make sure you buy the one you want and don't let anyone make the decision for you.;)

This is a question that's bound to bring some religious fervor to both sides of the debate. I have been involved in both platforms for almost 30 years and while I was a big fan of Apple for many of those years, I am fairly agnostic now.

There are currently no known viruses that operate under OSX at the moment. There are some trojans and other types of malware out there that can affect you so, just like any other platform, you have to be careful.

Apple hardware is repackaged PC hardware now (and can run Windows natively to prove it) but they do an excellent job in the repackaging, IMO. I have owned many different brands of computers over the years and my Macs have given me the least amount of trouble. The fit and finish is top notch as well as it should be given the price premium, although this has come down recently. The small touches are very appealing too. Be aware that Macs are computing appliances that are difficult or impossible to change once purchased, the Mac Pro being the exception.

Which OS is "better" is a bit like saying which painter is "better". They is a larger degree of personal preference here. I will say that Windows 7 is very appealing to me, Snow Leopard less so. Neither platform, however, is totally without issues.

The learning curve can be very steep for those who are entrenched in their previous environment. Others find it "refreshing".

Finally, if you are movie editor or film maker, than the Mac will more likely be your choice. If you are a gamer, than a PC is the best choice.

No doubt this thread will surely degenerate into spec for spec comparisons showing that PCs are cheaper than Macs given the same HW etc. (which is true)

I have been through the same decision process 1.5 years ago when I needed to replace an old Dell. At the time I had the opportunity to use a Mac for the first time as part of my work duties and the conclusion I came to after 15+ years of being a Windows man and regular Apple basher (despite never really using them, I'm sure a lot of people recognize themselves...) is that the Mac is actually worth the extra few $100's they cost over comparable PCs.

So I ended up getting an iMac and I must say this computer is the best one I ever got. It's literally been on for 1.5 years now, the only reboots are for the occasional SW patches. I don't miss the virus updates, the random freezes, BSODs, the registry (OMG what a pain), the machine always going slower and slower as you install more software etc. Being a technically inclined person I am also a big fan of the command line and in that department it's a no contest in favor of the Mac. You get access to most of the same powerful commands and applications available in BSD distros (crons, perl, secure shell, VNC, httpd etc.).

As Steve Jobs would say, they don't do cheap so if you are looking for a higher end computer you should definitely put the Mac on your shopping list. If you like car analogies, to me a PC is like a Chevy, it's got nice specs and the price is low but as a total package they are kind of lame... A Mac is like a luxury car, they have these nice little touches and innovations (including the OS of course) that make them very attractive, but you have to pay a bit more...

Happy shopping! :)

What do you use now? Do you have any favourite software?

It would be used for general home use; i.e. games, email, surfing the Net, etc

That's really not much of an answer. Any computer built in the last five years can do that so why not just go into a store like TigerDirect and buy an older PC that's being cleared out.

For $300, you get all you need.

so easy!

PC -> choice, value, performance, form-factor, security, stability, accessories, software, touch, actual software titles, and glorious glorious Media Center all without the smarmy FUD associated with owning ugly over-priced hardware

:D

I must say most of the members in this thread seem to be taking great pains to avoid a flame war. :) Kudos to almost all of you.

People can look up my career online but suffice it to say I also go way back with computers and have a thing or two to say about comparing suitable OSes for the casual user.

My mom-in-law's Mac Mini has run for years with no anti-virus or anti-malware product on it because the risk of that is very, very low on OS X, but I still verify the status regularly and apply security updates. For her everyday computing needs, and for occasional stuff I myself play around with, that OS X machine has been wonderful and reliable. Apple wins hands down in this area.

The vast majority of the WIndows PCs and Laptops that I've supported or used over the years were not as stable or free of security problems as OS X, but if you have good PC support then Windows should be fine for you.

Having said all that, other security issues like browser exploits and social engineering cracks are a common problem on any OS, so you still need to take precautions.

so easy!

PC -> choice, value, performance, form-factor, security, stability, accessories, software, touch, actual software titles, and glorious glorious Media Center all without the smarmy FUD associated with owning ugly over-priced hardware

:D

I won't argue about most of your points because in the end they are personal preferences. I do have an issue with 2 of you assertions:

1. Security. The fact is that Macs are more secure than Windows. You don't even have to run anti-virus on them. Whether this is due to the smaller market share of the Mac vs. PC is irrelevant, it remains a fact.

2. Stability. Are you kidding me? This has got to be the biggest argument in favor of a Mac. Again let's look at facts. Apple carefully designs their own hardware and ensures that the OS that they also design runs smoothly on said hardware. They have a very limited combination of test cases to ensure stability between their hardware and software. Now take Windows, Microsoft doesn't actually design any of the hardware and their OS can be run on literally millions of different hardware combinations. That in itself is a feat and kudos to Microsoft but it's certainly not a recipe for success when it comes to stability.

U:

1: If Macs are more secure than PC, then, how come at a Security competition, that the Mac was hacked before the PC? The only PC that wasn't hacked was the Linux one.

The reason why there is barely any viruses and bad stuff on the Macs is that the Mac's share is so low that , the virus makers won't waste their time on virus writing for Macs.

If Windows had Macs market share and Macs had Windows market share, we would say how secure Windows is.

2: Bingo, yet none calls Apple a Monoply. Also, how many times of this is a Windows problem and not a hardware or software manufacturer problem.

Jim - what are you using now?

You were able to find this site, join up and post a few things so I'd say your already there as a computer user. If your worried about a "learning curve", my opinion is if you're used to a MAC, buy a MAC. Same goes for Windows. Either will do a great job for general computer use.

In the end it's going to be a personal preference for you, not which system is better.

The reason why there is barely any viruses and bad stuff on the Macs is that the Mac's share is so low that , the virus makers won't waste their time on virus writing for Macs.

that old chestnut about popularity fails over and over again when objectively examined, but its still humourous to see it still dragged out
whether it is true or not, it is one of the most convincing slogans IN FAVOUR of getting a Mac!
if your Mac or WIndows laptop is physically grabbed by an extremely experienced hacker who knows particular techniques, you are not safe with either OS, but always use all the offered security features to lock it down anyways and back up your data in a way that it can be put back onto a replacement laptop
you are safe to have the Mac running for years on the Internet with no anti-virus apps on it
the stability of OS X is amazing because of the fact that all the hardware is tested in Apple's labs, and you pay $$$ for that stability if you want cheap, buy cheap but be prepared for the problems
neither Windows or OS X is going away, so learn to live with that fact and choose the one you like, respecting the decisions of others
I realize that some of my points recap what others have said in this thread, so my thanks to those of you sharing your knowledge and experience here. :)

Is an HTPC with PVR capabilities is possible on MAC?
Are tuners compatibles and is there something like MediaCenter on a Mac platform?

Yes, you can get the same functionality on both OSes.

In the HTPC (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=31) and Apple (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=136) forums you can use the Search This Forum tool to the upper right beside Forum Tools and put in the search term "Elgato" and other products, not to mention Apple TV.

This thread is not a good place to go over that topic though. :)

With my limited knowledge of Mac compared to Win I would agree with some of you that Mac SEEMS more stable aand reliable but in my opinion for only one reason; you cannot do what you want with one of those machine.

To my knowledge it is impossible to build your own MAc computer from scratch like you can do with Windows. It is really hard to replace or update a component and it will be expansive.
Software and freeware are more limited on Mac. Also if you are interested in programming your own application Windows will be preferable if not mandatory.

On the security topic, I never used an anti-virus on my PC computers as they tend to use to much ressources and generally slowing down the system. What I am doing instead is a periodic full scan check at about every 6 months. Never got known virus or spyware. My oldest still running computer is an XP that was installed in 2002 (never reinstalled after). All hardware, except mobo and cpu has been changed. In all that time I had maybe 2 or 3 crashes that happened when playing games.

Sorry, maybe I am off topic with that posting...