OT - Apple Mac vs PC ?

[Skunk]

Mac > PCs

Everything Apple produce is amazing, normally revolutionary and way ahead of everything else. My family and I have always had macs and they have never caught a virus, whereas I know plenty of people who have had viruses on PCs.

Right now I'm on my Dad's MacBook Pro and it's amazing

 

[adrian29uk]

I like Macs but I also like PCs. I'm getting an Ipad as it is still a long way ahead of the Android efforts and in fact not any more expensive. I use a PC as I work with them. Whilst Macs are growing in volume for home users few organisations use them apart from legacy graphics users. I do know of one small publicity firm based in the West End who use Macs for the simple reason that they look better. However they use a Windows based server as in fact do Apple themselves in the UK because it's a lot cheaper. I'd really like a Mac Book Air but only if I got one given to me. Just too expensive. I used a Windows Laptop with a solid state hard drive, Windows was up in about thirty seconds.

Worth noting that it's all very well to say it's cheaper to build your own PC, that's only true if you have components to hand. However to build one from scratch buying all the hardware not to mention the software it most certainly is not cheaper. The only reason I'd build my own now is for an upgrade using a lot of the kit I have already. If I was buying a computer for somebody else I'd buy one off the shelf along with a decent warranty.

It's also fair to say you can do a hell of a lot more performance with an obsolete PC using Linux rather than Windows, especially Vista and 7.

I noticed the price of Mac servers. Why are they so expensive. Are they running a special version of Apache or something?

I looked for windows server but it says they are running Linux. Crazy if Apple would use Windows servers. However I do believe Microsoft where using Linux servers at one time.
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[bhaexpress]

There was an article in this month's PC Pro about the lack of security on Macs. Thought occurred to me that whilst Macs are greatly outnumbered by PC Ipads are most certainly the majority of the Tablet market now. Symantic (A.K.A. Norton) have an offering for Ipad security and there is also a similar product on ITunes. Because of the popularity of Apple products it's worth thinking about, Google 'Ipad Security' and there are a lot of articles warning about the lack of security for Macs and Ipads. More and more companies are strating to use Ipads as well as or instead of laptops and I know a lot of companies are getting concerned about them. The Outsourcing company I'm working for now has a strict rule about not pen drives into customers' kit which is quite annoying. I have to burn to CD/DVDs for anything I download at home for the next day's work. The big joke is that if I had a virus on my kit it would just as easily passed by a CD as a pen drive but somehow they're overlooked this.

 

[bhaexpress]

I noticed the price of Mac servers. Why are they so expensive. Are they running a special version of Apache or something?

I looked for windows server but it says they are running Linux.
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They're expensive because they are very good bits of kit. However as most of the World users Lotus (IBM) or much more commonly Windows based Email they aren't produced in the volumes of the PC based servers and hence the prices of components is higher. The other problem is a rather large shortage of Mac trained server engineers, in all my years I've met just three. Increasingly Linux based servers are becoming more and more common. Even the paid for versions are a hell of a lot cheaper than Windows 2008 and so on. There's not a lot of point in running Windows networking on a Mac due to cost.

 

[Pantani]

I like playing vidyya games, and you get a lot more bang for your buck with PC's. I do own a macbook though but never use it these days.

This

 

[The Buttery Biscuit Base]

Check out what they have in the refurbished section.

Refurbished Mac - Apple Store (UK)

These have been sent back to Apple for one reason or another, they're all unused just not wanted. Mine got sent back because the box was dented...

 

[Bold Seagull]

Check out what they have in the refurbished section.

Refurbished Mac - Apple Store (UK)

These have been sent back to Apple for one reason or another, they're all unused just not wanted. Mine got sent back because the box was dented...

I've always bought from the Apple refurb store, on my 4th Mac now, never a problem, still comes with the same warranty and a big discount. Definitely recommend.

 

[Amahwrang]

We bought our first Mac in January, once you Mac you never go back!

 

[adrian29uk]

We bought our first Mac in January, once you Mac you never go back!

Even thou I don't own a mac, and don't have any desire for mac it has helped Linux is some ways. At least its forcing companies to make things cross platform.

Just hopefully one day they will start to focus on Linux games. Its getting better slowly.

 

[Triggaaar]

Worth noting that it's all very well to say it's cheaper to build your own PC, that's only true if you have components to hand. However to build one from scratch buying all the hardware not to mention the software it most certainly is not cheaper.

Everyone needs a PC/Mac of some sort and there's no reason you'll need to throw away every component when upgrading. I built a new PC last year keeping just the PSU from my last PC, as well as the keyboard, mouse and monitors. I ended up with an i7 at 4GHz, for half the price it would have cost to get a Mac. You just can't get fast Macs for similar value.

Mac > PCs

Nonsense. Both have their uses for different people.

My family and I have always had macs and they have never caught a virus, whereas I know plenty of people who have had viruses on PCs.

That's because more people have PCs, more data is shared on PCs and more people write viruses for PCs. As there are more Macs, so will there be more viruses written for them. It's not that Apple have cleverly stopped viruses.

 

[Worthai Seagull]

I need to replace my existing laptop and have decided that a desktop is now more suitable. Most of the time I will be using word docs as well as internet etc...

My question is what are the advantages of getting a mac compared to a PC?

over to you and many thanks for any advice......

Once you go Mac..youll never go back . It works ..simply,beautifully . The whole package.. I Mac.,Macbook Pro..I Phone.I Pad. ....it integrates together . IT WORKS !

 

[gazingdown]

That's because more people have PCs, more data is shared on PCs and more people write viruses for PCs. As there are more Macs, so will there be more viruses written for them. It's not that Apple have cleverly stopped viruses.

Macs effectively run on Unix, people were targeting/hacking Unix long before windows came on the scene. Unix was used in universities, military, pentagon etc. long before Windows was even dreamt of. As such, many security holes have been patched/designed out a long time ago.

It's the inherent design that means Macs (and Linux, other unix variants) are very unlikely to be vulnerable to viruses, no matter how many people try to write them. And believe me they HAVE tried, rich pickings and all that etc.

Trojans, worms get written for sure but viruses they don't (and for the large part, *can't*).

Part of the problem in discussing PC/Mac/Unix/Linux/etc. security is that many (and I include many IT people in this) people do not know the difference between a virus, a trojan, a worm etc.

That's not to say it's completely safe/secure, nothing ever is but the inherent design of Unix is more solid than Windows. Windows has got a lot better and for the most part is pretty secure unless the user is stupid. It's not a case of one is secure and the other not. One is *more* secure, for sure, but for many people not a big issue. The problem used to be that AV on PCs were a pig, they may have stopped some viruses but they were a horrid resource hog and in many cases were more troublesome than if the user had a virus.

Also, most AV/Malware stuff protects against what is ALREADY know about, they don't stop you getting the latest malware if you're unlucky enough to get hit before virus definitions are propagated out.

Whatever OS you use, however, it's key to do regular backups. At the end of the day, it's your data that's important (computer OSs can be rebuilt, applications re-installed etc.) so keep a backup.

 

[clippedgull]

Whatever OS you use, however, it's key to do regular backups. At the end of the day, it's your data that's important (computer OSs can be rebuilt, applications re-installed etc.) so keep a backup.

Amen! It's surprising that so few people do.

 

[brakespear]

Can you upgrade Mac hardware (apart from RAM) on the fly or do you have to buy a new computer? Genuine question - I know you couldn't upgrade once, don't know if it's changed.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Can you upgrade Mac hardware (apart from RAM) on the fly or do you have to buy a new computer? Genuine question - I know you couldn't upgrade once, don't know if it's changed.

I've just swapped my HD out for a new one, and as the machine was out of warranty did this myself.

 

[Beach Hut]

MAC convert around 18 months ago and never looked back, brilliant kit and well worth the money.

 

[nomoremithras4me]

Another vote for Mac, smooth & easy to use.

 

[ManxSeagull]

I have just placed an order for an iMac 27" upgraded to 8gb memory and 2tb harddrive to replace my two year old pc.

Another apple convert here. Fours years ago had no apple products, now our house has:

3 iPhones
4 iPod touch
1 apple tv
2 iPad
1 MacBook air

 

[Vankleek Hill Seagull]

We bought our first Mac in January, once you Mac you never go back!

MAC convert around 18 months ago and never looked back, brilliant kit and well worth the money.

Another apple convert here. Fours years ago had no apple products, now our house has:

3 iPhones
4 iPod touch
1 apple tv
2 iPad
1 MacBook air

Bloody Mac JCLs

 

[Triggaaar]

I have just placed an order for an iMac 27" upgraded to 8gb memory and 2tb harddrive to replace my two year old pc.

Wow they're expensive. I've just configured one on the apple store:
3.4GHz i7
8 Gb ram
2Gb ram
ATI 6970 2gb

so basically the same spec as my PC, but not clocked as fast
£2169

lol, you're having a laugh.

Now I appreciate that they are nice machines, and if you can afford it, why not. But damn that's a lot of money. And what happens in a couple of years when you want either more storage, or a faster CPU, or more memory, or if you've got some dead pixels on your display? Do you sell the whole thing and buy another?