Why Macs Aren't Bad

[RyanDodd]

Ok, so over the past two months or so of owning a Mac, I've gotten a bit tired of people's 'sympathy' for me because I don't have Windows, so I decided to make this.

• Apple owners are 3.4x more loyal than Microsoft owners when it comes to buying a new device
• Compatibility with iOS devices (over 500 million sold). Open a tab in Safari on your Mac, it's open on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch too. Download a song on one device, it downloads to the others. It's this compatibility that is the biggest selling point for me.
• The App Store. This may seem like a negative point to some casual onlookers, but it's really a large positive. Yes, you can still download apps from other places but the App Store is an easy way to sort through the most popular applications.
• Bundled Software. iMovie, Garageband, and iPhoto blow the stuff included with Windows away. They are easy to use, look good while being used, and produce great results.
• iTunes. Yes, many people hate iTunes. Quite a few love it too. Makes it easy to buy songs and have them download to all of your devices.
• iMessage. We all know someone who has an iOS device. I use iMessage all the time on my Mac so I can "text" my friends who have iPhones.
• Mac Design. Even if you absolutely hate Mac, you have to admit, the hardware is great. Unibody aluminum frame, backlit keyboards on the MacBooks, magnetic hinges, etc.
• Performance. This may be a bit of a touchy area here, but for most people, Mac performance is outstanding. The Mac I have is the Summer 2013 model 13" Macbook Air. I have gotten upwards of 200 FPS on Minecraft and this is supposed to be the "entry level" Mac (though it is actually faster than the Macbook Pro which hasn't been updated yet this year)
• Battery life. Nearly all Macbooks have above a 5 hour battery life. The new 13" Airs have 10 hour battery life (yes, I have gotten that much on mine)
• Software. I love OS X. It's so smooth getting around and all of the Multi-touch gestures are amazing. If I have to ever use a Windows laptop, I find myself trying to use gestures and I end up getting frustrated that it takes an extra .1 seconds out of my day to do something.

Many people will criticize this and that's fine, just know that Macs really aren't all that bad. Personally, I could never go back to Windows again.

Also, a good friend of mine on here who also loves Macs is Pikmon2.

 

[Zeus42000]

I agree RyanDodd ! I own a mac as well. I had a similar case where all my friends liked Boeing, but i liked Airbus. Anyway, thanks for making this!

 

[Prizyms]

I own a Mac but also run Windows on it via Boot Camp, best of both worlds imo

 

[IncredibleNaki]

mmm yes now that I know apple owners are loyal this changes my whole perspective on life, such a meaningful piece of information.
I could care less about the compatibility with other devices too, if I'm using a computer why would I want the same stuff open on my phone? I can't multitask for shit.
iMessenger like an email but to a phone? why not just use your super compatible iPhone.
The Appstore, the pretty much exact same thing as google playstore with different layout.
Design is decent.
I could build a pc which would outclass any Mac computer and it would be cheaper.
Mac has nothing I want, and as for playing games I would prefer having a gameboy.

 

[zezmi]

Ewwwwww Macs!

Not really, they are fine, though my personal preference is Windows 7. (Windows 8 is ewwwwww).
I actually use both Macs and Windows, Windows I use much more. However, I still use Macs at least once a week in setting up the Church camera to video the service and other administrational Church things.

 

[77thShad]

I have a windows 8 which took about a week of adjusting however I find it quite suitable for my needs. Mac's are the same, they take getting used to. I don't view them as better or worse than windows, only different.

 

[Willchill]

So, a few points from my hardware perspective.

Firstly....
"the hardware is great"

This is false. To show this, let's compare the top-model new 27 inch iMac, costing $2,499, to my latest computer, including accessories, at a cost of $2500 (this is in AUD by the way). I will also be comparing price-per-performance.

27 inch iMac:

Monitor: 2560x1440p (it's good for games that support this resolution if you have a good GPU, which the iMac does)
RAM: 2x4GB DDR3 DIMMs (2 sticks of 4GB of RAM) at 1600MHz
CPU: 3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor (not sure if it's a Haswell, specs do not say :\)
GPU: nVIDIA GeForce GTX 775M w/ 2GB of VRAM
Storage: 1TB, 7200RPM
Motherboard: Whatever Apple puts in there (I discuss this later in the post)
Case: Apple iMac standard case

My Rig:

Monitor: BenQ RL2450H, 1920x1080p, refresh rate of 60Hz


Motherboard: Gigabyte Z87X-D3H

RAM: 2x4GB DDR3 DIMMs produced by Corsair
CPU: 3.4GHz Intel Core i5 4670K
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 w/ 3GB of VRAM
Storage: Main Storage (imporatant software, games, and Windows): 120GB SSD, Other Storage: 2TB Seagate Barracuda, 7200RPM
Case: ThermalTake Armour Revo Black
Keyboard: Spare/Old Microsoft keyboard
Mouse: Saitek Cyborg RAT 9
I also have extra cooling in my computer.

Cons of the/an iMac:
My computer would perform much better than the iMac. Firstly, you have a worse card running higher resolutions. Why is the card worse? The iMac's GPU has only 2GB of VRAM, which is crucial to rendering (displaying) high resolutions, whereas my GPU has 3GB. Also the model number on my GPU is higher than the iMac's. Superiority accepted.

iMacs also run hotter, since the components are more tightly packed inside the case. There is enough space in my case (without components) for 5-7 3-month-old babies. Good luck fitting that many kids into your iMac case.


The price. My computer would perform better, at a cheaper/similar price.

You don't know what they're putting into the computer. Apple could be using parts that cost $100 less than retail each. Since they don't specify what they actually include in their products, they could be charging you an extra $500 or so.

Pros of the/an iMac:

In-built (bundled) software.
It looks sleek, but at a cost (heat).
App Store (a con to some).
Compatibility (not entirely true, since it's only compatible with Apple Products.
Insert other things I cannot think of.


I feel as if Apple is becoming like Google. People my age use iOS devices because of two main reasons: 1. If you don't own one, you're not 'cool'. 2. There are a plethora of apps for a whole bunch of different reasons.

More developers develop stuff for iOS because there are more consumers. More consumers = more development. More development = more consumers. This is how Apple will conquer the world.

They also charge $100 to publish an application to the App Store and take 30% of all money transmitted through the App Store. MORE MONEY = MORE PRODUCTS = MORE CONSUMERS = MORE MONEY.
Also MORE PRODUCTS = MORE DEVELOPMENT = MORE CONSUMERS = MORE DEVELOPMENT = MORE PRODUCTS.

WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO?


Also, Linux for master race. Kthxbai

 

[RyanDodd]

mmm yes now that I know apple owners are loyal this changes my whole perspective on life, such a meaningful piece of information.
I could care less about the compatibility with other devices too, if I'm using a computer why would I want the same stuff open on my phone? I can't multitask for shit.
iMessenger like an email but to a phone? why not just use your super compatible iPhone.
The Appstore, the pretty much exact same thing as google playstore with different layout.
Design is decent.
I could build a pc which would outclass any Mac computer and it would be cheaper.
Mac has nothing I want, and as for playing games I would prefer having a gameboy.

This is exactly what I was tired of. Everyone criticizes things on Mac just because it is different than Windows. Also, Google Play Store is for phones, not computers (which is obviously what we are talking about). But in the end, everyone has their own opinions. I know that I will not change Mac haters' opinions, I just want them to realize that it isn't as bad as they make it out to be.

 

[Wimali]

and as for playing games I would prefer having a gameboy.

dude the gameboy was the best console ever made
pokemon silver omfg

 

[digi]

I got a Mac yesterday and the amount of sighs and wtf's I got, well I might as well have said I just got cancer.
I'm loving my Mac and since I own everything Apple it suits my needs perfectly.

 

[Faliara]

I NEVER EVEN REALLY CARED ABOUT THIS STUFF AS LONG AS I CAN PLAY MINECRAFT ON IT, DUDES.

 

[Suikae]

It doesn't really matter to me, I own a Mac and I love it.
It just depends on one's preference, if they like it then it really shouldn't matter to that person. Also, going as far as 'sympathy' for a laptop, I find ridiculous. We're lucky to have technology as far as I know. ._.

 

[cooliorules]

I love macs, for work.
I love the iPad's and iPhone's though.
But I must admit I'm moving onto windows, I have a massive gaming restriction that I want to get rid of. I will use mac for working though, as I find it easier to work on.
I agree with most of your points, but how the hell did you get 200+ fps on minecraft?! I get about 20.... xD

 

[Sploorky]

Price is really what gets me about macs, tbh. That and the more limited game selection, but that's not apple's fault.

It's not bad by any means, hell, it's much better in some aspects. My cousin owns a mac and she's always raved about the features(specifically iMovie). It's just, with my current funds and interests, I'm more inclined to get a PC, as it gives me what I want with a cheaper price.

PS: Wouldn't people being loyal to buying a new device not count as a pro? I always found that silly, buy what fits your needs, not the product. If Apple started to produce shit software, you need to jump off that train, not stay loyal to them. Same with any other company.

PPS: This thread was an interesting read on the subject.

 

[Arachadonic]

Realisticly both operating systems and the hardware associated with them, have their pros and cons. It's really just down to personal preference however I do believe you should try both before making up your mind. I used to despise macs and iPhones and Apple in generally before I got an iPhone and tried out a mac. Now I love macs and iPhones! So you should at least for macs a try..

 

[RyanDodd]

Price is really what gets me about macs, tbh. That and the more limited game selection, but that's not apple's fault.

It's not bad by any means, hell, it's much better in some aspects. My cousin owns a mac and she's always raved about the features(specifically iMovie). It's just, with my current funds and interests, I'm more inclined to get a PC, as it gives me what I want with a cheaper price.

PS: Wouldn't people being loyal to buying a new device not count as a pro? I always found that silly, buy what fits your needs, not the product. If Apple started to produce shit software, you need to jump off that train, not stay loyal to them. Same with any other company.

PPS: This thread was an interesting read on the subject.

I would have had to get Windows if I had not had a summer job that allowed me to but a Mac, so I completely understand. The loyalty thing was more to show that customers who buy a Mac prefer them over Windows :)

 

[Danni122112]

A Mac is good if you got the money. It is a good machine, and it do got alot of features.

Macs are ok, the ios or whatever it is called its fine, you just neeed to get use to it.

But as I play very many different games, I will stay at windows, I just feel like macs, and i(enter something here) arent customisable enough. I like to change stuff myself.

 

[JayApple]

This thread was Made for me.

 

[Duffie]

The only reason I love PC, is because I grew with it... And because most every game supports Windows.

Macs are not bad at all, I just prefer to use PC.

 

[Wimali]

why not all get steamOS when it comes out

it supports windows & mac games

and it's designed for steam (=games)

yayayayay

 

[Undefined User 7]

My opinion was always that macs win in hardware, and pc's win in software. I think the setup Prizyms has is, as he said, the best of both worlds. I also agree with Sploorky, brand loyalty should take a backseat to buying what best suites your needs. I just don't want us to descend into a flame war:

 

[RyanDodd]

It's all opinion. Personally, I like OS X but many people like Windows for the game selection. Minecraft is it in terms of gaming for me, I guess that contributes to it.

 

[Superchops]

• Bundled Software. iMovie, Garageband, and iPhoto blow the stuff included with Windows away. They are easy to use, look good while being used, and produce great results.

Ok, this I take issue with. One could maybe make the case that Garageband can produce great results - a couple albums I really like were made on it - but good luck trying to find a video editor who respects iMovie as an editing software. It's basically WMM, but slightly better.

That said, you can use whatever programs you want, it's not my business at all.

Also, I use iTunes on my Windows PC, and it IS a legit good program.

 

[DarkHender]

Macs always break on me, no matter if its the device itself, the cords or the screen.
I've had multiple school devices break on me and then my own devices break on me.
(all apple products)
I still use apple products such as an Ipad for school and my Ipod, but I have had to already buy 3 new chargers for my ipod within a year.
I enjoy my PC because I am not limited to gaming as much as I was with my mac, but I do miss the apps that were already installed into my mac and the cool editing features it had.

 

[Vatumok]

I don't understand why you would buy a mac (absolutely not worth the extreme amount of money you pay for it) unless you do a lot of designing or art on the computer, then a mac may be worth it. The 2 big cons: price and bad game support, in my opinion, weigh far more than the pros you listed.