Comments on: Which is More Important: Hardware or Software?

By: Radiohead

Radiohead — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 02:36:18 +0000

First, I would like to thank Ponzi and Chris for sharing the unboxing with everyone. I have been looking to get a second Mac (either the Air or an iMac) and from my short experience with Macs, I thought the Air wasn’t too bad on speed. It’s not as fast as a MacBook or MacBook Pro but it’s not bad. Plus, it looks a whole lot better than the kinda cheap looking MacBook. Also, the ability to run OSX and Windows is always a big plus. I wouldn’t put Windows on an Air personally (due to the small hard drive) but to each his own. But the price is what drives me away from the Air. If Apple priced it at $1300 to $1500, I would already own one. For now, I will keep pondering a second Mac purchase.

By: GiM

GiM — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:05:11 +0000

Think also that Microsoft made posibble to run Vista on a MAC (you can buy the software to run on an Intel platform), but you are not able to run OSX on every intel platform (thanks to Apple).

At this moments, the MAC air is really in air, for Windows are more portable and performant machines. Still waiting to be able to buy on OSX disk to install on an really performant machine, like those designed for Windows…

And so to have a power machine with a power os…

By: woolf2k

woolf2k — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:55:29 +0000

I’ll answer this by asking another questions. Which is more important, your lungs or your heart?

if you still don’t get it. BOTH, one can’t survive without the other.

By: DrWho

DrWho — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:49:42 +0000

if you buy a Macbook then you should stick with pre-installed OS, it is good to learn new stuff if you want Vista then you should buy a laptop pre-installed with it.

By: Krish

Krish — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 22:30:01 +0000

First of all,when did my post become a question of hardware vs. software. All I was doing was telling Chris my recommendation. As far as I know, Ponzi was looklng for portability. BTW it was wrong for you to say I didn’t understand. I did know which was why I began talking about how Windows isnt bad.Plus, as far as I know Ponzi put Windows Vista on her macbook Air. Also,what was the point buying the Macbook Pro. The only use that comes to my mind is number crunching. Do you do number crunching?

By: Ethan

Ethan — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 22:29:06 +0000

Hardware and software both mater, what is hardware without the software it runs with, and vice versa. As for needing OS X, i’d love to be able to use OS X on any computer.

By: ianimate3d

ianimate3d — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:57:26 +0000

I just want to follow up after reading some of the comments to say that Apple actually is very much from a financial standpoint, a hardware company. Apple makes Billions on hardware, they make Millions on software. This is easily proven by quickly looking at any of the quarterly earnings reports. However, they actually are very much about the entire “experience” and understand that in order to continue to make nice profits in hardware, they must offer compelling software solutions. Apple has always focused on selling and controlling the entire “widget”, meaning when you purchase an apple product there is only one person to blame when you have issues, and one company to support your issues. This is actually a very refreshing thing for most people, no longer are you mercy of dell support telling you to call microsoft, or vice versa.

My main point here is that Apple actually is very much a hardware AND software company. Their focus lies on the entire user experience and by controlling both sides, are able to offer a more tightly integrated and defined user experience. In the world of computer makers and software companies, Apple stands alone in this unique structure. This is what makes Apple as a company very successful and very profitable. They would loose this unique edge that they have if they were to only mainly focus on software (like MS), or hardware (like Dell/HP)

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 08:39:28 +0000

The problem comes is when you want to run certain software with certain tools… you can have great software (like OS X) but if it won’t support the hardware you want, well, then it’s back to windows… it’s sort of a vicious circle…
Asking what’s more important, software or hardware, it’s like asking what’s more important, heart or lungs. You can’t live without either one of them.

By: xatsmann

xatsmann — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:58:55 +0000

The bottom line is that you want to be able to have freedom to run the software or operating system you want. Only Mac has that ability right now, but the price you pay is generally a higher cost for the hardware so I’d say its a trade off.

Linux is lower cost for the hardware but more work to install. Windows is higher cost for hardware and software than Linux but easier to use than a Linux and less expensive than a Mac. The drawback is ia Windows machine much less flexible than a Mac vis-a-viz software it will run.

By: Aidan F

Aidan F — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:43:27 +0000

Software is much more important. What’s the point in having hardware if there’s no software to run on it?

By: mikelinux

mikelinux — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:07:11 +0000

Well chris… i think you are a little short on your answers there…

first of all, you have used windows too all the time, and so far it had worked for you. As far as i know Ponzi is using windows as her main operating system.

And since the laptop is mainly for her, i think Krish has a point.
you dont have to carry along all the “extras”. Sure you can put windows on a mac, but you have too see what the laptop is used for.

the toshiba also has more inputs and outputs, like vga , 3x usb, card readers and sound ofcourse. the toshiba also has 40GB more HDD. capacity. it is also lighter than the macbook air and smaller.

in terms of internet connectivity the toshiba has ethernet and wireless, and the macbook air only can go wireless. u can go wired, but then u need to buy an external ethernet adapter wich costs money, and again u have 1 external device more. Sure u almost can go wireless, but not everywhere…

The only point to argue about is the price, but if money is not really an issue then it doesn’t make so much of a difference.

Now if i look at the topic of this blog, u point out that software is more important than hardware, but the way i see it, i think your choice is more hardware related instead of software.

By: joelg88

joelg88 — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:42:24 +0000

Well he sure had a tough time understanding that you wanted OS X lol

By: Tyler Jones

Tyler Jones — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:07:32 +0000

I think he was trying to say that if she was going to run Windows Vista on it anyway, she could have gotten the Toshiba. That makes sense. And if she wanted to get more acquainted with Mac OS X, didn’t she already have a MacBook? And if I’m remembering incorrectly, surely you wouldn’t be so selfish as to not let her use the Mac Pro :-).

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:05:19 +0000

I abso-freakin’-lutely agree. I’m a Microsoft Certified Professional (meaning I work on the OS ALL DAY LONG), and I personally run on a MacBook Pro, my wife has iBook G4, and we’re looking at getting an Air. The OS matters the most.

By: michaelper22

michaelper22 — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 23:59:02 +0000

If it was easily doable, I would install OS X on my HP Pavilion desktop right now. Sweet hardware is nothing if you don’t have good software to use it with (that’s not to say that Windows isn’t good).