The debate is really Windows vs Mac, not PC vs Mac. The whole Mac commercials are wrong because of this. So even the new Microsoft commercials are also wrong.

On my MacBook Pro, I run VMFusion and Ubuntu Linux as a diversion to the old days when you did everything from the command line.

I’d say that for low-key use (web surfing, researching, reading email), Windoz and MacOS are comparable. You have to install updates in both OS’s. Things just seem easier to do in MacOS, but you still have to do them (including restarting to complete the install of some updates).

If you’re a high end user, you use the tools that best fit what you’re doing. That may restrict what platform you choose, but as one of the earlier posts said, with a Mac, you can have both accessible to you in one machine.

All of the “tools” Microsoft gives for fixing Vist don’t work. System restore doesn’t work, system file checker doesn’t work, safe mode is useless, the hardware people blame the software people and vice-versa.

I got a PC because I’m a gamer, but the only gaming that’s happened is that Microsoft played me. I hope they keep losing market share and keep laying their employees off. How something as horrible as Vista was allowed to be released is beyond me.

I can’t believe I spent so many years thinking “Macs don’t do this… macs don’t do that.”

Wow, was I wrong.

My only regret is not switching earlier and spending so much money on Windows software that is obsolete.

I’m the only person in my office (of about 40) who uses a mac and I dread having to use one of their machines. They are just ssoooo sloppy.

Oh, and nothing beats a mac for presentations. Nothing. If you’re a professional, iWork is reason enough to switch.

MS needs to do something quick and great or else they are going to loose…

I live in Japan. My wife is Japanese. She runs an iMac. I run a Dell laptop (which has been great, btw). I custom built my machine and I really know my way around the OS. Quite frankly, I don’t have the problems other window-haters have. I know how to run a clean machine. I design online learning modules and web sites. For heavy applications, I run Lectora, Adobe Web Premium, MS Office. (all windows-based)

The biggest reason I am contemplating a new MBP (should they arrive in sept) is that I can run two OS’s, be compatible with EVERYTHING, and even have a multi-lingual OS/keyboard for the wife or my 地裁もの。　I know I can run either on a new Dell, but I’m thinking the OSX will run cleaner on a mac.

The moment I figured out I could load Vista as a partition with OSX, I have been learning that my next machine will likely be a MBP. (I just can’t believe it’s going to cost me so much.) I currently run a double-partition (XP/Vista) which is fine, but I don’t know why. I never use XP. I just left it on as a security incase my vista sucked. Oops… I ended-up loving Vista.

Also, fwiw, if you are looking into Adobe suites, look at their training videos- the Adobe team runs macs. Business models based on design are changing. Engineering business models aren’t seeing these changes yet.

Trivantis… the company that makes my authoring software for online learning modules, has teamed up with Apple and is making something called Webtora (the mac version of Lectora… which is windows-based). The platform that apple is building right now for online learning environments (think of how this communication platform is going to be applied to education) and the way they hand-out laptops to students is a further indication that if I am going to end up managing this generation, I sure as hell better speak their language. The good news is that I won’t lose my windows software.

I don’t believe that Dell or any other pc-maker is crap… just obsolete the moment BootCamp came out. I could be misinformed (usually am) but I believe BootCamp arriving marks the moment when Windows could drive apple’s hardware… giving those of us with multiple computer needs one tidy machine.

Havent tried iLife tho, since the library mac has no media on it.
I now know that mac has a right click, but used ctrl click for a few days before i found out.
When i did a CTRL+Click on Windows, i knew i was into it…

Firstly, I would like to say that I am NOT an  (Apple) fanboy, but I have 6 Macs in my house. In fact, the same models as Chris has, and they are all great devices, but at the end of the day, I bought them for the OS. Mac OS X is one of the most stable, reliable and has one of the best GUIs that I have come across. It still has flaws, for example font irregularities, instabilities, etc., etc.. At the end of the day, it is one of the best OSs , and I love my Mac for the OS, not the hardware, (although, even the hardware isn’t too bad, the styles of their machines are beautiful).

Secondly, I hate people (as Chris once said in an old video), that separate Macs and PCs. A Mac IS a PC, just with specialized and specific components. I mean, you can run Windows on a Mac, and you can (through some hacking), run OS X on a PC. The reason, by the way, that Macs run Windows so well (in fact, independent sources state that that IS a fact), is because of the drivers. Apple have worked so hard in making drivers for their computers that work so well, that it beats most other commercial companies at making an OS that they specialize in.

Finally, I read in this blog post, and I would like to make it clear that I think that Mr. Cohen, is an idiot. But I mean that in the nicest and most delicate way possible. If you think that “the mighty mouse is terrible” is a fair and just reason NOT to get a Mac, then you are, an idiot. No one is saying you have to either buy a mighty mouse, or mighty mice, or any amount of Mac peripheries. All you need to is buy ANY mouse. Why do you associate that with the Mac. It is a periphery that Apple makes. Do not group them and consider that a reason NOT TO BUY A MAC!

To answer Danny’s question, it is important to know what you use your PC for. If it is for internet, e-mail, listening to music, watching a few videos etc., don’t bother. It is not worth it. But if you use it for graphics editing, video editing, or any heavy duty activities, you may want to buy a Mac. There are a myriad of factors that come into buying a Mac. Personally, I would go for it. Whatever Danny decides to do, think long and hard about it, and please, please, don’t listen to the kind of rubbish from people like that which Mr. Cohen spews onto his keyboard.

Many thanks to Chris for http://chris.pirillo.com/ & http://live.pirillo.com/, and good luck to Danny, hope you enjoy your new PC, no matter what it is!

Daniel Simmonds A.K.A. Dalek356

I run Mandriva Linux on our dekstop. It dual boots to XP and we use that occasionally but it amounts to 2-3 hours a months in XP. I love Linux.

Next year I hope to buy a business class laptop. Likely a Dell Latitude or Toshiba or ??? depending on their Linux compatibility. I want 100% compatibility with Mandriva Linux. Right now my 6 year old desktop has about 98% compatibility.

The old desktop which still runs like new (1.8 GHz with 1 GB ram and a 256MB Nvidia based video card and ALOT of storage) will continue to be used as a gamer system for our young kids and a media server for the TV/stereo.

I’d really like something to replace it eventually that uses a very minimum of space and power (headless server with network storage) but it will be a safe system for the kids to use. We’re really trying to cut our electrical consumption further. Everything OFF (power strip off) consumes nothing. Don’t mind a little draw when we are using it though of course.

I recently bought a Dell notebook and to get a similar spec macbook pro I would have, near as makes any difference, paid three times as much. That just seems coocoo bananas to me.

Macs are great little machines and work very well, Apple just need to stop charging over the top amounts of money for high fashion when the really serious users don’t care about that stuff.