<p>Mac. No windoze. </p>
<p>Even the advance copy of Vista I have crashes. Will they ever get it right?</p>
<p>OSX and Windows Vista are for different kinds of people. If you are less than computer litterate or have extra money to throw at things OSX could be for you. If you know what you are doing and like a high level of customization then Windows is probably the better option.</p>
<p>I’ve used Win-XP heavily since it came out and have had no crashes. I’ve had Win-XP and Windows 2003 run on some systems 24/7 for years without crashes. Ditto with other Windows OSs before. If there’s a problem, it’s typically with the applications rather than the OS although I do wish Windows guarded better against wayward applications.</p>
<p>This win vs mac debate has gone on endlessly with no winners - why resurrect it now with a loaded statement?</p>
<p>Do you believe Windows is more granular than a Unix variant (Darwin)? That is an aspect I’ve not run across before…</p>
<p>Well, it seemed time to readdress it due to another ongoing thread. I use Windows Server 2003 as well and have had to reboot to clear minor conditions; but none that would keep me from using it due to the advantages it presents. I was using SCO Unixware 7.1.4 before that and OpenServer 5 with Samba to keep all happy. Unix still seems to me more stable.</p>
<p>For most people the debate is really between the consumer versions of Windows and the Mac OS. Sure, they could get a variant of Linux and load up as much open source software as they can find but for most people this is more trouble than it’s worth and the majority of people are still not really that computer-savvy.</p>
<p>I suspect that if you had Win2003 with the right (quality) applications running on it that it could run very reliably as has been my experience. To properly compare it to Win2003, the Unix server and Win2003 server should be running the similar limited applications. Many people end up loading the Windows servers up with lots of other apps including consumer-grade apps.</p>
<p>We have all Macs, including a new Mac Mini with a wireless mouse and keyboard. Swooooooon!</p>
<p>I agree. Most folks would never notice the difference. Windows can be quite granular as well; but such use is specialized and not generally known outside of personnel who maintain large networks. Most Mac users never see or use the command line.</p>
<p>Tuning the Windows systems I use is fine; but my use generally is not conventional and thus I tend to find the edges.</p>
<p>I’ve got a copy of Vista Ultimate (RC 1, fully patched) running on a Dell Dimension 4500. Pretty conventional box, except for the 2GB RAM and the fancy video card. Vista choked and went BSOD on an attempted load of Adobe Reader. Not impressive. I’ll still buy a copy, though.</p>
<p>Linux is great; a lot like Unix. The downside is the lack of drivers for some hardware. Unix is excellent for what it is configured to do; but is hardware specific. That’s one reason why it works well. Some users I know have never shut their Unix servers down…even after years.</p>
<p>mac mini, pc laptop, kids each have mac notebooks. </p>
<p>love the macs…</p>
<p>Both my girls (read: daughters) have Mac laptops at the university. Zero problems…going on three years.</p>
<p>Oops - definition: [url=<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Screen_of_Death]BSOD[/url”>Blue screen of death - Wikipedia]BSOD[/url</a>]</p>
<p>We have both, but the Macs are soooo much easier to trouble shoot on your own and for me (computer challenged) much easier to use. H. just bought new Mac laptop that has both windows and Mac operating systems</p>
<p>I’m a computer science major and I love my little Macbook. It really is perfect for either the technically-challenged or super-techies. :)</p>
<p>Macs are not customizable.
Macs are more expensive.
Macs require you to put up with Apple’s highly questionable business practices. (The Mac fanboys will bash on Gates but have you seen what their boy Jobs is up to?)
Don’t get me started on paying money for patches or to upgrade from x.y to x.z.</p>
<p>But I guess it’s trendy and that’s why Apple can charge through the nose for inferior products.</p>
<p>I love my mac and the support I get at the apple store.</p>
<p>Examples:
About a week after purchasing Mac, I turned it off (not for the first time, all though I do leave it running alot but on ‘sleep’) and when I went to turn it back on, it wouldn’t. Took it into the store, the guy explained step by step what to do (something with the batteries and being on for a really long time-as in a few days, shutting off for only a few minutes, and trying to turn back on). No problem
2.) Friend dropped my laptop during class which dislodged the wireless internet card. Took it in, had it replaced in a day (Go AppleCare! 
)
3.) Water got inside during rainstorm, wouldn’t work. Guy said it would dry out and it did and worked just fine. Except the internet card (pesky thing) was damaged. They replaced it while I waited (10 minutes tops) but computer wouldn’t read it. So they gave me a BRAND NEW computer with slightly more memory for no cost and did a free file transfer because the other was most likely defective but took a while to detect. </p>
<p>I love the Apple store/company/people and will never go back to PC. Never got that kind of service from Dell or Gateway. And everyone I’ve met at college who has a PC, after using my computer in class or for various reasons, says they wish they had a Mac. :)</p>
<p>[like I needed another reason to love Pearl Jam](<a href=“http://www.apple.com/pro/video/pearljam/”>http://www.apple.com/pro/video/pearljam/</a>)</p>
<p>And what do you mean Macs arent customizable?
what do you need it to do, that you can’t get it to do?</p>
<p>Listen, buy a mac and you can have a pc inside as well!</p>
<p>Ahh yes…forgot to mention that Windows can be installed on a Mac but who needs it?? OSX works fine for me. And Safari and Firefox beat Explorer in my book.</p>
<p>[I have used both macs and peecees and owned Macs for almost 20 years- I have never needed or wanted a PC](<a href=“http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/technology/11/27/27techreview.html”>http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/technology/11/27/27techreview.html</a>)</p>
<p>Macs are just so much more fun-:D</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’ll grant that they’re not very customizable, but they’re not particularly bad - you can even upgrade the laptops - for example my macbook has a user-upgradable hard drive, which is actually more than a lot of PC laptops have.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Not really true - I heavily comparison shopped and the macs (lower-end ones at least) are price-comparative with similarly equipped computers from, say, dell. Dell offers much cheaper computers, but with many less features - you have to get the more expensive dells to get as much as you might get on a mac.</p>
<p>The mac accessories are a bit overpriced, though. 3rd-party accessories cost a lot less, and do pretty much the same job.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Patches are free, just like on windows/pc. Whole version jumps (i.e. from 10.3 to 10.4) are major upgrades, more like upgrading one whole windows version (windows 2000 to windows XP), than a service pack.</p>
<p>“peecees” lol. I haven’t heard that one before.</p>
<p>If you buy a Mac and miss your PC, just get a BSOD screen saver. ;)</p>
<p>“Patches are free, just like on windows/pc. Whole version jumps (i.e. from 10.3 to 10.4) are major upgrades, more like upgrading one whole windows version (windows 2000 to windows XP), than a service pack.”</p>
<p>If it was such a big version jump it would be OS11. Check out the 5 dollar patch just to make Airport Extreme run for the Intel based Macs. Apple is a horrible evil little company and it is finally coming out into the open. But I’m sure all the Mac fans have blinders on and haven’t used a PC in years, judging by the “BSOD” comments.</p>
<p>Not to mention you have worse performance from a Mac. Have fun playing games, or doing anything intensive like Photoshop.</p>
<p>Oh and on “loving the company”. They have a chokehold on all products, like the iPod/Tunes and the Mac (so they CAN prevent small deviations that might cause problems). And look at the iPhone fiasco. They obviously think they are above the law. And don’t forget the sweatshop workers making the iPods. But I’m sure there won’t even be a response to this, just Mac fans ignoring it.</p>