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terit · 06-28-2003, 01:36 PM

First, macs will never gain dominance. They are not designed for everyone. While MacOS has a wonderful interface and is super stable, their pricing is not meant to compete with those who would build their own PCs and low end machines, such as e-machines. Rather, those who can afford macs buy them because they make life easier, don't treat you like an idiot (e.g., Microsoft's ongoing reliance on wizards), don't treat you like a criminal (e.g., Microsoft's rights management for media and insane serial code per machine policies), and don't constantly spy on you (e.g., practically every piece of Microsoft software, especially Windows Media Player). For those reasons, I am happy to pay the few hundred extra bucks to use a mac.

Unlike build-your-own computers, mac hardware (or at least those that come with the machine) is specifically chosen by apple. While the range of hardware mac users have access to is smaller, the primary big players (e.g., ATI NVidia, etc.) are quite available and sometimes even appear on macs before PCs.

The nice thing about limited selection is that Apple know what hardware it's OS will be run on, so it does not need to try to compensate for every little variation out there. This is the true balance of Mac vs. PC: with a mac, you have a controlled environment that is more expensive. With a PC, you have a less controlled (almost chaotic) environment at a lower price. So it really comes down to your personal taste.

The nice thing about a Mac is that it comes out of the box doing pretty much everything a typical Mac user is going to want. Looking to edit your home movies (or professional movies even), get a mac. You'll be much happier because you open the box, plop it on your desk, plug in a couple cables and your camera, and you are ready to edit. No installing, no need to understand hard drive types or drivers for this or that. It just works.

Looking to game or tinker with the components of your computer? Get a PC.

There is a reason why Mac users form such a love for their machines (as annoying as it may seem). Apple takes the time to think about how we think. They treat us like adults. They know that we are willing to pay for quality. From the outside it may seem like we are all a bunch of fanatics, and while that may be true for many of us, there is actually a reason behind it. Because Apple doesn't have a monopoly like Bill's bohenmoth, it has to sell its products by innovating (e.g., Windows Longhorn in 2005 will be touting many features we had in 2001).

And one last point: add up all the luxury cars manufacturers (Lexus, BMW, etc.). Apple has a larger market share of the computer market than they do of the car market combined. Remember, there is a really big difference between quality and quantity.

06-28-2003, 01:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
terit Upright	First, macs will never gain dominance. They are not designed for everyone. While MacOS has a wonderful interface and is super stable, their pricing is not meant to compete with those who would build their own PCs and low end machines, such as e-machines. Rather, those who can afford macs buy them because they make life easier, don't treat you like an idiot (e.g., Microsoft's ongoing reliance on wizards), don't treat you like a criminal (e.g., Microsoft's rights management for media and insane serial code per machine policies), and don't constantly spy on you (e.g., practically every piece of Microsoft software, especially Windows Media Player). For those reasons, I am happy to pay the few hundred extra bucks to use a mac. Unlike build-your-own computers, mac hardware (or at least those that come with the machine) is specifically chosen by apple. While the range of hardware mac users have access to is smaller, the primary big players (e.g., ATI NVidia, etc.) are quite available and sometimes even appear on macs before PCs. The nice thing about limited selection is that Apple know what hardware it's OS will be run on, so it does not need to try to compensate for every little variation out there. This is the true balance of Mac vs. PC: with a mac, you have a controlled environment that is more expensive. With a PC, you have a less controlled (almost chaotic) environment at a lower price. So it really comes down to your personal taste. The nice thing about a Mac is that it comes out of the box doing pretty much everything a typical Mac user is going to want. Looking to edit your home movies (or professional movies even), get a mac. You'll be much happier because you open the box, plop it on your desk, plug in a couple cables and your camera, and you are ready to edit. No installing, no need to understand hard drive types or drivers for this or that. It just works. Looking to game or tinker with the components of your computer? Get a PC. There is a reason why Mac users form such a love for their machines (as annoying as it may seem). Apple takes the time to think about how we think. They treat us like adults. They know that we are willing to pay for quality. From the outside it may seem like we are all a bunch of fanatics, and while that may be true for many of us, there is actually a reason behind it. Because Apple doesn't have a monopoly like Bill's bohenmoth, it has to sell its products by innovating (e.g., Windows Longhorn in 2005 will be touting many features we had in 2001). And one last point: add up all the luxury cars manufacturers (Lexus, BMW, etc.). Apple has a larger market share of the computer market than they do of the car market combined. Remember, there is a really big difference between quality and quantity.