Why don't you like Macs?

I'm curious and I'd like to see reasons for it, hopefully this thread can become a civilized discussion that doesn't turn into a big emotional flame fest.

Why do people oppose Macs so much? This isn't just an OCF thing of course but an industry-wide thing that has been around for decades. What is it about Macs that people despise? Why don't you like Macs?

No answer or explanation is right or wrong, I want to find out people's viewpoints and reasonings, and hopefully myself or other Mac users/fans can clear up any misconceptions or misunderstandings about the platform.

Thanks in advance.

To darn expensive.

Most people people buy a mac for zero problems and no viruses.

Most of the time its a laptop and all they do is e-mail, internet and itunes.

Its an "idiot proof computer" to say the least... no offense...

I like macs and have had a good experience every time I used one. I don't own a mac because I can't justify the price and I enjoy building my own computers.

the hardware sucks and like joeteck said its idiot proof

Like said above...to darn expensive. WAY to proprietary(sp) with crapware. Not near as flexable as a PC build, such as part swaps and tweakablility.

also like said above....it's for peep whom want a computer...but don't really want to learn one.

Like people who like to listen to a song because it's cool (MAC). Or people who like the same song, but because they actaully hear the music.

What I don't like is how most people that own MACs think they are, more: mature, cultured, sophisticated, "green" and intelectually superior. It's funny.

arcanise said:

the hardware sucks and like joeteck said its idiot proof

Click to expand...

How does the hardware suck? Mac use intel processors, brandname produced mobos, ati/nvidia graphics, they pretty much use the same hardware as any other computer out there.

@op,

Why do you choose to use mac instead of windows/linux?

I hate the operating system....

But love my good old ipod 80GB... none of this touch screen nonsense...

BenF said:

How does the hardware suck? Mac use intel processors, brandname produced mobos, ati/nvidia graphics, they pretty much use the same hardware as any other computer out there.

@OP,

Why do you choose to use mac instead of windows/linux?

Click to expand...

I agree. The hardware is actually quite good.

The frustrating thing with Apple for me is the culture and the closed-door approach. It's very secretive, and it's very restrictive for developers.

The result, however, is a complete control over the experience. Apple has a ton of restrictions in place to ensure that everyone has a great experience with their products, and they actually do deliver on that. The hardware isn't customizable, but the typical user's experience is better for it, in my opinion. They charge a premium for that experience.

I can't stand the stereotypical "Mac user", but I think OS X is a great product and Apple makes a great laptop. I'd get one if I was buying a new laptop and could spend what they charge.

i woudnt say i dont like macs perse... its just i cant justify spending 2x the money for the same product.

I like OSX, but i have had more kernel panicks, and program crashes on it, than i have had with the same programs (cs4 suite) on win 7. I do wish for a smooth seamless expose in win 7 like osx has but im dreaming there. OSX is a definite pretty and smooth os... but i often find myself going wow i just had to click like 5 or 6x to do the same 1 or 2 clicks in windows.

I just hate the whole mac cult mentality... our products are better faster never crash and are perfectly secure.... when non of that is true.

The only mac product i own is a 30gb 5th gen Ipod video, still runnin strong after multiple years of abuse... i think their styling on their laptops is bar non amazing albeit overly priced even with the 33% off i get on apple products.

It's not as much why I don't 'like' macs, but as much as I don't have one.

I was looking into a laptop recently, since I was checking any company that ever made laptops I of course had to include mac. At the time they still had outdated hardware and the prices were higher than the current stuff from other companies. Even now I don't think they have any laptops with a 1920x1080 screen, I happened to be looking for a 15" laptop with one of those. I also needed a quad, no such thing in macbook land. It's the same story with the desktops, no real problem with them except that they are overpriced.

But hey, they don't have to make any of us happy. You seen their recent reports? The reason they don't let you know about their stuff is because they don't want you to find the iTree room. Guess what the iTree does?

Well hopefully this'll last longer than the last Mac thread

As for me? I wouldn't mind them if they were a LOT cheaper. They're just ridiculously expensive for what you get.

With exactly the same hardware a Mac outperforms Windows PC but you pay at least twice as much for it.
Windows will dominate the workplace for many years to come but could the Mac take over home computers? If they lowered the price and maybe allowed people to add new hardware it would be worth it.

Its pricing for me as well. A 16GB Ipod nano is what $160? I paid on the name of about $89 for my 16GB sony MP3 player. The same goes for their computers as well. Plus I just like to build my own stuff, that way I know exactly what is in it, and can make it for exactly what I want it to do. Not what someone at Apple thinks I should be able to do with it.

Ok I am starting a pool. It will be PM only. What post # will be the click? I say 27

if mac released the hardware and made it as flexible as windows i might actually buy one just tooo say i have one

BenF said:

How does the hardware suck? Mac use intel processors, brandname produced mobos, ati/nvidia graphics, they pretty much use the same hardware as any other computer out there.

@OP,

Why do you choose to use mac instead of windows/linux?

Click to expand...

Back in the early-mid-90s I liked Macs better because the interface was more graphical and easier to use then Windows 3.x. After Win95 came out I didn't give much thought to Macs until OS X 10.3 was released, IMO later versions of the classic MacOS were too bloated and shaky for my tastes. OS X 10.3 was such an improvement over any previous version of the MacOS that it was the main reason I bought an iBook G4. I liked it better then Windows XP, sounds weird I know but OS X was a more enjoyable computing experience for me compared to XP or Win2K. I use Mac at work as my main system since the company is primarily Mac-based. These days, I prefer Windows 7 the best of any OS I've tried and I'd use it on all of my home PCs if Microsoft still sold the family pack edition. I enjoy linux too but I don't have much experience with it aside from Ubuntu and experimenting with openSUSE on the PS3.

I cringe at the price I pay for a new one, but I also feel the build quality and the extra 'cup holders' and 'heated leather seats' are more than worth it when my credit card statement comes.

I like mac because its a nice, stable, and virus free environment to work in, and the flexibility of the machine is very much astounding to me. Thinking they're good for only e-mail and casual browsing is really missing out on the platform. Almost like saying windows is good for nothin' but excel spreadsheets.

arcanise said:

if mac released the hardware and made it as flexible as windows i might actually buy one just tooo say i have one

Click to expand...

Part of the reason MAC doesn't have the same problems as a PC is that they don't really use 3rd party OEM manufacturers, so MAC can write its own drivers for their own hardware. It does help to ease many things, I must admit, but you do lose out on flexibility...

To me, a MAC isn't worth the money, but to one of my best buddies, who I hire for web design for my clients, he does a kick-*** job and requires his $5000 MAC to do so. His old PC didn't do it for him... but, he still loves his laptop (PC).

Let's keep this thread clean. Please refrain from using words like "suck" and "crap" in reference to one or the other... you're only being childish by using that terminology and you'd only be asking for speeding up the closing of this thread. Don't be THAT GUY!!

g0dM@n

whooping_a_panda said:

Almost like saying windows is good for nothin' but excel spreadsheets.

Click to expand...

That's a fairly true statement isn't it?

"That guy" Might just say something on post #34 to win me some shoes!

I'll try to stick to the products rather than all the other silliness that surrounds Apple.

Macs - just overpriced for the hardware. Design and aesthetics are worth something, sure, but Apple doesn't give you the *choice* of forgoing those things. Things change so fast now that I don't see the point in getting a 'luxury' product in such a device but I don't look for egostrokes from gadgets either. Resale value...so what? If you pay $200 more for something and resellit for $200 more all you've done is tie up $200 for that time. (I am however willing to buy higher-end gear and pay for real, not perceived, quality in other areas where I know the product will still be great and do its job in 10++ years - thinking audio stuff here.) The only value add Macs have is OS X and some people are just in love with it but I think that's more what you're used to, the whole 'creative content publishing' angle Macs used to have has really evaporated now.

I have less problems with the iStuff because they're really just CE devices and I expect them to be fairly closed although Apple goes farther than most in that regard. (Aside from the iPad because it's got the negative of being closed down but still wanting to be much closer to a 'computer' than the iPod/iPhone.)