Computers - Which do you use? MAC or Windows?

Which operating system do you use most often on your personal computer?

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T

TheToolPlace

Festool Dealer
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In a recent thread on which laptop to buy a wife for Christmas many users seemed to be recommending MAC's versus Windows machines.  I don't want to start the age old debate as to which is better, but I was wondering if Festool users favor one operating system over the other.

Chad
 
Windows. Always windows. For me. Mac, uhm, no. I like to do more with a computer than Mac can offer me. If this makes it a bit more difficult, well, so be it.
 
I have both.  For my personal computer - non work supposedly - I prefer the Mac.  I would use the Mac more for work if the software was available.

Peter
 
Windows for me too.  However, it is not due to my rather underwhelmed fondness of Microsoft.  It also has nothing to do with any belief that one platform is superior to the other.  It has more to do with the outstanding lifetime technical support I get from my son who happens to work for Dell.  
 
I haven't found any function I needed or wanted to do that I cannot do on my mac.  I use my MBP for work and at home.  Much more quite and stable than any Windows laptop I ever used.
 
I've used a lot of platforms, including Windows and Mac OS.

I started using UNIX a long time ago when all MS stuff was total junk, Macintosh machines were toys for artsy types, and a really "BAD-A.." desktop was about as powerful as a gimme watch would be a few years later. My first use of the Internet, at work, was limited to command line input because CERN or UICU had not yet released a user interface. As computing power caught up to the inefficiencies built into the MS platform, it was less obviously a dog... UNTIL, they went one OS past Win 2000, (2000 was NT based).

Since then, I have seen little to recommend any MS OS. I might have to take a look at 7 based on some of the comments I've heard. But then again, I've heard them all before...

BTW, this is being written on WIN 2000 Pro. We have computers here running Mac OS, XP, and LINUX also.

About a year ago, my Honey bought a Mac Book. It's a very cool, dainty machine that's pretty powerful. For some reason, she uses my 9-year old Dell Inspiron running Win 2000 to complete her papers and projects for school. I think it's about the format and formatting required. It seems it is just too much hassle to get it to translate just right using Mac OS.

I am totally agnostic as far as computers, operating systems, applications, etc. I travelled 3 continents for the better part of a decade helping customers figure out how to optimize processes and tools (including computing resources) so that they could compete more vigorously. It was all about business and not preferences. If one thing worked better for one client, that's what I hoped they would use. If something else worked for another client, that's what I hoped they would use. My job was to ask enough of the right questions that, together, we could figure out what would work optimally for them.

'Bottom line - there is no perfect operating system. There is no perfect tool. Everyone needs to analyze what works best for them within their current environment AND with an attempt to see their future requirements because tools are investments.

'Enough of my pontificating. It relates to decisions made about Festool products, which is why I ranted so much. Please accept my apology for the long-windedness.

Tom
 
I used windows machines for years until 2003 when I bought myself a mac notebook. No going back now. All mac all the time for me.

With windows products I got tired of the computer locking up and all the stupid zone alarm alerts, etc etc. Macs take up less of my time which I can devote to things I like to do more.
 
Sounds crazy coming from a Festool customer, but MAC stuff is just too darned expensive.  Yeah, I know its cooler and somewhat easier to use.  Not having all the security issues would be nice, but I could buy a couple of Festools for the MAC premium....

Having said all that, I don't think there is really a wrong answer.  Compared to the old days, both systems are pretty darned good!

For the record, now running XT, Vista, and Win 7 and it works well.
 
I use a MacBook Pro.  I have been subjected to M$ with computers from time to time and just don't understand why people keep struggling with them.

AFAIK the only software you can't get for the Mac OS is SAP's client software, and M$ Access.  But both of these can be run on a Mac with BootCamp, Parallels or VM Ware.

I see a strong parallel between Mac and Festool; the sticker price may be a little more than cheaper systems, but once you've used them you'll not want to go back.

Andrew
 
I would love to have a Mac for all my cad and photo work, but almost every company I deal with uses windows office for docs and pics and windows based cad apps, so all the fiddling about with save as etc just takes too much time up! Or am I not up to date with compatability issues [scared]

My home/office computer was custom built for my Cad needs but needs upgrading since AC2010. My laptop just about copes on site with non 3D files unless sent as PDF which means any on site changes are a long winded job.

A couple of my friends are artistic or designers and they swear by Mac's for much of their work, it can't be purely based on the way Mac's are always so nicely designed...surely!

Rob.
 
I have both MAC and Windows!  I got Vista when it first came out thought it was crap so went to Mac and loved it really good much quicker and more stable. I now have windows 7 must say it is better but still prefer MAC.  I have installed Windows 7 and  Mac OS X Snow Leopard on my apple and just use Parralel software when I am on Leopard to open windows 7 with out restarting my laptop. My apple with  Leopard starts up so quick and turns of much quicker than any PC.
 
TheToolPlace said:
In a recent thread on which laptop to buy a wife for Christmas many users seemed to be recommending MAC's versus Windows machines.  I don't want to start the age old debate as to which is better, but I was wondering if Festool users favor one operating system over the other.
Chad
Click to expand...
One point that has not been made is that there is a significant learning curve to changing with either system. So if you talk to a long time Windows user it is most likely that they will promote the system they know. And for them it is the right choice. The same goes for Mac users.

Another poster mentioned the myth of a price premium for buying Apple. This is false. If you get a Win system with the same spec as a Mac it will almost always be more expensive. It is true that you can buy a low spec PC for a much lower price than any Mac but that is what you get a low spec machine. Now there is nothing wrong with that if that is all you want and it does what you need

One poster has mentioned having personal tech support, and that should also be a major decision factor.

However if you are starting from the view point of having minimal exposure to either then there is little doubt as to which is the easier machine to use, which has the fewest problems, which has the best tech support if it is needed, and which has the best RoI and TCoO.

There is also the philosophy point of a unified design with Mac Programs.
Also in general Microsoft products get shipped when they don't crash too much, which is why many users (and almost all business users) wait for version 1.1 or 2. (Translation for win users Service pack 1)  [tongue]
Where as in general Apple products ship when they are finished, this does not mean that new versions do not have better functions but it does usually mean that version 1 works well.
 
Joe,

I have mine setup so that when an update is available the software update icon bounces up and down and announces (speaks) that an update is available.  Very few updates since June.  It will not automatically install.  But the installations are quick.  I can't remember one that required me to restart the computer either.

Peter
 
Rutabagared said:
Jerome,
Thanks for the info on the learning curve.

In regards to Microsoft releasing "patches" and service packs, often times Microsoft installs "important security updates to protect my computer, which required a shutdown of your computer . . . ".  Does Mac perform these "automatic" updates (albeit perhaps less often)?  How does Mac execute patch releases?  Thanks.

Joe
Click to expand...

Both systems have update systems, with windows unless there is an out of cycle patch it is the 2nd Tuesday of the month. Hence virus writers have a known window of opportunity to reverse engineer and exploit the problems (and they do).

With Mac the updates are released when they are ready and there is no fixed pattern you set the frequency of checking (my systems check daily). This could be one of the reasons why there are no viruses for Macs and only 1 known Trojan. FWIW in 18 years of using Macs I have never had or needed an anti-virus program.
Also Macs will update all the installed Apple software and  Apple has a much larger selection of first class programs that are supported in this way.

As far as a restart of the system being needed  that depends on the parts that are updated. Probably 25% do not need a restart.

As you are interested there is one function that is really superb and that is the automatic backup. It is so simple and lets you recover any version of any file
 
Peter Halle said:
  I can't remember one that required me to restart the computer either.

Peter
Click to expand...

That will depend on the OS X version you are using 10.6.2 came out about 2 weeks ago and needed a restart. On the system I am using now (10.3.9) the last update was July 2008
 
If fussing to get your computer to work is your interest then go PC and Microsoft.  If you just want to work with your computer then go Mac and don't look back.  My friend just switched to a 17" Macbook Pro and he loves it so much he is going to convert his whole company to Macs... 

Windows 7 is just another Mac OS want-to-be. I used to laugh when I worked for IBM in 2000 and this technology giant was running Windows 95 as its standard PC OS, 5 years old, ....sad but true...

Best,
Todd
 
Mac all the way. Currently using an Imac and Macbook pro. Started out with an ancient IIE and haven't stopped. Granted we could debate which platform is better but that's really sort of nonsense. People like what they like. I have an HP Windows based machine that only gets used for accessing construction/code disks that don't generally come in Mac.
 
JeromeM said:
............Another poster mentioned the myth of a price premium for buying Apple. This is false. If you get a Win system with the same spec as a Mac it will almost always be more expensive. It is true that you can buy a low spec PC for a much lower price than any Mac but that is what you get a low spec machine. Now there is nothing wrong with that if that is all you want and it does what you need..........
Click to expand...

Well, that's not always the case. I've looked at the Mac Pro $2500 USD, a PC with nearly the same specs was a $1000 less when I checked into Mac earlier this year (I underlined "specs", the specs were nearly the same, I don't know if the quality of the components are the same.) Admittedly, it's not easy to compare apples to apples (no pun intended) between a Mac and all the different PC options out there. However, when you factor in the deals you can find on PCs they can significantly less expensive than a Mac. I want to point out that less expensive doesn't necessarily mean a better value.
 
I heard nobody mention games yet. Maybe this crowd isn't interested in games, but I and a lot of younger people are. Gaming = Windows, period. There's hardly any of the popular games released for the Mac and if they do release one, it's often a year later than for the PC.
 
Very interesting discussion here!  Keep it up folks!

I use Windows 7 and think that it's light years ahead of previous releases.  I also use Linux to administer our computer systems at our stores.  Each OS has it's own set up ups and downs, it just depends on the task at hand!

Chad
 
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