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Issue #3
Macs vs. PCs
Part III: A PC user's point of view
Snidely MacBash
Rebuked by "Brad Harrison"
In your first issue you published a list of reasons why the Mac is better than the PC. This list is
faulty, and I would like to show you why. "I'll show you why you're
counter arguments are wrong." These were your reasons, with my
arguments:
1. Speed
I'll admit that I don't know much about hardware, so I'm just
going to have to take your word for it when you say that a Mac
processor is faster than a PC processor of the same speed. (?) But
why do you need all this speed anyway? Isn't the Macintosh
community's pride and joy, the iMac, otherwise known as the peoples
computer, built to run at a slower speed than is possible? My point
is this: We have a car that can break the speed of sound, but you
don't see one parked in you neighbours garage, do you? It's useless
surplus.
***
"Yes the Mac is faster, it will be way faster (see the story
'G4s and more'). If you are happy with a
slow machine then why should I complain? Yes, the iMac is made
slower than is possible, so is a PC. The real reason is most likely
price. It costs money to make things fast, the iMac is designed to
be cheap and easy. The fact that it blows the doors off any
commercially available PC is just a bonus.
"About the car that can break the speed of sound. Have you seen
the way some people drive? Do you really want these people with a
car that fast? A really fast computer under the command of an idiot
won't kill anyone."
2. Ease of use
Don't start giving me this crap about how Mac's are so much
easier than PCs. Can't you see that Windows is a complete rip-off
of the Mac OS, which is creatively named "OS"? I'm not saying it's
right, but I'm saying that you're comparing apples to apples here
(pun intended).
Windows is in almost every way exactly like the Mac's OS, and a
user who is familiar with one may use the other with no
introduction. I know. I've done it.
You can either complain that Microsoft became successful through
stolen ideas or you can complain that PCs are too hard to use. You
can't do both, they contradict each other. (I prefer to complain
about Microsoft. After all, we all need a scapegoat, and they've
done enough to satisfy everyone.)
And by the way, I have a PC and have never worried about
AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS. in my life. I don't even know what they
do, and we get along just fine.
"Do you really want to argue creativity with a Mac user? More
web pages are made with Macs than any other computer, they're also
used nearly exclusively in special effects. That covers
creativity.
***
"As a matter of fact I can complain that windows is successful
through stolen ideas as well as complain that it's too easy to use.
There I just did it, they don't contradict each other. Now for the
reasoning. Microsoft is successful because they copied Apple, you
admitted that. I can think of at least a dozen people that use Macs
because Windows is too annoying. It's simply not elegant. I would
love it if Windows didn't suck so much. PCs are dirt cheap and
there's tons of games available. Windows isn't going to get much
easier very soon. After all, they did take 14 years to create an OS
that has the usability of the 1984, 128k Mac.
"Never a problem with those files? Boy, are you lucky! And you
don't know what they do. Big mistake, you shouldn't have admitted
that. I understand my System Folder 95% of the time. The
things that give me trouble are the seven hundred files that came
with Internet Explorer that I don't understand. I'm not even sure
what to trash now that I'm sick of it."
3. We make more money and we get more done
Okay, explain this to me. If Mac users get so much done and so
much money by using their Macintosh computers, how come Apple the
company has been on the brink of bankruptcy several times? One
would assume that the company uses it's own computers within it's
business, correct? Or are you implying that all the executives
working for Apple use PCs for some unknown reason? (Although isn't
it really obvious?) And who the heck is Arthur D. Little? Doesn't
sound like a real person to me.
***
"How many times does Apple have to come back so people can
understand that they're not going anywhere(except up)? I'll give
you this, Apple was still, after all, on the verge of bankruptcy,
several times. But do five consecutive, very profitable quarters
sound like a company that is going anywhere? Also with their
wonderful new toy, the iMac, you have a hard time not seeing one
everywhere you look. I believe the statistics for iMac buyers are
27% new computer users and 18% PC defects. By the way, you
shouldn't make fun of people's names, it's not nice. Besides, I
know what your real last name is a euphemism for."
4. The year 2000 bug
Let me explain something to you about the Y2K bug. It's not as
big a deal as people seem to think. Especially not for home
computers. Sure, you won't get the right date on your desktop or
when you try to auto date a document, but that's no big deal. No
one's computer is going to crash. The only problems that anyone is
predicting is with certain programs.
Already there are Y2K bug fixes on the market. Don't you see how
ingenuous this is? Make a computer with a problem. Then, at the
last minute, bring out a cure and sell it for as much as you want!
If Apple had this kind of sense, they wouldn't need a pity-loan
from the enemy to survive.
***
"Home computers will crash. Y2K is very temperamental. Some
computers will work fine. Some will work but won't restart again.
Some will explode. People should be testing their computers to make
sure that there won't be a huge, smoking, pit where their PC used
to be on January 1, 2000. But, I suppose you're right, making a
product with a defect and then selling fixes is very
entrepreneurial. But it seems to me that it might also be seen as,
oh, I don't know... deceitful, manipulative, disloyal, traitorous,
and let's not forget insidious. Besides, if Microsoft did it right
the first time then certain programs wouldn't have any problems,
they would just use the correct API calls (or whatever the PC
equivalent is). Happy shopping for bug fixes at Business
Depot."
5. Mac OS X is coming
What does this have to do with PCs?
"Oh nothing, just the thing that is going to leave you drooling
this time next year. Actually, it's slated for this summer, unlike
Micro$oft, Apple knows how to keep deadlines."
And now for some undeniable reasons why PCs are better than
Macs:
***
"Bring it on!!"
1. The people.
Look at all the people who support Macs. They're all gung-ho
about their computers, and seem to think of little else. (Naming
your computer?) They must defend every aspect of their electronic
existence.
PC users are much more peaceful. (Maybe it's a radiation thing.)
They do not feel that anything said about an aspect of the PC is an
attack against them. For instance, you will notice that I, an avid
PCer, loathe the Microsoft corporation almost as much as I loathe
Disney. This does not make me any less of a person though, does
it?
Mac users believe that Macs should be the only computers allowed
to exist. They often express this in their various publications by
burning, beating, and melting PCs. This is not good sportsmanship
now, is it? PC users are for equal opportunities. This is a quote
from a Pro PC web page I found:
"I was influenced to construct this site because I stumbled
across a series of web pages claiming Apple Macintosh supremacy. As
a firm believer in equal rights I want to say something about this
issue via this page. You might be asking how I could be pro PC and
believe in equal rights. Well I believe that Apple has its place in
this world's technological society just as the PC (as in
IBM/Compatible) does."
But I've never met a Mac user who said that Macs and PCs can and
eventually will have to, I believe, live side by side in this
world. (We CAN all just get along).
"I can't say why Mac users are so passionate, we just are. We
love our computers, most of us fear the day when we are forced by
our employers to use PCs. I leave this topic open to discussion of
all the readers(not that you aren't invited to comment on the other
aspects of this mislead individuals article). Perhaps we will all
gain a little insight.
***
"Snidely, my good friend. You don't listen do you? I remember
specifically telling you that Macs are fully compatible with PCs.
You were doubtful. I then said, allow me to paraphrase, 'The Mac IS
built from the ground up to be compatible with PCs. Does a computer
that not only read, writes, and formats PC disks, as well as use
emulations software, AND run seamlessly on a network with PCs sound
like incompatible to you?'
"How do you think we've all gotten along thus far. We're a
minority and have to deal with PCs all the time. I welcome equal
opportunity. Just tell that to the legions of PC users that think
that Apple is bankrupt and we should all join the 20th century(even
thought it's almost over, Y2K here I come)."
2. The company
You've all been brainwashed.
I'm not about to defend Microsoft on any of their business
moves, but Apple has been absolutely brilliant in blinding its
clientele to the competition.
You've all been bombarded by cries of "Think different!" and for
some reason Apple has been able to airbrush a computer green and
make you think that that's exactly what they're doing.
Imagine the office of the future, as Apple would have it: Row
upon row of desks, sitting on top of each one, a hideous green box,
each one with the same sized and shaped screen and keyboard. Each
one with the same hand-cramping mouse, each one with the same
capabilities, as designated for the user by the good people at
Apple Computer and Mass Conformity Inc.
When shopping for a PC, there is an endless array of choices for
you. A big one, a small one, a fast one, a light one, a big screen,
a big keyboard, a funny ergonomically designed keyboard, billions
upon billions of mice of different shapes, sizes, colour,
capabilities, etc.
***
"Oooh! This is going to be fun. What are you talking
about?!!??!? Mac users are known for knowing the competition better
than they know themselves. Is 'Think Different' really that bad.
Let diversity reign!! More on this in a moment.
"Yes, Apple made a blue computer. You, are colour blind. It's
beautiful. They also made computers that are purple, orange, dark
blue, red, and green (respectively, grape, tangerine, blueberry,
lime, and strawberry). Viva la difference!
"This is the philosophy of PC makers everywhere; 'This is the
way it is, you will use it, and you will like it.' Does that sound
nice to you?
"This is the philosophy of Apple; 'This is the way we made the
computer, it will adapt to you, and you're gonna love it.' Isn't
that nice? Apple doesn't want everyone to have an iMac. It's great
for many people, but not everyone. Some people are going to want
more power, a G3 tower, a Yosemite even. Of course the most wanted
computer would have to be the G3 PowerBook. This laptop is almost
as versatile as a minitower, except for size. I don't think anybody
relishes the idea of working with a tower and a 17-inch monitor on
a plane tray table, besides, they don't fold very well.
"Oh yes, I almost forgot. We've got lots of choices, have you
ever been through the Apple Spec database? It's huge! Apple was
actually criticised for giving too much choice. People thought it
was confusing. If you really want, you can get different
peripherals, they're not hard to find. There is a company that does
that kind of thing. Ever heard of MacAlly? Kensington maybe?"
There are more problems with the Mac that make it clear that it
is not the only computer that should be allowed to hum into the
next century, but I feel that I have already overwritten my
welcome.
If anyone can counter any of my points through rational,
intelligent argument, I would love to see that.
***
"I think I did a fairly good job. Would anybody care to
incorporate another idea?"
Snidely MacBash is a clinical psychiatrist from Austria who
deals with PC users that are suffering from Mac envy. Brad Harrison
does what you saw in the quotes. No, you don't understand. He does
it all the time :-)
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