I live in this neighborhood, and I can tell you now that this is where Microsoft will die and be buried.
First, there is a Best Buy store nearby. This is the heart of Orange County. There are currently 4 Apple Stores with 15 miles, and the demographics in this area of the county is very rich. Man, many private schools, most using Apple computers. Kids around here spend their days surfing, skate-boarding, biking, hiking, and they make movies of these activities which of course are edited on Apple computers.
The fact of the matter is that I left my job about a year ago voluntarily to sell used Apple computers. My business which I run out of my house alone has exploded, earning over 10 times my former corporate salary. Here is the point; over 90 percent of people who purchase these used macs from me are first time MAC USERS. These converts are fed up with Windows PCs. They hate Microsoft with passion.
So all I can is this; Come on down to Orange County Microsoft to die and be buried. Mission Viejo Police department will have to work overtime to maintain order on the opening day, I can see it all now. Yea right. I promise to take the picture of the opening day and post and send it to AppleInsider so you guys can see how stupid this Microsoft idea is.
When will all you guys get it? Ballmer has really been secretly working for Apple to destroy M$ ever since he took over! This is just more more example of what a genius he is.
Uh... I'll assume you meant to say, "This is just one more example of what a guru he is."
Hey, Mission Viejo is Burroughs (Unisys) territory. Of course, Bob Barton invented the B5000 in 1963 with the best OS ever, Burroughs MCP (first commercial VM, and still the best, security, first in high-level language - ALGOL - which leaves C in the dust, interrupts, multi processing/programming, etc, etc), which still runs very secure large-scale servers (and small stuff as well). Barton left Burroughs to become a university lecturer, where Alan Kay was one of his students and very influenced by the Burroughs OO approach to things. Kay then invented the window (not Windows), and other interesting GUI stuff at Xerox. Apple (Jobs) saw the potential and the rest is history.
Although Barton worked up the road at the Burroughs Pasadena plant, that was closed and the people moved to MV. So in a way it's "Welcome Home", except this is Microsoft, so....
I build my systems and Windows is all I have. I could go with a Linux based OS, but it's not the same in terms of driver support and stuff. Until Apple can accommodate me, and geeks like me, they can suck a lemon.
So what do you think? Am I a dying breed along with Microsoft? I dread the idea that some day, rather than learn about what makes a computer work and build their own, kids will learn to just throw money at a company and let them do it because self built machines won't have a viable solution for the OS.
In fact, some of the best father-son memories I have with my father were centered around building a computer the family can use, and learning all about that stuff.
So, to be clear, you only have Windows and you are on the Appleinsider forum with your PC reading all this ... for what purpose? I am not being critical, just curious.
So, to be clear, you only have Windows and you are on the Appleinsider forum with your PC reading all this ... for what purpose? I am not being critical, just curious.
Imagine what Microsoft could do if, instead of spending money on their failed ads and and pointless stores, they put it into R&D for their OS and software. But no, the OS is perfectly fine, it's the consumers that need convincing.
Yea, maybe Apple should make an ad pointing this out.
So, to be clear, you only have Windows and you are on the Appleinsider forum with your PC reading all this ... for what purpose? I am not being critical, just curious.
If you weren't being "critical" you wouldn't have asked the question.
I'm here because I'm a geek. I like reading the articles here, and the discussions just sort of suck me in most of the time. I don't hate Apple and like reading up on what's going on with them. What I do hate, however, is people who spread misinformation about things they know little to nothing about. That's what tends to get me commenting.
Is that alright with you? I mean, I know a lot of people would like to keep this a private club, where everyone thinks the same and says the same stuff over and over, but that's a little boring isn't it?
If you weren't being "critical" you wouldn't have asked the question.
I'm here because I'm a geek. I like reading the articles here, and the discussions just sort of suck me in most of the time. I don't hate Apple and like reading up on what's going on with them. What I do hate, however, is people who spread misinformation about things they know little to nothing about. That's what tends to get me commenting.
Is that alright with you? I mean, I know a lot of people would like to keep this a private club, where everyone thinks the same and says the same stuff over and over, but that's a little boring isn't it?
Trust me, there is no lack of diversity of opinion here. I was once a lot like you. I was an Apple skeptic. I hung out here to keep up with the other side and do a bit of mild trolling. At some point, I realized that all I did with my computer was high-level maintenance and surf Appleinsider. Needless to say, things changed and I have been a Mac user for some time now.
I do believe you are a part of a dying breed. There is just no good reason to build your own computer these days. It is no longer a good value proposition to do so and the quality and power you can get for less than $700 is staggering. The only reason left to do it these days is for the love of tech and hobbyism. Neither of those are utilitarian reasons. Most people are over the awe of having a computer just for the sake of it. Now they are starting to discover what they can actually do with it.
I suppose it is possible to order the parts and build your own car from scratch, but why do it? I believe that more and more Windows users are coming to the conclusion that most of the time spent on a PC involves doing PC stuff, while most of the time spent on a Mac involves doing stuff that has nothing to do with the computer.
Trust me, there is no lack of diversity of opinion here. I was once a lot like you. I was an Apple skeptic. I hung out here to keep up with the other side and do a bit of mild trolling. At some point, I realized that all I did with my computer was high-level maintenance and surf Appleinsider. Needless to say, things changed and I have been a Mac user for some time now.
I do believe you are a part of a dying breed. There is just no good reason to build your own computer these days. It is no longer a good value proposition to do so and the quality and power you can get for less than $700 is staggering. The only reason left to do it these days is for the love of tech and hobbyism. Neither of those are utilitarian reasons. Most people are over the awe of having a computer just for the sake of it. Now they are starting to discover what they can actually do with it.
I suppose it is possible to order the parts and build your own car from scratch, but why do it? I believe that more and more Windows users are coming to the conclusion that most of the time spent on a PC involves doing PC stuff, while most of the time spent on a Mac involves doing stuff that has nothing to do with the computer.
Sorry if this sounds a bit garbled. Allergy meds.
We'll always have tinkerers. There will always be an option to "build your own." I did that once upon a time and it was fun. Until I figured out that my career will have nothing to do with IT and that I could have been getting things done during all that tinkering time. It was never a real hobby for me, either. Plus, I'm no longer a big gamer. My philosophy is that tech is meant to be brutally simple yet effective. A computer is a useful and aesthetically pleasing appliance that is supposed to make tasks easy and effortless. It's not some evolving machine that needs maintenance and babysitting. You add RAM, peripherals and expand it as much as it will allow (in terms of a Mac, the ideal) and then you get rid of it via resale or giving it away or you keep it for other uses. In other words, it isn't something you need to keep opening up and customizing and rebuilding until it looks and sounds like a something from the Red Green show.
But yes, some people love the "process" - the act of learning about tech and mixing and matching and building. Nothing wrong with that. It just doesn't do the average user much good.
We'll always have tinkerers. There will always be an option to "build your own." I did that once upon a time and it was fun. Until I figured out that my career will have nothing to do with IT and that I could have been getting things done during all that tinkering time. Plus, I'm no longer a big gamer.
But yes, some people love the "process" - the act of learning about tech and mixing and matching and building.
I'm definitely a "tinkerer", and I don't think we're necessarily a dying breed. If anything, with the wide availability of computer parts on the cheap, and the current state of the economy, I think more and more people are giving the "build your own computer" thing a try if only to save a couple hundred bucks. Personally I love accumulating whatever computer parts I can - old and new - and putting them together to make working computers. It's just something I enjoy doing.
That said, I can definitely see the value and benefit in owning a Mac.
The only Mac I've ever owned was a PowerMac Dual G4 1.3Ghz, which I absolutely loved. I had to sell it this past December because I found myself unemployed and had a family to feed. I was able to get $400 for that thing, in spite of its age.
I've since found excellent employment, but still, for financial reasons, I've been using computers that I myself have built. I've also recently acquired a netbook for my portable computing needs. While they are completely adequate for what I need, they are not Macs.
My total Mac experience was completely different from that of any other personal computer I've ever owned. It was a breath of fresh air. Everything just seemed to work like I always thought a computer should. OS X was definitely more efficient and intuitive to me than Windows or even Linux (although I do think Linux has come a long way and continues to improve) and worked so harmoniously with the hardware. That PowerMac got me hooked on Macs.
My next desktop computer will be a Nvidia Mac Mini!
My example: for the price of 24" iMac, I've built mid-tower with all quality parts (including all-aluminium Lian Li case) that beats the crap out of iMac - hardware performance wise - in every single aspect... and I ended up with enough money for HP 6730b notebook.
That was back in March-April, I'd likely be able to do better today as prices in PC segment are going down much faster than in Mac segment.
And it really isn't hard to configure your own box - sites like Anandtech.com will give hardware recommendations few times a year for budget, midrange and high-end systems - and any shop will build it for you for free or with minimal charge, if you get parts from them.
I am absolutely sure box will do well for at least 5 years, as my previous boxes did. I rarely use any box for more than 3 years, but my wife "inherits" it after me as she is not a gamer and is less demanding, so every system I build is around for a long run. Right now she is happily using my 3 years old AMD 64 X2 system, and in 3 years she'll get my current C2Q. AMD system works beautifully with 3GB of RAM with Vista, and will do so with W7 for the next 3 years (if we upgrade it to W7 at all).
All parts have at least 3 years of warranty, some 5 and RAM comes with lifetime.
I don't know how you can say "it beats the crap out of iMac" when clearly it's the software that gives apple the advantage and you are still stuck on windows. If you enjoy building your own pc ... go for it, more power to you. I love and enjoy living in my house ... didn't build it tho'. I enjoy driving my car a lot ... didn't build it either. The point is ... both philosophies are o.k. .. pick whichever suits your personality best. There is no wrong answer.
However, I use both mac ( Tiger) and pc ( XP ) and two things jump out for me.
1. When I'm using the pc, it's work, really .. nothing is intuitive, easy and fun and it's not enjoyable at all ... but when I use my mac I'm always discovering something new and it's 3 years now ( maybe I'm just a slow learner, ha ha )
2. I'm constantly amazed at my pc friends when they watch me working on my iMac ... all I hear is " how did you just do that .. I can't do that on my pc."
The one thing I've noticed from reading these boards is that MOST PC'ers seem to be mostly into games ... maybe THAT has something to do with their love of building their own computer. Anyway, keep enjoying whatever your doing ... hopefully, one day we'll all just do what we do without badmouthing the "other side"
I can't wait to see all the beige boxes and 14" CRTs cluttering the guru bar. That image alone will bring me no end of laughter. No matter how they try to avoid it, that will be the defining image of the MS store.
I can't wait to see all the beige boxes and 14" CRTs cluttering the guru bar. That image alone will bring me no end of laughter. No matter how they try to avoid it, that will be the defining image of the MS store.
"Wait, you mean the tray that slides out is NOT a cup holder? Well feed me nails and call me 'Rusty'!"
The only reason left to do it these days is for the love of tech and hobbyism.
Don't forget overclocking!
See, what you're talking about with messing with PC stuff, I completely understand. I used to be this way when I was excited because I was learning something new every day. I learned a while back though to enjoy my hardware. Once I settled on stable clocks and temperatures (48+ hours dual orthos prime on an e6600 @ 3.6 ahthankyou) I really had nothing else to tinker with. I setup automatic disk defragging with Diskeeper (something I recomment to everyone, it moves the most used files to the front of the hdd) and I run CCleaner every few months or so to keep clutter down (simple as a right click on the recycle bin and select "Run CCleaner" from the popup menu.)
I do lots of stuff on my system, and had to do even more while I was in college. It never failed me. It never crashed half way through a paper, or lost my files randomly, or gave me a blue screen out of nowhere.
These days my technical stuff is done at work and I haven't had to open something like visual studio on my system at home in a while. Lately it's been used for games and recording TV.
Anyways, when I hear people talk about "using their mac" and not having to deal with computer stuff, it really sounds exactly like how I am with my computer.
I'm constantly amazed at my pc friends when they watch me working on my iMac ... all I hear is " how did you just do that .. I can't do that on my pc."
like 1 click to see all open apps at once( on a 3yr old OS)
like drag and drop graphics off the web into other apps
like seamless integration between all media files and apps
like the easiest movie app (iMovie 08) ever, although I still prefer iMovie 06 (tiger version), more options .. both free btw ( 06/ tiger .. 08 leopard) ... comes WITH computer.
like garageband .. the coolest app ever for creating your music.. again free with computer
like keynote, which, by all accounts from people who have used both, me included, knocks the socks off of powerpoint
like a built in iSight (web cam) in all iMacs and laptops
I don't know how you can say "it beats the crap out of iMac" when clearly it's the software that gives apple the advantage and you are still stuck on windows. If you enjoy building your own pc ... go for it, more power to you. I love and enjoy living in my house ... didn't build it tho'. I enjoy driving my car a lot ... didn't build it either. The point is ... both philosophies are o.k. .. pick whichever suits your personality best. There is no wrong answer.
However, I use both mac ( Tiger) and pc ( XP ) and two things jump out for me.
1. When I'm using the pc, it's work, really .. nothing is intuitive, easy and fun and it's not enjoyable at all ... but when I use my mac I'm always discovering something new and it's 3 years now ( maybe I'm just a slow learner, ha ha )
2. I'm constantly amazed at my pc friends when they watch me working on my iMac ... all I hear is " how did you just do that .. I can't do that on my pc."
The one thing I've noticed from reading these boards is that MOST PC'ers seem to be mostly into games ... maybe THAT has something to do with their love of building their own computer. Anyway, keep enjoying whatever your doing ... hopefully, one day we'll all just do what we do without badmouthing the "other side"
I'm not saying building a box is for everyone.
I'm just saying there is a lot of value in building a box, if you decide to do so (as an answer to a post stating there is no reason why would someone build a box nowadays). You can get much more powerful hardware for less money, while keeping the quality up there.
True, I am "stuck" on Windows, but I'm using software like Lightroom, Photoshop, Office... which I'd be using on Mac anyway. And while OSX is nicely optimized code, fine tuned OS can't cover for lack of 2 extra cores, 2x more RAM, better graphics, expandability... actually, Photoshop test performed on MacBook Pro running OSX and Vista has proven that on the same hardware performance difference is symbolic.
Thus my statement that my built box, for just a bit above half the price of 24" iMac, is better hardware wise in every aspect, and I see a lot of value there.
Comments
I live in this neighborhood, and I can tell you now that this is where Microsoft will die and be buried.
First, there is a Best Buy store nearby. This is the heart of Orange County. There are currently 4 Apple Stores with 15 miles, and the demographics in this area of the county is very rich. Man, many private schools, most using Apple computers. Kids around here spend their days surfing, skate-boarding, biking, hiking, and they make movies of these activities which of course are edited on Apple computers.
The fact of the matter is that I left my job about a year ago voluntarily to sell used Apple computers. My business which I run out of my house alone has exploded, earning over 10 times my former corporate salary. Here is the point; over 90 percent of people who purchase these used macs from me are first time MAC USERS. These converts are fed up with Windows PCs. They hate Microsoft with passion.
So all I can is this; Come on down to Orange County Microsoft to die and be buried. Mission Viejo Police department will have to work overtime to maintain order on the opening day, I can see it all now. Yea right. I promise to take the picture of the opening day and post and send it to AppleInsider so you guys can see how stupid this Microsoft idea is.
Looking forward to examining the autopsy photos.
When will all you guys get it? Ballmer has really been secretly working for Apple to destroy M$ ever since he took over! This is just more more example of what a genius he is.
Uh... I'll assume you meant to say, "This is just one more example of what a guru he is."
Although Barton worked up the road at the Burroughs Pasadena plant, that was closed and the people moved to MV. So in a way it's "Welcome Home", except this is Microsoft, so....
BUT WHAT ABOUT MEEEE?
I build my systems and Windows is all I have. I could go with a Linux based OS, but it's not the same in terms of driver support and stuff. Until Apple can accommodate me, and geeks like me, they can suck a lemon.
So what do you think? Am I a dying breed along with Microsoft? I dread the idea that some day, rather than learn about what makes a computer work and build their own, kids will learn to just throw money at a company and let them do it because self built machines won't have a viable solution for the OS.
In fact, some of the best father-son memories I have with my father were centered around building a computer the family can use, and learning all about that stuff.
So, to be clear, you only have Windows and you are on the Appleinsider forum with your PC reading all this ... for what purpose? I am not being critical, just curious.
So, to be clear, you only have Windows and you are on the Appleinsider forum with your PC reading all this ... for what purpose? I am not being critical, just curious.
Simple, it's called masochism.
Imagine what Microsoft could do if, instead of spending money on their failed ads and and pointless stores, they put it into R&D for their OS and software. But no, the OS is perfectly fine, it's the consumers that need convincing.
Yea, maybe Apple should make an ad pointing this out.
http://movies.apple.com/movies/us/ap...19_480x272.mov
Uh... I'll assume you meant to say, "This is just one more example of what a guru he is."
Ha ha ... I set that one up for you didn't I?
So, to be clear, you only have Windows and you are on the Appleinsider forum with your PC reading all this ... for what purpose? I am not being critical, just curious.
If you weren't being "critical" you wouldn't have asked the question.
I'm here because I'm a geek. I like reading the articles here, and the discussions just sort of suck me in most of the time. I don't hate Apple and like reading up on what's going on with them. What I do hate, however, is people who spread misinformation about things they know little to nothing about. That's what tends to get me commenting.
Is that alright with you? I mean, I know a lot of people would like to keep this a private club, where everyone thinks the same and says the same stuff over and over, but that's a little boring isn't it?
Suddenly I can't seem to get the odd couple theme music out of my head...
I would say the Adam's Family theme.
If you weren't being "critical" you wouldn't have asked the question.
I'm here because I'm a geek. I like reading the articles here, and the discussions just sort of suck me in most of the time. I don't hate Apple and like reading up on what's going on with them. What I do hate, however, is people who spread misinformation about things they know little to nothing about. That's what tends to get me commenting.
Is that alright with you? I mean, I know a lot of people would like to keep this a private club, where everyone thinks the same and says the same stuff over and over, but that's a little boring isn't it?
Trust me, there is no lack of diversity of opinion here. I was once a lot like you. I was an Apple skeptic. I hung out here to keep up with the other side and do a bit of mild trolling. At some point, I realized that all I did with my computer was high-level maintenance and surf Appleinsider. Needless to say, things changed and I have been a Mac user for some time now.
I do believe you are a part of a dying breed. There is just no good reason to build your own computer these days. It is no longer a good value proposition to do so and the quality and power you can get for less than $700 is staggering. The only reason left to do it these days is for the love of tech and hobbyism. Neither of those are utilitarian reasons. Most people are over the awe of having a computer just for the sake of it. Now they are starting to discover what they can actually do with it.
I suppose it is possible to order the parts and build your own car from scratch, but why do it? I believe that more and more Windows users are coming to the conclusion that most of the time spent on a PC involves doing PC stuff, while most of the time spent on a Mac involves doing stuff that has nothing to do with the computer.
Sorry if this sounds a bit garbled. Allergy meds.
Trust me, there is no lack of diversity of opinion here. I was once a lot like you. I was an Apple skeptic. I hung out here to keep up with the other side and do a bit of mild trolling. At some point, I realized that all I did with my computer was high-level maintenance and surf Appleinsider. Needless to say, things changed and I have been a Mac user for some time now.
I do believe you are a part of a dying breed. There is just no good reason to build your own computer these days. It is no longer a good value proposition to do so and the quality and power you can get for less than $700 is staggering. The only reason left to do it these days is for the love of tech and hobbyism. Neither of those are utilitarian reasons. Most people are over the awe of having a computer just for the sake of it. Now they are starting to discover what they can actually do with it.
I suppose it is possible to order the parts and build your own car from scratch, but why do it? I believe that more and more Windows users are coming to the conclusion that most of the time spent on a PC involves doing PC stuff, while most of the time spent on a Mac involves doing stuff that has nothing to do with the computer.
Sorry if this sounds a bit garbled. Allergy meds.
We'll always have tinkerers. There will always be an option to "build your own." I did that once upon a time and it was fun. Until I figured out that my career will have nothing to do with IT and that I could have been getting things done during all that tinkering time. It was never a real hobby for me, either. Plus, I'm no longer a big gamer. My philosophy is that tech is meant to be brutally simple yet effective. A computer is a useful and aesthetically pleasing appliance that is supposed to make tasks easy and effortless. It's not some evolving machine that needs maintenance and babysitting. You add RAM, peripherals and expand it as much as it will allow (in terms of a Mac, the ideal) and then you get rid of it via resale or giving it away or you keep it for other uses. In other words, it isn't something you need to keep opening up and customizing and rebuilding until it looks and sounds like a something from the Red Green show.
But yes, some people love the "process" - the act of learning about tech and mixing and matching and building. Nothing wrong with that. It just doesn't do the average user much good.
We'll always have tinkerers. There will always be an option to "build your own." I did that once upon a time and it was fun. Until I figured out that my career will have nothing to do with IT and that I could have been getting things done during all that tinkering time. Plus, I'm no longer a big gamer.
But yes, some people love the "process" - the act of learning about tech and mixing and matching and building.
I'm definitely a "tinkerer", and I don't think we're necessarily a dying breed. If anything, with the wide availability of computer parts on the cheap, and the current state of the economy, I think more and more people are giving the "build your own computer" thing a try if only to save a couple hundred bucks. Personally I love accumulating whatever computer parts I can - old and new - and putting them together to make working computers. It's just something I enjoy doing.
That said, I can definitely see the value and benefit in owning a Mac.
The only Mac I've ever owned was a PowerMac Dual G4 1.3Ghz, which I absolutely loved. I had to sell it this past December because I found myself unemployed and had a family to feed. I was able to get $400 for that thing, in spite of its age.
I've since found excellent employment, but still, for financial reasons, I've been using computers that I myself have built. I've also recently acquired a netbook for my portable computing needs. While they are completely adequate for what I need, they are not Macs.
My total Mac experience was completely different from that of any other personal computer I've ever owned. It was a breath of fresh air. Everything just seemed to work like I always thought a computer should. OS X was definitely more efficient and intuitive to me than Windows or even Linux (although I do think Linux has come a long way and continues to improve) and worked so harmoniously with the hardware. That PowerMac got me hooked on Macs.
My next desktop computer will be a Nvidia Mac Mini!
Not really.
My example: for the price of 24" iMac, I've built mid-tower with all quality parts (including all-aluminium Lian Li case) that beats the crap out of iMac - hardware performance wise - in every single aspect... and I ended up with enough money for HP 6730b notebook.
That was back in March-April, I'd likely be able to do better today as prices in PC segment are going down much faster than in Mac segment.
And it really isn't hard to configure your own box - sites like Anandtech.com will give hardware recommendations few times a year for budget, midrange and high-end systems - and any shop will build it for you for free or with minimal charge, if you get parts from them.
I am absolutely sure box will do well for at least 5 years, as my previous boxes did. I rarely use any box for more than 3 years, but my wife "inherits" it after me as she is not a gamer and is less demanding, so every system I build is around for a long run. Right now she is happily using my 3 years old AMD 64 X2 system, and in 3 years she'll get my current C2Q. AMD system works beautifully with 3GB of RAM with Vista, and will do so with W7 for the next 3 years (if we upgrade it to W7 at all).
All parts have at least 3 years of warranty, some 5 and RAM comes with lifetime.
I don't know how you can say "it beats the crap out of iMac" when clearly it's the software that gives apple the advantage and you are still stuck on windows. If you enjoy building your own pc ... go for it, more power to you. I love and enjoy living in my house ... didn't build it tho'. I enjoy driving my car a lot ... didn't build it either. The point is ... both philosophies are o.k. .. pick whichever suits your personality best. There is no wrong answer.
However, I use both mac ( Tiger) and pc ( XP ) and two things jump out for me.
1. When I'm using the pc, it's work, really .. nothing is intuitive, easy and fun and it's not enjoyable at all ... but when I use my mac I'm always discovering something new and it's 3 years now ( maybe I'm just a slow learner, ha ha )
2. I'm constantly amazed at my pc friends when they watch me working on my iMac ... all I hear is " how did you just do that .. I can't do that on my pc."
The one thing I've noticed from reading these boards is that MOST PC'ers seem to be mostly into games ... maybe THAT has something to do with their love of building their own computer. Anyway, keep enjoying whatever your doing ... hopefully, one day we'll all just do what we do without badmouthing the "other side"
?Well it looked an Apple store!?
I can't wait to see all the beige boxes and 14" CRTs cluttering the guru bar. That image alone will bring me no end of laughter. No matter how they try to avoid it, that will be the defining image of the MS store.
"Wait, you mean the tray that slides out is NOT a cup holder? Well feed me nails and call me 'Rusty'!"
The only reason left to do it these days is for the love of tech and hobbyism.
Don't forget overclocking!
See, what you're talking about with messing with PC stuff, I completely understand. I used to be this way when I was excited because I was learning something new every day. I learned a while back though to enjoy my hardware. Once I settled on stable clocks and temperatures (48+ hours dual orthos prime on an e6600 @ 3.6 ahthankyou) I really had nothing else to tinker with. I setup automatic disk defragging with Diskeeper (something I recomment to everyone, it moves the most used files to the front of the hdd) and I run CCleaner every few months or so to keep clutter down (simple as a right click on the recycle bin and select "Run CCleaner" from the popup menu.)
I do lots of stuff on my system, and had to do even more while I was in college. It never failed me. It never crashed half way through a paper, or lost my files randomly, or gave me a blue screen out of nowhere.
These days my technical stuff is done at work and I haven't had to open something like visual studio on my system at home in a while. Lately it's been used for games and recording TV.
Anyways, when I hear people talk about "using their mac" and not having to deal with computer stuff, it really sounds exactly like how I am with my computer.
I'm constantly amazed at my pc friends when they watch me working on my iMac ... all I hear is " how did you just do that .. I can't do that on my pc."
like what?
like what?
like 1 click to see all open apps at once( on a 3yr old OS)
like drag and drop graphics off the web into other apps
like seamless integration between all media files and apps
like the easiest movie app (iMovie 08) ever, although I still prefer iMovie 06 (tiger version), more options .. both free btw ( 06/ tiger .. 08 leopard) ... comes WITH computer.
like garageband .. the coolest app ever for creating your music.. again free with computer
like keynote, which, by all accounts from people who have used both, me included, knocks the socks off of powerpoint
like a built in iSight (web cam) in all iMacs and laptops
need more ???
I don't know how you can say "it beats the crap out of iMac" when clearly it's the software that gives apple the advantage and you are still stuck on windows. If you enjoy building your own pc ... go for it, more power to you. I love and enjoy living in my house ... didn't build it tho'. I enjoy driving my car a lot ... didn't build it either. The point is ... both philosophies are o.k. .. pick whichever suits your personality best. There is no wrong answer.
However, I use both mac ( Tiger) and pc ( XP ) and two things jump out for me.
1. When I'm using the pc, it's work, really .. nothing is intuitive, easy and fun and it's not enjoyable at all ... but when I use my mac I'm always discovering something new and it's 3 years now ( maybe I'm just a slow learner, ha ha )
2. I'm constantly amazed at my pc friends when they watch me working on my iMac ... all I hear is " how did you just do that .. I can't do that on my pc."
The one thing I've noticed from reading these boards is that MOST PC'ers seem to be mostly into games ... maybe THAT has something to do with their love of building their own computer. Anyway, keep enjoying whatever your doing ... hopefully, one day we'll all just do what we do without badmouthing the "other side"
I'm not saying building a box is for everyone.
I'm just saying there is a lot of value in building a box, if you decide to do so (as an answer to a post stating there is no reason why would someone build a box nowadays). You can get much more powerful hardware for less money, while keeping the quality up there.
True, I am "stuck" on Windows, but I'm using software like Lightroom, Photoshop, Office... which I'd be using on Mac anyway. And while OSX is nicely optimized code, fine tuned OS can't cover for lack of 2 extra cores, 2x more RAM, better graphics, expandability... actually, Photoshop test performed on MacBook Pro running OSX and Vista has proven that on the same hardware performance difference is symbolic.
Thus my statement that my built box, for just a bit above half the price of 24" iMac, is better hardware wise in every aspect, and I see a lot of value there.