I have PCs and Macs. So I do know about both. I run several Macs all day seven days a week and have no issues. These range from a decade old iBook, still running perfectly and using the latest OS version of Leopard, MacBooks and an 8 Core Mac Pro with several TB of hard drives and many external drives. Shall I repeat ... no problems.
You've obviously never owned a MacBook Pro. I love mine but I don't know of many owners you haven't had to send theirs in for repair at some stage. It's like my Xbox 360 - it's so annoying when it breaks because, when it's away for repair, I realize how much I use it.
BTW, did you have many problems installing Leopard on your iBook? I recently installed Leopard on an old G4 and the amount of HDD space Leopard + iWork '09 ate up was frightening. I had to transfer all of the user data to an external HDD.
You've obviously never owned a MacBook Pro. I love mine but I don't know of many owners you haven't had to send theirs in for repair at some stage.
I've owned several MacBook Pros, and I have NEVER had to send in ANY of them for repairs. Your experience is not typical, and relying on the internet to gauge how reliable the machines are is a poor way to do it. I can guarantee you that for every person that complains about problems there are probably at least hundreds of others who have never had problems.
You've obviously never owned a MacBook Pro. I love mine but I don't know of many owners you haven't had to send theirs in for repair at some stage. It's like my Xbox 360 - it's so annoying when it breaks because, when it's away for repair, I realize how much I use it.
BTW, did you have many problems installing Leopard on your iBook? I recently installed Leopard on an old G4 and the amount of HDD space Leopard + iWork '09 ate up was frightening. I had to transfer all of the user data to an external HDD.
The iBook is an old G4 it has 512 MB RAM and a 40 GIG drive of which about 18 Gigs are free and no problem with Leopard install at all. I also have iLife and iWorks (I didn't bother with some apps such as Garage band or iDVD) on it but to be honest I use it as a web and mail machine as it is a wee bit slow by modern standards.
I have two MacBooks and both have been without problems. The latest (new as of last Christmas) is using the 24" LCD and gets taken all over the place during the day and plugged into the 24" every evening. I admit a friend had graphics card issues with his MacBook Pro a few years back. My only Apple product ever returned was the 23" Cinema display when they first came out and Apple had a replacement on my desk less than 48 hours later. I use the 30" versions now and they have been without fault.
p.s. using the term 'Obviously' is a wee bit risky absent knowing the facts
All of this integration actually confuses new Mac users instead of helping them. I work in an office of switchers and I was constantly being called over to help the user out of a Parallels jam.
Parallels isn't helping the user use Windows, it's helping the user use parts of Windows mixed in with OS X. So now the user isn't just using Windows or OS X, they are using this confusing, integrated combination of both which is just as difficult for them to learn as OS X alone.
We switched to VMWare Fusion where Windows is all contained in one window and I haven't had to help anyone with anything since.
Looking at the screenshots - those were my thoughts, too.
Not being snarky, but if you aren't interested in Macs wouldn't there be a Windows forum you'd be happier hanging out at? Reading "issues" forums is always going to be self selecting; the people with no problems tend to not be starting threads like "everything is working great". You'd see the same thing at an HP or Acer forum (maybe more so).
You have to wonder why he is always here don't you? lol ... How many real Mac users hang out all day on the HP or Acer forums i wonder?
Looking at the screenshots - those were my thoughts, too.
I had to stop my wife (a Mac and PC user but no expert) from using Coherence Mode as it confused the hell out of her. She can cope with the defined window in which XP is running ... just ... lol.
[ She needs XP only for accessing FL MLS as she is a Realtor otherwise we would not need XP. (Yes I know some MLS systems work on a Mac ... FL doesn't)]
when i see a month of no threads about Mac issues at forums.macrumors.com is when i think about switching to a Mac
no hard drive clicks, no slowing down SATA speeds, no imac screen issues out of warranty, no freeze ups due to faulty graphics chips, no mention of restoring iphones as new phones to solve simple problems. seems like a lot of people are having battery, GPS and app issues when upgrading to a new iphone OS or restoring from a backup
Most people will flock to forums seeking help though. It's common on PC forums as well. I really don't understand how you could make your decision based on a forum going a month without a post like that.
I run several Macs all day seven days a week and have no issues. These range from a decade old iBook, still running perfectly and using the latest OS version of Leopard, MacBooks and an 8 Core Mac Pro with several TB of hard drives and many external drives. Shall I repeat ... no problems.
I should point out I am very cruel to my Macs too. For example on a typical work day I can be capturing high definition video to a Firewire 800 external drive into Final Cut Pro while at the same time watching video clips in QT, converting video formats in Visual Hub, uploading to an FTP with Transmit (20 threads) and also downloading from another using Thoth (6 threads) and reading Mail (six accounts) and surfing the web in Safari and Firefox ... yes at the same time ... all the above at the same time. No freezes, no hangs no slow downs .... Oh I forgot Time Machine too.
The coin has two sides... you can replace every "Mac" and "OS X" word in your post to "PC" and "Windows" and the same would apply. Point is, there are plenty of PC users who very infrequently run into issues, like myself. What I love is, the same people here who berate Windows and PCs also admit they use Parellels to run Windows on their Macs... but they still insist they aren't Windows users.
To give an analogy, smokers who "quit" but still sneak one in every now and then are still smokers. Same deal.
Most people will flock to forums seeking help though. It's common on PC forums as well. I really don't understand how you could make your decision based on a forum going a month without a post like that.
I think he may be on retainer to write such things
The coin has two sides... you can replace every "Mac" and "OS X" word in your post to "PC" and "Windows" and the same would apply. Point is, there are plenty of PC users who very infrequently run into issues, like myself. What I love is, the same people here who berate Windows and PCs also admit they use Parellels to run Windows on their Macs... but they still insist they aren't Windows users.
To give an analogy, smokers who "quit" but still sneak one in every now and then are still smokers. Same deal.
I think there is a vast difference between being a full time Windows user and having to use it occasionally as you have no damn choice (such as MLS being locked to IE) or in my case to test developments in all OSs. Having said that I have no problem admitting I am a Windows user as well as a Mac user, hence I feel reasonably qualified to comment on both. I have used PCs since before Windows ... OH the sound of the first IBM PC floppy disk drive, I still hear it in my nightmares lol.
Now imagine if MS crippled access to Windows in Windows 7 the way Apple cripples iTunes access to Palm.
Although some anti-Mac/Pro-MS people might consider this "sweet revenge" or "just desserts" to Mac users, fact is Microsoft would never do this. That is because although Apple does not return the same courtesy to PC users (allowing OS X to be installed on PCs), Microsoft realizes it is wiser to allow its competitor (and users of its competitor's products) to run its softwares than not run them at all. This is why Microsoft allows Windows, Office, and Exchange (among others) to be run on Macs.
Although some anti-Mac/Pro-MS people might consider this "sweet revenge" or "just desserts" to Mac users, fact is Microsoft would never do this. That is because although Apple does not return the same courtesy to PC users (allowing OS X to be installed on PCs), Microsoft realizes it is wiser to allow its competitor (and users of its competitor's products) to run its software than run it at all. This is why MS allows Windows, Office, and Exchange (among others) to be run on Macs.
Strategic business practices 101.
Apples (no pun intended) and oranges. M$ don't make computers they make software to run on other manufacturer's computers. Apple make computers.
I think there is a vast difference between being a full time Windows user and having to use it occasionally as you have no damn choice (such as MLS being locked to IE) or in my case to test developments in all OSs. Having said that I have no problem admitting I am a Windows user as well as a Mac user, hence I feel reasonably qualified to comment on both. I have used PCs since before Windows ... OH the sound of the first IBM PC floppy disk drive, I still hear it in my nightmares lol.
Your words are true- the world is a Windows world by far, especially the business world, and in that sense, yes, many can't get around using Windows as many applications have compatibility issues. I was commenting more in regards to the casual user. I just built a new PC not long ago, and upgraded to Vista 64 (mainly so that I could receive the free Windows 7 upgrade, which I did), and while I foresee being a PC user in the years ahead, I do see myself purchasing a Mac down the road, most likely a MacBook Pro as a portable computing solution. I wouldn't think of dirtying any Mac with Windows- not that Windows is bad, its just that if (when) I spend the money to buy a Mac, I would want a Mac experience. For Windows, I have my trusty PC. Again, speaking from a casual viewpoint.
I tend to miss those 3.5" floppy sounds. Same with the modem (sigh).
I've owned a MBP for about 3 years now. It is my first Mac and I agonized over the decision to buy it. The agony was the fear that I would cripple myself and not have access to programs I needed in Windows. As a result, I purchased a program to help me use windows and the Mac, whichever I needed at the time.
You can probably guess the outcome. Like most new Mac users, I quickly found that the stability and usability of the Mac made it preferrable to the windows to use. I also found that anything I wanted to do in windows, I could just as easily do in Mac. Hence, when I discribe my Mac experience to windows only users, I tell them that both of them are just tools used to accomplish a task. I just prefer to use a hammer (Mac) to drive nails vice a rock (windows). I think i've personally converted several dozen windows users and i'll continue to do so as long as Apple upholds the quality they have shown me so far.
As far as Macs having issues... my MBP has been through multiple military deployments and the resulting work up training. In total, I conservatively estimate that I've drug it along through the desert for a total of about 10 months straight and exposed it to temperatures from -5 to 125 farenheit. Throughout this, it has continued to work flawlessly and my wife uses it every day for many hours to this day with no problems.
Do some owners have isses with Mac hardware? Certainly! But I think that comparing Apple verses other major hardware manufacturers, one will see that Macs tend to be of a higher quality and last longer. This, coupled with OS stability, speed, neat features that aren't available to me on a windows computer and the relative inexpensiveness of Apple software has made a convert out of me for a long time to come.
Whether or not VM software is useful for conversion, I don't see how it couldn't be. It makes a transition from Windows to Mac 'possible' without having to re-invest in new software. After a time it's natural for someone to look for Mac specific software, but it gives them a cushion (both in comfort level and cost) to make the transition.
I actually tested both for my configuration. I use a virtual laptop image on my Mac (XP SP3). Everything worked fine in both Parallels and VMWare except for the IP Phone (USB base/Bluetooth headset, standard VOIP protocols). It wouldn't stream audio properly under Parallels. All hiccups, dropped sentences, and frustration.
Unfortunately I spend a lot of time on the phone so that was a deal breaker for me. I'm not interested in absolute cutting edge speed at the cost of reliability. I also like the industry standard for VMWare for virtual appliances. Images work regardless of the OS hosting the virtual machine.
For most home users, Parallels will be fine, but it's odd that folks are so focused on the performance bit. If someone has an app that is that performance oriented, I can't imagine they wouldn't simply reboot into Boot Camp anyway. For basic work, I just use things like Outlook, Office, and Admin Tools, all of which run pretty much the same between both.
Comments
most iphone users run Windows and will continue to do so
That's why there is a separate iPhone forum.
This forum is for Mac Applications.
I have PCs and Macs. So I do know about both. I run several Macs all day seven days a week and have no issues. These range from a decade old iBook, still running perfectly and using the latest OS version of Leopard, MacBooks and an 8 Core Mac Pro with several TB of hard drives and many external drives. Shall I repeat ... no problems.
You've obviously never owned a MacBook Pro. I love mine but I don't know of many owners you haven't had to send theirs in for repair at some stage. It's like my Xbox 360 - it's so annoying when it breaks because, when it's away for repair, I realize how much I use it.
BTW, did you have many problems installing Leopard on your iBook? I recently installed Leopard on an old G4 and the amount of HDD space Leopard + iWork '09 ate up was frightening. I had to transfer all of the user data to an external HDD.
You've obviously never owned a MacBook Pro. I love mine but I don't know of many owners you haven't had to send theirs in for repair at some stage.
I've owned several MacBook Pros, and I have NEVER had to send in ANY of them for repairs. Your experience is not typical, and relying on the internet to gauge how reliable the machines are is a poor way to do it. I can guarantee you that for every person that complains about problems there are probably at least hundreds of others who have never had problems.
You've obviously never owned a MacBook Pro. I love mine but I don't know of many owners you haven't had to send theirs in for repair at some stage. It's like my Xbox 360 - it's so annoying when it breaks because, when it's away for repair, I realize how much I use it.
BTW, did you have many problems installing Leopard on your iBook? I recently installed Leopard on an old G4 and the amount of HDD space Leopard + iWork '09 ate up was frightening. I had to transfer all of the user data to an external HDD.
The iBook is an old G4 it has 512 MB RAM and a 40 GIG drive of which about 18 Gigs are free and no problem with Leopard install at all. I also have iLife and iWorks (I didn't bother with some apps such as Garage band or iDVD) on it but to be honest I use it as a web and mail machine as it is a wee bit slow by modern standards.
I have two MacBooks and both have been without problems. The latest (new as of last Christmas) is using the 24" LCD and gets taken all over the place during the day and plugged into the 24" every evening. I admit a friend had graphics card issues with his MacBook Pro a few years back. My only Apple product ever returned was the 23" Cinema display when they first came out and Apple had a replacement on my desk less than 48 hours later. I use the 30" versions now and they have been without fault.
p.s. using the term 'Obviously' is a wee bit risky absent knowing the facts
Now imagine if MS crippled access to Windows in Windows 7 the way Apple cripples iTunes access to Palm.
It's access that Palm shouldn't have to iTunes. They have the XML files for that.
All of this integration actually confuses new Mac users instead of helping them. I work in an office of switchers and I was constantly being called over to help the user out of a Parallels jam.
Parallels isn't helping the user use Windows, it's helping the user use parts of Windows mixed in with OS X. So now the user isn't just using Windows or OS X, they are using this confusing, integrated combination of both which is just as difficult for them to learn as OS X alone.
We switched to VMWare Fusion where Windows is all contained in one window and I haven't had to help anyone with anything since.
Looking at the screenshots - those were my thoughts, too.
Not being snarky, but if you aren't interested in Macs wouldn't there be a Windows forum you'd be happier hanging out at? Reading "issues" forums is always going to be self selecting; the people with no problems tend to not be starting threads like "everything is working great". You'd see the same thing at an HP or Acer forum (maybe more so).
You have to wonder why he is always here don't you? lol ... How many real Mac users hang out all day on the HP or Acer forums i wonder?
Now imagine if MS crippled access to Windows in Windows 7 the way Apple cripples iTunes access to Palm.
You've tried to make this point before but it doesn't really fit
Looking at the screenshots - those were my thoughts, too.
I had to stop my wife (a Mac and PC user but no expert) from using Coherence Mode as it confused the hell out of her. She can cope with the defined window in which XP is running ... just ... lol.
[ She needs XP only for accessing FL MLS as she is a Realtor otherwise we would not need XP. (Yes I know some MLS systems work on a Mac ... FL doesn't)]
when i see a month of no threads about Mac issues at forums.macrumors.com is when i think about switching to a Mac
no hard drive clicks, no slowing down SATA speeds, no imac screen issues out of warranty, no freeze ups due to faulty graphics chips, no mention of restoring iphones as new phones to solve simple problems. seems like a lot of people are having battery, GPS and app issues when upgrading to a new iphone OS or restoring from a backup
Most people will flock to forums seeking help though. It's common on PC forums as well. I really don't understand how you could make your decision based on a forum going a month without a post like that.
I run several Macs all day seven days a week and have no issues. These range from a decade old iBook, still running perfectly and using the latest OS version of Leopard, MacBooks and an 8 Core Mac Pro with several TB of hard drives and many external drives. Shall I repeat ... no problems.
I should point out I am very cruel to my Macs too. For example on a typical work day I can be capturing high definition video to a Firewire 800 external drive into Final Cut Pro while at the same time watching video clips in QT, converting video formats in Visual Hub, uploading to an FTP with Transmit (20 threads) and also downloading from another using Thoth (6 threads) and reading Mail (six accounts) and surfing the web in Safari and Firefox ... yes at the same time ... all the above at the same time. No freezes, no hangs no slow downs .... Oh I forgot Time Machine too.
The coin has two sides... you can replace every "Mac" and "OS X" word in your post to "PC" and "Windows" and the same would apply. Point is, there are plenty of PC users who very infrequently run into issues, like myself. What I love is, the same people here who berate Windows and PCs also admit they use Parellels to run Windows on their Macs... but they still insist they aren't Windows users.
To give an analogy, smokers who "quit" but still sneak one in every now and then are still smokers. Same deal.
Most people will flock to forums seeking help though. It's common on PC forums as well. I really don't understand how you could make your decision based on a forum going a month without a post like that.
I think he may be on retainer to write such things
Just thought it might be nice if someone fixes that.
The coin has two sides... you can replace every "Mac" and "OS X" word in your post to "PC" and "Windows" and the same would apply. Point is, there are plenty of PC users who very infrequently run into issues, like myself. What I love is, the same people here who berate Windows and PCs also admit they use Parellels to run Windows on their Macs... but they still insist they aren't Windows users.
To give an analogy, smokers who "quit" but still sneak one in every now and then are still smokers. Same deal.
I think there is a vast difference between being a full time Windows user and having to use it occasionally as you have no damn choice (such as MLS being locked to IE) or in my case to test developments in all OSs. Having said that I have no problem admitting I am a Windows user as well as a Mac user, hence I feel reasonably qualified to comment on both. I have used PCs since before Windows ... OH the sound of the first IBM PC floppy disk drive, I still hear it in my nightmares lol.
You've tried to make this point before but it doesn't really fit
Please don't quote him, I have him muted and only suffer his trolling if quoted...
Now imagine if MS crippled access to Windows in Windows 7 the way Apple cripples iTunes access to Palm.
Although some anti-Mac/Pro-MS people might consider this "sweet revenge" or "just desserts" to Mac users, fact is Microsoft would never do this. That is because although Apple does not return the same courtesy to PC users (allowing OS X to be installed on PCs), Microsoft realizes it is wiser to allow its competitor (and users of its competitor's products) to run its softwares than not run them at all. This is why Microsoft allows Windows, Office, and Exchange (among others) to be run on Macs.
Strategic business practices 101.
Although some anti-Mac/Pro-MS people might consider this "sweet revenge" or "just desserts" to Mac users, fact is Microsoft would never do this. That is because although Apple does not return the same courtesy to PC users (allowing OS X to be installed on PCs), Microsoft realizes it is wiser to allow its competitor (and users of its competitor's products) to run its software than run it at all. This is why MS allows Windows, Office, and Exchange (among others) to be run on Macs.
Strategic business practices 101.
Apples (no pun intended) and oranges. M$ don't make computers they make software to run on other manufacturer's computers. Apple make computers.
I think there is a vast difference between being a full time Windows user and having to use it occasionally as you have no damn choice (such as MLS being locked to IE) or in my case to test developments in all OSs. Having said that I have no problem admitting I am a Windows user as well as a Mac user, hence I feel reasonably qualified to comment on both. I have used PCs since before Windows ... OH the sound of the first IBM PC floppy disk drive, I still hear it in my nightmares lol.
Your words are true- the world is a Windows world by far, especially the business world, and in that sense, yes, many can't get around using Windows as many applications have compatibility issues. I was commenting more in regards to the casual user. I just built a new PC not long ago, and upgraded to Vista 64 (mainly so that I could receive the free Windows 7 upgrade, which I did), and while I foresee being a PC user in the years ahead, I do see myself purchasing a Mac down the road, most likely a MacBook Pro as a portable computing solution. I wouldn't think of dirtying any Mac with Windows- not that Windows is bad, its just that if (when) I spend the money to buy a Mac, I would want a Mac experience. For Windows, I have my trusty PC. Again, speaking from a casual viewpoint.
I tend to miss those 3.5" floppy sounds.
You can probably guess the outcome. Like most new Mac users, I quickly found that the stability and usability of the Mac made it preferrable to the windows to use. I also found that anything I wanted to do in windows, I could just as easily do in Mac. Hence, when I discribe my Mac experience to windows only users, I tell them that both of them are just tools used to accomplish a task. I just prefer to use a hammer (Mac) to drive nails vice a rock (windows). I think i've personally converted several dozen windows users and i'll continue to do so as long as Apple upholds the quality they have shown me so far.
As far as Macs having issues... my MBP has been through multiple military deployments and the resulting work up training. In total, I conservatively estimate that I've drug it along through the desert for a total of about 10 months straight and exposed it to temperatures from -5 to 125 farenheit. Throughout this, it has continued to work flawlessly and my wife uses it every day for many hours to this day with no problems.
Do some owners have isses with Mac hardware? Certainly! But I think that comparing Apple verses other major hardware manufacturers, one will see that Macs tend to be of a higher quality and last longer. This, coupled with OS stability, speed, neat features that aren't available to me on a windows computer and the relative inexpensiveness of Apple software has made a convert out of me for a long time to come.
I actually tested both for my configuration. I use a virtual laptop image on my Mac (XP SP3). Everything worked fine in both Parallels and VMWare except for the IP Phone (USB base/Bluetooth headset, standard VOIP protocols). It wouldn't stream audio properly under Parallels. All hiccups, dropped sentences, and frustration.
Unfortunately I spend a lot of time on the phone so that was a deal breaker for me. I'm not interested in absolute cutting edge speed at the cost of reliability. I also like the industry standard for VMWare for virtual appliances. Images work regardless of the OS hosting the virtual machine.
For most home users, Parallels will be fine, but it's odd that folks are so focused on the performance bit. If someone has an app that is that performance oriented, I can't imagine they wouldn't simply reboot into Boot Camp anyway. For basic work, I just use things like Outlook, Office, and Admin Tools, all of which run pretty much the same between both.