Should I buy a MAC...???

[Nitetimes]

Nope, not facts, once again just one persons opinions.

I believe that, at the moment, Apple makes the best computers, and the best operating system... ....in my opinion. .....{fact}The Mac isn't invulnerable, but it has better built-in security than Windows, and such a small market share that virus and spyware writers haven't targeted it yet.{end fact}

And he lists as many reason to stay with Win as he does for buying a Mac.

[subtearanean]

Nope, not facts, once again just one persons opinions.

I believe that, at the moment, Apple makes the best computers, and the best operating system... ....in my opinion. .....{fact}The Mac isn't invulnerable, but it has better built-in security than Windows, and such a small market share that virus and spyware writers haven't targeted it yet.{end fact}

And he lists as many reason to stay with Win as he does for buying a Mac.

You sir are absolutely correct, he does give reasons for staying with the PC line.

A closer read will show that he is stating that currently Apple does a better consumer product than the PC side of the world does. If you want to game on a computer, get a PC. If you want to stay in good graces with your IT staff at your workplace, get a PC. (This is not to say that Macs do not belong in the workplace......but I'll get into one of those arguments if you'd like)

Read the article again with an open mind. What he is stating is that today the Mac lineup is overall possibly a better choice.

Mossberg is a fair reviewer of goods. I've seen him slant both ways, for good reasons. He's neither an Apple nor an MS shill.

[ssrjim]

Just a quick note of mention to all the MAC folks that say they are best due to viruses and stuff. There are viruses for the MAC - just not many. But, if MAC ever comes even remotely close to a 'share' of the market, then the hackers will consentrate on viruses for the MAC, just like they do for the Microshaft OSes! Just some food for thought. I guess my biggest thing against MACs (and I am NOT anti-MAC) is that everthing is proprietary and I just don't like that. It is the same (only worse because it includes the hardware) that Microshaft is. And that is why Microshaft is disliked by so many!

Just an opinion and not meant to anger anyone!

Name one Virus.

[subtearanean]

Just a quick note of mention to all the MAC folks that say they are best due to viruses and stuff. There are viruses for the MAC - just not many. But, if MAC ever comes even remotely close to a 'share' of the market, then the hackers will consentrate on viruses for the MAC, just like they do for the Microshaft OSes! Just some food for thought. I guess my biggest thing against MACs (and I am NOT anti-MAC) is that everthing is proprietary and I just don't like that. It is the same (only worse because it includes the hardware) that Microshaft is. And that is why Microshaft is disliked by so many!

Just an opinion and not meant to anger anyone!

Name one Virus.

Quick funny story:

Last year I was in the local Apple Store. A "switcher" was at the checkout counter, had a lovely Powerbook in hand. The Apple "consultant" was doing the final push for add ons........

"How about the .Mac account?" she asked. Guy asks "What does it give me?". She goes on listing the online web space, file backup storage, .Mac mail account, and a free anti-virus application for .Mac members.

The guy gets an expression on his face that was classic. Says "Didn't you just tell me there are no viruses for the Mac?". Apple "Consultant" starts to back pedal.

That's when I stepped in. I assured the guy that there were indeed no "Mac" viruses, but a Mac could forward a virus to a Windows machine either through a file transfer or an email message. He still looked a little confused, so I pulled him off to the side and explained that us Mac users really don't give a good GD about the Windows users.......if they want to give to us a virii that can't affect us we are more than happy to pass it back to them.

I eventually got more serious.....talked about Office macros (the only real threat to a Mac user) and the benefits of the .Mac account (excellent SPAM filters, the aforementioned backup scenarios, etc. I also recommended what I recommend to all of the Mac users I support: Keep daily local backups (run automatically by script) and don't run an antivirus application. And don't open anything that looks suspicious.

He bought the PB, the .Mac, a copy of DiskWarrior, and took my number after I assured him if he had any problems migrating from Win to Mac he could call me. I heard from him a couple of weeks later by email.....he had nothing but glowing things to say about the transition.

Anyway, fact is: There are no true threats to the current Mac OS at this time, nor have there been any since the intro of OS X. There were some on the OS 7 - 9 platform that would attack the OS, I think the number is under 80 total. The word on the street is this is because Macs are only 3% of the market share. What's the magic number before we become the target? 4%? 8%? 20%? C'mon.......do we really think we'll get 8% of the market, let alone 20%? What's more, do we need that kindof increase to survive?

That said, there are exploits that can be run through certain applications. Some of the most flagrant of these are Microsoft products. Caveat emptor. I myself run no Microsoft products on my personal computers, but that's just the hippie in me rebelling against the man.

One final thought: Used to be the hierarchy was (1) UNIX Gurus, (2) Microsoft Admins, and (3) Macintosh Users. In order of esteem, rates of pay. Mac, by going to OS X based on OpenBSD, leapfrogged the MS'ers and are now cohabitating with the true UNIX Geeks. (Well, OK, maybe not the payscale yet....) Ahhh...what irony.

[asianflava]

It was mentioned earlier:

Why write a virus that hits a small percentage of machines. If someone were to take the time to write malicious code, they would want the most bang for their buck. That's like running an ad in a local mullet wrapper vs. USA Today.

[subtearanean]

That's like running an ad in a local mullet wrapper vs. USA Today.

Did someone say "mullet"?

[toypusher]

Is that a self-portrait???

[subtearanean]

Is that a self-portrait???

Nope. Just a pic of my twin brother. Why do you ask?

[asianflava]

Nice hijack!:

There is a science involved with mullets http://www.mulletsgalore.com/

[subtearanean]

Nice hijack!:

Well, someone had to do it. Where were you in our time of need?

[GeorgeTelford]

Hi

Someone mentioned the hardware being proprietary, Apple are not a monopoloy, And OK the motherboard and Chip are set, but the board takes standard Memory sticks, standard drives, PCI Slots, Graphics cards, what can you change on a wintel that you cannot on a MAC?, the only difference that I see there is that you can change the Chip, but I dont know of any people that actually bother, when the time comes they upgrade the whole thing.

With Apple putting their machines togethor you do not get hardware conflicts, what you get with mac is a quality piece of hardware with no problems, You dont get that with Toshiba, Dell, Compaq etc Nearest equivilent I can think of with wintel is an IBM I had a thinkpad, now there was a quality pce of kit, mind you it cost more than a MAC, I have had hardware conflicts on bought wintel machines, I was a wintel user for 15 Years before I got a mac, Why did I get a Mac? at a place I was working at the owner bought in a new mac, connected up the network and proceeded to drag and drop the programs off his old machine, Microsft office dragged from old machine onto new and worked perfectly try that on any windows machine, he dragged all his files, folders and programs over and they all worked straight away, went to print a piece of work and the mac said a font was missing, so he dragged the font folder over and dropped it on the system file a message apeared " this file contains fonts do you want to add them to your fonts file" Job done all this by a man who had no idea with windows, no idea with networks. He just plugged stuff in and it worked on the Mac he didnt need to Know or understand it just did what he expected.

Think of a Mac next time you are installing software to get a camera on your wintel machine, on the mac just plug it in.

Reinstalled my Compaq Laptop and am now struggling to get the DVD burner working, it needs a seperate software! XP cant cope with running a burner.

My 8 yr old lad set up a mac from scratch including internet connection, that was with a trifold leaflet that showed how to switch the machine on after plugging everything in, it then proceeded on screen to guide him through to a fully set up machine, at one point he got disturbed and sat chatting to mum, after a minute of no activity it showed how to move the mouse to make a selection !!

My Three year old had the ancient Mac mentioned in the first story (the upgraded from machine) I left her playing an educational prog on there, all she called me in for was to show pictures, show what she had written, she was the trying other kiddy progs. Never had a moments trouble. My two elder lads had wintel, nothing but trouble viruses, blue screens (pre XP) crashes, lost work, homework hard to find (with windows saving stuff all over the place)

I persuaded my brother in law to try Mac, he as never looked back.
My sister was always on phone with PC probs, got her to switch, now she only calls to chat (ie other day to invite me over for christmas)
Other Brother now as a power mac and loves it.

The American schools that used to be mac and swapped the wrong way, I have seen several reports were the longterm costs have been really terrrible, increased technical staff to cope with all the wintel probs. One was written by a chap who used to be the only tech guy for the whole campus and now they have a team of 5 struggling to cope with the windows nightmare.

Try and find a report were having macs as caused problems

[bledsoe3]

Rocky, mulletsgalore? You've got too much time!

[Arne]

I'd like to changes the topic to:

SHOULD I BUILD A TEAR DROP TRAILER..?.

What this site really needs is a way to exlude topics once they have been run into the ground. Kind on Anti-sticky ability...

[toypusher]

I'd like to changes the topic to:

SHOULD I BUILD A TEAR DROP TRAILER..?.

What this site really needs is a way to exlude topics once they have been run into the ground. Kind on Anti-sticky ability...

AHMEN BROTHER! (Hope that's not too religious for anybody!)

[GeorgeTelford]

Why exclude?

This is the off topic area its here for any subject NOT relating to teardrops

If you are not interested in a particular subject why read it?

and even worse why comment in the thread if you are not interested?