Apple Macs

[muckshifter]

you need to get your facts correct ...

The Mac OS does not run Windows ... you're dual booting.


My PC cannot run Mac software ... I have no use for it anyway.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Cirianz: Yes, it can be a little confusing but basically when it comes to what we shall refer to as 'IBM based systems' then a 2.2Ghz AMD chip wil outperform an Intel 3Ghz chip.

It's not just the speed the clock runs at, it's to do with a whole lot of other factors, including cache, but basically comes down to how quickly a CPU will process data.

Unfortunately, most people 'not in the know' will see the clock speed as the be-all and end-all of how well a system performs.

In general, if you want a system to run Windows on, go AMD. Anything based on a 1.8Ghz chip and upwards will be fine. Try and go Socket 939 (64 Bit) if you can but you can pick up a perfectly good used Socket A system for a very reasonable price.

If you do buy a used socket A system, try and go for one with an XP3200 CPU, they were the best. They run at 2.2Ghz.

And as much memory as possible; biggest hard disk possible; at least an ATI 9600 or Nvidia 5700 video card with 128Mb RAM and a decent PSU (minimum 380W). That's all that comes to mind off the top of me head right now.

I agree linux is better than windows. The Mac OS will now run windows, try it the other way round... windows stuffs up like a christmas turkey, and
B R E A K S !

How G O O D is that?

I don't recommend that you windows fans try this one! Terrible seeing grown ups cry.....

Gordon Bennet mate, don't you ever give up?

Is that you I see up at Hyde Park on speakers corner every Sunday extolling the virtues of Apple Mac?

The lone voice in the wilderness......

Linux is best, full stop.

For those who want an easy life and don't have a massive bank balance, Windows will do.

Macs is for weirdos, geeks and people with more money than sense

Come to think of it, if you own a Mac, you may well own a Bang & Olufsen 'Hi-Fi'

 

[cirianz]

Thanks Flops That's exactly the sort of thing I need to know. At least I know now what questions to ask even if I don't know exactly what the answers mean, but in this instance I'm quite happy to take your word for it


As for the rest Although I'd like to try linux one day, so far I'm definitely mac all the way, but I had to PMSL at what you said
Since I don't have much in the way of money & don't know enough to qualify as a geek then I guess that just makes me a wierdo
But, then, we already knew that didn't we ROTFLMAO

 

[old men and gadgets]

<Gordon Bennet mate, don't you ever give up?

HA HA NOPE!!! (FW)

Is that you I see up at Hyde Park on speakers corner every Sunday extolling the virtues of Apple Mac?

The lone voice in the wilderness......

Linux is best, full stop.

For those who want an easy life and don't have a massive bank balance, Windows will do.

Macs is for weirdos, geeks and people with more money than sense

Come to think of it, if you own a Mac, you may well own a Bang & Olufsen 'Hi-Fi'>

and why should I ever want to give up. I'm neither a weirdo or a geek, I don't have an easy life or a big Bank balance.(you don't need a big Bank balance to own a Mac, by the way-this seems to be a mistake often aired by people who seem to think Mac cost more). I was just airing my points of view, the same as you have, only I'm not making any rude comments about others. It's just that Mac is always developing.... whereby windows seems to have reached a peak.... ok ok.... now we get, interestingly enough, Dual Core processors chucked at us from intel and AMD. Mac have been running these for 6 years (yes!) and only now have the windows run manufacturers switched on to this "new" system.
Just as other people compliment windows system's... I compliment the mac OS systems.(I'm not biased, as I also own a windows run product). Just a matter of preferential order...I prefer the Mac!
Oh, by the way, the biggest Game manufacturer is now including all its Games to run on Mac OS. The other manufacturers will, no doubt, follow suit.

Anyone check out the new ATI 512 Graphics card yet?

 

[floppybootstomp]

Hmm, seems like maybe I hit a nerve there

Always, but always, you compare Apple Mac OS to Windows.

Let me state something right now - I'm no big fan of Windows at all, all their OS's are so flawed it's a bit of a joke.

To reiterate: Linux is best, but we all know it ain't so user friendly.

In fact, only reason I still use a Windows OS is for Games, I started using a computer mainly for gaming and as yet both Linux and Apple don't cut the mustard.

Hopefully, this will change.

Cost? Pound for pound, processing power for processing power, Apple take the mickey and that's a fact.

Back in March I was seduced by an Apple product, the 30Gb Video Ipod, it cost me £190.00 (Usually costs £210.00) plus another fifty odd quid for decent headphones and docking station/speakers. It has no voice record function, no FM tuner and the software is complete rubbish. I feel I've been conned.

In It's favour, it handles superbly, looks great and sounds fantastic.

This is kinda offset by knowing the battery will die in about 15 months and it will cost me £80.00 at least to have it replaced unless somebody figures out a way to replace it myself, as enterprising folks have done with earlier I-Pods and the Nano models.

My experiences with the I-Pod kinda sum up Apple for me, yes, they're good, but they grab you by the nuts, take the mick and squeeze you for every last penny knowing/thinking you're hooked on style.

I should have bought a Creative Zen.

 

[crazylegs]

Tut Tut Tut Flopp's

With all the reviews on here of the zen a while back i would of thought you'd have got your self a Zen and not an I-pod....That damn DRM put me off and the guys and gals at creative got my money...It may not have the style of the i-pod but when its in your pocket who cares...And i bet mine sounds just as fantastic as yours....

After using it for some months now I'm so glad i went the other way to the other 90% of the population.... but buying the zen and not the ipod probably puts me in the wierd and Geeky category..... ..And no i wouldn't be offended.

The whole Apple thing will rage on for years to come..But the bubble will burst one day, when people finally wake up to the fact that they are being conned left right and centre for equipment that is made for looks alone...

How shallow our society is eh....

 

[cirianz]

I know my equipment is made for looks alone,

but I do have one question that has been bugging me for ages?

What is "The blue screen of death"?

I mean, I've only been using macs on a daily basis for 14 years & I've only personally owned 6 of those macs, a trivial amount to most members of this forum. so that's probably why I've never encountered it... but I have wondered just what it is?

Is that like when your computer freezes & you have to restart? Cos I have had that happen a couple of times! Once had to take the battery out of my daughter's lappy to get it to shut down & that was a real pain... took me about 3/4 of a minute so you can imagine I was p*ssed!

& my anti virus programs have picked up viruses in my email on my Lappy a couple of times. I always make sure I delete them... most of my friends use windows after all.
It must be awful to have a virus on your comp... friends have told me about all sorts of things... My mum once found 19 viruses, worms & trojans on her computer. I won't be smug though.. I have heard that someone did create a virus for the mac OSX system & it certainly pays to be on the alert now that there is one out there.

Oh!!! & I forgot... i did have to take my computer in for fixing/checking once... that time my son spilt a cup of tea over it!!!
Funny that though... I passed my old Black Mac on to my ex hubby a few months ago when I got My daughter's new lappy (& passed her old one down to my son) It's rather aincient (wont run anything later than OS 8.7) But there are such a lot of games etc that he can only play on that so I didn't want to chuck it. But it is on the old side, so I expect it'll probably break down one day.
That'll have to go to Magnum Mac for fixing though. Expensive I know, but none of the techies I know fix macs... no experience you see. There are some out there though... I'm sure there must be... I mean, if you mod then you would have to know how to fix it I'm sure... & there are people who mod Macs... I've met some on Trade me.

I do understand what you mean though crazylegs... I mean, if you can fix your own computer for free, or get someone else to do that for you, then forking out the extra for an Apple would definitely be a ridiculous waste of money. Such a total con.
Mind you... like I said... 14 years can hardly be considered a reasonable sample... I'm sure all my macs must be tottering on the verge of immenent collapse!

But they are so decorative... so I think I'll just stick with them for the time being


Edit: Oh! I just remembered... I did have to chuck one of the desktops once... It was so out of date it was ridiculous & I couldn't afford the desk space just to keep it for it's inherent physical aesthetics... &, as I said, the black mac went on to my ex. But the other four I still own & all still get regular use. Including the black laptop that i bought second-hand before my daughter was born 13 years ago. Doesn't do internet of course... but it's great for my boy to practice his typing skills on. He keeps a dream diary on it. Now that one must be bound to break down one day... has to be!

 

[muckshifter]

OH, I like this !!! ...

come on "boys" give the "girly" some stick ... this is tearable, I would not stand for it.

I don't care what it is cirianz ... I wan't you on my team no matter what.

 

[floppybootstomp]

crazylegs:

I know, I know......

And to think I championed the Creative Zen some time ago after listening to both.

Thing is, I needed some entertainment at short notice as I was going into hospital for (I thought) a couple of weeks. Turns out I was only in for 3 days but I digress.

When I spoke up for the Creative Players the 30Gb & 60Gb video I-Pods didn't exist. I saw one and had to have it. I have quite a few vids stored on there including all of the Pink Floyd live at Earls Court '94 Concert that was broadcast on TV some time ago.

Mind you, I see there are now Creative video/audio players as well. And it's likely they can be used as voice recorders; have a built in FM Tuner; will record from FM tuner and use two way software, unlike I-Tunes one-way capability.

Yep, you could say I wuz mugged, only thing in my favour is that it's nice to use and does actually sound and look superb, most peeps I show videos to on it are very impressed.

But, on video, batts only last about 80 minutes but in hospital I had a speaker station/docking pod/charger so I was ok to watch stuff without worying about battery life.

Also, for £70.00, I can buy an interface between my I-Pod and my Car stereo where I can take the cable from rear of stereo into, say, the glove compartment and then play all I-Pod contents on car stereo. And car player displays all I-Pod info. Now, that I like and I may well go for that and keep I-Pod just for car.

cirianz:

My goodness, I think I do detect just a hit of sarcasm creeping in there

To reiterate, I would not vigorously defend Windows against OSX but I would champion Linux over either. For a variety of reasons, not the least of those being cost.

I've used Apple Macs, they're Ok, but why pay extra for something that a Windows machine can do just as well, if not better?

As for viruses, as Windows is so much more common, the virus-writer a**eholes are obviously going to target Billy Boy's pride and joy rather than the minority of Apple users. Much like they don't target Linux so much.

And anyway, if you know what you're doing - like I do - you shouldn't suffer from viruses although I must admit even the most experienced users could come unstuck if they were to let their guard down momentarily. I haven't suffered a virus in five years now, by my reckoning and even then it was somebody unwittingly mailing me out a virus saying it was photos of her kids' birthday party.

Not really any excuse for catching a virus now unless you ultra noob or ultra stoopid.

Oh well, I've rabbitted on enough, I will confess that for every Apple Mac user there is it means Bill Gates isn't quite so rich but that's little consolation when you consider that the interest acrued on his personal fortune probably exceeds the sales of one million Windows CD's every day. Or something like that

My goodness, I did go on a bit there didn't I?

 

[cirianz]

OH, I like this !!! ...

come on "boys" give the "girly" some stick ... this is tearable, I would not stand for it.

I don't care what it is cirianz ... I wan't you on my team no matter what.

Mucks... from you that is the highest compliment

 

[cirianz]

crianz:

My goodness, I think I do detect just a hit of sarcasm creeping in there

To reiterate, I would not vigorously defend Windows against OSX but I would champion Linux over either. For a variety of reasons, not the least of those being cost.

I've used Apple Macs, they're Ok, but why pay extra for something that a Windows machine can do just as well, if not better?

As for viruses, as Windows is so much more common, the a**eholes are obviously going to target Bill Boy's pride and joy rather than the minority of Apple users. Much like they don't target Linux so much.

And anyway, if you know what you're doing - like I do - you shouldn't suffer from viruses although I must admit even the most experienced users could come unstuck if they were to let their guard down momentarily. I haven't suffered a virus in five years now, by my reckoning and even then it was somebody unwittingly mailing me out a virus saying it was photos of her kids' birthday party.

Not really any excuse for catching a virus now unless you ultra noob or ultra stoopid.

Oh well, I've rabbitted on enough, I will confess that for every Apple Mac user there is it means Bill Gates isn't quite so rich but that's little consolation when you consider that the interest acrued on his personal fortune probably exceeds the sales of one million Windows CD's every day. Or something like that

My goodness, I did go on a bit there didn't I?

Me... sarcastic... never (insert angelic smilie here)

& I' won't debate you about linux, as an operating system all I've ever heard is good. My ex husband teaches 3rd year comp sci at the varsity & while he has to teach all systems he will only ever use linux (on Mac hardware) for his personal use.

 

[crazylegs]

I don't care what it is cirianz ... I wan't you on my team no matter what.

What teams that then....


Just a little sarcasm there maybe....but i won't respond in that way, (you see it's not in my nature)..

And as for logevity for apple macs over pc,s my 486 SX25 is sitting under my desk whirring away as a hardware firewall as i type and is on more than it is off.

And Applemacs not breaking down, you want to see how many arrive each day at work for repair....Oh and yes they do look good when their nice and new but when they get to 2 years old and more the plastic starts Greying and fading and the dayglo white loses all its lustre, which then makes the unit look like something out of the eighties, The plastics also become quite brittle, and the handles on some G4's have completely snapped, nice if you like that sort of thing..

Only 6 in 14 years your obviously doing something right then..

 

[cirianz]

What teams that then....


Just a little sarcasm there maybe....but i won't respond in that way, (you see it's not in my nature)..

And as for logevity for apple macs over pc,s my 486 SX25 is sitting under my desk whirring away as a hardware firewall as i type and is on more than it is off.

And Applemacs not breaking down, you want to see how many arrive each day at work for repair....Oh and yes they do look good when their nice and new but when they get to 2 years old and more the plastic starts Greying and fading and the dayglo white loses all its lustre, which then makes the unit look like something out of the eighties, The plastics also become quite brittle, and the handles on some G4's have completely snapped, nice if you like that sort of thing..

Only 6 in 14 years your obviously doing something right then..

Compliment accepted.

Although I must admit I didn't think I did anything special in the care of my computers, nevertheless both G3's (both bought 2nd hand, the first one about 3-4 years ago, the second early this year, so I can't say for sure how long they've been in operation) & My G4 (the stated 2years old) have yet to experience any of the evils you list. And I must say, my daughter (13yo) has given both G3's very hard use in their time, despite her mother's nagging.

In actual fact I personally have never seen any of these effects anywhere... although I don't doubt your claim at all & am not questioning your veracity, it's just that it does seem difficult to match this appalling treatment of the product with a purchaser who keeps the thing purely for vanity purposes. maybe, in this situation at least, performance has outweighed appearance values for the owner?

I must ask though... do you really see that ridiculous "day-glo white" as so appealing? Always thought it was a rather silly colour to make a piece of electrical equipment myself... & I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but that is not sarcasm but simple truth... but each to his own I suppose.

Personally, however, it has always been performance rather than appearance that has appealed to me and fortunately, all that I have stated about the performance of my computers is literally true. However 'sarcastic' the tone of delivery might have been