Status update about me...

[White Tuna]

I can't justify it now, as ny office PC is only about 18 months old (Dell). However my next one will definitely be an Apple. I'nm tired of dealing with malware, viruses and spyware.Maybe this will be a real problem with Apple OS at some point, but right now it's not.

How do you know? They could be totally pwned and just nobody has identified it or released the info on it yet.

Apple's are good but I like controlling my own hardware. I know the advantage of the MAC is they control the hardware and the software but I really cannot justify buying a phone that I cannot change the battery on. I think Apple has hit it's peak and the trendsetters are looking for something else to hop on so they can look cool sitting at Starbuck's sipping their Frapachinos.

[marchone]

sitting at Starbuck's sipping their Frapachinos.

Starbucks selling trousers now?

[BigHaole]

How do you know? They could be totally pwned and just nobody has identified it or released the info on it yet.

Apple's are good but I like controlling my own hardware. I know the advantage of the MAC is they control the hardware and the software but I really cannot justify buying a phone that I cannot change the battery on. I think Apple has hit it's peak and the trendsetters are looking for something else to hop on so they can look cool sitting at Starbuck's sipping their Frapachinos.

I don't know, White Tuna. Last I heard, iPad 3 broke all sales records for a new piece of hardware. My company recently added support for iPhone and for a few Android phones. All the people who got iPhones love them. With the other phones, what started as love soon turned to a list of complaints. I do think Apple charges an outrageous premium for their products, compared to competitors, but the fact is, they deliver a very high quality, low defect, intuitive product that has, so far, delivered on it's promises. I don't see them falling off the top of the heap any time soon.

[OmegaCosmicMan]

I switched to Firefox (browser) many years ago, then took the plunge and tried Linux OS (it's free). Ubuntu runs just fine on my vintage 2006 Thinkpad T60, and it doesn't get viruses - don't even run an Antivirus program! (I'm on it now.) Desktops (multiboot, Win7, Ubuntu, WinXP and with Crossover, can run Windows applications under Ubuntu!) have all been built on quality premium components - Asus or Gigabyte motherboards, AMD processors or dual processors; Micron or Samsung RAM. But really the notebook has been so handy-turn it on, connects to wireless, check forum, webmail, weather etc, that the desktops just don't see much time on a day-to-day basis.

I had seriously considered Apple notebooks, but they are so pricey and most of the ones that friends or associates use, have had expensive and frequent breakdowns-They don't seem to have durability compared to a Thinkpad T-Series (I have had four or five used ones before this one). I am also starting to trial an HP Elitebook that seems to be working out well. It's MIL spec for dust, water, temp and very durable, but also expensive, but I've been fortunate enough to find an off-lease, barely used and well-cared for one at a very good price. These business-class machines are so much better than the run-of-the-mill consumer notebooks or laptops.

It's a whole 'nother world!


-just my two cents

[White Tuna]

I don't know, White Tuna. Last I heard, iPad 3 broke all sales records for a new piece of hardware. My company recently added support for iPhone and for a few Android phones. All the people who got iPhones love them. With the other phones, what started as love soon turned to a list of complaints. I do think Apple charges an outrageous premium for their products, compared to competitors, but the fact is, they deliver a very high quality, low defect, intuitive product that has, so far, delivered on it's promises. I don't see them falling off the top of the heap any time soon.

Weird thing is that Apple pre-dates Microsoft. The problem with Apple is that they wanted to control the hardware and the software. So in the mid-80's when I went to get a replacement mouse for my Apple it was $30. Yes, they have broken all sales records which I think will hurt them with the cool kids. The trendsetters want to be different and ahead and the cycle starts over.

I remember when Microsoft had to buy into Apple so that it would not go under leaving Microsoft open to even more monopoly claims. It is all cyclical, someday they will be the old thing like Sony, Microsoft and now it seems Google. I have an iPod nano and love the size, the interface is little whacked and the fact that I cannot just copy MP3's straight to it is a little .... like. If I find another Apple product I like I will buy it. But or my desktop I purchased a ASUS P6X58D Premium motherboard, 12 GB of DDR3 RAM and a mid-high level graphics card (at the time I built it) and shoved it all in a CM Storm Sniper Black case and never looked back. I run Windows 7 64 bit and have had no problems, I have Adobe Photoshop CS5 64 bit that I am sure is not as efficient as a MAC but with my RAM (Which I have never used more than 6.4 GB's of) and a separate 30GB SSD scratch drive for it I make do. All for less than $1,000 (Monitor and CS4 bring it over $1,000).

I still am not sure if I could get an Apple OS on my homebuilt machines but I have no problem with Windows. I played with Linux and it was cool but I got sick of messing with drivers.

On the other hand I have a friend that was in Federal sales for MS and now uses a MAC and loves it. To each his own I guess. :)

[OmegaCosmicMan]

In my opinion, if you have a couple hours of free time, download Ubuntu or Linux Mint, burn it on to a CD and try it as a 'live disk' (in other words, you boot off of the disk without installing it on your HD). That way, if there will be problems, you'll know if you want to go further or not. For me, it was totally hassle-free and pain-free when I put it on this Thinkpad T60 a liitle over two years ago - everything (and I mean everything - even the Thinkpad special buttons for lights sound, video, everything!) just worked. I run the GIMP, (Linux application comparable to Photoshop) on this T60, 3 GB Ram - Linux OS is so much more capable and efficient with memory and disk usage compared to Windows, (WindowsXP, XP64 bit (try to find drivers for that), Win 7 32-bit or Win 7 64-bit). With Ubuntu, the only thing that I have had to fuss with was when I tried it on the Elitebook last year, they didn't have the drivers for the Intel Sandy Bridge architecture (Graphics and CPU combined on same chip) quite sorted out - but a couple of months later, they did and it now works fine on that machine. I had more trouble with Windows 7 finding ancient ink-jet printers, and did you know, that some monitors aren't compatible with Windows 7 if you are using a KVM switch and two desktop machines? Aaarghh.

Apple and MAC OS are nice, but Linux and Apple OS are both shoots off of the Unix tree. And I love the beauty and functionality of many Apple products, but there are alternatives that won't hit so hard on the budget, and work just as well or better.

My two-point-five cents; -Apologize for the diversion, back to watches!

[White Tuna]

It really just comes down to a personal choice. Just like watches. :)

[marchone]

Yes, but the most you ever have to do with a mechanical watch is set it and/or wind it.

[OmegaCosmicMan]

It really just comes down to a personal choice. Just like watches. :)

-Yup. Agreed!

(But 'choices' and 'options' are wonderful - sometimes you just need to discern what your options are...)

[powerband]

I like to ride my Ducati to the local Starbucks and park it for six hours and surf on my Mac with a gazillion windows opened. Wearing my Rolex conspicuously. And not get anything meaningful accomplished. And sipping on my 1,000 calorie frap.

Just kidding about having that many windows open at once. Even a Mac can't do that.