Buying a New Computer

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I know! kids these days, huh?

You're both right.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d85p7JZXNy8[/youtube]

I have something to say...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibAbj7CIHCE[/youtube]

almost as interesting as this one:

Thanks for continuing with giving me some more tips and views on this. Eventually I'll make a decision. I have to sit and work on a Mac to really see if I like it. Doing this will help me make a final decision since it's a big change for me (I'm sure most of you can relate as fellow Aspies). I just did not get the chance with everything going on in my life. My Dad was hospitalized for a few days due to a heart attack. Thank goodness he's now out of the hospital and getting better.

Definitely do that. You are the one who's gonna use it at the end of the day.



Sorry to hear that, hope he'll get well soon.




Sounds fun though.
Mac is just crappy hardware with a lousy OS designed for dummies. It sucks without needing M$'s help.

Last edited by CloudWalker on 04 Nov 2009, 3:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I definitely dont like their default mice and keyboards.

Yeah, it's ergonomic design gone mad.

Explain the hardware. If you're saying that it's crappy hardware, well then your PC is just as crappy. It's all the same now. Prior to the Intel switch, PowerPC was an enormous leap ahead of the x86 architecture.

The OS is designed for ease of use. Believe it or not, people actually want to be productive with their computers, not just to have a fancy toy. An OS (and this applies to any OS) that is easy to use and is laid out logically, allows for faster learning and increased productivity. You don't have to get mucked up in the mechanics of how you want to do something, you can just go do it and make it look great.

All platforms appeal to certain groups of people. Not all operating systems are going to be best for all types of users.

You can use whatever keyboard or mouse you want to.

I know. Thats why I said 'default'.

In any case, the real apple benefit in my mind is the service/warranty and the ease of use. Since I am well past needing a system that is simple(and thus not flexible), and I am quite capable of doing my own repairs, Apple just isnt for me. I'll stick with linux.

PowerPC was rendered obsolete because neither Freescale (Motorola) nor IBM could keep up with Intel. Overall speed of PowerPC was better at launched but it improved at a much slower pace. By the time Apple switched, it wasn't competitive any more.


Just because it's PC components doesn't mean that Apple is giving you what you paid for. When you get stuffs that's inferior to what you should have got, I call that crappy hardware.

Let's take a look at one of the lastest iMac:
$1999
Intel i5 2.66GHz (750)
27" 2560x1440 IPS/LED LCD
4GB DDR3-1066
1TB HD
8x DVD
AMD 4850 512MB
802.11a/b/g/n

Let's see what HP is asking for a comparable config:
$1545
HP Pavilion Elite e9250t
Intel i5 750
27" HP 2709m LCD
6GB DDR3-1333
1TB HD
16x DVD with LightScribe
AMD 4850 1GB
Wireless-N NIC
* items in blue = better than Apple

And if you know how to build one yourself:
$2001
$60 NZXT BETA EVO Case
$110 Corsair 650TX Power Supply
$200 Intel i5 750
$140 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD3R
$800 Dell 2709W 27" LCD
$87 Corsair 2x2GB DDR3-1600
$110 Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
$34 LITE-ON iHAS424-98 24x DVD with LightScribe
$125 AMD 4850 1GB
$80 D-Link 802.11n PCI-E
$80 Logitech Wave Pro Keyboard & Mouse
$175 Windows 7 Ultimate OEM

All prices except that of the Dell monitor are taken from newegg for convience' sake.
Items in blue = better than Apple. That is almost everything.
Prices in green doesn't include shipping so it's slightly more expensive. If you want apple to apple comparison so to speak, downgrade any items in blue to Apple's level and you'll still get a much better machine. You should also be able to find better deals if you shop around.
And in case you are really into something in this price range, a AMD 5750 1GB is a no brainer. It only costs $20 more and is faster and supports DX11.

Define "inferior", anything that's not the absolute latest and greatest? Also important to ask oneself, does everyone care? Half the people who use computers think hard drive space is "memory". A good number of users simply want their systems to work.

If you want to piss around with your hardware, Apple is not (and never has been) the way to go. If you just want to buy a computer, to open it up maybe once, or even never, Apple is a choice to consider. Also consider the relationship between software and hardware. Are you using RAM-whoring software? What kind of resources does the OS take up?

I don't see how a Mac (or any platform for that matter) is inferior. It may not be the right choice for you, but it might be the perfect choice for someone else. Don't think that your computing needs apply to everyone.

I don't recall ever saying that my view is the only view. In fact, if you have read through this thread, you should have known that I've stated more than once whether OSX makes Apple worth its premium is a personal opinion.
Just as you are free to express your love of Apple and advocate people to buy it. I'm free to express my distaste towards Apple and advise people to stay away from it.


When one thing performs worse than another, it is inferior.


I don't see how does it matter even if it's true that Windows use more memory, since you can easily quadruple the amount of RAM with Apple's price tag.
And for the record, I don't think OSX is in any way more resources friendly than Windows, especially not in terms of memory usage.

Seeing that you like to ask people to define what they've said. Please define a real life scenario that can show OSX clearly using less resources than Windows to accomplish the same task.

No one's arguing it. Maybe it was just me but your attitude made it seem like no one should ever buy an Apple.


That's a little harsh. If a computer meets one's requirements, but is not as fast as the industry standard, does that make it "inferior"? If I was using a 100MHz computer with 32 MB of RAM to type up a letter, but everyone else was using dual core processors w/ 4 GB of RAM - does that mean my computer is inferior? I would think not, because it does the job just as well as any dual core computer to type a letter. IMO, a computer is only inferior when it cannot perform the tasks that you need to perform.


I wasn't hinting that OS X was better than Windows with RAM. What I meant was, unless your common workspace contains numerous resource-eating applications, RAM is not as big of a deal as it's made out to be. More resource-hungry programs are going to require beefier hardware.

You are mixing up the term 'inferior' with 'effective' or 'sufficient'. Inferior literally means lower in rank. A G4 mac is inferior to a G5.

The fact that the G5 is overkill for some task that a G4 is sufficient at is a moot point. Their ease of use is on parity, their power consumption is likely identical, and because hardware is decreasing in price, the G5 probably cost the same if not less.

The G5 has everything the G4 has and more. It is superior to the G4. Your use or neglect of its capabilities does not negate its numerical advantages.