So, what is the downside to a MAC?

Question

We are debating a MAC but I hear a lot of negative talk on Y!A.. so tell me what you think of them and WHY.. be specific please and thanks!

Answer 1

There are some interesting thoughts on the subject that I have seen. And for every argument there is a counterargument.

"there is more software for pc's than macs"
First off, unless you are a loser or have too much disposable income, why the hell do you care that there are 5000 calendar software programs for PC at Office Depot and only 3 for the Mac. Odds are, 4,999 of those PC ones will suck.
Think of it this way: There are more models of Ford cars to choose from than there are Mercedes Benz cars to choose from. Using the 'more is better' logic, one could argue that since there are more Fords to choose from, Fords are better cars than a Benz...which anyone with half a brain knows is a load of crap.

"A minumum amount of RAM"
Ok... so here is the argument from those who equate more ram with a larger e-penis. I can think of only a handful of programs out there that require a gig of ram to run. Most require much less. Odds are, it will be YEARS before the majority of programs even get close to requiring a gig of ram or more just to run. Fanboys who shove a crapload of ram into their machines thinking it makes them better computer people are the equivilant to guys who stick rolled up socks in the crotch of their jeans before going to to hit on women... it is unneccessary overcompensation that is not useful.
Most Macs come with a gig of ram standard. You can get up to 3 gigs in the iMacs, and up to 16 gigs in a Mac Pro if you really have to compensate for your small genitalia in real life with your RAM amount...

"Macs are more expensive"
Again, this is more of the 'you get what you pay for' argument. Any PC you get, you are still getting Windows... and a hodgepodge of parts that come from who knows where and were assembled by lord knows who. Macs... you always know what you are getting.
Or think of it like this: Try to build a computer with all the features of a Mac Pro on the Dell site, and you will see the Dell is more expensive. Try to build a computer that has all the features that an iMac has, including the software bundles and useability, and you will be hard pressed to find a PC that comes close.

"all programs are in windows."
Most computer programs of any value are made for both platforms. And most files that you have on a PC a Mac can read. Windows does not offer the same courtesy...
However, if you must use a windows only program, the new Macs give you the option of Parallels or Boot Camp so you can run Windows. It is nice to have that option. Windows machines don't give you that option...

"cant upgrade hardware alot"
Again, for those who have to prove the size of their e-penis by rushing out every two months and buying the absolute newest video card that will give them .00000056 more pixles per square foot in their WOW game... perhaps a Mac is not for them. Of course, perhaps getting laid isnt for them either, since they spend so much time in their parent's basement gaming and upgrading their computer instead of talking to members of the opposite sex.
If you are a person like that... fine. Stick with PC. Sit there and wait for Longhorn...er....Vista.... if and when it comes out you can rush out and upgrade from XP DLL hell to the new DLL hell. Everytime a new video card model comes out, rush out and buy it. Everytime you have to rebuild your hard drive because of a virus attack, be sure to upgrade your RAM and your motherboard.

For those of us with lives who don't need to compensate for the size of our wangs with the size of our video cards and ram.... for those of us who like to actually work on our computers and have them work well... for those of us who aren't living in our mommy's basement because we can't pay rent in our own apartment because we are saving up to purchase the lastest ADM processor...... for those of us in the real world, a Mac does the job of computing and does it well.

Answer 2

I switched to Mac a little over a year ago because I am going into graphic design. It's kind of a big jump when you're still on the Windows side of things because you feel so limited on a Mac. At least, that's how I felt. There seems to be less personal software for the Mac and more business geared software.

One disadvantage that doesn't affect me is gaming. Macs have very few games so far and that is a common complaint. Lock ups are another thing. You always hear Mac users bragging that they don't get the "blue screen of death" but it isn't uncommon for your mouse to turn into a spinning color wheel in the middle of doing something - at which point you must force out of whatever you're doing and potentially restart your computer. Computers are going to have problems and Macs aren't an exception but from my experience a lot of Mac users are elitists that fail to admit their hardware/software has any vulnerability whatsoever. The great thing is, however, the limited threat of spyware and viruses for Mac - but it must be realized that as the Mac community grows so will the risks of people programming viruses for it.

The best thing to happen in the past year is that Apple has found a way to bridge the gap between Windows and PC. By buying a Mac now you've also bought a PC now that the new Intel Core Duo processors are being put in the new Mac machines. Using Boot Camp or Parallels Desktop you can run Windows seamlessly on your Mac. Running Windows on a Mac was possible before but it was very slow and not nearly as integrated.

So, Mac is a great choice when buying a new desktop especially if you are looking for a machine to do work on. You can find the equivalent of any piece of Windows software, usually. You may find yourself left behind in a few cases because in reality the world still is running on Windows but with the new Macs you can join the Windows world too.

Answer 3

Macs are great machines... although there are indeed downsides.
First off, once you go mac, you are only able to purchase parts and upgrades through apple, which means proprietary pricing.

Macs are also very limited in software available, go to any store, the pc to mac ratio is 98% PC, 2% mac.

I have used a mac for many years and know all the market tricks and ploys about the trend of apple.

First off, sure they contract far less viruses, but only because 95% of computer users are using PC's and virus creators are trying to impact a great majority, so why write a virus for the minority.

Don't get me wrong, Macs are VERY solid machines, and are idiot proof, but I know for certain, that if you know what you are doing, a great PC with XP will run just as solid.
Not only this, but for the same amount of money spent on a new mac tower, you can build a custom PC that would run RINGS around it in every way.

People need to look past the slick styling and marketing hype to really see the truth.. although mac are still great machines.
.

Answer 4

It's not as popular - which means there's not as much software available. That doesn't mean there isn't ANY software available, but go to a store that sells lots of computer software and you'll see - there may be 1 aisle of computer software for Macs and 4 for windows.

They are also more expensive. Macs are only made by Apple and they are the only systems that can run the MacOS. That's why PCs are cheaper - hundreds if not thousands of companies make PCs and beyond the style of the casing, there's usually not THAT MUCH difference and they will all run Windows.

Answer 5

Becaus MACS are POS. Dont buy into the whole no virus thing. Just wait until the macs get more popular than there will be more viruses than a windows based pc.

The only difference is that mac is not ready for this type of attack. Its only a matter of time.

The only only only good thing about a mac is they were a bit better for graphic editing. But with the new DUO processor from intel, I think they PC machines will be alot better.

Go with anything intel DUO. Good Luck.

Answer 6

You hear a lot of negative talk from people who don't own a Macintosh. I have two Macs, myself, and I love them. This whole gaming issue... doesn't even exist anymore. All new Macs can dual-boot with Windows, so if you love to play PC games, you're fine. I play PC games on my Intel Mac, and they run better than they did on the PC it replaced. Lack of software? That's just not true. You can find Mac software for nearly any task. Sure, there's not as much software as there is for the PC, but the software that's available for Mac is much better than it's PC counterparts. I have yet to find a downside to owning a Macintosh. I switched two years ago, and I have yet to find anything that my Mac won't do... and I do a lot. I record music, make web pages, edit photos, play games, surf the web, send e-mails, browse RSS feeds and much more. Crashes? An application may crash from time to time (and it's usually Safari, while viewing a poorly made MySpace page), but the system never crashes. Macs are compatible with more file formats, right out of the box. Windows XP doesn't even support DVD playback out of the box without a third party DVD codec. A lot of people on Yahoo! Answers who post negative things about the Macintosh are people who's only experience with Mac have come from the old days, with OS 9 and earlier. Mac OS X is far more advanced than any other platform available. While using a Mac, you'll enjoy spellchecking, as you type. You'll have the ability to look up any text in the dictionary, with a few simple clicks. You can have Mac speak your text to you, in just about any application. Networking is a breeze. You have the Dashboard, which give you access to instant weather reports, local gasoline prices, language translation, yellow pages, address book contacts, stocks, news and thousands more. Even switching programs is breeze with Exposé, which, at the press of a button, lays out all your open program windows flat on the screen so you can easily choose which window you'd like to access. It's more impressive than it sounds, really. Viruses? I've heard of them, but I've never seen one. There may be a few, but they're not running wild like Windows viruses. You may hear people say it's due to the Mac's lack of users, but that's not true at all. I'll even include a link explaining that Mac's lack of vulnerability to viruses is due to it's UNIX underpinnings, not lack of users. I can tell you from personal experience... People have always criticized me for owning a Macintosh, but once they see all of the wonderful things it can do, they usually ask me where they can buy one. Seriously. After helping a friend make a DVD with a photo slideshow for his mother's birthday and seeing how easy it really was, the long time Mac-hating PC fan-boy said to me, "I think I'm going to buy a Mac, this is awesome." I could spend all day telling you why you'd love the Mac, but you really won't find out until you own one. Don't let these Mac-haters influence your decision, they don't know anything about Mac. Check out a local Mac store and try one out. I decided to buy mine after seeing it on display at a local BestBuy. I'm very glad I switched. Good luck!

Answer 7

macs are probably more user friendly, my college uses them alot. i know some schools do too for the class rooms so im' assuming its easier for certain tasks.

but what it really comes down to is our country is more used to and made for a normal PC. our games and programs that come out are made for pc's, mac versions come out much later, unless it has anything to do with ipods. its sort of like buying a car with a steering wheel on the right side, it can be done on american roads, but it feels weird.

the one positive thing about owning a mac; back when i had a roommate our apartment got broke into, they took my pc (which was kind of old didnt' have anything special about it) and they left his relatively new mac hehe. i guess they couldn't figure out where the actual PC box was and didn't want to lug around the monitor. kind of funny.

Answer 8

macs will outperform a PC. however there are many compatibility issues depending on what your doing. i use PC because most of the games i play are PC only. but there are a lot less boneheads making viruses for macs and not so many updates as windows. if your a musician or into video editing a mac will work better for you.

Answer 9

Negatives

Not as much software
Money
Cant upgrade hardware alot
Comes with a minum amount of RAM

Postives

Less spyware and viruses
Better for stealing music :)
More Stable

Answer 10

Apples always rot from the inside out. Even while remaining shiney and new on the outside!


Remember that.