<p>MagSafe? It connects the power cord to your computer with a magnet. That’s…nice, but why is it brilliant? I can count on one hand the number of times that I’ve tripped over my computer cord. I really don’t think Dell and HP are shooting themselves in the foot over putting a magnet in their cord.</p>
<p>Apple computers are great. I use them both - my personal computer is a Windows-machine but a lot of the computers I work on at school are Macs. My university is definitely a Mac culture - I’d say anywhere between 80-90% of the people here (undergrads, grads, faculty) use Macs. I have noticed that the students in the business school and the engineering school tend to use Windows more heavily (a lot of the b-school students have Lenovos).</p>
<p>Apple machines last longer and I do like some of the programs - I like Mail, iCal, iTunes (which of course you can use on Windows). I also prefer Apple’s other consumer products - I have an iPhone 4 and an old iPod (that I don’t use anymore because of my iPhone 4). They’re as good-looking as they are functional. They are overpriced, though, no mistake about that, but if you can afford it, why not? Same reason why people will pay more for a BMW, as pointed out. They’re nice things to have.</p>
<p>I also agree that Word is more difficult to use on a Mac than in Windows, but again, personal preference. And if the price of an 11-inch Macbook Air drops any time soon I am totally buying it; I’d use it to replace my netbook. Better battery life, better construction, bigger keypad and screen, but the same portability.</p>
<p>But I don’t think Windows users are any more intelligent or buy computers for show less than Apple users. There’s a reason why people will pay what they do for a Dell Adamo, for example. Or those people who run out on Black Friday to get a “deal” on a $200 POS computer from Best Buy.</p>
<p>you got lucky those few times you tripped over your cord. if you catch it right, it will break the end off of the cord, or worse, damage your PSU. Either of these costs a decent amount to replace.</p>
<p>mac’s are alright for the people who really dont understand computers, or think they look cool using one. linux ftw 8-)</p>
<p>I wouldn’t exactly say that about all mac users. Yesterday I saw a 60 minute show on Mark Z and Facebook. He has like 200 engineers straight out of MIT, Harvard, and Stanford churning out code and programs on their mac computers.
Yes, there are a bunch of people who don’t know anything about their mac. But don’t be hating on everyone who uses one.</p>
<p>I use PC btw but I’m trying to be unbiased. >_></p>
<p>Well, I am getting a Mac before I go to college but it’s really because I have a very pro-Mac family. My dad has been a fan of them since the 80s, so there has never been a Windows computer in my house.</p>
<p>I have definitely noticed a switch to Mac over the past 4 years. I would say in my freshman year, maybe 1/3 of people had Macs. Now, I would say at least 1/2 to 3/4 of people have Macs in my classes (probably closer to 3/4). It’s also over this time span that Windows PCs have gone way down in price as well (my laptop 4 years ago was close to the cheapest you could buy and it was $990). Now, a Windows PC that does what most college students use them for is $500 ( and this is probably true for 99% of students who aren’t CS-majors/engineers).</p>
<p>Someone asks a reasonable question, and the stupid Mac/OS X vrs. PC/Windows starts up within a few posts. <em>sigh</em></p>
<p>My current laptop is a 15 inch MBP 5,2. I’ve had 0 problems with it since I got it last May, which has been a nice improvement over all my old computers (my old desktop with XP has/had major stability issues. Driver conflicts, minor hardware problems (a 5% overclock shouldn’t be enough to start crashing a computer after 5 minutes of a Prime95 torture test), etc. my old Macbook was one of the first gen ones, and it had hardware problems galore. Luckily, it hasn’t had a major hardware failure since the Applecare plan ran out, so it lasted me pretty well.</p>
<p>I don’t use OS X as my main OS because I’m technically illiterate. I use it because (in my own personal experience) it’s been more stable than Windows, because it tends to be less likely to be incompatible with common software than even the most popular Linux distros, because I know bash and like having it in my terminal, and because for my purposes and preferences it looks and feels nicer than either Windows or Linux. Yes, I could customize whichever distro I wanted to look and feel like OS X, but that’s a bigger time investment and a bigger source of frustration than I care for.</p>
<p>For the record, I dual boot Windows 7 and OS X (Windows for games) on my MBP, and the old Macbook is now running as a mini Linux based server.</p>
<p>As someone with both a PC and a Mac, I’d have to say each has its ups and downs, like all things.</p>
<p>Let me just say customer service with my Apple products is unrivaled. Of course, they can do this because they charge more instead of only earning razor thin profit margins. Apple is a LUXURY brand, not just a technology company. My Macbook is 6 years old as of right now, and I’ve had the battery replaced, on Apple, twice and still going strong. Every time something happens to my computer, Apple is always happy to help me fix it and get me what I need. My $1000 investment has been well returned.</p>
<p>The computer that I built, with a PC based OS system, is great for using a lot of software that i don’t care to download the mac version. I built it primarily for utilizing graphics and multitasking, and it does a fantastic job. It currently is running windows 7, which is absolutely fantastic. I’d have to say my only complaint is I have to update my virus software every year, and thats 60 bucks or so, not bad.</p>
<p>So I must say there should be no ‘pc vs mac’ debate. Each brand of computer and each type of operating system is better suited for different people. It all depends on what type of investment you want and what you are using it for. Also it depends on your OS preference.</p>
<p>Hahaha. I go to De Anza College in Cupertino, where Apple headquarters are… and since Jobs went to De Anza and presented the mac there, every single teacher uses mac, and I’d say far more students use it than other schools. So I would agree, yes-- but I guess I don’t know what the percentages are like outside of my Cupertino-bubble.</p>