Apple v PC Cost Analysis: Software & Reliability
Stirring the pot
Friday, August 10, 2007 by Zoomba | Discussion: Internet
As Apple gains in popularity, and as nerds the world over grow tired of the same old arguments, the whole Mac v PC debate has grown kind of quiet in recent months. It's almost as if both camps have agreed to live in peace (or at least a cease-fire) with one another. Well, we can't let that happen! To help keep the bad blood flowing, Computerworld writer Scot Finnie has a two-part series on Mac v PC cost analysis. In the first part he talked solely about hardware. Today, he takes on the issue by looking at software and overall reliability.
Who comes out on top in part 2? Click the link below to read the full article and find out yourself. 
Surj
Reply #3 Friday, August 10, 2007 5:39 PM
Reply #3 Friday, August 10, 2007 5:39 PM
i find it hard to trust anything from a self confessed mac enthusiast. he makes a number of jabs at PC users, including gross generalizations. he's not comparing the two, he's trying to sell macs. look no further than his paragraph on software availability for the mac. its vague and misleading. it frankly doesn't matter how much "software is available" for it (especially when he does nothing to compare said software; internet browsers could be like comparing photoshop and paint), what matters is the accepted industry standards (of which none are exclusively for macs, and many totally unavailable).
sell macs on their high points for sure (quality, reliability, etc), not by stating misleading facts and blowing off important topics just because he doesn't feel they're important (security for example, what happens when that "one" gets through).
sell macs on their high points for sure (quality, reliability, etc), not by stating misleading facts and blowing off important topics just because he doesn't feel they're important (security for example, what happens when that "one" gets through).
jgbloyd
Reply #4 Friday, August 10, 2007 11:53 PM
Reply #4 Friday, August 10, 2007 11:53 PM
I like most of what the article said as well as the posts so far here. However, I don't buy into many of the common assumptions about reliability and security of the Mac platform. I've often seen Mac's not function properly (friend's computers), and I've maintained perfectly healthy PC's (my own). As for security, the typical argument pro Mac is that it is better to be caught with your pants down. No security is better than some.
Perhaps, I have just been plain lucky over the years with my PC's. They have been reliable machines and have had only one (known) infection total over the many years of home use. So trying to sell me a Mac based on assumptions about reliability and security is like trying to sell me a vacuum cleaner when I don't have any carpet.
Has anyone actually done a statistical analysis on reliability?
Perhaps, I have just been plain lucky over the years with my PC's. They have been reliable machines and have had only one (known) infection total over the many years of home use. So trying to sell me a Mac based on assumptions about reliability and security is like trying to sell me a vacuum cleaner when I don't have any carpet.
Has anyone actually done a statistical analysis on reliability?
Astyanax
Reply #5 Saturday, August 11, 2007 12:14 AM
Reply #5 Saturday, August 11, 2007 12:14 AM
Wonder what that guy who wrote the article has to say about this; http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,135589-pg,1/article.html
Pretty much makes his entire arguement a waste of time? Yes, yes it does.
Pretty much makes his entire arguement a waste of time? Yes, yes it does.
pepperammi
Reply #6 Sunday, August 12, 2007 8:13 AM
Reply #6 Sunday, August 12, 2007 8:13 AM
These things always seem to be coming from Apple enthusiasts, and at least half I bother to read always try desperately to sound impartial but fail miserably. Reverse wise I hardly ever see many PC user so aggressively trying to convince everyone should be using a mac... Strange. PC'rs seem, as noted, mostly just don't care - and are fed up with all this and the masses of what I also think is misinfomation. Instead PC'rs have to also put up with some of those few of the Linux crowd that behave similarly or just plain Microsoft haters because its cool.
Use what you like and shut up about it. Don't think it means you now have to go around making snide remarks and claims, and generally thinking you have to look down, anyone else who hasn't come to the same decision or choice. It's all about preference and what your using it for. I've tried them all several times over time and always come back to a simple windows setup myself.
If I was running a serious server I may consider Linux instead maybe, if all I wanted was to edit a few pictures/clips, bit of document editing and web surfing... I'd probably still stick to PC over Mac.
Have to say always make me laugh when I see Apple making a somewhat big thing about how you can run Windows on a Mac. Make me wonder why they would need to unless there's something laking in Macs... And further proves how versatile Windows is that you can run it on a mac. Just a though
Use what you like and shut up about it. Don't think it means you now have to go around making snide remarks and claims, and generally thinking you have to look down, anyone else who hasn't come to the same decision or choice. It's all about preference and what your using it for. I've tried them all several times over time and always come back to a simple windows setup myself.
If I was running a serious server I may consider Linux instead maybe, if all I wanted was to edit a few pictures/clips, bit of document editing and web surfing... I'd probably still stick to PC over Mac.
Have to say always make me laugh when I see Apple making a somewhat big thing about how you can run Windows on a Mac. Make me wonder why they would need to unless there's something laking in Macs... And further proves how versatile Windows is that you can run it on a mac. Just a though
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Reply #1 Friday, August 10, 2007 2:26 PM
I currently run Vista, XP, OSX and Ubuntu. Doesn't matter what's best. I'm using it anyway.
...and then there was peace on earth!