When is a PC not a PC...

Beasty · 4 May 2010 at 10:43

I love macs and will probably get an imac next time I need to upgrade but I don't see myself as a fanboy, some people at work refuse to believe they are still just pcs using mostly the same parts and believe it's made out of superior quality metal and pcb and thus is just better than a windows pc and they don't know why.

nydryl · 4 May 2010 at 10:43

For me a mac is a pc as I use pc to mean personal computer.

I get around · 4 May 2010 at 10:59

I like macs, I'm buying an iMac soon seeing as my laptop is now a combination of laptop, ducktape and superglue. With 2 or 3 screws rattling about over the circuitry

But yeah it's basically a gorgeous PC running different software.

RadoX · 4 May 2010 at 11:07

i use a acorn is that a PC ?

I get around · 4 May 2010 at 11:14

Capn' $qu!ff said:
A PC = A good value Personal Computer

A Mac = A high Value Fasion Accessory

You can run pc apps on a mac, you can't run mac apps on a pc without major delay.

Macs generally perform better for music/ video editing.
Especially music, logic is without a doubt the best program i've used for music editing.

Tefal · 4 May 2010 at 11:22

kylew said:
Got that in a higher res? I can't read the text.

Never mind, saved it and it's weirdly in a higher res.

Are you using the dark theme?

IT auto downscales images, just right click and view image

markk · 4 May 2010 at 11:33

Werewolf said:
*Anyone else remember the old Tandy's and CPC's etc?

I still have my Amstrad CPC464 with green screen and tape deck in my moms loft!

Amp34 · 4 May 2010 at 11:37

jp_bl_68 said:
All apple products are basically porn for people with more money than sense and a desire for style over substance. I should know, I'm typing this on a 2009 alu unibody macbook with a 2g 16gb ipod touch on the shelf next to me

I think that is essentially what the bloke I was chatting to thinks. He tried to say "I don't have a mac so i'm trying to say a PC is better"... :confused:

It just seemed like major snobbery to me, my god my mac can't be a pc, that would make it the same as what everyone else has! :eek:

Oh and on the laptop side of things I think he would argue a macbook isn't a laptop either...

I think Apple had a slight claim a few years ago when they were using IBM chips but now? Off the shelf components from the major PC manufacturers...

Amp34 · 4 May 2010 at 11:45

starfighter said:
A Mac is a PC.

and since they started using intel processors they are IBM compatible so are in every sense of the word.

Dumb ass Mac users.

The fact Apple have blocked you from installing other operating systems on it doesn't make it better.

They do, you can dual boot with windows or linux or any other PC OS.

The only thing you "can't" do is install OSX on a non Apple branded piece of hardware, even though it is darely easy.

bledd. said:
I would always expect someone to say "on my mac", yes they can do the same tasks, but I've never heard someone call their mac a pc.

It's macbook / mac in my mind

But why? Very few people with Sony Vaios for example say it's not a pc it's a Vaio and it's exactly the same reasoning behind it.

willhub · 4 May 2010 at 11:46

I think of a Macs as PC...

I refer to my laptop as a PC sometimes, after all, it is a personal computer.

I usually refer to my desktop pc and desktop though.

Amp34 · 4 May 2010 at 11:49

Capn' $qu!ff said:
A PC = A good value Personal Computer

A Mac = A high Value Fasion Accessory

Well no, not quite. Look at any high quality computer of a similar type and they will be a similar price. I actually applaud Apple in not bowing to demand and making cheap tat that sells at a far higher rate.

iMacs (especially the 27" version) are pretty much cheaper than building your own with a 27" screen and their 24" model is actually cheaper than the Sony version.

Macbooks as well, specifically the 13" version. To get one of a similar build quality from another manufacturer they are a similar/greater price. (another example is the Dell Adamo, which I think is more expensive than the macbook air!)

starfighter · 4 May 2010 at 11:59

If they sold the software separately and allowed you to install it on any PC and also sold the harwdare separately and allowed you to install any OS on it I wouldn't mind Apple.

If apple honestly have a superior product give people the choice and they will obviously choose Apple.

everything uses the same few chips these days anyway. compatibility isn't much of an issue. Intel pretty much make everything lol.

Spektor · 4 May 2010 at 12:27

It's a PC. You may as well say be saying "it's not a PC it's a DELL".

Begbie · 4 May 2010 at 12:32

Typing this on my ACER.

craptakular · 4 May 2010 at 12:36

Beerbaron said:
Isnt a Mac just Unix with a front end

BSD, Darwin.

Inquisitor · 4 May 2010 at 12:37

Amp34 said:
But why? Very few people with Sony Vaios for example say it's not a pc it's a Vaio and it's exactly the same reasoning behind it.

Because Apple have a very successful marketing and design strategy. They've managed to make their products "different" and have conditioned consumers to think about them in this way.

starfighter said:
If they sold the software separately and allowed you to install it on any PC and also sold the harwdare separately and allowed you to install any OS on it I wouldn't mind Apple.

If they relinquished control over their platform, there'd be nothing left to distinguish it from "normal" PCs. Their stability and reliability would vanish as swaths of rubbish third party software appear on the scene and other OEMs start selling their own OS X machines that use unreliable hardware and proprietary drivers.

The strength of Apple's platform is precisely that that they have complete control over it. Every aspect of their machines' architectures is tailored to work with their drivers/OS/software.

PardonTheWait · 4 May 2010 at 12:50

Inquisitor said:
The strength of Apple's platform is precisely that that they have complete control over it. Every aspect of their machines' architectures is tailored to work with their drivers/OS/software.

Yep. The 'walled garden' may have its disadvantages for some, but it does work. You're quite welcome to go to any of the other manufacturers that don't exercise such control over their platforms, but a lot of people like Apple's kit for the exact reasons other people don't. That's the beauty of a free market - vote with your wallet.

Amp34 · 4 May 2010 at 12:51

Well the other thread has been shut, which is normal on that forum because there are too many evangelical mac users. The threads normally go something like this:

"I'm not sure whether to buy a macbook or windows laptop"
"buy the mac it's the bestest )with a load of rubbish claims about never crashing and coming from a windows machine that crashes all the time)"
"I own/support macs and pc and they are about the same, see which you prefer and buy it, if your windows machine crashes that much then you have problems"
Another person "OMG I loves macs, windows is rubbish (with a load of examples of "why")"
"What version of windows were you using, sounds like XP... Were you really comparing a 10 year old system to a brand new one?"
"macs are the best thing ever"
"that wasn't the question..."

Then it gets shut because a load of mac users come in with claims it changed their lives, others point out they are talking rubbish (with facts and discussion about why certain things can't be true), mac users take offence and start calling people microsoft fanboys....

Anyway, hopefully the guy/girl will just go and try one, then try a new windows machine and see which they prefer...

Col_M · 4 May 2010 at 12:52

To me Macs are just another type of PC with a different OS. They use the same fundamental hardware, you can install Windows on a Mac and the Mac OSs on a PC.

BigglesPiP · 4 May 2010 at 13:05

They can run windows natively, it's a PC.