Why Mac?

Southy_

Southy_

Southy_

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Joined
11 Nov 2007
Posts
364
Hey Guys,

Looking for some enlightenment as to what made you go for Mac over the alternatives, hopefully not going to come across as Mac hating/bashing, or start a flaming war.
I am genuinely interested in the decision process that brought you to Apple.

Bit of background I guess.
I use my Windows PC for gaming.
By profession I am a code monkey, working with Java, Java EE and PHP mostly, and I do contracting on top of my normal job, so have a Dev computer (laptop) at home, currently running Ubuntu.

I am going to be getting myself a new dev computer, and from numerous sources people have claimed that Macs are great for dev work, especially web dev, and also really nice to use in general.

Unfortunately, I can't figure out why it would be better than a Linux based system.

The following 2 parts are how I see it, all IMHO.

1) The Dreaded Subject - Price:

Linux Based PC:
i3 550 3.2Ghz
4GB Memory
500GB HDD
All usual stuff.
~£450

(The iMac was picked as it is the closest spec to the PC)
21.5-inch: 3.06GHz - iMac
4GB Memory
500GB HDD
£1050

In fairness to the Mac, it has a better graphics card that would add £100 onto the PC's price, that I don't technically need, so call it £500 more for the Mac.

2) Software

OS:
Linux (call it Ubuntu for arguments sake) and MacOSX.
They have a lot in common, not going to go through all the similarities in look and feel, or the small differences in how to install things,
The main issue is the software that is available on Linux and Mac.

General use:
Web, Music, Videos
Linux - Chrome, winamp, vlc
Mac - Chrome, iTunes ?, vlc
Not much change, chrome is fine on both, vlc is good on both.

Dev work:
(Neither of these are comprehensive lists)
Linux - Eclipse, Bunch of text editors(all free) - Vim, Emacs, Komodo, Notepad++(using Wine), Kate, Gedit.

Might need some help here, not massively up to speed on Mac software.
Mac - Eclipse, Coda($99!), XCode, TextWrangler/BBedit, Komodo, Espresso.


So, based on those 2 general ideas, reasons I can think of that someone might choose Mac over Linux:

* Barely heard of/used Linux, Mac only mainstream alt to Windows.
* Prefer the ease of getting things up and running on a Mac.
* Software that I am not considering or haven't heard of.
* Better software support.
* The Hardware, quite a large area, mainly thinking of better hardware-OS compatibility than most Linux distros.
* Just plain love apple.

...and breathe :D

So, I am interested in the reasons you picked Mac, and I guess if enough good reasons come out then it may tilt me toward buying one.
Because as I currently see it, except for price, there really isn't that much difference between, a good PC with Linux, and a Mac.

Hopefully before the trolls have at we can get a nice discussion going.

Thanks for your replies.
 
Mac OS X is simply the Unix that actually has a good GUI. That's what sets it apart from Linux and the rest. The same applies for the typical 3rd party application you'll download. How important this is depends on you.

The build quality and design of the aluminium hardware is second to none. Apple know the exact specification of every computer they make, so thinking about drivers is a thing of the past. Again, how important these are depends on you.

Lastly, add TextMate to your list of editor/IDEish apps :D
 
I was a gamer (got bored and use ps3 or xbox if i every fancy playing a game), had a i7 920 with 5850 6gb with ssd etc but I went to a mac mini and left my pc in the corner lol, I miss the speed of converting videos but I love the mac it simple, looks good, less wires and just works all the time... ohh and I cant hear it lol

It just down to what you want from it I guess, Gone mac now I ant ever looking back! lol
( I do web design and learning to do photography but am saving for an imac and going to use mini as a server )
 
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hmm, so I guess most so far are coming from the peace of mind perspective.
The hardware is good, no hassle with drivers, switch on and know it will work kind of thing?
 
The thing about prices is that Apple clearly do command a hefty margin on their hardware, but is that a cynical duping of customers, or simply the natural benefit of being at the top of the tree and making the best gear?

I know what most of the neon-clad PC folk on OcUK would say :D
 
Hardware wise the only piece of hardware that I own which does work using The Tube, but not on the much superior EyeTV3 is my USB TV Tuner. Other than that everything else works, including printer, scanner, Blackberry, 2 x MP3 players.
 
I recently bought a new MacBook 13" Unibody. My first Mac. Before I have been a Windows user since 98SE and used Ubuntu a few times, never stuck with it though.

What I love about my Mac:

- Drivers - Don't have to worry about that. Stuff just works. :cool:
- Build quality - I have never seen another make of laptop, built so well.
- OS X is amazing. Fast, very simple and never any issues.

I will never be going back to Windows. No need now.

With your drivers statement, is 99% of the time, switch on and it will work. I have not needed to download a single driver for this macbook.

Today I installed OS X 10.5 server onto an old G4 Mac. Again, everything just worked. No drivers needed - configured everything quickly etc. Like they say - It just works.

You have to look at it from your side though and decide if it is really for you. I don't regret moving for a second!
 
Spyhop said:
The thing about prices is that Apple clearly do command a hefty margin on their hardware
Click to expand...

This is the biggest thing that hits me when looking at them.
Not like it's a small amount either, even the cheapest Mac you can buy starts at £612 for a 2 (maybe 1, depends if you count sandybridge as a new generation) generations old processor and 2GB of memory.
 
Feek said:
Far far easier than Linux. Drag, drop, done.
Click to expand...

tbf linux has package managers so you don't even have to google it.

I have had a macbook since 2008 and now just bought an imac for £525 from MM, so value can be had if you ain't concerned about the latest and greatest model.

I'm going to use it for web dev like you :)
 
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I have a development background (mainly rooted in Unix) and apart form being easier to me to use, I find developing on OSX very easy.

I have used (just to give you my perspective):
HP-UX - commercially (HP's C/C++)
SUN Solaris - commercially (C++)
Redhat AS - commercially (C, C++, Java) .. when I say commercially I mean running AT&T USA's text messaging network.
Windows XP32 - home & work
Kubuntu - home for a year (missing vista)
OSX - home, moved from XP32 to OSX, since 2007 (Objective-C/C++ including iPhone)
Windows 7 - about 20 minutes (no reason to use it other than run ASCOM astronomy apps in a VM under OSX).

I tried developing and using Linux at home but found that as soon as you start compilings things yourself that required a newer library version things started braking in the package manager etc. In the end it struck me that I was spending all my time administrating it for no reason and not doing what I wanted todo.
OSX was like a breath of fresh air. YMMV.

The main point is that by starting with price (actually cost) you're missing the point. OSX isn't about the hardware - it's about the value that the user feels it delivers (as a complete service). Apple aren't interested in cost-senstive owners.. (sounds snobby but it's the reason they make shed loads of money)
 
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I got to say the driver thing is very good, I added my network printer in 2 seconds.. I pluged in my Logitech hd webcam 310 i think it is thinking it wont work but it does! even my 5 year old wacom tablet just works! (tho if you guys know how i can change settings for it it will be a big help lol)

The only thing I don't like about them though is you cant upgrade it and apple take the mick if you want to get memory from them... I also got told if you want something fixed on it they don't fit new parts (fit refurbished parts) and that was from a mac engineer..
 
ubuntu is pretty much becoming OS X, except it's 6 years behind.

I like the Mac because the quality of the third party software is exceptional, and the apps have a consistent UI (except for the Adobe suite), so it just feels and looks the part.

The build quality is excellent, and you can legally boot in to Windows/Linux with the built in software, so you can always go back to Windows.. not something you could do without hacking on the Windows side :)

Downsides are price and upgradability.. but you get what you pay for, and if you're doing a job then you shouldn't really need the bestest graphics card OMGWTFBBQ every 2 months anyway.
 
EdwardTeach said:
You are not factoring in the cost of the screen when you are comparing the iMac to an ubuntu pc. The iMac screens are very nice!
Click to expand...

I was just going to post this. Add in the price of a high quality screen, the keyboard and mouse and that's the best part of £300, bringing the prices far closer, and you end up with a gorgeous bit of kit :)

From my point of view I started with windows, switched to macs when osx came out, switched back to pc's when the first intel machines came out and nearly everything on osx was running like a dog under Rosetta, then switched back to macs again about a year ago.

I'm a web developer and find it lovely to work on. At home I also have a mac because I got sick of having to reformat windows every 6 months due to malware.
 
ok, so looks like, from my perspective, given that I don't have much issue getting linux to work, drivers and such.
The main areas that I should look into more are:
Hardware Quality.
3rd party software.

Thanks for the helpful replies so far, much appreciated.
 
I have a Windows 7 / Ubuntu desktop and also a Macbook Pro 13. I like them all but the MBP hardware is something special. The screen is lovely (but a little too reflective and low resolution) and the backlit keyboard and trackpad are fantastic.

I'm ok with OSX but I wouldn't rave about it over W7. Opinions will obvioulsy differ there. It also can't replace my main desktop which is far more powerful. But it is a lovely experience and very quiet. It starts up and shuts down very quickly which is also great.

If you are going to use it for Java development then be aware that Apple recently stopped supporting their Java VM. So while Java runs fine on OSX, its future is uncertain on that platform.

The only thing it really took a while to get used to for me was the subte differences in the keyboard. It drove me nuts to start with.
 
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