Will the Mac end up becoming un-cool?

I was reading in I think the Wall Street Journal that 90% of the worlds computers are still powered by Windows and of the remaining 10% Apple have a 5% share. I would have thought it larger than that but there you go. I think that as with any minority it does lead to what we often see with Apple owners i.e. being fiercely defensive and loyal. It's rarity value coupled with design and pricing is what makes it cool. Let's face it no matter how good a product (as in W7) if you're simply one of 90% of the populace you are never going to be cool are you?
 
a.hay said:
Turning off startup services using command prompt + msdiag, so laboured
Click to expand...

Please go and install Google Earth with the Google Updater service. Then figure out how to stop or remove said Google Updater service.

Apple build their OS to what THEY think people need. This makes things very streamlined and easy because for the most part choice has been removed from the user.

Microsoft build their OS to try to enable everyone to do what they want with it. This means it is far less streamlined but much more configurable.

To use an example above:

Disable Windows Search

Start > Run > services.msc > *disable said service*
Right Click Computer > Manage > Services > *disable said service*
Control Panel > Indexing Options > *disable stuff*

Disable Spotlight

"sudo mdutil -a -i off" in a terminal.
 
Last edited:
Athanor said:
Good reasons to not buy a mac (click for full res)


Click to expand...

When you see a configure list in print like that it fair make the eyes water and you do wonder if Apple simply put a ridiculous pricing list out there to see just how many people will pay and what they can get away with.

I think even the most loyal Apple fans baulk when they see just how much some of the options are.
 
That option list really is astonishing. Apple have seriously overpriced many items on there. This is why I went for the base spec 15" MBP because with the 15% H.E. discount I got it was fairly affordable, above this spec was way out of my league financially.
 
A lot of the people who buy Macs do not care that a HDD costs half the price at OC than it does on their site! The average Apple customer does not want to take their computer apart and have to format new drives on installation. That's why there is a premium on price.

As an ex-PC builder and enthusiastic home engineer, I totally agree that Apple overprice on their site. I bought the base model MBP 3 years ago and upgraded RAM and HDD myself because I don't mind doing it. Sold off my old bits and I had a top spec machine for much less than from the Apple site. If I bought a Mac Pro I would do the same thing.
 
I owned a mac before they were perceived as cool by anyone, if suddenly they become the uncool thing to own then I will still have and use one providing mbp's still have great battery life and OSX doesn't change its functionality too much.

I dont really know if i dislike or like the fact that they have become 'cool' and are more widely used. For some things its great as 3rd party software and devices seem to be much more OSX friendly (i.e. actually produce drivers for OSX and develop software that was previously unavailable unless you had Windows). On the other had it does seem to have brought with it a lot of negativity and every mac user is now branded as a fashion follower with more money than sense, I am neither.
 
I have been using our iMac exclusively now for the last ten days (no Windows at all) in an effort to really get to grips with it following months of my having something of a love hate relationship, not with the hardware but as said previously the OS.

I know it has nothing to do with the product being cool but for me a product has to be functional and likeable as well as being cool. I well remember when I was younger berating my late father for buying what I deemed to be “cheap and cheerful” uncool products many years ago e.g. Korean cars and the like. He used to say “it’ll go anywhere that you’re fancy car will and cost me a hell of a lot less”. Looking back I have to admit how true that statement was and still is. However, I think it goes a bit deeper than that or certainly does with Apple. I think they have too many irons in the fire now and they have taken their eye off the ball when it comes to their core business i.e. PC hardware and the operating systems that work it. I honestly believe that in many cases now you are paying a premium for old technology as well as design and in relation to OS X that it has now been eclipsed by Windows 7.

Having used OS X for the last ten days it has felt like I was giving something up for Lent it really has. When I turned on my Windows 7 PC this afternoon I cannot tell you how pleasant it felt. The UI with OS X might only be a set of clothes covering the basic Unix engine but there’s no reason that I can see why it has to be so basic looking. I don’t find everything intuitive at all, far from it and some of the applications look more basic than Open Source. I know a lot of people use web based mail now, however, a lot don’t and for those that don’t Apple give you an email app in iLife. Now what the hell is that all about, it has to be the most basic email client I’ve ever seen, dreadful. I tell you, the hardware looks very nice but if I had to use a Mac on a daily basis as my main PC then it would have to have Windows as my main OS, cool or not.
 
Do you work for MS or something?

Give the W7 sales talk a rest and answer the question. Windows won't be cool because it's ugly. Apple will be uncool if they make ugly machines. End of discussion.
 
Faustus said:
Having used OS X for the last ten days it has felt like I was giving something up for Lent it really has. When I turned on my Windows 7 PC this afternoon I cannot tell you how pleasant it felt. The UI with OS X might only be a set of clothes covering the basic Unix engine but there’s no reason that I can see why it has to be so basic looking. I don’t find everything intuitive at all, far from it and some of the applications look more basic than Open Source. I know a lot of people use web based mail now, however, a lot don’t and for those that don’t Apple give you an email app in iLife. Now what the hell is that all about, it has to be the most basic email client I’ve ever seen, dreadful. I tell you, the hardware looks very nice but if I had to use a Mac on a daily basis as my main PC then it would have to have Windows as my main OS, cool or not.
Click to expand...

Holy unsubstantiated criticism Batman!
 
Faustus, what do you think 99% of the world's home users want to do on an email client that isn't included?

It is very lean, and yes some users want more but, the majority just want to send and receive emails and that it does flawlessly.
 
Faustus said:
I have been using our iMac exclusively now for the last ten days (no Windows at all) in an effort to really get to grips with it following months of my having something of a love hate relationship, not with the hardware but as said previously the OS.

I know it has nothing to do with the product being cool but for me a product has to be functional and likeable as well as being cool. I well remember when I was younger berating my late father for buying what I deemed to be “cheap and cheerful” uncool products many years ago e.g. Korean cars and the like. He used to say “it’ll go anywhere that you’re fancy car will and cost me a hell of a lot less”. Looking back I have to admit how true that statement was and still is. However, I think it goes a bit deeper than that or certainly does with Apple. I think they have too many irons in the fire now and they have taken their eye off the ball when it comes to their core business i.e. PC hardware and the operating systems that work it. I honestly believe that in many cases now you are paying a premium for old technology as well as design and in relation to OS X that it has now been eclipsed by Windows 7.

Having used OS X for the last ten days it has felt like I was giving something up for Lent it really has. When I turned on my Windows 7 PC this afternoon I cannot tell you how pleasant it felt. The UI with OS X might only be a set of clothes covering the basic Unix engine but there’s no reason that I can see why it has to be so basic looking. I don’t find everything intuitive at all, far from it and some of the applications look more basic than Open Source. I know a lot of people use web based mail now, however, a lot don’t and for those that don’t Apple give you an email app in iLife. Now what the hell is that all about, it has to be the most basic email client I’ve ever seen, dreadful. I tell you, the hardware looks very nice but if I had to use a Mac on a daily basis as my main PC then it would have to have Windows as my main OS, cool or not.
Click to expand...

That has absolute zilch to do with cool or not.

I use Mail too and it sends and receives emails. Even does attachments too, what more do you want?
 
a.hay said:
Do you work for MS or something?

Give the W7 sales talk a rest and answer the question. Windows won't be cool because it's ugly. Apple will be uncool if they make ugly machines. End of discussion.
Click to expand...

I think you need to read my post again and not what you think I've written - I hope you don't go off half-cocked so fast with everything? :D

Windows is an OS not hardware so not sure what you're talking about their.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom