Will the Mac end up becoming un-cool?

[Vonhelmet]

Yeah, they do have a lot of cool attached to the brand, and that's always gonna be great for sales. The same is true in just about every industry.

Anyway. I've been using Macs at home for over a year now and I doubt I'll go back. I prefer it to Windows, and it does work a lot better for me. I'm not going to get drawn into a debate about it, though. Use what you like.

 

[Vonhelmet]

Faustus, you mean you havn't pressed ctrl+alt+delete in 11 years?

Give over, I've had to use process manager or whatever it's called in OS X to kill unruly software. What's your point?

On the plus side, though, I don't think anything has ever crashed so hard that it's taken the OS down with it, while that seems to be pretty routine on Windows in my experience.

 

[d_brennen]

Macs just aren't as versatile as a Windows PC. As they rise in popularity and user base we'll see lots of problems/viruses arise

 

[bloodiedathame]

Give over, I've had to use process manager or whatever it's called in OS X to kill unruly software. What's your point?

On the plus side, though, I don't think anything has ever crashed so hard that it's taken the OS down with it, while that seems to be pretty routine on Windows in my experience.

My point is that is is pretty rare to force quit in OSX and an almost hourly occurrence on any MS OS I've used.

 

[Vonhelmet]

Macs just aren't as versatile as a Windows PC.

How do you figure that?

As they rise in popularity and user base we'll see lots of problems/viruses arise

The Unix base and properly enforced permissions system should mean that's less of a risk, though of course it's possible, if people can find the right holes.

 

[tonym]

My point is that is is pretty rare to force quit in OSX and an almost hourly occurrence on any MS OS I've used.

Hourly? That's pretty bad...... what are you running?
I use Windows 7 at home and find it's roughly on a par with OSX, which is pretty bad considering the age of OSX now. I'm not saying either is better, but I prefer OSX even though I get more spinning balls and force quits on it that i do with W7, that's just a personal preference though.

Back to the Original Topic though, macs are cool because of design. They have been hitting the right design trends at the right time. White came back in and the macbooks came out, etc. Most people won't use any of the back end functionality of OSX, so the operating system is a moot point. Give a user a properly configured W7 PC with firefox and they'll surf the web. Give them a mac with OSX and firefox and they'll surf the web. The only real difference is with iLife. It's perceived by and large as useful whereas most programs shipped with any kind of windows based PC are by and large bloatware.
If you buy a Windows laptop the first thing you do is remove the programs preinstalled, do many people do that with Macs?

 

[EdwardTeach]

I think one could argue that they already are somewhat uncool.

I got my first Mac in 2002 just before the iPod explosion happened. I bought it for the range of programmes it had, as I'd been using them at Uni on my degree course and needed one for home. The machines obviously have for over a decade now also been very nice to look at and many of the windows equivalents have obviously somewhat caught up, but I still prefer a Mac.

They have grown so big now thanks to the success of their other products, coupled with the fact that most people after a home computer now will buy a laptop and so they want a nice looking laptop. It almost seems that most people who could afford to buy a Mac laptop will get one, unless they aren't open to change, prefer something better value or just don't like Apple.

So it used to be that when you went into a coffee shop and saw somebody on a Mac laptop, it was quite rare. I can also see why back then, some Mac users would have been quite friendly with each other... like "Oh hey, you use a Mac too! What's that, the Powerbook huh?"

Now though, when you go into the same coffee shop, nearly everybody will be on a Mac, many just trying to pose.

I think it's in that sense that it's lost it's cool, as people seem to think that having one makes you an instantly cool person, but it doesn't.

The other thing I don't like about what Apple has become is the whole people who pray at the church of Jobs thing. For example, I used to work with a guy, in his mid thirties, who funnily enough fitted the stereotype perfectly with the black rimmed glasses and polo neck jumpers! He buys everything new that Apple releases instantly, he also harps on about wanting to be at Macworld and Developers Conferences and such.

Being a PC Geek is seriously uncool.
As Apple has or had quite a cool image, I think many people thought they could basically be a geek, but be quite cool. However, that's gone now and you've just got the same computer geeks thinking they are cool with one up on any other person who uses PCs.

Yes I use Macs myself, I prefer them, but I don't like the way some people act about them.

Good post, it sums up how many people are about macs.

I own both a desktop pc and a MacBook pro, and use an imac at work.
I am happy with either system. I never experience crashes on my pc, and have never had a virus either. I probably get more irritated with my macs, particularly the stupid gimicky mouse that i use with the imac.

That being the case I would probably reccomend a windows 7 pc over a mac these days, because they are better value.

I can see macs becoming uncool. They are ubiquitous, and when you are in the spotlight for a long time people will get bored.

 

[bloodiedathame]

Work machine: Win 7 64 bit , X5550 2.6GHZ, 6GB RAM, ATI 5800... A very capable machine, apparently.

Currently looking for drivers, codecs and other software to try and stop AE crashing every time I pre-render...

 

[Faustus]

Seriously? That's just more than stupid.

While I agree that W7 is a massive improvement, compared to OSX, it's a pile of crap

So instead of simply generalising please quantify, seriously, quantify where why and it what areas including the UI.

 

[Faustus]

a sample of 1 machine is not very scientific,

And that is why I provided a sample of THREE!

how do you know you dont have a virus? once a root kit is in you will never know its there...

Ditto the Mac

However, you have strayed somewhat off topic as I was saying why I thought a lot of people buy Mac's plus why I thought me personally cannot seem to get on with my Mac as opposed to W7

 

[bloodiedathame]

Switching profile:

OSX: Top right click username, select another user, enter password, loads.
PC: Start button, Switch user, screen goes black, back at welcome screen, enter password for different user, loads.

Turn off wireless:

OSX: Top bar, click airport, click off.
PC: start, control panel, network sharing center, right click, disable device.

You catch the drift. A PC feels unintuitive and laboured. On Mac there is often one way to do things. On Windows there are many, and they all take too long!

 

[Faustus]

On the plus side, though, I don't think anything has ever crashed so hard that it's taken the OS down with it, while that seems to be pretty routine on Windows in my experience

But to be fair to Windows that's Windows past not the current iteration which has very good diagnostic tools and is very good at repairing itself, even when let loose with the uninitiated

 

[fez]

Apple make great products which is why they sell well.

They are expensive but no one buys something like a computer just for the cool.

If you need an mp3 player or a laptop then you wont care how good it looks if it doesnt work.

The ipod became famous because it revolutionised the mp3 player functionality and user experience. Not because it looked nice.

 

[Faustus]

Switching profile:

OSX: Top right click username, select another user, enter password, loads.
PC: Start button, Switch user, screen goes black, back at welcome screen, enter password for different user, loads.

Turn off wireless:

OSX: Top bar, click airport, click off.
PC: start, control panel, network sharing center, right click, disable device.

You catch the drift. A PC feels unintuitive and laboured. On Mac there is often one way to do things. On Windows there are many, and they all take too long!

Or you could just right click the network icon and access it through there?

As I said the UI is just so archaic looking - why no translucent windows, why Finder, why Safari, why is search so poor compared to W7.

 

[Stupot_]

As I said the UI is just so archaic looking - why no translucent windows, why Finder, why Safari, why is search so poor compared to W7.

Are you kidding?

 

[Faustus]

They are expensive but no one buys something like a computer just for the cool

Come on now really? That is just so not true is it? Maybe when you mature somewhat then yes I would agree but as a younger person (which I am not) then it's all about looking cool and peer pressure.

BTW when you get older you buy cars etc. to look cool and impress but just ended up looking like a silly old fart with more money than sense.

 

[FreeStream]

I use both systems regularly and find OS X more productive, easier to use and far far far more stable than W7.

I couldn't care less if it wasn't cool or not, I had macs before it was 'cool' and as long as Apple have a decent range of laptops and desktops with a progressing OS X system i'll be staying right here

 

[Faustus]

Are you kidding?

Why would I be kidding - I have both systems and that is my view. Perhaps you are not up to speed with W7?

 

[Faustus]

easier to use and far far far more stable than W7

Please quantify - given that it's almost impossible to get W7 to crash how can OS X be more stable. I also don't get more productive, that's a line straight from the 90's. You can replicate most software on the Windows platform these days and some actually better so how more productive?

 

[Beasty]

Switching profile:



Turn off wireless:

OSX: Top bar, click airport, click off.
PC: start, control panel, network sharing center, right click, disable device.

Be fair, I'm not on either side but that is not the fastest or easiest way to do it on a windows computer .