Will the Mac end up becoming un-cool?

[Spammeh]

Someone has said it already but OSX is a more established, and stable operating system. I've been a Windows user for a long time and only recently used a mac for a long period of time but the key is in the business model.

9/10 the reason Windows will crash will be due to a hardware or driver fault. Microsoft rely on a whole host of 3rd party companies to provide drivers for 1000's of different components that make a Windows PC work. Thats their model. Massive driver database, relying on (often unreliable) 3rd party drivers. A flawed system, but 1 which will keep the costs down on a PC over a Mac.

Apple on the other hand only allow certain hardware in their machines, reducing the number of OS crashes as the drivers are built specifically for the OS. Simple.

On the long term, Mac's will always be cool for a couple of reasons:
1. The marketing and design team are always right on the money with the right designs, at the right time. i.e. funky plastic, to aluminium, to cool white.
2. They will never have a large enough base of users compared to Windows, UNLESS their business model changes. As far as business goes, for most companies Macs are simply too expensive for next to no more output. Likewise for a majority of homes - other than geeks and people with a huge amount of income, most won't pay £1200 for mac lappy when they can get a windows lappy that will do the same thing (for the most part) for £300.

I love OSX and without a doubt its more user friendly for a lot of things and generally much more snappier, but I also love windows for a lot of things that Macs are simply light-years behind on

 

[Fr0dders]

Someone has said it already but OSX is a more established, and stable operating system. I've been a Windows user for a long time and only recently used a mac for a long period of time but the key is in the business model.

9/10 the reason Windows will crash will be due to a hardware or driver fault. Microsoft rely on a whole host of 3rd party companies to provide drivers for 1000's of different components that make a Windows PC work. Thats their model. Massive driver database, relying on (often unreliable) 3rd party drivers. A flawed system, but 1 which will keep the costs down on a PC over a Mac.

none of which has any bearing on whether the phone is cool or not

Normal people (as opposed to techies like us) just dont care.

 

[Nexus]

This thread has gone totally off topic.

We've already seen in the OP that when pressed the girl had no idea why the mac was better than the PC, it was better because it was "cooler".

We've got 50 odd posts here debating about stuff the type of mac devotees being discussed just dont care about - the quality of the OS.

The reason macs are cool is because the design is cool. The little apple logo that lights up, the stylish brushed aluminium macbook pros, the glossy white macbooks.

Apple will stay cool as long as the hardware design is right. If the design is right, then they can charge a premium for them which people will be prepared to pay. This makes them stylish, and because they are expensive, somewhat more exclusive than PCs.

For as long as apple's design is right, they will stay cool no matter how many deluded idiots buy them.

Look at louis vitton. Every other woman in the expensive hotels at vegas had a lois vitton bag. Are they about to become uncool ? of course not. High price tags will always ensure a certain exclusivity.

Granted there are some mac devotees such as myself, that appreciate the quality of OSX, and love programmes like ilife 09 and its ease of use. Quite a few on here being a computing forum probably fall into that category. But we're not discussing them

We're on about the 14 year old girl in the apple store asking her parents for a macbook because "its cool"

+1 People are veering this topic off into a silly and typical argument about differences between OSX & Windows and that's not what the question is about.

I see what you are saying with Louis Vuitton bags, but they do offer them in other designs than the monogram prints, plus there are a million other designer hand bags for women to choose from which are just as good and respected. I think if EVERY woman who could afford it had the same design of handbag, it wouldn't be exclusive or 'cool' anymore.

Infact, going back to the iPhone, rather than Mac for a second... it's interesting how we are starting to reach a stage where everybody who can afford one has one, aside from people who can't afford one, or just don't like Apple products. That's kind of strange when you think about it.

 

[QwaF]

A Mac desktop isn't likely ever going to be my main computer for various reasons. But OS X is miles beyond Windows.

Windows 7 is still windows, the same old backend with the same old problems that have been around for so long that people accept them as traits and characteristics of computers in general. Sure, W7 is quicker and snappier than vista, but I can make one turd smell better than the other - isn't exactly all that better, it is still a turd.

 

[franco_22]

I personally dislike Macs, I hate Apple and I think Steve Jobs is a crook. The only difference between Microsoft and Apple is Microsoft doesn't lie about being a greedy money hungry corporation.

I tried using macs before I just don't see the point, a lot of hassle for a shiny white case. And I really don't see how using Windows is harder then using a Mac.

 

[Amp34]

It was just an example. Just trying to highlight that there are so many things that take ages. Removing programs would be another. Turning off startup services using command prompt + msdiag, so laboured! Dxdiag to see your system spec quickly! These things are so common but spread all over the interface in MS software. Device manager is a pain in the butt. Registry errors are as well. As an out of the box solution OSX does so much more for me than Win 7.

Two gripes with OSX I do have; no native NTFS support and no ability merge folders! That's it I think...

Sorry but this is funny....

Startup services?: press the Start button, type "msconfig"*, Press enter - 3 motions, none even needing the mouse...
System spec?: Right click the computer icon on the desktop and choose "properties"- 2 motions

Removing programs, normally just consist of navigating to the program in the start menu and clicking the uninstall option... Although I do agree, the Control Panel is still a bit of a mess, made worse by the amalgumation of the stuff in Vista and 7... What's wrong with device manager? Also never had to worry about registry errors so wouldn't know...

 

[Nexus]

Sorry but this is funny....

Startup services?: press the Start button, type "msconfig"*, Press enter - 3 motions, none even needing the mouse...
System spec?: Right click the computer icon on the desktop and choose "properties"- 2 motions

That's fine for people who know what they are doing, but the majority don't.

One a Mac you simply click the Apple symbol where you can then click "About This Mac" which is plain as day.

For startup services, it's all in user accounts in the control panel.

The above is all just there and easy for any user to find on a Mac. On Windows you have to know what you already stated as it's not obvious.

 

[Spammeh]

none of which has any bearing on whether the phone is cool or not

This thread isn't about a phone

 

[franco_22]

That's fine for people who know what they are doing, but the majority don't.

One a Mac you simply click the Apple symbol where you can then click "About This Mac" which is plain as day.

What's the difference between right-clicking My Computer and clicking "About this Mac"?

Seriously, what is the freaking difference, what do you find so hard about right-clicking?

 

[Faustus]

(Win 7 has a nice UI but OSX really is a beauty).

Providing that is you have a fetish for the colour "grey" and like graph paper backgrounds.

 

[QwaF]

Providing that is you have a fetish for the colour "grey" and like graph paper backgrounds.

As opposed to the tacky glass effect found on Windows? Anything is better!

 

[theheyes]

It's really difficult not to reply to some of these uninformed Windows comments but I'll keep on track.

For me, whether Macs are cool or not depends on who you're talking about - geeks or Joe & Jane Average. I think for Joe Average & Co. they have certainly become more appealing off the back of the iPod/iPhone. Then you've got all the new students who seem to be attracted to Macs as a start of year extravagance. The exclusivity is diminished, but certainly there and is a cool quality.

I think it is the geek crowd who the Mac is at risk of becoming uncool to, and you could argue that in some ways it already is. A Mac used to be a bit of a talking point because it was something different and interesting. Historically Macs with Motorola and PowerPC architectures were fundamentally very different from PCs - you don't have that diversity now. A Mac is more like a PC than ever before. You've also got the fact that OSX is a bit neglected at the moment and it's been a while since I read anything exciting about OSX. I'm sure it will get some renewed attention at some point, whether it's sooner or later I'm not too sure.

Then you've got the long term trend of Macs vs iDevices to consider. Apple quite clearly sees mobile devices as the future and OSX is not a mobile OS. As soon as Joe Average starts buying iPads & iPhones instead of Macs & MacBooks then the exclusivity may be restored. Jobs was half right when he said "PCs are going to be like trucks..." It's PCs and Macs.

If iOS devices really do eventually supplant Macs for the mainstream then they'll simply go back to being the workhorse of choice for creative professionals, the alternative for OS geeks and a premium computer for those who enjoy the design. It was cool before, so I don't see any reason why it couldn't be cool again.

 

[Spit]

This thread has gone totally off topic.

We've already seen in the OP that when pressed the girl had no idea why the mac was better than the PC, it was better because it was "cooler".

We've got 50 odd posts here debating about stuff the type of mac devotees being discussed just dont care about - the quality of the OS.

The reason macs are cool is because the design is cool. The little apple logo that lights up, the stylish brushed aluminium macbook pros, the glossy white macbooks.

Apple will stay cool as long as the hardware design is right. If the design is right, then they can charge a premium for them which people will be prepared to pay. This makes them stylish, and because they are expensive, somewhat more exclusive than PCs.

For as long as apple's design is right, they will stay cool no matter how many deluded idiots buy them.

Look at louis vitton. Every other woman in the expensive hotels at vegas had a lois vitton bag. Are they about to become uncool ? of course not. High price tags will always ensure a certain exclusivity.

Granted there are some mac devotees such as myself, that appreciate the quality of OSX, and love programmes like ilife 09 and its ease of use. Quite a few on here being a computing forum probably fall into that category. But we're not discussing them

We're on about the 14 year old girl in the apple store asking her parents for a macbook because "its cool"

Totally agree with this. I have step daughters and they want macs, iPhones and iPods. It's only because they look awesome and if apple keep that up then they will always be cool. Girls in particular are just not interested in hardware specs just how good stuff looks.

All you have to do is put an acer laptop next to a MBP and you know apple is gonna stay cool for a long time lol.

 

[franco_22]

Totally agree with this. I have step daughters and they want macs, iPhones and iPods. It's only because they look awesome and if apple keep that up then they will always be cool. Girls in particular are just not interested in hardware specs just how good stuff looks.

All you have to do is put an acer laptop next to a MBP and you know apple is gonna stay cool for a long time lol.

But that Acer laptop is probably half the price of the MBP?

There are alternative options, I believe the HP Envy or Sony Vaio Z series look much better then a MBP.

 

[Faustus]

Infact, going back to the iPhone, rather than Mac for a second... it's interesting how we are starting to reach a stage where everybody who can afford one has one, aside from people who can't afford one, or just don't like Apple products. That's kind of strange when you think about it.

Well I don't want to go off topic too much but the above I don't quite agree with. I don't hate Apple products and I could afford to have a personalised iPhone if I wished. However, I'm quite happy with my Nokia 3310 as the whole smartphone thing leaves me colder than a corpse in a chapel of rest. The idea of a phone is that you use it to make well, phone calls. As an aside though I believe Android has now passed Apple as the most popular.

A poster wrote earlier about people wanting to look cool by going into Starbucks or somewhere with a Mac. Do people actually do this sort of thing other than in films? I ask out of curiosity because I've never been in one of these coffee houses and I can't imagine taking a computer out with me either. Surely only business people do that don't they? I simply cannot believe what a fascicle and superficial society we appear to have become.

What hasn't been mentioned about all these "switchers" wanting to look cool with a Mac is how many actually run Windows instead of OS X. I have been looking for an article I read but without success which stated that a large proportion of these "switchers" actually run Windows because it's what they're used to and because they either don't want or can't be bothered to learn how to use a new OS.

 

[franco_22]

Well I don't want to go off topic too much but the above I don't quite agree with. I don't hate Apple products and I could afford to have a personalised iPhone if I wished. However, I'm quite happy with my Nokia 3310 as the whole smartphone thing leaves me colder than a corpse in a chapel of rest. The idea of a phone is that you use it to make well, phone calls. As an aside though I believe Android has now passed Apple as the most popular.

A poster wrote earlier about people wanting to look cool by going into Starbucks or somewhere with a Mac. Do people actually do this sort of thing other than in films? I ask out of curiosity because I've never been in one of these coffee houses and I can't imagine taking a computer out with me either. Surely only business people do that don't they? I simply cannot believe what a fascicle and superficial society we appear to have become.

What hasn't been mentioned about all these "switchers" wanting to look cool with a Mac is how many actually run Windows instead of OS X. I have been looking for an article I read but without success which stated that a large proportion of these "switchers" actually run Windows because it's what they're used to and because they either don't want or can't be bothered to learn how to use a new OS.

This is true, almost every Mac user actually runs Win 7, heck, Mac released software allowing you to dual boot between OS X and Win 7 because they know it would increase sales and the only thing they have over windows is a shiny aluminium case.

 

[jellybeard999]

The thing that annoys me about Apple is that aside from the OS, all of the products are inferior in everything other than design and maybe usability, around double the price of the equivalent, yet they still sell. The brand counts for a lot, so they'll have to be very careful IMO.

On another note, I can't recall the last time I had issues with windows crashing or clogging up. Maybe Windows 98 illegal operations or Windows ME?

 

[Stupot_]

The thing that annoys me about Apple is that aside from the OS, all of the products are inferior in everything other than design and maybe usability, around double the price of the equivalent, yet they still sell.

Eh?! inferior in everything bar design and usability... Hell those are the only two things I look for when I buy a product.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Cool isn't dictated by us men who knows the difference between Window 7 architecture and OSX...that alone isn't cool by definition.

Cool is "controlled" by 14 year old girls.

As long as they make pink iPods, and shiny cute laptops. Apple will be cool.

 

[jellybeard999]

Eh?! inferior in everything bar design and usability... Hell those are the only two things I look for when I buy a product.

Features? Compatability? Performance?

When I said usability, ease of use was possibly more apt.