Why OS X?

[Adoroxin]

What makes OS X so special, why are there all these forums to promote it to a status above all?

[Apple Freak]

It is special because you get to run Mac on a Non-Apple Hardware, cheaper

For me, I only spent $200 for my Hackintosh

Edited December 27, 2006 by Apple Freak

[sunchild]

Easy to use, stable, fun, virus-free AND great-looking.

[wow]

i find it friendlyer then xp, evrything i find under the same place like preferences, its better protected via passwords againts viri and spyware. it looks even better.

[SenVa]

I installed OSX on my old box... because I could... I had no real reason to run a mac at first. (I don't have it install anymore tho)

 

OSX is more stable and virus free... but so is Zeta and BeOS... The only way BeOS and Zeta are lacking is in the prettyness and the support aspects. For some people BeOS will be fine... for others they might need the eyecandy of OSX or the support.

 

I guess what I am trying to say is that OSX is just better than windows... there are other options that will suit some peoples needs... but for the everyday user who wants a pretty OS then osx will suit them the best.

Edited December 27, 2006 by SenVa

[Orea]

My reason.

 

I use osx because i find it more stable and faster on my pc. At first i was like yuk, i dont like os x. But after using windows i began to find the problems with it, eg...virus, hacks.

 

I decided to try the JaS dvd in my comp one day, and it worked. I found that it runs quicker, than windows. But to round it off. It just works.

 

BaYlisS

[sandmanfvrga]

OSX is so great to so many, including myself, because it is so stable and secure. It is not perfect and I am not one of those that thinks OSX is perfect but it is better than Windows. Plus, unlike Linux, OSX is mainstream, polished, has standards for drivers and software installation. You can download a DMG file from the net and install an application in a snap, faster and easier than Windows, and not have to worry about compiling anything like in Linux OR (I know Linux users will try to blast me on this if I don't say it) you don't have to have high speed internet to use things such as Get Apt and download files for codecs, drivers, and apps. You can go to college/school/work/public internet access and download software and take it home and install like Windows. This was the biggest factor that makes me loath Linux. I will get pinged over Linux bashing, but the OSX fans know I am right. The nice installation of software leads me to ease of use as a huge factor of OSX's success. You just use OSX. Sure some apps do crash OSX, but it is rare and when patches are put out for apps, they run stable for a long time.

 

OSX overall is just the perfect Windows alternative. It is powerful, stable, secure, and easy to use. Linux is great and I am glad so many like/love Linux, but OSX shines above Linux with it's professional polish.

Edited December 28, 2006 by sandmanfvrga

[wow]

One thing i notice about macs. Its the sofware in windows there are good qualility free software. In osx everything, but not all, seems to be as expensive as mac hardware. If i pay 30 or 40 for xp software the same softwere cost 70 or 80 on mac.

 

Other strange things, speed software seems to be more optimized on pcs, par on mac runs much slower as on xp. No handcodes optimiezed machine langauge here , lol. Less users is less experts i gues.

 

Also i burned a video_ts map with windows 21 minutes on 2.4 speed done. with toast (expensive burning program) toast wanted to compres the map first ??? Why it fits on 1 dvd why compressing it, cost only more time, the pc doesnt compressed it??

Another movie it converts the video_ts to an .iso first and then burns it?? Why XP programs burns it right away. Its not deadly or so, but it seems not all is perfect on osx like many apple users always told me. Still i like it very much. Not sure what my next computer is gone be, a pc or a dual booting mac.

Edited December 28, 2006 by wow

[bofors]

One thing i notice about macs. Its the sofware in windows there are good qualility free software. In osx everything, but not all, seems to be as expensive as mac hardware. If i pay 30 or 40 for xp software the same softwere cost 70 or 80 on mac.

Other than perhaps iTunes, I do not really think I have ever seen "good quality" software on Windows, free or not. I mean, Windows software is just as bad or in a lot of cases worse than Windows itself.

 

Now regarding, the cost of OS X software, MacHeist just gave away bundles of some $350 worth of software for $49: http://macheist.com/

 

Other strange things, speed software seems to be more optimized on pcs, par on mac runs much slower as on xp. No handcodes optimiezed machine langauge here , lol. Less users is less experts i gues.

Actually in many cases because the G4 chips were so much slower than Pentiums, software for OS X had to be fine tuned with AltiVec to keep up.

 

Also i burned a video_ts map with windows 21 minutes on 2.4 speed done. with toast (expensive burning program) toast wanted to compres the map first ??? Why it fits on 1 dvd why compressing it, cost only more time, the pc doesnt compressed it?? Another movie it converts the video_ts to an .iso first and then burns it?? Why XP programs burns it right away.

I am not sure what your problem is with Toast, but I have been using it for years, never had any problems and it is much better than Nero or whatever I have tried to use on Windows. And if you don't like, try Disco, which again MacHeist has just given away for almost free.

 

Its not deadly or so, but it seems not all is perfect on osx like many apple users always told me. Still i like it very much. Not sure what my next computer is gone be, a pc or a dual booting mac.

 

Of course, OS X is not perfect and the major flaws are well known. For example, the Finder has been a freqeunt source of criticism from Mac fans, but it is hoped that Leopard (OS X 10.5) will sport something that is much better. OS X's kernel has been shown to really suck at running a highly threaded server too.

 

I would add that from the perspective that the original "classic" MacOS GUI was close to perfect in many ways, that neither the "Apple menu" (on the left of the Main Menu bar) is far from completed (it appears to have been untouched since 10.0) and the lack of a built-in Application switch on the Main Menu are pretty glaring omissions. Both of these "classic" features have been sacrificed in favor of the Dock. On the other hand, when running multiply displays, the limits of the Main Menu bar concept itself become clear and it is can be seen as a vestige from some primitive GUI that needs to disappear.

 

There a number of reasons why I use OS X. The first is the Cocoa developer tool kits ("frameworks"), these allow me to write high quality software very quickly and I do not believe that anything exists on Windows or Linux that is truely comparable (and Cocoa is a major reason why most OS X software is high quality where it sucks on Windows and Linux).

 

Next, even on a Hackintosh, OS X "just works" while neither Windows nor Linux do. For me, "just works" means that I do not feel like I have to waste any time making the OS do the simple and basic tasks that I expect it to do. This includes jacking around with third party security software and drivers, basic networking and general computer management.

 

To expand on "just works" a little bit from the developer perspective, I like OS X because it is a very well designed Unix-based desktop operating system. While Linux certainly is Unix-based, it is not well designed for the desktop and Windows is neither.

 

Finally, Microsoft is a corrupt monopoly. Is quite obvious that Windows, especially Vista, does not innovate but rather superficially steals ideas from others. As consumers, Windows is the last thing we should be supporting now and I think the people who do are just pathetic.

[bluedragon1971]

Also i burned a video_ts map with windows 21 minutes on 2.4 speed done. with toast (expensive burning program) toast wanted to compres the map first ??? Why it fits on 1 dvd why compressing it, cost only more time, the pc doesnt compressed it??

Another movie it converts the video_ts to an .iso first and then burns it?? Why XP programs burns it right away. Its not deadly or so, but it seems not all is perfect on osx like many apple users always told me. Still i like it very much. Not sure what my next computer is gone be, a pc or a dual booting mac.

 

I'm not sure what you are doing with Toast, but it seems like you don't have the first clue how to use it. In the first case, it sounds like you turned on the compression feature accidentally. In the second, I haven't got a clue what you did, but you did something wrong, that's for sure. I've never had Toast do anything like what you describe. You call Toast expensive, but did you consider that it's the same cost as Nero or Easy Media Creator, which are it's direct equivalents on Windows?

 

Nero reatil package: $99.99 http://www.nero.com/enu/catalog.html

 

Easy Media Creator: $79.99 (after a $20 mail in rebate) http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/creator/...CFQ9TUAod2Dev2w

 

Toast: $79.99 (again, after a $20 mail in rebate) http://www.roxio.com/enu/store/mac.html

[bxsci(macuser)]

well i was a windows user most of my life.... they were the only computers in my house we've had a computer in my house as long as i can remember (my dad like computer games.... we have like CIV I and the orgiginal Comand and conquer)

 

but then when i got into my high school (its a toughy) my parents said i could get any laptop i wanted (under $2000) and i got the MBP (the reg. macbook came out the day after it arived, boy were they pissed)

 

i chose the MBP because of Bonjour.... it really apealed to me, i'm always getting new hardware of somesort and it was relle pissing me off, installing drivers and whatnot with bonjour i dont have to instal {censored}

 

and then the graphics, i cant look at windows anymore without wondering how i stared at it all day before

[bluedragon1971]

i chose the MBP because of Bonjour.... it really apealed to me, i'm always getting new hardware of somesort and it was relle pissing me off, installing drivers and whatnot with bonjour i dont have to instal {censored}

 

Bonjour is a networking technology that automatically detects other computers on the network, it has nothing at all to do with installing drivers.

[articquad]

It's EASY.

 

We got a mac so my mom could use the computer, because she didn't understand windows XP.

 

Within a twenty minutes, a woman who had never used a computer before turned it on, logged in, opened the internet, and searched with google. ((Did I mention she did this by herself?))

 

If she gets a few hours on this thing, she'll be flying.

[bofors]

Bonjour is a networking technology that automatically detects other computers on the network, it has nothing at all to do with installing drivers.

 

Yes, but Bonjour (aka Rendezvous, Zero-Config) is a perfect example of "just works". From a developer point of view, this is Cocoa technology which can be easily added to make software distributed. I use it. While Windows and Linux certainly could do things like this, and perhaps they do in places, it is not the same experience and not well integrated.

[bofors]

We got a mac so my mom could use the computer, because she didn't understand windows XP.

 

Yes, my Dad can not figure out how to use Windows for many things (so I have to waste hours of my time helping him and I get a Windows "support" phone call at least once a month). He may be over 70 years old, but this is someone who spent his career in the computer industry selling mainframes and PCs, and who even programmed in machine language back in the 60's.

 

He has been wanting to make movies on Windows for years, and has bought several AV convertors and pieces of software to do so. But guess what, he has not made a single one. I just built him a new computer for Vista, which is actually a Hackintosh, and offered to get him running with OS X on it with iMovie. But no, he insists on using (actually failing to use) Windows and claims he has someone coming over to help him make a movie on it (that is where I draw the line).

 

In my mind, Windows is a seriously defective product in many ways (as in I think it would make a nice class action lawsuit) and billions of dollars each year are wasted because of it. Furthermore, it is a major crime that Bill Gates was allowed to bribe the Bush adminstration to get off the anti-trust hook. Microsoft should have been busted up so that people had real choices for operating systems in the mainstream. Hopefully, now that Apple's transition to x86 is almost complete, OS X will be unleased from Apple hardware and licensed to Dell, HP and Sony to make that a reality.

[cyclonefr]

OSX isn't registry dependant, therefore installing a program won't slow down your system.

 

Plus you don't have to install any antivirus if you wanna be secure, because it's secure enough.

 

A fresh Windows XP install is really fast (try it yourself, it even boots as fast as OSX), but a 2 year Windows XP will be slow as hell, while OSX will keep the same speed as when you installed it for the first time.

 

I am one of those users who "love" to reinstall XP to have a fresh computer, but even though, I find OSX more convenient since you don't even have to reinstall it a single time. It's always fast, everything is instant and quick, that's why I use it.

 

Now, there is something better in Windows : any web browser will scroll faster than in OSX, OSX has poor OpenGL features and using ATI for most of the new macs is a bad idea since everyone knows ATI can't program proper OpenGL drivers.

 

Web browsing is still OK, any other features are 100% better than XP, except Games.

 

We gotta admit that DirectX is still a nice API from Microsoft and was a great idea / is still a great one to implement it in Windows... Now if OSX had its proper API... That's the real con of it.

[GBK.Xscape]

It shouldn't be "Why OS X" but "Why not OS X"

[Jeezoflip]

Why OS X? Because it owns your soul, thats why.

[head]

Why OS X? Because it owns your soul, thats why.

 

 

harr harr ;-)

 

 

i worked for 6 years on windows-pc´s - i have seen everything from 95 to xp. i was satisfied, had a nice running system (for what i had to do many things)..

then a friend of mine showed me his powerbook - i saw exposé, and he showed me all the little helpers and differences.

 

one month later i got an ibook g4. old computer was still running, i needed it for gaming and burning (really nothing else)...

then my powerbook came - and after a time, i was soo f***ing happy to get away from xp and it´s madness...

now i have a macbook pro. i refuse to work on windows-machines, it makes me really sick because its like a huge step backward for me...everytime i´m troubleshooting other pcs I say something like "buy a mac and this wont happen"...

 

summary:

 

the switch to os x made my life easier - i could live my creativity without beeing hassled by security holes, firewalls, virus-scans, dll-hell.

since the switch, its fun to manage the os - and i think i nearly got a perfect system done...

 

the real question is: "WHY WINDOWS?" (if you dont need special software)...

 

 

 

i´m just really really convinced that OS X is better in all aspects (besides nero, the only tool i am missing) - easier, more secure, more fun, etc. than Windows 2000/XP/Vista (or how they call their minor "updates").

[EPDM]

There's no real reason why to use OSX. It's just an OS.

 

What you do with your computer (applications) are what matters.

 

In that respect it shouldn't matter whether you use windows or OSX. Photoshop on OSX is the same as on Windows. And is as dificult for non-professionals on either platform. To stay with Photoshop; if you're artist and you make beautifull things with your paint-program then that is important not which OS you have used to create that artwork.

 

However it turns out that OSX is more userfriendly in providing it's technology resources to common people. Therefore many common users tend to find OSX more productive. Also the eyecandy helps a lot :-)

 

Some reasons have been said in here though some reasons are plain wrong. For instance if OSX was as popular as Windows then it would certainly have a bigger share of virus and related security problems, therefore OSX perceived security is a wrong assumption. The future will prove this (provided OSX becomes more popular).

 

I'd say. Give it a try. Some ppl like it, others don't. At least it'll get you hands on experience with sometheng else besides Windows.

 

Regards,

 

EPDM

[sHARD>>]

Contrary to half the Windows FUD spread so far by this thread (typical!), I'll lay it down on the line.

 

You use an operating system because it has the best blend of features, security, and stability for what you wish to do.

 

Windows is great at playing games, and has the largest installed base of useful applications (one of it's great features). If you have some obscure task you wish your computer to complete, it'll be there for you. Most of the system is easy to use, and most people know how to use it. It's security isn't wonderful, but unless you are an idiot, it gets the job done. In terms of stability, the core system is great, the main problem being poorly coded drivers which are able to crash the kernel and cause a blue screen.

 

Linux is great, if you know how to use it. It has incredibal flexability (it's main feature), and can do pretty much anything if you try hard enough or code it yourself. It's quite secure, perhaps the most secure of all the operating systems, due to the massive amounts of security audits done by hundereds of people. If you get it nicely configured, it will never crash. Ever.

 

OS X is great if you want a system that just works, has quite a few features out of the box, and is pretty. It's chief disadvantage is the lack of application variety. It's faily secure and stable, almost reaching the level of Linux, though still suffering from occasional crashes.

 

In the end, the best operating system is the one you want to be the best. Play games? Use a variety of niche applications? Use Windows. Love to customize and tinker? Need something that can fit just right to your needs? Use Linux. Need a system that's ready to go out of the box? Need it to just work? Use OS X.

 

So use what you like. Around here people just happen to like using OS X.

[wow]

FUD spread

FUD spread????

[bofors]

A fresh Windows XP install is really fast (try it yourself, it even boots as fast as OSX), but a 2 year Windows XP will be slow as hell, while OSX will keep the same speed as when you installed it for the first time.

 

I can even complain about this too, no problem.

 

With my father's Windows system, it far easier to just add another hard drive when reinstalling the OS than trying to pick through the "C:" rat's nest of {censored} to find his data and such. I am actually getting to ready to now add a third hard drive just for Vista and I had get an extra IDE/ATA PCI card to connect two older hard drives, each of which contains older Windows installations and scattered data.

 

I can also say something about my Dad's piece of junk Toshiba Pentium 4 laptop. This thing should be about twice as fast as my PowerBook G4, instead, because Windows just sucks it is twice as slow. So, we wanted to re-install Windows over Thanksgiving and guess what, "C:" was such a mess we decided to just copy the whole drive to another partition. So, I just went into Windows and tried copy everything on "C:". I mean, this should be a simple and basic task for any OS, copy the f***ing files, Bill. But no, not with Windows.

 

After chugging away for almost an hour, it finds some obscure system that it does not want to copy. Then it displays some ambigeous error message and stops the whole operation. Right, so it refuses to copy any more files, not like it skip the problem or something. Again, the error message has two ambigoues choices so I had to waste another hour to see it would continue copying if I clicked the other dialog button. I wasted about three or four hours with this {censored} called Windows until I remebered that it had backup utility built-in and just used that instead. Don't ask if worked, I don't know and frankly do not care.

 

This typical of my experience with Windows. I don't even use the {censored} and yet I get stuck dealing with it on a regulary basis because friends and family members use it.

 

How about this? Umm... why does it take like an hour or so to format an NTFS drive with Windows? Why do I have to pick through list of assorted laptop drivers and have to reboot the system some ten times when installing them? I mean, would it really not take Toshiba or HP like five minutes to write a script that downloads and installs all the current drivers at once? WTF?

 

That is the ultimate problems with Windows, it is infectious. The idea that {censored} is acceptable started with Microsoft and has spread to both hardware and software vendors.

[bofors]

the real question is: "WHY WINDOWS?" (if you dont need special software)...

 

I was just about ready to write the same thing, expect I was going to add something about that "special" software issue. First of all, if you are actually dependant on a piece of Windows software, you need to check out Monster.com or something, because either you or your organization is seriously screwed up. Second, with the switch to x86, it is now possible to run Windows with good performance on a Mac, so it is really no excuse anymore. Finally, programmers are dirt cheap and it is not like you need a Ph.D in computer science to write software anyways, if you need something, just write it yourself. That's what I do.

[wow]

Windows can stay fast too!

Becuase i try a lot software when i need something, need a video converter. I dload and install every softwareconverter i can find and install them in my dir software. My system gets full of {censored} that way. But becuase i do a rollback each month with restorepoints (standardwindows software). All the {censored}, changed registry settings, unwanted dll are all gone and mys system boot in 25 secs top.

A rollback cost only 10 minutes, and i can use some demo version again for 30 days :-), btw i would buy them if they werent 1. so expensive and 2 would last longer then 1 or 2 years before i have to buy again.