Macs

[Crises^]

Before I get started It is only fair to point this out.
I have never owned or used a Mac so this is really a question to people who have used a Mac(doesn't have to be some one who likes them though), Please lets not make this a flame war.

One of my friends is always on about how great Macs are and I wanted to see why so I went to their site.

Now to me alot of those statement seem like out right lies like the hardware statement for instance, I came to that conclusion by looking at the specs and price.

I cannot however speak on the OS or the browser or software as I haven't used one.

My questions are.

What aspects do Macs have that are better than Windows/Linux based Pc's
Why is the price so high for the specs they show does it come with stuff I do not know about.
What is the OS like to use.

Now I won't be buying one as I own a good pc but I would like to know why they are liked by so many people there obviously is a good reason that I do not know about.

 

[Pinkamena]

I can speak for the high price of the specs: They're high because they know people will pay up for it. They can often triple or even quadruple the price for certain parts like the RAM, because they know this is what people want lots of. It should also be mentioned that Apple (allegedly) custom-fit the OS to fit each computer, in order to minimize the possibility of hardware/OS-errors.

And the fact that Apple merchandice has pretty much become "fashion" in the tech world, a lot of the money you pay for one of their products is just for the fact that it is made by Apple, not necessarily because it's of higher quality.

 

[BringBackBuck]

I can tell you why I bought a Mac: because I don't know much about making PC's work, and Macs work much better for people who don't know much about how to make PC's work. People like these, whilst underrepresented in this community, are quite common in the real world.

Both specs and price are pretty much irrelevant if you can't make the machine work properly, i.e: given the choice to pay $700 for a PC that you get very frustrated using or $1,500 for a Mac that requires less technical know-how is actually a pretty easy choice.

It would be similar to choosing a car to buy if you could only drive an automatic and had the choice between a car with an automatic transmission and a much more powerful manual transmission car that was cheaper. It's only a saving if you are prepared to learn how to drive it, otherwise it's a complete waste of money and just a lump of useless metal sitting in your garage.

 

[Calibanbutcher]

Well, for one they really do look very nice.

They are quite easy to work with, the OS is quite uncomplicated, although it does not offer a great many options for customization and personalization.

They look nice.

They are quite durable. The one I have has worked for more than 6 years now and I even bought it used. In the same time, my father has gone through 4 laptops and my little brother has gone through 3 and now upgraded to a new gaming PC.

Both of them spent a lot more than I did overall, with my little brother going through more than 4 times what I paid for my Macbook.

And Macs really do look nice.

I need a reliable Laptop, for I have no need for a tower PC, and I don't know the first or last thing about building PCs, let alone laptops.

Did I mention that macs really do look nicer than most everything else?

But what really makes me want to buy another Mac is the fact that there are people out there who hate them with a passion.
The thought of getting a product I like whilst also enraging someone I have never met on the internet just gets me all giddy.

And they look nice.

 

[JochemHippie]

It deals with extensions better then windows. Where Windows will just plainly not open certain .xxx's Mac will always try to open them.

There's quite some editing software that runs better on them.

Outside of that they're overpriced.

 

[Crises^]

Ok so the census is that while over priced it is easier to use for non technical people which lets face it, is the Majority also the OS is less buggy.

The looks department is kind of a hard one though as yes Macs do look better than 90%(random number) of computers there are still some nice cases and custom build that look class.

Can you install the Mac OS onto a PC? as I would love to see what the differences are.

Also is there different versions like Linux where its taste or new builds like Windows?

And finally while the OS is less buggy what level of freedom do you have with it is it completely open like Linux, or is it like Windows where it is open but there is alot of stuff that you can't change, or is it even more closed off?

 

[Thedutchjelle]

Before I get started It is only fair to point this out.
I have never owned or used a Mac so this is really a question to people who have used a Mac(doesn't have to be some one who likes them though), Please lets not make this a flame war.

One of my friends is always on about how great Macs are and I wanted to see why so I went to their site.

Now to me alot of those statement seem like out right lies like the hardware statement for instance, I came to that conclusion by looking at the specs and price.

I cannot however speak on the OS or the browser or software as I haven't used one.

My questions are.

What aspects do Macs have that are better than Windows/Linux based Pc's
Why is the price so high for the specs they show does it come with stuff I do not know about.
What is the OS like to use.

Now I won't be buying one as I own a good pc but I would like to know why they are liked by so many people there obviously is a good reason that I do not know about.

Hi there,

I've used Mac computes for fairly much my entire life, while I've been using Windows since 2006 (and on a Apple computer).

To me, the interface makes a lot of sense. I've grown used to it I guess, but the standardization of hotkeys for most applications make it very easy to use. Also the oft-heard "it has no viruses" still applies - to this day I've never had a virus or malware on any of the Apple computers I've used. The OS also comes with a fair amount of applications pre-installed. Things like iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes etc etc are all installed when you buy an Apple. I remember I was frustrated beyond belief when I found out Windows didn't have Windows Office going with it.

The specs are nothing special. I know I'm paying double for what the components are worth, but I can't get a computer like this otherwise. Obviously I'm not stupid - components that I CAN install myself I'm not buying from Apple. For instance, buying RAM from Apple costs hundreds of Euros, while buying compatible third-party RAM is fairly cheap.
If you're interested in selling your computer second-hand, Apple computers retain their value a lot longer than PCs with comparable stats. I've never sold one of my computers on the second-hand market so I can't speak from first-hand experience though.


I'm however not an Apple fanboy (I used to be when I was younger, I regret that >_> ). I agree with people who feel it's overpriced, and when I saw that the new iMac has no optical DVD/CD drive, I raged a bit inside. But I'm to fond of the Mac OS to step away from Apple

Ok so the census is that while over priced it is easier to use for non technical people which lets face it, is the Majority also the OS is less buggy.

The looks department is kind of a hard one though as yes Macs do look better than 90%(random number) of computers there are still some nice cases and custom build that look class.

Can you install the Mac OS onto a PC? as I would love to see what the differences are.

Also is there different versions like Linux where its taste or new builds like Windows?

And finally while the OS is less buggy what level of freedom do you have with it is it completely open like Linux, or is it like Windows where it is open but there is alot of stuff that you can't change, or is it even more closed off?

Installing Mac-OS on a non-apple computer is known as a "Hackintosh" by the community. It's extremely hard because there are barely any drivers out there. Why would there be? Apple knows exactly the hardware that goes with their products and thus only builds drivers for these components. You can't just build a PC tower and expect it to run Mac OS, it's quite difficult. Windows (and Linux) can however both run on Apple computers.

Macintosh comes in different versions, but it's not like Windows with the Home, Premium and Ultimate crap. If there is a new version of Macintosh, it's the same for everybody. All Apple computers you buy new have the latest version of them installed, and users usually adopt the latest version fairly fast as well.

I wouldn't be able to answer your last question as I've never looked into that. I think a Windows kind of model applies - they closed or hid some of the advanced stuff, but aside from that it's fairly open.

 

[Crises^]

Before I get started It is only fair to point this out.
I have never owned or used a Mac so this is really a question to people who have used a Mac(doesn't have to be some one who likes them though), Please lets not make this a flame war.

One of my friends is always on about how great Macs are and I wanted to see why so I went to their site.

Now to me alot of those statement seem like out right lies like the hardware statement for instance, I came to that conclusion by looking at the specs and price.

I cannot however speak on the OS or the browser or software as I haven't used one.

My questions are.

What aspects do Macs have that are better than Windows/Linux based Pc's
Why is the price so high for the specs they show does it come with stuff I do not know about.
What is the OS like to use.

Now I won't be buying one as I own a good pc but I would like to know why they are liked by so many people there obviously is a good reason that I do not know about.

Hi there,

I've used Mac computes for fairly much my entire life, while I've been using Windows since 2006 (and on a Apple computer).

To me, the interface makes a lot of sense. I've grown used to it I guess, but the standardization of hotkeys for most applications make it very easy to use. Also the oft-heard "it has no viruses" still applies - to this day I've never had a virus or malware on any of the Apple computers I've used. The OS also comes with a fair amount of applications pre-installed. Things like iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes etc etc are all installed when you buy an Apple. I remember I was frustrated beyond belief when I found out Windows didn't have Windows Office going with it.

The specs are nothing special. I know I'm paying double for what the components are worth, but I can't get a computer like this otherwise. Obviously I'm not stupid - components that I CAN install myself I'm not buying from Apple. For instance, buying RAM from Apple costs hundreds of Euros, while buying compatible third-party RAM is fairly cheap.
If you're interested in selling your computer second-hand, Apple computers retain their value a lot longer than PCs with comparable stats. I've never sold one of my computers on the second-hand market so I can't speak from first-hand experience though.


I'm however not an Apple fanboy (I used to be when I was younger, I regret that >_> ). I agree with people who feel it's overpriced, and when I saw that the new iMac has no optical DVD/CD drive, I raged a bit inside. But I'm to fond of the Mac OS to step away from Apple

Seems to be that every Mac user loves the operating system I will have to see if I can install it on my pc as a dual boot to see what it is like. Now to find a free trial

 

[Waffle_Man]

I guess it's kind of fruitless to start out my post by trying to make myself out as being somehow impartial, but I should probably start with a bit of context anyway. I grew up in a household that had primarily macintosh computers. My first job was working for a small town ISP (a job that also entailed a fair amount of computer maintenance), which both gave me considerable exposure to the Windows and Linux operating systems. My first computer was also a windows machine. The computer I primarily use for casual daily use at the moment is a Mac. I can't say that I'm an expert , but I'm not entirely ignorant of the subject.

In terms of stuff that an average user would do, there are very few real differences in user experience. Aside from incredibly specialize software, Macs generally have either a port or a comparable alternative. The browser you are currently using is probably available for Mac. Most of the productivity software you use is available for Mac. Hell, games aren't even as hard to come by as they used to be. The biggest difference, however, is that Apple has really tight control over it's products. This would seem like a universal negative to a PC hardware enthusiast, but it does have a huge advantage in some areas. While the whole "Macs never have problems" thing is very much a myth, I will say that I have seen far fewer driver issues and other weirdness. Furthermore, while the general (but not complete) lack of malware and security threats on Mac Os does have a lot to do with its tiny market share, it also has a lot to do with it's Unix heritage, which I'm told is incredibly resilient when it comes to security. Lastly, the operating system is quite "slick." I could probably find a more in depth design analysis somewhere, but between the unified aesthetics to the fact that the system tends to have fewer problems with odd system prioritization, it's about as close to hassle free as I can find in a modern operating system. Emphasis on the "close" (more on that later).

Most of you probably know the major downsides of windows, so I'm not going to go into them. Needless to say windows has problems. However, the nice thing about windows is that I can fix most problems. On a mac, problems are either simple solutions, or they need to be worked around. God forbid you have hardware problems with a Mac, especially the newer ones that are pretty damn difficult to service without simply giving in and paying a ton of money for Apple to do the repairs.

The majority of the rhetoric you hear about Macs was probably somewhat more grounded about ten to fifteen years ago when Apple gave a shit about their user base. They used to have awesome customer support and were incredibly easy to service. Hell, many problems that seemed almost certainly hardware related could be fixed by restarting. Further more, the hardware used to be less linearly comparable to other personal computers, which made a lot of the hardware arguments make a bit more sense. Now, it's just rhetorical bullshit.

In terms of cost, it is 100% objectively provable that you can get a much more powerful machine than any high end Mac for a fraction of the cost, especially if you build one. If you can service it, have more patience than the average user, and don't mind solving an odd puzzle here or there, Macs probably won't interest you. Still, I can't deny that there is certainly value in the craftsmanship and solid experience that comes with a Mac. Macs also have a tendency to have less of a performance loss over time that plagues many windows machines due to constant performance robbing software updates (or at least they did in the past, I wouldn't put Apple above planned obsolescence these days.) Of course, cost is less of an issue when buying refurbished (which usually translates to "bought but never used") Macs, which brings their cost down considerably.

Sadly, Apple and Microsoft are moving in a direction that I really hate. Apple isn't just about being streamlined anymore, it's increasingly more about control. Microsoft seems to be running on similar logic with their windows 8 business (though I doubt that they will being doing away will diversified hardware any time soon). Next time I get a computer, I'm probably just going to stop being lazy and just move completely over to Linux. It has it's downsides, but it getting increasingly less "scary" than Mac OS and Windows.

Closing thoughts:

Stop using the two button mouse argument, it makes you look like a tool.

Porn.

This [http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=macs_cant] and this. [http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/01/30/39-apple-products/]

Post edit-

Seems to be that every Mac user loves the operating system I will have to see if I can install it on my pc as a dual boot to see what it is like. Now to find a free trial

Keep in mind that while the Hackintosh community exists, Mac OS is not officially supported on anything that wasn't created by apple. Thus, you're probably not going to have nearly as good of a user experience as someone using it on a comparable apple product.

 

[Crises^]

I guess it's kind of fruitless to start out my post by trying to make myself out as being somehow impartial, but I should probably start with a bit of context anyway. I grew up in a household that had primarily macintosh computers. My first job was working for a small town ISP (a job that also entailed a fair amount of computer maintenance), which both gave me considerable exposure to the Windows and Linux operating systems. My first computer was also a windows machine. The computer I primarily use for casual daily use at the moment is a Mac. I can't say that I'm an expert , but I'm not entirely ignorant of the subject.

In terms of stuff that an average user would do, there are very few real differences in user experience. Aside from incredibly specialize software, Macs generally have either a port or a comparable alternative. The browser you are currently using is probably available for Mac. Most of the productivity software you use is available for Mac. Hell, games aren't even as hard to come by as they used to be. The biggest difference, however, is that Apple has really tight control over it's products. This would seem like a universal negative to a PC hardware enthusiast, but it does have a huge advantage in some areas. While the whole "Macs never have problems" thing is very much a myth, I will say that I have seen far fewer driver issues and other weirdness. Furthermore, while the general (but not complete) lack of malware and security threats on Mac Os does have a lot to do with its tiny market share, it also has a lot to do with it's Unix heritage, which I'm told is incredibly resilient when it comes to security. Lastly, the operating system is quite "slick." I could probably find a more in depth design analysis somewhere, but between the unified aesthetics to the fact that the system tends to have fewer problems with odd system prioritization, it's about as close to hassle free as I can find in a modern operating system. Emphasis on the "close" (more on that later).

Most of you probably know the major downsides of windows, so I'm not going to go into them. Needless to say windows has problems. However, the nice thing about windows is that I can fix most problems. On a mac, problems are either simple solutions, or they need to be worked around. God forbid you have hardware problems with a Mac, especially the newer ones that are pretty damn difficult to service without simply giving in and paying a ton of money for Apple to do the repairs.

The majority of the rhetoric you hear about Macs was probably somewhat more grounded about ten to fifteen years ago when Apple gave a shit about their user base. They used to have awesome customer support and were incredibly easy to service. Hell, many problems that seemed almost certainly hardware related could be fixed by restarting. Further more, the hardware used to be less linearly comparable to other personal computers, which made a lot of the hardware arguments make a bit more sense. Now, it's just rhetorical bullshit.

In terms of cost, it is 100% objectively provable that you can get a much more powerful machine than any high end Mac for a fraction of the cost, especially if you build one. If you can service it, have more patience than the average user, and don't mind solving an odd puzzle here or there, Macs probably won't interest you. Still, I can't deny that there is certainly value in the craftsmanship and solid experience that comes with a Mac. Macs also have a tendency to have less of a performance loss over time that plagues many windows machines due to constant performance robbing software updates (or at least they did in the past, I wouldn't put Apple above planned obsolescence these days.) Of course, cost is less of an issue when buying refurbished (which usually translates to "bought but never used") Macs, which brings their cost down considerably.

Sadly, Apple and Microsoft are moving in a direction that I really hate. Apple isn't just about being streamlined anymore, it's increasingly more about control. Microsoft seems to be running on similar logic with their windows 8 business (though I doubt that they will being doing away will diversified hardware any time soon). Next time I get a computer, I'm probably just going to stop being lazy and just move completely over to Linux. It has it's downsides, but it getting increasingly less "scary" than Mac OS and Windows.

Closing thoughts:

Stop using the two button mouse argument, it makes you look like a tool.

Porn.

This [http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=macs_cant] and this. [http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/01/30/39-apple-products/]

As I built my own pc and have been since I was 15, love modding things and have done some coding and such, I don't like closed off things where I don't have control or can't fix it myself. Think after reading that I might give it a miss.
Have to say thanks everyone for their imput on this though as I wanted to see both sides with out hearing fanboy bullshit that most people spout out.

 

[Rawne1980]

I love macs.

They keep me dry when it's raining.

 

[Inconspicuous Trenchcoat]

I'm not a proficient computer user, so if I mention something that could "just as easily" be done on the other if only I knew about this particular hotkey or menu, I'm sorry.
I use a Mac Pro tower at work, and I use a PC with Windows 7 Pro at home (that I've put fuzzy wuzzy love into). My own PC has on okay Phenom II Quad core and my work Mac has 2 physical processors, 2 Xeons, so that fact probably is the reason for some of the opinions below.

What aspects do Macs have that are better than Windows/Linux based Pc's
Why is the price so high for the specs they show does it come with stuff I do not know about.
What is the OS like to use.

I'm not sure why non-techy people find Mac so much easier to use. Is it because common programs come pre-arranged on the dock? Windows is harder to use, but only by a little bit. Both the Mac and Windows behave pretty similarly for what I do on a computer. And you can pin all your programs to a bar on the bottom of your screen on a PC too. You can also make your windows for each program condense into the same program bar on the task bar, so it works almost the same as a Mac (I personally prefer an individual window for everything even if they're the same program, which is one reason I like Mac's window system less).

1 & 3. Umm. Mac is less prone to viruses still, maybe? I personally like Mac's file browser a little better than Window's. I think it's a bit easier to navigate and its search function still seems to work better than Window's. Mac's search magnifying glass icon at the top right of the screen seems to be faster and more accurate than Window's Start Menu search. I like Window's window behavior better, Mac's can be annoying, especially when you use it after being a heavy PC user. I really love the command-H (hide) hotkey that's in almost every Mac program. Hot corners are nice on a Mac if you can get used to them (moving your mouse to a specific corner of your screen executes a specific action, such as revealing your desktop). I really like in Windows that you can change the volume levels of individual programs independently, which, as far as I know, you can't do on a Mac. Macs only support a vary limited few GPUs which is annoying. No, Apple Store, an ATI 5870 is not the lastest and greatest graphics solution.

About This Mac is a lot better than finding Hardware Manager in control panel. Mac's harddrive manager is a bit better than Windows 7's disk manager, but only a little. From my very limited experience, Mac's Terminal commands are much more esoteric and difficult to remember than Window's command prompt stuff. I really like that you can easily launch multiple instances of a program in Windows, but on a Mac you have to use a convoluted Terminal command you have to look up on the internet. Then you have to use that Terminal command every single time you want to do it. I think Mac's System Preferences is much more user friendly than Window's Control Panel. Window's is more customizable than Mac. It's nice that on my PC I can make a second account but still have access to most administrator functions through password use, for extra security.

2. Using a really rough and quick price comparison to Newegg, I priced a slightly better PC (more RAM) for ~$800-1,200 less than the base model Mac Pro. But it all depends on how much the Xeons Mac Pros use cost. I don't know what model the Macs use, but I based my price match on buying two $1,000 Xeons (the most expensive ones, that matched the Mac's frequency, my Newegg search turned up). Mac Pro's have nice cases though, other than their expansion slots are cramped. Installing new harddrives on a Mac Pro is incredibly easy.

 

[BeerTent]

What aspects do Macs have that are better than Windows/Linux based Pc's?
Why is the price so high for the specs they show does it come with stuff I do not know about?
What is the OS like to use?

I am not certified. I am biased. Take what you will.

1. Macs are designed to be easy. They're designed so that you can jump on, copy the applications you want on them, and be good to go in a matter of minutes, instead of a matter of hours. They're flashy, and they only show the options that are relevant to you when you need it. There's no need for advanced options, and there's no need to manage hardware because the mac is designed to be one propreitary unit. Therefore, the user has no worries or fears when it comes to using it. If something happens, the Mac is more than happy to show you the solution, and if there's an even bigger problem? No problem. There's a Mac Certified technician near you.

2. Macs are expensive because they're often mid/high machines for the time. On top of that, Mac's are thin, and highly compact, which also drives prices up. However, we can only explain so much of the price. Some of it is branding. (Just like how less Froot Loops are more expensive than 2KG of noname "fruit circles")

3. From a technical support standpoint... Abysmal. Remember when I mentioned that it's designed to hide advanced options? There's also no registry, and no method to edit plist files by default. I have yet to find the Devmgr, and the control panel is restricted to 12 or so items, and you don't have numerous options to configure each and every little thing like you do in the Windows OS. You have virtually no control over your own local security policy, and on top of that, Compatibility is a fucking disaster. Macs aren't designed to work with everything, and Leopard's outright incompatibility with Flash 11 is a constant headache for me at work now. I know leopard's old (2007) but there are still hundreds, upon hundreds of people that use it. Students, I'll add.

Mac's push on propreitary equipment and software also screams anti-competitive. You want to hook up a 3rd party monitor? Too fucking bad. Buy our $100 monitor, or our $30 adapter. Want to produce something for us? Pay out the ass, or you'll never see the connector that goes between your equipment, and our popular ipod. While it's great that you'll get a simple, well designed machine that will run fast for years to come, your also purchasing the equivilant of a car that has no hood. You can't see what's inside it. You can't maintain it, or break it apart. And when you try? It hides like it's keeping a secret.

I want to be mac Certified. But I don't have the ability, because for that very certification, you need to pay out the ass, and buy a Mac. Their OS will hide from anything that doesn't have the right hardware, and virtualization of the Mac OS on a standard PC is understandably impossible.

Can you install the Mac OS onto a PC? as I would love to see what the differences are.

Also is there different versions like Linux where its taste or new builds like Windows?

And finally while the OS is less buggy what level of freedom do you have with it is it completely open like Linux, or is it like Windows where it is open but there is alot of stuff that you can't change, or is it even more closed off?

I'll edit these three questions in...

1. No. Mac's are designed for a certain architecture. Don't have an Intel? Don't have the right hardware? the OS ain't gonna work.

2. The Mac OS goes up like Windows. Every so often you need to pay something like $30CAD to update from Lion to Mountain Lion. Which is probably the biggest perk the MAC OS has over windows. While the hardware is expensive, you simply cannot argue with that price.

3. Look up, really. It is a lot less buggy, and you do have some freedom to configure a lot of basic settings, but again, from a TS standpoint, the user doesn't have much to go on.

 

[Esotera]

They look nice and are easy to use. This does not fit into my needs whatsoever, but a lot of people don't care about doing anything advanced with a computer.

Linux is for the ultimate in customisation, and windows is sort of inbetween.

 

[DoPo]

Can you install the Mac OS onto a PC? as I would love to see what the differences are.

Well, yes - the Macs are PCs, after all, and the OS got installed there.

But yeah, I see you've already had some Hackintosh replies - it's not easy but doable. What you might find easier, is to run it in a virtual machine. I believe, you still need an Intel processor at least, and there is a fair amount of tweak, but it might be easier than having all the right hardware and stuff.

I love macs.

They keep me dry when it's raining.

Lol, yes, I agree. They also find they look quite good, while doing so.

 

[DugMachine]

I don't like Macs. Don't like the overpriced hardware or the OS but that's just due to lack of experience with it.

If I can talk you out of buying one and letting me build you a good PC instead then I'll do it. I have a few friends who want to get into PC gaming and they say macs are the way to go.. -__________________________-

 

[AlphaLackey]

My city (and a few others in Canada) have authorized third-party Mac dealers. Go to one of them instead of to an Apple store, and they'll hook you up with RAM and hard drive upgrades much cheaper than Apple prices and install them for you cheap.

Part of what you're paying for is a brand name, there's no doubt about it. Part of it is asthetics. There's something about actually having a desktop made of metal that resonates well with me, as well as the ability to open up the door and look inside and see everything neatly arrayed instead of a demoralizing rats' nest of wires. Makes it much easier to clean now and then.

The superior (and cheaper!) OS is also very much appreciated. My SO and I each have a Macbook Pro, there's a file server on the TV and I have my tower. When there's an OS upgrade, I pay $30 once, not hundreds of dollars per machine.

One thing which is going to be very esoteric but helps some like myself: Apple has hardware-level C++ extensions for multi-threaded programming that are both very simple to use and much more efficient than open-platform solutions. Apple's GCD (Grand Central Dispatch) is as easy to use as enclosing code blocks in curly braces and assigning them to a queue, and I found the performance a hair over 10% better than OpenMP.

 

[Mordekaien]

As I used Apple computers all my life, I used to hate them when I was little young Mordekaien. All other guys got these awesome games, while I got.... nothing. Well, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, but you get the point.

Now, I keep using them, I bought my own one, that I use on my studies, editing images etc. and playing games. And I'm content with it. It runs as it's supposed to, Doesn't bug me, I can run programs and applications I need, or find an equivalent- and play newest games too, with a little help of Wine.

BUT

I agree that they are pricey, and I could just as well build my own PC rig, that was comparable, or maybe better than what I currently have for the same amount of money. So I think it's a matter of your own personal preference and taste.

Also worth noting is that when you buy a mac, the software is already included, so you can just run it straight from the box after about 5 minute setup.