Kodak wireless digital photo frame

September 18th, 2008 by Edwin in Audio/Video Gadgets, Digital Picture Frame
How much are you willing to fork out for a regular photo frame - $500, tops? Well, Kodak has upped the ante with a new $1,000 wireless digital photo frame just because it relies on OLED technology for superior and vivid image quality in 7.6″ glory, no matter which angle you view it from. That certainly makes it sound as though this device is worth the price, especially when you can fool people into thinking it is a regular photo frame from yonks. Some of the features and specifications of this offering from Kodak include :-

2GB internal memory
Built-in memory card reader
Widescreen display with 16:9 aspect ratio and 800 x 480 resolution
16 million colors
200cd/m2 brightness
30,000:1 contrast ratio
Source: OLED Display

Wi-Fi Watch

remember back in the days where Wi-Fi connectivity was something coveted, and you could have that smug look while sitting at Starbucks reading your favorite news online whereas everybody else had to settle for yesterday’s headlines with the newspaper. Since those early days, Wi-Fi hotspots have grown by leaps and bounds, and it can be quite a hassle to whip out your notebook just to find whether there is a hotspot within the vicinity for you to connect to. With the Wi-Fi watch, you don’t have to do that any more since it can search for the nearest Wi-Fi networks at the touch of a button within a 100 meter radius. Other features include a Chronograph, Countdown, Alarm, Hourly Chime, Dual Time and Lap Memory. This shockproof and water resistant (up to 100 meters) Wi-Fi watch will retail for £24.99.

calculator Spycam

From what I’ve seen of James Bond lately, he doesn’t seem to visit Q’s lab anymore. If this new Daniel Craig James Bond should ever drop by Q’s lab in the new film that comes out in November, he might be impressed by the Calculator Spycam.

Yes, the calculator Spycam is exactly what you think it is, a calculator with a miniature camera mounted on it. While I’m not certain whether the side is a good spot for the lens, it would be the last place most people would look for it.

In addition to the handy calculator, the Calculator Spycam comes with some other bonus features. It comes with a 2.4 inch LCD display for viewing, and it can store of up 2GB of memory via SD cards.

The Calculator Spycam has a 1/3 inch CMOS color sensor that has a resolution of 320×240. It should be capable of recording an image from up to 15 meters away, but the tiny microphone only has a range of 4 meters.

I guess if you’re not a spy, you could use the Calculator Spycam to see if someone is stealing your stuff. Of course, you would have very little evidence if someone happened to steal the Calculator Spycam.

You should be able to get the Calculator Spycam kit for about $173.79 from the Chinavasion website.

The Bourne Conspiracy Game review

This game is packed wit action form start to finish.
Rather than a straight video game adaptation, The Bourne Conspiracy is more of a retelling of the first Bourne movie. It doesn't have Matt Damon's likeness and the narrative takes a lot of liberties with the storytelling, but it manages to retain just enough of the movie's grittiness and action packed thrills to keep you going.

I personally thought the storytelling was little uneven, as it's rather stilted and the cutscenes do a horrible job of segueing from one level to the next. I also spent way too much time battling nameless grunts and fighting camera issues. And why the developers didn't put in an auto-lock feature for the gun battles was beyond me. There is a pseudo-auto target feature but it doesn't really work.



However, the game does do a few things right. The Unreal Engine-based graphics are decent and the hand-to-hand combat is ridiculously awesome. It's fairly limited-press and hold A to block, press and hold X and Y for light and hard attacks-but it's handled really well. The best aspect is the ability to launch a bruising finishing move once you've built up your "Adrenaline Meter." Activated with the B button, this results in a flashy animated sequence in which Bourne knocks out his opponents with a variety of moves, including the use of environmental objects. The meter has three tiers so if you build it up and activate it at the right time, you can take out a group of enemies in a very impressive manner.

The melee combat does get repetitive but it's worth it just to see the takedowns. There's also a vehicle based level that's interesting but ultimately forgettable and lots of timed-button sequences where you have to quickly press a specific button to trigger certain actions. It isn't particularly meaty or deep but like the movie the game is based on, it keeps the action moving at a brisk pace.Game not long enough.



PROS: Melee combat system is awesome; the gameplay definitely has its moments
CONS: Storytelling is uneven; camera and gun targeting issues; repetitive combat


Controls easy to use


My rating 7/10

what is the difference between full hd and hd ready

If you have figured out all the other terminology involved with modern television technology, I am quite impressed. Between HDMI, Component, S-Video, 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, Blu-Ray, HDDVD, 5.1, 7.1, 2.1, PAL, NTSC and oh, so many more elements of HDTV technology, if you have really got it all figured out except "HD capable" and "HD ready", then you're ready to be lead salesperson at Circuit City, I think!

Let me start with your answer, then I'll offer up a bit more information about high-definition television technology and related. In a nutshell: HD-ready sets have the HDTV program receiver/decoder built-in, while HD-capable sets require the addition of an external receiver/decoder needed to receive digital broadcasts. As I'll be writing about later this week (stay tuned for the link here) all television broadcasts will be 100% digital starting in 7 February, 2009, so if you have a TV that requires an analog signal, you will need a converter. Some companies don't want to admit that their TV systems aren't ready for a pure-digital television signal coming into the device, though, so they say that they're "HD-capable". Honestly, it seems to me that with the addition of a simple digital-to-analog converter (see DTV2009.gov) you could say that every analog TV is "HD capable".

My advice: it'd be insane to spend the money for a high-def television that was only "HD capable" at this point in time. For the same price, you should unquestionably be able to find an alternative unit that is HD ready, and skip the silly converter box entirely when the big switchover comes to pass in 2009.

While you're reading, though, a quick primer: North American television has a fast refresh rate of 60 frames/second (versus the European PAL format which works at 50 fps), but the way it does that is through a sneaky technology called "interlacing". Interlacing means that half the image is sent on each refresh, alternating between the even numbered and odd numbered horizontal lines of information. So you get lines 1, 3, 5, 7, etc., the a 60th of a second later, you get lines 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. Works faster than your eye can recognize the sleight-of-hand and the result is smooth transitions and smooth motion, even during action scenes.

Problem is, it really would be better to have all the image information each sixtieth of a second and you'd have an image that would be ostensibly twice as visually stable and attractive. That's what's called "progressive" video and each frame has lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. In the early years of television technology there simply wasn't the bandwidth to send that much information, but now there is, and more.

The result is that the default TV video signal is 480i, which means that your entire image is only comprised of 480 horizontal lines, even on a really big screen. Worse, it's still interlaced, so each frame is really only 240 horizontal lines of information. Not much when you have a screen the sprawls across 40-50" or even larger. (caveat: many TV systems can "interpolate" and artificially produce transitional information between lines, effectively producing a higher resolution image. This can also work with DVD players and is generally known in the industry as upscaling, taking a low resolution image and artificially boosting it to a higher resolution format)

This is where things get a bit confusing, because while 480i is the standard for TV signals, there are now signals in 480p (progressive, not interlace, but still only 480 horizontal lines), 720i (a boost up to 720 horizontal lines, but still interlaced), 720p (same resolution, but progressive), 1080i (high def resolution of 1080 horizontal lines, but still interlaced) and the holy grail of modern HDTV, 1080p.

All being equal, you want to have an HDTV that works with 1080p signals as that's true high def. Any model I've seen that does that can also handle all the other lower-resolution signals that are produced by various devices too, all the way down to 480i, the "old" format.

*phew*

I hope that helps you understand some of the core technologies with your new HDTV unit. . Sony Brevia 1080p 40" LCD TV, Highly recommended!)

iPhone apps Poker edition

With a continuous stream of cable TV Poker events, online Poker sites, and endless videos, books, and Web sites devoted to Poker strategy, it is no secret that Poker is incredibly popular all over the world. This week, I'm taking a look at Poker games for the iPhone. But instead of covering three similar games, I decided to give you some options for getting your poker fix, with three very different styles of Poker.

I should warn you in advance, only one of these games is free (with an optional paid version), but the other two are pretty affordable at $4.99 each. I think if you love poker as much as I do, one of these games will definitely become one of your most-used iPhone apps.


Watch each character for tells before you make your bets.

(Credit: CNET Networks)Apple's Texas Hold'em ($4.99) is an obvious choice and probably the one that's most true to the actual game of sit-down Texas Hold'em Poker. The one-player game pits you against several animated players, and each character even has specific tells, which might let you know they're bluffing. With the iPhone held normally, you get a one-on-view of the person whose turn it is, so it's important to keep an eye on players' actions during their turn. It seems likely that before long, you'll know specific tells for each character (amounting to an unfair advantage), but you also can turn your phone sideways for a top-down table view to keep the animations out of the game. I noticed some instances in which computer-controlled players played in a way people probably wouldn't in real life, but overall Apple's Texas Hold'em is a great game. It features excellent graphics, and you also get several selectable backgrounds, multiplayer support (as long as you share the same Wi-Fi network), and the ability to progress in one-player games to higher-stakes tables.




Use the touch screen to hold cards before dealing replacements.

(Credit: CNET Networks)Fat-free Video Poker (free) simulates playing Jacks or Better Video Poker like you would in a casino. Bet from 1 to 5 dollars (a "Bet max" button makes it easy to go all out) and try to get at least a pair of jacks to win the minimum payout. Hold cards from the initial deal and hit Deal to get replacements. The pay scale for every hand is visible at the top of the screen so it's easy to tell (and hard to miss) when you have a good hand. This free version is ad-supported, showing you a small ad every 10 games that is easy to skip. When you fill up your bonus meter by winning hands with marked bonus cards, you're taken to a bonus round where you can try to match two amounts to get bonus cash. This one is great for those who just want a fast-paced Poker game with a little variation during the bonus rounds.


Keep the dice you like and roll for a better Poker hand.

(Credit: CNET Networks)MotionX Poker ($4.99) uses realistic 3D dice as a method for getting the best poker hand. Play against the computer and physically shake your iPhone to roll the dice. Use the touch screen to move dice to the bottom of the screen and try to roll your way to a better hand. Along with an excellent use of all the iPhone's features (accelerometer and the touch screen), MotionX Poker offers some added RPG elements to keep you playing. Several sets of dice become available as you cross various thresholds in the game, featuring vibrant colors and different dice sounds. As your cash count goes up, higher-stakes tables open up to add to the challenge. An achievement system gives you gems as you progress through the game, but beyond collecting them, we didn't see any point in adding the feature. Overall, with great graphics, dice-specific sounds, and challenging gameplay, MotionX Poker is a great way to pass the time.

The Poker purist may want to stick with Apple's Texas Hold'em, but I found all of these games very entertaining. Whichever one you choose, let me know in the comments the one that's your favorite.

Mac v.s Pc

We all know the stereotypes. Apple’s popular commercials have painted the picture in stark terms: There are two types of people, Mac people and PC people. And if the marketing is to be believed, the former is a hip, sport-coat-and-sneakers-­wearing type of guy who uses his computer for video chatting, music mash-ups and other cool, creative pursuits that starchy, business-suited PC users could never really appreciate unless they tried them on the slick Apple interface. Then again, Windows PC enthusiasts probably think that Mac guy is a smug slacker with an overpriced toy that can’t do any serious computing anyway. Funny thing is, both stereotypes are wrong. With a 7.5 percent market share, Macs are no longer just the computer choice of artists and unemployed writers. (Apple is, in fact, the fourth largest computer manufacturer in the world.) And now, more than ever, the guts of both platforms are remarkably similar. Both types of machines use Intel proc­essors (although some PCs can be configured with processors from AMD). Both buy memory, hard drives and graphics cards from the same small pool of suppliers. The underlying operating systems have distinctly different flavors, but in terms of functionality, Microsoft Windows Vista and Mac OS X Leopard have surprisingly similar built-in multimedia, Internet and productivity applications.
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/tech_news/Apple_Wins_Ultimate_Mac_vs_PC_Abusive_Lab_Test';
Yet what makes the platforms feel so dissimilar is their approaches to these applications. Internet Explorer versus ­Safari, Windows Media Center versus Front Row, Photo Gallery versus iPhoto, Backup and Restore Center versus Time Machine—these system components from Microsoft and Apple are designed to accomplish essentially the same goals. To users, however, the position and movement of the virtual knobs and levers make all the difference. These things are largely matters of preference and style, but you can still make a reasonable attempt to quantify them, and we did. We tested two all-in-one desktops and two laptops—one Mac and one PC per category—and assembled a panel of testers with a range of experience and preference that ran the gamut from expert users to my wife’s stepfather, who, by his own account, had never actually turned on a computer. Our testers were asked to set up the computers right out of the box and explore the machines through everyday tasks such as Web surfing, document creation, uploading photos, downloading Adobe Acrobat files and playing music and movies through Media Center and Front Row (the entertainment software suites integrated into Vista and Leopard, respectively). Our testers were instructed to divorce themselves as much as possible from their previous technological preferences and rate their experiences with each computer’s software and hardware. Usability surveys are like taste tests—a useful look at the subjective appeal of a device. (Is it fun? Is it easy? Would I be happy to live with this thing?) But beneath their packaging, computers are data-crunching machines that can be run like racehorses. So the second component of our test regimen was about pure performance. Our computers were closely matched, but in the interest of full disclosure, we’ll spit out the caveats: The Gateway One PC had a processor that runs 400 MHz slower than its iMac competitor (not a heck of a difference in this age of dual-core chips), but it also had two extra gigabytes of DDR2 memory. In the laptop category, our Asus M51 had a 2.2 GHz processor, compared to 2.4 GHz for our MacBook. But the Asus had a larger screen, a more sophisticated graphics card and an extra gig of RAM. All that extra RAM may seem to give an advantage to the PCs. Vista, however, is a noted memory hog, so throwing more RAM into PC computers is probably less of a perform­ance booster for manufacturers than it is a new baseline hardware specification. Before we pulled out our stopwatches, we turned to two industry-standard, cross-platform benchmarking tools—Geekbench from Primate Labs and Cinebench from Maxon—to get third-party results. We ran both benchmarking programs on our Mac and PC desktop and laptop computers before our testers got their dirty little hands on the equipment to ensure that no confounding software could poison the results. These benchmarks are reliable indicators of performance, but the numbers feel somewhat meaningless to ordinary users. Which is why we created our own suite of tests to meas­ure the speed of everyday tasks. We logged boot-up and shutdown times, and launch times for the Internet browser and media player built into each operating system, as well as for common applications such as Microsoft Word and Adobe Photoshop. We tested how long it took for each computer to rip a CD and install a few big software suites. The laptops were forced to play the longest movie we could find (Saving Private Ryan—2 hours, 49 minutes) until they wheezed, sputtered and shut down. Finally, we put all four computers through a stress test. We ran three video sources (a YouTube clip, a DVD and an .avi file), DivX encoding, instant messaging, Word, Adobe Acrobat and a spyware scan simultaneously—then retimed our launch of Photoshop. The results gave us a clear winner in the performance categories, but the big surprise was how little difference we found in user preferences. Turns out, both platforms are capable and easy to use, but only one was the victor.





Reader Comments
532. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsK not gonna argue about how's better but i must say that ive noticed a few things - walk into any graphic department or company ? Macs ... any recording studio ? Macs ... digital DJs who play infront of hundreds sometimes thousands of people LIVE in clubs, needing to have a stable comp to run their software ? Macs ... k i dont even OWN a Mac - ive been a PC guy all my life but i have to say - somethings up when all these people trust only Macs ...or are they all misguided idiots ?531. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe prices surprised me as well. But here's the thing still: Who uses computers? The young folk. What do the young folk do? Play. Which platform is geared for play? PC. Who do the old folk ask for help when it comes to computers? The young folk. MACs mean business and are straightforward easy to use. PCs allow for experimentation, complicated extras, and young people just take PCs better to liking. Once they reach college age, MAC used to rule, but now college students do computer gaming where something as simple as a right mouse click is extremely essential. MACs are just no-nonsense. 530. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@526, You made your first mistake of buying a Mac, but don't compound it and buy the 3yr warranty. The 3 yr warranties that Best Buy or Circuit City or where ever sell, are to some degree a scam. First, they never cover the screen. The sells person will say they are all important, but really, they are not. The screen is the most important part that would be most likely to be damaged, but as I said they are generally not covered in the 3-yr-warranties of any computer PC or Mac. Trust me. Say no to the scam 3 year warranty.529. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsPost # 5050: I must agree. Someone commented, Macintosh/Apple is the 4th largest computer company. This is laughable. Think about all of the companies that make computers, Lenovo, Sony, Dell, Gateway, HP, eneumerable small custom computer companies. It is more suprising that Mac/Apple is not the #1 selling company. It just shows how "relativly" few macs there are. I was sitting in a class the other day, About 70% of my classmates had notebooks out on the table. You know how many of them were Macs? Not a one! LOL. LOL. The argument that Macs can run and PC program is bogus! I have found several small software programs that Macs won't run. Sure, the major software companies will sell software compatible for the Mac. But that is only the large companies. Not a hater. Just the facts of life. Denial seems to be in the eyes of the Mac die hards. Who never address the issue of the overwhelmingly PC market.528. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsPost # 5050: I must agree. Someone commented, Macintosh/Apple is the 4th largest computer company. This is laughable. Think about all of the companies that make computers, Lenovo, Sony, Dell, Gateway, HP, eneumerable small custom computer companies. It is more suprising that Mac/Apple is not the #1 selling company. It just shows how "relativly" few macs there are. I was sitting in a class the other day, About 70% of my classmates had notebooks out on the table. You know how many of them were Macs? Not a one! LOL. LOL. The argument that Macs can run and PC program is bogus! I have found several small software programs that Macs won't run. Sure, the major software companies will sell software compatible for the Mac. But that is only the large companies. Not a hater. Just the facts of life. Denial seems to be in the eyes of the Mac die hards. Who never address the issue of the overwhelmingly PC market.527. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI agree with comments 450 and 430 100 percent(READ THEM :) This has probably already been said. But how can you even think about testing when there's almost half a Ghz difference? I don't care if this is the multi core age or whatever. Of course the mac is going to beat out the pc for software load times. What.. in a 2Ghz machine 400Mhz more is 15-20 percent more processing power. I have nothing against macs, fact I want one, but this test is garbage.526. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsPLEASE!! I need some advice!!! I just bought a macbook a few days ago. I'm a student, and hardly working so this was a huge expense for me, but i'm trying to think of it as a long term investment as we've had our old desktop for aprox 10 yrs (time for an upgrade). I was recommended mac by quiet a few people, anyways...i get to the till and BAM $360 3yr warrany. I wasnt expecting that. they said at bestbuy to get the warrany b/c if anything goes wrong, its really expensive to fix. BUT alot of friends are telling me that since mac's are so secure, chances of anything going wrong are slim, and if they do should happen in the first yr with the mac warrany. this is alot of money for me, but should I take a risk and return the extended warrany? or keep it? PLEASE! i need some advice on this.525. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWell the Data clearly show that the mac is better then a Gateway Well no duhh the gateway is an overprice computer it bu no means shows that the I mac is better then all computers at that price If they were intelligent and used multiple platforms that ran windows they would if found that an HP or a dell of the same price would of stomped the mac into the ground my $600 laptop has the same processor and ram specs as that $1800 desktop 524. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI have used both Macs and PCs, and I prefer the PC. The price difference alone makes it worthwhile - I have 1.5 TB of hard drive space, 8 GB of RAM, and two GeForce 8800GT video cards with an Intel Quad Core Extreme processor. All of this was purchased for $2500, with a 22 inch monitor, a good keyboard, and a nice mouse. It's in a custom case. To get a Mac that could perform even close to that, I'd have to sell my firstborn, and sell my house. Now, I know the whole "Macs just work!" rhetoric, and I don't care. Me, I like being able to go into the registry and tweak my performance whenever I want. I like being able to play any game I want. Most of all, I like being able to fix system errors because, while they don't happen that often, they still happen, and I never have had to call Tech Support. Macs are just hype. Pure and simple. Anyone who thinks differently can compare specs with me, and we can see whose machine is objectively better for the price.523. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopswhy bother and make everything more complicated ....The fact of the matter is that PC's are design for business and general multimedia tasks such as internet and Mac are made for designers, artists and large files multimedia tasks. THE TWO MAIN FACTORS THAT MAKE THOSE DISTINGTIONS ARE THEIR OPERATING SYSTEM AND THEIR READING DISK ARCHITECTURE.....ei. (a Mac searches information within the Hard drive by using bookmarks mean while a PC runs a finding search through all ist files chronologically.) GOD BLESS!!522. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopswhy bother and make everything more complicated ....The fact of the matter is that PC's are design for business and general multimedia tasks such as internet and Mac are made for designers, artists and large files multimedia tasks. THE TWO MAIN FACTORS THAT MAKE THOSE DISTINGTIONS ARE THEIR OPERATING SYSTEM AND THEIR READING DISK ARCHITECTURE.....ei. (a Mac searches information within the Hard drive by using bookmarks mean while a PC runs a finding search through all ist files chronologically.)521. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis test is NO WHERE near close to being a good match to each counter part. 2.4ghz c2d vs 2.0 c2d probably non dual channeled 3gb mem vs 2 x 512s dual is absolute rubbish. This test is almost paid for by mac. Stop saying you love your mac and proclaiming that it's god. This website itself is proof that mac doesn't run anything but a fad. ALMOST ALL SERVERS RUN ON WINDOWS BASED SYSTEMS. You can't compare a custom built system with a prebuilt. YOU JUST CAN'T. Anyone who comments on the benchmarks on this website is a total dipshiet who doesn't understand what processor speed is for. why don't i use a 3.0 ghz quad core vs the c2d 2.4 ghz. 3.0 ghz gonna win though. OMG. I'm gonna cream my pants because a better processor is GOING TO BLOODY WIN ALL THE GOD DAMN PROCESSOR ORIENTED BENCHMARKS. ABSOLUTE RUBBISH. 520. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsOK>>> Let me start off by saying i am a 19 year old male... I just bought a Windows Vista!!!!!!!!!! Contrary to popular beliefs, Its not a bad OS!!!!!! If you bought a PC after a few months into 2008 then you should know this!!!!!!!!! i have tried a MAC and i prefer the PC. Reason..... My vista hasn't given me any problems. i have a tetra bit of hard drive space with 6 gigs of ram. A super fast Quad core 2 processor. All under 1300 dollars.... this includes a printer and a monitor. Now this is a PC made strictly for multimedia so all this power is necessary. Now i have a friend who has a MAC and does multimedia like myself. He always tells me how he wants my PC. as far as security issues, you have to update your computer every time a new update is available. this makes the computer more reliable. i also have BitDefinder total security 2008 installed on my PC. This program was Ranked #1 this year so it protects my computer so that i have no problems. My computer also came stock. no add-ons YET!!! This means when i do decide to upgrade, it will not only be the ideal powerhouse, it will be the computer of the century in ALABAMA. Thats right Im from ALABAMA. Peace!!!!519. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsi have used pcs for more than 20years. six months ago got an imac. believe it or not will never use a pc again518. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsPC user of many a year now, changing over to Mac soon after using a friend's for one day. Very exciting, my ner Mac arrives day after tomorrow! Sure, I can't play some of my silly games on the Mac, but I'm ready to make 70k per year using that Mac. I don't have time for games anyhow. Maybe lots of Mac user's also have a PC due to the love of HALO? Maybe, like me, the PC is just some leftover childhood after switching to the adult Mac. Seriously, I don't know what the hell so many people are using their PC for, could be something that works out better for them than a Mac (the two simply offer different things), but I don't really care too much either. It's enough that "I'm" happy with "my" decision. Can't say for sure, but anyone who gets really excited about which computer someone else uses gets a laugh or two from me. Hey, you Noxema feminine razor using bastards, I get a better shave using a dude's razor! We should probably argue some now... haha 517. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI used to hate Macs. However, after battling with my Toshiba for 2 years, I went out and sucked it up and dished out some major money on a Mac. I'm just your average young adult who doesn't know a darn thing about programming or anything complicated. I take online classes, surf the web, etc. No gaming, no video editing, nothing technical. I just wanted something reliable and virus-free. I'm still a PC lover at heart, but until I can be guaranteed that my PC won't screw with me anymore, I'm going to use the Mac. My Toshiba was a magnet for problems and I just couldn't handle it anymore. I love my PC but, dang, I loved my old car too that just wasn't reliable...had to get a new one though. I think everyone in the PC/Mac fight needs to get a life and argue about something a little more meaningful. Don't you have something better to do? Aren't there better reasons to hate people than which computer they prefer? I love both! Is that so wrong? By using both, are both sides going to now hate me for it? Get over yourselves. 516. learn the real factsi dont know why ALL of y'all are saying one system is better than the other. Yes Mac's run faster with their OS. But PC's are also better performance. they both have their advantages and disadvantages. when it comes down to it, it's all about personal preference. so all of y'all trying to prove one system is better then the other, SHUT UP 515. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsOK MMMMMMmmmmm I like so many people have used Microsoft window's WHY--Cause it came with my notebook computer As a noramal user--I used all versions of Windows 3.1-95-98-now xp Its still giving problems Its stiil freezing and crashing for ODD and Mysterious reasons-Which is'great for the guys I paid to fix it !!! Look at the bright side... Hey,Windows gives work to' people--lets be honest- It no longer rules -It's USE with Computers is a big monopoly--with-PC sellers like Sony-Toshiba HP etc.. PC sellers should change + should offer BUYERs a choice of OS systems ! WHY ? VISTA is one reason Its crap...go online read the horror stories.... !!! Microsoft has no new ideas and is building a inferior product.My next computer = Apple...at least I can use it for OS X Panther or Lenux.Ubuntu OS's Hey,Thats way cool and flexable---If you are tired of Windows problems and hype ! Go apple ! -Not a fanatic apple user a tired MS windows user ! -Michael J514. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe really cool thing about all this heated discussion is... after talking to people who have switched to the OSX platform, none of the, and I repeat none of them are willing to switch back to the PC platform. That in itself is telling. I switched after 25 years on Windows based pc's and the difference is amazing. By how people post their responses here, one can tell who has never touched an Apple computer. Don't be afraid, just try it.513. Meh...I don't see any Mac servers...or any Mac's working for intensive graphics design i.e. AutoCAD or the computers at Pixar for example...When you bring computers out of the toy world (home users haha) and into the infrastructure that supports our infrastructure, you will find that IBM machines are the standard. Even though Leopard and UNIX are cool, Windows Server 03 supports almost every webserver you utilize and most of the businesses you frequent. Take it from an IT tech.512. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsAre you kidding me you would put one of the worst over priced pc companies against a mac and than say that macs are better. Take an HP i guarantee you could fine or customize using their selection a better computer and laptop for less money. That's what I considered when I bought my laptop, and 'why I now own an HP better specs less money. This isn't an honest comparison this is a shit comparison...using a gateway... might as well used a palm pilot. 511. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsAnyone here that's praising pc's, i dare you to go into an apple store and try out a Mac for yourself. They have some of the major programs as pc's do (Aka windows, exel, ect..) and they do twice as much. In this test, they bought a $1800 PC, which is, if im not mistaken, an extremely pricey pc. Yet it still didnt mach the IMac. And Pc enthusiasts STILL claim that pc's are better? Most users claim they dont have enough money to get a mac, let alone an $1800 pc.510. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI used to be a big promoter of PC's until about yesterday when I decided to take a look at Apple's products for once. Once the next updates come out for Apple's products, including the OS which will update sometime next year, Macs should be the leading computer due to everything they can do, but ignorant people will still pin PC's as better. With Boot Camp the only reason to buy a PC is for pure performance. Software available only to PC's is opened with Boot Camp and it is a simple as buying Vista to go along with your Mac. Although it might seem like a better idea just to go buy a PC and not bother with having both you miss out on the Mac only programs, and most are very useful. Along with Macs' great performance for being entry level machines, for Macs that is, the ability to run Vista makes it have a great advantage... Also, OS X is a much better system because it runs faster than Vista and, as said in the article, has most of the essentials that you need. Normal people only need the essentials and that is why Macs are a great choice already. For enthusiasts, Macs are also a great choice for their now stock ability to switch to Vista or Linux if it is installed. But, for gamers and people who need high performance PC's are still needed. Unlike PC's, Macs do not have a great ability for customization of parts unless you go with 3rd party hardware. It is much easier to get high performance PC's with little fuss over finding parts and having them installed. Still, the performance of Macs are formidable enough to run games decently but it is better to be running native games on native systems instead of on a Mac running Vista. When it comes to laptops... Macs are already at the height of the pack. When the consumer level MacBook gets its upgrades it will be the best laptop for its performance, size and prize. As of now, you can buy the MacBook Pro to get a look at what the MacBook should be and hopefully will be. If it doesn't get the upgrades there is still the option of MacBook Pro of course but the price isn't perfect... Basic recap. The Macs are superior for everything except for those times when high performance is needed. With the ability to switch to Vista when needed, which is ONLY for the programs that aren't universal or don't have a Mac equivalent, they become essentially PC's that can run OS X. Except that in fact is an impossibility that way an can only be done, right now, for Macs going to Vista. But of course, as said before, people need to switch but it will be a long time before they gain a large share of the market. And there will still be uses for PC's due to the performance needs and Vista for Windows only programs...509. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@505 Okay, let me make it clear: Mac will never EVER close their computer division ;)! They are selling millions and millions of computers to Studios. Think of Hollywood... they ALL uses Macs with NO exception because their work is SO important that they need REAL machines to run their ENORMOUS special effects and etc. And IF you don't know, now Mac is the 4th biggest Computer producer ;)! That means TONS and TONS of bucks! So no, Apple's computer division won't close their door nor they will be sold. And if you want to know, Windows run better on a Mac than on a PC! LOLLLLLL A major fail from PCs! And why do you think Mac users have both PC and Mac? A mac for their important work and graphic application such as Photoshop, 3D rendering, etc! And PCs for the kids who doesn't know how to run something as strong as a Mac. PCs are like tricycle... they are easy to run, but you can do nothing good with it, and Macs are like motorcycle! You cannot start by riding those big engine! They are powerful, fast, accurate, tough! But you need some bases to run those. And plus, MACs users are usually rich... so money isn't a problem for them ;)! My two cents 508. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWhat I don't get is why a bigger screen is considered "better" in laptops. Sure it's better if your eyes are failing, but if you are looking for portability and battery life, which I thought was the point of laptops, then a smaller screen is actually an advantage. 507. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: www.twstudios.netHere is the reason I am going to get a Mac soon. I bought my HP Pavillion for about $1500 with everything you would need. I have had SOOOO many problems with my PC it's not even funny. Burning boards, fried chips, numerous viruses, spyware issues, monitors going out, all that stuff. That was all in the first year. Then, I get hit with the warranty issue. I have to pay for a one year warranty, why wouldn't I after all that has happened. That ran me almost $250!! Then, just before that, I had to get my spyware removed from Geek Squad because it's not covered by HP, which ran me another $300!! Now, my computer runs like crap. A Mac 3 year warranty is $350 and everything is covered. The obvisous answer, MacBook Pro. It may cost you a little more, but you will own it longer, less problems will occur, and it's a Mac. What more do I need to say? A PC may be cheaper, but why put $1500 into a computer that will last you, in my case, 1 year. It's time for a Mac.506. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@ 505 “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Yoda505. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI find it interesting that the Mac users are soo in the dark. They think they have beaten the PC beacause Macintosh came out with a "computer" (used loosely) that is faster than the top of the line PC computer. Yet, they miss the whole reason someone wise would choose a to buy PC. I have heard several comments from Mac users who compare their Mac to their PC. Every wonder, why do they have two computers? A PC and a MAC? If a Mac is so great why do you need two computers? Hmmmmm... Well, if you are lacking the insight, it is because of the software market!!!! Let me explain: Imagine yourself as a new small independent computer software company. If you have just created an excellent software program, you want to see a quick return on your hard work, and you have limited resources; Who will you choose to sell your program to? A. 5-6 die hard Macintosh users. -or- B. Millions upon millions of PC users (some actually claim to be a Mac users only because they have a pretty, colorful, macintosh they use as a paper weight at home too) LOL. Look at the market, honestly, just look at the market. The software market is a PC dominated. Let me say that again: PC systems DOMINATE & CONTROL the Software market. How often have you wanted a program for your Macintosh (paper weight) went to get it (from a friend, from a software store, from online, where-ever) and they only had if for the PC. - Don't cry, this is about healing. Just accept the truth. - Denial can be expensive. FYI, I have heard from close sources, that Macintosh/Apple have launched this major adverstisement campaign (probably funded this study everyone is commenting on). They paid "big-MEGA" bucks for television adds that bash PC users platforms and try to get you to switch to Leapard or whatever their crappy OS system is with a Mac. It is similar to a political add. I have actually seen a couple on TV. Anyhow, the short story is after spending all of this money, the return is not what they were wanting. Anyhow, ultimately, what I have heard was: this was the last push for the computer division of Apple, and that they are going to be focusing on the peripherals (IPOD, IPHONE, etc) which are doing much better on the market than their computers. Think about how many people you know that have a IPOD or IPHONE, now think about how many people you know that have a Mac or Apple, quite different, see. Anyhow, I have heard that they are likely going to sell off or close the computer division, due to the lack of profits. So, in the end, if you can afford both, get both a PC and Macintrash/Crapple (it might come in useful). But if you need to get only one, and you want to have the ability of purchasing, or downloading a wide variety of software for your system. To me, there seems to be only one wise choice. Here is something humorous: MacInTrash faq's How do you make a Web page compatible for Mac users? Use a third-grade vocabulary and no words with more than two syllables. How do you fix a broken Mac? Buy a Windows-based computer. What do a Mac and a bowling ball have in common? They have about the same weight, and the same compatibility with real operating systems and real software. Farmer Brown goes to the orchard and picks 50 apples. How can he tell which one is bad? It's the Macintosh! Can you run Windows XP on a Mac? No, to do that you need a computer. Why did the angry Mac user cross the road? There was a Dell store on the other side. What's the difference between a Christmas ornament and a Mac? About ten pounds. How many Mac users does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, if he can get to a library and google "change light bulb" on the Windows machine there. Apple claims that even a total idiot can operate a Mac. Is this true? Certainly! Who else would want to? What's the best feature of OSX? Auto-shutdown. The best part is, you don't do anything. It just shuts off. If PCs are so great, why are there still Macs? If health is so great, why is there still AIDS? Why do Macs come in so many cool colors? So people will use them for decoration instead of for computing. What does the Bible have to say about computers? The story of Adam and Eve points out that life is a paradise until you touch an Apple. How do Mac users make money? By buying shares of Dell and Microsoft (but not using an online broker). If you want to remove a diskette from a Mac for safekeeping, what do you do? Drag it to the trashcan and drop it there, as if you were deleting it. (This sounds like a joke, but it isn't. This is how the stupid things really work.) 504. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWhy is so hard for PC users to accept that mac is doing it better? Someone wrote that macs don't have Viruses because they haven't been out long enough. Where do you live??? Try learning about history and about how viruses work, then post. Macs are more stable, user friendly and reliable. I have a powerbook 4 years old and I still use it to edit HD video on site. Talk about durability. Not everybody with an 4 year old laptop PC can install Vista and if they can the computer will become unstable and slow because of the hardware. Therefore I feel good of spending a little more for a Mac that will last twice what a PC last. I also have a 6 year old G4 Dual 1 ghz tower and still runs avery program smoothly, on the other hand all My family's PC had to be changed every 3 years. There worst blind is the one that doesn't want to see. MAC KEEP THE GOOD WORK503. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWho buys an all-in one pc anyway. You could get a much better PC for cheaper than the Mac.502. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsOk, ok, everyone. Settle down. As several people have pointed out here, you all need to relax a little bit. I used to fight the PC vs. Mac battle, but I've given up. It's not worth it. Passionate Mac or PC users are not likely to switch based on the info presented in this article so it doesn't make much of a difference anyways. Just use whichever OS you use and don't worry about it.501. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWhat is bettr with i.Mac is its quietness, practically noiseless. That perfect. Outlook, word user: no difference Excell: PC much better Accountancy (software choice): PC better - top. Treating of Photos and digital films ((ex camescope) : What is better or let's say easier for "normal" users (simple use)? Screen: the brilliant screen of the i.Mac is a pain the "eyes" - once get's blind. - So the PC offers a much larger choice. The Keyboard of a PC is also better to use...even the mouse! It's like a car: with a PC you go everywhere, alone with friends and the whole relatives. With i.mac, you just dream...500. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsJust a question? You want to edit a DV-film(digital)and burn it on a DVD or CD. The PC offers various software(e.g. Pinnacle Studio, etc), I.Mac has its own plus finalcut. Who has dried it out and which one is better? As Excel/word the PC is surely better. Outlook (emails) all the same! The screen - brillant - you get blind on the MAC. 499. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: http://jericosystems.comPleas remember that although apple may be the fourth largest computer maker in the world, they didnt get there from selling computers but ipods. sorry but apple is the most overrated computer in the world.498. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsok, we all know that linux is an excellent os, virus free and reliable to everyone whos trying to find something different, inexpensive and with good support. the fact is that i am a linux user. I've tried ubuntu, sabayon, fedora, gentoo, etc. but average people want something easy to use and trouble free. A newbie user on linux will need to learn how to use commands in the terminal to install something or change whatever he needs to change. linux is great, but the community need to find a way to make os's visually atractive and easy to use. remember not everybody is a programer. And the fact is that people who want to buy a mac is because they want a good os, fast, reliable and atractive. macs are beautiful computers, also efficient. so if people want to spend 1200 on a mac it's their choise, so respect it.497. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsComparing macs with Vista is silly. It is like comparing a can of coke with an unfilled can of pepsi and then asking which tastes better. If they really wanted to test this, they would compare a mac with different pc's running both Linux and other oses. Mac users are just buying into another hegemonic company in lieu of Microsoft. I also think people who say macs are cheaper than pc's are smoking something (please pass it on!) I have never in my life seen a mac that is not at least 50% more expensive than a comparably equipped pc.496. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsfor the time macs are better but more expensive yet mac hasnt been out long enough to have viruses made fo macs specifcally and im actually and i am do for a new computer and not sure if i should buy a mac or pc im kinda thinking i should wait and see if mac can handle viruses in the next years to come i really need help here495. RE: Mac vs. PC: Everyone here needs to chill out. Comparisons like this are irrelevant for the same reason mentioned in this article's preface - the argument is too much like Coke vs Pepsi. JUST DRINK WHICHEVER TASTES BETTER TO YOU and don't hate on your fellow man just because they don't share your tastes. Take it easy, dudes. 494. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsIn defense of the desktop comparison, they did use a Gateway and Gateway sucks big time. Also I'd love to know how they found MACs cheaper or the same as PC, because I was interested in a MAC and all I could find were very expensive MACS with inferior specs when compared to PCs. Lastely, in defense of the PC, but critical of Microsoft, they tested computers using Vista. Vista could be the worst OS ever.493. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsCan somebody please explain to me what the difference between a Mac and a PC is these days? Before you think I've been living in a cave for the past 20 years, let me explain.... 8 or 9 years ago I could answer this question myself, but as far I know Apple moved from Power PC processors to Intel processors in around 2000, and thus I assumed that PC's and Apples henceforth shared the same underlying physical hardware (specifically processor) architecture. So in turn I assumed that there wasn't much difference between Apple's and PC's anymore (since they could use the same components from the same manufacturers). I thought that the only difference remaining was that Apples were physically manufactured by apple in their unique fasion (casing, monitors, keyboards, etc.) and that they where pre-loaded with Apple OS and software. So excluding the physical difference between a PC and a Mac, I really thought it came down to the operating systems? If my assumption was right, then surely the Mac hardware used in this test could be used to build a PC of equal performance? If my assumption was completely wrong, and there is more to the difference between the 2 than just software and cosmetic hardware, please enlighten me.... Thanks 492. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWell why would they complain if they had a Mac?491. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsgo apple!490. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsit annoys me when people praise HP . maybe it's me , am i unlucky? but i have sufferd a period of being a user of two HP laptops which where pavilions :dv9000 and dv6000(2007 eu models). some people even magnify the build quality of hps, which is drives me to swear on hp. my case was . both laptops were half a year old (in my idea thei wear bright new)(both laps not used as portable , both were 99% ON the table , sufferd no falls and hits) .but hp had an other idea in mind ,cus both were ment to last half a year and they did . both laptop motherboards burnt down when the 180~ days of minor use had pased.luckly got repaired by the guarantee service(btw :i heard several similiar occasions (whith hp laptops)when the motherboard crashed . ok - till now , a year have passed with hp ,trough misery. in a year of use (dont even think about using hp as portable ,especialy dvs.)hp is a wreck and no signs of build quality. my dv 9000-s lid is like a loose dick. one more year or an half and it falls off. the lids cover is broken and the hinge is detached frome the frame(im asking my self HTF? is this possible , but it is .HP (again , the dv was on the table, even the lid was closed rarely. the mechanism sufferd little of straining but it still gives up !?) only appropraiate characterisation to hp dvs (07 version , don't know and care about 08 models)is rubbish. had no good exp with HP . was appraised tht such rubbsih s**t can be sold out by any company. 489. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsSo if Mac is for gaphics and web designers what are pc's for? Nobody?488. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsYou can't use keyboard shortcuts on a MAC in word or excel. That is a massive headache if you want to drive spreadsheets at any speed. The mac is like kid gloves, aside from Dedicated music tech software, you have to do everything the slow way with a mouse. There are plenty of programmes that don't work on a mac, still, or cause compatability problems if you are operating in a team environment with a lot of PCs, eg. logmein, phone software etc. A mac can be a real pain unless you're just a regular joe who can only type 5 words a minute anyway, and only wants to surf the net or make beautiful pictures. macs are beautiful. but I want to drive fast and on a mac I always feel like I have the handbrake on. Anyone know whether you get all your shortcut keys back if you boot XP with a Mac system?487. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsEvery time someone posts an article like this, Their are always the pc fans who scream BIAS ARTICLE even though it is obvious that the tests were conducted using the the most similar systems, even in terms of design. 486. PC users complaindoes everybody realize that the majority of the comments saying 'this test is unfair!!!' etc have PC's........ nuf sed485. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsSorry but I dont like MAC because it is your opinion.. Not a fact! Therefore, I dont like VISTA and XP rules and PC rocks!484. Biased Comparison / ArticlePeople who say 'Macs are for graphic and web designers' are stuck in their ways and fail to see what has changed before them. Though maybe Mac's time will come again. That said, I wish there was a better alternative to Vista on PCs. Being able to buy a PC with twice the power of the equivalently priced Mac and then STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO UPGRADE THE SPEC, is an easy decision to make.483. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI have been in this business a long time and have used the PC faithfully for about 18 years. I have seen when Unix dominated, novell netware, windows nt, etc. All I know is when something starts taking the edge you need to consider moving to it or at least learning it. Sitting back running your mouth gets you no where in this line of work. I had a heavy competition with Novell guys who did not want me to originally switch our classified network over to NT. About 2 years later most of them were out of work. I knew a guy who called himself a webmaster back when the internet boom was occurring. He got a good job and made good moeny until web developers were a dime a dozen and he lost his job. I have been monitoring Macs for about 3 years and about 6 months ago purchased one. I then bought one for my mother and a friend, an iPod and a iPhone. Never in a 6 month period have I ever spent that much on new computer equipment but I it is because once I got past the hurdle of switching over I just fell in love with it. My kids want another one. I have 4 PCs of which everyone in my family will use, but they all love the Mac way more. So I will buy a new one for Christmas.482. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopspeople get so angry over pc vs. mac. No one is forcing anyone to buy a certain one. Just uses whatever works for you and quit your crying. Macs are better blah blah blah. Who cares? PCs are cheaper wha wha! If it works for you fine that use it. I dont care what my neighbor has and neither should you.481. Macbook vs. PCi have a better comparison in January of 2008 ibought a Toshiba satellite A-215 with windows vista i bought it for $850, it has a 250GB HDD, 2GB of ram and an AMD turion64x2 running dual core at 2GHz, it also has a dedicated video card. add $50 for some decent anti virus software, and that comes to about $900. 6 month later my friend spent $1100 on the basic macbook it has an 2.1GHz intel core 2 duo processor 1 GB of memory. i can tell you from using both computers mine is a lot faster, and in my opinion easier to use. The mac has better battery life than my toshiba, however the screen is 2 inches smaller.480. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWhat amazes me is what people simply fail to understand: If it works, use it - if you like it, go to it. What a waste of energy to insult others who - now listen closely - have nothing more than a personal preference. However... 1) Exploits do exist for the Mac, but they are few because people simply like the platform. 2) Computers are an appliance! They should suit our needs, not dictate our habits or choices. Choose as you will: tinker away, casual use, serve the world, game, it's your call! 3) Yes there are better platforms for other purposes - where would we be without the flexibility of competition? 4) While Vista was not built for the Mac, interesting that it runs so well. Why, if the PC is "superior" does it run less efficiently? 5) 480 comments... that's more than some Blogs will get for as many posts! This is some good PR!479. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopspoint to note is Apple manufactures its hardware for its own Operating System, but for the PC is manufactured by 100's of different people to run different Operating Systems like Windows, Linux etc... i like my PC with virtualization software i can run 5 virtual machines, listen to music at the same time, check my mail, watch youtube and write my documents on word if i like..478. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI just checked the prices on these and they are way off. Go to apple store and gateway online. The Mac listed here priced at $1249. The Gateway was listed at $799 without monitor. $1018 with monitor. That's the iMac for $1249 and the Gateway DX441DX for $1018. The Gateway I priced has a 2.2GHz processor (instead of the 2.0GHz listed here), which would also improve performance a notch or two. This review seems very biased. Check here: http://www.gateway.com/systems/series/529598003.php477. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe only way to validate performance is to measure how fast a system performs for the dollars. You can't use the same specs since Operating systems use components differently. For $1489 at Dell you can get an XPS system Intel Core 2 Quad 3.0 Mhz with 4GB Dual Channel RAM. This system will be a lot faster than the iMac. If you want the same specs as the iMac you'll spend only $809.476. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsLol, comparing machines that don't have the same specs in ridiculous. This test proves absolutely nothing consistent, not even price for performance.475. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsAnyone want to tell me where PM got a Macbook with those specs for 1.3k?474. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsForgot to mention Google, which uses about 450,000 servers which are x86 PC's running customized linux operating system. If Mac could do it better then I think they would have noticed and use them instead. I'll say it again: what machine and OS to use depends on what you want to do more than benchmarks and personal preferences.473. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI believe these tests to be accurate and show Mac has an advantage in many categories. But for the way I build and use computers the Mac is ruled out. My current PC was built at home from a hand-picked motherboard, processor , ram, video and sound. I spent a total of $340 to build it and it benchmarks well compared to these machines here. Show me the Mac that can beat my PC at the $340 price point. And I don't run Vista, I run XP and Ubuntu and FreeBSD (which OSx is based on). My headless web and file server is also home built and runs Debian Sarge with Apache as the web server and NFS+Samba file server with an X windows system that I can display across a network ( no monitor required to run this machine so it resides tucked away in a closet). The server has a RAID array for hard drive in case something fails I will lose no data or down time. Each machine is customized in terms of hardware and operating system based on what I need from that machine. Mac doesn't lend itself well to that application. Mac is good if you are a common user doing common things that don't require specialized configuration. The software I run is specialized meteorological software for working with GIS data and originally written for unix. Doesn't configure and run well on XP, Vista or a Mac. My point is that a better gauge is "what do you want your computer to do?" For some purposes the Mac is better, for others the Windows PC is better and for others neither is very good. Sometimes a PC running BSD or Linux is what you need. You can't benchmark that. For example Yahoo uses BSD to serve web pages. i think if windows or Mac OSX could do it better they would switch. But it doesn't fit their need so they go with what is best at what they need. At work we use PC's that run Windows 2000 or XP to run company-written database software. Mac is not even an option. If I was Joe SimpleUser that uses a computer for web browsing and listening to music and sending email then sure, a Mac is great.472. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI personally think that PM has made a mistake...the computers that they tested were not equal in any sense. The Mac was clearly the better computer hardware wise before the tests. Anyway, as of Security...it is just a matter of time until Macs are attacked by viruses and other. Apple needs to develop programs that can detect viruses and malware... its just a matter of time. Finally, how come Apple doesn't sell there OS for use on other computers...that would be the only fair test.471. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsNo one ever mentiosn the resale value. Take two 3 year old and similarily speced notebooks, one PC and one Apple, and compare their resale value on ebay. Apple wins every time.470. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsokay okay now for a real debate.... BATMAN or spiderman469. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI have both a PC and a Mac and I have to say that I enjoy the Mac much more. Though the world of technology may be catered to the PC there are so many things that a PC fails to do effectively. I can start my Mac, go online, listen to music, and write a paper all at the same time. I tried this on my HP Pavilion and the music started skipping then the thing just froze on me. Quite a dissappointment.468. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsTwo Mac laptops and one PC laptop at home. Guess which one crashes daily? Guess which one cannot be put to sleep because it will not wake up? Guess which one had to be worked on by the college IT department every year for issues ranging from viruses to fragmentation? Sorry PC. This scenario plays out every year, and there is no way a fast PC that has a virus or is crashing is faster than my Mac. Do you really think my 65-yr-old father could be using the same PC laptop for the past 7 years without incident? (OK, he did have a problem with some attachments... twice). Why does a local photographer ask me how to safely wipe his HD and reinstall his OS, his apps, then update all of them, the get his data back? Because he has a PC. Why does my wife restart her PC at least once a day, typically more often? Why does she get warnings about viruses and crash when she has more than a few apps running? She has a PC. Why does my daughter finish her homework on her Mac laptop instead of using the school's computers? The PC ate her homework. Are there really people and companies out there who haven't looked into ROI between the two? Does the HS policy of replacing PCs every 2-3 years (they try for three, honestly they do) make any monetary sense? Compare that to the 6-yr-old Mac lab. Hmmmmmmm. Tough decision, eh?467. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsDid I miss something here in this article. Upfront the testers state this regarding the actual specs of the laptop: "In the laptop category, our Asus M51 had a 2.2 GHz processor, compared to 2.4 GHz for our MacBook. But the Asus had a larger screen, a more sophisticated graphics card and an extra gig of RAM." However, when you look at the specs on page where mac is proclaimed the victor, this is what is stated for the Asus Specs: "15.4-in. screen, 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB DDR2 RAM, 250 GB hard drive, ATI Radeon HD 2400 graphics card, 8x CD/DVD burner, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi." Note now that despite what was said initially, the Asus has a gig less of RAM rather than a gig more. Here's the specs at the end for the macbook: "13.3-in. screen, 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo (Penryn); 3GB DDR2 RAM, 160 GB hard drive, 8x CD/DVD burner, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi." So is this a typo or does the mac actually have a faster processor, a smaller screen and 1 gig more RAM? The mac better win if that is the case. However, these specs are contrary to what was stated initially in article regarding full disclosure of the specs. 466. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsMac, for the win. :D465. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI've used a PC in the past and now I use a Mac. I'm not big on the specs.. the Mac simply works better. I've even converted my father, an IT director who uses mainly IBM equipment, into a Mac appreciator. Until something better comes along, I'm sticking with Mac..464. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe PC defenders doth protest too much. The test is valid, but the Asus should have been a Dell. The interesting thing is that Apple sells almost exclusively to both ends of the sophistication range: the clueless and the Uber-User. The reason for that is simple: both groups just want it to work. Web developers and other techsperts are past processor architecture and frontside bus speed. They just need it to work, well and consistently, and Apple crushes on those metrics. It's the dorks who know a little and get their designer briefs all in a wad about specs (say, most of the authors above) who are really lost. Who drives Toyotas & Hondas? The mechanically clueless and actual auto mechanics. Who drives Saabs? Engineer types who read about the glorious technological history of the brand. When the tranny crunches at 60k miles, they still won't recognize the old saying: a little knowledge is dangerous.463. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: http://techbangla.netMacs not only suck, they suck a lot! buncha dumb kids whose got rich daddies to buy them pretty looking round machines that are useless for practical purposes. all they want to do is show off, look at me, i have a mac. yah. whatever. if macs are so friggin great, why aren't they dominating the planet? osx is the best os, why even make bootcamp to put such a trash like xp or vista eh? fact is...as much as steve jobs worshippers like to think, osx isn't a real world business operating system. SWALLOW this fact. let me know when virus writers start writing for macs. only then you can be elevated to real world community. ur so pathetic, nobody cares. until then.. stfu and don't spread misinformation. 462. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsok really. that wasn't even competition. look at the numbers. the testers picked a pc that clearly had less power than the mac to stack the results. you also have to notice that there are way more software porgrams for pcs than for macs. only a few brands make software that are compatible with both, like for instance, if you go into a computer superstore, you might find software that says "Mac Edition" on it. most of the software that computer stores sell are not for apples. macs are also not as straight forward as many people think. the majority of people that believe the mac vs pc ads think that mac computers are user-friendly and common-sense based. however, the majority of YOUNG people (teens till late 20's) find that the no-nonsense naming and labeling of computer applications are much easier to follow. and the last thing i have to say, if you are a person who likes to tinker and upgrade, i'll just point out that macs are nearly impossible to open up and fit more stuff into. they just don't have the room and the slots to fit extras into. 461. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsHere we are again. The infamous battle between Mac and PC. This hot topic has seen something of a resurgance in popularity over the last few years. This is probably due to Apple's growing market share in the industry. One fact has remained constant over the years. Both Microsoft and Apple release competently programmed Operating Systems with similar look and feel. They both perform the exact same kind of functions, and the public at large is split over the two. So then, what is it that keeps Mac on the bottom. Proprietary hardware and cost, which are very closely related. Mac is still just way to expensive for the average person. I for one have a serious problem dropping $1000 on a mid to high end home PC. Let alone $2900 for a mid to high end Mac. This is changing a bit as Mac Clones have started popping up for MUCH lower costs. So, what is a person to use as a determining factor for what type of system to purchase? I say security. Microsoft has a well known and extensive history in dealing with PC based security threats while Apple does not. I would wait a while before jumping head first into the Mac pool. Let Mac figure out how to deal with spyware, adware, viruses and worms before you run out and get one. Same thing goes for Linux based machines. All malware has its preferred host and as the market share moves from one company to another so will the host preferance. 460. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsDudes its final macs are superior face it. I have benn using a pc for 2 years and i got virus and crashes and freezes and everthing and i was a simple user i was afraid of pop ups. since i got my mac i was relief Better interface and faster user friendly virus free and i have all the applications that i used to have on xp-vista and so that u know by using a program i can play games like call of duty 4 which indicate only for vista use. I have nothing more or less to say459. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe interesting thing, and some others have touched on it, the Mac IS a PC now ever since the decision by Apple to use Intel processors within the last few years. The only difference now is that Apple keeps their Mac OS exclusive to their machines. I've been wondering why Apple doesn't take this restriction away and make Mac OS available to the huge market of PC owners. Mac OS could compete against Microsoft Windows and then we could see an interesting battle. Of course, this would relegate Apple and the Mac to "just another PC manufacturer", albeit one who provides good component selection, quality control, and customer service, but they would just be another Dell, Gateway, or HP and this would diminish the Apple brand. So we can continue to have this Mac vs PC argument continue to play out, because Apple needs it to, but it really is a fallacy and a moot point. Unmask the Mac and you'll find a PC.458. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis is really sad. You call this a comparison? I did my own check on the systems and here is what I found. iMac CPU - Penryn 2.4 GHz C2D L2 - 6 MB FSB - 1066 Mhz RAM - 800 MHz GPU - ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB of GDDR3 memory Gateway one CPU - Mobile T7250 2.0 GHz C2D L2 - 2MB FSB - 800 MHz RAM - 677 MHz GPU - ATI Radeon HD 2600XT 256 MB Next time, lets try a closer comparison okay? 457. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI've used many PCs, including HP, Dell and Gateway. The only PC that can even remotely compare to a Mac is an HP, which still isn't even half the computer a Mac is. Overrall, Macs are superior. If you're into graphic design, web design, video editing and music production, you, too, will prefer Macs. Even if you just need a computer for typing word documents and surfing the web, a Mac will be better. Why are Macs better for basic computer users? That's simple: the Mac OS X is built on a UNIX foundation which ensures security and resists crashes. Also, unlike most PC-only users tend to believe, Macs can run MOST games.456. This is actually sadThe sad part is that my 2004 Dell with a 2.4 ghz single core Intel Celeron with 512 mb ram running XP SP2 launches Firefox 3 in 2.42 seconds. Faster than both those top of the line machines launched their respective browsers. This just goes to show the power of Firefox and XP455. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsExcuse me, but did anyone take notice to the Pepsi can and the Coke Can in th e image? It is a well known misconception that mac user like Pepsi, I think PM got it all wrong! We like Coke better!454. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWhy the hell did PM choose the worst PC's to test against Mac's latest lineup? This test doesn't prove PC vs Mac, this test merely tested Gateway vs Mac and Asus (a very poor machine, anyway) vs Mac. Perhaps if the author did any notable research, appropriate comparisons could be made, especially with the cost department. Finding a cheaper, more comparable PC really isn't that difficult. Also, what I failed to notice is heat dissipation and the effect heat made on performance. Due to Mac's addiction to total integration, heat can and will cause much more problems than what a TYPICAL, fan-driven desktop PC will. It has also been noted that the "Overall" star rating is flawed as the literal average of the star ratings actually favors the Asus (which is quite a blow against the Macbook). Let me know when more respectable journalism happens for this topic.453. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsas a rebuttal to the whole "vista can run 16 GB of RAM while Leopard can run 32 GB", what's better, your 32GB of 800 MHz DDR2 RAM, or my 16 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3?452. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe Mac wins. Period. I've used both for designing, specific applications, games, and day-to-day surfing and document creation. The Mac is superior. Mac support is wonderful, the product is reliable, and if you want your Vista, that will run on it as well. 451. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsIronically, I was reading this online article using a pc running Internet Explorer. When I went to page three, it locked up. I then opened it with Safari and read the whole article with no problems. I've used pcs and Macs in the past and my next desktop or laptop will be a Mac.450. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: pending I really shouldn't even comment on this because I am only giving this "comparison" credence, and in doing so I’ve accomplished PM goal of getting people to the site, so well done I’ve taken the bait and wrote a comment that no one will read. I would have hoped that they would have a least taken the time to find more similar computers to do a actual test. I thought you people knew the basic scientific method. In reality I guess it is impossible to accurately compare them and you never will. To the guy who wrote #448, Apple will win the high end comparison because Leopard can utilize 32GB of RAM and Vista caps at 16GB. Before all the Mac fan-boys start ranting let me say that no one in any way shape or form needs a home consumer computer with that much. On the computers compared, they should have looked into what Intel chips were used in those machines. Don’t skim over it with some junior high newspaper hack line like “The Gateway One PC had a processor that runs 400 MHz slower than its iMac competitor (not a heck of a difference in this age of dual-core chips), “What are the Bus sizes? What about the L2 cache differences? Consumers who buy these computers research them and they use articles like this to do it. The laptops are an even bigger matter, the battery died on the ASUS first because the processor in it was a 65nm Intel while the Apple had a 42nm Penryn. It is also using a 13 inch screen while the ASUS is using a standard 15.4. Now as everyone knows, or should know, or should have been told in the article, is that the biggest drains on a laptop battery are. . . . the LCD, the processor, and the DVD drive. With the ASUS hardware at a glaring disadvantage in 2/3 categories, of course it lost. What else should be known is that the start times for the non-Penryn Macbook are well below the ASUS in most all of the categories, again something that seems to be skipped in the final assessment and given nothing more than a link that no one clicked in the article. Owning both a 2.4 Macbook and a self-built gaming PC (running Vista, and running beautifully), I can say that beneath the veneer that used to be a highly respected publisher, is nothing more than a Apple advertisement veiled as a legitimate study. I can only hope that Apple itself had nothing to do with this or I will be very ashamed even own my Macbook or Ipod. 449. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsSo I got thinking about this review after I was looking at the EEE PC which many users say runs vista faster then linux. Then I remembered my friends mac book failed and the HD was like $50 more... It was a Hybreed drive. This makes sense why they boot and shut down so quickly, even running other OS's. Don't hate the OS, Hate the PC. Microsoft tried to do HCL to force Manufactures to make/ use better products and people threw a fit, but this is where Apple has the advantage, they sell the hardware. You don't go out and buy a Microsoft computer, you buy some POS/PC and put Microsoft's OS on it. Personaly if it needs to work I just put XP on it, we'll see about Windows7. It would be interesting to see PM set up a PC with flash drive for boot. then do the compareson again... PC manufactures should have thought of this a long time ago and worked it out. 448. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsTo all who complain the test isn't fair because the Gateway One is louse and sony is the best and fastest manufacturer and that PC's can be customized so much etc etc to finally beat the iMac. Dudes, let's face it. If you start going that way you'll end up with a PC that may be faster but is still running windows i.e. a porsche with a VW engine. And if you do that, the Mac users will say: Hey, but than we'll have to take a Power Mac with the 8 core, the 3000 dollar Nvidia 5400 card etc etc. You have to take comparable machines and that's what this test did. And okay, the 200Mhz speed advantage the iMac had won't make out 50% of speed differences. Take boot and shutdown times alone. Don't think clock speed will change much. I worked 10 years on windows PCs. From v3.0 to Vista. I was then forced to switch to Mac because of company policy. At first I thought: "you frakkin' buggers!' because I had a new Dell Inspiron of over 4000 grands! Butl the only thing I regret is that I didn't switch earlier. From that time, I aven't had any stress anymore. No more cursing because this app crashes and the machine gets slow at the end of the day. No more rebooting when installing apps, forcing me to close other applications etc. The user interface is so easy. You get the same done in way less mouse clicks. Believe me, your productivity rate increases to my guess at least by 100%, yes that's double. I don't consider myself a windows hater and a mac lover. I am an IT professional with around 13 years of full-time experience on almost all domains in that sector. This, I say simply out of experience, not out of a desire to insult windows users or so... It's just the truth. Sorry if that makes some people feel worse. No, a Mac isn't perfect. Certainly not. But it comes close to it. Windows on the other hand...447. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI would say this test is bogus because Macs are *generally* used by the not-so computer savvy people. They buy a Mac because "it just works". PCs are usually bought from your local electronics store and offer reasonable performance. In the more recent years, many people have now begun to build their own PCs, something unavailable within Apple as far as I know. For example: I built a PC about 6 months ago for about $900 CAD. It has; 2.67GHz C2D, 2GB DDR2, 320GB SATAII HD, nVidia 8600GT, running Windows XP Pro SP3. I'm quite confident it would outperform that iMac as it outperforms my cousins 24" iMac. I am positive it would outperform that Gateway because like all prebuilt PCs, it is overpriced. The bottom line is that it comes down to preference. PCs are less user friendly and have much more legroom for things like usability, upgrades, applications, and longevity. Macs are more user friendly, boasting features like easy interfaces, bundled software pre-installed, and a virus-free environment. It just so happens that I know a thing or two about computers, so I saved some money and got a PC. Each are capable of the same things more or less, with price tags that can vary drastically on both sides depending on how you go about purchasing your computer.446. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis is hardly a fair test. The Mac was higher spec'd than the laptop. 3gig of ram compared to 2gig in the laptop. And the processor speeds were just as bad. The mac was bound to be faster. It was a faster machine to start with. Go and do the test using a pc that is equally spec'd as the mac445. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsthis is not right! how u going to compare windows to mac platform using a gateway as a windows machine?. if u use sony vaio pc`s the result wold be away diferent. sony is the best windows pc manufacturer.444. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsBoth systems may have some merit but I have to tell you after being in IT for a number of years, the Macs ARE a better system for the typical home user. I work on Windows systems all day and it’s so nice just to get home and have a system that works for me, rather than me working for it. I’ve used Macs since 1991 and have only had to reinstall the OS once in all those years. Yes, at first Macs can be a bit more expensive, but they generally have a longer life and come with usable software instead of trialware. PCs typically need a little bit more handholding, cleanup, and re-configuration from time to time to keep them running at their peak.A I know lots of people that have reinstalled software, lost files, and spent hours on the phone, or taken it to a shop to get their system running again. The user’s time is worth something. If you figure all that into the equation you’ll find that the Mac is cheaper overall. I can understand that how the builders and gamers would want the PC because they can customize it more than you can Mac, but again, this is not the reality for a typical home user. They don’t know how to do it, nor do they want to do it. Joe Homebody just wants to type their letters, create their e-mails, surf the Internet, balance their checkbooks, sync their iPods, and load their photos. For them, the Mac will do a better job than a PC with a lot less headaches. A Mac just works. Over the years I’ve talked lots of people into buying a Mac versus PC and 90% are glad that I did. Many that ignored my suggestion have come back to me saying that the next one will be a Mac because of the problems that they had. I suppose that once Macs have 20% or more of the sales, hackers, virus creators, and spammers will be putting their efforts into damaging Mac systems as well as PCs. However as of now, that’s not the case, so take advantage of this hacker oversight and enjoy your Mac. 443. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: www.designsbytj.netThe test is bogus for a few reason. It is a fact that a pc with a slower cpu and more ram will out perform a pc with a faster cpu and less ram. On a laptop Vista is already using Close to 1GB of ram when other applications are installed. The asus has a dedicated video card not an integrated one. Meaning it will pull more juice from teh battery to perform than an integrated one. What was the drive spin speed, seek times, etc. The fact is teh Mac isn't better than a PC bec it is a PC. The only difference if the OS and how Apple found a way to eliminate a few bottleneck. As a PC zealot I can say that teh idot who says MS owns 95% of Apple is not a fact. The fact is as long as your computer does what you want thats what makes it better. I am a IT Tech and there is nothing wrong with Vista. Most issues that ppl have on Windows isn't even Windows related it hardware related. If MS made there own PC like Apple did they could better make sure teh hardware is certified an compatible. Most ppl who have issues have them bec a they download illegal softs, open crappy email, look at porn and all that other stuff that causes havoc. I use Windows with nothing more than a firewall. I have never had a virus other than a few macros that aren't viruses at all. I don't have spyware issues and the like. Most ppl create those issues on there own. PC and Mac are what they are. Windows has an advantage simply bec IBM choose to clone the PC and Apple didn't. Windows basically cloned with teh PC. Good for us sucks for Apple. We all know that the reason Apple is still in existance is bec public enemy #1 saved your life. And no one else even offered to do so. When Apple was dying I didn't see any company offering to buy them. I wonder who would be willing to buy Microsoft if they ever got into that position. The world will never know bec they aren't going to for a very long time. But it can and it will happen just not for most of us to see and it won't be by Apple. And it sure won't be Linux. It will probably be Sun. Most of Windows other issues is that hackers have nothing to do but try to find holes. All software has them. But who cares about hacking an Apple when only 2 million ppl will be effect when you can go big game and shut down 1/2 the world... Arguing about which is better is as stupid as 2 ppl in jail fighting over who did the worse crime to get in their. Its pointless. Windows is nin fact better than Mac OS on one level and it is that it is available and is affordable for everyone...not s pecial few. Yes Apple has a few low cost machines. Look what you lose tho. Even if you spec them totally identical we all know a mac will perform better. but who cares seeing that there is mich to buy to run on it. PC has 100 times teh appz and way more choice. you have more choice in hardware bec with pc's you ahve the option to build your own. Something you can never do on an Apple. There shouldnt be a debate simply bec it doesn't matter. The fact is you buy what YOU like and what works for YOU. What works for YOU doesn't work for ALL. Simple. You dont have to be good at everything and MS needs to learn that. I see it as if Mac OS was so great Windows shoudl have stood a chance even without cloning the PC. Mac weren t selling even before Windows existed. The Apple II actually to me was better. The MAc then and is now especially an overpriced PC. not on all levels...yes they have gotten better. But is it wasn't for MS...they wouldnt even exist. bec there product wasnt even good enough to save there own neck. In fact they couldnt even survive on Mac sales alone. But I bet MS can survive on just Windows sales. In fact Microsoft can stop selling everything they do and just sell Windows and Apple can continue to sell everything they had then now and soon and they still would never pass MS. God what a gap.Bigger isn't always better we all know that. Some of teh best things come from smaller companies. Less pressure overhead the like. Apple is one of them. They make awesome products...better than MS? sure in some ways...Just not in teh one that matters most. Sure maybe MS got a bit lucky and twisted some arms including Apple's. But here is a metter of fact...if you in fact the best no one can ever touch you. Apple will never be able to touch MS. Hello Big Brother...Just liek in 1997 just like in teh movie. Bill runs this show not forever but MS will be around at least another 30 yrs...Wasn't Apple there first. Pole Position...now i want to be more sarcastic. MS is so far ahead of Apple...that MS could stop doing business for 10 yrs...and Apple still wouldn't have 50% of what MS has...thats sarcasm...442. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis test is bull. my HP DV6700 cost me 900.00 and can blow that macbook out of the water. it has double the specs and most important a dedicated graphics card (geforce 8400 256mb dedicated). the only way your macs get a halfway decent card is if you upgrade them to a macbook pro running a geforce 8600. AND the gateway FX edition laptop i just ordered has a geforce 8800M GTS, 512mb dedicated. Mac throws a 100.00 graphics card in their machine gateway throws a 300.00 card in theirs. im sorry whos making the better product? Steve jobs is turning apple into a social movement. Do you know why microsoft doesnt come up with any ads? A. they own 95% of the stock in apple, and B. THEY DONT HAVE TO!! they control over 90% of the market!441. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWhy can't you just all get along? I lost interest in the Mac vs. PC debate in 1995. 13 years later, the debate is still as mundane as ever. The discussion is boring, pointless and NOT A FAIR COMPARISON (and it never will be until you base the test on the exact same hardware AND Apple releases an OS intended to run "as is" on any PC hardware "without specific firmware requirements" AND both operating systems are i.e. 64-bit). I bought an Apple Mac Performa 630 (Mac OS 7.1, 7.5.5) in 1995 for £1350 - It still works. I bought an Apple Mac Performa 6500 (Mac OS 7.5.5, 8, 8.1) in 1997 for £1900 - It also still works today. So what did we learn there - Macs WERE far too expensive, yet extremely reliable. Since 1998 I have custom built my own PCs (because I wanted to run the PC games of the day) and now prefer them simply because it's what I'm now used to. I use PCs at home based on nothing more than familiarity. The Macs of today are reasonably priced, quite reliable and natively run a much wider range of software than they used to. PCs of today (bought assembled) usually still have a 2nd or 3rd class operating system, are often are built with sub-standard / last years parts, but do what I ask them to (after the occasional proverbial rattle being thrown from it's WINDOWS pram). The bottom line is that Leopard OS is UNIX based, very easy to use, optimised and quite reliable. Vista SP0 is sluggish, awkward feeling, un-optimised and what's the other thing - oh yeh "CRAP"... I will be giving Vista a complete body swerve and hopefully Windows 7 will have caught up with Leopard OS by 2009 (although Apple will be even further ahead by then in my opinion). If Apple sold a legitimate copy of Leopard OS that would run on my PC (for say £75 [$150 ~ish]), I'd buy it faster than you can say "Get that piece of "$#!" Vista off my computer". I have used many different operating systems over the past 13 years and the one that I liked the best was Linspire 5 >. If you are all honest, what you’re really arguing about is, “My manhood is bigger than your manhood”… For your own sanity and mine, please get a life people...440. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: http://startrekguide.comThanks for the great article! I really enjoyed reading it and have been looking forward to the web version so that I could share the findings with my friends. For over 10 years, I have built (yes built) my own Mac unit. I’m not sure why people think that you cannot customise a Mac, buy your own parts, or do your own building and repair. Yes, there are *some* things you can do with any PC/Mac that would void the warranty. Prices of Macs have come down considerably, and have found that getting an equivalent machine in a PC or Mac format, it’s more cost effective to go with the Mac. I believe this is why Mac is growing at such a rapid pace, why their stock is rising so rapidly.439. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI've worked in IT since about 2000 and therefore have mostly used PCs. Most of these are in general office use or in people's homes. I don't see any reason to spend more than I need on a computer - it's just a machine to do a job - and a PC that does all that most people need costs less than a Mac. By this I mean word processing, spreadsheets, games, web, e-mail and listening to music. You don't need a super fast machine to do these tasks quickly. I wonder how many Mac users actually are high-end video editors or gigabyte-file graphic designers? I suspect it's like buying a 4x4 and never taking it off road - people buy Macs for the look of the packaging. For me, I don't feel the need to spend money on a fancy design that sits under a desk. Yes, Macs do arrive much better setup than most PCs. No-one needs all the extra software that Dell, etc put on their PCs. I do find it frustrating having to remove this every time. I have the experience to get rid of this extra software, but most people are not so lucky. In terms of software, it is much better for the average user to have a Mac with it all setup for you. It is an extra step for me to install what I need, but it doesn't cost any more money - everything I need is available open source. I don't get viruses or hacked into either. I'm surprised that anyone does, other than through laziness or bad luck. XP updates itself automatically. When I buy a PC I install a virus checker and firewall. Both are free, upgrade automatically and work. It's really not very hard. Since Windows XP, PCs don't crash every time you try to do anything complicated. Most that I have used with XP never crash at all. Of those that do, having to restart a computer every few months is hardly a reason not to use one. Vista is bloated and slow, so I don't use it, simple.438. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsIt's amazing that reply 433 has the best argument going here, albeit being almost illegible. Windows has too many user bases to be as simplistic as a mac, and runs far more complex programming to be ready for more diverse uses. I've used both for Photoshop, 3D studioMax, safari, IE, mozilla stuff. It doesn't matter honestly, anyone who knows what they're doing with a PC can make it outperform a Mac; however, the vise versa is also true. Pick the one you like best and learn to run it. ~437. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsYes, the Mac is just a machine. And yes, a Yugo is just a car. C'mon, all you folks who try to commoditize the computing experience, what are you driving? The folks at Apple are more concerned with creating a total user experience than they are with just spitting out clunky, low priced, non-stylish boxes and laptops. I've always argued that if I'm going to sit in front of a computer for the better part of my working day that it should have some stylish appeal and be fun to use??whether it's the appearance of the machine or the GUI. I use Windows, Linux, and OS X. OS X is the best user experience of the three. And I have yet to see a PC that matches Apple's designs in desktops or laptops. 436. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops*sighs*...whats the point of arguing...Mac and Pc are both computers...who cares if they're slower and faster?..what matters most is that you at least have a computer to finish your homework and get a stinkin ol' project done...gosh...such like Romeo and Juliet: Montagues VS. Capulets...they're just 'same' human beings with different group names...-.-435. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI have a fairly new Dell Inspiron Laptop that ran XP (as they wouldn't sell me Vista) and it was a dog, so I ditched Windows and used Linux Ubuntu - fast, sleek and very functional. I have also just bought a new iMac, I'm not bothered about speed, but I look for ease of use and stability, Ubuntu is like OSX without the eye candy, but Microsoft's offerings are just too invasive and bloated for my liking. Hardware wise, I pay good money for a good quality product with Apple, 8 years my last Powermac lasted - never fell over and is still in use now running databases office apps and email. Could an 8 year old Windows machine claim the same? Best thing for a PC is to run Linux434. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI do like certain things about macs and certain things about windows machines. In the past, mac people cried out its unfair. Mac hardware always sucked and people misued the whole risc/erisc processor arguement. (I remember a friend having an Amiga 500, that machine was really nice, for the day) I do think mac has better software, but it has to run only a few configurations and lots of less overhead. Where I work, I do not see us ever using anything other than windows machines because we use NI Visa, and even with the pain of the OS is worth it.433. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsFirst off gateway sill out there? Second gateway is way overpriced. I know this is about retail computers but honsely get an hp they come with alot of crap but once cleaned out an 1800$ HP would beat all that. Personnaly i prefer my own built computer and at around 1500$ can play crysis at high with 1650 1080 with 2x AA a around 20 fps. I highly doubt that 1800$ Gateway can even come close. the only reson the Mac would be faster is that unlike a PC it dosent have to worry about a billion different hardware configurations. About why Macs are so safe (this go's for firefox also)well.. let me put it this way. A poplular kid who tries to be liked by all will have more enemies than the kid that only has a few friends but fewer enemies. So quit bashing Vista for trying. The reason most people hate vista is they have the bash first ask later attitude, my firends dad got himselft a decent computer but was about to freak out and send it back beasuz of its slow preformance my friend called me up and i went over, in less than an hour he was getting 30 sec boots and could start clicking wonce he saw his desktop the major change was taking out Norton and some Bell security thing out and replacing them with Avg. Using ultimate defrag also made a huge difference as you can customize your defrag to place stuff you want fast in the outer rim of the HD and any uslees or never to be used stuff in the iner rim. I swear he was gonna burst into tears and hug me after the fix. Oh and repli #4 is totaly right but yo have to think about the people who cant manage there coomputers and who wouldent know how to use anything else but what a Mac has to offer.432. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI am also a computer tech. I work maintaining macs and pcs for a rather large school district. In my younger days, I was strictly a Windows user. After working on both, and having a chance to use both, there is really no contest. A Mac is generally easier to use and easier to fix. Like people have said before, if you simply want a gaming machine, go for a souped up PC. If you want to do ANYTHING else such as photo manage, make movies, podcasts, presentations, documents, internet projects...go with a Mac. I have both a Dell Inspiron and an Intel MacBook. Needless to say, it's the little white one I take everywhere. With ARD I can manage hundreds of computers from this one MacBook with hardly a hiccup. On my desk at work I have an iMac which is a server. It does an amazing job, and I have not found it that hard to use or secure. Anyways, that is my two cents.431. How the worm has turned!It is to laugh. It used to be the Fanboys who yelled and screamed that the tests weren't fair because the criteria and methodology favoured the PC. The Mac was always faster at comparable tests, but they were approximately one of these tests, so raw mechanicals were used, and the PC specs always looked better. Akin to comparing a fastball to a car. It just isn't the same. Now that there is a way to compare, the Windozers are having fits, first saying it's not fair because they don't have the exact same parts for the same price, and in the same breath saying the el cheapos should be tested, because their unmatched components are a better value. Dollar for dollar, the Macs are better computers. You can test exact components, and the Macs are cheaper. You can test the same price systems and Macs are faster. The only side-by-side the PC wins is the cheap crap low end - the Sam's Club model vs. the Mac mini. But Apple still doesn't know, or want to know, how to compete in that niche. So quit your whining, take it like a grown up. This methodology is not robust, but it reinforces other, better comparisons. By switching to Intel-based processors Apple took one step back and two steps forward (the opposite of upgrading to Vista). Like another mechanical system, high performance engines, matched and blueprinted designs work better. If you want to build a Heathkit computer (ask your father what that means), and give yourself the satisfaction of "Geeking Out" your custom system, have a great time, build a great PC. But as one of countless geeks who switched, it's just not worth it anymore when I can buy the best right off the shelf and not worry about maintenance. Apples "win" because of two factors: 1) they do all the geek work matching the best components for seamless, nearly faultless computing, and 2) OS X coding is so far ahead of Windows and any Unix desktop that it's like comparing Muhammad Ali and Butter Bean (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Esch). Mr. Esch is a formidable heavyweight who can take on anybody, but the only way he ever wins against the strong, fit, muscular opponent is with a single lucky punch. Or just overwhelming them with his bulk, like Windows does with its market presence. Like Butter Bean, Windows PCs carry too much excess weight, which slows them down and sucks the energy out of them. Before the high-end G4s, Mac was the light heavyweight Evaander Holyfield - he could outbox every heavyweight, but he couldn't stand toe-to-toe. Once he added the muscle and pounds to be a true heavyweight, he cleaned their clocks. Once Apple got the G4 up to 1GHz - and now with the Core 2 Duo, they cleaned up too. Truth be told, my G4 PowerBook is still Evander Holyfield, but they're a bit old - okay, very old. But like Holyfield, I'm not crazy enough to go up against today's Valuevs (look it up, he'll scare the bejeezus out of you). 430. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsYou know, this is just a good example to me of why Popular Mechanics has no business whatsoever running any kind of computer benchmark. This is straight apples and oranges. The author tries to minimize the impact in his "disclosure" of the differences between the two test models he used, but the sad fact is that 400 MHz DOES make a difference on the CPU, and, more importantly, he's comparing completely different CPU architectures, which have their own efficiency benefits. If you'd like to know precisely why this comparison ultimately teaches us nothing, check out the MaxPC podcast for 4/25 - Gordon covers it well in his rant.429. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI believe that this test is a bit unfair, as it fails to underline the price difference between a mac and a PC. Most big name, economy PC computers (Toshiba satellite series, Acer mobile etc) actually undercut the cost of a new mac by several hundred dollars, and offer similar statics. For example, my current computer, a satellite A200 (old model) has a market value of about 600-800 dollars. It has a centrino duo core processor, 2 gigs of RAM and 160 gig hard drive. compare that to the $1200 of a macbook with similar (if not worse) statistics and the price advantage is obvious. And if you go for an even cheaper computer brand like a Dell, you can expect to find similar systems for even half the cost of a mac. Sure, macs may be more efficient, but in the end, you get what you pay for. ~~ Another advantage of PC's not mentioned is their geek friendliness. By that I mean the ease of which we can open up PC's to repair or replace damaged components, upgrade hardware or Frankenstein together new creations. Want to turn your old PC into a server? no problem. Upgrade to a gaming computer? Sure. As the TV ad says, PC parts come from a variety of different suppliers and manufacturers which may cut into performance, but also makes it a very modular system. Another advantage of this systems is that servicing and upgrading PC's can be done by a wide range of people, as opposed to Macs, who can only be upgraded and maintained by Apple dealerships, using parts supplied only by Apple. Having some choice as to where top put your money and who to pay for maintainence is always good, and could help you save more money if you shop around. The way I see it, this race is not built around performance alone - ease of maintanence, serviceability and upgradability and general economy must also be factored into the equation, and such factors give the PC an advantage over the Mac (not to mention that most video games and other programs are made for PC, and do not usually come out in MAC versions)428. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsFirst, regarding comment 412: Especially after the job Scully did to Apple! Second, for Mark's comment 413: There is a documented software problem with the latest updates and Final Cut. Talk to someone at the Genius Bar for a fix. That said, I too used to use only PCs. In fact I made my living running an IT department. When I bought (and actually paid for) my own laptop, I got a Mac, and I've never looked back. There is no comparison for ease of use, stability, safety, and value. A favorite story is consulting for a large government agency. I was given a login and network drive space, then connected and started working. IT came by a few days later to check in, and saw I brought my own notebook. First, they didn't understand how I could connect it myself without all their protocols, server names, etc. I showed them how the Mac did it all for me, including Internet access and printers. Then they were stunned that I could read and write to their servers, because they were formatted for NT. They were even more shocked how easily I connected Apple Mail to their Exchange server. The next day they came back and said they couldn't allow me to log on the network because they didn't have Mac antivirus software for me. I showed them I already had the client they ran, but since they didn't know how to remotely update the signatures they couldn't accept it. As long as I didn't actually sign in on the server, I was free to use their Internet, which I could access without logging in(!). I also still had email access and, best of all, complete access to the printers. In fact, I had access to EVERY printer on the network, not just ones in my user profile, including the giant digital copier that I could use as a scanner. I really enjoy using my Mac on Windows networks. On many networks I can find and access a lot of directories and drives my user login doesn't see from a PC. Luckily I'm a pretty ethical person, and where user directories were accessible I alerted IT. As much to protect myself as them. But I'll admit skirting a few steps to access applications I needed. The reason this test ran the MacBook battery down in 3.5 hrs is because the 6 hours is based on normal use. Watching a DVD - especially while simultaneously running every damn program on the computer - is not "normal" use. And I wish the user test included network set up time and user experience. That would have sent the PCs up in flames. 427. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsOk, I am a tech. I work on both. The main difference for me is security. MYTH: Mac's do not get spyware or viruses. Wrong. I do service and remove both off a Mac. Oh, BTW you can purchase Norton's Anti-virus with Anti-Spyware software on the Apple store. Not only that, if I were a virus coder, I would not waste my time on less than 10% of the global market. I won't make CNN on a writing a virus for a Mac. MYTH: Mac's OS is the most secure. CanSecWest Pwn-2-Own Contest 2008. The Mac was hacked in like five minutes, Vista hacked in a day, and Linux, never hacked. But, the hacks could only be done from that machine. So, the user is the one who allows or disallows the hacks. (ie. don't open attachments, forward a hundred times the cute kitty story with malware attached....etc) There are no real comparatives here. Look, I make money on both repairing them. They both have flaws. I tell you what, Steve Jobs will be my friend if he opens up Apple OS and lets me put it on my custom built machines. You have to remember, this is a mechanics magazine not a PC magazine review. A true test is to be able to have two systems, custom built with high quality parts with one OS on each, test security, reliability, stability, compatability, and performance in real world test beds. Apple is a SOFTWARE company that sells it's OS built on their OEM machines. It's like Dell, Gateway, HP, Compaq, etc... having their own OS for their own OEM machines. Most out-of-the box PC's today from major PC manufactures have inferior parts. They sell more machines, so they buy parts from the lowest bidder. Apple does not have higher quality parts in comparison. I would say they are comparable to most PC's. They just have to write drivers for each individual component. Microsoft and Linux have to write/modify for all... so they are in my opinion (from a Geek standpoint) more flexible. Apple fan-boys: keep sippin lattes and drinking the Job's Kool-Aide! PC Geeks; keep on tweaking and spending money on parts. Both camps, keep breaking them... I'll fix'em!426. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsMy whole complaint about this Mac vs PC thing is they have the Pepsi sitting next to the Mac and the Coke sitting next to the PC. Well, I just happen to drink Coke and I use a Mac. I wouldn't buy a PC any sooner than I would go out and get a six pack of Pepsi. So, the real question here should be... Mac users, do you drink COKE or PEPSI????425. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: http://www.earthlanparty.comCan we please stop doing Apples to Oranges comparisons. Anything that runs an Intel Processor is a great PC.424. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis review is pathetic. It reads as if the writer is hae no knowledge but following a manual in testing and benchmarking. For starters, since when can synthetic benchmarks be properly used to compare computers of different processors etc. Further more, how can you generalise sum up the performance of PCs down to an "all-in-one" package from Gateway? I mean "Hello! There are also other manufacturers out there!". Dont get me wrong, I'm not a mac hater or a PC promoter, I use an eMac at home but I am just ashamed at how misleading this article is. People who read it and agree with it must be ignorant or have no knowledge of computers. This is like propaganda in Nazi Germany. 423. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsJust compare a Mac and PC with identical prices... then which is better? It seems like all of the Mac vs. PC comparisons struggle with how to create "identical" machines to test. Compare them as is, at the price points indicated by the companies. Then we will know who gives more bang for the buck.422. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsHmmmm..... 8 Cores (All used.) MORE than 4 gigs of RAM supported... An awesome interface... UNIX... Better BIOS... All of these things make mac better. MS DOS is a joke. I would know, having changed the admin password on every computer at school. To demonstrate, net user Administrator * The command prompt then brings up "Enter new password". Easy as that. lol. I'm ok with school computers being Windows, since I can screw them up so easily. My mac won't let me change the password without entering the password. UNIX FTW.421. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI was forced, for years, to use windows machines at work. In a typical day, I had to reboot 5 or 6 times. When I retired i went Mac and have never looked back. Just purchased a MacBook Pro and I love it. In 4 months, NOT ONE CRASH! 420. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops414: Because they chose a GATEWAY to compare it to. Nobody buys a Gateway, the average person buys Dell (hence having 20x the revenue). An XPS 720 costs slightly less than the Gateway and has a 3 ghz processor, MUCH better graphics card and same everything else. Or you can go with a Dell XPS 420 and get: 3.0 GHz processor 2gb more ram 430gb more hard drive space and the same everything else for the same price. It seems like this "comparison" was made specifically to make the Macs look good. Bought reviews, much?419. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsConsidering Macs can run windows these days natively, I think a comparison of leopard vs. vista on the exact same hardware would have gone a long way in convincing the naysayers. As an IT pro who deals with both systems on a daily basis, I'll say this, I've personally purchased probably 12 computers total. The last 2 were macs and the next 2 will be macs as well. If you offered me a free PC today I'd recommend you give it to someone who would use it. Even though I could run windows on my mac, why would I put a bug engine in my porsche?418. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsomfg, this test is totally invalid. any valid test would have both systems using the same or at least similar hardware. so basically. the pcs were equiped with far less processing power then the macs with lower clocks speeds and ran cpu intensive benchmark. THe difference in ram wint give any advantage either since it has little effect on any benchmark. I would like to see the scientific method used on this test please and the staff at PM should run a valid test. i have no grudge against macs but this is an outright lie and that is why i disapointed 417. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsmacs are far superiour depending you have a creative mind. try running logic express the pro music recording software on vista, it shudders and stalls. keeping in mind this is a mac application god knows what vista has in terms of music recording software. and who can beat that simplistic mac interface.416. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsalwayas the same arguments. The Mac is easier more powerful and ultra cool. As for cost when did you see a second hand PC on ebay. Let those who want to stay on the dark side stay ther the rest of you can come into the light. Have you seen this quarters figures for Mac sales? not ipods not iphones just macs. The writing is on the wall, make the change now.415. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsToo bad for commenter 401 -- Mark. Perhaps it is your particular hardware and software. I have several macs. The ones I use daily are an Intel iMac and a 17 inch MBP. While I will get the occasional Safari crash, my computer as a whole has not crashed in many months. I did have a PowerBook that crashed, but it turned out to be bad RAM. With replacement RAM, that computer (used by my wife daily) never crashes. Bad RAM can afflict both Macs and PCs. I suggest that rather than blame Macs in general, Mark have his computer checked out.414. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI see many people posting "But the computers have different processors!!! Of course the Mac is going to be faster!!!" So the question is, why does the similarly priced PC have a slower chip? If you attribute the Mac's superior performance solely to a chip clock rate, then will you FINALLY concede that Macs really aren't overpriced compared to the equivalent Windows machine? Next question: since home computer users have three choices in OS, why would they buy a more expensive, slower machine that bogs down when running Vista. The Mac clearly showed itself superior running other OS too.413. Macs crash a LOTI own an 8 core macpro and a 17 inch macbook pro. Using Final cut and Motion I get about 10 crashes a day. There is NO stability advantage using Mac over PC, and Mac "finder" is pathetic compared to windows explorer... so limiting. my macs are well built, but if it were not for wanting to use FCP editing sofware, i would be on a PC anyday... but never on vista, only XP SP2. Mark.412. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe only thing that really upsets me is that they have a can of Pepsi with the iMac and a can of Coke with the PC. I would like them switched. >_<411. storename="computer_store&category=" a1="Category&v1=" series_name="dv6700t_series" nnmm="browse&node=" nnmm="browse&mco=" node="home/shop_mac/family/macbook" score =" ()" vista =" 120" x =" less" windows=" EPIC" scrolling =" I" scrolling =" I" laptops=" While" 4=" .083" 100="8.3%">>>>> XCode. MSDN >>> Apple docs. There is no color. 6. How is the Mac marketshare in the world? A 3%. And Windows? 90%. I am a programmer and let me tell you our enterprise does not port our programs to Mac... the reason is simple... too few potential clients... costs to port it to MacOSX won't worth the effort. 262. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI run computer labs with Dells and Macs for middle school students. I also use both at home. I have had NO problems running using OS X Core II duo since January (and old G4s since 2005: we still use them every day for music production). Our PCs side has always been problem-racked. I prefer OS X over everything else I've used since the early 1970s (Unix, Apple II GS, MS DOS, ad nauseam). I'm not cool. I'm old. OS X, though, is very stable, so I prefer it in spite of having most of my experience and training on Microsoft stuff.261. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI love Macs and use a Mini, but big problem is still with the apparently limited number of Mac-compatible add-ons that can be conveniently purchased. Go to any Staples, Best-Buy, or Wal-Mart and look for keyboards, webcams, routers, blue-tooth headsets, etc. that are compatible with Macs. Outside of drives, and keyboards, most box specs state that they are designed to operate with Vista (used to be Windows XP). They come with a CD and a "wizard" that guides you thru setup on those machines (kindof). As far as Macs are concerned only the Manual PDF on the CD is of any use. If you read the manual, somewhere you may find an obscure reference to Mac that indicates that it will work but you have to manually configure it (if you are computer literate enough.). Provided they use a USB interface, many probably will work with a Mac, but how many want to take the time to experiment and then, if it doesn't work, have to return the product to a store with a "repackaging fee". Mac dealers themselves sometimes sell equipment that, once inside the box, you find instructions aimed only for Windows systems. They won't bother to print up one or two page summaries of the differences or ways to use them on Mac. Kind of different subject, but most Computer stores are just order-takers. They don't really know the merchandise. 260. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsA mac can do anything better than a PC. I need not say anymore. Who cares about the guy that said they didn't even say which is good at video games...blah blah blah. Use a computer to do work and make money. Buy an xbox or ps3 for you video games. Has any of the PC users even gone to apples site and customized a mac in the apple store...Half these people bitching don't know shit about a mac. PC's suck. Mac's don't. Get with the program. The design of PC's are so stale these days and vista is just a cheap rip off of what Mac's OS really is. Wonder where they got the idea to make the OS fresh and newly redesigned.....hmmm? Apple anyone.259. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe only thing about Macs that ever really put me off was the historically large premium one was asked to pay to be a Mac user. There were concerns that nobody was writing software for what appeared to be a perrenial orphan platform, but look at Apple now. What a difference IPod made to the company's bottom line and what a difference in the unit price of the machines. Now your talking, Steve. Mayhap my next box will be a Mac.258. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsReally unfair hardware comparisons. Lame methodology across the board. Can't really think of a good analogy for how badly this comparison was executed. Popular Mechanics, hmm...wait, I have it now... Let's compare American Airlines vs. United Airlines on the basis of how great of an impact Flight 11 had on WTC 1 versus how hard Flight 175 hit WTC 2. With Mohammed Atta flying American Airlines' heavier Boeing 767-223ER with 92 passengers at the slower speed of @466 mph on impact maybe you'd choose United in the future. Especially since Marwan al-Shehhi was flying their 767-222 at the much faster impact speed of @545 mph when he hit WTC 2 between floors 77 and 85. I'm not trying to offend anyone here, I'm just pointing out how silly this article is. Computers, like cars, bikes and significant others will nearly always eventually fail you. It's a constant, just like death and taxes. PS: I'm a diehard mac user who still resents the media's death-chant choir of the mid to late 90s against Apple. Maybe I shouldn't complain huh.257. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThere is one and only one real reason that the corporate world remains entrenched in archaic Windows technology: their IT departments have a vested interest in hard-to-maintain systems. It's been that way since the first Macs made the test-based OS obsolete for most users in 1984. As for cost, any life-cycle comparison which takes all cost components into account (including hardware lifetime and the cost of the IT army) will show that the Mac is significantly cheaper in the corporate environment.256. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis is funny they didn't even bother to use the fastest macs, if they had used the mac pro with Two 3.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon (8-core) it would've been even more lopsided I think, especially when you factor in you can load it with 32 gigs of ram ( why a person would need that on a mac is beyond me). I'm still using a a quad core G5 mac and it is still faster than a PC ( why do video editing on a pc they can't handle it), its the only version they never bench marked to the intel chips for some reason too.255. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: depublicrats.comWhy can't PC users just face the fact that their third party hardware is cheap, buggy, and should not even be supported by Microsoft. Those companys have been selling consumers garbage for years at a low pricetag. You get what you pay for, and PC is obsolete. Quit dancing around it, Dell and Gateway are done. Buy a Mac.254. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWhen I looked, actual prices for the Gateway One and the iMac would be comparable if you UPgraded the iMac to 2 GB RAM and added wireless mouse and keyboard ($1650). I believe this would improve the ergonomics and performance of the Apple. If anything, the test gave a break to the Gateway (btw, I'd use a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard with either).253. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsPoor, poor MS fans. Stuck with a older OS (XP) because of the Vista POS. Must be nice holding on to that old technology and waiting several more years for MS to come through with Windows7. Reasons OS X rules (over MS and yes, even Linux) 1) Frameworks - the development environment allows one to code less for more capability. Thank you Next. .Net, is old-school when compared. 2) Xgrid - I can readily develop software that automatically distributes processing over a network of machines. This can be done in Linux but not as easily. Gee, I have 3 macs in my network one 11 years old that I can still use to number crunch. Too bad MS and your stupid restrictive licensing. 3) Multiple Desktops - Linux has this in its 2 guis too. Vista - oh so old school with its single desktop motif. 4) Cost savings over time - my macs average 6 years before I replenish. Unless you build your own, you can't match that with what POS the PC vendors sell you. I've owned 4 macs in the last 23 years, I bet you can't match that on the pc side (I save $$$ over you again). 5) Both OS X, Linux are unix variants (although OS X is POSIX certified). I'll take my inodes and meta data support over you poor poor MS children stuck in a CPM world with the registry. 6) Games - oh gee I can boot into XP if I want games, but since most of them are crap, why bother. The better ones are usually ported so who cares. Games are a lame excuse because your rationale for hanging on to Windows is so weak. And wait, good old MS changed their APIs again so you have to run both DirectX9 and DirectX10 (eating more of your resources). Yep, sure seems MS knows how to design their software keeping developers jumping through hoops because MS cannot design their APIs properly. Probably part of the reason this year the number of developers for MS has dropped by 10%. 7) 32/64 seamless API throughout the OS. Poor MS couldn't do it, so you have to make an upfront choice 32 or 64. I can go on, but it is already obvious which is cheaper in the long run and more efficient.252. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI switched 2 years ago and have never had one issue with my macs. EXCEPT FOR APPLE'S SERVICE... THAT IS SLACKING UNDER THEIR GROWTH....251. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsAs an MCSE, Ive always preferred Macs... but I think Billy because I make my living off of the people who were dumb enough to go Windows... I Laugh all the way to the bank.250. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI agree with post #105. It is an out of the box comparison targeting your average, everyday, computer user (consumer). As for matching specs, PM could have done a better job. Having said that, how many average computer users/buyers geek out on technical specs? It about pre-installed software, ease of use, maintenance, and total cost of ownership. No one wants to spend unnecessary time removing bloatware, performing a clean install of the OS, dealing with spyware/virus protection, etc.. all of which are standard on out of the box PCs. HD's, optical CD/DVD drives, and RAM are the only hardware components that average home users are concerned about...anything deeper than that and eyes glaze over. Post #104 - when matching specs on the same XPS system, I came up with $1424 (w/ Vista Ultimate) compared to $1229 Macbook. There was not a DL DVD drive available for the XPS, which would add even more to the price. BTW...Support for contextual menus (the primary use for the two button mouse) have been around since OS 8.6, which was 10 years ago.249. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsTo Mac proponents: it's not a religion. To Windows proponents: it's not a religion. Ditto to Linux proponents. Recommendation to all: use the OS and H/W with which you are most habituated, and PROFICIENT, and let others do the same.248. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsIt's interesting to hear the squabbling this time around. Now that Apple is selling computers that have better Intel specs, it's Foul. At the end of the day, you can get better specs on a faster iMac for Less money. So now that Macs have superior Intel hardware, cost less, and their OS is superior "still", where's the beef?247. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsSo you're telling me the computer that was 17% faster than the slower computer actually ran tasks faster. Thanks for the hard hitting research. I look forward to your expose that warm water has a higher temp than cold water. 246. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI have been a MacHead for 21 years. I have gone from a MacPlus (with not internal hard drive) to a new 2.8 24" iMac and have never looked across the road. My employer(s) have been pc based and was forced use a couple of Gateway laptops. Not terrible, but not a Mac. Bottom line, "If it ain't a Mac, take it back".245. IBM launches internal pilot program to test migration to MacsAnother opinion: IBM http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/04/16/ibm_launches_internal_pilot_program_to_test_migration_to_macs.html Excerpts: The pilot program document outlined a series of reasons for evaluating MacBook Pro laptops as a replacement for the Windows-based ThinkPads currently in use inside the company: - Alternative to Microsoft Windows - Less prone to security issues - Widely used in the academic world with which Research has close ties - Many new hires are more comfortable with the Mac and lately asking for it - Growing Mac community in Research and within IBM that finds the development environment on Mac more convenient - Growing acceptance of the Mac as a consumer and business oriented client platform - WPLC strategy includes significant investments in achieving the Mac platform parity 19 of 22 (86%) Users Ask to Keep the Mac. However, when asked if they would rather keep their MacBook Pro or return to using their familiar ThinkPad, only three chose the ThinkPad; the rest decided to keep the Mac laptop and obtain VMWare Fusion licenses to run Windows when necessary. The document noted additional comments participants left as feedback on their Mac experience, and not all were positive: “When presenting at customer or external meetings, I have been greeted with the ‘wow factor.’ ‘Where’s the ThinkPad, IBM uses Apples now?’” “This can free us from the Windows stranglehold.” “I have been a true PC stalwart for 2+ decades, but after trying Vista, I’m ready for a change.” “It has been easier learning the Mac than learning Vista.” “There are a number of features in the Mac that make it much better than a Windows machine. Overall productivity in using the Mac platform is higher. I can imagine that the new version of the operating system will make those features even better.” “Getting wireless running was a piece of cake on the Mac, much simpler than the PC.” As a followup to the successful initial phase of the program, IBM plans to expand the pilot to 50 users in the first half of 2008, and based on feedback, add an additional 50 to 100 users in the second half of the year. iLarynx244. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsYou people are nuts. The article is accurate. After having supported both Windows and Mac over the years -- and refusing to move to the Mac OS, I auditioned Vista and laughed. I promptly moved from PC to Mac Platform for my personal PC's and haven't looked back. My Macs are faster than any PC in the office -- and I am running an older (Early 2007) chipset than the one reviewed -- with 2GB of RAM. Vista is a pig -- and Microsoft should be taken to task. Even with the problems that Leopard has given me -- yes, it ain't perfect -- it smokes Vista at every turn.243. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsthis is such b.s., why didn't popularmechanics compare two equally configured computers? this says nothing except, let's compare faster processored mac's against some slower processored pc's. hmmm, i wonder what the result will be? 242. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsCoke Vs. Pepsi anyone? Think there's a reason they included a pepsi can with the picture of the mac and a coke can in the picture of the PC - it's a never ending debate. And oh, heavens! This isn't a purely scientific test... what ever shall we do?241. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe one flaw with the price argument is that we never pay retail for our pc's. We have not been able to find the discounts on the apple side that we find on the pc side. I would NOT pay $1000 for the $1800 pc laptop!!240. Geeks and greasmonkeysTo those who say that PCs are superior because you can "customize them, sure. A small percentage of PC geeks do this. That's fine. A small percentage of car drivers rebuild their carburators for fun too. I suspect the percentage of geeks building their own PCs is about the same as the percentage of greasemonkeys putting headers on their cars. But MOST people just want to get from point A to point B, be it with their cars or their computers. 239. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsMost users hate Vista, news at 11. How about comparing a computer running XP vs. a computer running Mac OS X?238. MAC is a PC, So finally PM figured out what everyone else knows Vista SUX, well done only 18 months behind the curve?MAC vs PC is hilarious, because the luddites always want to stack the deck against the 'non-Apple', not getting that both are PCs. Try running Linux on both if you want a comparison. This test is about OSX vs Vista, which is like testing a Corvetter vs a MOEstang and then giving one car all season 15inch tires and the other racing slicks. C'mon PM, the excuse you're not IT is as lame as if you were saying you're women's home journal, your magazine isn't for technophobes, and if anything should be helping your readers improve their knowledge, not simply parrot the misunderstanding of the issue. BTW, if Apple's hardware would sell so well on it's own, then why don't they separate the OS from the hardware and let people put OSX on the better hardware? Because they know they need a little help to cover the high cost of gloss. I use both and am platform agnostic recommending them to others based on need, just like with cars, but it's obvious that writers aren't savy enough to write an article that doesn't show and obvious bias. I'm sure Chevy fan writing about the new crop of vehicles would an entertaining read, but not necessarily as informative as it should be. I suspect this will be in an upcoming Apple ad though which may have been the goal from the start to get free advertising for PM.237. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe idea that Macs are uncustomizable is misinformed. If you go with the tower config (MacPro) like the PC form factor, it has pretty much the same exact capabilities - tons of PCI slots, bays for hard drives, additional vid cards etc... And it supports pretty much the same aftermarket hardware. I have an old G5 I have added ram, video card, USB 2.0, a new network card, new HDs. In fact, my upgrade experience has been way better. Usually, with XP, a hardware upgrade results in having to reinstall windows after the blue screen of death. The G5 I've never had to reinstall with all these upgrades.236. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsReally?? You people actually believe this bull? THE SYSTEMS WEREN'T EVEN COMPAIRABLE!! The Apple had better technical specs and had newer hardware than the PCs. How does that constitute as the Ultimate Lab Test?? Only 2 compairsons.235. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsIn the global view, the overall computer experience happens over several years and not in the laboratory in just a few weeks. All my PCs are consistently problematic and break down all the time. I must have installed Windows more than 100 times and the applications more than 1000 times. I have built the highest quality highest performing PCs from the most standard components to improve this situation and the Windows OS is still a major problem. The hardware is fine but the Windows software and typical applications software do not work over time. The Mac computers simply work with no problems. The average age is over 3 years and they all run the latest OS and applications with good performance and no problems. In the event that I need to reconfigure, upgrade or repair a system, I can even run that system environment on another system within seconds with no difficulty. The only real problems I experience in the OS X environment are with Microsoft applications software such as Office for Mac. If you wish to agonize constantly over your computer experience, it may not matter what you do. However, if your life is short and you have other really interesting things left to do, it is pretty clear which computer environment is preferable. Other Unix platforms offer a reasonable experience for some types of applications but the typical consumer experience with the software offered and any support available is quite limited. The availability of drivers is often generations behind even when offered. I do not accept the view that the Windows development environment is richer. I systematically avoid most of the development tools that are Windows oriented in order to have a better development experience where the applications developed can run in a broader environment as well. These applications will also typically have a much longer life and will be more adapt while also evolving more readily over time. 234. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis test is biased 100%, the reason the startup times are different is because They are different OS's. They didnt even talk about which computer would be better for gaming also the 2 processors are different, like the pc has a 2.0 ghz dual core with prolly less than 1 mb cache and the mac as a 2.4 core 2 duo which is the newest type of processor with prolly more than 2 mb cache and a higher FSB which affects boot times. Also the dual core not core 2 duo is based on the celeron architecture which is going to be slower than a core 2 duo, i mean what do you use a mac for anyway?233. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI have used Macintosh and PC computers for years. My staff supports approximately 120 desktops and 30 servers on a daily basis. Of the 120 desktops about 90 are Macs and the balance are PC running XP. We spend more time and effort on the 30 PC computers than we spend on the 90 Macs. Constant PC patching, virus and spyware battles, and other issues keep us scrambling to keep the Windows boxes current and operational. As far as the servers are concerned we support 6 each of Apple XServes and Linux and the balance are Windows 2003 Server boxes. All of the servers run very reliably......Microsoft has always written good code for their server software......the Apple and Linux servers also run very well. Windows wins the server battle as a result of the broad range of archiving software that is available for the platform. It is a waste of time to argue about which is better....it is a matter of preference. I did an unscientific Photoshop test a few years ago.....a 400 mhz Mac G4 vs. a 2.4 ghz AMD PC.....neither one was pimped out to be a Photoshop machine.....each had 1 gb of RAM.....each running Photoshop 7......same image called up into Photoshop on each of the respective machines.....same gaussian blur filter settings on each......the results were very surprising.....the 5X faster PC performed the Photoshop function in double the time of the old G4 Mac. I know that the AMD processor wasn't one of the best....but it was still shocking that a Mac that was probably 6 years older than the PC would outperform it in anything! When it comes to graphics work there is nothing more satisfying than working on a Mac. At home I have both platforms running daily....I have a laptop with Vista and one with XP....very capable machines for what we use them for.....but for my graphics work I use Macs. 232. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsActually, all Macs have a right click. On a Macbook you simply hold two fingers on the track pad while clicking for right click which I find much nicer than the two button system on my Dell and Thinkpad. The trackpad alone is worth going to a Macbook. The other feature that I love is the ability to close the lid to put my Mac into standby and when I open it, OSX immediately comes up. This feature sort of worked on my Thinkpad but took forever to come back up and it wreaks havoc on my Dell.231. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI've worked with PCs since the mid 1980s. I've preferred PCs over Macs until recently. OS X has had five major upgrades in the time it took Microsoft to do one (XP to Vista), and most people have rejected Vista as an improvement. Nobody has rejected any of the five upgrades to OS X. Macs didn't start out better than PCs. They were just different. Meanwhile, they have consistently improved the hardware, software and price until they have essentially made the Windows based PC obsolete. I can't buy backup software for the PC as good as Time Machine, which comes with OS X. PCs don't have Target Mode, which allows you to use the hard drive on one computer as an external hard drive on a second computer, even if the OS is too corrupted to boot the target machine -- great for migrating from an old machine to a new one, even if the old one doesn't boot. The kicker for me is that if OS X gets sufficiently corrupted so you can't boot, (which can happen to any OS) you can still copy files off the hard drive in Target Mode, and you can reinstall the OS and when you are done, everything works. My passwords still work. My apps still work. My data is still there. I know. I've done it on my iMac. I can't do that on any Windows-based PC. In Windows, if the OS gets hosed, the user gets hosed. There's no reliable way to fix Windows once it is broken without spending weeks getting the machine back to something like what it was before the crash, unless you remembered to make an image backup, which requires more time and trouble than most people ever commit to (while Time Machine requires very little commitment -- just plug in an external drive and answer the prompt that appears asking if you'd like to use this drive for your backup with "Yes" and you are done). It's not that the Mac is prettier, faster, or friendlier. While these things are true, I personally prefer the Mac because it is more reliable with some remarkable recovery options that PCs don't have. And then, there's Time Capsule: A wireless router with a built-in shared USB port and a terabyte of hard drive that backs up every Mac in my house that is turned on and in antenna range, without any human intervention (after initial setup). I can't do that on a PC. And then, there's the iPod Touch... I've become the Mac bigot I always hated back when PCs were good.230. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe cost/battery life comparison is a joke, you can't go out and get a 13.3in MacBook and compare it to a 15.4in Laptop, at least either compare the MacBookPro or get a smaller 13.3in Laptop. Not only that but you can't go and run a Penryn against a Merom, so its OBVIOUS, the Merom based laptop will lose. Come back with similar hardware and then a PROPER decision can be made.229. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI have been a MacHead for 21 years. I have gone from a MacPlus (with not internal hard drive) to a new 2.8 24" iMac and have never looked across the road. My employer(s) have been pc based and was forced use a couple of Gateway laptops. Not terrible, but not a Mac. Bottom line, "If it ain't a Mac, take it back".228. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis argument is as old as the Apple and Microsoft companies. This article, with the newest data would clearly demonstrate that Apple meets or exceeds the cost/performance of comparable PC's. Add to that the operating system, its ability to run both OS's without effort, and what can you possibly argue about? Now, just because your cheap ass bosses won't convert to Mac's in your office, or the IT guys can't figure a way to make it so buggy, complex, and malware infested to keep them working overtime, that is your problem. The Mac guys just get their stuff done. A computer is, after all, merely a creative tool.227. right-click - and also..."you can absolutely right-click with a mac using the proper mouse" And you don't have to look very far: the default Mac Mighty Mouse has four buttons and any usb mouse will be compatible out of the box. I can't believe people are still clueless about this one...226. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops#17, #29 and some others got it right. MOST (the majority) computer buyers want a machine that they can pull out of the box, plug in, and use. They buy computers for work, school projects, etc. They have neither the time nor the desire to "build", "tweak", or otherwise modify the computer, or spend precious time repairing the machine, or reloading software. It sits on their desk for 8 or 10 years, then they buy another one. Nor do they have the time to sit around playing games. For them a computer purchase is all about productivity. That's what this article is all about: What the MAJORITY of people do.225. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsMac&Pepsi??? no!!! allways cocacola!224. Apple does not create Gadgets.Someone told me that my iPhone is a gadget... At this point I don't even open my MacBook when I don't have to edit photo's or create documents. Because that's the only reason I still use my MacBook. I've grown up using Windows my hole life (exept Windows ME ;-)) and find Vista a flop. Graphics have glitches, can't find basic settings right away. And the "find stuff" thing in the start menu is slow and shows everything but the thing I'm looking for. Coolest thing is that my friends call me to install XP on their new PC because Vista is too slow. Leopard runs on my 2 years old MacBook with only 1Gig of RAM. Try that with your 2 years old laptop and Vista using just 1Gig. Don't compare? Well, tell that to my wallet! Apple does not create Gadgets... In Europe their still are a lot of people that doesn't know Apple by experience and are scared of it. And your goverment supports Micrsoft! What is supporting monopoly I think. Sick of your old PC, Buy a MAC! You can run EVERY program in the world! Because you can run Windows, Linux, Unix on it. Wich makes it the most efficiënt piece of hardware around! I'm a programmer using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET. I hate windows and .NET is a really bad framework. Really! Slow, bugs, security problems, etc... Starting with Cocoa on Mac (programming) I've learned that Apple is constantly making sure every layer of the system is up to date with the newest techs and performing the best it can. Which Microsoft does not do. (They still didn't released SP3 for XP to make right for their messup in SP2) Buy a Mac... I've already made a few people their live happier by making them switch. Honestly.223. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsHang on, did that say average start-up time is 41 seconds for a MacBook? Mine starts every time at 25 seconds (yes i do time it sometimes) I just don't understand people when they say that macs can't run as much software as Windows. They run MORE - all of the native Mac software, plus anything that runs on a Windows machine, using boot camp. I've Had this MacBook for a year and a few months now, and it has been amazing. My Windows machine however is as been about as reliable as English weather - you can never tell what will happen next222. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsKind of a silly article. Yes, you *can* buy a PC laptop that costs as much as MacBook, but why on earth would you? Both my wife and daughter have $500 dual-core 15" vista laptops that are far more than adequate for everything they do (web browsing, ms office, photo editing/viewing, watching DVDs). To equip them both with MacBooks would have cost us $2600 total rather than $1000 and they would have been stuck with the small screens. We have a lot better uses for $1600 than that -- don't you? 221. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsRegarding Office on the Mac; Since apple licensed Windows to MS four years after the Mac. The first computer to run MS word was a Mac. MS Office has been available on the Mac since it's development as part of the original licensing of Windows to MS. Macs have always had right click function - Duh220. RE: Right ClickYou can use ANY mouse to right click, even Apple's Mighty Mouse. It's just a setting in the system preferences.219. Q 104 & 106 AnswersGuys concerning questions #104 & # 106 I have answers to those questions Q 104 Yes they where pretty darn close but with a Mac it comes with a thing called iLife which is for photo editing and management video production website making etc and also you get the ability to run windows as well as Mac and they don't get viruses. Q 106 Concerning the Mac mouse and right click first of all I want to tell you it is a very advanced mouse it is called the Mighty Mouse there are two buttons on the side for a thing (MAC ONLY) called Expose it also has a 360 degree scroll wheel that you can press on which will click and will activate a thing called dashboard (MAC ONLY) but concerning the mouse it has only one button but the mouse is touch sensitive so you will have to lift your index finger to right click hope this helps218. Just Switched Back to Mac (Yes, in general, they are better)I am a graphic designer and former UI designer/ software and internet. I have been a hard core PC user for 10 years, and was pretty hardcore with Macs through the end of 9. I was a Mac hater, not wanting to pay extra, etc.. etc. I am doing music now, and while most people think for graphics, you have to use a Mac, I totally disagree, and can prove it. It's a bit of a pain handing off to prepress (I have to make outlines), but it works fine. For music, however, Macs are necessary. This year I got an IMac like the one tested. I have to admit, I hadn't used OS X, and I have 10.5.2 (I love it even though impossible to spell, I want OS Hello Kitty ((but I guess there would be a licensing problem maybe OS X iHelloKitty? Anyways, the bottom line is that I can do the work and the OS doesn't nag me, nag me, nag me. I just had my one year old shiny HP cool looking design HD fail. The 4 discs I burned for getting Windows XP again failed me. I couldn't get it to work, tech support was useless. Then I remembered that I had submitted a coupon and received the free Vista upgrade. This was my only hope, since I had my new HD installed, no copy of XP (why won't they let us have one on disc, we bought it!). So I install it. It pretty much works, looks cool etc. But it is ANNOYING AS HECK! Try installing 50 programs. Every time it turns dark grey, warns you, no way to get out of it. Your install hangs for a little bit and it tries to quit. I saw the name of the stupid "user controller or whatever it is", For the average user Vista is a nightmare and annoying. With the new Imac, you are watching the film it opens, it works. Music, guess what, it works. Internet wireless, hands down the best I have ever seen. It connects to the wireless networks in a second. Sleep problems on your PC like me? I always would disable the trigger for when you shut the top down, because it was always dodgy, makes it slower, now with the Mac, I just do it, pop it open a day later it is alive and well in two seconds right where I left it. The spyware thing is huge, too for the PC people. I still have three PCs and three Macs (one G3, which still works great as long as it's not on the internet for video editing/rough cut, though it's under my bed). Mac will have 15% market share in U.S. within two years. I even worked as a contractor 10 years ago for 11 months and loved dissing Macs to everyone in L.A., believe me this is Mac heaven here and it didn't make me popular, but just last night I did something I thought I never would do: I advised a friend who trusts me to get a mac. She has a daughter and primarily surfs the net, her PC is slow and bogged down. She won't have to worry about her kid downloading the virus laden software anymore. Macs Good: 1. Ease of use 2. Solid 3. Sleep works amazing 4. Wireless networking amazing 5. Audio 6. Video 7. Ease of use (not constant nag screens) 8. UI Design Bad: 1. Finder has no cut 2. Finder doesn't let you customize to have folders first then files 3. File Management in general is more difficult, but I am working on it. 4. More expensive, less programs. PC Good 1. Tons of applications, customizeable (like file rename utilities, you name it they have it). 2. File management (though search in vista sucked, esp. over network, helped google kill microsoft. 3. Cheaper, but requires mad skills for not getting viruses, etc. Bad PC 1. Vista looks cool, but clunky, it is trying to look like a mac, but they are taking away the cool geeky stuff for people who like to customize. 2. Spyware/malware/nag screens. 3. Norton Utilities. This program more than anything, I believe, is causing people to hate PCs, it makes them seem slow even though they by spec should be fast. 4. Does billg need anymore money? In sum, Mac will have 15% within two to three years of US market. The iPhone and the failure of Vista will help this. I really didn't want to buy a Mac, but I type on my refurbished Black MacBook 2.2ghz, 3gb ram (I don't recommend upgrading any RAM or HD on Apple's site, those prices are for the naive or the rich). The only thing that kills me is that Steve Jobs decided to put the function key where the control key belongs (20 years of Ctl+C Ctl+V made me swear I would never buy a laptop with a fn key there and I did buy it with this Mac). Well, Mr. Design Guru Jobs, there's always room for improvement, have you ever typed on a foreign keyboard in a foreign country, it's not fun when the keys are mixed up!217. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe Gateway desktop was more money, had more 2GB more RAM but was a little slower in processor speed. Yet, the iMac kicked its hardware behind. Then the PC nuts whine about the Macs costing too much? lmao But I agree that you can't really compare Apples to lemons. Or a Lexus to a Nano.216. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: http://mac-on-intel.blogspot.com/My last PC was a 5 year old Sony Vaio laptop, but as soon as the Intel Mac was announced I knew I would return to the Macintosh WinXp sp2 as a virtual machine on Parallels 3.0 on Mac OS 10.4.11 on a MacBook Pro and of course two screens - which since the 9 inch B/W days are an essential part of Mac culture With both OS running and a shared clip board, with two way drag and drop, I just mix and match favourite applications but the WinXP needs more housekeeping - ante virus. regclean etc etc and a weekly clone as a back up I use Microsoft mice (basic optical mouse with three buttons and a wheel) and old PS2 keyboards with a modern USB adapter (for the Alt. Gr.key) The MS mouse is fully supported by the Mac OS and with the Ctrl key held down the wheel does a wicked zoom in up to x10 or x12 to help my old eyes 215. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI use my Apple about 50 times more often than my Windows PC, but I won't deny that Windows-based computers still have their attraction of bargain prices. The reality is that if you want refinement and pleasure of use, you spend a bit extra and get a Mac. In regards to all these folks spewing forth biased opinions of their favorite... To the mac users: Why not keep what we have going small? Do we really want to have a larger market share and hence our software targeted more frequently by viruses and such? I say let those that refuse to allow themselves to become enlightened remain in the dark.214. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@102: for the simple reason that microsoft has got most existing windows pc users in a vicious cycle stranglehold. if they have not switched to mac, it is because they figure it would be too much of a hassle to leave behind all the legacy pc hardware/software accumulated and start afresh, no matter the advantages of the mac.213. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe new article circulating today is this new Mac vs. PC benchmark test from Popular Mechanics. Popular Mechanics is a reputable source, but this doesn’t seem right to me. No, not that some overpriced Gateway rig lost out to a cheaper iMac, but the actual results from both computers. I decided to run some of these tests on my own computer. I’m sure the conditions aren’t exactly the same, but this will give you an idea of how odd this is. The first test was the boot up/shut down time. OS X has Windows beat big time. Anyway, the $1800 Intel Core 2 Duo Windows machine with 3GB of DDR2 takes 73 seconds to boot Windows Vista Home Premium. My 2+ year-old AMD X2 takes 54.2 seconds to boot Windows Vista Ultimate x86. For the Gateway to shut down, it required 44.3 seconds. Mine took 24.6 seconds. That’s booting to the desktop and being ready to go and shutting down to the point where the machine returns to silence. 4 seconds to shut down Leopard is pretty incredible. Too bad our PowerPC Leopard machine can’t do that. Oh yeah, it won’t even turn on at this point. Next up was installations. I’m not uninstalling Office 2007 or my Adobe Suite, so we’ll have to continue wondering about that one. Now the program launch times. I don’t have Safari on this machine anymore, so no time for that. The Gateway booted Windows Internet Explorer 7 (I assume) in 6.3 seconds. I’m running Internet Explorer 8 Beta. It’s basically instant. 0.7 seconds. The iMac opens Safari in 3.3 seconds. Mozilla Firefox 3 Beta 5 takes me 2.2 seconds, for reference. Next up is Microsoft Word. The Gateway took 5.2 seconds and the iMac took 4.2 seconds. I have Office 2007, and it took me 1.8 seconds. That was the time until I could type and the Word 2007 logo disappeared. Next was Adobe Photoshop. I’m using 9.0 CS2, the article doesn’t say what version they used. The Gateway took 5.5 seconds to open it (Quicker to open Photoshop than the web browser?!). The iMac took 4 seconds. Mine took 5.9 seconds. They got me beat. But wait. Next up is the ’stress test’ and Photoshop launch. The Gateway posted 40 seconds and the iMac took 21.36 seconds. Since I have no idea what they did, I opened iTunes, Windows Media Player, and Winamp and started music on iTunes and Winamp and video on the WMP. I opened and started downloading with Newsbin Version 5 and launched Firefox 40 times while launching Photoshop at the same time (Accomplished with a keyboard with shortcut keys). Photoshop opened and was ready to go in an average of 8.6 seconds. The fastest was 6.7 seconds and the slowest was 10.5 seconds. As you can assume, it slowed down a bit after heating up the processor doing this over and over again. I can see no possible way that it would take me 40 seconds to open any application regardless of the stress on the processor. Edit - I found their test. They played a DVD, AVI, YouTube video, encoded DivX, Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, ‘instant messaging’, and ran a spyware scan. I did *4* video sources (YouTube, AVI in WMP, DVD in PowerDVD and a movie in iTunes), Microsoft Word, Acrobat, IM via Trillian, a full system scan with NOD32 and archived two large files separately with WinRAR to make up for not encoding video. That’s 10 applications by my count. Photoshop opened in 20.6 seconds. Then I tried zipping/archiving 8 100MB folders at once into 8 separate archives using WinRAR, which will pretty much kill the processor. Photoshop then took 28.2 seconds to get to a workable screen. This is after I’d thoughly beaten it to shit and the core temperature was starting to get into the mid 50’s (which is high for mine). Finally, the CD rip. Both machines took 3:35. Mine took 2:57. So, in conclusion, I have no idea what the hell Gateway has on the market in that computer. Is it really that bad that an outdated computer with an old AMD X2 and 2GB of DDR400 pretty much blew it away? It makes no sense. I have an overclock, but not much of one. I also don’t have any of the benchmarking software they used. Aside from the start up and shut down, the iMac (admittedly with base specs) is a good machine, but it barely stands up to mine in these tests. Of course, you can get a much more powerful iMac, but then you couldn’t say the *cheaper* iMac outperformed the more expensive Windows machine. Either way, Gateway sure comes out of that looking like crap. source copied from http://triplehelix.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/mac-vs-pc-test/ 212. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsFirst thing, I have been a Mac user since I was 15 in 1986, so lets get that out the way. Over the years I had a number of Mac with a few PC thrown in the mix. Mac has been down, but right now there has never been a better time to be a Mac user. Every thing has fallen in to place for Mac, the best line of home computers, iPod, iTunes, and even iLife, has made Mac very formable in the Home PC market. But please Apple please don’t become too big, don’t become Microsoft or Dell, because I like being the only in my group of friends who is on a Mac. It’s a position that I have come to love. Everyone loves the Giants but I’m a Jets Fan. If everyone got a Mac I would loose my identity and my edge. I drive a Lexus and they all have Fords. And when You have an Mac you bought 3 years ago for $1400, and sell it on eBay two weeks ago for $575.00 + s/h. No PC can give you the kind of return on your original investment. So Apple stay strong, innovative, but don’t loose you edge. P.S. No you can’t build a Mac from scratch, but 90% of buyers really don’t want to do that, the just want a computer that works out the box and that’s a Mac. 211. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsMost Mac users will have been forced to use Windows at some point and therefore are more familiar with both. I see PC users still don't know about the FIVE button Mighty Mouse that has come standard with a Mac for around four years. But the most important thing about customisation is that the OSX is Unix based with a built in Unix Terminal. Geeks salivate - because with this you can do ANYTHING. Of course games publishers will go for the most profitable platform first and there are more PCs worldwide than Macs. Does this matter when new Macs support Windows also? If I need to I use Bootcamp, Parallels or Fusion to run my PC games. The only problems I EVER have with drivers is with Windows, though Apple have produced brilliant BootCamp drivers that make the PC experience easier. It's time PC users woke up and actually tried using a Mac before making ridiculous comments.210. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsFirst thing, I have been a Mac user since I was 15 in 1986, so lets get that out the way. Over the years I had a number of Mac with a few PC thrown in the mix. Mac has been down, but right now there has never been a better time to be a Mac user. Every thing has fallen in to place for Mac, the best line of home computers, iPod, iTunes, and even iLife, has made Mac very formable in the Home PC market. But please Apple please don’t become too big, don’t become Microsoft or Dell, because I like being the only in my group of friends who is on a Mac. It’s a position that I have come to love. Everyone loves the Giants but I’m a Jets Fan. If everyone got a Mac I would loose my identity and my edge. I drive a Lexus and they all have Fords. And when You have an Mac you bought 3 years ago for $1400, and sell it on eBay two weeks ago for $575.00 + s/h. No PC can give you the kind of return on your original investment. So Apple stay strong, innovative, but don’t loose you edge. P.S. No you can’t build a Mac from scratch, but 90% of buyers really don’t want to do that, the just want a computer that works out the box and that’s a Mac. 209. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@ Comment 100.... What's tired is the Monopoly thing. No one is "forced" to use anything. There are tons of OS's out there..many for free. And just for the record it is not illegal to have a monopoly as long as yours is not the only "thing" that people are forced to buy. Most of your "complaints" about mac are personal preferences I understand, most people are comfortable with what they know. I work with both also. I use PC's at work and actually hate them. my personal preference as you have yours. Being in the tech field truth be told, many savvy PC users like to tinker and constantly upgrade/take apart thier machines. Nothing wrong with that but thats thier thing. usually the same ones who get into the whole "we are better than you" mantra. yes thier is more software written for the WIN platform but does that make it better? Who cares if there are 30 versions of a software that run subpar compared to 2 version for the Mac which run and look beautiful. The bottom line is most people would not like to upgrade to a new computer constantly if they don't have to. And though I agree with what you said about the LCD's, The computers are a different story. You can't just look at the cost. The average user is getting a system from Apple that will need no other software except for maybe MS office or Apples's iWork which is extremely cheap for what you get. the iLife suite would cost hundreds if you purchased the equivalent for a PC. Your Adobe staement is misleading also as I am sure you know. The reason for it had to due with production time for dealing with the new Leopard OS among a few other technical things. Your geriatric comment was cute but nothing more than that. It is an easy OS to use I agree. It also works like people want it to. I work with many techies who in my opinion seemed to be "threatened" by a computer like a Mac. They always seemed to have this great knowledge over the average person which made them needed. they love the " ask the computer guy" thing..makes them feel special....Interesting. 208. RE: Mac vs. PCI only use PC for gaming. I can put a decent video card in any desktop PC, not in an iMac. Mac tower models are too expensive. So, if you only want to buy 1 computer for home PC will be a better choice (XP, not Vista)207. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: http://www.bitchsessions.comAs someone posted above, to represent the Mac properly, switch that can of Coke to the Mac side. Pepsi belongs on the PC side. The Mac OSX and hardware are just simply elegant and powerful. With UNIX, fire up terminal and customize your Mac however you wish. 206. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWith the Mighty Mouse you right-click, side clickand scroll in all direction with the blackberry-like roller ball! It's fascinating to me that PC users think there is no right click. Furthermore, on the laptops, you can use single, double or triple touch (multiple fingers at once) to enable more functionality like cross scrolling or even shrinking and rotating documents... Best of all the quality of the product is just tops. I've had so many Dell and they felt cheap. Old ibm/lenovo laptops were pretty cool, but the macbook/ and pro books are just awesome. 205. Macs: fair comparison, ads, mouseOk, first of all, the comparisons are quite fair. Of course, they aren't the exact same machine, or we wouldn't be comparing them. Some of the specs actually are drastically in favor of the PC's, i.e. twice the RAM. You would think that even if the processor was .4Ghz faster that if there was twice the RAM, it should be a close race. Also, they were purposely comparing Macs and PC's within the same price range. The Macs won fair and square. Now as far as the ads, I don't think they're running the ads about Macs being so much fun because they aren't powerful. Macs have been known for years to be way more stable and powerful, that's why they have been standard workhorses for more demanding professional users, i.e. audio recording/editing, video editing, animation, etc. But they were not popular with the general public because they weren't comfortable with changing from Windows to a more technical, less user-friendly environment. That is why Apple wants everybody to know that these new-generation Macs are fun, very easy to use, and inexpensive (and, of course, don't crash as often). Lastly, for the "Mighty Mouse", it is extremely functional. Even though it doesn't look like it can, it easily be set to have separate right and left click in the system preferences menu. And of course, standard mice on PC's don't have the"squeeze" function either. So I just wanted to put the whole "they can't even right-click" thing to rest. Thank you very much.204. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI switched to Macs last year after 10 years on the PC. I use macs at home and windows at work. Even when I need windows at home, I run it on my mac, instead of the dust collector (PC) I have. I've got to say, hands down, my mac works better, apps fail or freeze less, I can get more done. New sw or hw works seamlessly. I'll always have clients who have Windows, but I'll never go back. And I bring my mac laptop to clients, it works seamlessly with their Windows, Unix, and Linux networks. 203. Breaking the three biggest myths1) Myth: Macs are "non standard" with hard to find, expensive components; Fact: since the first iMac almost 10 years ago, Apple began the elimination of proprietary (or minority) standards. Away have gone the Apple Desktop Bus, Apple Display Connector, SCSI, AppleTalk Network, and probably a number of other smaller components I can't remember. Today it's all the same ingredients you'd find in a PC - but just like a great meal, the quality is dependent upon more than just the ingredients. 2) Myth: PCs are for business, not Macs; Fact: Apple is a multi-national enterprise with over 20,000 employees doing everything from retail to accounting to marketing to engineering to writing memos - do you think they use Windows?!?!?! It's the legacy apps that tie businesses to PCs, not that Macs don't do business. 3) Myth: PCs are better for gaming than Macs; Fact: PCs HAVE more games than Macs, but they are no better, probably even inferior. What is one of those "niche" markets that Macs serve? Oh right, graphics production. Upon what do most games today rely? An immersive graphical environment - the kind high-end (i.e. "gamer") Macs deliver. The reality is that game makers develop more PCs games only because the PC user base is bigger - it is a simple matter of economics, not which platform is "better" for games. With BootCamp (and a copy of Windows), a Mac can run practically any PC game as well as a PC does. Until there is a more significant shift in the proportion of users on Mac, there just won't be as many Mac-native games. Big deal. Any person willing to dole out the big bucks for a high-end Mac will not shrink before the price tag to buy a copy of Windows.202. iWork vs. WorksIn all tests iWork rated 3.5 stars whereas Works rated 4 stars. What was it that the testers found better with Works. I use iWork all the time and find it very good to excellent for my needs. What was the test criteria? On an aside, many of the Windows respondents made the point that the test was unfair because the Vista install on the Mac's was a clean install and the Vista machines had to contend with a heap of crapware. Fair point. Also it was stated that with tweaks to Vista, its performance can be dramatically improved. Another good point. Finally, a few said they can build their own machines for far less. I can't argue with that. So let me get this straight. To get Vista to run at the same level that it does on a Mac you have to buy the computer, reformat the drive (to get rid of the crapware), reinstall vista and then tweak the system so that it runs well or build your own machine and hope that everything is compatible. Wow. On the Mac side, if you don't want Vista, you buy the computer, plug it in and all things going well (there can always be problems with any system) you are up and running in 15 minutes. At least that's my experience with a MBP and an iMac. If I want Vista, I just follow the prompts using bootcamp and I'm on my way with a duel booting machine. I'm not sure how long it takes as I haven't bothered. Add a VM program and I could have Windows in a window. I'm glad I took the path that I did. It just seems so much easier, with less hassle. Just my thoughts. As for 1 mouse button, for my MBP (because we all know that desktop Mac's ship with a 4 button mouse), my though is a "What! Do you need that many?"201. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsApparently there are A BUNCH of people that did not read what this article was about, THIS article was about comparing similarly (lol 3gb to 1) PC and Mac. THAT YOU WOULD BUY AS A NORMAL CONSUMER. There is NO reinstalling the OS to make it "cleaner" this is one of the many problems that the PC market has created. They sell SUPER bloated computers to consumers and none understands why they are so slow. This is another little benefit that you pay for with a MAC. Also the Unix core that the Mac runs on is flat out more efficient. PERIOD. That is why the Macs had such dramatic performance gains. This was a brilliant move on their part when they switched to it. The fact that 2000 was built on NT and and XP was built on 2000 and Vista was built on XP is NOT Macs fault. Microsoft just flat out did not choose to make a new core. That is why we got so screwed by Vista. (same computer running XP has 180MB used while idle while Vista uses 890MB with the same processes running) The fact is OUT OF THE BOX which is what they were comparing the Mac is Easier to setup, use, and well faster apparently. Remember WAY back in the day Macintosh let some other company build computers to run their OS? Kind of like PCs today, WELL they made them look rediculous, kind of like todays Dell Inspiron, (Latitudes are WAY better) So they cut the contract and let APPLE be the only one that can sell their OS on computers. (another reason why the cost more, no competitive pricing within their own market if you will) The fact is Mac works on every computer they have made because they know EXACTLY what hardware has gone into their computers, so there is a very strict driver set, HEY NO DRIVER ISSUES!! When you compare what each company has done right compared to what they have not, the Mac is ahead in this race. I currently do not own a Mac but use both PCs and Macs EVERY DAY at Canyon High In Anaheim, CA. I am the one that sets them all up. We have also had less Macs Break Down compared to the PCS. Also we have VERY few computers running 2000 anymore, BUT we still had some iMac G3 (yes those colorful monitor looking ones) floating around campus with OSX 10.2.8 (350mhz and 400mhz G3 processors and 64/128mb of ram, ON a 5 or 7gb hd. that origionally shipped with OS 9 and some with OS 8. They are 10 years old and still running one of the newest operating systems, that is how efficient the OSX core is. Oh and if I sound like super mac fanboy, I am typing this up on my PC running XP (vista on second HD) To prove it this is what I have. EVGA 780i Mainboard Intel E6750 @3.6ghz (from 2.66) Zalman 9700NT to keep it lower than stock temps while overclocked. 4x 1GB sticks of Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR 800 @ 1000mhz and 4-4-4-12 timings EVGA 9600GT SSC WD Raptor 150 for XP games and rendering WD Caviar 750 for Vista & storage SO. If you really have any questions on my Point of view feel free to email, I will be happy to discuss. Or if you would like to talk to me about having a computer built. (I do that in my spare time) Email: dh3790@gmail.com200. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsMy God To place a pepsi can next to a MAC, Surely early mac enthusiasts will cringe remembering John Scully (from pepsi) who is mac public enemy #1 for taking a drive and letting Microsoft steal apples window operating system199. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI bought an iMac in Feb. It took me 6 months to talk myself into it. I was terrified that I would not be able to do even the easiest tasks like updating a website, create documents that others could use and working with spreadsheets from work. Wow how wrong I was. 30 minutes after setup I was updating my site adding documents and no longer fighting with network problems. I was surfing for the latest stuff to tweak the mac and realized that I did not need anything else. I truly believe that PC users (and I have been one since all they had was a floppy drive) are scared to give up their old ways of constantly adding new software and hardware for a new thrill. Having one machine which will allow me to run OS X and any flavor of Windows, Linux or even ReactOS is sure worth it. Boy I sure miss the blue screen of death and installing drivers every time I add a new piece of hardware.198. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsAlthough Apple hasn't offered a two-button mouse, the right click has been supported since OS 8.1 (1997). If you're using a Mac mouse, press the OPTION key and click to get contextual menus. I use a 4-button trackball with OS X on my aging PowerBook. Works flawlessly.197. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops# 9, maybe the iMac is expensive to fix and upgrade but go to the Apple site and look at the pictures of the inside of a Mac Pro...a thing a beauty inside. Look ma no ribbon cables.196. AMD?Any results using AMD processors on PC? Would be interesting to see the AMD processors stack up against the Mac setup. 195. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsBeing a first time mac user with a 2.2 white macbook all I can say is that the article reflects reality. I switched to mac tired of windows problems, and I'm an windows expert user, experienced since win 97. Vista is a nice looking and friendly OS, but Leoprad is just amazing. Fast and friendly, almost everything you need is factory packed, and if you need and extra app, there're millions of them out there, FREE!. First time mac user just become an all time mac lover.194. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWhat's this always with the myth of Macs can't right click. I see this statement all the time...we are not in the 20th century ...YES they can! I have a Mac Pro and Windows runs fast even virtually on top of the Leopard OS...if you need to run it (use Parallels). Both my MS mouse and my Apple mouse right clicks just fine along with an iMac.193. @ #19@ #19: "Nice. Now pit the SAME HARDWARE AND CPU against the MAC. And then we see the Mac lose time and time again!" I might be wrong, but isn't that kinda what they did when they installed Windows on the mac? Didn't the benches still say os x was faster? People take this stuff way too seriously. "We fear that which we do not understand." 192. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@the guy who claims Apple has very little 3rd party support - your concept of support is flawed. You're still looking in stores. There are PLENTY of 3rd party developers and software. It's mostly online, which is where our computer society resides in 2008 (both Mac and PC). Don't believe me? Check out places like versiontracker.com and opensourcemac.org, just to name two. The argument of no software is as old as 1995 itself.191. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI have been running Macs now since December. Replaced an XPS Dell system running Vista with an Imac. Then started switching PC's at my office and lastly this week installed a MAC OS X Server. The mac is so much easier to use and it's much faster than the computers it replaced. One reason is that the mac is not over taxed with the Virus Checker condom that you need to put on the Vista computer. Usually when you buy a PC it's loaded with shit you don't need and just slows the computer down. Then you need to add a virus checker that seems to get into every nook and cranny of the OS. Vista is like a big, old battle ship that keeps getting repaired and attacked by pirates. You need high end hardware to make it work fast enough to overcome all the bloat and BS..The mac is more like a nuke sub. And all this customization talk.. Apple already did that for me. Thank you... As for the MAC server, it runs Leopard and works very well so far. Yes, I spent allot on the box 3K but it came with everything I needed, web server, e-mail server , wiki server, Ichat server, podcast producer and all the other standard items you would need in a server for a small office and it's all integrated. As a bonus you get an unlimited license for clients. THE FUTURE IS MAC, as soon as the Iphone hits the corporate world this summer more and more folks will switch. One last comment... I purchased a mac book for my niece and sister in law. Now they can fire up the mac and open up Ichat (built in) and we can have a video chat. No fuss, no figuring out drivers and all the other crap, it just works. My brother and other niece have HP laptops with built in cameras, comparable hardware to the mac. Most of the time the best they can do is text message. There not computer geeks so they can't really fix the problem. The MAC takes the geek part out of the equation. That's why the geeks don't like it, they don't have anything to fix. That's why the average person will like it, because they don't have to be a geek, they can actually use the computer. 190. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsOh no. Not the "can't right-click" comments again. For the last time, Macs have supported multi-button mice since the late 1990's. Also, all Mac desktops come with 4 "button" mice, so you can configure the mouse's "right" button to be a right-click in the system preferences. 189. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThere is no comparison between a Mac and a PC. The Mac is intuitive, understands English (or other languages per user), the PC requires the user to learn and memorize machine language and logic. Why make a tool, which requires the user to learn to speak the tool's artificial language? Design the tool to understand the user's language. This was the basic difference at the beginning (see DOS) and it is still the difference in design philosophy between Apple and Microsoft and it shows.188. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops2 years and 5 months ago, i bought my first iMac, it was a G5 at 2GHZ. I used it and came to love it. Last week it broke, grey screen of death. I bring it to the apple store, and 5 days later they call me up and say come down and pick up your brand new dual 2.4 GHZ Intel based iMac because we cant fix your 2.5 year old iMac. I am speechless when i get there, and better yet they let me bring my old hard drive home to recover the data first (100% successful) To my benefit, i did buy the three year AppleCare warranty, but still, they treated me like a king, and I will never go back. YMMV, mine does not.187. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI recently purchased a MAC Pro after many years of being a die hard PC user. I used to own a MAC II LC many years ago and thought it to be overpriced and extremely slow. I have to say though, this new MAC Pro is the best system I have every owned. It has 2 x 2.8 quad core processors, 6G RAM (I bought 4 extra gig from a reseller and installed them myself), an nVidia 8800 GT 512M video card, 320G HD + a 500G HD I installed myself. It runs OSX and Vista Home Premium SP1. I find myself using OSX primarily; only booting to Vista for MS Office and a few other PC apps that I am too cheap to purchase the MAC versions of. With its new case design, upgrades are much simpler than any PC I have ever owned. And after doing some comparison shopping I realized that the price I paid for the system is really no more (actually less) than I would have paid for a comparable PC. This thing is great for video editing and photo management as well as running World of Warcraft and Everquest II. The best of both worlds for me.186. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI sure am seeing alot of PC geeks complaining here. Guns don't kill people, people kill with guns! Oh, wrong subject same point. The vast majority of Windows users are not geeks therefore they would extremely benefit from using the Mac platform. This article did not even touch the topic of VIRUSES!! Let me remind you the Mac has not fell pray to any real viruses to date. Only trojans that someone was stupid enough to load with a password. That alone would sell millions of Macs to most PC laymen who have experienced the blue screen of death. Most people DO NOT build their own systems to the extreme of being able to beat out the Mac off the shelf. They would also be paying more for the end product if matched up side by side in both hardware and software. Frankly I'm beginning to see who the real elitists and narrow minded snobs are. It's the die hard PC geekers who cannot and will not recant or relent to the fact that Mac has passed them by while their heads were buried in tech manuals trying to figure out how to "yet again" all the bug fixes and virus strains to their next greatest and beloved Windows Os. Throughout the last decade the joke going around the Mac community is that if it wasn't for Windows "IT" wouldn't even be a job classification. lol If you are really a hardcore geek you would be able to manipulate the Mac core "UNIX" code all day long but ...I guess you would know this if you really were a hard core geek. Honestly, you defenders of the PC faith are really starting to look defensive and bitter. That's not a positive trait if you were wondering. 185. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsNo doubt there are differences between PC and Mac. I've used both in my art department at school. My personal computer is not a new Mac Pro and as great as it is to me, my personal favorite is my old Amiga. Wish it were still something in the mix.184. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI am a mac user and I like coke better than pepsi..only problem with article.183. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsEveryone customizes their PCs? No, not really. Only a select subset of PC users actually do that. Of course, there's a subset of Mac users who customize their Macs, too. What? You can customize a Mac? Yes, sirree. It's just the same as with a WIndows-only machine: only a small number of people have the time, money, and expertise to do this. As far as software mods, there's just about nothing I've had trouble doing on my Mac. Automator and Applescript give me a damn lot of power, and if those aren't enough, I can put together some Unix scripts to go the extra mile. And they all work together. Peripherals? I've gotten damn near everything to work on my Mac. Hell, I've got a Wii controller to work on it. Also, an XBox drum controller for Rock Band works on it. Yeah, it takes a bit of work, but saying that Macs aren't customizable? That's pretty retarded. As far as software goes, yeah, there's not as much for the Mac. That's because there's not as much absolute crap. If you want a Coke, and a store offers RC cola, King cola and Coca-Cola, do you really care? You're gonna grab the Coke, anyway. Same deal here. And, as always, a Mac will run Windows just fine, so you're not really missing any software. As a matter of fact, you've got a buttload more available to you that a standard PC user. Now, I'm not just some Mac fanatic who doesn't know anything else. I make a damn decent living repairing other people's computers. I know PCs better than most PC people do. But when it comes to what I use for my personal use, it's got to be a Mac.182. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@ #102 It's called technological lock in. You still drive a gasoline engine car right? That's worse than Hydrogen, Compressed Natural Gas, or Hybrid right?181. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsLET'S TALK BOTTOM LINE. For me, what's important is that I can get to do the things I need to do (at work -- MS-Excel, MS-Word, and Apple's Keynote and Mail, while at play -- iPhoto, iMovie, iTunes), regardless whether they were scheduled ahead or spur of the moment. My lifestyle requires me to be prepared for planned events ahead. It also requires me to be ready for anything that just might come up. Mac lets me take most, if not all, in one box -- my MacBook. Wherever I go I have all the data and files I need. Better yet, wherever and whenever, I can simply connect to any equipment I need without the fuss of CD installers and drivers! I connect to any network without hesitation that my files will be contaminated nor corrupted by "3rd elements". BLUNTLY SPEAKING, when I purchased my Mac, it was in the light that I ought to be able to use this for my purpose. Why would I ever (again) want to shell out cash for a computer (desktop or portable) and have to worry about protecting what's inside it? What I had in mind when I bought this Mac was that I DID NOT BUY WITH IT, THE ANXIETY OF WORRY OVER VIRUSES AND OTHER TIME-CONSUMING ACTIVITIES THAT DO NOT ADD VALUE TO MY OUTPUT.180. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops#104 Macs have had right click since the Microsoft mouse. Macs laptops with their two finger click do right click much better to boot. The thing is, most Mac software doesn't hide stuff in a contextual right click menu, it's usually more thought out than that. And you tech weenies. Most of us don't build computers from rocks you found on a hike and drop Linux into it. We buy it off the shelf, plug it in and expect it work. Work well, and work for years. Enter Mac. Before you go spitting out crap about Mac v. PC, maybe take a swig. I use Vista, XP, and OS X every day for work.179. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI'm glad to see that the cult of mac has rigged yet another test to inflate it's already bloated sense of self-importance. Funny that Apple put this on their homepage and not the Wired Cult of Mac blog post that proved on exactly the same hardware (Mac Pro) Vista ran faster than Tiger...178. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWhat a bunch of PC whiners! Waaa, bus speeds, RAM, CPU speed, THESE ARE RETAIL PC's!!! You PC guys have been getting your butts kicked for years now! Get used to it! Macs can even author windows apps! Name ANY killer application that has come out since the 1985. The overwhelming majority were written on a Mac and THEN ported to PC. Sometimes MANY years later. Apple was the one who got USB happening properly, remember? Remember that Bill Gates minion plugging in that USB cable on stage with Bill? Man THAT was funny! MS writes slop. I stopped buying their crap around DOS4 and I will NEVER spend a dime on their crap EVER!177. battery lifeThe battery life of the macbook being around 3.5 hours is about right. Apple used to state the battery life would get UP TO 6 hours. They've now changed their strategy to UP TO 4.5 hours of wifi usage at about 1/2 screen brightness. The 3.5 hours for dvd playback is pretty good, because it takes a lot of power to spin a disk. In real life application, my macbook (older: 2.16ghz, 2gb ram, leopard) will get about 3.5-4 hours dvd time with about 1/2 screen brightness, 4.5 to 5 hours wifi(1/2 screen brightness) but if you turn the wifi and bluetooth off, and turn the screen to the lowest setting before off, it'll go for 6 hours. I've had it run for 6 hours and 25 minutes even before.176. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsJust as an interesting side note to the Mac vs. PC war; IBM announced that it is switching it's researchers to Macs for the better user experience, availability to run all operating systems on one machine and for better productivity of their research. They've been testing this by issuing Macbook Pros to some of their researchers to replace their IBM Thinkpads and so far the overwhelming majority of these researchers love their Macs so much that the rest of the company all want Macs now! Ever since Apple's move to OS X (which is a Unix-based OS) and Intel chips, the Mac is no longer the computer of choice for just Advertising agencies, Graphic Designers, Movie Editors, Music Studios and Musicians... now all sorts of Computer Geeks, Coders and Hackers as well as Scientific Researchers who no longer have to buy $100,000 SGI or Sun Supercomputers are switching to Macs to do their coding and research on. Take a look at apple.com/science/ and you'll see what all is available for Macs these days. These old arguments of "Macs are more expensive and don't have as much software" are no longer true. All current Mac software, Unix software, Windows and Linux can be run on a Mac. And as for power, what do those scientific researcher's use to replace their SGI and Suns by the way? Try a Mac Pro with 2 3.2GHz Quad-core Xeon processors (8-core) with 32GB of Ram and 4TB hard drive... let's see you build a PC to smoke that!175. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops#102: Antitrust conduct that Gates and Microsoft were involved in during the 90's gave MS an unfair advantage in the marketplace. These anticompetitive actions drove most Windows competitors out of the marketplace and most consumers effectively had no choice but to buy Windows machines (or thought they didn't). Since the justice department cracked down, Apple can can compete (at least better than before). It seems when consumers have a more fair choice, they do prefer Macs as market share has been steadily increasing in recent years. 174. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWindows Sucks!!!! Macs are by far the best OS. A bit like VHS and Beta. The best system isn't necessarily the biggest seller. Macs rule!173. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsMac OS is faster because it was redesigned from the bottom up and being UNIX based, does parallel processing, versus Vista, which is based on a 20+ year old DOS that does serial processing. The Mac OS takes advantage of the dual core intel processors, whereby Vista is not capable. M$ should have written Vista (Longhorn) based on a UNIX kernal, a much better option, to produce a virus and spyware free OS. 172. PC fanboys don't get it.Apple is kicking Microsoft around the block at this point. The Mac platform can run any OS with hardware that can run it faster than anyone else. Just facts. Microsoft has never been an innovator, but rather an imitator. Not a good one either. For those whose livelihoods are tied into the Microsoft snake-pit, of course they're defensive. If computers just worked like Apples, they'd be hard pressed for work. Yet here is a truth about the Apple market share. It is growing. Once an informed consumer uses this platform, good luck on getting back on windows. I don't know of a single switcher who as regretted their choice to go Apple, not do I know one who as ever gone back to Windows. This is what intimidates MS. Once their user base is gone, they don't come back. Now that price is not a factor and security is, the Mac should steadily clime the market share ladder and I'm glad for it. 171. RE: #92#92 - EXACTLY what I was thinking about the Coke. A Pepsi sitting next to my MBP? Never ever.170. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI've had my G5 for years and it runs better than most new PC towers and it has NEVER crushed. EVER! PC crash, display errors, etc., constantly.169. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsIf Mac runs windows, can it not run all the games written for Windows whatever Windows flavor . Just a Thought168. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: http://www.martinsolution.comOne thing everyone forgets is the time test. All new PC's and Mac's alike will run at top speeds fresh out of the box, but why not give your testers 6 months with the machines. And then re do the tests. Guess what? The narrow margin you state in the results will grow, I haven't seen any PC running Windows in the hands of average users not slow down to a crawl. Yet I have personally seen Macs Run for years only to slow down by advanced requirements of software only. Definitely still speeding along faster than a PC, if it lives that long, boughten at the same time.167. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops"...PLUS Mac OS X, which PCs cannot run without heavy hacking and tweaking, and without breaching the OS X EULA." Exactly. One ALLOWS for it, and the other DOESN'T. So the one that doesn't can CRAM IT. I don't care how good it is. The "hacking" involved is pretty much DUE to the fact that it isn't allowed. To say that a Mac is a PC and then turn around and say that PCs are not allowed to run OS X...completely childish. Afraid of not feeling special anymore? You're right. It IS 2008. Apple should grow up and stop being an obnoxious twit already. Hell, it was nothing BUT Apple when I was growing up...this "underdog" crap is so stale and ridiculous...166. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI was very interested in the results. I was a long time IBM user and still use Dell as is required by corporate. However, I switched to Mac PowerBooks and now MacBook Pros. For me, the reasons to change were simple. One, I do huge amounts of number crunching, i.e. files of 10MB, 20MB and bigger and Excel in Mac rarely crashes. When it does, only Excel crashes - not the entire OS. No need to shut down, restart, etc. I am up and running in 10 seconds. Also, the auto backup runs better and more in the background. Second, I work in a number of different languages, from English and French to Japan and Chinese. Mac OS and software such as Excel handles the languages seamlessly. All characters display and input is easy. Three, contrary to reports, turn around on repairs is fast - one or two days. And since I purchased the extended warranty, costs nothing. Some examples: case destroyed, 4 burned pixels, motherboard, etc. All done quickly. Four, stability of system. Five, Mac seems better in recognising the hardware I use, such as wireless connections, LAN, projector displays, etc. With the Dell, I am always seeking a new driver for projectors, some form of adjustment for LAN, etc. Six, the system just works. I could continue, but I look at the systems for my needs. And Mac does it better, surprised to say. I do not customise, I do not game. It might be different for those people.165. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI always knew mac could beat windows 164. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsJust as an interesting side note to the Mac vs. PC war; IBM announced that it is switching it's researchers to Macs for the better user experience, availability to run all operating systems on one machine and for better productivity of their research. They've been testing this by issuing Macbook Pros to some of their researchers to replace their IBM Thinkpads and so far the overwhelming majority of these researchers love their Macs so much that the rest of the company all want Macs now! Ever since Apple's move to OS X (which is a Unix-based OS) and Intel chips, the Mac is no longer the computer of choice for just Advertising agencies, Graphic Designers, Movie Editors, Music Studios and Musicians... now all sorts of Computer Geeks, Coders and Hackers as well as Scientific Researchers who no longer have to buy $100,000 SGI or Sun Supercomputers are switching to Macs to do their coding and research on. Take a look at apple.com/science/ and you'll see what all is available for Macs these days. These old arguments of "Macs are more expensive and don't have as much software" are no longer true. All current Mac software, Unix software, Windows and Linux can be run on a Mac. And as for power, what do those scientific researcher's use to replace their SGI and Suns by the way? Try a Mac Pro with 2 3.2GHz Quad-core Xeon processors (8-core) with 32GB of Ram and 4TB hard drive... let's see you build a PC to smoke that!163. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@96 This is a user test and it's US that have to use them162. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@104 But even PC buyers aren't buying Dell! I think you need to do some homework. Macs have right-clicked for a few years now and now middle-click and squeeze with four buttons. It does uphold the rule though. The only people who dis Macs don't actually use them.161. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@97 Not for much longer. The Mac's popularity shows design (not technology) is becoming the key driver160. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: www.cellsigns.comI disagree with #88 that the comparison is useless. The reality is PM compared two machines of like class. The Gateway machine is obviously being marketed against the iMac as an all-in-one competitor. From the standpoint of a consumer looking to purchase a machine in this class, it's exactly what one would be looking for. 159. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI can't believe all these 'It's not a fair test' comments. Look, it's real simple: they took a $1300 Mac laptop and $1300 dollar 'PC' laptop and bench tested them. And then they sort-of did the same for all-in-ones as far as comparative cost allows. Forget all the other technobabble – the money in their pocket is the bottom line for non-geeks seriously debating which platform to use. Against the 'Macs are expensive' myth, when the laptop spend was the same, the Macs edged out in front. It doesn't claim Macs are great games machines; it doesn't suggest that if you spent a gigasquillion dollars on your PC it wouldn't go faster than a Mac. Just that when it comes down to it, you pay similar money, you get similar performances. Go figure. The rest is subjective: try both operating systems objectively and thoroughly (and heck, why not Linux as well) and try the bundled software. Then buy the operating system that GETS IN YOUR WAY LEAST when you want to get on with other things.158. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI never used Windows anything in my life until I installed it on my MacBook under Parallels. It give me supreme satisfaction to say that Windows is just another application I use on my Mac. 'Course, the application I use under Windows Vista only comes in DOS so you can't use a mouse or trackpad with it which made me realize that Microsoft's SDK standards must be something like "anything you can get to work is cool." Seems to give Windows software developers no incentive to bring applications into the 21st century and, of course, invites virsus and worms galore when hackers know that any kind of junk will work on the Windows platform157. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops#94 - regarding lack of 3rd party support, isn't it interesting that all of the 3rd party software tested here was available on both the Mac and PC? In fact if you check versiontracker.com you'll find an incredible array of 3rd party software for the Mac. Not to mention the 100,000 iPhone SDK's downloaded and, oh yeah, each of those can also develop Mac software. Stop living in the 90's, catch up with today's reality.156. Control key?On a Mac, you don't need a two-button mouse to "right-click." Hold down the Control key while clicking. Been that way for a long time.155. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsYou don't even need a proper mouse. just hit ctrl-click. My personal complaints about my mac are nit-picking compared to the advantages. I use it as a scientific main-frame.154. Right ClickI agree with the last person. Its rather obvious that every Mac comes with a right clicking mouse and they are amazing. Everyone who uses my mighty mouse loves it. Plus Macbook Pros, Macbooks and Macbooks Airs all have the ability to right click with a two finger click. As a Photographer/Designer, time is everything and with hot corners, a clicking scroll ball and the little squeeze pads on the side of the mouse, I find my workflow to be much faster than before..... but like the article says maybe im just a smug slacker with an overpriced toy that can’t do any serious computing.153. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsabsolutely! since I tried to use macs touchpad, I decided not to by any additional mouse, cos' for me all that "two finger" stuff works rilliant! i never been so satisfied with touchpad in my life!152. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsGeez Louise, what a useless article. Taking a quote DIRECTLY from the test de-validifies the entire article: "We even tested Vista on the Macs using Apple’s platform-switching Boot Camp software—and found that both Apple computers ran Vista faster than our PCs did." So, are you testing hardware or software then? Any high school science class student knows that to compare something, you need to keep the variables to a minimum. Why not post the results of a clean Vista install and a clean Leopard install both on the same exact machine, since that can be done on the new Intel Macs? Infuriating article, especially since Mac would win regardless. I think. ;-)151. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsUntil game developers begin to release all of their games on Macs at the same time or before their PC versions Macs will never overtake PC. Period. There are two types of entertainment that drive the computing industry IMO and those are gaming and porn.150. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI used to have a PC and I'm never going back. Yes, I"ll admit I have XP on the mac so i can run all my favourite games, but i can only run Photoshop, Illustrator and Maya on my Mac because it just runs much better. That and, due to the lack of a vulnerable registry, no viruses. PS: To #68. A) You can run windoze at native speeds, (that means at the same speed as OS X.) B) The mouse is multi-button as well as multi-function, just look for it in the settings. and: C) Please, please please, learn how to spell.149. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops"... run windows on a mac ..." Don't get so high and mighty, none of you want to run Windows on your precious Mac, you just compromise cause you have to. Oh, and they're ugly too. Very cheap looking.148. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsIt was fun reading all the comments. I have just one: I've been a fanatic Windows user since 1986. In 2004, I got the chance to work on a Mac, and I swear I won't ever touch a PC again. Mac is simply faster, sleeker, uncluttered, and stronger in performance. The numbers on the test simply authenticated my computer history.147. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsAs a long time Mac user, who is forced to use PCs at work, it's my unqualified opinion that Apple has always been the choice for people who want a competent machine that works and creates amazing items of enjoyment. Period. PC users are in the classic "patient in denial" model of consumerism. Blinded by the facts, they chant Vista as their mantra, blaming messengers like Popular Mechanics for "not doing their homework." A lot of people are doing their homework, which is why Apple products are gaining in market share by the minute. Meanwhile, back at the Mac Ranch, all of us Apple users are creating tear-jerking videos for our family, 45-minute websites personalize our lives, while we caress our iPhones with love and affection. The products we use create interesting items of enjoyment without enormous technical effort. Choose your lifestyle. If you choose PC, you can customize your computer all you want, but it will still look like one of those VWs with the Rolls Royce hoods. It's still a PC that doesn't allow for much application imagination and demands major technical support from you or Geek Squads that charge you by the minute. Luckily, I can call the IT department for the PC. Luckily as a consumer, my Mac can visit a Genius at an Apple Store for free. For me, it's a no-brainer. Apple works. PCs don't. 146. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: ubacoma.deWindows Vista indeed is operating very slow. I've got two computers, a recent iMac 24" and a PC equivalently equipped running Windows Vista SP1. As Popular Mechanics wrote, the Mac is operating much faster than the PC does. Every useful piece of software is availabe for the Mac platform as well, so the argument against the Mac platform is bullshit if you ask me. I'm using Macs for over three years now and I have to solve a great variety of tasks every single day. From simple tasks like listening to music, watching videos, surfing the web and writing emails over text processing and working with spreadsheets over to image editing and software development (UML, writing code, developing web applications using Ruby on Rails, etc.). I do not miss an application for each of these tasks. #100 says that there is no comparison to Windows when it comes to software development. Which language(s) do you use? Of course, if you want to write software using the .NET framework (or very outdated languages from those good old days) you obviously have to use Windows but other than that? Any object oriented language known to me is available for Os X. The best platform for software development is Linux but... Mac OS X is grounded on UNIX which is very similar to Linux. Using some tricks you can use almost every development tool and every language available on the market on Mac OS X. Even .NET ist possible using its Open Source implementation "mono". Besides software development, which kind of application do you miss? Of course, the number of applications for Windows is much much higher than of those available for OS X but does that tell anything? Quality over quantity... and I didn't try a lot of programs for OS X which very really crappy. The shareware market for Mac OS X is amazing. I do use my computers the other way round than #100 does: work (everything!!!!!1111) with my Mac and play with my PC. In my opinion speed and reliability are much more important for a system I earn my money with than the variety of software especially when a lot of apps existing for a certain platform are real crap like those Windows tuning tools or anything. So, what kind of tools do you really miss on your iMac? Maybe you just weren't able to use Google (or Yahoo or Live! Search) properly? :D My surmise: #100 didn't really use his iMac or doesn't even really work with his computers. If I'm wrong, sorry... but, try using Google and search for alternative applications for OS X. Many of my colleagues meanwhile switched to OS X and not one of them is willing to return to Windows. For business use Vista is completely inapplicable. All of my Windows using business clients will continue using Windows XP, that's for sure...145. Right Click#1 Right Click in Macs is completely possible since OS X came up in 2001. The Mighty Mouse design still confuses some people because it looks like a one button mouse when it really have 4, including the common right click. Also some manufacturers still sell mouses with one button for people who like that way. Any, I repeat, ANY USB mouse that works on PC's works perfect with right and left clicks, for OS X that is just a big myth. #2 The only think I don't like about this article is that they putted a Pepsi beside the Mac, when obviously the Coke is better and is the original one, just as the Mac is the original PC the Coke should be with the Mac.144. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops#100. You're right when it comes to development there's no comparison. MS charges you a thousands of dollars for their professional dev. env. and Apple gives it away for free. For $500 dollars a year Apple gives you access to pre-release OSs server and desktop. On MSDN costs another thousand and change no pre-release software. No comparison here.143. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI also did the switch to Mac, and agree with most who do the switch-I will never go back. I love the interface (although Vista's really isn't all that bad), I found every program I ever used in Windows for Mac (thats probably around 100 programs), and I commonly use Parallels Desktop to run Windows and Leopard simultaneously and it works really well. For those of you afraid to make the switch, I really don't know what you're waiting for. 142. Right Click#104 & #106. Just had to mention that the whole right click thing with the mouse is as easy as configuring it in system settings... you may think you only have one button because of the way it looks. Just set the right side of the mouse to act as a right click and problem solved.141. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI worked for 6 years as a network administrator in a school setting. I fought to get Macs on the network. The kids loved them. The teachers loved them. The administrators loved them. Those of us who had to maintain them loved them. We could run absolutely anything we wanted on them using virtual machines, when needed, including the school's proprietary software that was "Windows only." Why are Windows computers so much in demand in corporate environments? Snobbery. Most managers feel "techie" when using Windows machines and are afraid they'll be "laughed at" if they use a Mac. Many IT people just happen to like the "geekiness" of Windows. I kind of like it, too. All this being said, I'll take a Mac for my own computer any day. Oh, yes, and their servers are really screaming, too.140. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThat whole "right-click" argument is so passe. I will venture to say that the Mac's right-click functionality on notebooks, by the way, is FAR SUPERIOR to that of a PC... 139. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsFirst this is a bad comparison but as one of those that has done the unthinkable of running a hacked version of OSX on a pc I did run a bench mark test in Both 10.5.2 and Vista SP1 and the Vista did out perform OSX. The comments I do find interesting is the people that keep replying that you cannot run OSX on a pc but can run windows on a Mac like this is a plus for Mac. The only reason you can't run OSX on a PC legally is because of Apples restrictive EULA. I really do like OSX and choose it over Vista every day on my Dell but Apple just doesn't offer a 17" laptop for $700.138. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsRight-click? All imacs are shipped with a 3-button mouse (Mighty Mouse) and have been for the last two years or so. If you don't like apple's mouse, you can just buy any USB mouse out there and plug it in. It will work. The macbooks have their own way to right-click, as another comment below makes clear. The single-button mouse is ancient history. There is just one problem with my iMac: my wife is very jealous of it: "You spend more time with that damn machine than with me!"137. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI am a professional Windows Software developer. I bought my Macbook Pro about a year ago, when Vista crashed my laptop, after MS tools said it would run fine, with high user experience numbers. I have since also purchased a Mac pro (early 08 model), and do ALL of my remote work on them, either through RDP or Parallels VM. I rarely use Windows for anything other than development work. I did install Vista on my Macbook just to try it, and it SCREAMED! Thanks Apple, for the extremely well engineered and high quality systems. I will be developing software for Mac in the near future too. I did it on the Apple II line once upon a time, OK, that dates me...136. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI seriously cannot believe pc is still fighting Mac or even still around, Mac won so many years ago it's just sad... it's not that the systems are similar really, it's that vista tried to completely copy Tiger and Leopard is an upgrade from Tiger. 26 second startup to over a minute, you can't even compare that people. "Windows is shutting down", sure it is, when? And the people who support pc always argue price, that imac is a lot cheaper then that pc and comes with higher speed already in it, not to mention the screen is bigger and can be upgraded for free if you buy at the apple site. They also did not use Apple's most powerful laptop anyway or desktop. Mac can run any application on any OS in the whole world, and it runs it better too. And now for my personal opinion I think that pc is ugly. xP it just blows my mind people buy those things. Also blows my mind I used to use pc for 4 years until I got my first Mac. Mac is vastly superior to pc in every way, including work and gaming, for pcs cannot play Mac games but Macs can technically play every game there is. My family was a Mac family and I was the only one to buy a pc. wow was I stupid, after I got my awesome Mac I gave my pc away and it broke one month later. I'm actually typing this on a Mac as we speak and I must say even the keyboard feels better. I am not biased either way since I am a tech and teach in both Mac and pc computer labs (well I teach what I can in the pc labs before they all crash or something which happens nearly everyday). I have had 5 pcs give out entirely (brand new bought this year) but have had only one Mac stop working and need to be repaired (it was an extremely old eMac from back in the 90s running jaguar) I'll never understand what people see in pc, well except viruses, people obviously love those or they would have switched already. I indeed know there are ways to keep them off, I hardly ever got viruses, but after you calculate the price of the programs to do that and the fact the computer is more expensive (and so is the OS) that brings us to pc's never want to do anything with half the peripherals in the world so go buy a yearly fee of $150 for anti spyware, go buy $500 worth of new printers and such, oh but we're already over the price of the FULLY upgraded imac by that time which will beat any pc there is no matter configuration (if you can call pc' idea of it configuration). And please don't forget to get your pc repaired after it has a hundred fatal errors in small pop up boxes that open faster then you can click. That'll be another $500-$1000. And then you can get a Mac pro the most powerful public computer ever built. pc's cost so much more than Mac in the real world but nobody sees anything but the tag price (which in this case that's cheaper too) Our family still has one pc left, and I personally put the Mac OSX 10.5 background on it and they say it looks much better, and even seems a bit faster with just having the word "Mac" somewhere on it lol. I also went to the apple site to download the funny commercials with quicktime pro oh wait pc can't get quicktime pro? too bad. It lightens my heart a little to know that the Mac internet browser is the fastest browser on pc. And that all these "many many program opportunities" on pc are all in one program on Mac. I bet Leopards preview (included and extremly basic) has as many options and tools as 5 pc photo applications. On pc you just have to download so many applications because "one does this little extra thing but won't do another thing." With Mac you have one program that will do anything you want, not 30 programs that each have a couple of functions in the production line.135. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsMac vs PC why why why- I don't know some people will never try the Mac which I have been using since I tried to cut video via a non-linear system on a Mac 840av. It was the only game in town at the time under the 100,000 mark. I learned much but I would never want to go back, Now ever since OSX on the mac it beats the PC hands down. There are even test that the Macs bets PC when both are running windows. The fact that the Mac computer comes with much of the software most users would ever need and use and my personal favorite issue is that all my PC sit on the floor, have multiple wires running up and down the desk, my iMac sits on desktop has a monitor and a computer that is one. It stays clean and does not fill up with dust that floor models do. Sure you can always say that there are more programs then any geek can shake a ram stick up vista's nose on the PC, and yes some people have a dedicated IT department that bleeds Micro Cert shirts you can make a choice. I say you, because so many just ask and do no comparison or shopping on their own. Go see what works for you, do you need battle-star diabolo 44889 with the cyber chat window that gives you life like vista animatronics or do you want a computer that gets you on the net, delivers your email and can play well with photos videos and music. Try looking and educate yourself. Now I do not know about the PC side as I have not bought a PC in the last 3 years, but my iMac and new operating system is leaps and bounds better then it was. The new Leopard system has so many upgrades I am still finding treasures within. Preview without opening files, really nice. Emails and web information like, time, dates names with a click can be input into my contacts, calender, to do, or notes without ever opening another program. All making this environment one that just works with me. I don't have to buy another program that does this or that and may or may not live in harmony with all. Mac programs work together! Are there upgrade that make since yes, but I am buying programs for 19 dollars, 40 dollars and heck if I need the latest and greatest new operating system for my mac, I shell out the 120 dollars. Try doing that on the vista side, trying buying any program like word, or office and if you can get a student rate great save 100 buck and only spend 380 dollars. For price point, for a clean set up and look, for usability not only do I go MAC I go happily But hey if you like your operating system with 890,000 codes errors, if you like your chat room filled with how to do a clean install so that you can downgrade to you past operating system, if you like Microsoft putting a little program which runs back to Bill to tell him if you really bought that program and if you like running to the IT department because you have an issue with security, bugs or that IT guy wears the cutest white pocketed steam pressed shirt in the cafeteria. Go with for it. Never walk into a office using a Mac, never find out that you can use a computer for say a year or two before you have to force quit a program, and never know that you could use a mac and be very happy doing so, you now your right let no one shake that confidence of your opinion! Mac are toys only toys and will never work! Anybody want to play reboot that PC?134. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@ Comment #4 um, you can't run OS X on a PC and you CAN run ANY operating system (Windows Linux, etc) on a Mac. Also, for those of you concerned about right-clicking on a mac, you definitely can. You don't have to buy a different mouse either. The mighty mouse that they have been offering for some time has always been capable of right-clicking (The buttons aren't separate though). Just click on the side of the mouse that you want. Also, has a scroll ball so you can scroll up and down and side to side. PCs can't do this unless you buy a third party mouse.133. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsHow in the world did that Asus get 0,5* more for design than the Macbook? The thiing's one of the ugliest machines I've laid eyes upon this week (in which I saw a lot of ugliness). Also, I'm yet to find an easier to use photo solution than iPhoto. Yet the Asus also takes in 4,5* in that field, 0,5* higher than the Mac. Please explain how this can be.132. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsAhh yes, another victory for Apple! From my personal experience, the Mac is much more user friendly. If you are a dedicated windows user, don't be put off by the little change in the names of things on the computer. For example start = finder. Oh and by the way tech support for Apple is awesome!131. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI'd just like to state for the record that Macs have supported right-click for more than a decade and that they support multiple buttons BETTER than windows does. Yes, Mac OS X supports multiple mouse buttons better than Windows does.130. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThey talk about the religion of Mac, but the truth is we Mac lovers are like atheists: people with common sense who understand that Macs are simply better computers that give us a more enjoyable user experience and make us more productive. Windows people are the religious ones, who think life should be lived like our forefathers who didn't know any better lived. This benchmarking is nice but the truth is you cannot prove that god doesn't exists, so why bother trying when this can often play into the hands of the bigots (like all these people crying foul because of different CPU speeds). Just go, live your life and be happy. Anyway sorry if I offend anyone, but Macs are better and there is no god, those are plain and honest truths. And by the way in case you didn't know, Steve Jobs is a buddhist.129. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWhy is it that those who think this is a useless test are PC fans? Oh, never mind!128. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@ Comment #4 um, you can't run OS X on a PC and you CAN run ANY operating system (Windows Linux, etc) on a Mac. Also, for those of you concerned about right-clicking on a mac, you definitely can. You don't have to buy a different mouse either. The mighty mouse that they have been offering for some time has always been capable of right-clicking (The buttons aren't separate though). Just click on the side of the mouse that you want. Also, has a scroll ball so you can scroll up and down and side to side. PCs can't do this unless you buy a third party mouse.127. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsMost PC users do not customize their computers. In fact several I know don't ever change their screen resolution from 1024x768. I've been using macs since 1992 and I've never had a virus and every mac I've had I've enjoyed using. If you can say that about your pc and windows then you shouldn't switch either.126. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe truth hurts. LOL125. strangeTo find such lame PC configurations at such high prices must have been a nightmare. One would think matching the processors and mainboard must be easy now that Mac is on Intel game. Not for this guys.124. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI have a DIY PC and a MacBook, both over a year old. I considered a MacPro, but I built my DIY for about 1800 vs 2500+ for a Mac Pro. I use both regularly, and run VMs on both (Solaris and Win XP) using VMWare and Fusion. The PC is now running Vista. Vista has some cool things, I like the new look, but it is a memory hog and REALLY slow booting up. The PC has a faster processor, faster hard drives (RAID 10), faster FSB, better video card, but takes twice as long to boot up as my MacBook. Shutdown is even more different. As far as using the OS and apps goes, I have a slight preference for OS X over Vista, but usability-wise there's not a dramatic difference nowadays, as this review also showed. My son built a DIY PC laptop around the same time I bought my MacBook. The cost was about the same, and my MacBook is a much better machine, and more upgradeable. Next time I upgrade, which will probably be about 3 years, I will consider going with all Macs. But a lot can change in 3 years.123. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI have a 9 year old Apple G3 and the right click works just fine. What is entertaining is the lack of experience windows user's have with apples. They hear a few canned responses throughout the years and then throw them at the mac users and smile at there reactions. Sounds fun?122. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsOh, yes, one other thing. The Mac keyboard and mouse - well, they (can I say it gently?) are garbage. Get an ergonomic keyboard (yeah, Microsoft) and a three button mouse, and you will be in iMac heaven. No advantage to the PC in that area.121. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops#66 I completely agree. This was an unfair test. It's simply not fair to expect any Vista based PC to even come close to a Mac!! Can we all sing? Here goes: "Anything PC can do Mac can do better, Mac can do anything better than PC" Hahaha!!!120. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsAs a power PC user since the 8086 machine, I thought that I would be PC forever, but then - i Mac'd. I needed to produce reports that had integrated photos in the text. It is possible with a PC and Word, but it is simple, seamless, and stunning in Pages (iWork's word processor). As an engineer, I have found since I Mac'd that this machine is a superior machine in nearly every respect. I still have both on my desk - but it got so cumbersome that I now control my PC - with my Mac! (remote desktop connection, for you Mac folks that have trouble with this - it's superb). The only flaws in the Mac are lack of AutoCad support and a few idiotic programs that aren't supported - but I haven't looked hard for replacements (like Memorex's disc labeler - it's a dog.) Bottom line is, even if your benchmarks show them to be similar, the ease and seamlessness of a Mac make it a better computer for an engineer - unless you are just doing AutoCad. About the price for repair - I had to do that - it was expensive. $700 to recover my data from a crashed disc. Now I have Time Machine - well worth it. I'm sold on Mac. I have three of them now.119. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI have both a macbook pro (which my wife uses) and a windows XP laptop. The only thing I prefer about the Mac is the incredibly fast start up and shut down. In day-to-day use I much prefer the XP machine, even though it has an inferior CPU (a single core AMD 64). I have found that the Mac is not as intuitive as I expected and learning how to use it to its fullest potential is taking quite a bit of time.118. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI read this comment where someone claimed that mac does not have 2 botton mouse, yes they do, they use one botton. By pressing the left, you get a left botton, and the right the other, the person who wrote this article should first read more about macs before shooting it down. they sucked in the past, but they improved big time. I know this comparison is not really good with the Imac and the gateway, because of the processor speed, but on the other hand the imac has only 1 gb of ram while the gateway has 3 gbs, so the applications should open faster with the gateway, because it has more ram, but the imac still beats it. Processor is not everything, there's a lot of specs which make the computer faster, for example the size of the hardrive you have, the mac only has a 350 gb, while the gateway has 500 gb, so that has an influence in speed. everything should be taken in consideration. so overall, it would come out to be the same specs, while the Gateway has in some areas better specs and in other areas its the imac. but it clearly shows that the imac outbeats the pc.117. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsRight click ? But I can also set up to squeeze click, roller click, left click, do all the prior and bag normal clicking, or, do no click ... so I guess I can customize any which way I want, right out of the box.116. Money quote"Our biggest surprise, however, was that PCs were not the relative bargains we expected them to be." I made the switch in 2006 when I learned this.115. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis is not surprising that Mac won out. I am mean, most people, even PC people, consider the Mac and OS X a better computer and system. The question is, are they worth it? A Windows PC is "almost as good" as a Mac, and for many, this is "good enough". Yes, PCs are cheap and may not be on the same level as a Mac, but does everyone really need a Mercedes, when a Chevy will do? I use both, and given a choice, the Mac is far superior and always a first choice. However, at work, my PC does what I need and is "good enough". 114. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI noticed that Windows XP seemed to run faster on my iMac than on my PC, nice to see that verified by the figures. What really drives me nuts about Windows is the boot time.113. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops#100, you need to look up the definition for the word "monopoly". And for those stating that only PC's can right click, Macs have been doing that for years. Welcome to the 21st century.112. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI had an HP running Vista. It lasted 4 months before it suffered from the infamous Blue Screen of Death. I wiped the drive and installed XP, then sold it for half what I paid for it. I also have an Apple G4 laptop which I use for graphic design. It's 5 years old, it's never crashed, I've only had to force quit ONE application (Photoshop CS) and I've NEVER reinstalled anything. In 13 years I've only owned 2 Macs. Both are still working with all their original hardware. Try getting a PC to last for 13 years without replacing, reformatting or reinstalling something. Hell, try getting one to last 13 months without reinstalling something.111. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI've been a Mac user forever. I've seen it grow, evolve and become the most easily accessible operating sytem bar none. The biggest disadvantage that Apple must overcome to have more users come over to it platform is user fear of change. People are inherently followers and afraid of change. The only thing that will cause them to switch is finally becoming frustrated with a operating system that has become overly cumbersome and subject to security issues on almost a daily basis. Once they give the OS-X operating system an honest try and let go of their preprogramed fears they find that operating a PC in the form of MAC can be fun, easy and free of fear. 110. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis is the worst comparison ever. Who buys an Asus or Gateway? And a 13.3" screen vs. 15.4"? They could have done an apples to apple comparison and used something like a Dell or HP. I will never own and Apple and no one in my family will be allowed to, but the reason their market share is almost non-existant is because of their closed system and ridiculous prices. Its the same thing that makes their systems more stable. Catch 22 I guess.109. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsIt's amazing the amount of ignorance that stems from the internet as psudeo keyboard cowboys just spout of knowledge. I own both, and my reasoning is simple. For serious productivity I use my mac. it's easy to use, find stuff, and reliable for years! Waay beyond a Windows based Computer shelf life. I just upgraded to a Mac Pro from a G4 450. That mac lasted me almost 10 years! without so much as a hiccup, but tiger brought it to its knees and waited for intel based systems to come out and waited after that to get the 1st batch of macs out. PC on the other hand I, personally, would never do work on. I use it for what I see it only really useful for. Games and if it wasn't for TF2 and some other assorted games I would just use my Mac to WoW. My Mac earns me my money My PC lets me use it to enjoy it. This was a good article in terms of how the everyday joe uses their computers. For ever 1 PC user who says about tweaking I could come up about how to do the same with macs. Choosing one side or the other doesn't invalidate the latter. The only major differences now are the Operating systems. Little disputing that Leopard > vista & and my vista experience has been actually stellar.. 108. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: http://www.co-bw.comThe argument that Mac's run both Window and Mac apps, while a PC only runs Windows apps is tired. A PC cannot legally run Mac OS X because of the EULA. Who has a monopoly here? I use both Oses. The Mac cannot even begin to touch the Win platform when it comes to development software...there is no comparison. Also, I abhor the way the Mac OS stacks its windows on the desktop (a personal thing for sure.) Finally, Win users can tweak their boxes anyway they like, but a Mac is very limited...plus, it better be a Mac Pro if you are going to do any major upgrades. Bottom line: I will continue to use both. Win Vista Ultimate for major work and my Mac for play. I will buy another iMac when the new ones come out. Finally, Adobe has made a tacit statement by porting the new CS4 in 64-bit for the Windows platform, but only 32-bit for the Mac. My biggest gripe with Apple is how the company is run with its EULA the forbids clones, and the outrageous prices they charge for the logo. Compare a new 30" LCD to the outdated Apple 30" LCD and you will pay out $700 for the Apple logo. Bottom line: an easy OS to use for people with money seems to target the geriatric crowd...go Grey Power!107. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsTake a good Mac and a crappy old Windows Laptop (sorry M51 is quite old and is a ridiculously unstable revision) and see which one wins? Yea, your new shiney car can beat an old beat up 3 year old car. Since when does such a disparity in hardware prove one peiece of software is better than another? really bad test. Get with it guys. perhaps you should leave the testing up to Tom's (Hardware).106. Right Click#104, you can absolutely right-click with a mac using the proper mouse, and laptops now have a right-click function using a two-finger tap on the track pad, which I find works brilliantly.105. ObservationsTo those who have complained about the lack of hardware parity in this test, ask a non-geek which is more important to them: purchase price or hardware spec? Think about it folks, this is Popular Mechanics, not an IT magazine. They wanted to test the stuff under conditions that would approximate the usage patterns of the typical non-geek PM subscriber. Those people don't do clean installs or downgrade back to XP, they just open the box, plug stuff in and start using the things. That is how they were used and tested. If you don't like that, there are plenty of other sources of information that like to tweak hardware and OS configurations - read them instead, or do your own testing. No test can be everything to every reader. Recognize and appreciate this for what it obviously is rather than blasting it for not being something completely different. Gamers and those who are seriously into upgrading their hardware on a regular basis but who can't afford the Mac Pro should stick with tower PCs running XP. Many (possibly most) others would do well to at least consider Mac hardware regardless of which OS they plan to use primarily on an initial basis. The machines use industry standard processors, RAM and hard drives, so there is little reason why upgrades or repairs need be significantly more expensive than for a comparable PC. Statistics show that Apple products have a lower failure rate and higher owner satisfaction than any other brand of PC. Higher user productivity, lower total cost of ownership and higher return on investment are all classic Macintosh hallmarks. Makes you wonder why there are so many who are still unwilling to even consider Apple. What does that say about them?104. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI find the Mac vs Windows battle entertaining. So I was reading through the comments and many people said that the comparison was on price vs. performance. So I decided to check apple and dell and build "Comparable Systems" I came up with this: MacBook $1299 OSX 13" Display 2.4 Core 2 duo 2 GB 667Mhz Ram 160GB Hard Drive DVD Burner Wireless Bluetooth Dell XPS M1330 $1279 Vista 13" Screen 2.4Ghz Core 2 Duo 2.4 Core 2 duo 2 GB 667Mhz Ram 160GB Hard Drive DVD Burner Wireless Bluetooth Same basic hardware, I am sure there are still differences but Popular Mechanics could have done a little more homework. I would be interested to see the benchmarks with these two computers. I wouldn't hazard a guess to which one would win but I would like see the outcome. As answer to #44, one thing a Windows computer can do better than a Mac is right-click. Sorry couldn't resist. Otherwise nothing else that I can think of.103. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops#94 you forgot one key thing Office was originally made for mac first before Microsoft had a GUI operating system so it was Microsoft that wanted it on the mac before Office was even popular. #95 I don't know why Apple's price on ram is a big problem for people. Just buy it elsewhere like me to get a better price install it in about 20 seconds and you are good to go. Its not like its very hard So quit complaining about the price, just don't get it at Apple simple solution.102. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI have just a few thoughts, since I can remembrer Mac has beat PCs in every test they have been put into, so what is the surprise, I really don´t understand why, if you have a better product in the market since the 80s, everybody still preferes the worst?101. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe amazing thing is how well the newer MacBook did with 3GB RAM. The graphics adaptor actually lowers performance, when RAM isn't installed in matching pairs. 100. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: http://www.co-bw.comThe argument that Mac's run both Window and Mac apps, while a PC only runs Windows apps is tired. A PC cannot legally run Mac OS X because of the EULA. Who has a monopoly here? I use both Oses. The Mac cannot even begin to touch the Win platform when it comes to development software...there is no comparison. Also, I abhor the way the Mac OS stacks its windows on the desktop (a personal thing for sure.) Finally, Win users can tweak their boxes anyway they like, but a Mac is very limited...plus, it better be a Mac Pro if you are going to do any major upgrades. Bottom line: I will continue to use both. Win Vista Ultimate for major work and my Mac for play. I will buy another iMac when the new ones come out. Finally, Adobe has made a tacit statement by porting the new CS4 in 64-bit for the Windows platform, but only 32-bit for the Mac. My biggest gripe with Apple is how the company is run with its EULA the forbids clones, and the outrageous prices they charge for the logo. Compare a new 30" LCD to the outdated Apple 30" LCD and you will pay out $700 for the Apple logo. Bottom line: an easy OS to use for people with money seems to target the geriatric crowd...go Grey Power!99. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsJust to rebuttle the mention in the comments about Apple and the its intergration (no wonder it won) I agree to a point, but you have to look at how it handled Vista which is not Apple's OS and as mention in the article Vista ran better on the iMac. Which tells me the mention of intergration is null in this test because Vista is not an Apple production fine tuned for the Macintosh. And still the Mac beat the PC. Thank you. :)98. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI switched to a mac last summer and will NEVER go back to a PC. And its a myth that you can't run as many 3rd party apps on a mac. I use every program I use to use on my PC on my mac...only my mac runs them faster. Oh and I don't have to worry about virus and spyware.97. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe saddest part of all is that within a year the Hardware will be "old stuff" and we will all be wishing for the latest and greatest hardware. Well, we geeks drive the advancements.96. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsHey guys, leave the computer comparisons up to the people who actually know something about computers. This article is as useless as the Nissan GT-R vs Porsche Turbo shootout that PC magazine did...wait, they didn't do that, did they?95. Yesyes, Assembled vs. EngineeredYesyes, Apple is streamlined, hardware n software. Kinda like comparing an Xbox to an equivalent PC. I'd quite like to know why upgrading a new iMac system from 1GB to 4GB costs you an extra $500 on the apple site, when you can get 4GB new for $100 (from newegg). High labor costs?94. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsOk Macs may run faster BUT- the have very little 3rd party support. You can walk into any store and find anything you want to run on a PC. It is universal not elitist. That is why Mac will NEVER surpass a PC. So big deal Vista is slower- If I remember reading at the last hacking convention the MAC was the first computer hacked followed by linux and yes the winner "vista" Oh yea why did Apple want Microsoft office on a MAC? I'll tell ya - They have now good productive software and Office is used by EVERYONE. So a little faster? Who cares.. I want a Computer I can do anything to and put anything on. Good luck Mac- Maybe over the next 20 years you can gain another 5% market share. LOL93. Vista & Office 2007 = massive bloatWebsite: http://http//www.infoworld.com/article/08/04/14/16TC-winoffice-performance_1.htmlWe knew the numbers wouldn't be good, but they are much worse than expected: http://http//www.infoworld.com/article/08/04/14/16TC-winoffice-performance_1.html Food for thought....92. You know what annoys me here?Website: http://www.benkessler.comThe fact that the Pepsi is on the Mac side. We Mac users obviously have good taste in EVERYTHING and would most definitely choose a Coca-Cola Classic over that Pepsi garbage.91. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI've only got one thing to say about PC vs. Mac, and all those who've baught a new computer in the last few years I know can tell you the same. It's worth all the extra cash for a Mac if only because you don't have to go through and uninstall all the crap they pre-install on a boxed PC. I recently spent four hours doing so on a gateway bought from Best Buy, never again. 90. Assembled vs. EngineeredComparisons are difficult and often tempered by passions both critical and emotional. The fact is that there are three "stages" to happy computers: Hardware, OS, and Applications. If any of these items if flawed, it can bring your system down. What we are seeing so much press on lately is the fact that the Apple OS (and the Apple bundled Applications) are more in-tune with the base hardware that both Vista-based and OSX-based OS's use. The fact is that people use COMPLETE systems and not one aspect. So to argue hardware vs. OS or OS vs. Apps is missing the point. What matters the most is how a system is used end-to-end. It doesn't surprise me that Apple has won this test.89. Macs don't have as much customization?First, i agree that any comparison is flawed. Identical chipsets, processor speeds, and RAM would be ideal. Secondly, more hardware and software *are* developed for Windows compatibility than Macintosh. However, quantity does not always yield quality: does the average user need 42 image editors or 12 email clients or 5 word processors? "Macs have nowhere near the amount of customization as PCs." At the hardware level, look at a Mac Pro and tell me that its hardware doesn't have as much cutomization as a high-end consumer-level PC tower. At the OS level, are you telling me that a computer that can run MacOS X, UNIX, Linux, and Windows at native processor speeds (or via virtualization) does NOT have more customization than a Windows box? Please do NOT say that the Windows OS architecture has more customization than Mac OS X built on a Mach/BSD kernel. Do UNIX variants and Linux distros have more (or less) customization options on a Windows machine than a Mac one?88. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis is one of the most useless comparisons I have ever seen. Different specs. No clean install. Ridiculous price points for low end PCs. I don't get it. I don't get it at all.87. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops"This is AWESOME. Macs even beat PC's at running Vista." Old news, there was a PC World article from a few months back where they came to the same conclusion. "Any side by side comparison between a Mac and a PC will be inherently flawed" Indeed, it is... Out of the box, it is a simple task though. There are no Windows PCs that stand up to a similarity configured mac out of the box when tested like this. The only way to "have a better computer" for the same amount of money is to build it yourself. Which, I could do, but I do not have the time to worry about compatibility issues, driver support, etc. You can easily upgrade your mac, on the MacBook line, you can upgrade HDD or RAM, which is more than enough for the average consumer. On the professional line (Mac Pro), you can change everything from the video card, to the processor. As for the software... I am a windows user as much as I am a mac user, and I do honestly have to say, Windows does have more software than the mac, hands down. But the inherent problem with this is that most of the software is written sloppy, and you come to find that A) It is missing one task that you need it to do, B) You download it and it is ridden with Spyware or adware, or C) The program is written poorly... I am not saying that all software is like this, but a great majority is. I am a programmer, and I have been looking for a windows program that even comes close to TextMate for OSX. And I cannot find a single one (Notepad++, etc doesn't even stand up to it). I find that software written on the Cocoa framework (which is the framework powering OSX) tends to be better overall than programs written for windows.86. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWhy not compare similarly configured systems? Get the 2.0GHz Gateway for $1799, and the 2.0GHz iMac with 4GB of ram for $1699 (you can't configure it with 3). Then you have two similarly spec'd computers, which is good when you want to compare things.85. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopswell then I imagine if you switch the os to xp or ubuntu, then you would see a huge drop in the user experience. ;)84. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWhy limit yourself? I don't know, but I'm tired of folks who say you can't upgrade a mac. I use an 8 year old mac for most desktop tasks. It is a dual core g4 power mac- the bottom of the pro line at the time. And it still works well enough, including w/ photoshop, to make it hard to justify a new machine. I've upgraded the graphics card (but felt it didn't make much difference), I'm running 5 hard drives for over 1 TB of storage, added sata, and usb2 cards, 2 gb memory and a pair of 17"lcds. Aside from the lcds, none of the upgrades I made were Apple branded, and I chose Apple lcds because I like the way they look. I could swap out my current drives an upgrade to 5TB storage, but at some point, it's more cost effective to go w/ a new box. There are also processor upgrades available. I upgraded memory and hard drives in a g3 and g5 imac. No sweat. I'm thinking that is more upgrading than 99.9% of pc users do to their box.83. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis is the worst comparative analysis I've ever read, and from Popular Mechanics no less. What, exactly, makes you think the machines you pitted against each other are even comparable? Different amounts of RAM, different CPU speeds, not enough info on what cores the CPUs are. This is a pathetically useless article.82. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsNice results, on the other hand I would like to see the same benchmark test with Ubuntu instead of Vista. Running on the same hardware, could be interesting. 81. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsActually, to the person who wrote "PCs=anything including Mac. Mac=whatever Mac produces", that's incorrect. Not couting BootCamp, if you are running Parallels Desktop or Fusion, Mac's can do anything PC's can do AND anything Mac's can do as well. The abouve results are even showing that the Mac's handles Windows better than native PC's, so how do you respond to that? And before you even think something that's not true, I'm not a Mac fanboy. As a matter of fact I've never even used a Mac before, and I've been a Windows user for years. I'm not touting one over the other, I'm just saying quit being so biased and take a look at the test results objectively. You are sounding like a Windows fanboy who can't look at data objectively.80. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsTo the guy who said a mac cannot be customized to do anything, why dont you leave 1994 and join us in 2008? You obviously haven't done your research and are basing your facts off stereotypes. Sure a mac is advertised for fun stuff but it also runs all the business software anyone can want and if you had read the entire article you would have noticed that macs actually run vista faster than PCs. If you can find a PC with the same seamless integration and ease of use for the price of a mac without having to do 47 upgrades and paying out the ass for virus and spyware protection let me know I'll buy it but until then I'll keep being twice as productive with my mac. I can't stand people who bash things because they dont understand them and are to cool to ask how they work.79. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsYou could test XP yes, it's definitely faster than Vista, but it could hardly beat OS X. I have used XP since 2000 or 2001, and I was really surprised how my new mac could boot up in less than 20 seconds, that's a record XP cannot beat how much you strip it down. The same thing applies to general performance, running lots of applications for several hours doesn't slow it down noticeably78. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsReader Comment No. 4 doesn't get it. Their last line is reversed. With the MAC you can run MAC software AND run all windows software. PC's only run windows. Period. So with the Mac you will double your software capabilities. And please feel free to "customize" your PC all you want. Then spend all that time waiting for all the various tech support hotlines from all the different component manufacturers of your Franken-box to call you back when your DVD driver won't work when you install your old printer software. Good luck with that.77. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsJust remember, a Mac can also run Windows and everything on it. A PC can NOT run the Mac OS or any of the user-friendly mac software. Buy the Mac and get 2 computers in one.76. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@ #4 You MUST be kidding! First of all, the Apple MacPro can be customized as much as you want... and it is the fastest personal computer in the world. Secondly, what percentage of people in this world customize their computers on their own? about 1% most likely... and without a doubt less than 5%. So, who cares? When you get an iMac for example, you pick your processor, pick your HD, pick your RAM, pick your screen size... how much more do you want to be able to customize! Go ahead pimp it out, or buy the bas model! Its your choice. That great news is that you're getting the only machine that can run both windows and mac. No windows machine can claim that. Only macs run the world's most advanced operating sytem. 75. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis is a foregone conclusion. Vista is 5 years behind OSX and is so lousy an experience, Microsoft has already moved on with plugging their next OS. The MAIN piece of this article is dispelling the myth once and for all that PC's are cheaper than Macs. Build any Dell that compares specs wise to a MacBook or MacBook Pro, or iMac and you'll see it's true. In many cases, the Dell is more. And - you CAN customize a Mac to suit 95% of users. Gamers excluded of course, but then try the MacPro. Dell or HP cannot even get close to the Octo processors there.74. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI was always a PC fan before I started a new job that ran Macs. The more I use Macs the more I like them. Especially such things start up and shut down times. I am beginning to think Macs are like Hondas they just work. My next computer will be (gasp) a Mac.73. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsDid all those PC's have a clean install? Which programs were running during the benchmark? And my answer to: This is AWESOME. Macs even beat PC's at running Vista. So: A mac with a faster processor running a clean install of Windows Vista beats a bloated with trialware (I think) PC laptop with a slower CPU?72. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: www.flarecommunications.comheres the thing. When you buy a mac you can run every OS. When u buy a PC you can every OS less OSX. OSX is great for everday stuff and if you need another OS to run something you boot that. You get it all in one pretty package. I would love to see this same test with a Mac Pro vs any box and see what happens.71. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsUhm, when a mac can run windows as well (either natively or via virtualization) - how can you possibly say that the mac has a limited software capability? Obviously the mac has a WIDER software capability than a generic pc, as the mac can run macos x AND all the other oses, while macos is not runnable on a generic pc that does not have a mac compatible EFI firmware (meaning 99.99% of the pcs out there). So sure, you can't "customize" as much as you want with a mac, but honestly - What kind of customization is there anymore anyways? There are just two major chipset producers left both for graphics and cpus. AMD or Intel, AMD/ATI or Nvidia. The "customization" part is not that large anymore. Harddrives are the same in pcs and macs. RAM, the same. Generally, people use usb or firewire setups today, so internal customization such as PCI cards and whatnot are little used anymore. Touting customization as a point for hardware is a flawed argument because there REALLY isnt much choice in the market anymore. And I'd much rather have a streamlined computer than build a generic one that may or may not have hardware incompatibilities.70. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsOnly Apple Macs can run all the world's software (Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows). Fact: To get any other PC is limiting yourself unnecessarily. Again, Apple Macs are OS-unlimited. Every other PC on earth is OS-limited. 69. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsYes, Mac beats a PC using vista. Gee we didn't know that before. Anyone with half a brain knows vista sucks. Yet there has to be a reason why swarms of users aren't flocking to Macs. There has to be a significant application that makes the PC so much better to have such a market share. Could it be, hmm, I don't know, maybe GAMES?! Entertainment is a key application that everyone seems to forget. Apple especially cannot capture this and their commercials proove that. Making a photo album is not that fun, blowing up something while insulting a noob player at the same time is fun! Sure you can get some fun from music, but PCs take it a step further, ever played audiosurf? It generates the game environment off of your music and you play along to the music, the faster, the more difficult it is. Start getting an understanding of the major difference in the computer war and you will understand why Steve Jobs is always scratching his head wondering why he can't capture more market share.68. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsDid no one else compare the specs?! in one case its .4GHZ faster! The mac allways has a higher speed CPU. This test is fixed. Therefore it means f**k all. Also where are the reall benchmarks, like rendering a scene in Maya or maybe average fps on high settings in some good games. Oh wait thats right mac only support a couple of games.. weeek. Lets not forget that macs still havent discovered multibutton mice. dear god stop choosing asthetics over functionality you mupets! Apple products suck, the sooner the world wakes up and realises this the better. Oh and when you fall to your bitter death please take U2 with you!67. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsIn our library, we've got a big IMAC, a new MacBook, an old Pentium III running Red Hat, and and XP machine - all networked (with the XP machine forbidden access to the net). The XP machine looses to all...all the time. My wife and I will never consider Vista... ever.66. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis is an unfair test comparison between PC's and MACs. Example: The Mac Book is running 3GBs of RAM and a 2.4 GHz processor while the Asus laptop (BTW Asus is not a high-end company for computers) is only running 2 GBs of RAM and a 2.2GHz processor. Of course the MAC is going to run better. It has better specs. I would like to see a fair comparison where both computers have same hardware and then see what OS runs better. This article is garbage. 65. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsdoes anyone else get an average 5.3sec launch of MS word on their Mac? i have the same spec MacBook and the first time (for each startup) i launch an MS Office app it takes just under 20secs to launch, then subsequent launches are much faster. Whereas launching MS Word on my ThinkPad is consistently snappy. (Running Office 2008 for Mac and Office 2003 for PC). I cant help but think this reviewer went out with the intention of proving Macs as superior. I love my Mac but am not ignorant to its flaws.64. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsInteresting tests. Good idea to get a range of expertise for your testers as well. Very intelligent to compare the latest OSes from MS and Apple instead of against XP - one can see that Vista is trying to compete with Leopard so why should a test be done between Leopard and XP? I would suggest that the price difference between the two platforms shouldn't have been over $50 however. As for 'the vast majority of people customize their PCs' plain stupidity on the part of the writer. And what does 'Macs are all streamlined' mean ? Tested in a wind tunnel ? At present the computer products from Apple fail in only a few areas : games and business apps (I'm thinking Autocad sort of stuff). Now if Apple would just make sure that pipe symbols () are standard on all of their keyboards, I'd get rid of Windows completely. 63. RE 4. : Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsIt's odd that the commenter in Re: 4 says "the vast majority of people customize their PCs" when in fact the opposite is true. Most PCs are sold to the mainstream with little or no customization. 62. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsthese results are not valid. the hardware specs are far different and you cant clam a 400MHz difference as nothing a 2GHz core 2 overclocked to 2.2GHz doesnt give the performance of the 2.2GHz stock one. it takes a overclock of around 500MHz to get that performance (total 1GHz between the 2 cores) also to get a true test you need to strip both os down of all the bloat that the companies added (windows xp boots in under 17 seconds when properly strip down of all bloat) the mac os doesnt come as bloated as windows since apple doesnt feel a need to slow their computers down by having useless crap run and you cant compare leopard to vista, vista is much slower out of the box. it takes 13 times longer to boot than windows xp, and it benchmarks very poor61. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsContrary to the claim, the vast majority of people do NOT customize their Windows-based PCs. Most Windows-based PCs are purchased by corporations and they want uniformity, not customization. It is true that there is more second-rate hardware available for Windows-based computers. High quality hardware runs on both Macs and Windows computers. Similarly, there is lots more second-rate and worse software for Windows. ALL of the high-quality software runs on both platforms. Where Windows really shines is with the number of games that are available. If you want games, get a Windows box...or get a Mac and a Wii and have some real fun.60. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsOf course the mac would run windows better, it's a CLEAN INSTALL. No crapware. For a level playing field, they needed to reformat the windows systems first.59. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWOW! This test has so many sources of failure, it makes it really hard to take seriously. Fair enogh that you are comparing apples ;) and pears, but you should at least spec them equally first! While the exterior is important, it is still subjective, so what is actually compared is the different OS's. Why not install Vista on the Mac's, and in that remove any hardware differences that creates sources of failure in this comparison?58. RE: Poster #4 who thinks that the Macs are limitedI suppose you didn't notice the subtext on the last two charts... "*Scores in parentheses are for Macs running Vista..." It obviously comes as a surprise to you that Macs can run ALL Windows software as well as UNIX (it's certified UNIX), Linux, and Apple Mac OSX. That makes Macs MORE capable than Windows machines. 57. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsPure bias review. Pitting 2 similar priced all in one desktops was never going to show a fair comparison since PC are usally tower machines, unlike mac's, which make them more exspensive and with a lower spec due to their rarity, so obviously the faster mac was going to do things faster. A fair comparison would have been tower pc vs iMac OR tower pc vs MacPro. As for the Laptop why choise an ASUS to compete with the macBook the Linovo and HP laptops are cheaper and better have a better spec than the Asus AND the macBook.56. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsTo number 4 - you CAN install OS X on a PC, yes... But it's illegal. Why the heck would I spend money on a PC if the Mac can run the the two major OS available, and even kick the PCs ass? I run a Mac Pro with them both. Can't really say I DON'T like it. Even with a really bad GPU (GeForce 7300GT) I still get better framerates etc. than most of my friends, based on approx. the same settings. And yup, you got that right. Mac is the ideal station for multimedia creation AND for listening/watching. Streaming video to my XBOX360 for instance, is much easier on OS X than dealing with Windows Media Center! Happy nerding, whatever platform you will spend your time on the next decade.55. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsi wonder how the test would've gone if they tested better pc's like dell or toshiba computers instead of gateway and asus. i'm thinking the test would've turned out a little differently.54. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis test is quite misleading! As someone above mentioned, the cpu's are different, the asus has got an ati graphics card, versus the macbook who has got intel integrated graphics(therefore the asus has less battery time), not the same amount of ram, and so on. In addition, you've tested some special pc's, that dont represent any value for money. the average pc at the price of the gateway is much better specd. this test just confuses novices, and tricks them into believing that macbooks, and mac in general offer, better performance and value for money, which isn't right. Hope you could adress some of this issues, or atleast mension them in the article. (I'm Norwegian, so you have to excuse me for typos)53. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsLet me see. I can get these PC-specs to half price of that Mac if I just bought the parts myself. Want you to see you do that with a Mac.52. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsTo #4: "If somebody wanted to, they could make a PC that could destroy any Mac" - That's like saying anyone could beat Mike Tyson, if only they practiced enough. True, but the point of Macs is to eliminate much of the hazzle with driver problems, assembly, installation and compatibility. Besides, the machines are gorgeously looking, if that counts at all. You have the Mac Pro, which is pretty customizeable, and in the complete line of Macs, almost anyone can find a computer for their needs. And you can NOT get everything for Mac on a PC. Not legally, anyway, and if you try, it's not without hazzle. Please take in consideration that this test tries to compare SIMILAR products. You can't really compare a ready-out-of-the-box Mac with a custom built PC, which you have spent hours and hours to build and install. And: You can install both Windows and Linux on a Mac, no problem. You can even run all three operating systems at the same time. -Longtime Windows user, switched to Mac, not switching back-51. RE: Vista MEYes, "Vista ME" is a failure. That's why PC people are clinging to a 6 year old Windows XP that has half the features of OS X 10.5 Leopard. Wait for Windows 7 that coming in a year, according to Bill Gates. Yes, wait. By 2009 Microsoft will have something to match Leopard. Oh course, Apple will be up to version 10.6 Sabertooth Tiger or something. Again leaving Microsoft in the dust.50. flawed comparisonVista takes a while to boot, because SuperFetch activates soon after you log on. At that point Vista feels sluggish. And until SuperFetch realises which applications and data are relevant to you, it isn't really going to do much good for application startup times. I.e. SuperFetch requires some time to 'sink in' and Vista really shouldn't be shut down. Or, just disable SuperFetch and start off the boot time and app load tests on a more equal footing...49. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsHow would you get Mac OS X on a PC? To do that, you need to use hacks and they are not supported and you would need to be a geek to do that. On the other hand, as the test shows, you can easily run Windows on Macs (and Linux as well) so that you can only get whatever Apple (not Mac) produces on a Mac, is a myth and nothing but a myth. In fact, there is nothing you cannot get on a Mac these days. All the software in the world is at your hands. Get your facts right. The point I am trying to make is the same as yours. Why limit yourself?48. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis comparison is so bad. Sorry, but to compare runtime of laptops with chipset graphics and dedicated graphics chips and also different display sizes is just plain stupid. 47. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopshmmmm...seems the testers were pro mac, leaving out specific system details and running against vista? no one in there right mind would run that crap in a system showdown, that wasn't doing it to give advantages to the mac's numbers. Clearly one sided and I'm a Mac user.... show me something worth the effort.46. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsWebsite: gnudist.comI imagine that I will get flamed for this but, Do you think you will consider Linux in an upcoming benchmark? Dell-Ubuntu Perhaps?45. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI really think that this test was a good idea, but that PM is bias because they didn't really test a PC vs a Mac. As others have said, Vista is NOT a PC, nor is it a real operating system by many people's standards, it is a joke. You don't not put Colbert in a political arena against Dick Chenny, you just DON'T. Don't make a test of a joker and a pro, thats not a test, thats a tv show. Wipe vistaids off those computers and load it up with the appropriate version of xp. By that I mean XP pro, XP Pro 64bit if it's a 64bit chip. Then test your crap, also you guys really skipped A LOT of other key factors. Hard drive speed, actual throughput vs theoretical, ram speeds, motherboard based bottlenecks. Please do your research first, and if you did, then please publish the FULL story.44. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops#4, You can custom build a Mac Pro that will destroy any PC; also, any mac you buy is compatible with "normal" memory and hard drives. Additionally, OSX86 is not really Leopard, as it's lacking a significant amount of drivers and other support items. You cannot install OSX on a PC without significant hampering. Please tell me some specific task, besides playing some random game, that a PC can do that a Mac cannot do equally well if not better.43. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsCompare a PC - 2.0ghz 667fsb w/2mb cache cpu to a Mac 2.2 800fsb w/6mb cache. Lets see who wins. It doesn't take a rocket scientist. And let's not forget the crapware that isn't cleaned off the PC vs. a clean Vista install. Where is SP1? And no, RAM does not equal more CPU speed in a benchmark. I don't think the writer has the first idea about computer, and with a lack of detailed specs, how can you use the word ultimate and feel good as a journalist? I work with both. They're get this, about equal.42. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate FAILTheir specs are all over the place. 1GB of RAM in one box, 3GB in another, the only thing they kept constant was the video card. For an article that said almost all the components are the same, they did a terrible job of getting those components together and testing. And when you compare a PC - 2.0ghz 667fsb w/ 2mb cache cpu to a MAC 2.2 800fsb w/ 6mb cache- who do you think is going to win?! Popular mechanics = EPIC FAIL 41. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsRubbish, 2.4ghz vs 2.2 and 2.0? and someone didn't take into account the superior graphics cards in the PCs.40. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsMacs are now faster AND cheaper than PCs... Hell has officially frozen over.39. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsMacs are just better computers. people who buy PCs are really missing out. And if you need vista or xp so much buy it and put it on your mac. Many many studies show Macs run windows faster than any PC.38. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops4. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops Any side by side comparison between a Mac and a PC will be inherently flawed.in layman: Macs are all streamlined, whereas PCs can be streamlined but nonetheless, the vast majority of people customize their PCs. this is where the flaw comes in... it depends on what you want to do. a PC can do anything. as many operating systems as you want, as much hardware as you want, but most importantly as much software as you want, if this sounds good...then you want a pc. Macs have nowhere near the amount of customization as PCs. If somebody wanted to, they could make a PC that could destroy any Mac in side by side comparison. you cannot custombuild a mac, because they do not have the approprite software to back it up such customization. notice how the primary selling pitch of mac is to emphasize music, photos, and video. sure, mac has excellent software for this, but you can get the excellent mac OS as well as all its software on a PC. the point im trying to make is why limit yourself? PCs=anything including Mac. Mac=whatever Mac produces Uhh obviously you've never owned a mac.. you can do so much more with a mac than you can do with a PC37. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops#7: I think you mean WinME, not Win98. 98 was much different from 95; ME was little different from 98. #5: If you read the article, he tries Vista on the Macs using Boot Camp. It performs faster. So your nitpicking about RAM is irrelevant. #4: sounds like you are jealous. For the record, I use Linux almost exclusively so I'm not as biased as if I ran one of those two OSes.36. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops"If somebody wanted to, they could make a PC that could destroy any Mac in side by side comparison." Baloney. Find something that would "destroy" the octo-core Mac Pro. "Most" people do NOT "customize" their PC. What do you mean by "customize" anyway - add blue neon lights? This article shows what we have known for awhile - the Macs are faster, lighter, have longer battery life, and are the SAME PRICE or CHEAPER. So STOP with the "Macs are too expensive" crap. Make a PDF of this article and refer to it any time you get the urge to blather your Mac (or "MAC" as you clueless PC guys love to say) myths all over the net. 1) The plural of Mac is Macs, not "Mac's." 2) It is spelled "Mac", not "MAC." 3) The company that makes Macs is Apple, not "Mac." Notice also, all you video card nuts, that both PCs lost out to the Macs on CineBench, or were so close to the MacBook's GMA graphics that nobody could tell the difference. So much for the constant whining about a "decent" "video card." 35. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsSo what have we learned? Macs running their best OS with either a faster processor or more RAM, or both, perform better than PC's running their worst OS (with no SP1 as well). The more you know...34. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsHonestly who cares? Buy whatever works best for you! This whole mac vs pc thing is so boring33. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe argument above basicly states that with a PC, you are not limited to which OS you use, while you are limited on an Apple box. The poster is confused, an Apple branded computer is the *only* computer that can officially make use of all three OSs. (X86 [Mac OS X] on PC boxes does exist, but can hardly be considered to run on PCs). A more apt description: PC= anything technically possible; Mac=Anything possible AND supported. Why limit yourself indeed.32. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe argument above basicly states that with a PC, you are not limited to which OS you use, while you are limited on an Apple box. The poster is confused, an Apple branded computer is the *only* computer that can officially make use of all three OSs. (X86 [Mac OS X] on PC boxes does exist, but can hardly be considered to run on PCs). A more apt description: PC= anything technically possible; Mac=Anything possible AND supported. Why limit yourself indeed.31. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops#7: Then put it against Tiger. #4: I couldn't understand what you wrote, but the gist of it was at the end. You cannot run OS X on a PC box. Yes, you can torrent it. No, you cannot run it and agree to the EULA. Popular Mechnics isn't going to compare an illegal, pirated version of OS X. #2: The final scores are not averages. From my experience in this sort of thing, final scores reflect the overall experience, not just what the categories above them say.30. mac vs. pcI currently own a Dell. My next computer purchase will be an Apple. I made this decision long before I read this.29. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsthese comments aren't even valid. Most people aren't going to build a big bad PC because they don't know enough about computers. This test was done on PC's and macs the average person would buy who use them for pics, movies, email and music. Obviously you could build a better computer than a mac off the shelf. Also, the mac has far less RAM than the PC so if you were to run a test with the same amount of RAM between OSX and vista, OSX would trash vista even more. Let's face it here folks, mac is a much much better off the shelf computer in it's classes than any comparable PC, it's hands down. I will never go back to PC with Microsoft even if you pay me, it's pure crap.28. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsIt would be interesting if the test had included both the Mac and the PC running Vista or XP. I bet the Mac would still win. Windows runs faster on a Mac than on a PC.27. RE: Commenter #5While your right they didn't specify the chipset and the exact CPU, those pieces of a PC aren't generally publicized when you go to purchase it. This test gives a real world non IT user's experience. As for the commenters saying it should have been XP being tested... well it's not. Vista is the replacement just as leopard is Tigers replacement. You can't go into a store like best buy and get xp (as far as I've seen).26. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI have an imac, 2.4ghz core duo, 4gb ram, the works. Today, in one 2 hour session where I had firefox and texshop running parallely, I had to unplug the computer twice to reboot it. The keyboard poweroff and the button behind the screen wouldnt work. Macs are great provided you do what you are expected to do on them, that's all. I have VMware running Ubuntu on the leopard box. The same C program, compiled with gcc4 on both platforms, runs 30% faster on Ubuntu, and 15% faster on cygwin in windows (over vmware). Im running rather detailed graph search stuff in these programs. And yes, I cannot automount some directories from my mac fileserver. The machine came with a bogus smb mounted file on /projects that cannot be deleted by me (the admin) or the guy from apple. Etc. etc. etc. Leopard stinks like a septic tank. My wife reverted to Tiger on her machine. Im a long-time Mac user and it was painful to see my macs get buttkicked by WinXP and fedora linux in side by side comparisons on ALL of the scientifc programs I write. I was glad to finally get a hardware that also kicked butt. But sadly, the upgraded hardware came with a downgraded OS..25. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@Comment 4 You seem to be forgetting that you can install pretty much any OS on a mac. On a PC it's about the same except OS X (unless you feel like being illegal, then we would just deport you back to Cuba).24. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsOkay, well... yes. this is lovely. but let me look here- we're pitting the two BEST macintosh computers, in their element, if you will (the streamlined, one package deal) versus the pc's in their worst area (the streamlined, one package deal). anyone who has honestly used a PC knows that if you build the PC yourself, or at least get a damn good, full on box computer, it will smoke the ass of any macintosh. there are two other reasons to love a PC- customizability, and games. yes, i know, the game market is starting to break in for Macs, but overall, any game thats on a mac is on PC, but the reverse isnt true. if you want a hackproof, ultimate machine, make a linux. if you want a gaming machine, or just something for basic office work, get a pc. if you want ultimate gaming, build a pc. and if you are into web surfing and "creativity" programs like garage band, get a mac. there is no comparison23. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsFaster, cheaper, and beautiful, the iMac is an incredible machine. Customize, why? 22. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsIf you want a "customizable" Mac, get a Mac Pro. If you want what 95% of buyers typically ever use, an all-in-one system is your best bet for a comparison. Most people buying computers for anything but games just don't upgrade anything but RAM and maybe hard disk. Ever. PC gamers will want PC's, absolutely. And, this comparison used Vista most likely because in less than 2 months you may not be able to buy a new, mainstream PC with XP. This is about new machines you can buy in a store.21. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsMacbook 2.4 Penryn? Thats the new intel chip with a higher bus speed ! Against: A Gateway PC had a processor that runs 400 MHz slower than its iMac competitor. ASUS M51 had a 2.2 GHz processor. Not only slower CPUs but smaller bus ratings as well! Are mactards too scared to compare actual hardware to hardware and see their mac lose as usual?20. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops"PCs=anything including Mac. Mac=whatever Mac produces" because installing windows on a mac has to be impossible.. er.. wait a sec, it looks like theres this little thing called boot camp...19. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsNice. Now pit the SAME HARDWARE AND CPU against the MAC. And then we see the Mac lose time and time again!18. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI didn't see it mentioned but did the PC's have built in cameras like the Macs. Would also have been nice to know how they did with peripherals printers, cameras, Hard drives, wireless? Otherwise fairly balanced.17. Odd to see PC zealots This is new, PC apologists. Before I rip into #4, let me try to say what he should have said. For the small percentage of people who still want to build up their own computer from scratch, you have many more options with PC's and windows. But as for what he actually said? Did you read the article? What they said is in pre-built hardware, you would be better off buying a mac and running windows on it than buying the Gateway. In other words Macs=anything you want including windows (and all of their applications) PC=everything you want EXCEPT for the Mac stuff. Now you may not care about iWork, iLife, Final Cut, Motion, Shake, etc. or even OS X and you can find programs to do what any of them do on windows, but the general consensus is that these are some of the best pieces of software in their respective categories and without a mac you don't have access to them. Before all the mac users jump up yelling YA! IN YOUR FACE WINDOWS! The pool of great applications under windows that mac users only have access to if they run windows in emulation or as part of Boot Camp is also very large. No place is this more obvious than Games. But it is time to give the devil (or mac) it's due. This article shows that apple's hardware and software are competitive and reasonable alternatives to windows. Now lets let both sides slug it out and enjoy the awesome innovation that this type of competition brings. Just my 2 cents worth.16. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe data speaks against long-held belief. How refreshing! 15. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsTHAT IS EXACTLY THE POINT. The Mac is faster & cheaper than a typical PC competitor. Can you build a faster PC user no-name parts for less than a Mac, of course, I can build a cheaper Ferrari and it's great if YOU want to but for 99.8% users, why bother. Maybe 10 years ago, you had to when Pc pricing reflected more margins but now, it's like buying a kit car - you can but unless your time is not money, there's no point AND what's usually ignored by most DIYer is that your no-name components usually die quickly or the fan you buy starts banging away at 120 decibels in 4 months while one Apple gets is silent after 7 years ... plus you don't get iMovie, iWeb & Garageband for ANY price + walk in tech support at 200 stores AROUND THE WORLD - FREE. Even if Macs were more expensive, that's not worth anything to you? 14. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptops@ Comment 4: What the hell are you talking about? I honestly cannot understand how you are making your claims. You don't sound sarcastic or satirical, yet what you say could easily fit into a work of those literary devices. "...the vast majority of people customize their PCs..." First, where are the statistics you are drawing from? From my anecdotal experience, the average PC user does no customization to their computer. They buy it how it is, use it, then get rid of it when the time comes. "...it depends on what you want to do. a PC can do anything...Macs have nowhere near the amount of customization as PCs." In the context of the article pointing out that the hardware of PCs and Macs is the same, and the fact that most hardware modifications do not add functionality to a computer, but merely increase performance or storage, I'll assume you are talking about software customizations. And assuming such -- get your head out of your ass. There are no common "customizations" possible on PC that are not as easily implemented on a Mac. And going beyond common customizations, Mac OS X and most Mac applications are scriptable, whereas Windows Vista is not. "If somebody wanted to, they could make a PC that could destroy any Mac in side by side comparison." Who the hell cares? Who needs the power that that kind of computer would provide? No one. That is why Apple does not sell a computer that powerful. That is not to say that Apple does not make very powerful computers, as many of my friends working with 3D modeling, animating, and rendering would attest to. The point is however high your power needs are, Apple can provide a computer to fit you. If they can't, your use is too specialized to be using consumer PC's in the first place. If you absolutely have to be switching out your hardware all the time, a Mac isn't for you. But the average user could care less if they can change out their video card every 3 months. With Apple, you buy your computer how you want it, use it, and then get another one when needed (every 3-4 years on average). No fuss. "notice how the primary selling pitch of mac is to emphasize music, photos, and video. sure, mac has excellent software for this, but you can get the excellent mac OS as well as all its software on a PC." So first you are saying that Mac OS X is too limited, then you say that you can get the "excellent" Mac OS X and all the software available for it on a PC? You built a whole argument based on the claim that Mac OS X was not up to par with other operating systems (however ridiculous that kind of claim may be), and then negate the whole idea by saying I should buy a PC because I can put OS X on it anyways. Nothing can be said for you. You're simply an idiot. So I see that the general point you are trying to make is that PCs are more capable than Macs are. But this makes absolutely no sense. Your idea that PCs can run more operating systems is bullshit. Macs are PCs, and can run any number of operating systems, just like any other PC. If anything, Macs are more capable because they will run any operating system a PC will, PLUS Mac OS X, which PCs cannot run without heavy hacking and tweaking, and without breaching the OS X EULA. You talked about having as much software as you want on a PC. I really don't understand what you mean. I cannot find a single thing that I want to use my Mac for that I can't find software to do. There is truly far more software available for Windows than for Mac. Much of those titles provide the same functionality as other software, and much of it is shit to begin with. The question is not which platform has the most software, but whether the software you need is available for your platform. You, commenter, are under the impression that Mac software titles are few. The truth is for any common use (and most not-so-common uses) there is a Mac software title that will get you there. More than that, software for Mac tends to be of far higher quality than software for Windows, where the market is flooded with companies just trying to make a buck. "the point im trying to make is why limit yourself?" And your point sucks. There is absolutely nothing limiting about using a Mac. "PCs=anything including Mac. Mac=whatever Mac produces" Only in your world. (And no, as I said before, PCs cannot run OS X). Now, I'm not some Mac fanboy. I don't like using computers. I use them only for what they can do for me. I will use whatever works. I use OS X, Windows, Linux, and BSD on a regular basis. I have only been using Macs for a couple of years, and in that time have observed the things I have pointed out in this comment. After seeing what is on Mac, I dislike almost all Windows software - it is commonly clumsy and generally does not perform it's intended purpose well in comparison. After using OS X, I can't really understand why Microsoft, with it's virtually limitless resources, cannot put out an OS with comparable stability, ease of use, and performance. Not to mention the beautiful simplicity of OS X. When I first switched I couldn't believe there wasn't more to it. Anyways, all that to say the commenter has no idea what he is saying. It is all stereotypical regurgitated nonsense from someone not familiar with OS X at all.13. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsBuy a Mac, Throw VMWare, Parallels, and/or use BootCamp and you can also run Windows (vista, XP etc) or Linux natively on the Mac...win-win-win...Everyone gets money, Apple, and Win-Tel, and you can use all OSes and don't have to compromise... War over...(Unless your dell, maybe Michael Dell should sell the company and return the proceeds to the shareholders ;-) )12. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsPCs= infinite choices of hardware which also means infinite number of incompatibility and potential bugs, Macs= just getting things done. Guess some people just prefer pain.11. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis is an interesting comparison, despite the negative comments. Apple is a much more innovative company that is able to max out its software because it also designs and builds the hardware. It totally makes sense that Macintosh wins this, even with less ram! I frankly can't understand why anyone would put up with Microsoft's kludge-riddled software, not to mention clunky Dell and Gateway hardware... makes me sleepy just thinking about all that hard, cheap plastic and fake aluminum paint they use. Then there's the lame customer support and poor reliability issues. Apple's not perfect by any means but do the research and it's clear that Apple offers a much better, and longer-term, ownership proposition.10. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe PC might run faster on the four-year-old XP OS, but then the user interface rating would plummet.9. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThe one thing this article doesn't touch on is repair fees. Apple's hardware can't be easily repaired, replaced or upgraded whereas the (typical) PC is built as a modular, consumer-friendly device, from the ground up. My iMac died weeks short of the extended warranty (I guess somebody had the clock set wrong - instead of just weeks after the extended warranty). Although the repairs were covered, I did receive an itemized bill - just to show me what it *would* have cost had I not had the extended warranty... ALMOST $1000.00!!! I was amazed! Had these same parts been in a PC, not only could I have done the swap-out myself (which is all they did), it would have cost me a third of the price.8. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsTo the comment about most people customize their PCs, I beg to differ. Most people don't no anything about their PCs! The vast majority of people use their PCs to surf the web and email, that's it. Those people would be happier with a Mac for that reason because it doesn't facilitate customization. They just want it to work, every time. I use both, I've built more than a few PC's from scratch and I wouldn't want Microsoft to go away because competition is good!! But the average user, not the geek would like the Mac better.7. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsLets see real World. XP as the PC OS. Vista is like Win 98; anyone who really works with the stuff will just skip this OS!6. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & Laptopsbah put any other ms os besides vista i bet that would change i wont touch vista till 2p25. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsHe never actually says which Intel Core 2 Duo is in either computer. Intel has almost a half dozen different cores in the processors labeled Core 2 Duo. He dosn't tell what Intel Chipset is used in each and he could have at least used the same amount of ram. This comparison is very disappointing4. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsAny side by side comparison between a Mac and a PC will be inherently flawed.in layman: Macs are all streamlined, whereas PCs can be streamlined but nonetheless, the vast majority of people customize their PCs. this is where the flaw comes in... it depends on what you want to do. a PC can do anything. as many operating systems as you want, as much hardware as you want, but most importantly as much software as you want, if this sounds good...then you want a pc. Macs have nowhere near the amount of customization as PCs. If somebody wanted to, they could make a PC that could destroy any Mac in side by side comparison. you cannot custombuild a mac, because they do not have the approprite software to back it up such customization. notice how the primary selling pitch of mac is to emphasize music, photos, and video. sure, mac has excellent software for this, but you can get the excellent mac OS as well as all its software on a PC. the point im trying to make is why limit yourself? PCs=anything including Mac. Mac=whatever Mac produces3. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis would have been more useful if macbookair was pitted with Vista SP1 instead of Vista.2. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsI averaged the results Shown on the laptop test shown and they are not reflected accuratly under user ratings. The Macbook averages to 4.08 and the Asus to 4.16. Graphicly the Aple shows 4.5 and the Asus 4 Stars... I did this average based on the Star rating so there may be some error on my end that true numbers would avoid.1. RE: Mac vs. PC: The Ultimate Lab Test for New Desktops & LaptopsThis is AWESOME. Macs even beat PC's at running Vista.

iMac

SPECS
Hardware
20-in. screen, 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 1 GB DDR2 RAM, 320 GB hard drive, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, 8x CD/DVD burner, remote control, ATI Radeon HD 2600 graphics card.
Software
OS X Leopard, iLife '08 (iTunes, iPhoto, GarageBand, etc.), Front Row, iWork (30-day trial).
USER RATING
Design
Ergonomics
Internet surfing
Digital photo management
iWork
Front Row (movies, music, etc.)
Overall
SPEED TEST Click here for detailed benchmark scores
Boot
Average startup
28.7 sec.
Average shutdown
4.0 sec.
Install
Microsoft Office
4 min. 17 sec.
Adobe Creative Suite 3
31 min. 44 sec.
Program Launch
Safari (Internet browser)
3.3 sec.
Microsoft Word
4.2 sec.
Adobe Photoshop
4.0 sec.
Stress-launch Photoshop (w/ 8 apps running)
21.36 sec.
CD rip
3 min. 35 sec

Gateway One

SPECS
Hardware
19-in. screen, 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 3 GB DDR2 RAM, 500 GB hard drive, built-in Wi-Fi, 8x CD/DVD burner, remote control, ATI Radeon HD 2600 graphics card.
Software
Windows Vista Home Premium, Microsoft Works 8.5, Media Center, Microsoft Office (60-day trial).
USER RATING
Design
Ergonomics
Internet surfing
Digital photo management
Works
Media Center (movies, music, etc.)
Overall
SPEED TEST Click here for detailed benchmark scores
Boot
Average startup
1 min. 13 sec.
Average shutdown
44.3 sec.
Install
Microsoft Office
6 min. 25 sec.
Adobe Creative Suite 3
25 min. 45 sec.
Program Launch
Internet Explorer
6.3 sec.
Microsoft Word
5.2 sec.
Adobe Photoshop
5.5 sec.
Stress-launch Photoshop (w/ 8 apps running)
40.0 sec.
CD rip
3 min. 35 sec.

MacBook

SPECS
Hardware
13.3-in. screen, 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo (Penryn); 3GB DDR2 RAM, 160 GB hard drive, 8x CD/DVD burner, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Software
OS X Leopard, iLife '08 (iTunes, iPhoto, GarageBand, etc.), Front Row, iWork (30-day trial).
Weight
5 pounds
BATTERY TEST
With the DVD drive spinning and screen at full brightness, the MacBook made it through our movie, but fell short of Apple's stated 6-hour battery life: 3 hr. 34 min.
USER RATING
Design
Ergonomics
Internet surfing
Digital photo management
iWork
Media Center (movies, music, etc.)
Overall
SPEED TEST Click here for detailed benchmark scores
Boot
Average startup
41.6 sec.
Average shutdown
3.9 sec.
Install
Microsoft Office
2 min. 57 sec.
Adobe Creative Suite 3
34 min. 54 sec.
Program Launch
Microsoft Word
5.3 sec.
Adobe Photoshop
4.1 sec.
Stress-launch Photoshop (w/ 8 apps running)
16.2 sec.
CD rip
5 min. 49 sec.

Asus M51SR

15.4-in. screen, 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB DDR2 RAM, 250 GB hard drive, ATI Radeon HD 2400 graphics card, 8x CD/DVD burner, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Software
Microsoft Vista Home Premium, Works, Media Center, Office (30-day trial).
Weight
6.5 pounds
BATTERY TEST
Many users liked the Asus’s 15.4-in. screen, but that large display is a drain on the battery. The Asus couldn’t make it through our 2-hour, 49-minute movie: 1 hr. 30 min
Average startup
1 min. 51 sec.
Average shutdown
25.4 sec.
Install
Microsoft Office
4 min. 46 sec.
Adobe Creative Suite 3
21 min.
Program Launch
Microsoft Word
6.2 sec.
Adobe Photoshop
5.2 sec.
Stress-launch Photoshop (w/ 8 apps running)
25.5 sec.
CD rip
3 min. 9 sec.








Windows Vista Enterprise Operating System Features


Overview
The premium edition of Windows Vista for businesses, Windows Vista Enterprise includes all the features in Windows Vista Business plus extra capabilities designed to help reduce the cost and complexity of deploying and managing corporate PCs. Windows Vista Enterprise provides higher levels of data protection, easier application management, and improved standardization for global operations. Also, Windows Vista Enterprise offers stronger data protection for a growing, mobile workforce, including more protection of sensitive data in the event a mobile PC is lost or stolen.
Windows Vista Enterprise gives your business an advantage by empowering your most valuable asset—people. The operating system makes it easy for people to communicate, collaborate, and work with greater efficiency and effectiveness, regardless of their location. And Windows Vista Enterprise enhances your organization's ability to find, use, and secure data, meet complex regulatory requirements, and manage information technology costs. Windows Vista Enterprise is the heart of any competitive organization's IT desktop investment.
Benefits of the operating system:
Improve security and compliance
Optimize your desktop infrastructure
Find and use information
Enable your mobile workforce
Learn more about operating system benefits.
Data protection with Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption
Organizations face increasing concerns around intellectual property and sensitive data being compromised on a lost, stolen, or recycled computer. To address this issue, Windows Vista Enterprise includes Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption, a new technology that helps prevent sensitive data and intellectual property from falling into the wrong hands.
Windows BitLocker uses hardware-enabled full-volume data encryption technology that gives you greater peace of mind knowing that your corporate intellectual property is safer and will remain your strategic asset. Also, because the entire Windows volume is encrypted, Windows BitLocker reduces the cost associated with decommissioning old PCs. Watch the video.
Learn more about Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption.
Application compatibility and virtualization
Organizations have to factor in the potential cost and complexity of application compatibility issues when they consider a new desktop operating system. In addition to Application Compatibility toolkit available to all customers, Windows Vista Enterprise includes built-in tools to improve application compatibility with previous versions of Microsoft operating systems, as well as with UNIX operating systems. These tools help you take advantage of the unique capabilities provided by Windows Vista even if you are unable to easily migrate a legacy application to the new operating system.
With Windows Vista Enterprise, you may install up to four copies of the operating system in a virtual machine for a single user on a single device. This enables you to run a legacy application in a virtual environment on top of Windows Vista Enterprise. This benefit, coupled with the free availability of Virtual PC, provides Windows Vista Enterprise customers with the most economical means to address application compatibility and other related scenarios using virtualization.
Also, to ease interoperability between Windows and UNIX, Windows Vista Enterprise includes Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications (SUA). SUA enables you to run UNIX applications unchanged on a Windows Vista Enterprise–based PC. Whereas today a UNIX database administrator or system administrator needs to have a UNIX workstation in addition to a Windows-based PC, Windows Vista Enterprise enables you to consolidate both functions into a single Windows Vista-based PC. Watch the video.
Microsoft has also developed the Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) 5.0. Available for free download, this toolkit helps customers understand their application compatibility situation by identifying which applications are compatible with the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system and which require further testing. ACT gives the IT professional a single environment to work with their application compatibility issues, and the tools to effectively analyze, test and mitigate issues with applications before deploying Windows Vista. Watch the video.
Windows Vista Enterprise customers that subscribe to the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance have additional options for minimizing application compatibility challenges. This service can accelerate deployment with tools such as Microsoft SoftGrid for application virtualization, which can reduce application-to-application conflicts, and with Asset Inventory Services, to help you more quickly compile information about applications running inside your organization. Watch the video.
Multi-language support with Multilingual User Interface (MUI)
An interface language controls which language a user sees in the Windows Start menu, in the help system, in built-in management tools, and in Windows dialog boxes. In the past, Windows was offered in different versions for different languages, so organizations operating worldwide faced the burden of managing multiple desktop images for each hardware type and language supported.
Today, Windows Vista Enterprise includes all available interface languages in one offering. This enables organizations to build a single deployment image that can be used worldwide, and to deploy individual PCs that simultaneously offer different interface languages for different users. The Multilingual User Interface (MUI) feature helps you save a significant amount of time as you prepare to deploy the new operating system as well as lower the total cost to deploy and maintain new images.
DVD Playback Pack for Windows Vista
DVD functionality in the enterprise has become a growing necessity. Whether it is corporate sales and marketing tools on DVD or training videos for customers and employees, the use of DVD formats in the corporate world continues to grow. To accommodate the growing need of this media in the enterprise, Microsoft is offering the DVD Playback Pack for Windows Vista Enterprise and Windows Vista Business. The Playback Pack allows users to play DVD, MPEG-2, and Dolby 5.1 content.
The combination of Windows Vista Enterprise or Windows Vista Business and the DVD Playback Pack is the most manageable version of Windows with the best media experience for the enterprise. Windows Vista Ultimate is not designed for broad enterprise deployment and should be used for conference and training rooms only.
DVD Playback Pack for Windows Vista is designed to be used by IT professionals and should only be distributed as part of an operating system image.
DVD Playback Pack is available through the Microsoft Volume Licensing division. For more information on ordering DVD Playback Pack, visit Microsoft Volume Licensing.
Windows Vista Service Pack 1
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is the complete set of Windows Vista updates Microsoft has issued over the past year plus additional enhancements to improve your PC experience. SP1 doesn't add new features or require you to learn anything new—it simply makes your PC more reliable, run more smoothly, and even more enjoyable to use, all at no charge.
With the release of SP1, Windows Vista Enterprise improves security through enhancements to Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption, which now protects all local drives in addition to the Windows partition. Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption also now allows authentication via USB, PIN, and TPM at the same time.
Further, hardware and software partners have worked extensively with Microsoft to help improve the Windows Vista experience. These partners have updated more applications to be compatible with Windows Vista, delivered new device drivers, and ensured that most new devices and software programs are compatible with Windows Vista.
These efforts have significantly improved application compatibility since the initial release of Windows Vista, with new support from over 160 Global Enterprise applications. Now, 10 times more applications have achieved Certified for Windows Vista or Works with Windows Vista logo status. The NPD Group reports that 98 of the top 100 applications now work with Windows Vista.
With the release of SP1, Microsoft and its partners have joined efforts to make Windows Vista even more effective at helping organizations optimize their desktop infrastructures, reduce TCO, and in­crease agility. Experience Windows Vista today and discover what it can do for you and your organization.
For more information on Windows Vista SP1, select one of the links below:
Volume Licensing
IT professionals
Developers








As a parent, you want your kids to have a safe and happy experience on the computer. Leopard keeps an eye out even when you can’t. With a simple setup, you can manage, monitor, and control the time your kids spend on the Mac, the sites they visit, and the people they chat with.
A safer Internet.
Using the same technology that keeps your inbox free of junk mail, a new content filter in Leopard takes a quick peek at websites before they load and tries to determine if they’re suitable for kids. If not, Leopard blocks them from view. Of course, you can override this filter by creating lists of specific websites you want — or don’t want — your children to see.
Bedtime and time limits.
Many kids would sit at the computer for days if you let them. Fortunately, Leopard makes it easier to set the rules. Just enter bedtime and time limits for using the Mac, specifying different times for weekdays and weekends if you wish. Parents happy, kids happy (relatively).

Under log and key.
With Leopard, your Mac logs your kids’ activities to help you keep them from communicating with people they shouldn’t be. The log keeps track of websites your kids have visited, applications they’ve used, and people they’ve chatted with. It’s the perfect way to make sure your children stay safe online. You can access the parental controls and monitor logs remotely from any Mac on the network.



Filled with cool new features, iChat turns any video chat into an event. Video backdrops, Photo Booth effects, photo slideshows, Keynote presentations, even movies on your Mac — you can share it all using iChat.
Chat from anywhere (or just look like it).
With the new video backdrops built into iChat, you can make it look like you’re chatting from the Eiffel Tower, under the sea, or from the moon. You can also create your own custom backdrops by dragging a picture or video from iPhoto or the Finder into the video effects window. Backdrops even show up on the screens of buddies who don’t have Leopard.
Chat for effect.
Transform your video chats using new Photo Booth effects. Add kapow! to a chat with the comic book effect. Get twisted with twirl. Soften your image with glow. Just choose an effect and your video changes instantly.
Show off (without showing up).
Why wait for a darkened room and a projector to present vacation photos or Keynote slides? Now you can do it all remotely, right in iChat. Put on a photo slideshow, click through a Keynote presentation, or play a movie — in full screen, accompanied by a video feed of you hosting — while your buddy looks on. In fact, you can show any file on your system that works with Quick Look.
Share and share alike.
Thanks to iChat screen sharing, you and your buddy can observe and control a single desktop with iChat, making it a cinch to collaborate with a colleague, browse the web with a friend, or pick plane seats with your spouse. Share your own desktop or your buddy’s — you both have control at all times. And iChat automatically initiates an audio chat when you start a screen sharing session, so you can talk things through while you’re at it.
Chatting for the record.
Now you can save your audio and video chats for posterity with iChat recording. Before recording starts, iChat notifies your buddies and asks for their permission to record. When you’re done chatting, iChat stores your audio chats as AAC files and video chats as MPEG-4 files so you can play them in iTunes or QuickTime. Share them with colleagues, friends, and family or sync them to your iPod and play on the go.





Leopard transforms email into personalized stationery. Notes you can access anywhere. To-dos that change as your errands do. For everything you do with email — and some things you haven’t thought of yet — there’s Mail.
Sincerely yours.
Mail for Leopard features more than 30 professionally designed stationery templates that make a virtual keepsake out of every email you send. From invitations to birthday greetings, stationery templates feature coordinated layouts, fonts, colors, and drag-and-drop photo placement from your iPhoto library — everything to help you get your point across. You can even create personalized templates. Messages created with stationery in Mail use standard HTML that can be read by popular webmail services and email programs on both Mac computers and PCs.
Noteworthy indeed.
Ever email yourself a reminder that gets lost in your inbox? Mail lets you write handy notes you can access from anywhere. Brainstorm ideas, jot down meeting notes, scribble a phone number — notes can include graphics, colored text, and attachments. Group notes into folders or create Smart Mailboxes that group them for you. Since your notes folder acts like an email mailbox, you can retrieve notes from any Mac or PC using an IMAP mail service like .Mac or AOL.
Much ado about to-dos.
Forget manually adding a new item to your to-do list every time an email hits your inbox. Simply highlight text in an email, then click the To Do button to create a to-do from a message. Include a due date, set an alarm, or assign priorities. Every to-do includes a link to the original email or note, and to-dos automatically appear in iCal, complete with any changes you make. And since to-dos are stored with your email (when using an IMAP mail service), you can access them from Mail on any Mac.




Time Machine is the breakthrough automatic backup that’s built right into Mac OS X. It keeps an up-to-date copy of everything on your Mac — digital photos, music, movies, TV shows, and documents. Now, if you ever have the need, you can easily go back in time to recover anything.
Set it, then forget it.
To start using Time Machine, all you have to do is connect an external drive (sold separately) to your Mac. You’re asked if you want it to be your backup drive, and if you say yes, Time Machine takes care of everything else. Automatically. In the background. You’ll never have to worry about backing up again.
Back up everything.
Time Machine backs up your system files, applications, accounts, preferences, music, photos, movies, and documents. But what makes Time Machine different from other backup applications is that it not only keeps a spare copy of every file, it remembers how your system looked on a given day — so you can revisit your Mac as it appeared in the past.
Go back in time.
Enter the Time Machine browser in search of your long-lost files and you see exactly how your computer looked on the dates you’re browsing. Select a specific date, let Time Machine find your most recent changes, or do a Spotlight search to find exactly what you’re looking for. Use Quick Look to verify the file’s contents if you wish. Then click Restore and Time Machine brings it back to the present. Time Machine restores individual files, complete folders, iPhoto libraries, and Address Book contacts. You can even use Time Machine to restore your entire computer if need be.
How Time Machine works.
Beneath the hood, Time Machine is every bit as remarkable as it is on the outside. It’s based on stable and secure Mac OS X core technologies (like the HFS+ file system), automatically tracks file changes, and is aware of file system permissions and user access privileges. Bottom line: It’s working with more information than other backup utilities and doesn’t need to bother you for input.
Pick a disk. Any disk.
You can designate just about any HFS+ formatted FireWire or USB drive connected to a Mac as a Time Machine backup drive. Time Machine can also back up to another Mac running Leopard with Personal File Sharing, Leopard Server, or Xsan storage devices.
Back up the whole family.
The moment you choose a Time Machine drive, a single folder is created on the drive. Inside this folder is a subfolder for each Mac being backed up. (Yes, multiple Mac systems can share the same backup drive.) And within each subfolder is another list of folders — one for every backup performed on that Mac. Time Machine uses a standard file system to store all of its information. Nothing hidden anywhere.
Time Machine showcase





Anatomy of a backup.
For the initial backup, Time Machine copies the entire contents of the computer to your backup drive. It copies every file exactly (without compression), skipping caches and other files that aren’t required to restore your Mac to its original state. Following the initial backup, Time Machine makes only incremental backups — copying just the files that have changed since the previous backup. Time Machine creates links to any unchanged files, so when you travel back in time you see the entire contents of your Mac on a given day.
Timing is everything.
Every hour, every day, an incremental backup of your Mac is made automatically as long as your backup drive is attached to your Mac. Time Machine saves the hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups for everything older than a month. Only files created and then deleted before the next hourly backup will not be included in the long term. Put another way: You’re well covered.
Working on your schedule.
Say Time Machine is in the middle of a backup and you want to shut down your Mac or put it to sleep. Who wins? Like you have to ask. Time Machine simply stops the backup process and remembers where it is. It automatically resumes when your Mac is active again.
Back up only what you need.
By default, Time Machine backs up everything on your Mac. If you want to exclude certain files, just go to Time Machine preferences, click Options, then select the folders you wish to skip. Want to delete all instances of a file or folder previously backed up? Easy enough. Launch Time Machine, select the item to be deleted, then choose "Delete from all backups" from the action menu in the Finder toolbar.
Backing up to a full disk.
One day, no matter how large your backup drive is, it will run out of space. And Time Machine has an action plan. It alerts you that it will start deleting previous backups, oldest first. Before it deletes any backup, Time Machine copies files that might be needed to fully restore your disk for every remaining backup. (Moral of the story: The larger the drive, the farther back in time you can back up.)
Migration with style.
To make setting up a new Mac even simpler, Time Machine shares its data with other Mac utilities. Use Migration Assistant to copy portions of any Time Machine backup to a new Mac, or select “Restore System from Time Machine” in the Leopard DVD Utilities menu. Choose any date recorded in Time Machine to set up your new Mac exactly as your previous Mac was on that date.
Ready when you are.
When your mobile Mac is connected to your backup drive, Time Machine works as you’d expect. When it isn’t connected, Time Machine also works as you’d expect. It keeps track of which files have changed since the last backup and backs them up to your backup drive the next time you connect. On any Mac, if Time Machine is unable to perform a backup, that’s duly noted in its preferences pane.





Using Quick Look in Leopard, you can view the contents of a file without even opening it. Flip through multipage documents. Watch full-screen video. See entire Keynote presentations. With a single click.
Opening files is so 2006.
So you’re flipping through files in the Finder. But you’re looking for something specific and you don’t have time to open lots of files to find it. Enter Quick Look. It gives you a sneak peek of entire files — even multiple-page documents and video — without opening them.
See everything.
Quick Look works with nearly every file on your system, including images, text files, PDF documents, movies, Keynote presentations, Mail attachments, and Microsoft Word and Excel files. Just tap the Space bar to see a file in Quick Look, or click the Quick Look icon in the Finder window (if it’s not there already, add it by selecting Customize Toolbar from the View menu in the Finder). Then click the arrow icon to see the same file full screen — even video as it plays.






Now browsing the files on your Mac is as easy as browsing music in iTunes. That’s the idea behind the new Finder in Leopard. You can access everything on your system by flipping through your files using Cover Flow or by clicking items in an iTunes-style sidebar.
See what you seek.
Now you can actually see your files in the Finder — not just as icons, but as they really look. Using Cover Flow, you can flip through your documents as easily as you flip through album art in iTunes. Cover Flow displays each file as a large preview of its first page, and you can click through multipage documents or play movies.
The sidebar steps up.
Leopard brings new power to your old friend, the sidebar. Items are grouped into categories: places, devices, shared computers, and searches — just like the Source list in iTunes. So with a single click, you’re on your way to finding what you need.
Search party.
Combine Cover Flow with Spotlight and you’ve got one amazingly powerful search tool. Just type your keywords in Spotlight or specify search criteria, then browse through the search results using Cover Flow. You can easily save your searches for future use. Or use the prebuilt searches in the sidebar, such as Yesterday or All Images. You’ll soon be doing less searching and more finding.
Closer connections.
With shared computers automatically displayed in the sidebar, you can find files on any Mac or PC on your network. You can even use Spotlight and Cover Flow when you search another Mac. But here’s where things get really interesting. When you click a connected Mac, you can use screen sharing (if authorized, of course) — which lets you do anything you could do if you were sitting in front of that computer. Change a system preference, publish an iPhoto album, or add a new playlist to iTunes.
Finder showcase









And now, back to my Mac.
Ever wish you could get something from your Mac when you were thousands of miles from home? It’s nearly impossible, considering your home Internet provider frequently changes your computer’s Internet address — and your router or wireless base station disguises things further. With Leopard and a MobileMe account, it's not only possible, it’s simple. Back to My Mac keeps an up-to-the-minute record of all your computers’ addresses on a MobileMe server. So when you’re on the road, you’ll see your MobileMe-registered computers in the Shared section of your Finder sidebar, just as they’d appear at home. They’re protected from any eyes but yours — and you can even browse their contents using Cover Flow in the Finder.
Look deeper.
From the Finder or the menu bar, Spotlight in Leopard lets you search for more specific sets of things. Use Boolean logic to narrow search results by entering AND, OR, or NOT in a search request. Search for exact phrases using quotation marks, or search for items by dates or ranges using > and < class="overlaythumb" href="http://images.apple.com/macosx/features/images/desktop_gallery01_20071016.jpg">




An eye-opening experience.
The new desktop has a semitransparent menu bar and a reflective 3D Dock that perfectly frame your desktop picture — whether you use one of the beautiful included images or customize it with a favorite from your iPhoto library. The Dock has a bright active-application signal, and the look of Leopard extends to all applications. Every window has a consistent design theme, and active applications are even more distinct, casting deeper shadows.








Just one look at the desktop in Mac OS X Leopard says you’ve arrived someplace new. From the menu bar to the stunning new Dock, Leopard is designed to help you enjoy the time you spend at your computer — and help you get more out of it.

Stacked in your favor.
Does your desktop get cluttered? You’re hardly alone. So you’ll love one of the most useful new features in Leopard: Stacks. A stack is a Dock item that gives you fast access to a folder of files. When you click a stack, the files within spring from the Dock in a fan or a grid, depending on the number of items (or the preference you set). Leopard starts you off with two premade stacks: one for downloads and the other for documents. The Downloads stack automatically captures files downloaded from Safari, Mail, and iChat, and the Documents stack is a great place to keep things like presentations, spreadsheets, and word processing files. You can create as many stacks as you wish simply by dragging folders to the right side of your Dock. Pretty neat.
Desktop showcase





An eye-opening experience.
The new desktop has a semitransparent menu bar and a reflective 3D Dock that perfectly frame your desktop picture — whether you use one of the beautiful included images or customize it with a favorite from your iPhoto library. The Dock has a bright active-application signal, and the look of Leopard extends to all applications. Every window has a consistent design theme, and active applications are even more distinct, casting deeper shadows.


Hope this helps






















































Hope this helps.