(oh yeah, that’s why I can’t stand windows)
Every once in a while I hear Adam comment on Windows on the show. I’m also a Windows user/programmer at work, Mac user at home. Because I’m a pretty advanced computer user my PC rarely experiences any of the problems that Windows is known for. I don’t ever get viruses or worms, and I know how to keep things running pretty efficiently. That doesn’t mean I enjoy using windows, it just means that I can tolerate it while at work.
However I had a rude re-awakening the other day when I was asked to assist a family I know whose PC was “popping up black windows” everywhere. I have worked on their computer before and had to do a near-resurrection on it. Installing anti-virus, anti-spyware, removing administrator privileges etc…. And I had their computer running almost like new. That plus the addition of broadband internet service to make updates easier for them, lulled me into a state of ignorance, thinking that I was safe.
Well, I don’t even know how, but this time the computer was in worse shape then it was before. Every single toolbar, search assistant, online coupon, spyware product known to man was infesting their 700MHz Celeron PC. As I sat down to work on it, I thought to myself “Ah…yes, this is why I love my Mac”.
I think it’s easy to forget, as an advanced computer user, that the differences between Macs and PCs are much different when you don’t know what you’re doing. Advanced users can probably get done what they need to do on either because they know how to safely use a PC without messing it up. But to the average user, a PC is like walking through Central Park with $100 bills sticking out of your pockets. The entire world seems ready to mug you, and it’s entirely too easy to render your computer unusable. Unfortunately I think a lot of people just give up and use their computers less because of this. They don’t even know that it’s possible to have a computer that works with you instead of against you.
“They don’t even know that it’s possible to have a computer that works with you instead of against you.”
Exactly.
And that is what I learnt after switching 5 months ago. I started doing things with my Mac. I started being productive. I publish my schoolwork with it. I do my music engraving with Sibelius. Take exposé and go check if there’s a new maccast episode. Check the weather in dashboard for tomorrow, and if it’s nice stay in the dashboard and find a restaurant on the countryside. Thene njoy a DVD and a Slideshow of last night’s party. But wait, I need to check my timetable. Spotlight it. See it. Close it. Smile.
“…like walking through Central Park with $100 bills sticking out of your pockets.” Well said!
I, too, support the Windows computers of many family members and friends. Things have gotten to such a state that my solution nowadays is often to run the factory restore and rebuild from the ground up.
i just recently had the same problem with a neighbor’s, i went through hell, trial versions of norton and macaffe to remove viruses, days of my life wasted, but all seem new again and decided to get a new PC case recently and more RAM. the case wold turn the componeents on, but the old case would so i switched it back it turned on the crashed, i removed the RAM i got to make it 256 mb total and it would not even show the bios screen. How ever if i just connected the HD to the power i would hear it spin and hear the head move but i connect the IDE it doesn’t even turn on! i can even access the same drive in my external enclosure!! so at a local swapmeet in a couple hours i intend to buy a Power MAc G3 blue and white and upgrade the OS, HD and CD-ROM to a Combo drive and he will make the switch. I think someone should sue gates for hours and even days wasted of our lifes with windows (sometimes) that could be well spent doing other stuff instead of killing viruses.
It is just ridiculous. I also service many of my friends, colleagues, and relatives’ computers and am just about to call it quits.
This should be a wake up call to Microsoft. If they don’t get their stuff together they will lose people FOREVER as long as Apple stays in the business. Even if it doesn’t for some unforseenable reason there is always Linux.
Happy birthday Apple from a happy, permanent, June 2005 Switcher.
Amen Mac brothren, Amen.
But like they say, you can lead a horse (PC users) to water (Mac), but you can get them to take thier head out of thier own ass (MicroSoft)
Here, here! I wish more of my peecee using friends would realise this!
But, we do need Micro$oft.
It’s their crappy OS that makes us so much money fixing at our jobs so we can buy more Macs!
My friend’s PC has apparently got slower and slower and start up time takes ages. She hates her PC and tells of virus infections etc etc.
I’m on my 3rd Mac and even if someone offered me a top of the range PC plus $10000 to never use a Mac again I wouldn’t accept it.
Apple Macs are rock and roll, whereas PC’s are things you may use but only if you have to. Error message: Windows can’t see Windows.
Says it all!
Long live Apple Computers!
“But like they say, you can lead a horse (PC users) to water (Mac), but you can get them to take thier head out of thier own ass (MicroSoft)”
I am so glad I have a job in a school dist. that is 97% Macs out of the last two weeks I spent 6 days fixing up a lab of 20 dells.
now if I could just get a teacher in there that will not fill his dell with viruses and crap.
I’ve been using windows forever, and after a couple necessary rebuilds and reinstalls of the OS, i find the computer working a little bit better, very few of the common windows problems.. however, i am still very excited to switch. (i’ve considered myself a switcher for a couple years, but the only thing apple i’ve owned is a couple ipods (for lack of funds)). i’m very excited to get the new macbook when it comes out… tomorrow?
“after a couple necessary rebuilds and reinstalls of the OS, i find the computer working a little bit better”
EXACTLY. lol.
I hate Apple.
Why these guys are making such an OS that even kid can work on it without out much training and, offcourse, they don’t have to worry for viruses.
Life should be adventurus. One must see how you loose your harddisk or your precious work getting loose because of Windows crashing. If you are using computers you must know about every damn component and their driver.
Mac OS is a waste, you know, you never need to really do any thing to install it, or once in a 1000 case, reinstall it. Their is no need to driver, every thing is in there, then how come you search the net for downloading drivers and come to know about 1000’s of other devices and things?
And last but not least, I really do not want any one to fall in love with A machine. Wake up its just a machine only. If you go for Mac, you will forget this reality like i did. I love my Mac ;)
As with many of the other commenters, I also support Windows machines and go home to my Macs. The biggest difference between the two is that when something goes wrong with Windows, it really goes wrong and you need experti$e to fix it. When something goes wrong with the Mac and you can’t fix it immediately, one just sends a message out into the ether and get several options on how to fix it. :-)
Wow I guess I would expect Mac fanboys here but it’s funny how selective people are. Anyone have problems with their Macs, ever? My iBook G4 running v10.4 crashed one day and my user profiles got corrupt and I had to boot at the command level and rebuild it from the backup folder. Has this ever happened to me on my Windows machine? NEVER. Does that mean Mac’s are evil and Windows are great? No. Problems come up with each OS and in reality it’s how you apply the system to your lifestyle is what means the most. How does the OSX perform better then Windows or vice versa? is it the GUI? bundled/3rd party Applications? These are the things I wish people would share not their one-sided slams against something because they have something else.
Palverone,
On the GUI. Considering Microsoft has decided to do an almost feature for feature copy of OS X and it’s UI for VISTA, who do you think has the better GUI? I also challenge you to find a better digital lifestyle suite on the PC than iLife ’06. The only thing that comes close is one component, Google Picasa, which is like iPhoto.
A very tech-savvy guy I know is responsible for running roughly 10 machines of both flavors in a pretty challenging environment and for a mix of users/user backgrounds. He told me several months ago that he spends most of his time fixing the PCs. To me, that says a heck of a lot.