[Grovenet] MACs for Christmas

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

What? Next you're going to say we shouldn't debate the qualities of various
sports teams!! 

Arguing over Mac vs. PC is an American tradition. 

I like Macs. Apple did something important that was different from IBM. The
combination has been the best of American business at work. I developed
classes for graphics designers in how to use Macs back in the 1980's and was
impressed by the stability and simplicity of the system compared to the PC's
I had worked with. I wanted to know why, so I asked. 

IBM opened up its architecture to promote development by a variety of
companies to produce hardware and software, but in the process they could
not control every detail of what others were doing. The PC became the "test
bed" for many new ideas and new companies that gave the PC tremendous
flexibility. Along with that flexibility the PC was open to the problems and
issues of incompatible and sometimes defective designs. 

Apple said "NO!" They kept control of their system architecture, opting
instead for a much more limited capability but a much more stable and
reliable system. 

But while IBM was pretty much a free-for-all, the Mac was too stilted for
many, lacking in the ability to do many things users wanted, especially as
on-line systems and the internet became more "mainstream". 

For us users, it was a choice between solid dependability (Mac) and
flexibility and power (PC). Over the years that separation has narrowed as
traditional MAC software (the Adobe suite) became available for the PC and
PC software would run on MAC-based PC emulators. And, of course, Apple has
struggled to keep up with demand with a more flexible OS which has led to
several of their more recent and spectacular stumbles in the marketplace. 

One of these days we'll be talking about the Macinpc or the Pcapple unless
someone is able the re-think the whole system and upstage them both with a
leap forward in technology.  

Where I lose patience is with the general, and generally untrue, assertions
that PC's are inherently more prone to problems, whether they are viruses or
software failures and assertions that Apples are inherently trouble-free and
stable. 

Both systems are inherently trouble free and stable when operated as such by
competent users. The PC is inherently more flexible but in exercising that
flexibility one risks discovering new problems. 

Ron D'Eau Claire 



-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of chuck
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 4:12 PM
To: Forest Grove local interests list
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] MACs for Christmas


The last thing I intended to do was start yet another Mac vs PC debate.  
I think there has been enough of them over the years that we probably do 
not want another one here on this forum.

Jeff - glad Vista is running good for you and your friends.
Ron - you've always had a handle on your PCs and their issues.  Glad 
everything's working out for you.
Stephen - if I could find a Linux alternative to Quickbooks - believe be 
- I'd be there.

In my 8+ years repairing computers here in town - the top 3 common 
problems I get to fix over and over again are : Viruses, Spyware, and 
Data Recovery from a crashed hard drive running Windows.  

To me - that data speaks volumes. 

chuck

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