Is The Apple OS More Stable Than MS Windows?

[Rackhir]

Oh yeah...

Some of the folks have been citing that MAC comes with more software that you are actually going to use and that you'd have to pay for the same functionality. Don't you believe it! There is plenty of free software out there for Windows if you just know what to look for. Here is my standard load list:

1) Open Office - Basially free MS Office (without Outlook). You can work on Word documents, Excel Spreadsheets, Powerpoint presentations, and Access Databases. The funny thing is that SUN distributes the product.

2) Thunderbird - Who needs Outlook anymore?

3) FireFox - I shouldn't have to say why this one belongs.

4) AVG - Because nobody should have to pay for anti-virus.

5) Zone Alarm - Because nobody should have to pay for a firewall either.

6) GIMP - Because I really don't want to pay for Photoshop.

7) Ad-Aware - A decent spyware detector/remover

8) VMWare Server - So I can run any variety of the free Unix/Linux OS's on my machine.

All of these apps are free. I really can't think of any more that I'd want for typical use.

Stuff like GIMP and VMWare is fine if you like working with computers, but it isn't so hot for a young relative or Grandmother. The mac apps are far more user friendly and accessible to the non-gear heads.

It isn't strange at all that Sun helps distribute Open Office. The fact is that most people could care less about what the OS is, they want/need Excel, PowerPoint or MS Word. THAT lock in is what built windows into the dominant force. So what ever hurts/weakens people's usage of MS Office, can only help a company like Sun.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Couldn't agree more...

To the OP:
As stated it still all boils down to what you want to do

Surf Net & Read E-Mail = Linux

Photo & Video editing = Mac

Gaming = Windows

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Photo & Video editing = Mac

If I have to dispute this one for the rest of my life, I will. Course, I won't retype everything from before, but this just isn't true today like it was.

What Mac DOES definitely equal is a very user-friendly setup and its pretty stable compared to Windows, generally.

But if someone is making a decision based on Photo/Video editing between Mac and PC, one is NOT better than the other. There are definitely other differences these days that remain, though.

 

[ki11erDM]

I'm sick to death of computer problems. I have enough money set aside to get a new computer, and now I'm wondering if Apple computers are less prone to problems than Windows computers.

Anyone in the know?

Is Vista less stable than OSX? Absolutely not. Vista is a rock solid OS, just as is OSX.
Your problems sound like they are 100% related to hardware… not software or OS. And on that front Apple does have an advantage because they directly control what is in your system. Microsoft has to rely on 3rd parties to produce hardware and drivers for their OS and thus has a great deal less control over the quality of those parts and software.
Microsoft has to rely on you to be a smart consumer and buy quality parts from quality venders. Apple relies on you to buy what Steve tells you to buy. Those are two entirely different mind sets. And there is a great deal of value in each.
So at that point you have to decide what value you are going to get for your money and I personally just can’t see Apples hardware being worth the extra money. Plus I absolutely cannot stand the single button mouse crap hehe.

 

[Rackhir]

Is Vista less stable than OSX? Absolutely not. Vista is a rock solid OS, just as is OSX.

Given that by most accounts from my PC using friends, it is an absolute pain in the neck (You know unless you turn off most of the security features). It's stability isn't really that significant.

So at that point you have to decide what value you are going to get for your money and I personally just can’t see Apples hardware being worth the extra money.

Actually, Apple's prices are comparable if not lower than what you would pay for a similar machine from Dell or HP. Try pricing a dual quad-core Xeon workstation or Dells new iMac knock-off machine some time.

What Apple doesn't do, is produce $500 dollar machines that are a piece of junk. Like a lot of the cheapo machines from Dell or HP.

You can if you so desire even put together a mac out of generic PC components if you pick carefully and are willing to do some hacking of an OSX system DVD. There's instructions online if you look.

Plus I absolutely cannot stand the single button mouse crap hehe.

Sigh. Apple has shipped machines with a multi-button mouse for the past 3 years and you've been able to use a multi-button mouse for the past 20+ years if you were inclined to buy one. This stopped being even a joke a long time ago.

 

[azhrei_fje]

Given that by most accounts from my PC using friends, it is an absolute pain in the neck (You know unless you turn off most of the security features). It's stability isn't really that significant.

Look at the adoption rate for businesses -- most companies I contract for aren't using Vista yet and end-of-life for XP has approached twice (extended by MS, of course!) and is again just around the corner. Why haven't they moved to Vista yet?

Actually, Apple's prices are comparable if not lower than what you would pay for a similar machine from Dell or HP. Try pricing a dual quad-core Xeon workstation or Dells new iMac knock-off machine some time.

My wife priced a Dell w/ MS Office and such vs. an iMac and the Mac came out a few dollars more (around 8% more, IIRC).

She wants a Mac for Christmas this year.

Sigh. Apple has shipped machines with a multi-button mouse for the past 3 years and you've been able to use a multi-button mouse for the past 20+ years if you were inclined to buy one. This stopped being even a joke a long time ago.

But they still ship with a single button touchpad. Exactly how difficult is it to put a two- or three-button mouse on a laptop? Why do I have to use an external (and extra cost) mouse to have more than one button?

Having said that, I do have external mice that I use. A wireless one for use at home and a wired one for use on the road (not allowed to use wireless mice on airplanes -- sheesh!).

But you're wrong about one thing: it is a joke! Look at how ignorant people can be -- don't you find that funny?!

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Look at the adoption rate for businesses -- most companies I contract for aren't using Vista yet and end-of-life for XP has approached twice (extended by MS, of course!) and is again just around the corner. Why haven't they moved to Vista yet?

Because some hardware producers can't be bothered to produce good hardware drivers (especially for older hardware). Because software developers consistently ignored Microsoft "Best Practices" when developing software for Windows, and thus now running into all those problems with the new security features suddenly making "Best Practice" "Enforced Practice"? (What do you mean, I am not allowed to write in the program installation directory and have to use the User Directory? What do you mean, I don't have administrator privileges? Is this Unix, or what?)

And the other reason of course is that Windows XP, thanks to Service Pack 2, is pretty secure and stable. If you never need the Microsoft Support, why bother switching?

Well, still is no argument to actually use Vista, admittedly.

I think my MacBook had more glitches then my Vista PC, but both occur only in a negligible frequency. Stability is not the issue on either system, I think.
Security is a little more so, but I am worried that my Mac might have more weaknesses here then Vista - and with greater acceptance of Macs on the market, the likelihood of "evil hackers" exploiting this increases. When this will be an actual risk (especially when "carefully" using the Internet), I won't guess.
The more interesting matter is which system to get to get the most software and hardware, and in that case, I'd say Windows XP >= Windows Vista > Apple.

 

[DarkKestral]

Stability is not the issue on either system, I think.
Security is a little more so, but I am worried that my Mac might have more weaknesses here then Vista - and with greater acceptance of Macs on the market, the likelihood of "evil hackers" exploiting this increases. When this will be an actual risk (especially when "carefully" using the Internet), I won't guess. Apple.

Here's an issue: Macs, as they stand today, are likely going to be coming under serious risk within the next year or two from all of the guys now writing viruses and trojans for Windows, particularly if Apple's success continues. They're becoming common enough in the market segments that have the most unpatched machines connected to the internet that crackers and spammers will probably start writing more exploit code for them. However, the nice thing for the virus writers that they don't get with windows is that Apple's systems are a monoculture, and one where consumers expect to be "secure" from unpopularity, so virus writers can use those to simplify their exploits or to get them implanted down where they will prove harder to remove.

 

[Rackhir]

Here's an issue: Macs, as they stand today, are likely going to be coming under serious risk within the next year or two from all of the guys now writing viruses and trojans for Windows, particularly if Apple's success continues. They're becoming common enough in the market segments that have the most unpatched machines connected to the internet that crackers and spammers will probably start writing more exploit code for them. However, the nice thing for the virus writers that they don't get with windows is that Apple's systems are a monoculture, and one where consumers expect to be "secure" from unpopularity, so virus writers can use those to simplify their exploits or to get them implanted down where they will prove harder to remove.

Yeah, except that Apple doesn't make you prove you don't have a stolen copy before they'll let you get the latest security updates, doesn't demand to install spyware on your machine (WGA) and most important of all doesn't use Direct X. Which is one of the the biggest sources of security flaws and exploits in windows, due to the horrible holes it pokes in any security set up on windows.

Boogie man warnings about "OOOH THE VIRUS WRITERS ARE GOING TO GET YOU!!!" are cute and all, but even if Apple triples it's market share in the next ten years botnet herders are still going to be able to compromise 10x the number of machines with a small fraction of the effort by targetting windows machines if only because Microsoft is going to be doing it's best to try and force people to it's dog of an OS Vista by dropping support for the hordes of W2k and XP machines out there.

 

[ki11erDM]

it is an absolute pain in the neck (You know unless you turn off most of the security features)...

Actually, Apple's prices are comparable...


What Apple doesn't do, is produce $500 dollar machines...

You can if you so desire even put together a mac out of generic PC components...


machines with a multi-button mouse... This stopped being even a joke a long time ago.

What? When you install a program it asks you if you want to install it… OSX does the same thing as do most modern Linux distros. In fact I find OSX to be far more intrusive than Vista when it comes to the user security. But that probably has to do with when I am dealing with a Apple I am typically fixing some issue and it requires local admin.

And I buy dozens of PCs every week and a few Macs every month. The Macs are not even close to as good of a deal for us. But that is institutional pricing. On the consumer end they are much closer and you MUST look for coupons an deals to get the best price on a PC, Macs you just click and buy so they definitely have an upside on that end of things.

Yes Apple does not make low end computers. Apple is an exclusionary brand. They can’t water there brand down much more and keep the ‘cool’ factor. Their business model relies on them staying a trend, like Crocs…

And yes you can install OSX on a none Steve approved system but you are forced brake your user agreement.

And do you even know they sell laptops? You should go in and look at the mouse pad on those… they are single button. And no it has not stopped being a joke.