Last week, Jason authored an article on reasons why to use Linux. Jason is a real fan of Linux and I was part of the “heated discussion” he refers to at the beginning of his article. His article really did touch a nerve and has quickly become one of those most popular articles on all of PCMech.

Seeing as I was, indeed, part of said “heated discussion”, I thought I would shed some light on my personal choice of computer: the Mac.

In Summary, My View on The Others

Before I get into OS X, let me properly state my viewpoint on both Windows and Linux. I am not a fanboy of any operating system. All have strengths. All have weaknesses. The choice of operating system is a personal one.

Linux is great for the geek. It is not, in my view, an OS that is ready for prime time use by the typical consumer. Illustrating my point was when Rich and I asked Jason (in said heated discussion) about installing apps in Linux. He immediately started talking about “apt get”, yada yada. And, therein, he proved my point. To a Linux nerd, “apt get” is second nature. But, do you honestly expect the typical end user (think your next door neighbor) to be able to work with that?

Yes, there are package managers and they’re great. But, installing apps isn’t the end of it. Linux is still at a point where you’re either fighting driver support or are finding yourself being forced to use Terminal (the command line) to get things done. When I tried Linux, this is what I was up against. So, don’t try arguing with me, Linux nerds. This is my experience and I’m not exactly new to computers. I was literally LIVING in the command line when I was using Ubuntu. Getting dual screen to work? You have to do all kinds of config file editing. Just not workable. I have never had to edit a config file with OS X. And very rarely under Windows. With Linux, it is almost normal. (Dave now awaits the flame wars of the Linux crowd).

As for Windows, well Vista is and was a disaster. And, what that tells me is that Windows is an operating system in limbo. Windows XP is tried and true. Not that it is perfect, but at least it’s flaws are well known and have been dealt with. The end effect is that XP is a great OS with loads of support. Except that Microsoft is insistent on forcing Vista down everybody’s throat at it’s earliest convenience.

Windows is has-been. It is old news. They try to be new and they fail. For Windows to advance beyond the bloated Vista mess, it has to start ditching legacy support, move to 64-bit, and basically re-design some of the underlying things holding it back (i.e. registry).

But, I’m Using Mac

Again, I am not a fanboy of Apple. I am, though, a fan. I have been using Microsoft on my computers since the days of DOS 6.2. I have worked with every version of Windows that ever existed (for consumers anyway). But, after using XP forever, upgrading to Vista, regretting that decision, downgrading to XP again….well, I was tired of Windows. OS X Leopard was released and it looked fresh and new. So, the day Leopard came out, I went out and bought a Mac Pro. I have been using OS X as my primary OS ever since.

Now, I would never have bought a Mac if I could not have run Windows on it. That was a pre-requisite for me. I now own 3 different Macs and 2 of them have Windows installed inside of VMWare Fusion (the third is a Mini and simply doesn’t have the horsepower). But, as time goes on, I’m using Windows less and less (by choice). I use it for my accounting (because I don’t feel like buying the same software for the Mac) and I also use it for Live Writer. I also use it for Paint Shop Pro because I am so used to that particular image editor. Otherwise, you’ll find me in OS X.

Why I Prefer OS X and Apple

1. Apple is quicker to develop enhancements. Microsoft has a dirt slow development schedule for Windows and the end result (Vista) sucked hard. Apple developed Leopard much quicker and the upgrade from Tiger was truly worthy of the upgrade.
2. A Mac is the Only Computer That Can Run EVERY Operating System. I’m a computer tech blogger. I have reason to be able to try any operating system. The Mac is the only machine that allows me to do that. OS X cannot run on anything but Apple. Yes, with some hacking, some have managed to install OS X to a PC, but trust me it isn’t like running it on a true-blue Apple machine. You will be limited if you try the “hackintosh” method, if you can get it to work at all. Not to mention you’re breaking the EULA to even try. But, with OS X as the host OS, I can run any other OS I want either in a virtual machine or with Bootcamp. Personally, I have never used Bootcamp because VMWare Fusion is just that good.
3. Software Design Is Better. In general, I find the design of applications for OS X to be much better thought out. The GUI design is very good for workability not to mention the visual aesthetics are better than Windows. In fact, the entire GUI of OS X just blows Vista out of the water. Now, some Linux distros using Compiz do some pretty wicked graphics inside the OS, some of which are better than OS X. Kudos to Linux for that, but not enough for me to deal with the rest of it.
4. Conveniences. OS X Leopard just has things built in that makes Windows look ancient. For example, Quick Look allows easy viewing of any file without worrying about file attachments or being forced to open full, heavy applications just to view one file. Cover Flow makes browsing a folder so easy by providing full, graphical previews of all files in the folder.
5. Better Value. OS X Leopard retails at $129. If you buy a Mac with it, it comes with it (of course). For that money, you get a real OS that doesn’t bog down (like Vista) and comes with truly useful utilities. For example, Automator comes with OS X and is a hidden gem of the OS, allowing you to easily and graphically create scripts which can help you automate all kinds of tasks on your Mac. I paid more than $129 to buy a retail version of Windows XP. Vista is even more.

For me, these things add up to one thing: I can get my work done quicker and more efficiently on the Mac.

When I had to downgrade from Vista to XP to not have my computer experience totally suck, it was clear to me that Windows is at a plateau. I was on a dead horse. I wanted to use an OS that was leaning forward. Linux has definite strengths, but I didn’t want to use it. It not being commercial does, quite frankly, hinder it. Mac was the clear choice for me.

Popular Misconceptions

1. Mac is a different world and cannot operate with Windows users. Not true. Almost everybody I deal with uses Windows and I can open all their files with no problems at all. I have had no issues at all with that. Nobody even knows I’m using a Mac unless I tell them.
2. Everything About Mac costs Money. Not true. There are a lot of free, open source applications available for the Mac. A LOT of them. In fact, it seems as if there are just as many as for Windows. Now, obviously all Linux apps are open source. That’s a given. But, it goes to show that you can load up your Mac with free software to your heart’s content and be very happy. Much of the software I use on my Mac on a daily basis is free (including my office suite).
3. More Software For Windows than For Mac. Perhaps, but it doesn’t seem like it. Whenever I need to go out and find an OS X app to accomplish something, I find it. I think one thing that leads to this misconception is that you might not see as much retail box software for Mac. But, go online and you’ll see just how much is really available.
4. Mac is just Uber-Expensive. This debate will rage forever, most likely. The thing about Mac hardware is that it is really good hardware. It will last. With PCs, the majority of them are made of bulk parts. When you pay more to get good quality parts for a PC, you’ll end up in the same price ballpark as a comparable Mac. All this said, it is true that you will need to pay more for a Mac. The fault of this belongs to Apple – NOT because they overprice their products, but because they don’t offer mid-range systems. The IMac is an all-in-one (which many don’t want) and the only tower they have is the expensive Mac Pro. There is no mid-range tower and that is a mistake. But, if you price compare a Mac Pro with a similarly equipped PC, you’re not going to find a huge gap. I am WELL aware that people are going to read that and think I’m a stupid Mactard, but I’ll stand by it – and this is coming from a person who didn’t use to think this.
5. Apple controls everything you do. Come on, I hear the same thing about Microsoft all the time. The truth is that using a Mac is no different AT ALL than using a Windows machine – except it is a different OS. You don’t have to get your software from Apple. You don’t have to buy all your hardware upgrades from Apple. It is just not the super controlled machine that some make it out to be. If it were, I wouldn’t have bought it.

This article is already getting too long. I will leave it with this:

The choice of operating system is a personal one. If you dig Windows, more power to you. If you think Linux is the answer, more power to you. If you like the Mac, fine. All these machines basically do the same thing, just with different styles. Just the same as if you get to your destination by driving a Ford or a Chevy.

For me, though, I’m glad I jumped ship. I no longer feel as if my computer experience (which, face it, is most of my life given what I do for a living) is at a standstill using an OS which thinks the latest GUI improvement is big icons and glow buttons. Switching to Apple has made things interesting again. I am a techie and I like watching advancement and talking about the latest tech. Well, Microsoft gives me nothing to talk about. It is boring. And now that I’m using the Mac, I’m also finding that Microsoft’s slowness was affecting my work speed in ways I didn’t even realize.

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