It's a matter of preference. I'm just not a Mac guy. I don't have a real need for its eye candy and simplicity. Other OSs are generally simpler enough. I prefer to have more software, be able to customize my hardware, and right-click (and other benefits that usually come with PCs).

Yeah, but you need BootCamp. It requires OSX Tiger v10.4.6 or later and will be built into Leapord.

Anyways, nowadays you can buy or download an emulator or other software that allows you to run or emulate other OS's on the same computer. Granted, Mac OSX doesn't like to run on anything but a Mac computer, but withthe emulators and such you can actually run things like Linux and Windows at the same time.

And there are more than 3 OS's. I think there are tons of *nix Os's floating around, there is a ton of different versions of Windows (1.0 all the way through Vista (and probably some betas of 7 soon )) and a couple of Mac OS's out there.

Anyways, a link I found was this, so you should check it out.

But in general the three OSs are considered to be OSX, Windows, and *nixes

I like apples, go good with just about everything, except computers.

youweresaying?


Angel: you don't even really need to run Linux since you can use Finx to compile pretty much any Linux software. any mac capable of running windows will also have Tiger v10.4 (and its a free auto upgrade to 10.4.6 if for some reason you are below that). you don't even really need bootcamp except to install it, since after that you can use Parallels, Darwine to run the software. or you can just install the whole OS to VMWare in the first place

What possible use does that link serve? It makes no reference whatsoever to the lack of the ability to right-click with the horribly designed "Mighty Mouse" (or whatever the hell Apple named it), nor does it answer or refute any statement made. It has no purpose whatsoever - just like all your stupid "I am too lazy to actually make my own post so instead I quote people and then don't say anything new" posts. We all know that a mouse isn't REQUIRED to have two-buttons, but that wasn't even the point to begin with.

Well, my dad is Mac crazy, so there are plenty of Macs in our house for me to have an opinion.

Price: Macs seem overpriced, but it's different. Like some computer manufacturers, Apple only sells computers that are high-end (no low-end or middle-of-the-road stuff). However, because only Apple sells Macs, there are no Macs that are low-end or so-so (unless it's used). So the average student cannot afford to buy a Mac, since they cost so much.

The GUI: Well, some people are confused by any operating system that uses more than 1 click, so I guess the mouse interface is user-friendly that way. However, there are many limitations because there is no real right or middle mouse button, including games. However, the dock IMO is waaay easier to use than the Start Menu.

Programs: There is one main reason why there are so few Mac programs, and that is the same reason why Mac is so secure: it does not support third-party software. For the average user, this is pretty negligible, but for frequent users (gamers in particular) this feature is a major throwback. Sure they won't get any viruses for an accidentally typo in the url, but who wants only 10 game choices on their computer?

The built-in apps: OK, I know the weird advertisements for Macs say that the only useful apps on a PC are the calculator and the clock, but I don't think Macs have Pinball, Minesweeper, or a built-in ability to sync with any PDA. Oh yes, and about iPhoto, iMovie, iTunes, and GarageBand, I think MSPaint, MSMovie Maker, Windows Media Player, and Audacity are pretty nice replacements for those.

Development: From what I know, Macs do not support many libraries and there is no way at all to program z80 assembly on a Mac. I have also had a better experience with program termination on a PC than on a Mac (Task Manager can quit almost any program anytime, while you cannot do anything with the Colored Wheel of Doom on a Mac other than restart the computer). Oh, and did I mention it is nigh impossible to upgrade a Mac's hardware or create your own Mac for that matter?

first off a mighty mouse is more than capable of acting as a 2 button mouse, second off I was pointing out the macs will work with any USB-HID mouse


@ Audacity vs Garageband: they serve 2 completely different purposes, and Audacity runs on macs anyway

@Delnar:

Dude, I can't believe I'm doing this, but I think I'm going to have to defend Apple from your ineptitude.

First of all, of course there is third-party program support on Macs, are you insane? Hello, ever heard of that small program called Photoshop? Guess what? Its not made by Apple, and is therefore third party.

Likewise, the lack of third-party programs has a near nonexistant impact on security. The only way a third-party program can create an autonomous (as in user action isn't required) security hole is if it is either an internet application (web browser, instant messenger, etc...), or listens to incoming connections (server, instant messenger, etc...).

Development: Its a good thing you don't know much at all. As Macs are designed from the *nix world, they have excellent library support (as do basically all operating systems bar windows and its .dll-hell). I am also positive that it is possible to program in Z80 for ti-calcs on a Mac, if not natively then through Wine (I do believe it is possible to compile Wine on a Mac, but if it is not, then someone please correct me.)

@Elf: The point is that Apple doesn't design with two-button mice in mind, nor do they ship with one (at least they didn't). And the mighty mouse is still stupid.

@Delnar_Ersike

You can program in z80 on a Mac.
Either download an emulator of DOS to run TASM in, or download OTBP's on-calc z80 compiler, which doesn't require a computer at all. (Except for the download part)

theres Darwine, or Brass + Mono, tpasm, zasm, z80asm and a shiteload of other ones if you can learn their varying syntaxes.


@Delnar: no low end macs? Mac Mini? the Apple TV (it runs OS X and is even cheaper than the mini)

The new MacBooks also (in my book) qualify as low-end. They don't even have real graphics cards! Just Intel integrated-#$&*. Same with the new Mac Minis. All Macs used to ship with Nvidia and Geforce, but now only the more expensive ones do.

My mom is ungodly excited that she is getting a Mac book, and she has never used a mac in her life, I think she will be dissapointed.

Tell her to get a MacBook Pro. That's a real computer!

Correct me if i'm wrong, but there is a similar sequence to CTRL+ALT+DEL on a mac? It can be either APPLE+CTRL+DEL or there area few other sequences that you can set up Macs to use. I know of this through recent experience with a mac.

There's a "force quit" menu. Apple-Q and Apple-W replace Alt-F4, depending on the degree of quittage you want to enforce. Shift-Apple-Q logs off. Control-Option-Apple-8 inverts the screen. Holding Shift down while minimizing a window does it in slow motion. Holding Apple down while pressing an arrow key skips the point of insertion around the paragraph. In finder, Apple-Delete deletes things. In browsers, Apple-R refreshes. In most other things Apple-P opens a print dialog. That's all I know from memory.

well, i would say thats a pretty good memory. So what i was saying was partially correct then. phew, i thought i was crazy for a second!

Yeah, force quit is Option-Apple(command)-Q-Esc.

option apple escape (stingray: no Q involved)

Oh, maybe that was for OS 9 and below then.