The debate rages VIII

http://www.cpatechnologyadvisor.com/print/The-CPA-Technology-Advisor/The-Mac-vs-PC-Battle-And-Why-It-Almost-Doesnt-Matter-Anymore/1$2615

The most interesting thing I got out of this is the first paragraph in “The Mac Chic” section. Buying a Windows computer can be a daunting task, especially if it is a desktop computer because that throws in the whole thing on customizing hardware. Unless you have experience with Windows and Microsoft or have someone you trust to walk you through the process things may seem overwhelming. Mac is probably a better choice for the very first computer for those with no experience.

The debate rages VII

An argument has been brought to me by an OS X using friend saying that Macs run smoother and you spend less time trying to get things to work on it because Apple makes the hardware AND the software. My view on this is that the fact that Windows can run so much non-Microsoft stuff that makes it so great. Generally there are no issues getting things to work on Windows if you follow the directions…….which doesn’t always happen. I’ve done it before and it does get a little frustrating. Variety is the spice of life and Windows delivers in spades.

The debate rages VI

Interesting: http://technologizer.com/2009/10/05/mac-vs-pc-no-mac-and-pc/

The person writing this throws a somewhat Mac-positive spin onto the figures. Instead of showing the upside of having two operating systems under the same roof, the report tells me that the people with OS X AND Windows need Windows to do something that OS X can’t. This is backed up by the fact that only 12% of computer-using households are OS X users and everyone else seem to be rather satisfied with what they have without having to cross into Mac-land.

The debate rages V

Another thought strike me about my last post. If you are a gamer do you need Windows?

In my experience the vast majority of people who play games do so on Windows. Why is this? Well first and foremost is that more games are released for Windows faster than OS X. This is not to say OS X gets no gaming love, but Windows gets it first and sometimes exclusively. It was also interesting to note the difference in performance in the two computers running Call of Duty 4 (from last post’s link). 5 fps (frames per second) does what? You and your human opponent pull the trigger at the same time but because you are using a mac you die. You turn a corner, but your enemy has the drop on you because of how the game is running. If you are a gamer you want to do well. Period. It’s just more fun.

Another thing is that some of my favorite games are older. Freelancer and Homeworld 2 spring to mind. There is no guarantee I could even get those games if I was running OS X, but Windows allows me to play them just like I did when I first played them.

The debate rages IV

Take a gander at this: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-31012_7-10319612-10355804.html

The main thing I take out of this article is that OS X DOES things faster where Windows RUNS things faster. The benchmark showing the 3D rendering is a great example. Windows 7 kicked ass. Because the computers were set up with the same basic specs it would seem to me that the processing power is better focused and streamlined with Windows 7. This of course comes with a slight drawback at you see that the batters life for Windows 7 is about 1/3 shorter than OS X.

I also thought this disclaimer was interesting: “Note that this article touched the two operating systems only from the performance point of view. (Mac is also really pretty and Windows offers a lot more options and compatibility.)”

The debate rages III

Credits to the folks at lifehacker for this:

http://lifehacker.com/5277207/windows-7-versus-mac-os-x-leopard-the-feature+by+feature-showdown

This brings up a very interesting point that I always felt was a non-issue with Windows: backing up your files. It can be a somewhat daunting task to go through a restore or recovery using Windows if you don’t know how. I was taught my freshman year in high school by the IT guys but otherwise would not know. There are a fair amount of menus you have to go through with some less than simple terminology to the computer illiterate or inexperienced. Anything that streamlines the process is a welcome thing, especially when that file you downloaded off the net is full of adware………blargh.

The debate rages II

I can’t really talk about the OS X vs. Windows debate without explaining where I am coming from.

My life up until 7th grade was completely Windows operated. My house computers ran windows, my friend’s computers ran windows, my relative’s computers ran windows, and as far as I was concerned that was how it was every where. Enter 7th grade computer lab in 2002. These computers where not what I had come to know and be able to operate with any degree of capability. It didn’t really help that the Macs in question were old and dilapidated at best. I was forced to use them at least once a week. So to say the least my first experience with Macs was not good. So then I get to high school where I am given a laptop of my very own (running Windows XP of course). This is where my real foray into computing began. For the first time I was able to mess with all the settings to my heart’s desire without getting reprimanded for it. Along the 4 years I discovered just how much I could customize Windows without even having a whole lot of background knowledge in computers. I loved it. It didn’t hurt that XP was a very good operating system and I didn’t get stuck with ME. This is where some of my more Mac-aligned friends started speaking up. I am a gamer at heart so their arguments never seemed to stand up to the lack of gaming on Macs and lack of customization.

So here I am at the beginning of College with a Laptop that runs Windows 7, ready to find out the real reasons behind the OS X vs. Windows debate.

The debate rages

My next series of posts will be regarding the topic of Mac vs. PC, or more correctly OS X vs. Windows.

I am an avid Windows user myself, but try to keep an open mind in these things.

Ads

The ad that I chose is one of a dorm room that is suppose to show the size of the dorm rooms. The rhetoric that appealed to me in this ad is pathos and logos. The logos aspect is that the room is large and I want a large room too. The pathos aspect is that the room looks bright, cheery, clean, and like a nice place to live. It also has a TV over the bed and a door to the outside. The picture also implies that you will not have a roommate and live by yourself.

When I got to Miami the dorm room was not as I imagined. It was a lot smaller than the picture showed and it defiantly didn’t have the atmosphere. The coloration of the rooms made it seem somewhat dingy. It was also not self-cleaning and out room is now extremely messy and cluttered.

New Roommates

I have an interesting situation my first year at Miami University because I am in a quad room. We have quite the mix of personalities with Michael the tech nerd, Adam the athlete and hardcore Christian, Stephen the social butterfly, and me the one in marching band. That’s how people know me in my dorm because I walked out of the first meeting due to band practice.

I didn’t meet all of my roommates at once. When I returned from morning rehearsal on the Thursday move in day Michael and Adam were already there deciding how the room would be situated. Michael already had his 3 computers set out on his desk (one for games, one fore school, and one for scanning the universe) while Adam was standing in the corner, wearing his muscle shirt, talking to his mother. I found it very interesting that two people from radically different high school experiences would be interested in almost the same stuff and have the same major. I had about an hour before I had to be back to another rehearsal, but in that time I garnered much about their personalities.

Michael is into all things technological and computer gaming. His 3 computers were a “necessity” to him just as much as class books are to every other college student. He is loud, boisterous, and perfectly willing to give everyone around him his personal opinion on the latest scientific discovery or “new thing” in the computer world, whether it is asked for or not. He is also extremely friendly.

Adam has a personality that doesn’t seem to fit his football player body. He is quiet, slightly nerdy, and loves his bibles, all 4 of them. Some people are  intimidated by him, but he is just a big softie and somewhat of a pushover. He is also very self motivated.

I didn’t meet Stephen until later that day when I came back and was greeted by a hearty hello and an introduction. This is Stephen in a nutshell; social, very very social. Online, in person, or over the phone, it doesn’t really matter as long as there is someone to talk to. He can sit there for hours and just chat over random stuff, making conversations with him very interesting.

All in all I think I have the best group of roommates I could ask for for my first year of college.