Mac vs. PC 5

In the bad old days every software reviewer was forced to endorse Microsoft due to the shear weight of advertising that they did in his employers magazine. So Word 6.0 crashed more then Windows 3.2 did and MS Office got rave reviews. Finally a patch was incorporated and the firset Windows working version of Word was called Word 6.0a. I am not surprised that this practice hasn't changed. This reviewer is saying ignore the eccentricities of Vista, just sink a fortune into your computer and by George it works better then the MAC.

I'm a net admin and computer enthusiast and I've both service and use Macs, and windows pc's. To be honest, here are a few points that some may want to keep in mind:
1.) There is no performance difference between that of a Mac and a Windows Comp. Macs used to use powerpc processor architecture for the improvement risc brought in processor speed. However, pure risc processor implementation have degraded in their advantages. Hence why all new macs are 64 bit "intel" (x86, aka windows) processors. This truthfully means the mac have no more processing power per processor than that of a windows computer with a new intel processor (core 2 duo's). Even more, all of the new macs i've serviced contain registered/buffered memory. Which means, per clock it is (800 mhz ram for example) will be slower than the ram you get with most windows computers. Registered memory is for servers and other venues, it is unneeded for your general desktop user, and it is slower.

2.) Macs crash and freeze just like Windows computers do. You have to keep in mind that the majority of freezes and crashes that occur on Windows is almost because of drivers. It is not the Operating system that is to blame, it is the drivers from the hardware manufacturers. Mac OSX gets around this by really only giving the user "pre-approved" and tested drivers. However, there is a major downside to this, the drivers for Mac OSX can, and often do, become out of date. This is even worse if there is a bug in the driver, or an unsupported feature. You could have to wait months for the fixed drivers, where a Windows user could have the same drivers within a week. So, really, it is a pick your poison type of situation, where each has its downfall.

3.) Mac hardware is overpriced. I hate to say it, but you can, per dollar, build a better performing computer for Windows than with Mac, for the same price. This is because Windows is more open, windows, as long as it has an x86 processor, supports any hardware which it can have drivers for. The mac os is locked to their hardware (without some trickery). And they charge a premium for the same hardware you can buy for a pc, sometimes at half the price. This can probably be attributed to their lower market share, so they must charge more, and it partially is uncalled for.

Now, i'm not anti Mac/Windows or pro Mac/Windows, but i do see common trends of what i mentioned above. Try to make your choice intelligently and not just on the hype surrounding a particular platform.

How did they forget linux. You can get the mac features with pc hardware and it's free.

Mac needs a lot of learning to use and there is no teaching facility in my area. It offers a lot of potential and I am learning by hit and miss. However, I do have both Mac and Windows on my laptop. That was the selling point for me.

The VISTA OS drove me to a MACBook. Now I am so much happier and the machine does not crash. Vista is on SP3 -- that should be a hint that it is not ready for prime time. Vista has a negative pressure coefficient.

Macs and windows are both computers but one is a good choice they both will crash, freeze but thats only because the prossesor has to do the work such as intel and AMD. Intel pentium 4 is a good prossesor but the thing is it only gots like 42 million transistors and thats it nothing else. Intel doesn't make a lot of very good stuff well accuetly they do but they work better in smaller things. AMD's microprossesors are loaded with alot of stuff to quench you multimedia and multitasking, graphic. Heres the timeline of AMD. (AMD’s History of Innovation
Timeline: 1976-2006
1976
AMD and Intel sign their first comprehensive cross-license agreement, where AMD and Intel both agree to license to each other all patents each company holds.
1982
IBM selects an Intel microprocessor for its PC but only on the condition that there is a reliable second source supplier for its PC processor needs. As a result, AMD renews a comprehensive cross-license agreement with Intel.
1987
Intel notifies AMD it is terminating the second source agreement, an aggressive move to prevent AMD from producing a 486-compatible microprocessor. This begins years of legal disputes between AMD and Intel, and limits customer choice to a single source for PC microprocessors.
1990
AMD releases the Am386 ® microprocessor family, based on Intel’s 80386. Sales of the Am386 are strong due to its exceptional performance.
1991
In October, Intel commences a federal court action for copyright infringement. An arbitrator subsequently awards AMD full rights to make and sell the Am386. The Supreme Court of California upholds this decision in 1994.
1993
AMD introduces the Am486 ® microprocessor; it powers Compaq computers and thousands of other manufacturers’ PCs.
1994
Intel and HP announce the development of a proprietary 64-bit microprocessor architecture that is incompatible with the millions of existing x86-based PCs and software applications. Intel senior vice president Albert Yu declares, “If I were competitors, I’d be really worried. If you think you have a future, you don’t.”
1995
AMD introduces the AMD-K5® microprocessor, its first independently designed, socket-compatible x86 microprocessor.
1997
AMD introduces the successful AMD-K6® microprocessor, a pin-compatible alternative to Intel’s Pentium™ microprocessor. Its introduction heralds the return of competition and helps drive PC costs below $1,000 to create PCs that are affordable for the average consumer.
1998
AMD launches the AMD-K6-2 microprocessor, featuring 3DNow!™ technology. Invented by AMD, 3DNow! is the first x86 innovation to significantly enhance 3D graphics, multimedia, and other floating-point-intensive applications for Microsoft® Windows®-compatible PCs.
1999
AMD introduces the world’s highest-performing x86 microprocessor, previews the first x86-based, 64-bit architecture, and announces its multi-core strategy.
2000
April: AMD PowerNow™ technology provides PC manufacturers with the first automatic power management technology to deliver cooler, quieter notebook systems with extended battery life.
October: AMD drives Double Data Rate (DDR) technology as the industry standard for high-performance memory requirements.
2001
October: AMD dispels the “megahertz myth,” the long-held industry belief that megahertz was the only indicator of processor performance, and introduces processor model numbers to reflect true performance.
2003
April: AMD introduces Enhanced Virus Protection (EVP)1 at the x86 platform level. Available on all AMD64 processors, EVP is an important advancement to help users defend against some of the most common and damaging security threats.
AMD’s unique Direct Connect Architecture links all components of the chip together using HyperTransport™ technology, allowing users to fully capture the performance advantages of 64-bit computing without encountering the bottlenecks of a front side bus.
AMD launches Opteron™ processor. AMD’s approach allows end users to run their existing 32- AND 64-bit applications and operating systems at peak performance while providing a seamless migration to 64-bit computing.
September: AMD launches Athlon™ processor. AMD offers leading-edge performance for today’s software, with complete readiness for the coming wave of 64-bit computing.
2005
January: Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong announces AMD Turion™ Mobile Technology brand and 64-bit Processor at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
March: AMD unveils its new processor family AMD Turion™ 64 Mobile Technology tailored for highly mobile business professionals and consumers who demand reliable, high-performance notebook PCs with long battery life, outstanding wireless compatibility, rich graphics and enhanced security with EVP.
April: AMD launches its Dual-Core AMD Opteron™ processors, offering the best performance-per-watt architecture in the market.
May: AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual-Core processor launches. AMD becomes the world’s first and only company to provide a broad x86 dual-core client and server processor line-up.
2006
January: AMD unveils its digital media vision with the launch of the AMD LIVE! Brand which aims to change the way consumers experience digital entertainment in their home and on the go.
AMD releases the world's ultimate processor for PC enthusiasts - the AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 Dual-Core.
February: Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) authorities raid the offices of Intel and other major Korean PC manufacturers as part of an investigation into possible antitrust violations. Investigators seize tons of documents and hard drives.
Chinese PC manufacturing giant Lenovo expands it relationship with AMD to roll-out AMD-powered professional desktop products in other markets including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., France, Germany, and Southeast Asia.
Mark Knopfler and Chuck Ainlay use AMD Opteron processors in their Grammy® win for Best Surround Sound Album "Brothers in Arms - 20th Anniversary Edition."
FORTUNE magazine ranked AMD as a TOP 10 Most Admired Company for Innovation as well as the Most Admired Company in the semiconductor industry for both Innovation and Quality of Products/Services this year.
March: Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) turns over evidence collected against Intel to the Tokyo District Court leading Japanese competition authorities to find that Intel violated that country's Antimonopoly Act by engaging in anticompetitive business practices deliberately designed to prevent AMD from competing.
AMD continues its multi-core leadership with the introduction of three new Dual-Core AMD Opteron processors that further minimize overall power consumption and improve cooling requirements.
The Register says, "To this day, Intel still does not sell a dual-core server chip with the two processing cores united together on a single piece of silicon like AMD did at launch with the dual-core Opteron." (Mar. 10, 2006)
George W. Bush appoints AMD chairman and CEO Hector Ruiz to serve on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Comprised of leaders from the private sector, academic and research communities, PCAST advises the President on issues related to technology, scientific research, and math and science education.
May: AMD announces that it will invest US$2.5 billion in Germany to expand 300mm microprocessor production at its Dresden, Germany plant.
Dell, Inc. announces its intent to offer AMD Opteron Dual Core processor-based servers.
Microsoft and AMD announce “Pay-As-You-Go” program to drive PC adoption in emerging markets. The program provides consumers the opportunity to purchase PCs through a combination of innovative technology and a pay-as-you-go computing model. Through the joint development that is underway between AMD and Microsoft, Microsoft’s FlexGo technology will also be incorporated within key AMD microprocessor products.
AMD introduces the AMD LIVE!™ PC – a full-featured, easy-to-use media center PC, designed to enable consumers to organize, distribute, share, and enjoy their content collection throughout the home and on the go. Leading OEMs including Acer, Alienware, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Gateway, HP, Sahara, and Tsinghua Tongfang, as well as system builders in North America, Western Europe, and China, will have AMD LIVE! PCs, powered by the award-winning AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 dual-core processor
June: AMD executives and New York State officials announce plans for an option to build a 300mm microprocessor manufacturing plant in Luther Forest Technology Park. This unprecedented economic development project is projected to create more than 1,200 new high-tech jobs, thousands of construction jobs, and more than 3000 indirect jobs.
July: The Financial Times Deutschland (FTD) exposes apparent collusion between Intel and Media Saturn Holdings MSH) – Europe’s largest consumer electronics retailer. Evidence obtained by FTD indicates that Intel pays MSH millions of Euro to ensure that not a single product containing an AMD processor can be purchased by European consumers in any of their hundreds of stores throughout Europe. AMD filed a formal complaint with German competition authorities.
July: AMD and ATI announce their plans to join forces to create a “processing powerhouse.” AMD will acquire ATI for US$5.4 billion in a transaction to close in the 4th quarter of 2006. Jim Allchin, Co-President of Microsoft’s Platforms & Services Division says this of the deal: “We’re excited by the potential of what AMD and ATI can deliver together to enhance the Windows Vista experience for our customers even further.”
AMD teams up with Telmex to provide affordable Internet connectivity throughout Mexico via the “Telmex Internet Box Personal Internet Communicator.” The Telmex offering is another step forward for AMD’s 50x15 initiative, which is a commitment to help deliver basic Internet and computing capability to 50 percent of the world’s population by the year 2015.
August: AMD introduces the next generation of AMD Opteron microprocessors, which feature quad-core upgradeable platforms that reduce total cost of ownership and deliver performance-per-watt improvements in the datacenter.
1Enhanced Virus Protection (EVP) is only enabled by certain operating systems including the current versions of Microsoft® Windows®, Linux, Solaris and BDX Unix. After properly installing the appropriate operating system release, users must enable the protection of the applications and associated files from buffer overrun attacks. Consult your OS documentation for information on enabling EVP. Contact your application software vendor for information regarding use of the application in conjunction with EVP. AMD and its partners strongly recommend that users continue to use third party anti-virus software as part of their security strategy.
2AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Athlon, AMD Opteron, AMD Turion, AMD Sempron and combinations thereof, and AMD PowerNow! Are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. HyperTransport is a licensed trademark of the HyperTransport Technology Consortium. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. is the U.S. and/or in other jurisdictions. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

That's really funny how the article says that the macbook pros are heavy. The macbook pros, 15' and 17', are a lot lighter than just about every other non apple laptop. If you're a student and plan on carrying around your laptop to class, the macs are the best. My friends have dells and HPs that are just to heavy and clunky to carry anywhere.

And because you don't seem to understand, i'll mention it straight forward. Processor Architecture, meaning the arrangement and design of its parts, matter a lot more than the transistor count.

I have and use both mac's & windows machines. And all the arguments can seem true; windows crash more & have more viruses/troubles, mac's cost a lot, ect.. But in using and selling toys that carry the death penalty for miss use or errors (SCUBA, rock climbing and others) I have found that personal "FIT & COMFORT" are the most important in our choice between two or three well made options. So try them both out! By going to a computer lab, borrowing friends computers or using an internet cafe. And see what is best for YOU in REAL USE. Then hope the natural competition forces both mac's and pc's to better meet our needs with improvements, not hype.