I also don't understand why anyone would want it. Mac's OS is annoying and tedious to use. Windows is much more streamlined and logical. Whenever i do tech support for a Mac users i'm amazed at how many mouse clicks and keypresses they have to do to accomplish the simplest tasks. On the other hand, when those same Mac users watch me do something on my Windows laptop they're amazed that a) Windows can do that????* and b) it's so simple and easy!

If you've got an Intel-based Mac install Windows on it and enjoy a big productivity boost, as well as the ability to use the vast selection of Windows-based software.

*I'm also amazed and saddened at home many schools and businesses continue spreading the ridiculous lie that if you want to do anything art, graphics, music, video, or publishing related that you have to use a Mac because "Windows can't do that."

I don't agree that the Mac usability is bad. The only thing that bothers me with the Macs are their terrible backwards compatibility between major versions of the OS: a 30% of apps won't run anymore, and about 90% of the drivers won't either. This is a huge show-stopper for me, as I need all my peripheral third party devices to work (which is why our main Mac still has the ancient 10.3.9 version in it, because it's the only one where we can get ALL 8 third party devices work).

But other than that, as long as you get yourself a proper mouse, I think it's usable. I still prefer Windows XP because I find faster and more streamlined (in a certain way only) as you said, but I think a Mac can also be usable. Personally, I can't stand Vista, which is why I am still on XP.

Definitely agree on XP. A lot of friends of mine have recently bought laptops now that they're suddenly available all over for under $600. Of course, they all come with Vista installed. The almost universal comment is "how the #%$^@#&^ do you use this thing?" I've only met one person so far who has liked Vista, and that person likes it for all the eye candy and doesn't really care in the slightest about how it works.

BOOTCAMP! Just partition your hard drive, load XP.SP2, and when your done, go back to the best operating system available Leopard!!! Works for me. :-)

Agree about Bootcamp. I love switching back and forth. Also agree about XP. I had Vista for a while and switched back to XP. I like XP pretty well.

I don't agree about how Windows is so smooth and easy. To me, it's the opposite. I find Mac OS far easier to get around than Windows. XP isn't *bad*, but it is less intuitive than Mac OS. But that's just *my* perception. I really think it's what you're used to. There are a lot of people getting their first Macs, and I'd say a fair amount of them are finding the transition not painful. (Of course not everyone will adapt to the new operating system, but those I know usually do—enthusiastically.)

Eugenia, just curious. What 3rd party devices do you have? Thanks

sm.

Two big printers, and two film scanners, one of which is now not supported at all. Additionally, two USB cards.

I have Windows computers at work.

I have Macs at home.

Macs win.

Why?

Because -- on a Windows computer -- the slightest problem can bring the entire system to its knees, requiring a complete reformat and reinstallation of the operating system.

Example: A badly-written video driver or video capture program or video editing program on Windows will often hose you...

1. ...if the installation goes awry;
2. ...if there's an incompatibility with existing media programs;
3. ...if you decide to uninstall and the process of uninstalling "takes out" files or leaves "tentacles" of a bad program behind.

On my Mac (which runs the latest Leopard), nothing like this *ever* happens.

To uninstall, one simply drags a program to the trash and it's completely gone and no tentacles are left behind. Moreover, I've never encountered software incompatibilities -- to date -- on my Macs.

Eugenia is correct about the peripherals for former Apple operating systems often not working in newer Apple operating systems, however, isn't that *precisely* what we're finding out about Microsoft Windows Vista? To be sure, I know of one major non-linear video editing program for Microsoft Windows that is still being sold (although all new development has ceased) and it will not run on Windows Vista.

I *have* encountered poorly-written 3rd-party programs for the Mac, but when I remove them, they are gone and don't affect anything else.

I use both Windows computers and Macs routinely -- every day -- and for me there's no contest. This newest Apple operating system is really, really stable and flawless and all of my Apple editing programs just plain work. No hassles.

Patches?

Oh yes... there's another key area where Apple just kicks Microsoft. On my Macintosh, the updates are automatic for *both* the operating system *and* the Apple productivity programs. On XP, the updates are supposed to be automatic, but I've found -- to my disappointment -- that many updates that are critical to video editors are not included in the automatic "critical" updates issued by Microsoft. So -- in the end -- I have to hunt around and dig and spend a lot of time searching for the updates that Microsoft doesn't make easily available.

Then there's the flawless way that Apple let's me run a wireless computer network -- using iTunes as a jukebox -- in my home. Wow, talk about easy. Add an Apple TV to your living room and now every home video/photo and much more is wirelessly -- viewable on the big screen in the living room -- with a cool menu -- even when the files themselves reside on computers in bedrooms. Last but not least, my Apple network permits me to connect my Windows computers, too.

Sure some of this wireless stuff can be done using other equipment, but is it as easy? I don't think so.

The only area where my Microsoft Windows computers come in handy is Sony MiniDiscs. I have quite a few MiniDisc recorders. For whatever reason, the software that Sony has released for MiniDisc recorders is far more flexible on Windows than on the Macintosh. Only the audio recordings made on the so-called "HiMD" (newer model) MiniDisc recorders can be uploaded quickly to Leopard computers using the latest Sony Mac software while even legacy, older model MiniDisc recordings are supported on the Sony Windows software.

That aside, the overall experience on the Mac seems far better to me. Even a $599 Mac mini outperforms many Microsoft Windows computers that we use at work.

>: A badly-written video driver or video capture program or video editing program on Windows will often hose you...

This is EXACTLY what can happen in ANY operating system. As long as a driver runs on the kernel space, a badly written driver can hose any OS. I can even crash Linux with closed eyes with that USB wifi stick my brother used last month.

Personally, I run XP for years without the need of re-installation. People who re-install XP every 3 months are people who either pirate a lot or install crap.

>To uninstall, one simply drags a program to the trash and it's completely gone

Wrong. Mac OS X does not have true uninstallation method, and so all personal settings and files are still living under your ~/Library/. A proper uninstallation app should take care of that junk too.

> isn't that *precisely* what we're finding out about Microsoft Windows Vista?

Yes. But you forget one VERY important part: XP was released in 2002, and it's still compatible. A general compatibility that spans 6+ years. Additionally, many other DOS and Windows apps are still compatible, for 25 years now. OSX keeps breaking compatibility every TWO years for drivers and big apps, while it's completely incompatible with smaller apps older than 6 years. Soon, when Apple removes the PPC emulation runtime (have they already maybe?), it won't be more than 3 years.

>Add an Apple TV to your living room

Apple offers a good and easy way to manage your digital life. I give you that. But the price you pay for that, meaning compatibility and low manual upgrading options (e.g. impossible to change easily the hard drive on my powerbook), are also to be taken into account.

Personally, the way I use my Mac is simple: web browsing. I do nothing else with my Macs, because I don't want to entrust devices and apps that will stop working in the next version. I can't trust my purchases on a Mac because they end up being obsolete much faster than on a Windows system. To people with money or who don't have anything important in their computers this is not a problem, but for me it is.

Well, I must not have installed a single "bad" video driver or bad capture program or bad editing program on my Mac because I've not run into even one crash in the entire time I've used my Leopard Mac.

Meanwhile, I went against my better judgment the other day and installed the capture software that comes with one of those popular USB 2.0 video grabbers for Windows and -- BAM! -- the capture software overwrote critical files on my Windows XP Service Pack 3 computer, triggering system instability and conflicting with existing video programs to the point where one of them refused to launch.

I used to hold your point of view, namely, that Macs were more expensive for the reasons you cite.

But -- in the end -- my Windows PCs have been far, far more expensive over the long haul and I find it absolutely amazing... no INCREDIBLE... that you've been able to run Windows XP "for years" without need of reinstallation. You must not be typical because -- in the video editing realm -- I've noted that Windows reinstallation is usually necessary at least once every year or two.

Yes, Windows XP has had a good long run, but if you need a faster computer these days you'll need a lot of good luck finding one with Windows XP loaded on it. The vast majority of Windows computers being sold in stores are now loaded with Vista and that's the sad reality for Windows users. Sure, you can wait and see if "Windows 7" will turn out to be better, but why?

As for your comment about uninstallation on the Mac... hey... all I know is that when I drag old programs into the trash, they seem to go away whereas on my Windows computers, old files often hang around like tentacles of an octopus and they often wreak havoc.

By the way, there is a very helpful Web page that explains how Macs and Windows PCs differ when it comes to uninstalling programs here:

http://guides.macrumors.com/Uninstalling_Applications_in_Mac_OS_X

The key sentence on the Web page referenced by the above link is "Mac OS X has nothing like the Windows Registry."

This is what I was trying explain in the previous posts. MAC OS X HAS NOTHING LIKE THE WINDOWS REGISTRY. That means you don't run into "DLL HELL" and other problems that often plague the Windows registry.

Windows "DLL HELL" explained:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DLL_hell

Since I ran into this problem again just last week on one of my Windows XP computers, I can assure that this problem persists.

It may be improved on Windows XP over previous versions of Windows, it still persists as a major problem, in my experience.