Mac vs. PC

G

giraffehappy

Active Member
Joined
29 Jul 2004
Messages
51
Location
Bristol UK
Visit site
HI,
Am about to get a laptop for onboard use to use for kids schoolwork, weather info email etc. Am thinking of getting a Mac. Is this going to give any major software compatibility problems? Is there anything you can't do with a Mac?
Over to all you live-aboard computer boffins....
Thanks!

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Don't buy a Mac (although they are probably the best computers in the world)
It's about available available software.
As an example, to get weather on board I've just invested in a SSB shortwave radio, downloaded free software (not available for the Mac!) and bingo I get isobar charts and text info downloaded straight to the PC (for free). Same true for downloading information from my diving computer.
Also with the kids, why educate them to use an operating system only used my a couple of percent of the world.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
can of worms duly opened.

surprising how emotive an issue this is. almost certainly any pro-PC comment will produce a sneering reply from a mac user!

in the early days of desktop computers before IBM became the 'standard' i would always advise users to pick their software first, then buy the computer to run it. the same applies today except that you'd be hard pushed to find any software other than graphic design stuff to run only on the mac.

so my suggestion is: identify all the software you want to use, if it is all available on both mac and pc, choose the machine you feel most comfortable with, otherwise pick the machine that does run the software.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
yep, also a mac, altho far more likley to be an object of desire (insofar as a puter can be desirable) it only takes mac bits and add-ons as well as only mac software, and you need a mac shop to supply and fix. These days, macs are right on the money with graphic design and pic handling so you can design magazines with it, but a bit limited otherwise for software. Good point bout kids as well , hadn't thort of that...

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
I suppose it depends on how technical you or your kids are. A lot of PC software can be made to run on a mac including chartplotting and weather programs. If you are prepared to spend a bit of time finding out how the mac works it can be a good choice otherwise go for a PC.

Mark

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
As a born-again Mac user after tribulations on PC, I have to agree with the above: Mac has all you need as far as general office software is concerned, but is short on games (if that's your thing) and short on sailing software. You can get a PC emulator for a Mac which will run all PC software (slowly) but that's seems a rather pointless way to proceed in your case. The Mac does stand out in two major ways, however. Firstly, it will hardly ever crash, is far more intuitive than PC, and all peripherals really are 'plug-and-play'. Secondly, viruses are effectively not an issue for the Mac: I've not had one in ten years.

<hr width=100% size=1>Adriatic links here: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A>
 
I use an IMac at home and an IBook on board.
An earlier version of Maxsea (7) can still be purchased for Mac OS9.
In fact new Navigation software for Mac OSX is available from
GPSNavX.com
And radio and Wefax software for the Mac is available from
blackcatsystems.com
An IBook is designed for students and is pretty robust on board and easy
to charge with a 12v/24v converter from Apple.
Digital photography is well catered for with IPhoto and IMovie and school
work can be done in Appleworks. No doubt your children would love ITunes,
then you'd have to buy them an IPod!
However my daughter still demanded a PC laptop because she "must have"
Windows XP. She now claims it's too slow and pushes me off the Mac again.
We did use it's wide screen for watching DVD's though.
Finally as Lucian says, Macs are intuitive and do not suffer from viruses since
they're all written to attack microsloth.
Keep an open mind!! I Books are cheap for what they offer.

<hr width=100% size=1>Never knowingly overcanvassed!
 
DavidJ what software did you download????

I have a mac its rubbish--we used on dial up---and sometimes cable or adsl.each change ment taking it back to the shop reconfigering it and paying £40

After just two months we simply coudent use it as it crashed, every mac user we asked for help refused or agreed to look at it if we paid £40 plus £60 ph. even the technican at my Daughters school refused to offer one word of advice. Snobs the lot.

We now have a toshiba, acer and i an IBM with 1.6 centriono s XP zone alarm skype(free internet telephone) i have rapid restore ultra-which means im virus worm trojan proof. (providing i back up, and my system reinstalls itsself, and all the amazing free software photo album graphics and HTML editor free or $270 for mac!

We are not techies we just use a laptop but XPs wonderful after 98 2000 and all the OS s are better than anything from apple

Importantly with 98 we had sometimes instalation set up problems unlike apple any number of people offerd to help even the sales person at a local supermarket--providing we came on tusedays at 10 when it was quite!!!The same went while crusing in Italy Greece and even Turkey! we just looked for a supermarket selling puter stuff---our laptop never failed us untill it slid over the side but we were able to help others by finding the supermarket they could seek advise for small things

I was tempted by ibook a big mistake, i almost threw it over board and noone would buy it we got an old compaq to tied us over till we went home it only had a 333 p2 but it worked for us. we tried reviving the HHD from the old one to my amazment it ran long enough to load data to a USB hard drive!! We hate micro soft but there is nothing else for the ordinary user

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard
 
A someone in the computer industruy and a long term criuser I recomend you buy a PC. I only use a MAC for specific MAC based work stuff ALL my onboard computing and most of everything else is PC based.

MACs are great but the bits for them are expensive, not many people understand them, most of the sailing comunity have PCs, their is much more software available for the PC and it's cheaper.

PC's have their problems but you can get bits for them almost anywhrer in the world, software is readily available and most of your fellow cruisers will understand them and be able to help you out.

Most of your kids school work will have a PC baised as most schools on this planet use PC's as their computers.

The ONLY reason to buy a MAC is if you are into graphics or drawing.

BUY a PC do NOT NOT go down the MAC route it will cause you much more trouble than a PC although it will be simpler at first as it is actually easier to use than a PC. A PC may not seem easy when things go wrong with the software but help is more easily available.

In the PC v MAC war the PC has won. Now LINUX is another issue but you can use this on your PC as well as XP (Windows)............



<hr width=100% size=1>Temptress of Down
Southsea Marina
Hants

http://hometown.aol.com/temptressofdown
 
well.... yes and no. I use my Mac for writing (Word), doing my accounts (Filemaker, Excel), surfing (Explorer)... Perhaps Mac is a bit more expensive, certainly it's harder to find someone who understands them but... they WORK! No breakdowns, much less faffing around clicking all over the place just to open a file (no-one is going to try and tell me you don't have to click your mouse much more in Pcdom I hope!). You want to save? Ctrl + S. You want to print? Ctrl + P. You want to open a file? Ctrl + O. You want to put your ibook to sleep? Close the lid. Little things like that make a difference to me, an ordinary user.
Granted that there is far more software for PC, I have to say that there is no contest in terms of quality of use. Sure there's snobbery in the Mac/Pc divide, but numbers alone does not mean Windoze is better, except in marketing. Is a Fiat Punto better than a Saab simply because there are more around?
But to return to the original question: if you want sailing software, there is more choice for the PC (although David's system was very impressive!)

<hr width=100% size=1>Adriatic links here: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A>
 
One other point, your mac sounds just like my IBM! The point: On your PC dont use internet explorer, download Opera and Firefox firefox is a really configerable safe browser super fast . Opera is as well but in my opinion better for displaying photos and downloading. for everything else Firefox
Try both use both or just one

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard
 
"your mac sounds just like my IBM" :-)
It's all a bit like the AWB 'real' boat debate, really: horses for courses.

<hr width=100% size=1>Adriatic links here: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A>
 
what i ment was ctr+ actions are far better quicker and with more possibilties using a PC and Firefox. I also wonder when apple users last tried pc graphics programs? And as far as HTML software the only benifit of using apple is that others can look in wonder at the huge bloated price you pay for inferior software today.
Add to that other web design tools available to PCs often free, some excellent beta and some at a nominal cost--but their is a choise.
Today my children will make a web page using very efective tools and for free to a pc. with an apple we would probably go visit a muesium instead.
However when i read on this forum of existing apple users intending to stay in the south of France its clear they never do any research they just rely on throughing money at somthing thats not really worth it. My coment about the med can be verified by phoning any capitanerie and asking for a place during winter! as for summer its hard to get in even for water.

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard
 
I've used both, and Macs really are easier to use. Not least because of the true plug and play ability of Macs. This is because Apple strictly control the standards for accessories. As a result Macs are hugely more stable than any PC.


You have your view, so what? We do just as much research as you do, and don't throw money at anything. The Apple vs Mac debate is endless and hardly summed up by your view on Ctrl keys and html coding

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni
 
well yes it is for the vast majority.I like the apple thats why i bought it, but saddly its useless, unless you are an apple technician, or are given a working one for a specific task.
Anyway we have to choose in the market place,and if there were a viable alternative such as in the browser ,i would buy and try!At least apple have given up with OS and concentrate on the ipod,since its great succsses

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard
 
Having used both Mac & PC, I would suggest that it all depends upon your individual use and preference.

If just one person will be using it, who has no previous experience of either system, and you have checked the relevant software is available then a Mac would be fine.

Other than that my view is that a PC offers way more flexibility. People used to pc's will find the Mac frustrating in the way that it files and stores things and forces you to do things the Mac way. If you're reasonably knowledgeable about pc's then a pc is more easily fiddled around with and in my opinion the user interface is more intuitive.

It is true that the biggest advantage that Mac has had over the years is the relative stability of the operating system over windows, which is a big plus for the non technically minded, who just want to get on and use the computer. However this comes at a price, as it's achieved by a severe restriction in the software and hardware accessories that are available and the comparative cost.

Furthermore, since Windows XP I don't think the stability argument is relevant anymore. In the last 18 months my XP professional pc and 3 XP pro laptops haven't crashed once, whereas my Mac OS X ibook has ground to a halt several times and for the most part seems to runs slower than any of the pc's.

By far and away the biggest advantage of the pc to me thoough, is that it is simple and cheap (very often free) to get any kind of sofware that I need. It is also very easy and relatively cheap to upgrade all of the hardware as and when required.

Unless you're into graphic design, then you can generally assume that whatever you need will be available for a pc, whereas with a Mac it can sometimes be a bit a bit of search. Of course you can get windows emulation software but why bother when you can get windows on a pc. As for email, you also have the isssue of sending and receiving attachments to others, most of whom may be microsoft office users. Again, whilst possible, I have found from experience that this is a pain in the a*** regarding formatting.

All in all, my experience is that Mac's looks nicer and are used by all the trendy people in tv shows and fine for limited use, but for overall flexibility, ease of use, upgradabilty, software availability and all round integration, then a pc is much better.

Bill

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Gonna hafta disagree

PC's are stable if they are servers or something where nothing much changes.

Try adding any extra accessories or adding new software, and everything goes pear shaped. Even with XP....as mine did yesterday and today. Just plugged in some new software and Bluetooth adapter.

Apples take new software and devices without the falling over bit.

However, for day to day use, will still use a PC

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni
 
blue tooths just as problematic with apple. My Xps never crashed since ive had it, My apple within the two months it was on and mostly off crashed often and in comparision to XP is like an unmotivated cripple without a wheel chair, or slower.
The Apple lives in our farm house kitchen under a chair,at the end of the day they are unsellable--even panther was a boreing gimmic . How long will i pod last just look at the price---i bought an mp3 and 1 giga SD card for just £100 !!!And its thunder and rain hear--oh well

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard
 
Just live in your disbelieve zone,.

I can assure you macs are still more stable than any PC's unless you really try to screw them up

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top