Isn't the Apple VS PC battle a misnomer?

[mikejungle]

Hi, newbie here, so I hope this isn't a sensitive topic.

But isn't the Mac VS PC battle a misnomer for the Apple VS Microsoft battle?

Essentially, I feel that Apple computers fit under the PC umbrella b/c they are personal computers...they just made a separate niche for themselves by coming standard with their OS and not the standard windows of other PC's. It doesn't seem like the hardware is that much different to necessitate the question Mac or PC.

It seems that the arguably "intuitive" nature of the OS X is what people seem to favor over the older windows OS's, although it seems the gap has closed since then. And even then, programs like rainmeter and other linux based OS's can be used to make windows look like osx and vice versa. Customization was never an issue more than people not knowing about what else was out there.

I could be wrong (which is why I'm asking the question in the first place), so please, without fighting, tell me the pros and cons if there are any to each system.

I've disliked ipods for a long long time, because I felt like they used slick marketing to grab a crowd that didn't know any better. As a semi-audiophile, there were other players out there that offered much more in the way of sound quality at a similar, if not cheaper price. Up until the ipod 2g, i thought the sound quality sucked balls, but I listened to some music through an iphone 3gs and it was much, much better.

Kudos to apple for being successful; not so much to undiscerning consumers.

anyway. opinions are just opinions, so please don't filet me-or others-over them.

 

[Yami]

I've never thought of them as being 'personal' computers, since Apple controls what hardware (and in the case of the phones+media players, software) goes into them. Not to mention all the branding on them (well, only the Apple logo really). This also means I don't count pre-built Dells, HPs etc. as personal computers, though less so than Apple since you can have more control over what goes into it - for example you could switch to AMD, which you couldn't do with a Mac (as far as I know).

Though, I'm sure there's a specific description of the phrase Personal Computer somewhere, probably Wikipedia, which makes the issues with the phrase meaningless

I was never very fond of the earlier generations of the music-based iDevices (only the iPod back then), because even when I was ten I noticed and was very annoyed by the culture that built around them. However, I have my eye on them now, since they've got a decent capacity, touchscreen and sound quality. I might get one of the new 32GB iPod Touchs for my bday soon

 

[KSoD]

In technical terms yes both are just PC's or personal computers. But as Yami said, Apple doesnt offer you a choice. You get a list and you select from that list and that is what you get. As for other machines you get to choose everything. From the mobo, to the CPU to which RAM you use all the way down to which mouse and keyboard you want to use. You are not forced to just select an item from a list and get only that option. Unless you buy from Dell, HP or one of the other prebuilt companies that is.

But for the most part the problem was very distant so long ago. This was due to the fact that when Apple's were on PowerPC chips they were only able to be used on those machines and had very little interaction with the majority of "PC" users out there. It was for this reason that Windows was the target for virus and spyware people. As they could get the most bang for their buck with their infection. But once Apple switched to Intel based processors the problem has gotten less distant between the 2 companies.

Apple's big claim to fame was "It just works" and they misnomer that they dont get infections. Well you wave a steak in front of a dogs face for long enough, sooner or later it will bite you. Since Apple kept on claiming they were hack proof and infection free they became a target much like Windows did. Now you got all the virus writers attacking OS X like it was their new toy on XMas as a kid. They want to show that all the claims aint true and they have succeeded.

The proof is out there as well. Just look up Black Hat and see the results in recent years. Apple has been the first OS hacked and it happens within minutes of the competition starting.

Now add into that the price of the units. When you can get a Dell based PC for about half the cost of an Apple of equal specs the question has to come in as to why. Why is it that you are spending so much more on an Apple based PC? There is yet to be any reason behind that other than Apple is demanding that price. People pay it so there is no reason for Apple to reduce prices. They have the demand for the units at that cost so they supply them. Only when the time comes when the consumer starts to demand an Apple PC at less cost will they be supplied at that cost.

The only advantage to any system is if it does what you want the way you want it. That is all there is to it. If you can do what you want and you have the means and desire to purchase an Apple based PC, then that is what your going to do.

 

[35g700]

Yes Apple computers are personal computers and have been for a long time, but for some reason now PC's are considered computers that have Windows as their default OS. If you consider a PC as a computer with windows on it then yes Macs can be PC's because they can have windows installed on them but a PC that you would get from Dell, HP, Toshiba etc. can't run Mac OS X legally.

One thing I like a lot about OS X is that the company that develops the OS also builds the computer so the OS can be optimized much more then Windows. Microsoft has to make Windows so that It can work with hundreds of thousands of different components, which complicates things a lot.

Now I think the Mac VS PC thing is stupid, It's all about preference. I like building my computers so when I decided to get a desktop computer I built it myself and use windows. However I've done a fair amount of work on Apple laptops and I've decided that I like the way that they are made and their features (such as the big trackpad and magsafe power connector) more then laptops made by other companies such as HP, Dell, Asus, Acer etc. so I bought an Apple laptop. IMO OS X, Windows, and Linux computers are all good and the best kind is the one that you like the most.