>At home we've always had PCs running Windows. I used to work in a newsroom >full of Macs. The PCs at home gave trouble from time to time, the Macs at work >gave trouble from time to time, and in that entire three-year period I found >neither platform to be more reliable than the other. But I have NEVER heard a Mac >owner admit those machines can fail. The only reason I know they do is that I've >seen it happen -- over, and over again. So my JOKING conclusion was that Mac >owners are bound by some kind of gag order.
No gag order at all. Sorry, just gotta jump on this one, if only to balance things out a bit. The fact is that *all* computers whether they be Dells, Macs, or whatever do in fact break down. They must do: all the bits inside are made by similar, if not the same manufacturers. Yes, even Apple machines have many many components that are easily found in any PC computer. You want broken Macs? How about PowerBook batteries that catch fire? How about PowerBook hinge mechanisms that conk out after only a year's use? Paint that peels off titanium laptops because they get too hot in normal use? I could go on. I built one of my computers from scratch - a PowerBook - and I fully expect it to break down at some point. This is why I have all the bits from another identical machine at the ready to repair it when it does. I'm not a computer specialist by trade, nor even an electronics technician. I do this because I have to if I want to afford the two main computers I use every day, whereas most people have just one. If I bought new, and didn't fix it myself, I'd have to have just the one, you see. Now, that's the hardware over and done with. As for software, I run very stable with few problems (OS 9.1) as do many Mac users, as do many PC users. It's a lot to do with how you set up your system, what you allow on there, how you maintain it. When was the last time you did even the most basic software maintainence on your hard drive(s) ? Computers need upkeep. If you let them get cluttered up with a load of rubbish, they don't like it. They start to slow down and before you know it you get blue screens of death, sad macs, all sorts. A family friend was having trouble with her iMac. "I had to set up a new email account and so I entered all the details like [the Mac setup assistant - a sort of setup 'wizard'] asked, and it doesn't work, can you help?" I quickly find her own phone number as the diallup number Remote Access (the software that dials the number for the modem) is trying to access the internet with. Sigh. It's my first taste if OS X (fancy way of saying OS 10) and I don't like it. It runs slow on the iMac, and is not at all user intuitive like the earlier classic OSs : 7, 8, 9. I won't be 'upgrading' any of my machines to this mess. She tells me that she's thinking of getting rid of the iMac in favour of a PC - 'cos I thought Macs were supposed to be easier'. I then find out that, although they have a normal diallup ISP, they have had a second, entirely seperate phone line installed just for net access by the iMac. Why not go for Broadband? Not yet available in her area. Okay - British Telecom do an ISDN for home users (BT Home Highway) which gives faster net access and the use of a voice line while connected to the net, if needed. I get a blank stare back. Oh, the printer isn't responding. 2 hours later, it is. 'Do your children (3 primary school tots) have access to this computer by any chance?' The reply : "Always". I see. I reconsider my advice, and somewhat develishly suggest that maybe a PC would be better for them ;-) Joking aside, PCs or Macs, it's all down to personal preference at home, and custom and practice at work. Neither is better or worse. Like cameras, they are tools. Cotty ____________________________________ Oh, swipe me! He paints with light! http://www.macads.co.uk/snaps/ ____________________________________ Free UK Macintosh Classified Ads at http://www.macads.co.uk/ ____________________________________
