[Mr Bassie]

When my mom used windows she would get a virus about once a year that required a trip to the computer doctor. Her mac system has been very low maintenance and I have been able to handle most of the problems myself.

Also when she got an android phone she hated it and couldn't figure it out. She exchanged it for an iPhone and is now able to use it for what she needs.

I built my own windows machine when I had time to mess with such things but now I just want my computer to get out of the way and mostly work for me without too much hassle. That is why I use macs. Mine have been very low maintenance and long-lasting machines. They aren't for everyone, but I do feel that the average person would be better suited with a mac than a PC.

[LensBeginner]

When my mom used windows she would get a virus about once a year that required a trip to the computer doctor. Her mac system has been very low maintenance and I have been able to handle most of the problems myself.

Also when she got an android phone she hated it and couldn't figure it out. She exchanged it for an iPhone and is now able to use it for what she needs.

I built my own windows machine when I had time to mess with such things but now I just want my computer to get out of the way and mostly work for me without too much hassle. That is why I use macs. Mine have been very low maintenance and long-lasting machines. They aren't for everyone, but I do feel that the average person would be better suited with a mac than a PC.

Could be...
Maybe it's just me, but I find that, among the people I know, those who always get computer viruses are normally less tech-savvy than the others.
It's not so difficult to figure out an Android phone... maybe some people are thinking in a way that's more similar to the "Apple way" and some to the "Android way". I've got peoples who don't get along well with computers (that's and euphemism... ) to learn an Android phone in no time at all.
So I believe it mostly depends on the single individual...

[flaviopetrone]

Could be...
Maybe it's just me, but I find that, among the people I know, those who always get computer viruses are normally less tech-savvy than the others.
It's not so difficult to figure out an Android phone... maybe some people are thinking in a way that's more similar to the "Apple way" and some to the "Android way". I've got peoples who don't get along well with computers (that's and euphemism... ) to learn an Android phone in no time at all.
So I believe it mostly depends on the single individual...

You are both right.
Taking viruses with windows is quite difficult if you know the computer basis. Other hand, is almost impossible to take a virus with a Mac. Reasons are maybe 2: the less diffusion of the Mac and the "closed" system, that protects you but limits you as well. More or less the same thing that happens between Android and Iphone.

[jsherman999]

When my mom used windows she would get a virus about once a year that required a trip to the computer doctor. Her mac system has been very low maintenance and I have been able to handle most of the problems myself.

Also when she got an android phone she hated it and couldn't figure it out. She exchanged it for an iPhone and is now able to use it for what she needs.

I built my own windows machine when I had time to mess with such things but now I just want my computer to get out of the way and mostly work for me without too much hassle. That is why I use macs. Mine have been very low maintenance and long-lasting machines. They aren't for everyone, but I do feel that the average person would be better suited with a mac than a PC.

Good point, but all our PCs always have their virus SW and definitions up to date, I'm not overly worried about that.

The 'get out of the way' aspect is part of the attraction, though.

We have a few android devices too, nothing about Android is 'difficult' IMO, it just doesn't integrate quite as well and the product I get out of Google Play store sometimes can be buggy - something I rarely encounter with Apple apps. That said my Android devices are older Nooks HD+ (slowish, but with very nice displays and microSD) and I don't even know what version of Android is under their OS surface, but it hasn't asked for an update in over a year.

[LensBeginner]

*snip*

The 'get out of the way' aspect is part of the attraction, though.

*snip*

...and it's what becomes a hindrance when you'd like to change/customize something...

[jsherman999]

...and it's what becomes a hindrance when you'd like to change/customize something...

Yep, agreed. Which is why this decision isn't a slam-dunk, and I'm left asking for advice from strangers who may have some perspectives and experience I value

At what point will 'easy' morph into 'limiting'.

[ppppsssstttt]

Yep, agreed. Which is why this decision isn't a slam-dunk, and I'm left asking for advice from strangers who may have some perspectives and experience I value

At what point will 'easy' morph into 'limiting'.

i think you should bite the bullet and get one from your responses, i think you'd appreciate it.

i'm not a fanboy for mac or pc by any means. i just enjoy things executed well and thoughtfully. i'm not a spec hunter either. i think my ~5 year old imacs have done well with what i've thrown at it: some lightroom editing, photoshop, illustrator, etc.... i've never done video editing or played hardcore games on it though. i still use windows on the surface pro. dual-booting was always a nice idea for me in the past, but i never really made it useful. after using a mac, some things on the mac just work well, as people say. i don't feel hindered from lack of customizations by any means. i've found apps that other people have made that usually solve my issues. and you can get around most things in the terminal. i can imagine writing scripts in a more native unix environment would be easier -- i've never really done it on my windows machine, but would on my macs. perl, python, etc are already there... it's only a pain in the arse when there's a command that changes syntax from version to version, but you can't help that.

another thing that i'll throw in there that works well: time machine. i would've never imagined that backing up and restoring computers be so easy.

[Biro]

Whenever I'm asked the Apple vs. Mac question, I say if you like to play with your computer and hack your own PC, go with Windows. If a computer is simply a tool that's a means to an end, get a Mac. That said, I'm ticked at Apple right now for the impact iOS 8 has had on the performance of my iPad 2 and iPhone 4s. There's no way they couldn't have known how much trouble the older processor in these devices would have with the latest OS. I waited for iOS 8.1 to avoid early bugs but iOS 8 shouldn't have been made available for the iPad 2 and iPhone 4s. I can't help but think Apple said "You're still using those old devices? We'll have to give you a reason to upgrade." My question is... do I reward Apple for this kind of cynical thinking by upgrading to an iPad Air 2 and/or iPhone 6? The problem is, I don't like Android for my phones or tablets (I've tried them). I have less of a problem with Windows but really don't like that OS as much as I do Apple, either.

[6BQ5]

I would like to echo one of the themes in this thread and that is how Macs tend to "age" vs. Windows PCs. In my experience Windows PCs tend to get bogged down in conflicting updates to the operating system and applications. Shared library files for code are updated by Windows but the applications work better with previous versions. After a few years the Windows PC feels sluggish and it grinds. Macs don't have this problem because a lot of applications are self contained units complete with their own versions of library code files. An update to something like Microsoft Office will not affect how Aperture performs. You can easily keep your Mac for 5 to 7 years or even more and it won't feel old. I kept my PowerPC based system from 2004 to 2011 before the power supply fried. My replacement Intel based Mac has been working just fine with no perceived degradation in performance after updates to both applications and OS X.

OS X is a flavor of Unix. If you like to tinker with the operating system then all you need to do is open up a terminal window and go nuts!

Tinkering with the hardware is harder since everything is so integrated. Personally, I'm OK with that because I wouldn't have time to get into it anyways. Just because I can open the hood of my car doesn't mean I care to disassemble the engine.

If you don't like your Mac you can always sell it for more than you could a used PC.

[Rimfiredude]

When my mom used windows she would get a virus about once a year that required a trip to the computer doctor. Her mac system has been very low maintenance and I have been able to handle most of the problems myself.

Also when she got an android phone she hated it and couldn't figure it out. She exchanged it for an iPhone and is now able to use it for what she needs.

I built my own windows machine when I had time to mess with such things but now I just want my computer to get out of the way and mostly work for me without too much hassle. That is why I use macs. Mine have been very low maintenance and long-lasting machines. They aren't for everyone, but I do feel that the average person would be better suited with a mac than a PC.

Never had a virus. Using PCs since 1999 and most of the time with AVG free edition. Don't open questionable things, especially emails.

[jsherman999]

Just realized my Dell monitor doesn't have an HDMI input, it has just DVI and DisplayPort. No prob, a Mini-DP to DP cable which works with the thunderbolt ports in the mini is only $4.98 from Monoprice...

But shipping would be between 12/11 to 12/30 ?!?!??

How is a guy supposed to support an impulse purchase with a delay like that. Talk about a bucket of cold water. I don't want to spend $24.99 or whatever on a stupid cable at a B&Mortar. Maybe this is a sign.

[waterfall]

Been a Mac user since 1984. Forced to use Windows at work for many years. Do not own a Mini but I have MacBookPro, iPad, and iPhone. Cannot imagine better cross device integration. Windows basically sucked for me and I did,all my work on my Mac and then imported to my employers network. Even easier now--Word and Excel docs open in Mac apps without problem. I can export any doc to Office format with no problem. Beats Adobe Acrobat every time.

[6BQ5]

Just realized my Dell monitor doesn't have an HDMI input, it has just DVI and DisplayPort. No prob, a Mini-DP to DP cable which works with the thunderbolt ports in the mini is only $4.98 from Monoprice...

But shipping would be between 12/11 to 12/30 ?!?!??

How is a guy supposed to support an impulse purchase with a delay like that. Talk about a bucket of cold water. I don't want to spend $24.99 or whatever on a stupid cable at a B&Mortar. Maybe this is a sign.

The best things happen to those wait, right?

[waterfall]

BYW, I had the original iPad model and only replaced it after six years because I wanted the Retina display for,viewing your photos!

---------- Post added 11-14-14 at 06:39 PM ----------

All Macs have HDMI terminals since at least 2010 when I dumped coffee on my laptop keyboard, frying the motherboard, and had to buy a new MacBook Pro. I use the laptop to stream TV onto a 48" plasma screen here where no cable TV exists (latitude 49 degrees north, + or -)

[Miguel]

Have you considered building a Hackintosh?

The most common form factors for Hackintoshes are small boxes that replace the Mac Mini and towers that provide similar performance and more functionality than the old-style Mac Pro models. The TonyMac site has a lot of interesting user builds.

I think Apple industrial design is first rate and have purchased multiple MacBooks and iPads for my family. But my old 2006 Mac Pro grew aged for photography and I needed more than four internal drives for my 10Tb of data, so a little over two years ago I build a Mac Pro replacement Hack. I've been a Mac user since 1984 and had never built a computer prior. It was tons of fun.The hardest part was getting the software to work, but after a few challenging hours, the thing has been rock stable since. I do mission-critical work on mine. It is spec'd out nicely.

Since 2012 the software process of making a Hack work has gotten significantly easier. I've since upgraded my OS from Lion to Mtn Lion (10.8.5). I could have gone with Mavericks and even Yosemite, but it seems like the quality of Mac operating systems has diminished some, so I'm intentionally hanging with Mtn. Lion. I've had zero hardware and software compatibility issues. On my second monitor right now I'm running Parallels and Win 7 (I try to limit my visits. . .) and life is good.

M