[Docrwm]

With every update of the Mac OS, there is inevitably some griping, but mostly, the reactions are strongly positive. With Windows, it seems to be the opposite. I really don't care if Windows users switch to Mac, but I do wonder why they are willing to put up with the aggravation. Other than needing to use programs that are Windows only, I cannot understand the persistent loyalty to a system that is so often a total mess. Yes, Macs are more expensive, but they last far longer. I am currently using a 6 1/2 year old MacPro that is running like a clock with OS 10.7.5. In contrast, my sons use Windows machines that they feel compelled to update approximately every 3 years, despite which they still have operational issues that seem insoluble.

I have no desire to start a flame war. Windows users, carry on.

Rob

I wish I could use a Mac but I have far too many proprietary software programs that will only run under Windows. I have switched to iPads and recently an iPhone because of the Windows nightmare and the android - we'll get it right eventually - approach.

[inmybubble]

With every update of the Mac OS, there is inevitably some griping, but mostly, the reactions are strongly positive. With Windows, it seems to be the opposite. I really don't care if Windows users switch to Mac, but I do wonder why they are willing to put up with the aggravation. Other than needing to use programs that are Windows only, I cannot understand the persistent loyalty to a system that is so often a total mess. Yes, Macs are more expensive, but they last far longer. I am currently using a 6 1/2 year old MacPro that is running like a clock with OS 10.7.5. In contrast, my sons use Windows machines that they feel compelled to update approximately every 3 years, despite which they still have operational issues that seem insoluble.

I have no desire to start a flame war. Windows users, carry on.

Rob

I have a little bit different point of view.

I have two windows laptops at the moment. First one is over 6 years old (big and heavy 15"), running windows 7 and there are no problems with it. Yes, I burned a hard drive but I don't think that anybody is protected from that.
Second windows laptop is 6 months old - bought it because of better screen and it had to be lightweight (like a notebook, 13"). That means, I have two working laptops and the old one is still a working animal.

I think quite often the problem is not Windows but the laptop itself - hardware costs money and good one even more.

[p38arover]

I stay with Windows because the learning curve to move to Mac or Linux is just too great.

I tried both. My wife runs Mac. When she upgraded machines she gave me her old MacBook. I gave up. Nothing worked as I expected. I swapped the MacBook to a friend in exchange for a Win laptop.

I tried Ubuntu ( and other flavours of Linux) but, again, too big a learning curve.

Win 7 64-bit works for me.

[Daemos]

I love windows 8...as does everyone else I know that uses it. After learning the new start menu everything is better, windows 8 uses less resources than win 7, it's faster, more powerful (and useful features, like pausing during file transfers), integrates nicely, and I got it when it first came out.

I wonder those who really hate windows 8, how much time did they spend using it? Windows vista wasn't even that bad, far better than XP in terms of features and security, just bloated. Everyone I know in IT loves windows 8. Just saying.

My old 6 year old laptop went from vista pro 64, to windows 7 ultimate 64 to windows 8 pro, and windows 8 is awesome I can't believe how much it improved my 6 year old core 2 duo laptop, and I didn't even put in a SSD in that machine.

[Daemos]

With every update of the Mac OS, there is inevitably some griping, but mostly, the reactions are strongly positive. With Windows, it seems to be the opposite. I really don't care if Windows users switch to Mac, but I do wonder why they are willing to put up with the aggravation. Other than needing to use programs that are Windows only, I cannot understand the persistent loyalty to a system that is so often a total mess. Yes, Macs are more expensive, but they last far longer. I am currently using a 6 1/2 year old MacPro that is running like a clock with OS 10.7.5. In contrast, my sons use Windows machines that they feel compelled to update approximately every 3 years, despite which they still have operational issues that seem insoluble.

I have no desire to start a flame war. Windows users, carry on.

Rob

Working in IT, mac OS is the bane of my existence. Incompatibilities even though it's based off UNIX, every single update seems to radically change something in the menus or break something with network connectivity. Not to mention those who do use macs tend to have this overwhelmingly sense of security believing macs can never get viruses...and their machines break much more often software wise than any PC, not to mention they are MUCH more frustrating to fix. And needing to do a mass image on new machines? Every specific configuration requires it's own image, which takes AGES to build, with windows, easy, one generic image, automatically finds all the appropriate drivers done, slide in all the updates via packaging over network.

I can say 80% of people I know (friends, relatives, etc) who switched to mac for "security, speed etc" have switched back to windows. The others who keep using macs tend to be female and like the mac books because they look "pretty" just saying.

if you need to do real work use PCs, I'm not even really sure what Mac OS is good for, it's more bloated than windows 7, even more bloated than windows 8, identical hardware machines, mac vs windows, using the same software, ALWAYS runs slower on macs any real software has the same workflow between windows and mac, and even large media companies have moved everything to PC.

Seriously, non-computer savvy people + windows is enough of an issue, non computer savvy people with macs are a nightmare. This is real world experience.

Oh yeah another issue, people often compare $300 windows laptops to $2000 mac laptops, and wonder why the macs seem to be so much better...buy a $2000 windows laptop, and you won't even think about using a $2000 mac laptop, build quality in real business grade pc laptops even at the same price range as a macbook pro, there is no comparison, they make the macbooks feel like cheap toys.

[Nuff]

As someone who works in IT, who has not touched windows since 2000. My view is quite different. I've used Linux and unix since 1996 and I do to this day. From huge SUN, SGI, AIX etc systems to cloud computing farms.

OSX just works if all you want to do is get work done. Most of the people in my team run either osx or Ubuntu. There's no fiddling with anything for it to work. It just runs. My 4 year old iMac has no issues with photoshop or Lightroom 5. Not to mention handling the huge 16bit MF scans.

I guess the difference is, do you want to play with your OS or do you want to get work done with it.

Working in IT, mac OS is the bane of my existence. Incompatibilities even though it's based off UNIX, every single update seems to radically change something in the menus or break something with network connectivity. Not to mention those who do use macs tend to have this overwhelmingly sense of security believing macs can never get viruses...and their machines break much more often software wise than any PC, not to mention they are MUCH more frustrating to fix. And needing to do a mass image on new machines? Every specific configuration requires it's own image, which takes AGES to build, with windows, easy, one generic image, automatically finds all the appropriate drivers done, slide in all the updates via packaging over network.

I can say 80% of people I know (friends, relatives, etc) who switched to mac for "security, speed etc" have switched back to windows. The others who keep using macs tend to be female and like the mac books because they look "pretty" just saying.

if you need to do real work use PCs, I'm not even really sure what Mac OS is good for, it's more bloated than windows 7, even more bloated than windows 8, identical hardware machines, mac vs windows, using the same software, ALWAYS runs slower on macs any real software has the same workflow between windows and mac, and even large media companies have moved everything to PC.

Seriously, non-computer savvy people + windows is enough of an issue, non computer savvy people with macs are a nightmare. This is real world experience.

Oh yeah another issue, people often compare $300 windows laptops to $2000 mac laptops, and wonder why the macs seem to be so much better...buy a $2000 windows laptop, and you won't even think about using a $2000 mac laptop, build quality in real business grade pc laptops even at the same price range as a macbook pro, there is no comparison, they make the macbooks feel like cheap toys.

[Schraubstock]

I wonder those who really hate windows 8, how much time did they spend using it?

... or learning it. That's just the point, why should one spend hours and hours re-learning a system. It is difficult enough for an individual but for businesses it is a costly undertaking. It also means before staff understand the new OS a lot of mistakes are being made.

By all means, make the OS saver, faster less resource intensive or what have you but why has a new OS to be completely different in such a way that it becomes a challenge to work with. No, we don't need this nonsense. And we don't need this WIN 8 Mickey Mouse startup screen; give me a break.

Greetings

[Docrwm]

The majority of IT people I know have rejected Win8, but more importantly Major corporations have rejected Win8, as have the majority of individual users. It's a joke and even MS is quietly admitting it by talking about deleting the new interface they tried to foist off on us.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/general-talk/209174-windows-8-so-bad.html

[Daemos]

... or learning it. That's just the point, why should one spend hours and hours re-learning a system. It is difficult enough for an individual but for businesses it is a costly undertaking. It also means before staff understand the new OS a lot of mistakes are being made.

By all means, make the OS saver, faster less resource intensive or what have you but why has a new OS to be completely different in such a way that it becomes a challenge to work with. No, we don't need this nonsense. And we don't need this WIN 8 Mickey Mouse startup screen; give me a break.

Greetings

Windows 8 took me all of 30 seconds to learn...as my habits never changed from windows 7. Hit start button, type in what you want, hit enter, very fast very simple, when MS introduced universal search in the start menu, I almost never used the mouse to open programs in the start menu.

It's the same with windows 8.

Windows 8 is hardly a huge leap IMO, it's smaller than win NT/3.11/3.1 to win 95.

[Daemos]

As someone who works in IT, who has not touched windows since 2000. My view is quite different. I've used Linux and unix since 1996 and I do to this day. From huge SUN, SGI, AIX etc systems to cloud computing farms.

OSX just works if all you want to do is get work done. Most of the people in my team run either osx or Ubuntu. There's no fiddling with anything for it to work. It just runs. My 4 year old iMac has no issues with photoshop or Lightroom 5. Not to mention handling the huge 16bit MF scans.

I guess the difference is, do you want to play with your OS or do you want to get work done with it.

My 6 year old laptop on a mobile processor running windows 8 has no issues with photoshop or lightroom either...same with movie editing, but it's used more for other more critical hobbies (using things like ecuflash, which has mac support, but was halted due to difficulties with newer drivers and mac osx).

I've never had to fiddle with windows to get things to work either, except if you build your own PC, then you have to install drivers etc...I don't mind ubuntu, but open source software isn't as good as the proper paid stuff, things like MS office, photoshop.

But when you are managing 5000+ machines in different locations, different cities even, all with various hardware configurations, and ages, trying to ensure all the same software is on, windows makes it easy, but we have groups that likes macs in different departments, and due to the different hardware configurations, you can't just slip a generic network image to all the macs, you have to build a image for EACH mac hardware configuration. Not to mention, if there is any out of warranty work (although rare to have it) mac repairs are $$$$$$$$, and any security flaw with mac os gets patched very slowly by apple. I'm not saying apple is bad, but their marketing is better, and marketing sells, IMO macs are more form before function. In the early Power PC days, when plenty of media software ran faster on macs than on PCs, there was a very distinct advantage, but now...there really isn't other than the way they look, and that all their laptops and AIO machines come with nice IPS screens, and yes, they were the first to offer awesome track pads...

Although, as far as ubuntu is concerned, I have put it on many really old 1st gen atom netbooks, and for surfing the web and checking emails, it's simple and easy to use, you can even dress it up to work like windows.

[Digitalis]

I recently re-built my primary editing computer - one of my in-laws is a Microsoft certified networking technician and he asked me if I wanted a copy of Windows 8 to install on it. I just glared at him and said I was quite happy with Windows 7 X64 - I admit I was tempted to be even less diplomatic about what I think of Windows 8....I'd rather go back to XP than deal with that interface.

[Docrwm]

Windows 8 took me all of 30 seconds to learn...as my habits never changed from windows 7. Hit start button, type in what you want, hit enter, very fast very simple, when MS introduced universal search in the start menu, I almost never used the mouse to open programs in the start menu.

It's the same with windows 8.

Windows 8 is hardly a huge leap IMO, it's smaller than win NT/3.11/3.1 to win 95.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, yours is not endorsed by the consumer at either the corporate or individual level as evidenced by sales, prices, and many, many, many analysis articles of how Win8 is a failure.

[Rondec]

Windows 8 took me all of 30 seconds to learn...as my habits never changed from windows 7. Hit start button, type in what you want, hit enter, very fast very simple, when MS introduced universal search in the start menu, I almost never used the mouse to open programs in the start menu.

It's the same with windows 8.

Windows 8 is hardly a huge leap IMO, it's smaller than win NT/3.11/3.1 to win 95.

I just find the changes in interface annoying and to no purpose, other than to have the same interface on tablets and desktops. There are an awful lot of people who feel the same as I do. Sure, it can be learned and I do use it, but I don't find the "improvements" in the user interface to be beneficial.

[Nuff]

My 6 year old laptop on a mobile processor running windows 8 has no issues with photoshop or lightroom either...same with movie editing, but it's used more for other more critical hobbies (using things like ecuflash, which has mac support, but was halted due to difficulties with newer drivers and mac osx).

I've never had to fiddle with windows to get things to work either, except if you build your own PC, then you have to install drivers etc...I don't mind ubuntu, but open source software isn't as good as the proper paid stuff, things like MS office, photoshop.

But when you are managing 5000+ machines in different locations, different cities even, all with various hardware configurations, and ages, trying to ensure all the same software is on, windows makes it easy, but we have groups that likes macs in different departments, and due to the different hardware configurations, you can't just slip a generic network image to all the macs, you have to build a image for EACH mac hardware configuration. Not to mention, if there is any out of warranty work (although rare to have it) mac repairs are $$$$$$$$, and any security flaw with mac os gets patched very slowly by apple. I'm not saying apple is bad, but their marketing is better, and marketing sells, IMO macs are more form before function. In the early Power PC days, when plenty of media software ran faster on macs than on PCs, there was a very distinct advantage, but now...there really isn't other than the way they look, and that all their laptops and AIO machines come with nice IPS screens, and yes, they were the first to offer awesome track pads...

Although, as far as ubuntu is concerned, I have put it on many really old 1st gen atom netbooks, and for surfing the web and checking emails, it's simple and easy to use, you can even dress it up to work like windows.

As you have mentioned, all of them come with IPS screens and when it comes to photographs, it's the most important thing.

I wouldn't know about macs in corporate environment, but for home user they are great. I've to yet hear about osx needing a rebuild. I'm not a big OS advocate or evangelist. But I like using things that are transparent and out of my way. Something that makes my workflow faster instead of giving me lots of unnecessary whiz bang features.

I know I'm a special case so Linux works for me most of the time, but osx is nice (it's not perfect). But if I need to reinstall a machine every few years? I'm used to running servers which run without skipping a beat (aka needing a reboot) for years...

[Lou Smorels]

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, yours is not endorsed by the consumer at either the corporate or individual level as evidenced by sales, prices, and many, many, many analysis articles of how Win8 is a failure.

All due to a missing Start menu, which will be fixed in Windows 8.1 and then you'll see the surge in uptake. The missing component is the one reason why I didn't deploy Win 8 throughout my enterprise. Most folks just can get along without it.

However, If you can get past that, the OS is technically great and does many things right.

You also have to keep in mind that the vast majority of users do not work with the OS DIRECTLY, but through applications. We were able to replace many of the Macs at my company with Windows because the Adobe applications such as InDesign, Incopy and Photoshop ran just as well and in many instances better. The limiting factor was the user, not the hardware or OS.