It would be easy to come to the conclusion that I do not like Macs, of course that wouldn't be true. It is hard to properly dislike something one has not used for any meaningful amount of time. So, a correct statement would be that I'm unfamiliar with Macs and have no interest to be familiar with them. That being said It should be noted that I have recommended Macs to several people throughout the years. The conversations tend to go something like the following. Me: Here is your computer back, virus free and running properly again.
Computer Owner: Thanks, how can I keep this from happening?
Me: You should get a Mac.
Computer Owner: Why because they don't get viruses?
Me: No, because I don't know how to fix them.
I usually get a weak smile from them at this point. It does lead to one reason why I don't want a Mac though.
I've worked with Windows based computers for years now, and I can fix most of the problems I have with them. I've worked with Redhat and Debian based Linux distributions for a few years now, and I can muddle through most of the issues I have with them as well. Learning how to use a Mac wouldn't be an issue, as a person who can waste days playing with Compiz-Fusion settings or playing in an apache configuration file, I'd probably enjoy it. It would be when it quit working when it would loose the fun.
I'm often told the lovely myth that Macs don't break. Only I've had a broken one sitting on my desk. It wouldn't boot, I never got it to boot. We gave it to the resident Mac guy, got the same results I did. What got it working again? The local Mac shop, for a hefty fee. Which also tends to repair the Macs from my wife's workplace when they give up on functioning. Thanks, but I'll stick to my home built computers.
Which brings us to the next point, Apple doesn't cater to me. One of the reasons I build my own computers is that it is fun. The other is that it is cheap. You might have noticed but Apples are not cheap, and I can't build my own. A Mac built for me would be a tower that I can open it up and work on, but the only tower in the Mac line up is the Pro which is priced like what it is, a professional workstation. While having a professional workstation class machine would be nice, I can't afford one.
The last thing that makes me shy away from the Apple brand is the commercials. They were cute a few years ago, but much like the Geico caveman, it's old and tired. Not to mention that PC stands for Personal Computer. So, a Mac isn't a Personal Computer? Not sure what it is then, but I don't think I want one, and no I won't fix it for you. I'm resigned to not knowing how to.
1 comments:
The point you make about no desktop class tower is the age-old "Missing Mac" complaint that even the most zealous Mac users agree to.
Though, I have to say having had a Mac die on me was a bitter sweet experience.
First, Apple care did a fantastic job of picking it up, replacing the motherboard and battery, and shipping it back; completely for free.
It took about 5 days, including the 2 wasted weekend days.
The best part was though, that because the machine was the beautiful and perfect combination of EFI + Unix, I was actually able to access it in two different ways. Target Disk Mode and through SSH+VNC.
I have to admit, I'm not terribly comfortable sending my system off to be repaired by strangers, so I completely wiped it before I sent it off. This would not have been possible with a PC without removing the HD. Of course, technically it would not have been possible on any machine if the machine were COMPLETELY fried, but in my case the failure was the NVIDIA chip. I had no display, but the system worked fine.
Finally I have to say that with a brand new motherboard and battery my system is pretty much brand new (I assume the HD is not new, but I could be wrong about that, too.) Either way, Time Machine took about 3 hours to wipe and restore my system to an exact replica of what I had before it left. My copy of Windows XP is even restored perfectly.
Annoyed by the failure? Yes. Pleased by the results? Absolutely. I've had PCs fail. I've had a Mac fail. I've even had an XBox fail. Shit happens. But the only complaint I have now is I really don't want to spend $3000 on an 27" inch i7-iMac. After this experience, I'm finding it very hard to resist.
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