I’m A PC. Keep The Change.

Steve Ballmer says that Mac users are paying $500 extra to put the Apple logo on their machines. No Steve, I pay the $500 extra because I want my computer to work every day and for my data to be safe and secure. I have no desire to start up my computer and find out that I need to re-install the OS today because my registry got messed up somehow. I would never trust all my computer data to a Microsoft OS. Here's an example - a client of mine was getting all these random pop-ups when browsing the web, so I took the computer home to fix the problem. I put it on our network to see
what was going on. It was such a mess that I had to reinstall Windows. The next day I get a call from my ISP to tell me that there was spam email coming from my IP address. I said that I had 4 computers on the network. He asked what they were, and I said 2 Macs, 1 Windows PC, and one Linux. He said OK, let's rule out the Macs and Linux and concentrate on the Windows PC. I said that I had all the latest anti-virus nonsense on there. Then I remembered about the other computer that was on the day before. The problem is that people buy whatever is cheaper, and not better. Then they go to questionable web sites, or open unknown attachments and their computer is compromised. My wif knows when I've ben working on Windows because I am much more agitated and cranky.
Microsoft's new slogan "Windows - without walls" says it all, no walls mean the bad stuff can get in too easily.

A question for all the Mac fanatics. If the Mac OS is so secure and perfect without the need for patches/updates why was an update released in May that included over 35 critical security fixes. That is 35 in ONE update people. If they had their wish of a decent size user base that would be considered unacceptable. These security holes were not patched until they accumulated 35 of them? Would a Mac user that actually has some knowledge of computing please explain to me how this is acceptable or correct me if I am wrong? I am not speaking of the number of fixes, I am wondering why nothing was done until they accumulated 35 security issues before Apple acted.

Sure Mac's are great! So are Mercedes and BMW! I am the 'middle' of the middle class, Toyota? What kind of reference is that? I drive a Hyundai because their cheap and disposable but get great gas mileage, sort of like my Netbook. I put 100k miles on it in two years(sort of like my net book). I wouldnt trade either one of them. I also have a Ford with 300k ,sort of like my Pentium 4 PC ( both of which still run great). I dont know anyone with an old BMW unless they collect them or are very sentimental (sort of like the people I know with Mac's). What would you do with an old Mac other than wish you could afford a new one. I think Mac's are awsome (I really do...). but I like Mercedes Benz as well. I am sure it would last longer than my Ranger (I would scatch it or put too many miles on it). I buy PC's because they work and I can have a little fun. I drive a Hyundai because it gets me to work real cheap, if it breaks, I can always drive my 300k mileFord while I save up a few months to get another Hyundai. PC's just plain get the job done, I'll buy a Mac when I win the lottery just to see whats it like!

You're joking, right? Given the flop of Vista, the tedious and time-consuming task of fighting hackers, viruses, security problems, and updating software Microsoft wants me to bank on their "cheaper is better" concept? If that was a marketing creed, Toyota would have gone out of business decades ago. Give me a worry-free Mac any day.

You're joking, right? With Vista a huge flop and the cost of time and effort fighting off hackers, viruses, security problems, and updating I'm supposed to bank on Microsoft's "cheaper is better" campaign? If that were a marketing creed, Toyota would have been out of business decades ago.

Ms. Delong "shops" in the Apple store for less than one second - wacth the ad carefully - going in with a guy on the right - going out with athe same guy after having take three steps. You can see more of Ms. DeLong's adventures on IMDB.com.

But Microsoft ads - give me a break - Seinfeld - what was that about? Mojave - lying again to the customer. Now a fake reality ad that Microsoft casmes is genuine. Come on, it's an ADVERTISEMENT.

Lauren DeLong "visit's the Apple store for less than 1 second. Obviously, you didn't watch the advert . Look up Ms. DeLong's other acting roles on IMDB.com

I paid the extra money for a mac because it doesn't have the troubles associated with a pc( Microsoft) software. Buying for quality and longevity. They have never really claimed to be a cheap computer, it is good technology that works fluidly. I won't say my mac hasn't jammed up but it is a whole lot less frequently and easier to correct than any issue i have ever had with pc's , and that s all i have ever had at work. I saved for a year to get The computer that would work for me.

What a remarkable achievement for Microsoft! They figure out how to make a commercial that people can relate to... and in classic Microsoft fashion, three years after Apple and shamelessly lifting the underlying concept (I identify with my computer).
Malware, trojans, spyware, worms, the blue screen of death, hardware compatibility issues, substandard manufacturers (like HP!!!)... yep, Ballmer is absolutely right: all we "fanboys" are paying for is the look and the logo. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with the reliability of our machines, or the fact that they're such a pleasure to use. It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that our just-for-looks computers can run not only OSX, but also any flavor of Windows that we want or need, along with numerous other operating systems (memo to Microsoft kool-aid brigade: there ARE other operating systems out there!). Can Lauren's nifty little HP machine do that? Ah, who cares... that's just something to be dismissed as "cool" in the pejorative sense.
So the economics: $700-$1500 (or more) for a laptop that she will replace (on average) in 2-3 years or $1000-$2500 (does little Lauren REALLY need a 17' screen?) for a laptop that she will replace (on average) in 5-7 years, possibly longer... in a recession, looks to me like Lauren (and you, Mr. Lyons) are penny-wise but pound foolish.
Oh, and the new Apple laptops (which you so gracefully skewered a year ago, Daniel) are ahead of the curve in terms of reduced environmental impact, both in manufacturing and over the long haul. But I guess caring about the environment is just more "cool" to sneer at, too, eh?

I've been a PC user/buyer for 16 years and have to say that $1000 will not buy a computer off the shelf that has the power that most people expect for $1000 (chalk that expectation up to Microsoft's marketing). Any PC I've purchased for under $1000 I ended up adding more memory and also a better video card to get performance that allowed no wait period between switching between applications (I'm not a gamer, but I program and extensively use MS Office). By all intents and purposes I fall into the geek category, I drive a compact car that was bought used and wear a 10 year old beat up digital watch. I work in IT and deal with the problems people face with PCs running windows on a daily basis and have personally experienced the problems of randomly crashing programs, windows updates that cause more problems than they fix and having to reinstall windows due to corrupted system files. Apple MacIntoshes are beautiful pieces of engineering, but the beauty is not just case deep. We bought a Mac over a year ago and it has supplanted our Windows PC as the main computer in the house, updates have been seamless, there has been one crashed application in over a years time of use. I will spend the extra money again to get a stable computer that I don't have to fiddle with just to have it work as expected. Microsoft can't compete at this level since they don't build PCs to work hand-in-hand with the operating system, they certify PCs, which means they meet certain specifications. I'm not a young hipster and never took offense to the Mac commercials, but the Microsoft commercials make me laugh more, just because they've taken offense to something that's not the major point of the Mac commercials....Macs just work.

In the early computer years, I used Apple II variants. I enjoyed them and they introduced me to computing. When the Macs came out, they looked interesting, but weren't running software I needed at the time. I switched to PCs running DOS and fell in love with them - there was far more software and they performed much, much better than my old Apples. For really great performance, they required some technical know-how, so I would agree with statements on ease of use. As all computers moved into graphical interfaces, there were good and bad times for PC users, but again, the software I wanted to use was not available for the Macs, and they didn't interface well in my work environments.

Today, my PCs (running XP) are the best I've ever had. I have very few problems and down-time is minimal. Some of my associates who use Macs have had more lock-ups than I have. I have them set up for easy maintenance, and all of the software I've used in my personal PCs for security is free. Some comments have been made about the superiority of video/graphic production of Macs - not really. I am a broadcast TV producer, and I use a PC system for all of my video/audio production. I've had no issues running real-time effects output and animation rendering. There are some great Mac-based video-editing systems out there, but the only one that had anywhere near the capabilities of my system (built in 2001) cost...$15,000 more.

Umm, the laptop she picked has been criticized for basically being 2004 technology, and the monitor relatively poor resolution with a poor viewing angle, marginal battery life, etc. I think I could find a 17" mac laptop with a G4 processor for less than a grand, but why would I want 4 year old tech? Incidentally, if you look at the commercial, we see the same guy walking by the front of the store when she walks in, as well as when she walks out- If this was not "staged" how did that happen?
Every time I have compared a Mac to PC spec for spec, the prices are similar- Sometimes more on the PC side, and the OS and included software seems to be much better on the mac side. I'm willing to pay a little more for a better product.

It's interesting that the girl in the ad is driving a convertible Volkswagon- she obviously was willing to pay thousands more for her car than a comparable economy car.

MACs are really for individuals fearful of the computer world and non-savy folks in terms of internet and computers in general. Their great machines and even greater when you just religate them for work if you job requires all the processing power and you really want the smooth run with a low risk of lags, hiccups or crashes/freeze ups.

But yeah, bang for your buck? Not really. If peace of mind and something that looks super sytlise is worth $1000 - 1500 more then the average PC thats your thing. With that amount of cash you can get the same piece of mind, maxed out or high performance parts and probably still pocket $500 bucks. For a Laptop I mean. Man, with $2800 I could build a Kick@ss tower again. Or get a really nice Laptop and pocket on average $1200. $800 if I don't bother to hunt for deals or I feel I just have to have the latest graphics card or processor. Thats including software but not including things like docking stations or "Business" Models.

There's nothing wrong with a MAC notebook outside of the ridiculous price you pay for a fairly underpowered laptop/desktop which has a solid amount of start up software. It's really just a brand name purchase for people who aren't very adept at using PC's b/c there's nothing contained in any of the MAC machines to really warrant their price.

The one thing Apple has done that goes above and beyond the typical PC is that they've included a lot of 'entertainment' software on the machine for Photography. Not only is the software included, but its' fairly idiot proof and just about anyone can get the hang of it in a very short period of time.

As far as the whole virus thing goes, if you're already spending a lot of time cleaning up your current PC or experiencing problems with virus/adware type stuff; it's most likely b/c you've done a lot of clicking on naughty web sites and/or b/c you have terrible security on your PC. If this is the case, the MAC is not going to be some kind of magical silver bullet.

In the end, MAC's (overall) are a good laptop if you have the disposable income to spend on one and are interested in the easy to use photo software, but they're not worth the price tag based on the parts and forget about service...Apple probably has the WORST customer service you'll ever experience regardless of the product or service. Good Luck talking to a real person when you have problems with your MAC unless you enjoy scheduling & paying for an appointment at one of the Apple stores.

The reason I use a PC is software. Macs are great. Overpriced sure, but sexy. Problem is that for my line of work there aren't any applications that cut the mustard. What few there are cost much more than the PC versions. Adobe products come to mind. Mac versions of everything are more pricey - I assume this is to recover R&D expenses for this smaller market. I used to hate Macs - until I got an iPod Touch for Christmas - Apple should keep pumping the that platform and lower the prices - and UNLOCK the iPhone so that other cell providers can be used. AT&T sucks and getting locked into $100+ a month for your MP3 player seems, well, so Macish. Ranscoste is correct that PCs are viral targets more than Macs but for the same reason developers don't develop for Macs - not enough people to make it worthwhile. And if you are a gamer, forget the Mac - no major games on the platform.