A Month with a Mac: A Die-Hard PC User's Perspective
by Anand Lal Shimpi on October 8, 2004 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Mac
Final Words
Writing for AnandTech is difficult. Just imagine talking to any group of almost 5 million people - are they all going to have the same interests? Should I have tailored this article totally to PC users who've never touched a Mac showing them the good and the bad through my eyes? I tried to do a bit of that. Or was I to show the Mac users a PC guy's objective take on their platform? I dabbled in some of that as well. Was I trying to get PC users to add a Mac to their "stable" of rigs? Maybe not so much "persuade", but more of "put another option out there for consideration". It has been a very difficult article to write, and I hope that all of the people to whom I'm writing at least gained something useful out of this - I know that I did.More than anything, I'm glad to be aware and somewhat proficient in dealing with yet another hardware/OS platform, even though it's a very small percentage of the total computing population out there. It's nice to know that I'm not to totally lost if I find myself stuck with nothing else to use but a Mac. But this experiment has clearly gone far beyond just a "trying it out" stage. The G5 is a computer that I use on a daily basis and it's something that I do enjoy using. I find the multi-tasking capabilities, some of the little gems that I talked about throughout this article, and the overall stability of the platform to be great for most of the computer usage that I do on a day-to-day basis. Despite my appeasement with Apple's platform, this is far from a "switch" story.
I've outlined what I do and don't like about the platform, and honestly, if you gave me the task of doing the same thing for the x86/Windows platform, I could come up with a set of different, but similar, sounding arguments for that platform as well. In the end, they are both very strong platforms, but without the compatibility and affordability of the PC platform, I can't see myself being strictly a Mac user. The OS is excellent, far from perfect, but more so than Windows in my opinion - and all the major applications do run on the platform. But, it's not having the major ones that you miss; rather, it's the few little ones that really make it difficult. Games aside, until very recently, I couldn't use my Blackberry with my Mac, it took a 3rd party developer to bring support for the Blackberry to OS X. Before that, I could only sync my Blackberry to my Windows PC - completely unacceptable if the G5 were my only computer. It's rare these days that new hardware, software and gadgets are released with out-of-the-box OS X support, which is unfortunately what makes completely switching to the platform difficult. Then there's the obvious issue of price - $3000 for a top of the line G5 isn't a bargain regardless of what you compare it to.
In the end, Apple has developed a very strong platform. OS X is quite possibly one of the best operating systems of its time and in many ways, is the best for what it does, and Apple's hardware leaves very little to be desired. But as always, the Apple platform is a tough sell to the mainstream for the reasons that I've already outlined. I took a chance and ended up pleasantly surprised. Maybe more PC users would be pleasantly surprised too - the problem is that even as a second machine, a Mac is an expensive proposition. Maybe instead of switch commercials, Apple should have poured that money into arranging 30-day trials of G5s for PC users. They would've probably gotten more converts that way.
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webchimp - Friday, October 8, 2004 - link
When you compared multitasking performance on a Mac to a Windows PC, was the Windows PC also a dual processor machine?One of the major benefits of multiple processors is multitasking performance and it would be unfair to compare a single processor PC to a multi processor PC regardless of the particular CPU and OS.
insomn - Friday, October 8, 2004 - link
"When writing an article (especially big NDA launches), I'd have around 20 IE windows open"IE?
www.getfirefox.com
20 IE windows = 1 firefox window.
CindyRodriguez - Friday, October 8, 2004 - link
I'll try to only comment on the big stuff.Anand doesn't get the application install process at all. He's overthinking it way too much. Things don't have to be 'windows complicated' in OS X.
In a drag and drop install, you aren't copying the "Application Installer" over to the hard drive. You're actually copying the Application its self over.
Applications in OS X are actually bundles. They appear as binaries but they are actually directories with a hidden .app suffix on them. Select any OS X native App and control-click or rightclick on it. A contextual menu will pop up, select "Show Package Contents". This is the whole application.
Contrary to what Mr. Shimpi said, there is no process were files are auto-magically copied to hidden and forbiden regions of your hard drive when you copy an application bundle from the installer disk to your hard drive. The application is entirely selfcontained so you are actually dragging everything over in one fell swoop. There is no disconnect because what you see in the install is what you get, a simple copy. OS X bundles are actually incredibly elegant ways to package applications.
Some applications do require some additional files to be installed into the OS and this is where Anand was getting confused. Not all application installs in OS X are simple drag-drops. Many use more familiar installer shells. Some Drag and Drop installs also contain self repairing, Office is one example. Though the install is simply a copy, the application does require some files (like fonts for example) to be installed into the OS. This occurs when the application is first run, not when you copy the application over. On subsequent launches, if any of the required support files have been removed, they are reinstalled in much the same way. This is also a very nice feature.
Chuckles - Friday, October 8, 2004 - link
With regard to your trouble opening folders and applications using the keyboard:Command-o opens whatever you have highlighted. I had never heard of Command-Shift-Down Arrow opening stuff before this.
CindyRodriguez - Friday, October 8, 2004 - link
Argh.. I could only get through the first two pages before I was ready to pull my hair out.* The article is outdated even though it was published today. Apple rev'ed that machine in July.
* G5s are expensive but so are similarly configured PCs. A dual opteron or dual Xeon from a real vendor with a real warranty will cost you just as much or more than the G5. I've actually spec'ed out dual G5s next to dual Xeons and dual Opterons and contrary to what Mr. Shimpi says.. do don't get "much more". Do it your self everyone.. but remember that a dual 2GHz isn't a $3K computer anymore.
* Your overview of the Mac on page 2 is wrong. Apple didn't ship a Radeon 9600. The rev one shipped with a Radeon 9600Pro. That may seem like picking nits.. but I bet you'd consider is significant if I offered you a free 9600Pro or a free 9600 but not both.
* Anand tells us in Page 2 to look at the specs to see how mediocre they are.. but he forgets to remind us that this computer is a Rev 1, not a rev 2.
* Anand apparently didn't bother to look at Apple's new DVI monitors. He asserts that you loose the cable clutter cutting benefits of ADC but this isn't true. There is STILL only one cable to the DVI monitor. The cable breaks out to power/usb/dvi at the computer end.. in fact, Apple's new cable now includes firewire.
* Once again, to pick nits.. the mouse cable on an apple mouse is short to plug into the keyboard not the monitor. Apple keyboards have always had pass through ports for the mouse.
I'll try to trudge through the rest when I get time.. but it's pretty painful so far.
knutp - Friday, October 8, 2004 - link
Sure there is a 2004 version of the Office pacage. Remember that this is a version only suited for Mac OS.http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/A...
KutterMax - Friday, October 8, 2004 - link
One aspect not touched on in the review is some of the other applications included with the G5, that being iMovie, iPhoto, and iDVD.I'm a PC user but my wife has her own G5. She does a lot of work with digital photography and video and uses these apps a ton. They seem to work really well and integrate nicely together. $3000 is a lot to justify for a machine, but certainly these apps add some value. Further, an iMac G5, which would be about half the price, would also include these same apps and provides a little more value for the money (but only a single processor).
ksherman - Friday, October 8, 2004 - link
the current version of the MS Office is 2003, not 2004... But a very god article indeed... Though i dont think ill be slapping down $3000 down for anything except a down payment on a car! :) I do agree that the slow downs that exist are crazy, given such an expensive computer. The fact that over 1GB memory is practically REQUIRED is a bit of an annoyance. But thats the price for a sexy OS!sgd2z - Friday, October 8, 2004 - link
ThatGuyPSU - Friday, October 8, 2004 - link
Thanks, Provia. I realized that after I hit Post Comment. Regardless, MS Office 2004 for the PC doesn't exist and probably won't since we're just about at the end of 2004. If anything, you'll see an MS Office 2005.