MBHockey said:
i like to think of Macs as the Window's PCs intellectual counterpart. I have a few friends whose parents are research scientists (biochemists, chemists) and all of their labs are stacked with Dual G4 desktop systems
Ok, so this has obviously turned out to be the age old mac vs pc debate. So as a new user to this forum, I'll throw in my 2 cents...
Regarding the issue of XP skinning...
Some people here seem genuinely offended by XP skinning of the OSX gui. While it seems that most of you are tolerant, a few seem a little edgy on the subject. I too believe that Apple itself as well as you, the users should be "flattered" by those particular PC users who have (either out of envy or necessity) have emulated the OSX enviroment. In part because some of these users will end up joing your camp, in part because those who don't are still making the statement that Apple is always doing something that makes waves and it gets people's attention.
On the age old debate of what is better...
Let me ask you guys something... Why must one be better than the other? Why must one be clearly superior in all categories over the other? Let me explain my thoughts a little better...
I'm a graphic designer by trade. I've been professionally designing for almost 10 years now. I have used PC's (obviously), Mac's (Apple II, G3 and up), SGI workstations, Media 100's, and Avid video editing workstations.
On the peripheral front, I use applications from Photoshop to oil canvas. From digital photgraphy to film photography, from pen tablets to pencil or paint brush. From Flash MX 2004 to straight HTML coding.
Here's my point... The question isn't what is better or why. You will never convince a PC user that a mac is better. Nor a mac user that a PC is better. The reason is because they were never meant to be compared that way.
Use what works for you. Sometimes it will be a PC, sometimes it will be a Mac. Sometimes it will be oil based canvas painting, sometimes it will be digital airbrushing with photoshop. Don't dog one over the other. There are advantages and disadvantages to everything. Nothing and I mean nothing was, is, or ever will be "perfect" for "everything". Flawed creatures (that would be us) create flawed products. There is no way around this.
Why am I saying all of this?
I've noticed for the better part of graphic design career that there have always been two types of designers...
1. The ones who are more concerned with their equipment than design.
2. The ones who are more concerend with their design than equipment.
Guess which one does better in life overall?
Final summation...
This is a major issue of tolerance.
PC users that apply: Stop bashing on Mac's if you haven't used them. Learn to appreciate that their are other machines out there aside from Wintels that are seriously innovative, robust, and can perform certain tasks much much better than youe XP riddled machine can. There is life out of Micro$oft and in a lot of cases, it is MUCH better than you think so stop being ignorant and open your mind.
Oh, and Bill Gates is NOT God.
Mac Users that apply: Stop playing elitests. Mac's don't make you better designers, photographers, journalists, brand consultants, business users, etc. If you need a Mac to tell you that you are better, smarter, or more important, than you need to go back to square one and find out who you are in the first place.
Oh, and Steve Jobs is NOT God.
To everyone else: If you aren't the two types of peeps I just spoke about, more power to you.
Oh and btw: I'm also using a VAIO Z1 laptop right now skinned to look like Mac OSX and quite a few components to emulate OSX functionality. I also play with my partners powerbook G4 all the time, and you know what? I'm picking up a G5 next month. =)