Macs Really Do Run Windows Better

[aryayush]

Macs Really Do Run Windows Better
17-Sep-2007 @ 01:26 pm

Ever since Boot Camp appeared on the scene, there have been several comments about Macs being better Windows machines than Windows machines. The weird thing is it's actually true.

I won't lie to you -- I use Windows occasionally. It's important for me as a Mac developer to use Windows once in a while, because it's a fantastic lesson on how [to] do absolutely everything wrong when designing software. (For example, one of my top ten favorite Windows XP features is the one where it asks you to confirm your wireless network password by entering it twice when you join a network.) Read more...

[Via stevenf.com]


Awesome. An awesome read! And it is very well written. If for nothing else, read it for the humour. It is laugh out loud funny.

[narangz]

For starters, Windows vendors have discovered that they can save upwards of 1/1000th of a cent per unit by NOT INCLUDING RESTORE DISCS with the computer. What they do now is install the OS, and a hidden partition (6-10 GB or so) containing the restore data. Then there's usually some program you can run that lets you burn a restore disc your damn self if you want to.
to get system restore discs. I could also order them from Sony for TWENTY DOLLARS.

Yeah I hate this fact Perhaps its some drive against piracy

Well I always supported MS but this autopatcher issue has driven me mad.

You give Windows users a 255 character filename limit and this is what they do?

Wrong!!!!

I'm clicking away through the installers, trying to remember whether I just installed 01256339 or 12847214, so I don't accidentally delete one I haven't installed yet.

You could have renamed them into something which you could easily understand

There are at least three programs in the list (Microsoft Business Contact Manager for Microsoft Outlook for Business for Microsoft for Contacts for Microsoft, and not one but TWO entries for Flash Player 8) whose uninstallers can't be located when I try to uninstall them.

Sony's problem not MS problem

That's nerve-wracking enough, but then one of them straight up tells me "Installation failed", then, after I click OK to that, "Installation successful!"

Again Sony's problem

[aryayush]

The author did not say it was Microsoft's. Quit the fanboyism please, will you?

The article is about Macs running Windows better than machines from other companies such as Sony, Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc. which are actually supposed to be Windows machines. It is not about Apple vs. Microsoft.

[narangz]

And have you ever heard about PCs which are assembled? Assemble a PC, install Windows from the disc & then install all the drivers from one single setup in the motherboard CD(Ofcourse if you don't have intalled separate graphics card or any other hardware. Then compare it with your Mac running Windows.

Fanboyism? Who's a die hard fan here? I wrote above that new policies like the autopatcher issue has driven me mad against MS. I wrote that because it was an individual problem of Sony. Come on man! Windows machines or PCs are not just Sony, Lenovo, HP etc.

[iMav]

the article seems toshow that sony vaio notebooks suck big time

[alsiladka]

I would like to make a few comment, but i hope no one considers me a fanboy of either Apple or MS.

I use Windows because some of the Windows Laptops are really light on your wallets.

1. I seriously Hate the OEM crap! I dont understand what they like in Norton to include the 60 Day trial or the 90 day trial. Dont they bloody understand that their laptop could not receive a worse start than with a Norton boot!! Any casual, non techie user is left thinking if what he bought is actually a fast machine or squib!

2. I seriouly hope the OEM's let you decide what all softwares to install. Only Dell comes close to this by letting you customize your system atleast a little when ordering it. They charge you a 1000RS just for a basic install ??!!! And if you would like to partition your system, which they highly recommend, you just have to pay 750rs more. Dell usa gives you a lot more choices on customization.

3. Apple systems are generally high end machines, which will result in faster windows than the normal machines. Also, getting Vendor specific machines would result in slower windows because of all the added crap. The comparision should have been made on an equally speced windows laptop with a retail windows installation.

4. He did not mention which machine was he using, becuase i was not aware of machines of today not carrying a burner with it. Nearly all the machines include a DVD burner.

5. Like the Bootcamp driver's DVD, nearly all the system vendors do provide a Driver's CD along with the motherboards. It makes the installations pretty simple, if you do not mind using old drivers. I generally prefer downloading my drivers from the original hardware makes, since the OEM's websites dont provide the latest drivers. He could have also used Windows Update for the drivers, since all the latest drivers are supported via Windows Update.

[goobimama]

First hand experience with a Sony Vaio. My friend bought one from the US of A. When I booted it, of course there were the usual Windows Pop ups like security, should I scrub your back? and all that nonsense and there were all these trial softwares popping up! And I'm thinking, Sony Vaio's are supposed to be like really good laptops....

Anyway, the reason he got it to my place was cause he didn't like Vista (can't argue with that) and wanted XP. So I boot from the XP disk and it does not detect the SATA HDD without which installation is a no-no. Now after posting here, I find out that I have to download some application, then the drivers, then "fuse" the SATA controller into the XP installation to finally get the thing running.

That's not all, XP is not fully supported by Sony...so even after installation, stuff doesn't work...

[iMav]

^^ news from redmond is that with SP1 downgrade will become easier than it is now

[entrana]

wow this is cool, now m$ is really gud for nothing, they cant even make their own systems better,

[iMav]

^^ its because of pressure form many vendors ... so they complied

[entrana]

true

[goobimama]

Whatever the case may be, the end user still has to bend down and...

[infra_red_dude]

unfair comparison but then, my god! did you ppl take the blog's post seriously??!!

[contactpraven2001]

that's true whatever is the force to make a really bad system in the end it is the user how have to suffer in case of m$ ........

[alsiladka]

Originally Posted by entrana

wow this is cool, now m$ is really gud for nothing, they cant even make their own systems better,

Wov, the hardware vendors design crappy systems, but it is MS to blame. Now lets talk about fanboyism!! What is MS's fault over here, can you let me know?

[iMav]

arre if there is any word showing something bad alsong with Microsoft bole toh MS ki galti baki sab ek dum sahi hain thats thinkdigit rules and if some 1 corrects them or puts things in perspective hes a fanboy

[infra_red_dude]

arey yaar, why are you ppl getting irked up?

chill, how can you take such a lame comparison seriously???!!

[narangz]

^^That's right.... Its a lame comparison. It was more a humour post than a comparison

Originally Posted by iMav

nd if some 1 corrects them or puts things in perspective hes a fanboy

Hehe

[aku]

@imav... well said man

[aryayush]

Point one: Microsoft is not to blame here. It is the hardware vendors such as Sony, HP, Dell, Lenovo, etc. who install all the trialware/bloatware that no one really needs and it just craps the system. It is their fault, not Microsoft's.

Point two: This is not an unfair comparison. The point the author is trying to make is spot on. Apple does not load their machines with any of the crap that other hardware vendors do. There are only two applications on an Apple notebook that are bundled as trial versions and none of these slow down the machine in any way. Uninstalling them is also a snap. When, and if, you re-install Mac OS X, you get the option of removing those applications too. Those two applications are the iWork and Microsoft Office suites. I hope you'll agree with me that these do not come under the category of crap and Apple does not bundle them for any monetary benefit or for the purpose of advertisement.
Apart from that you get Mac OS X (which itself has a host of useful built-in utilities that you have to install separately on Windows), the award-winning, semi-professional iLife suite, QuickBooks NUE, OmniOutliner and Comic Life. All are full versions, of course. You also get a set of DVDs for re-installing the OS and other applications, not a crappy restore partition.

Point three: Apart from the bloatware, the other thing that makes Macs (the notebooks, at least) better PCs than "PCs" is the trackpad. You just cannot beat the trackpad. There is no competition. Scrolling, dragging and right-clicking is a pleasure.

[shantanu]

hey hey ! no other BS discussion.. ! keep the thread to what it is.. ! please.. ! dont entend your Questions and Discussion to a level where it becomes fight !

Windows is good ! Microsoft is Better ! Macs are Best ! now please stay upto the nice level !

[gxsaurav]

Originally Posted by alsiladka

2. I seriouly hope the OEM's let you decide what all softwares to install. Only Dell comes close to this by letting you customize your system atleast a little when ordering it. They charge you a 1000RS just for a basic install ??!!! And if you would like to partition your system, which they highly recommend, you just have to pay 750rs more. Dell usa gives you a lot more choices on customization.

You can always get a Windows Installation disk from somewhere like Vista DVD & enter your OEM key to activate, simple as that. Why bother with the crapware? Here is the thing, those crapware reduce the cost of Laptop or desktop. I won't mind having lods of crapware installed if it reduces the price by 5k, cos I know I will be reinstalling Window anyway.

You just cannot beat the trackpad. There is no competition. Scrolling, dragging and right-clicking is a pleasure.

Try playing games on the notebook

[aryayush]

Try doing that on any notebook's built-in trackpad.

Try not to indulge in conversation based on convoluted logic!

[infra_red_dude]

Originally Posted by aryayush

Apple does not load their machines with any of the crap that other hardware vendors do. There are only two applications on an Apple notebook that are bundled as trial versions and none of these slow down the machine in any way. Uninstalling them is also a snap. When, and if, you re-install Mac OS X, you get the option of removing those applications too. Those two applications are the iWork and Microsoft Office suites.......

...You also get a set of DVDs for re-installing the OS and other applications, not a crappy restore partition.

i agree to this point of yours. hafing a restore partition wid crapware and hence not bundling the media is the most foolish offering by any company.

Originally Posted by aryayush

Point three: Apart from the bloatware, the other thing that makes Macs (the notebooks, at least) better PCs than "PCs" is the trackpad. You just cannot beat the trackpad. There is no competition. Scrolling, dragging and right-clicking is a pleasure.

i hafn't used a mac extensively so i'd refrain commenting on that one.

Originally Posted by gx_saurav

Try playing games on the notebook

yaar, speak something sensible!

[iMav]

as far as the bloatware is concerned ... its business its not MS bundling it rather the company - HP; Dell; Sony; Acer who have tied up with the software providers like norton ...

[narangz]

Originally Posted by aryayush

You also get a set of DVDs for re-installing the OS and other applications, not a crappy restore partition.

Yeah I totally agree on this point... Creating restore discs yourselves suck! And paying to the manufacturer for ordering these discs is absurd.
Giving the discs alongwith the machine isn''t a costly deal. I have no idea why they are doing this.

Originally Posted by aryayush

Apart from that you get Mac OS X (which itself has a host of useful built-in utilities that you have to install separately on Windows), the award-winning, semi-professional iLife suite, QuickBooks NUE, OmniOutliner and Comic Life.

Well the PC manufacturers also bundle Office Trial but ofcourse don't provide any option during installation to de-select them. But when MS bundles such utilities with Windows they get slapped with Anti-trust cases and are called monopolistic.

Another point aryayush, is that Mac's cost a lot. And most people can't afford to buy that much costly Desktop PC's & Notebooks. Hence the performance of Macs running Windows is higher in those circumstances.

[iMav]

^^ all that is Microsoft's fault ...

PS: not a question but an un-written rule of thinkdigit

[infra_red_dude]

Originally Posted by iMav

as far as the bloatware is concerned ... its business its not MS bundling it rather the company - HP; Dell; Sony; Acer who have tied up with the software providers like norton ...

i guess everyone agreed to this point that its the manufacturer who is to be blamed not MS!

[gxsaurav]

Originally Posted by narangz

Yeah I totally agree on this point... Creating restore discs yourselves suck! And paying to the manufacturer for ordering these discs is absurd.

This is India & you can get a DVD from anywhere, even the piracy market. Then u can simply enter your OEM key to activate Vista on the same computer.

[infra_red_dude]

^^^ when you are paying 25k+ for any system (desktop/laptop) why should anyone wanna download the contents of whole DVD or get it from a "piracy market". doesn't make sense at all. how much will bundling the media cost? i don't get the manufacturers foolish logic of not bundling the media. i understand, recovering from the recovery partition is easier than installing from the media. but i think they should provide both.

yaar, GX you are a senior member. at least don't post suggestions like these! ur intentions mebbe good, but its not less than promoting piracy. it mebbe perceived in the other way.