I don't fit the "misconceived Mac User description"
This was an old thread, but with the recent announcement of Defiance moving to "free play" on PC's in June I thought it was appropriate to revisit.
Quote:
Mac's are for people who need a basic and simple OS, windows is for people who wan't anything and everything.
Uhhh - Wrong.
I've used both for decades (I started on a DEC PDP-11;first "PC" was a TI9-4; got one of the first IBM PC clones made, when Bill Gates used to visit the Orange County Computer Club).
I was a die-hard, "Macs are for wimps" PC/Windows-only guy for years until I was *given* a fairly new iMac by a neighbor to use while he was out of the country. And after a month I sold my Windows machine and never looked back.
Mac users have ...except for games...most of the same software as Windows users EXCEPT utilities and scores of virus protection systems. Why? Because Macs don't NEED the same kind of virus protection. In over 20 years, the total count of Mac viruses is about 50 (all prior to Mac OS X). There are thousands for Windows.
And in OS X the total virus count is ZERO. A few trojans, but extremely rare and primarily in the developer circles - or among those using Boot Camp (a POS) or one of the other Windows emulators (which, by the way, are extremely slow and unsuitable for Windows game use. Unless you like "Pong".)
So you Windows folks get to spend money on bloated, drive hogging software such as antivirus protection and scads of utilities to keep your systems in order (usually to no avail - the blue screen of death is a FAR more common Windows occurrence than in OS X, and when you're rebooting if a piece of commercial software locks up on you we simply "force close" the offender - and on Macs it's freeware and shareware, not commercial stuff, which in my experience (running networks and fixing problems) is far more problem-free on Macs (even Office, probably THE most troublesome piece of OS X software ever written, has less problems on a Mac that a Windows system (that's not opinion - it's fact).
Yes, you can buy a cheap Windows machine for less money than a Mac - but Macs have a more robust build (covered in computer publications), a FAR lower failure rate (again, the result of published, well-known studies), and have a longer life cycle (meaning that in he long run a Mac is actually CHEAPER over a 6 to 10-year ownership period).
A couple more goodies - Macs come stock with fully-functional Office-compatible Word Processing, spreadsheet and desktop publishing software PLUS photo processing software, a completely functional recording studio and several other things Windows users HAVE to buy to make the computer a useful tool - and once you add all ThOSE costs the Mac is even less expensive.
And the kicker - what software you DO buy for the Mac can normally be loaded on at least 4 or 5 machines, if not more. Windows software publishers HAVE started opening up a "2 copy" (one desktop, one laptop) licensing program, but not commonly "buy once for the whole family".
And, of course, when it comes to professional studio recording and graphics systems it's not even close. Yes, Protools in now available for Windows - but not all the plugins, which are essential. And Logic, the other common Professional studio software, is Mac-only. Sony Acid, the most popular professional Windows studio site, has a tiny market share.
The Mac market keeps growing with the compatibility & cross/platform functions between Desktop, laptop, tablet and cell phone systems, all of which run some version of the same thing when it comes to basic day-to-day software - including "cloud" updates of all of the above when a change is made on one (and invisible, low overhead backup as well).
I understand Windows use in the business environment - it's been the most prevalent system for decades, and changing platforms is a major undertaking. But with the ability to run Windows on Macs via several add-ons (Boot Camp being the worst of the lot)there's a paradigm shift in process, and Apple has been gaining market share steadily as accounting departments have analyzed immediate "ready for business/fully loaded" hardware/software costs AND long-term lifecycle costs.
Macs simply cost less to operate, are just as powerful, have zero virus problems, far fewer mechanical defects, and are far easier to run and maintain for the end user. And when training costs/operating costs/down time are factored in that's where you see companies shifting to Macs.
So it's going to make sense for game vendors to wake up and smell the coffee. The "PC Gamer" is losing his/her Windows PC for other reasons, and is either being forcibly or willingly shifted to a Mac.
I don't play "computer games" - I am an XBox 360 guy. But give me Defiance and other games I regularly play on a Mac and that's where I'll spend most of my time.
I do find it interesting how Windows users have shifted - they used to be in a position of power and "dismissed" Macs as "soccer mom" computers. Mac users had to defend themselves.
But the shift is huge - Mac users are (even with a smaller market share) in the driver's seat, and Windows users are seen as computer geeks who are constantly having to be on the defensive. I predict one of two more worldwide/mass virus outbreaks and there will be an exodus.
And no, I don't work for nor am I related to anyone who works for a computer or software manufacturer. I'm just a common user...albeit one who has worked on both network development and hardware troubleshooting/repair...who has, in the last 5 years, undergone a complete shift from Windows to Macs - simply by being loaned one and deciding to try it for at least a week. In 7 days of steady use I was done with Windows except for the stray program I needed to grab data from to shift it to Mac-ready.
Hopefully the game companies will start shifting soon - anything written for a Windows platform should be reasonably easy to port since Intel processors are a commonality. And nothing against Windows users - I just think they should be ready to shift or they'll find themselves swimming upstream...
