Macintosh or PC

[Pablo Rafael]

I am just interested in this little bit of trivia.
Which kind of computer do you use?
Does the LGBT community follow the same statistics as the population in general: 15% Macintosh, 85%PC ?
I know this forum is too small to be statistically significant, but hey, I'm bored at the moment and looking for something to do.

I'll start.
I always used Windows until I went online. Now I am totally a convert to Macintosh. I have never gotten a virus. All I ever have to do to add something new is to plug the device in or load up the software, and it goes. No figuring and messing. I hate messing with computers, so the less work, the better.

Tu Amigo, Pablo

[Zerbie]

Mac, because I'm technologically illiterate and Mac is what hubby swears by, so that's what we have. As in, he gets into heated discussions about Mac versus PC with people and I'm like, omigod who cares? :rolleyes:

[dsdrane]

Ooooooo, I would so go Mac.

First, I love their design...really love their design.

I've always been PC, largely because AutoCAD only worked with PCs forever and, possibly to a lesser extent, I'm an IBM kid from waaaaaaay back.

[Seriously, I have a letter from Thomas Watson, Jr., congratulating my parents on my birth in 1967.]

[Uff da, right?]

Anyhoo, I'm soooo itching for a reason to go Mac....

[Daniel]

And we had them from the get go.

The older, and first one, is the clam design. And while I like the newer one, I'm sorry they aren't utilizing the clam's ergonomic design. The clam feels really great under the hand with it's curved hand support. The newer one looks great, but doesn't feel as good. The hand support heats up, making one's palm a bit clammy at times. My machine is two years old- and they probably have this fixed by now. :rolleyes:

That said- I love them both. No viruses to speak of. Simple click and drag. Great for graphics and working with pictures. Designers- so I am told- love them.

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,

We have a Mac. My hubbie is an artist.

Steven Webster

[BrianB]

It used to be that the PC had more software applications available so I went with PC. I've worked with both Mac and PC. The Mac's are more intuitive and better graphically. Now that more software is written for the Mac they are great for business as well. The main reason I still have a PC is that my cousin built a PC for me at a deep discount. He basically just charged me for the cost of the components at wholesale. Maybe my next computer will be a Mac.

[BruceChris]

There is an almost unlimited amount of used hardware and software out there, and I'm still running Windows 98 on my "Heinz 57". The box says Dell on the outside, which at least makes it look nice..........

One of my computer buddies has gone straight from PC to Linux, but that takes a LOT more resources.

P&L, BC

[Jamie McDaniel]

When I replaced my three-year-old Dell laptop this July, I bought a 17" Macbook Pro and sold the Dell on eBay. I had never used a Mac before except for like 15 minutes in college, and twelve of those minutes were trying to figure out how to get it to give me back the 3 1/2" disk I had inserted into it. I really disliked Macs back then. From their lack of an eject button, to their strange operating system, to the one button mouse. Perhaps also a lingering ill temper over the Apple IIe - Commodore 64 wars from back in the day. I salute you dear Commodore!

So things have changed a lot, especially in the past two years. This year especially, many web developers were blogging about switching platforms. I was intrigued, so I read about it. I had always used Windows, from 3.1 to 95 to 98 to 98 Second Edition to Windows ME to Windows 2000 to XP. I knew it really well. And of course the other Microsoft product I used was Office. Like David, I used Autocad when I worked as an engineer. As a web developer, I now use lots of Adobe software. Well Adobe makes 95% of their stuff for the Mac and they even let you switch your software over (it's not the easiest process in the world, but they will do it for you once you call them and then fax a letter with all the serial numbers.)

One of the reasons I switched was the day I got Office 2007. Holy smokes did it make my Dell crawl. Like molasses trying to go uphill on a cold winter's night. I had upgraded to Windows XP the day it came out, but I had held off on Vista. The only reason I upgrade to Office 2007 was because Jeff Lutes had and reported that it was breaking our Soulforce email alerts. So I had to get it to fix them so they would render correctly.

Anyhow, another reason to get a Mac is Parallels (http://www.parallels.com). I'm can fire up Windows XP as a virtual operating system on my Mac when I need to run one of my programs that doesn't have a Mac version. Perfect for web developers because we can test what websites look like in all the browsers on both Windows and OS X.

So what have I learned in my 10 weeks on a Mac so far? Well, first, the idea of a computer that just works is a myth, despite what those great "I'm a Mac - And I'm a PC" commercials state (see the last half of this parody (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id_kGL3M5Cg).) My Mac has crashed a few times, two or three times even completely locking up and requiring a hard restart (pressing the power button.) But overall I think Macs do work better and are easier. I'm recommending them.

Like gaydar, I don't fully understand it, but there seems to exist a connection with gays and Macs. When I went into CompUSA the other day, there was a young man who was clearly family (or goes to our church as Daniel would say, and in this case he would be the senior minister) asking the sales guy about buying a Mac. One of those things that make you smile. :rainbow:

Now I didn't switch because I noticed a high percentage of gay people using Macs. I switched because a high percentage of web developers were starting to use Macs. But maybe the first pushed it over the hump.

If you're curious, I've attached the stats on visits to www.soulforce.org so far this year. The one visit for the Nintendo Wii is me.

[tdogg]

Die hard MAC user here, from the beginning - yes the old MACs with about 250 mg of hard drive memory, remember those??!! Now a newer eMAC that works great, doesn't get stuck like the older iMAC I had.

But, PC at work and my work laptop is a PC as well. So, although I'm not a fan of MS Office, it helps to have it on my home MAC, so I can work at home wtihout having to hook up my laptop to all my home wires. I can simply work on my MAC and transfer/email files to my work PC.

I find the MACs easier to use, rarely have hang-up time, applications simpler and quicker, and just prefer it overall. My dad was a long-time MAC user, so maybe I got him from him, more than that I"m gay :lol: But then, I'm fairly certain my dad is bisexual (nearly in the middle of the Kinsey scale!). :D That explains it! :love:

[BrentRichards]

Use PC, Windows, hate them both.

[Pablo Rafael]

One thing there can be no dispute on.
Macs are better looking - the only computers that are really pretty.
(That's why I bought one. :D)

[Jennifer5]

Man... I thought I had it pretty good with what I've got... but I think that a mac definately sounds like a good choice when it comes time to replace mine.

I have windows (a toshiba laptop) and went with this because we had one before (also a laptop)and it finally crapped out of us after like 8-9 years. Although, I'm not sure that they're as good now... still have had better luck with it then most people do with there new laptops... but I have a feeling that this won't be running in eight years. :rolleyes:

[NathanATX]

real homos use macs. :)