Ok, so forget my intial plan for this shit. I am going to post everything and anything I want that pisses me off – MAINLY related to design and computers and such.
First off, yes, there are hundreds upon hundreds of posts regarding Mac vs. PC. But I often get this question, as I am both a graphic designer and web developer. “Are you a mac or PC person?” And the answer is…
Neither.
Nope, neither. I’m tired of people assuming you have to be on one side of the fence. For me, it is advantageous to be able to perform well on BOTH platforms, not just program for one. There is an understanding you gain from the immersion of yourself with these OS’s. You can understand better how a user reacts in her environment, which then leads to better HCI handling. WHAT A CONCEPT.
No, I do not just program on a Mac and test it in IE. I don’t think that is enough, even just for web. If you don’t know how the normal user interacts with Windows and then IE, then you become a less-credible developer.
Pros of a Mac: I like doing graphic-heavy things on my Mac. I use my macbook pro for Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. I prefer Macs for this because I like the colors on the screen which are rendered more beautifully than any LCD monitor I’ve ever owned (and are LCDs even up to displaying the same color standards as CRTs once were?).
Cons of a Mac: I do not know where the fuck anything goes. I feel in less control of organizing and it makes me not want to use it. I don’t get to chose where my programs are installed. I cannot micro-organize and clean up the mac as I would like. And goddammit, the fucking right-click. That Chinese dude (who is in my kungfu family, btw) who invented right-click for a reason. I should not have to buy a new Logitech mouse to acquire something that the OS INCLUDES. I should also not have to hit TWO buttons to “Right-click”. The absurdity of it irks me greatly.
Also, I don’t like that no one knows their Mac needs maintenance, just like a PC does. It can acquire worms and trojans – people just don’t usually make them to target macs, because bank software and privvy information is most likely found on a PC.
Also, I HATE HATE HATE their proprietary hardware. I can’t just build a machine and install Mac OS…no, I have to purchase their overpriced whole fucking computer. Need to upgrade? *Throws out the old computer* You need a new laptop! I love how everyone claims that Microsoft is a monopoly, yet it’s just software, people. You have the choice on what kind of computer to buy, and whether or not you want to install Windows or Linux. YOU HAVE A CHOICE. And if you believe everything those Mac commercials tell you, I will personally beat your head.
Pros on PC: I have always used PC for developing and for fun. I am a gamer and I used to be constantly upgrading my system for the best gameplay. This platform is what games are made for, with this technology. And as I am OCD in some regards, I am able to understand exactly what is going on with my computer. When it doesn’t work, I generally can fix it. Plus, I love that I can have multiple hard drives in my box, one with a faster RPM that I load all my programs on, and the larger one with a slower RPM with all the media files. It just makes sense!
Cons: Mainly colors and aesthetics. Yeah, it doesn’t look as pretty as Mac (although I am looking forward to Windows 7!), I realize that. Plus, if you don’t know much about computers, you can’t just go to an Apple Store if you have problems. Plus, viruses suck dealing with. And if you forget to defrag for a month, it takes forever.
Conclusion: Until these two are combined to create The Perfect One Machine, I will be using both. I like both, I hate both, and both groups who are specifically for one or the other can go to Linux hell.
