[TriLUG] Macs ... I just don't get it

[Benjamin Reed]

Bill Vinson [billvinson at nc.rr.com] wrote:
> You are paying for an experience.  I personally will say that the iBook 
> is the best machine I have ever owned.  Mac OS X gets better and faster 
> and I can run most UN*X apps easily with fink.  However, if the above 
> ideas don't impress you then maybe the machines aren't right for you.  
> Apple delivered what I hoped Linux would (I still do hope for a great 
> desktop from GNOME, KDE, or something else).  Open Source GUIs are still 
> growing up and in many cases seem to be moving in the right direction, 
> but for now OS X has filled the niche for me...  If I can get the money 
> I want to buy a dual GHz system for video editing and graphics work, but 
> that is in the future :)

Yup, I'll second this.  I didn't go into it looking for the fastest
machine available -- I was (originally) just looking for an interesting
platform to run linux on, and a laptop that's convenient to carry around.

I really did originally get my iBook to run Linux on.  In fact, I used to
hate Macs (or, more specifically MacOS), MacOS X was the first version I
could stand because of it's UNIX base.  I had expected to just tinker with
MacOS X for fun but do my real work in linux, but within a month of getting
it I'd dumped my linux partition to make more room for OSX.  =)

Another issue to take note of on the speed issue is that Apple is just now
starting to get the optimization they can really get out of the hardware.
I'm in the Apple developer program, so I get prerelease versions of their
software, including the OS.  The next MacOS X release is *noticeably* faster
on the same hardware.  Between new code with optimization, and building the
OS with gcc 3.1, they've (subjective, of course) gained at least 10% speed,
and the OS just seems snappier.  Considering it was a beta release with a
ton of debug code still in it, I'm expecting good things...

If you're not willing to pay a premium for intangibles like "user experience"
it may not be worth it for you.  For me, things like the *really nice*
engineering of Mac hardware, the crisp screen, wireless built in with the
antennae integrated into the body of the computer, and a clean, fun OS that
does what you expect it to are worth the premium.  If price/power ratio is
all that matters to you, Macs are not for you.

God, I'm talking like a convert... it's scary.  =)

-- 
Benjamin Reed a.k.a. Ranger Rick (ranger at befunk.com) http://ranger.befunk.com/
WWJD?  JWRTFM!