09-19-2010, 12:37 AM
Everything you can do on a Mac you can also do on a PC in one way or another.
Where the both differ a bit is the "how". It's simply two different systems.
My first contact with the Mac world was during a project where I got to use someone else's PowerMac G5 workstation. It was a pretty interesting experience so I decided to purchase a MacBook Pro. The first weeks were really painful because OSX forces you to let go of some old habits and get used to different workflows. In the end, most of it (not all) makes a lot of sense, though. It's still a thing to keep in mind: It takes time to get used to a different system.
What I like about OSX is the consistency of the UI and usability stuff like common keyboard shortcuts which work exactly the same in any application (as long as it's not made by Adobe <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> ). Things like color management or automated backups are very simple to set up and you almost never have to install drivers, especially not for printers unless it's someting exotic.
The system itself is also quite easy to manage and maintain: Basically you don't have to do anything. But if you dig deeper, you find a well-structured and transparent system: Human-readable config files instead of a registry, Applications that are self-contained bundles which can easily be moved/copied/deleted whatever way you want them (unless they're made by Adobe, of course) and most applications don't even have an installer, installation is just drag'n'drop. There's also very little chance for version conflicts, shared library (DLL) problems etc.
The hardware is more expensive and some of Apple's design choices are a bit questionable. There's also very little choice in terms of components and price (no real low-end models). On the plus side, the aluminium stuff is usually very well built and quite durable, although my impression is that the same can not be said for their plastic devices.
In the end, it all comes down to personal preference. Again: There's basically nothing you can do on a Mac that you can't do on a PC as well in one way or another (nothing except developing iPhone applications <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> ).
Just my €0,02...
Where the both differ a bit is the "how". It's simply two different systems.
My first contact with the Mac world was during a project where I got to use someone else's PowerMac G5 workstation. It was a pretty interesting experience so I decided to purchase a MacBook Pro. The first weeks were really painful because OSX forces you to let go of some old habits and get used to different workflows. In the end, most of it (not all) makes a lot of sense, though. It's still a thing to keep in mind: It takes time to get used to a different system.
What I like about OSX is the consistency of the UI and usability stuff like common keyboard shortcuts which work exactly the same in any application (as long as it's not made by Adobe <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> ). Things like color management or automated backups are very simple to set up and you almost never have to install drivers, especially not for printers unless it's someting exotic.The system itself is also quite easy to manage and maintain: Basically you don't have to do anything. But if you dig deeper, you find a well-structured and transparent system: Human-readable config files instead of a registry, Applications that are self-contained bundles which can easily be moved/copied/deleted whatever way you want them (unless they're made by Adobe, of course) and most applications don't even have an installer, installation is just drag'n'drop. There's also very little chance for version conflicts, shared library (DLL) problems etc.
The hardware is more expensive and some of Apple's design choices are a bit questionable. There's also very little choice in terms of components and price (no real low-end models). On the plus side, the aluminium stuff is usually very well built and quite durable, although my impression is that the same can not be said for their plastic devices.
In the end, it all comes down to personal preference. Again: There's basically nothing you can do on a Mac that you can't do on a PC as well in one way or another (nothing except developing iPhone applications <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> ).Just my €0,02...