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Ask Slashdot: What Is the 'Special Appeal' of Apple Products?
Reader dryriver writes: As someone who comes from MS-DOS/Windows PCs background, I've never quite understood the appeal of Apple's products. I don't think Apple's products are terrible or anything, but I just fail to see what is so special and different about Apple's electronics that many Apple users would never dream of switching to a non-Apple product. Where does the 'special appeal' of Apple products reside? And why are Apple users so very loyal to Apple products, even though with Apple's pricing policy, you rarely get the best bang-for-the-buck in a product?
I don't have Mac computers anymore. I do have an iPad.
I was a huge fan of the Mac. I still have a "Fat Mac" in my garage.
When they came out, I was intrigued. I wanted to see it, try it. Almost immediately I started getting shit about the IBM PC being better and how the Mac was a toy, etc. So pretty much I just got one to say Fuck You to those people.
It's been better than PCs, it's been worse than PCs. At this point, I own a 10 year old PC just because I wanted to play some PC games back then. Now, it is used merely for porn, web, email.
Computers are no longer these things that you get because they are special, expandable, supports this or that.
Computers are toasters. You turn them on, do what you need, then turn it off.
The only people caught up in this whole Mac vs PC shit are the manufacturers and Fan Boys. Everyone else just wants to be able to watch the latest celebrity sex tape.
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
Basically under reach by apple vs. over reach by MS. I used to think MS's big failure was 3rd party drivers by folks who didn't know what they are doing then I spent a little time with surface and realized that even ms can't seem to write working drivers for modern windows.
Posting from a 'too thin single-port MacBook with its passively cooled CPU' here: absolutely do not agree. Back to the GP's comment - not everyone is trying to optimise for the same things.
I love the silence and portability of this machine. I look at the new MacBooks as being just too huge for me. On here I run Logic Pro X without any hassles (which is the heaviest my CPU-loading gets), my document-based stuff works well and so does my online stuff. I also drop into Terminal (well, Cathode actually, for a bit of fun) and work on the Unix side of things too. I run VMs without issue - what's not to like?
Except a good number of those are just not true. Especially "it just works", which is really "it usually works, but if it doesn't you're absolutely fucked. And by usually, we mean about 60% of the time". I've had far more problems with Apple software than MS.
I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
Exactly. These are the exact same reasons I love my Macbook. I've had it for 2 years and it works JUST like it did when I brought it home from Microcenter.
I've reinstalled Windows on my Acer laptop 3 times in that same time.
And yes, they have resale value. My mom sold her Macbook Pro a year after she bought it for over 70 % of what she gave new for it. That's NOT going to happen with a PC laptop.
Yes, there is hype, but it's backed up.
I'll list my reasons.
1) The all encompassing infrastructure/interoperability with our Macs(5), iPhones(3), iPads(5), Apple TVs(5), Apple TimeCapsules(5) and Apple Watches around the house for me and my wife. We are easily and effortlessly connected to everything. She still works and unfortunately has to use Windows at work.But that will too soon end.
2) Keychain and iCloud.
3) Low cost. This probably requires explanation. My main usage is Logic Pro X($199 for all machines, but equivalent s/w on PCs would require approx $1,000 per copy). Final Cut Pro X($300 for all five machines. Equivalent s/w for PC, I shudder to think, but would exceed $5,000 per year easily). I haven't really priced this stuff for over 4 years so I really don't know. Maybe someone can correct me. Final Cut Pro X and Logic Pro X costs nothing for upgrades, would be thousands for PC. Other s/w, like Mathematica or Tex or CGAL would be the same for other platforms, so I won't mention it.
4) Unix under the hood, which coming from BSD, SVR4, Solaris, Linux programming(Microsoft too but that doesn't apply here), and having been a(now retired for 4 years) programmer since 1971, is a plus.
5) Finally having had to use Windows in my daytime job, I no longer have to face Windows, nor subscribe to MSDN(I all frankness, I stopped subscribing to MSDN about 10 years ago)
6) Bliss
The answers (the honest ones anyway) are going to be kind of boring too.
You brought up a number of valid points.
I'd add:
1. I can run Windows in a VM if I want for that rare occasion I need to run a Windows program or want to check to see how a file looks in the Windows version of a program.
2. There's generally an Apple store near where I am, even traveling, so if I have a problem I can get it fixed quickly or if I need something like a power supply because I lost one I can get one right away.
As for longevity, I have an early Mac Mini running as a video server and it's been up 24x7 for a few years so far. In the end it comes down to what works best for the individual. I've used Macs for nearly 20 years and they have always met my needs. YMMV.
I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
I totally agree with this. I love to share my favorite customer service experience with Apple:
I had a G5 "cheese grater" Mac Pro tower - the one that came with water cooling for the CPU. I'd had it for about 5 years when one day it just would turn on. Took it to the Genius Bar. They told me it was not repairable, so they gave me a brand-new, $2,000, Xeon-based Mac Pro. 5 year old computer, no warranty. Believe me, I walked out of there a happy - and loyal - guy!
I like the UI too.
I also like the fact that there is something akin to old BSD Unix under the hood that I can get to by opening a command prompt.
I also like that it comes PACKED with productive software that you don't have to buy extra, their "Office" utilities (pages, keynote, numbers). They have a decent basic sound platform you can do a lot with (Garage Band)....
And for only a few dollars, you can get top of the line video software, FCPX (it comes with a free equivalent too that is less functional). The only choice for Windows is really Premier that you have to now *rent* from adobe.
So, those parts appeal to me.
Now, granted, I've not touched any windows newer than Win 7, and that's a work computer....Win10 may be better at this, but I find less hangs, less problems and reboots needed on OS X than on my Win 7 counterpart.
At my home office...I use computers with OS X and some Linux boxes to do the majority of my work, creative stuff, server needs, etc.
For my "day" job I contract with, they give me a Win7 computer and that's what I use for that, even though with it I"m ssh'ing into Linux servers 99.9999% of the day for most of my work.
I've only gotten a couple of macs over the years, but they do seem to last and last and last. I'm only now looking to need to upgrade my last one which was a MBP. I'm looking to see what the "pro" version of the iMac 5K will look like or maybe what the new Mac Pro looks like.
Even with that, I may....look hard into building my own PC, but putting linux on it and dedicate it as a Davinci Resolve machine. I need to soup up some hardware and see if I can move not only my video color correction to it, but also use it in a meaningful way to edit video all in one package.
Who knows...my basic philosophy is " the best tool for the job". I just find less and less that Windows is at the top of the lest of best tool for most jobs "I" do...
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........