Windows v Mac

[Nick Parkin]

I'm due to buy my daughter a computer for her birthday. Just wondered what are the current views on what to get? She is a student & will use it for Word Processing, playing music, watching DVDs, doing research on the internet, e-Mail, & uploading photos off her camera. She has no interest in computers & knows very little. I know Windows XP quite well, but nothing about Apple - yet they seem easy from what I have heard. What do you reckon?

[RayB (France)]

I'm due to buy my daughter a computer for her birthday. Just wondered what are the current views on what to get? She is a student & will use it for Word Processing, playing music, watching DVDs, doing research on the internet, e-Mail, & uploading photos off her camera. She has no interest in computers & knows very little. I know Windows XP quite well, but nothing about Apple - yet they seem easy from what I have heard. What do you reckon?

Hi Nick - I have had Macs since 1986 and currently have a G3 Laptop for traveling and we each have G4 desktops. The newest model is a G5. No-one will dispute the fact that for any type of graphics, nothing compares to Mac. Without doubt, Mac is the most user-friendly and self-learning computer on the market. We use MSOffice for word docs and spreadsheets and prefer FileMaker Pro for a database. Both Windows and Mac docs made with either are readable/writable.

My wife was an IT Project Mgmt Consultant and I was a Business Management Consultant and we have a great deal of experience with both Windows and Mac. Mac wins. Mac is simplicity.

[Peter Creasey]

>> She is a student & will use it for Word Processing, playing music, watching DVDs, doing research on the internet, e-Mail, & uploading photos off her camera. <<

Nick, PC all the way. Much more versatile and less constraining in different environments. Plus, most campuses I am aware of are oriented toward PCs and not Macs.

I frequently send data to people as I do business. Almost everytime someone has trouble opening or reading the data, it is people who are struggling with Macs.

[fhaber]

Self-defense answer: Which of the two platforms do her dormitory mates and/or boyfriend use? Are they techinical? Pray that they are.

Religious answer: There is religion at play here. Advocates for either platform are sometimes evangelists, partly disguised.

Safe answer: Windows, the majority platform, for better or worse.

Is there anyone I haven't irritated? Speak up, now.

[heinz57g]

nick, how about asking her? on such 'difficult' a present this should not be too uncommon. and then you will see how strong the friends/campus/dormitory factor counts. and that it overrules most other considerations. unfortunately ... so fhaber is correct on all three points -->> :D

greetings - heinz -

[Dan in Saint Louis]

Is there anyone I haven't irritated? Speak up, now.Me! Correct on all three points.

[Jeff]

Listen to Frank, Nick. For the purpose go with the lowest common denominator; PC and XP (Pro with SP 2 installed). Macs are very good at what they're good at, but they're pretty graphics specialized.

- Jeff

[Judy G. Russell]

I know Windows XP quite well, but nothing about Apple...If she's going to be calling you for tech support, then that comment is the deciding one.

[RayB (France)]

**Is there anyone I haven't irritated? Speak up, now.**

Not me . . . . . . a question was asked and I gave my opinion.

[Nick Parkin]

She doesn't really have much of a view beyond the colour :D

She doesn't seem to have tech support, she seems to avoid nerds (shame they make good son-in-laws). She is going to be living in a house with 4 equally non-tech friends, & they are going to have a wireless network for the internet in the house. One of the arguments for Apple is that I can avoid being tech support x5 :eek: (I also live a long way away)

Apple seems to be the choice for those who don't want to have to find out how the computer works, however it looks to me to be 3x the price for equivalent hardware. Of course the apple argument would be that it doesn't need the same hardware as it's s/w is efficient & it doesn't need the AV overhead.

I just wish I could find some authorative independent reviews

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

nick, how about asking her? on such 'difficult' a present this should not be too uncommon. and then you will see how strong the friends/campus/dormitory factor counts. and that it overrules most other considerations. unfortunately ... so fhaber is correct on all three points -->> :D

greetings - heinz -

[fhaber]

Macs are about 1.3-1.8x as expensive these days, excepting the prestige lines (PowerBook, dual-processor G5s).

In a wide-open wireless environment, among a population of the technically naïve, a Mac will be far less trouble on the spyware front. If you choose Windows, she really should shine up to the school's tech support department. They usually have recommended antispyware and antivirus suites. She should place keeping these up to date at least as high as clean underwear and dry socks. (What am I saying? (Remembering self as a student).... redact that part.)

In the States, all schools have good deals on "required" software (Microsoft Office, graphics software, math stuff, etc.) Don't buy any software until you check.

[RayB (France)]

She doesn't really have much of a view beyond the colour :D

She doesn't seem to have tech support, she seems to avoid nerds (shame they make good son-in-laws). She is going to be living in a house with 4 equally non-tech friends, & they are going to have a wireless network for the internet in the house. One of the arguments for Apple is that I can avoid being tech support x5 :eek: (I also live a long way away)

Apple seems to be the choice for those who don't want to have to find out how the computer works, however it looks to me to be 3x the price for equivalent hardware. Of course the apple argument would be that it doesn't need the same hardware as it's s/w is efficient & it doesn't need the AV overhead.

I just wish I could find some authorative independent reviews

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

Mac has student discounts available, Nick. Check that out.

[Judy G. Russell]

In the States, all schools have good deals on "required" software (Microsoft Office, graphics software, math stuff, etc.) Don't buy any software until you check.And lotsa places sell to faculty, students and staff even if not directly through the school (says the very happy adjunct from Rutgers who has nice toys like Adobe Photoshop CS at a fraction of the cost -- there is no way I could do the Rutgers class stuff I do without the software I'm eligible for at academic prices).

[Lindsey]

She should place keeping these up to date at least as high as clean underwear and dry socks. (What am I saying? (Remembering self as a student).... redact that part.)
Believe me, there is a great deal of difference between male and female students on that question. Girls put a very high premium on clean underwear!!

--Lindsey