I was just wondering how many people here use Macs or Pcs or something else.
You should have added a Lynux, I think the first computer I’m going to buy will be lynux. For the moment I’m using Windows (it’s my families).
You should have added more options…
I choose other, because I have two Macs and a PC. And I am considering a small embedded Linux board for robotics.
Each platform has its strengths and weaknesses. All depends what you want to do with them.
also “Mac” is pretty ambiguous since macs can run OS X, Windows, and Linux
and thats what i love about macs, though they do have flaws… im currently deciding between a macbook or a dell xps.
I’d look at 1) which computer has the most native support for the software/hardware you would use, and 2) which computer has reasonably priced aftermarket add-ons and accessory components.
Personally, for a regular user type computer, I would much rather have a Mac than a PC. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can get much of the software I use in Mac versions, and Macs are quite out of what I could ever afford. I’d love to have one of the high end Mac laptops.
8-Dale
The macbook pros arent the best for moneys worth, if you want a good mac for a good price the best options are the macbook or the imac. The thing i love most about the macs are that you get them the first day, and years later they run the same (considering you take care of them.) Apple also gets the latest intel chips which are specificly designed for macs and makes them run amazingly well. The interface to leopard is also really good and is very well made.
Of course a Mac is a PC these days, it’s just running a different OS, and Apple charges a fortune for the same off-the-shelf components.
I like the Mac OS, but I hate the mouse and their silly interface conventions. So it’s windows and unix for me. (And yes, I know the Mac OS is based on Nextstep so it’s technically a unix variant).
There used to be a large difference between the Powerbooks and the iBooks. Nowadays, the only major difference seems if you want Intel video (Macbook) or Nvidia/ATI video (Mackbook Pro)
And yes, Macs, like Thinkpads, last forever. My 867MHz Powerbook that I bought in 2002 is still going strong (albeit, only running 10.3).
I hate the mouse too but your not retricted to it, and what do you mean by silly interface convention? Yeah the macbook pro is a pretty big waste of money but the macbook and imac are the most bang for the buck
I rather go for the PC. Hardware-wise, they are both very similar platforms. I’m not too big of a fan of the Windows platform, but it is the more supported platform in terms of application and gaming software.
You can get a PC and dual boot with a linux if you like. With hard drives being terra bytes now, there’s no reason not to if you use both operating environments (windows for games, linux for work, etc…)
I used to be a linux user myself, but I kinda got tired of not being able to enjoy 95% of the games out there (I’m also a gamer 
)
I just bought Mechwarrior 4 Compilation (Mechwarrior 4, Black Knight expansion, and Mercenaries). Can’t wait til it arrives. If you love walking bots, this game should be fun. I’ve been playing this since Mechwarrior 2 (the regular DOS and 3DFX edition).
It’s an old game, but I’m a biped bot fan… This game can only be played in a Windows environment so… yeah… 
tom_chang, You know theres Cedega which supports DirectX API all the way up to DirectX 9 games. So you can still play the same games on linux as you do on windows. They have and application like this made for Mac too.
Oh, I forgot what I was gonna say. I like Linux and Windows. Sinece I like both, I use VMware (A virtual machine program that runs Mac and Linux). I tried my Uncles Macbook. I found the UI to be very confusing. Of course, I’m not saying Windows wasn’t confusing when I first used it, But I don’t feel like getting used to another OS.
BTW, I’m a Mechwarrior fan too! Even though I don’t have the game. 
To play my games (crysis) i just dual boot windows vista or i use vmware also to do it. I think im probably going to put linux on my macbook along with windows.
Thanks for the tip wowy7, I checked it out. I guess this is by the same people behind wineX years ago? Quite impressive to get bf2142 and oblivion running. Wonder what the performance are compared to running it on Windows?
sighs
Lets boil it down people
A Mac is literally the every computer for your needs platform. If you want the loveliness that is the OSX interface, choose Mac! (Honestly, just try it for a while, its worth learning, I swear.) If you want Windows compatibility with games, your Mac comes with BootCamp. If you want Linux, the hardware supports that too!!
Lets face it, the Mac is a win for everyone! Sure, it may be a small price premium over a Dell, but it really is worth it. Apple hardware is worth the price!
I mean cmon! that macs even have the most beautiful packaging ive ever seen! (seriously they do!)
But in seriousness ive never had a prblem with a mac, they just run beautifully but then again thats just my opinion 8)
I remember working out that my computer was a lot cheaper than a similar powered mac. That a couple of years ago, admittedly…but from what I see it’s still the same.
Certainly the x86 onboard models wouldn’t have been possible with a mac!
PC wins out against mac for someone who is a massive power user and likes to wire interfaces directly onto the motherboard anyday, IMO, otherwise, I suppose it’s a matter of taste, although I would personally go for a PC everytime!
theChipmunk
Just finally weighing in on this, it may be worth the price of the dollar you earn, but in MNSHO it is not worth the price of the one I earn.
A lot of my family is in the academic community, one of the largest proponents of apple mostly because they give stuff to them for free, and I watch them flail between different levels of hardware, OS’s, and compatibility to the rest of the world. It’s a different world when you need to operate on a school’s budget and can’t all necessarily just jump to new hardware that runs OSX or bootcamp. you couldn’t pay me enough to manage IT for the school systems and they don’t pay the people who do nearly enough.
Anyway, just for some humor, we occasionally have customers who come in and shove MAC compatible requirements at us on a project. To a tee, everyone I can think of that has done that are staffed mostly by wide-eyed grad student types that walk into branches just above eye level and trip over anything less than knee high. 
The poll is flawed. There is no choice “I hate computers”