| Author | Message | ||
     kevin Citizen Username: Eloso Post Number: 41 Registered: 12-2004 |
Dave, Thanks for clearing that up. If I'd only know that MACs burn dvds and only MAC software can automate the entire process. I feel so ashamed that I jumped to conclusions. To think that when someone asked a question about editing video and I answered on what is required (regardless of OS), all I get is green bikes are better than red bikes. Why are green bikes better? Is the process of riding your bike on a green bike different than riding a red bike? Rastro would have one believe that you don't need wheels on your bike. I find that hard to believe. In fact I have the gall to insist that in fact you do need wheels to bike. Just like I insisted that you need to have a burner to burn DVDs. Am I wrong? I also suggested that you have lots of hard drive space. Am I wrong? I also suggested that you would need some way of connecting your camera to your computer. Am I wrong? The crux of the issue is that I suggested that you have patience because editing video is very tedious and time consuming. The reply was that on green bikes it is all automatic - it just happens in thirty seconds. The bike knows where you want to go and takes you there in less time than a red bike. Quite amazing I said, but hard to believe. How could software know what parts of my video I wanted to include or not? So then you start up - "Green Bikes are better" "You haven't ever ridden a green bike" and you could be right, but you still need wheels and you still need to steer. Am I wrong? | ||
| Walker Citizen Username: Fester Post Number: 150 Registered: 4-2003  |
Rick B; You say that you want to buy a base system from dell and then add the cards, drive etc. Why not just build your own from scratch it will cost you about the same perhaps a little more depending on what you buy but give you a lot more flexibility with peripherals and upgrades down the road. If you are smart about it you can put together a PC that will remain viable for up to six years. | ||
| Rick B Citizen Username: Ruck1977 Post Number: 725 Registered: 8-2003  |
Walker, Agreed. I have done this in the past, however, I thought it may be more cost effective this time to start with a base system in terms of the motherboard and processor. Basically, the base system would include the chasis, motherboard, processor, some amount of RAM (but upgradeable), a hard drive, extra drive capacity, and a video card (rather than the onboard stuff). (Also, you can get a pretty decent flat panel monitor with these systems) I could probably save money by doing those seperately, but it would take more time to put together, and research the components, whcih I don't want to put too much time into. I will put the time in, but probably not on those aspects. Had I been childless, pup-less, and wife-less, I might have chosen this route once again...  | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 7057 Registered: 1-2003  |
And the warrantees you get when you build your system are not as useful as the one you get when you buy one. It's easier for the makers of the components to point fingers at each other. As for why I said an Apple is worth more, I can't answer quantitatively. It's a combination of impressions I have, which are subjective. - Reliability of OS - Quality of integration of software and hardware - Less diversity of hardware choices (making hardware more reliable) - less of a target for viruses and other malware (note that I didn't say less vulnerable) - OS understood in fine detail by unix experts all over the world, since OSX is UNIX. Many MS Windows details are trade secrets - Greater breadth of bundled software comes with the system As an anecdote, my wife bought a G3 Powerbook in 1998 or 1999 for $2000. That's a lot of money. Just now, six or seven years later, it is starting to lose its usefulness. That means she got a heck of a lot for her money. Windows desktops are useful for three or four years typically and laptops are useful for less time than that. | ||
| Dave Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 6496 Registered: 4-1997  |
Sorry to hear you consider it tedious, though I understand that using a PC to do anything is generally a drag. Since my saying so won't convince you, I suggest a visit to the Apple store for a free workshop. http://www.apple.com/retail/shorthills/week/20050522.html  | ||
| AlleyGater Citizen Username: Alleygater Post Number: 369 Registered: 10-2004 |
I could go ON and ON about the ways that Windows drives me crazy. I don't have the time or energy to think them all up. But here is just a few reasons: There is no way to create a fricking folder easily in the OS using your keyboard. Please don't bother explaining that you can press Alt+something+something else. I've read up extensively on how to easily do this in Windows and the best I came up with was to install a program that let's me configure Control+N. I'm appalled that I needed to do it though. How old is Windows and it still can't do that? I also don't believe that you can create a new window to do file navigating in the OS through a keystroke. I'm irritated that I have to double click the my computer icon or go to the Start menu every time I want to open a folder on my hard drive. Suppose you are in a window in the OS and you have 5 Word documents that you want to open at once. You select them all and double click them to open them. This opens ONE file. Should I have to jump back to the folder and double click each one? OK, I'm thinking up another solution. I jump to the folder again in the OS, and I select all 5 files, and I Right Click them, and choose the Open With command...that is bound to open them right? Nope, just one file again. OK, fine so I realize that the OS doesn't support this ABSOLUTELY essential and obvious need. Now I know I can jump to MS Word and I use the File/Open dialog box, and then navigate to the files in question, but that is a lot of extra steps if you consider I was just in the Folder with all of my files. Now what if the files aren't all MS Word files. What if your friend sent you lots of graphics and and text files that need to be opened in LOTS of different programs? How do you open all of them quickly in Windows? You'll be a double clicking fool. Jumping back and forth between the OS and Apps all day. I can tell you on the Mac, I'd just select them all in the window I had open and double-click them. Done. I am amazed at the LACK of finesse that Windows has. Things I take for granted, NORMAL things don't work or can't be done easily. I can tell you the story of the FTP saga. In this one I needed to copy the filenames of files I uploaded to a server. On every FTP application that exists on the Mac that I have EVER used (and I did a lot of searching on the Mac for the perfect FTP app) you can select files in the window and then choose Edit/Copy and it will copy the path+filename (or something at least related to the file) to the clipboard. I spent days (and had to ask lots of people) trying to find a fully featured FTP application on the PC that did this one straight-forward feature. I settled on WinSCP which is fully featured but I hate. This was complicated by the fact that there are THOUSANDS of piss poor FTP apps created by users at shareware.com. The PC community always brags about the plethora of software created for the PC. What they forget to mention is how MOST of it sucks beyond use. I would say this is an app specific issue if it wasn't so easy to find a Mac ftp app that did this. I guess copy things like file names is just ubiquitous on a mac. One of the Windows users tried to show me this wicky wacky work around using DOS to be able to do what I wanted to do. He actually told me that he did this every time he wanted to copy the file names of the something in the OS. I didn't want to download the files to my machine to do what he suggested, nor did I want to run DOS, nor did I want or feel like I should memorize arcane DOS commands to copy a few file names. I also don't want to edit sys.bin.ini (or whatever they are called) text files to configure how my machine loads up or to fix my machine when it breaks. Your welcome to tell me that this is really powerful or easy to do, except for the fact that my Aunt (who knows nothing of computers) would call me every time her PC was broken, and she couldn't do this when her machine broke down which it did all the time. Don't get me started about having to explain to her the difference between an exe and ini and the deinstallers or the remove a program features. Windows always confused her and was very hard for her to get her head around despite having used one every day of her life for way over 10 years. Then there is the issue of not being able to drag things to the dock (to open files for instance). Fine say I've been brainwashed by using a mac so long and that just isn't how PCs work, but you know what? That is my point. Things just work SO MUCH MORE ELEGANTLY on a Mac. The software engineers care about the little touches. They concern themselves with ease of use. They care about making their machine the best it can be. Can you SERIOUSLY say that about the Windows team or Windows in general? There was a time when you could say the the Mac OS was prettier than Windows but Windows could do everything that the Mac can and more. But now you can say that the Mac is prettier as well as how fully featured it is and how elegant it is to use. Mac OSX is a force to be reckoned with, to deny and state that we have already drinken the Apple Koolaid would be a bit short sighted on your part. I could go on and on and on. Please don't make me. just trust me that OSX is really solid and very well thought out. It is constantly getting better. I would highly recommend having a Mac user give you a tour so you can see it in person, just so you know what the competition is making. You don't have to switch, I don't care if you do. But the Mac bashing kinda shows to me that you aren't all that well in formed. | ||
| Brett Citizen Username: Bmalibashksa Post Number: 1701 Registered: 7-2003 |
Maybe I’m misunderstanding: There is no way to create a fricking folder easily in the OS using your keyboard – Right click -> New Folder But does this really matter? I create a new folder about once a week, I don’t need a 1 button macro to do this. This opens ONE file - Not on my machine, all five would open, I highlight and hit enter, word opens with the 5 files. I use WS_FTP Pro. I click the file and click send, it’s on the other machine, done I also don't want to edit sys.bin.ini – I use the control panel and have yet to have an issue. Then there is the issue of not being able to drag things to the dock – I click on a file drag it to the application and it opens, I don’t see the issue here. If it’s personal taste that’s great, I would guess that you’re used to a Mac. I’m used to a PC. I bet the first two months of using a Mac would drive me bonkers. I’m not bashing a Mac at all, not even sure that my software wouldn’t run on a Mac. But I have no desire to change. | ||
| Rick B Citizen Username: Ruck1977 Post Number: 728 Registered: 8-2003 |
"You don't have to switch, I don't care if you do. But the Mac bashing kinda shows to me that you aren't all that well in formed." I don't recall Mac bashing, and don't appreciate the condescending...I was just asking the question. I think you provided solid examples of what drives you crazy in Windows and how you think its better in a MAC. Exactly what I asked, and I appreciate THAT part of your response. Geesh... Most of what I have heard has been subjective and personal taste driven, so no, I am no where near convinced. I like the stability of UNIX, I like navigating through a unix server (without all the fancy xwindow desktops). I like writing and compiling code in UNIX, perhaps that is one area where I might like a MAC better? Any programmers have input to this? | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 7071 Registered: 1-2003 |
I think you answered your own question. Having UNIX is a big plus for UNIX lovers. You can do anything, and whatever you don't know is available somewhere. And everything interconnects using comprehensible interfaces, since software is layered. | ||
| Brett Citizen Username: Bmalibashksa Post Number: 1703 Registered: 7-2003 |
I picked up one of these Lindows machines to play with at home. I replaced the operation system with a few different versions of Linux until I finally settled on Red Hat. For $200 it’s a fine machine for playing around, using as a fire wall, and Internet stuff. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=3380786&cat=41937&type=19& dept=3944&path=0%3A3944%3A3951%3A41937%3A132982#long_descr | ||
| Dave Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 6504 Registered: 4-1997 |
Who wants you to buy a Mac? Intel's CEO.
Linky | ||
| Rick B Citizen Username: Ruck1977 Post Number: 731 Registered: 8-2003 |
That headline is a bit misleading. He didn't say to buy a MAC, he said 'maybe you should buy something else'.... | ||
| Stevef Citizen Username: Stevef Post Number: 19 Registered: 5-2005 |
Sure sounds like it though. Thanks for the link. I'm in the market for a new system and am going to check out the Apple store. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 7091 Registered: 1-2003 |
Today's column from David Pogue is very appropriate. Ground Rules for the Windows-Macintosh War login: fartina password: dogdoo | ||
| AlleyGater Citizen Username: Alleygater Post Number: 383 Registered: 10-2004 |
I already follow those rules. Fartina and dogdoo...now that is insanely great!!! | ||
| Dave Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 6507 Registered: 4-1997 |
(Tom was the first person ever to discuss poop on the Internet: on Nov. 20, 1990) | ||
| tom Citizen Username: Tom Post Number: 3214 Registered: 5-2001 |
If you like spyware, adware and viruses, Windows is for you. But whichever, FireWire is a must. You're going to be slinging huge files around, between your camera, your computer and your inevitable external storage devices. You'll grow old and grey waiting for gigabyte-sized files to transfer over USB. | ||
| Oliver Citizen Username: Oly Post Number: 5 Registered: 4-2005 |
USB 2.0 has been around for a while now and does 480 Mbit. It's back compatible with USB 1.0. Firewire does 400 Mbit and isn't. There's a very new Firewire800 standard, but as far as what folks are talking about here, the two are roughly comparable. I have both and use both, but firewire is far from a necessity on Windows these days. | ||
| Dave Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 6509 Registered: 4-1997 |
Firewire is noticeably faster in reality because of several factors including the overhead that it takes to operate. Plus nearly all quality multimedia equipment comes with Firewire interface standard, not USB. | ||
| kevin Citizen Username: Eloso Post Number: 42 Registered: 12-2004 |
Rick, Here is an article comparing Linux to Mac. http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1755305,00.asp. He, like AlleyGater, goes into details about the differences between the Linux/Windows UI and Macs. It is quite interesting. I also note that he complains about the lack of FTP software for a Mac. I guess we can all agree to be different. It also very funny that he decided to use X11 to run linux apps on his Mac. |
