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Recycled Computing

The Mac vs. PC Debate

- 2008.03.06

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I hesitate to venture into this morass that is the quagmire of this bone of contention between what would normally be two groups of placid computer users.

This controversy between Macs and PCs started when the personal computer industry was young. Early on, most businesses (used to IBM) "standardized" on the Microsoft operating system. Eccentrics and nonconformists seemed to gravitate to Apple.

Apple has been a big player in the educational market, although lately, this has begun to change. What has also changed is the surge in Apple laptop sales. All of a sudden, due in no small part to the success of the iPod, an Apple laptop is seen as the laptop to own.

It's for hard us Mac cult people to imagine. We've hung on to Apple despite the bad old days. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around it, but in the future, Apple may be a giant player in the computer industry (in terms of market share).

Still, the Mac vs. PC controversy rages.

It even invades the tranquil halls of academia. I'm going to recreate a little issue that occurs in my Writing Center room (which has about 14 Dells running Windows 2000 and 9 Macs running OS X 10.3.9 to 10.4.11)

PC: I'm a PC.

Mac: ...and I'm a Mac.

PC, some students are having trouble using PCs in the Writing Center. When they save a file on a PC, that file doesn't appear in their documents folder.

PC: The explanation is simple, Mac. When students log in to a PC, there are two documents folders. When they save a file, it goes to the document folder for that computer and does not save on the student's document folder on the network.

Mac: How do they solve this problem, PC?

PC: There's no real problem. Who would want to use a Mac?

Mac: PC, this is not an Apple television commercial.

PC: Okay, okay. When using the PCs in the Writing Center, click File, and then click Save As. A window will pop open with "Documents" in a drop down box. Click on this, and a series of files will appear. Click on the student's login name (such as goodbo), and the student's folders will appear. Click on "Documents" and save. The student's file will now be in their documents folder no matter what computer they log into in the building.

Mac: Isn't this easier on a Mac?

PC: I thought you said this wasn't an Apple commercial.

C'mon, even you PC users got a chuckle out of that.

Chevy vs. Ford

I want us all to gain a little perspective, so I want to talk about an argument that has been going on since the invention of the automobile. It lives in a large number of high schools across this country, especially in rural areas. Chevy pickup trucks versus Ford pickup trucks.

I happen to work in a rural state, although the mall sprawl and Walmart invasion is creeping towards us. The Chevy vs. Ford arguments are much the same as when I went to high school (during the Stone Age, according to the students). The only time there is any unity is when the subject turns towards Dodge pickup trucks, which are viewed as "junk" (or worse) by both Chevy and Ford fanatics. After a while, you feel like saying - "Dudes (and dudettes), they are both pickup trucks, and they both do pickup truck things."

This is true in the computer world as well. Both PCs and Macs do computer things. Both subspecies have strengths and weaknesses. A friend of mine from college (she majored in biology) told me that the scientific community preferred the processing power of PCs and that those "artistic" types (I believe that she was referring to me) like Macs. No wonder that relationship didn't work out. Anyway, I think everyone has heard enough of the pros and cons of both machines and both operating systems.

I use Macs because I am familiar with the quirks and foibles of the system. It is a "language" that I speak. I started out with MS-DOS, but I have been an Apple user ever since. I have used PCs, and one of the computers on my home network is a Dell XPS (of course, I also have an iMac 450 DV, my Pismo, my daughter's G4 iBook, the MacBook my wife uses at work, and a couple of PSPs). I just prefer using my Pismo (I'm writing this article on it). Other people like other computers and other operating systems and software.

It would be pretty boring if the only flavor of ice cream was vanilla.

Peace, my brothers and sisters. The dogma can get run over by the karma. LEM

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