The more I use Macs, the more I wonder why they’ve got such a reputation for being stable. It’s getting to the point where I hear people espouse the wonders of Mac OS and wonder if they’ve ever actually used one. Same goes for people who claim Windows crashes all the time.
I own and use a PC regularly. It’s a Dell laptop and it runs Windows Vista. What’s more, it runs Windows Vista without crashing. Amazing, isn’t it? Excuse the sarcasm, but I’ve been told a number of times that I’m a fool for using both a Dell and Windows, but I’ve never had any more problems than I had on any other brand of computer or version of Windows. Heh, I’ve actually had more problems using Macs. Anyone who says Macs don’t crash has never seen me use one. And no, it’s not because I’m an incompetent computer user who clearly doesn’t know how to use a Mac. Indeed, I get hung up on the command key (what, exactly, was wrong with the control key?) and I hate how closing a window doesn’t quit the program running it, but I know what I’m doing.
Why do I bring this up? Well, mainly due to the insane stability problems I’ve been having with the Mac I’m using right now. It’s not mine; my roommate borrowed it from the University. I’m only using it because it’s lighter and longer-lived than my Dell. Besides, the more experience I have using Macs, the better able I am to criticize them and their users (I’m actually an equal opportunity critic: I hate fan-boys of anything).
Anyways, back to my stability problems. The web browsers on this Mac (three of them) have crashed no less than a grand total of 10 times during my hour-long session. That’s absurd, especially on a Mac. The last time the web browser on my Dell crashed was sometime last week, when I made the mistake of visiting a JavaScript-heavy MySpace profile page. I can’t blame the web browsers on this Mac, since they all crash at different times and places, and they’re all supposed to be ultra-stable. Of course, if I pinned the blame on Mac OS without any proof, I’d get swamped by Mac-lovers and bitched out. I can see it now: “Mac OS isn’t unstable, you’re unstable!” “Maybe it doesn’t like you because you use Windows!” “You suck because you don’t have an apple tattooed on your chest!” und so weiter.
It should be said that I don’t hate Macs. I find them useful, and they are well-designed. But seriously, Mac OS has the same problems any other operating system does. I absolutely hate it when people say Mac OS is easier to use, more secure, more stable, and overall better than Windows. First off, none of those are always true. Did you know that the administrator password on any Mac OS X computer can be reset simply by loading up a Mac OS X install disk and changing the password? That’s not exactly what you’d call secure. Second, the performance of a computer depends entirely on its user. If you load Windows up with crap and it crashes, you’re at fault. If you don’t defragment and it runs slow, it’s your fault. A power user who knows all the ins and outs of Windows will be able to make it perfectly stable and secure. The same goes for Mac OS, or any operating system for that matter. If you know what you’re doing, you’re going to have a much better experience.
Perhaps that’s my problem on this Mac, but then again, how much background knowledge in Mac OS does one need to simply view a page in a web browser? Stop pestering me with how great your Macs are, fan-boys. My Dell can run games….without having to pay $50 to install a special program. Owned.
Sphere: Related Content
I currently have a Dell desktop at home running Windows XP, and after 2 years it has NEVER crashed. Before that I had a Apple Powerbook and had to send it to Apple 4 times for motherboard issues. They finally gave me a brand new one that I sold on eBay the next day.
XP is a very stable operating system. After six years, it kind of has to be. I dual-boot my laptop with Vista and XP. Both are really stable (Vista a little less than XP), but XP gives me better performance for games. By comparison, nearly all the Macs I’ve used have given me lots of grief. I think they may be allergic to me.
I think the idea that Windows is less stable comes from the fact that the majority of computer users a) use Windows, and b) don’t know what they’re doing. That makes it seem like Windows is crap because so many people misuse it and leave it wide open to malicious attacks.
Mac vs windows
The reason people say macs suck is because a lot of people like compatibility at a cheap price and mac is not cheap this is because there are not as many people working with mac as their are with windows.
Mac has not crashed on me ever and i use a mac at least 6 hours a week it depends on what you use it for theres just one issue with mac and that is the compatibility not everything is compatible with it.
Windows has a lot of major issues with it but this is because i have used it for such a long time i and i begin to notice its flaws, i have had windows crash on me 6 times every time it has crashed i had to reinstall windows xp then i had to install all the drivers every time it becomes a huge pain.