So you want to buy a Mac Computer

If you want to buy a mac, ask a mac user. There is no such thing as an unbiased user. I use windows, mac and linux on a regular basis. Note how none of those names are capitalized, that's because I am the supposedly unbiased user. I am to treat those three equally.

However, I have a preferred OS. My go to operating system is Ubuntu, I use it the most and have most of my work setup on it. But the computer where I am typing this post on is a laptop running windows because, I had plenty of issues using linux on this machine. It works but the power management is flunky. Sometimes I see some light coming out of my closed screen at night.

I use a Mac because where else can I run Xcode? Even though I use all three I can't tell you the things that really frustrate me about each. As soon as I feel frustration in the horizon, I move to a different OS where I can work in peace. Let me give you examples.

If you want a product don't listen to those who hate it. There is not a valid argument for the choice of any OS. They are all freaking amazing.

I was working on a mac and had trouble setting up my website to work locally. I couldn't find my Apache's settings, and I would have if I spent 5 more minutes. Instead I fired up my linux machine and enabled file sharing to run my website from there and code from the mac. I know how to setup the website on linux, so I won't waste time trying to figure it out in mac.

If a mac user comes to me, I will have no problems recommending the mac. I don't mind using the command key instead of the control key. I am fine with the fact that there is no start menu. I'm OK with pressing command+O to open a file instead of pressing enter. But, I don't know where the hell the apache.conf is on MAMP. To an experience mac user that may be no problem at all, but to me it will be. So I won't recommend it to a user that wants to develop using MAMP. The same goes for WAMP.

I use Photoshop on windows, and it is convenient for me because that's my most powerful machine. At work, I had to run windows on a VM. So running Photoshop in a low memory environment was a pain. Of course the recommendation was to use GIMP instead on linux. But I was not familiar with it at the time. Something that I would do in 2 minutes in Photoshop takes me ages in GIMP. It doesn't mean that GIMP is bad, it's just that I had never considered to use linux for any sort of image processing.

I have used GIMP when I had no choice but when I am convenience(d) I jump back to windows and run photoshop. (Eventually I installed Wine and run photoshop in linux).

To make a choice go to a dedicated website. There you will hear the real deal. Read what frustrate mac users from mac loving users. The windows user hate it because it's different. That is all.

If I was to recommend windows to someone, I would be thinking about how linux makes my life easier. If I recommend linux, I would think about how easy it is to install (drag and drop) applications on the mac. If I was to recommend the mac, I would think of the billions of applications available in windows.

So if I have to recommend one, what would it be?

• If you want a windows machine, talk to a guy in glasses or a hardcore windows user.
• If you want a linux machine, talk to a bearded man or a hardcore linux user.
• If you want a mac, talk to a hipster or a hardcore mac user.

Either way, they will confirm your first choice. Just get a computer.

To make a constructive decisions go to the source.

---