Apple has been giving some love to the Mac again, so I thought I would too. It isn’t hard to name a lot of reasons why I have loved Macs for a long time. But since I get asked occasionally for specific reasons, here is a good top-ten list.
1. Clean Consistent Intuitive Interfaces
I like to learn by doing. Mac OS X and Apple’s applications let you do that. You can “click on the pretty buttons” to figure things out very quickly. By extension, most third-party developers have followed suit and their programs work the same way.
One of the main reasons switchers have trouble with mac software is that they are looking for a complex answer when there is a simple one: drag and drop, click once, or a logical menu choice.
2. Great Software Comes With It
Macs come with so much great software. Every new Mac comes with things like TextEdit, iCal, Address Book, iTunes, Safari, Preview, and so on. Maybe this is because I remember a time when computers came “empty” with no software on them at all. And then there was a time when such software to too simple: SimpleText/NotePad versus TextEdit.
But then you also get iLife with every new Mac. iMovie and GarageBand, for free? What a deal.
3. There Is So Much Other Great Software
There is a thriving Mac development community that continues to produce cutting-edge cool software. Just browse the software directory at Apple’s site or search. There is something for almost every need. And in many sectors, like productivity, there are so many competing programs that it is hard to figure out which one is the best.
4. Great Looking Hardware
I’d like to think that I am all about function over form. But when I look at the new iMacs or the MacBook Pros I know I like what I see. And why not? There is a reason people buy good-looking cars when an ugly box will do.
5. Genius Bar Support
It is also weird to list this, since I have never, not once, had to use the Genius Bar. But I sure am glad it is there. I would hate to think that if something broke on one of my Macs that I’d have to call someone or send my Mac into a “warranty center” of some sort. Knowing that if something goes wrong all I need to do is make an appointment and stop by my local Apple Store is a big deal to me.
6. Macs Work Together Nicely
I’ve got a desktop and a laptop Mac, and I’ve come to take it for granted how well they work together. The other one’s drive is always there in the Finder sidebar. Even when traveling, Back To My Mac keeps my desktop available like it was in the same room. And with Screen Sharing I can feel even more like the two machines are one.
7. Linux Under the Hood
Since I develop web sites, I’m always working with Linux boxes and Apache, not to mention PHP and MySQL. With my Mac I’ve always got a local server to use for rapid development and testing.
8. They Don’t Have Viruses
Like any tech expert, I’m often asked to help someone out when a problem arrises. And often that problem is a virus-filled Windows machine. I’ve dealt with enough of them to know how lucky I am not to have to deal with it on my computers. Whether this is because Macs are less of a target, or whether Mac OS X is just better at security, it doesn’t matter. The bottom line is I don’t have to deal with it. I can work and play instead.
9. Long Life
I’ve had dozens of Macs since the mid-eighties. Rarely have I ever used one and then retired it. Usually, all my Macs go through a second or third life doing something interesting: servers, media servers, test machines, complex web cams, guest computers, family computers, and so on. Only when the new Macs are so far ahead of my old ones in terms of speed and capabilities, do I retire them.
10. Great Community
And finally, I love the community of Mac users. You can find some here, at MacMost. Also at Apple’s site and other sites. Heck, walk up to someone in a coffee shop who is using a Mac and ask them a question about Macs. You will almost certainly get a friendly answer.
So what would you add to this list? Why do you love Macs? Leave your comments below.
The general feeling of using the iMac is very nice, but then that's all down to the enclosure the whole system is in.
I'd still say that there are more powerful and better applications on the Windows PC side, but there are some nice applications on the Mac as well, but for a "Complete Experience" the iMac just wins me over every time.
My business is PC's, as a self-employed person without PC's I'd not have a living. People really need to take that on board when they start down the Mac vs PC side of things.... they both have places, but only one of them allows people like me to earn a living!
It's the command-key's placement on the keyboard!
It is easy, convenient, and efficient to use command-key equivalents instead of pull-down menus on Macintoshes. Have you ever tried using a control-key equivalent on a PC? Try control-C to copy something on a PC: you have to contort your hand so bad that you'd rather use the pull-down menus. Thus, you're slower. Much slower.
There is simply no comparison on the little things that otherwise go unnoticed and we Mac users take for granted.
Never had any issues with the placement, but the biggest pain is the " and @ keys! At least on the PC these are in standard locations that I am used to, and everyone else in the UK who does not use a MAC!
I haven't had any problems with the control key placement on Macs nor on Windows machines. I wish the Mac had a PrintScreen key though. I also wish that Macs allowed me to select between copy, move, & merge by selecting the right mouse key (Windows gives a choice between copy & move, but messes up with merge - if we only get a single option here, Apple's option is better). I wish Macs would let me click on a new window and paste in one action the way Windows does, instead of making me get focus first then paste.
I'm used to having different keyboards have keys in different places. But the location of the @ & " keys are the same on my work Windows machine as in my Mac. So the problem here is that companies making Windows machines offer more keyboard choices than Apple does. Do third party keyboard makers offer UK placements for their Apple keyboards?
I don't know what the advantage is in buying software that I'm not going to use. I don't use all of the software with the Microsoft Office I have at work, and I don't use all of the software in iLife. But I paid for iLife nevertheless. If it's bloat when Microsoft does it, it's bloat when Apple does it.
"If it’s bloat when Microsoft does it, it’s bloat when Apple does it."
The only difference is Microsoft Bloat cant be removed easily. Try removing Windows Vista Mail or Windows Calendar... or Internet Explorer something that a non tech savvy person can't remove easily, on the mac? Just move it to the trash and done... that is why it is not bloat
I kept my Windows 98 machine for 12 years waiting for Microsoft to develop a SAFE AND USER FRIENDLY OS. I thought that by 05 they would have figured it out so I bought an upper end Vista laptop. It was a disaster. Almost everyday there were problems with it. It was slow. It had to be updated almost everyday. It was in the shop twice. Anti-virus programs messed it up and they didn't stop all the viruses. I was angry and frustrated all the time and my blood pressure soared. Out of self-preservation I bought an iMac. It is one of the few consumer products I have ever bought that wasn't a disappointment. In 2+ years I've never had ONE problem. I can compute relaxed without wondering what is going to go wrong in the next 5 minutes, or worrying about who's spying on me.
In all honesty to get a machine into the state you've described here is more of a reflection on you not the machine. Every one of those issues is down to user error apart from it being slow... What do you expect, it's ancient. If you think your in the clear from scammers on your Mac then you're truly naive.
I agree with you 100%. Well done!
I've been using Apple products for a ling time and they are reliable. Never had to reinstall system software, never lost any data, and they have always worked very well. The only problem with hardware was with the Apple Display monitor that died out slowly after 6 years of use. Apple gave me $50 off my next purchase and I used it to buy an iMac that is now almost 6 years old and works very well still.
I remember when there was no Macintosh. When Apple first developed the GUI, Microsoft began their history of "crying" about it, but soon had to jump on the bandwagon.
Apple was the company that popularized the GUI and they have mastered it well. Microsoft has been trying to catch up ever since!
I use both OSes, but prefer the Mac over all!
Apple didn't develop the GUI, it was actually Xerox who first developed a GUI. Xerox allowed Apple to come in and look at what they were developing, and then Apple created a GUI for their computers.
What about apps that are plain and simple missing on other platforms... Next time someone says windows has more software tell them to find alternatives to apps like Devonthink, Devonagent... I haven't found one in years... tell them to find Bento I know you have Access but you know Bento is Bento... I hate when I have to find new apps for windows coz there aren't any great websites to discover new apps... on the mac side you have macworld gems, mac appstorm, many more and now the app store itself... so if someone says Windows has more apps I just say "Yeah right..."
Sage Accounts - Say that to a business..... PC wins, Mac fails. Pity really as many would buy the mac if they could have Sage on it without an emulator etc.
The particular software you mention might not be available but I am sure that is not the only Accounting software out there. Just as an example you can find Quick Books, this is just an example there are more that might suit your needs. Again I have seen many mac only businesses. The only hurdle here is small businesses have limited capital and limited borrowing ability therefore a business may not buy macs... But claiming that a mac fails is a bold statement.
I am qualified to comment on this, because I work with PC at work, but I use a MAC at home. The PCs are paid for by my employer, but I choose to spend my own money on a MAC.
The MAC works for me, because it work the on day 1, as well as on day 99999. It also does all the "fun" stuff (movies, music & photos) better than a PC. Beside looking really stylish on my desk. PCs on the other hand slowly grind to halt, until they are refreshed, with a re-build.
Apple supplies both the hardware and the software, so everything just works. PCs on the other hand, built up from motherboards & cards from a multitude of different manufactures. Software is installed from a multitude more of developers, so the end result may be prone to bugs & glitches.
At least Apple hardware is consistent, now that software is being developed by non Apple developers.
Beside, if I want a windows machine I still launch "Bootcamp" on my MAC.
My dentist recently told me he'd switched to Mac after 8 years of frustration with his PC. He has no intention of going back.
It was fun listening to him extoll the many virtues of the Mac, many of which you've mentioned here. It was like an awakening for him, and for me it was a reminder of why I love the Mac platform so much.
Correction for #7. BSD Unix, not Linux. =)
I stopped by here after googling "Why do people love Macs?" I'm a product engineer and there have been apps to do engineering design on Win forever. There are some starting to be ported to Macs, but I thought "there must be compelling reasons why people want software to run on Macs. I wonder what they are?" I didn't find an answer here. "There're more apps supplied with Macs". Not the ones I want. "Security". I've got security software, never had an infestation. "No bloatware". Win might be big, it still runs well. I don't need a new OS if XP is still working. "It looks nicer". I'll give you that. "Everything just works" That's been my experience with Windows, too. No-one here can give a solid reason why they're specifically "frustrated" by Windows, that Mac stomps. Anyone have some of those? One of those?
What you want is something on paper. You will never find that. OSX is smaller, requires less resources, is stable, is more attractive, simpler to use, etc. There is nothing truly quantifiable and if it is it's not really important. I converted from windows to OSX about 6 months ago and I will never go back. I am a geek but not an IT guy more a power user I just like the simplicity of OSX. I have 3 other virtual PC's windows 7 Ultimate X64, the other is a linux box (linux mint X64), and free BSD. they all serve there place in my life I use each for there own reasons but my main desktop is OSX. Anyway what I am getting at is there is nothing about OSX or Apple that you can put your finger on and say "there that is better" it just is and you know it after using it for a couple of months. I'll make a watch comparison nothing to the end user makes and Patek, Breitling, or Rolex better heck there watched that tell time the same as Seiko but they are better, you just can't put a finger on it.
#7: Hold the phone here... mac osx does not use linux. It uses a proprietary unix-like kernel. They share some similarities, sure enough, but they are most definitely not the same thing.
#8: False, mac osx viruses have been encountered in the wild, and the rate is increasing as the user base increases. It is also the easiest to hack out of windows, osx, and common gnu/linux distros (based on time needed in competitions).
As for #1,2,3,10 you can get the same thing with a good gnu/linux distro.
If you want to be specific about it, not it isn't exactly Linux under the hood. If Unix-like isn't enough for you, then that's fine. You are entitled to your opinion.
As for viruses. I'm sick of comments like this. There are no active viruses. If there are, then name them (viruses that don't' actually work don't count, and trojans or other minor forms of malware don't count).
I just came across this article today, and the same thing jumped out at me. In reality, the Mac kernel (Darwin) shares NO code with Linux (I believe it's descended from FreeBSD, which has its roots back in the original UNIX). Although Linux and Darwin are both UNIX-like, Linux was actually developed separately from UNIX. I know what you were trying to say, but saying that Macs are Linux-based is just wrong. (If you look closely at the core utilities, such as "ls", "grep", etc., you can tell that they are much closer to BSD than GNU/Linux.)
For a virus, how about Mac Defender, for one? - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Defender
I myself get a little tired of people saying Macs are secure and virus-free. Macs are probably just as vulnerable as any other computer platform for getting viruses; its vulnerabilities are just not exploited often because not as many people use Macs. But the possibility is still there.
Mac Defender was NOT a virus. It was a trojan. Very important to distinguish the two in terms of danger. And Mac Defender was easily stopped by an OS X update. And Mac Defender is history as the criminals were caught.
I didn't say the kernel that mac osx was bad, just that it isn't linux. That is a statement of fact, not opinion.
As for malware, here you go: http://www.iantivirus.com/threats/
I had a PC and it was OK using Windows 98,but when Vista came out it was a nightmare. This guy said you should get a Mac, and he said he would support me.We went to PC world and i bought the Mac Mini.
I found that it was by far, user friendly as Gary said you are looking for something complicated,but the Mac was mostly common sense.
Malware as Nanofuture says is there. I had the Email-Floodor OSX.Mama. I had a Hotmail Account,and these emails kept coming in. I blocked the email, That did not work. I contacted Hotmail help. They said we do not support Safari or Mac. My solution i just left Hotmail as it was,and i went to my ISP for my emails.
Trogon-PSW.OSX.Corpref.A I have seen this one quite a few times,and its disguised has a Poker site. Trying to get you by pressing a button to have a go at playing Poker,but i just ignore it. The Email one definitely works on a Mac.
If I could sum in all down as to why I love Mac I would just say I love the independence it gives me as a user. I am just your normal day to day computer user, I use it for homework, surfing, fun, music; but by no means would I say I'm uber computer savvy. When I say I love the independence Mac gives me I will give you an example. My senior year in high school my parents got me a pc laptop, top of the line of course because my dad is director of IT for a very large company and knew exactly what he was buying. Very shortly thereafter I started college and had to call my dad all the time because of various problems I was having with my pc; it never seemed to work right and I always needed help. After 2 years of this my dad surprised me with a new MacBook and I have only needed to call him once and that was to thank him. After having that MacBook for almost 4 years I have decided to upgrade to a new MacBook pro and can't wait! I will never go back to pc ever. I don't think pc users that bash Macs understand the ease of use a Mac user feels, that why so many people love their macs.
Hang on "independence it gives me as a user" that is exactly what it does not give you. As a Mac user you have to play with what your given by the late Steve Jobs and co. It's like being popped in a small little play pen with a few toys rather than being able to explore the expanse beyond. Mac's are fine for the user who literally does web browsing and listening to tunes.... But that's it. I've had various Mac's since my trusty old Macintosh SE back in the day and they just always strike me as a toy, nothing more.
I don't understand. Are you implying that the hundreds of thousands of software titles from independent developers do not exist?
I'm not sure I fully agree with Superade as far as software, but I think he does make some sense in terms of the overall product. Apple likes to make both the hardware and software and control everything about the user experience. Macs tend not to be as easy to upgrade as other computers. Sure, you can often upgrade the hard drive and RAM, but those are often the only things you can upgrade easily. Other PC desktops more often let you easily customize them with your choice of devices. Additionally, Apple puts some restrictions on OS X, most notably that it will (officially) only install & run on Apple hardware - so they make you buy a Mac in order to run OS X. And now, Apple has introduced an App Store for OS X.. I wouldn't be totally surprised if Apple decides to make the App Store the only source where users can get OS X software. Apple likes to control and restrict things that way.
Apple seems, in fact, to be going out of its way to continue to support software from outside of the App Store. Gate Keeper settings in Mountain Lion are striking a good balance between security and flexibility.
How could you omit, as one of your reasons to love your Macs, is their design? Every model is a work of art…a thing of beauty to behold.