Jordan,
For the short time my G5 was working properly there were many amazing things about it, and its operating system I very much enjoyed. Its simplicity, especially when deleting a program, as such are extraordinary. However, due to Apple having only about 5%
of the computer market makes their products extremely limiting, especially creatively. They boast on how much one can do with a Mac, but the gambit the programs are too extreme. They are either extremely simplistic or vastly complex. Either way the price tag on these programs are over priced. The basic audio and video editing programs each Mac is shipped with are nice but very basic – to up grade them just a little with iLife is rip off considering what one can purchase for PC. The big mistake people make on that end is lack of ram and memory on PC and thus encounter poor quality or dropped frames.
Color-wise I’d admit the Mac’s are incredible – especially in photoshop. I agree with you that Apple should be more like Dell in in configuring a consumer’s purchase, and if you order from their site they try. The tech that came to my home admitted because Apple has only 5% of the market they can’t afford to keep a replacement parts inventory like someone like Dell. Beside, Apple has their part specially produced – sometimes just for a single release. Unlike Dell which can trade out from anyone since the Windows platform is more wide-spread. This makes sense from the company’s view but where does that leave the consumer who invests in a configured machine which may be only offered for a year then when parts run out – are truly gone – leaving one without company support because they feel the machine has outlasted it technical welcome!
That is scary, and very unknown to many. I would love to have an Apple notebook and know I can feel completely safe to surf the web. But the trade off of owning one weighs highly against it. My first sighting of Vista makes me laugh since it is so “Mac”. But in the end, if I can have part of what makes a Mac so nice to have work within the safer consumer environment of the PC so be it. Companies need to realize they aren’t the only one counting beans – consumers need to, too.
