New MacBook Air

BillScarab

chuckley wrote: »

download them then.

every OS will have its problems, but NONE as great as the trash that is windows.

Sorry I don't understand what you mean by download them then.

Well reasoned argument against windows there. :rolleyes:

brazilianwax

BillScarab wrote: »

Well you asked for examples and games are the classic one. BTW the diesel R8 has better acceleration than the perol one.

Good. We should keep gamers away from Macs.

Bet it still sounds like a rattley bag of spanners.

chuckley

BillScarab wrote: »

Sorry I don't understand what you mean by download them then.

Well reasoned argument against windows there. :rolleyes:

download games for macs instead. there are sites out there and the games are free...

what OS do u know has more problems/faults/random crashes/virus problems, e.t.c than windows?

[Deleted User]

Why would a database DBA ever meet a client using access? That'd be stupid, you don't need a DBA for ms access.

I've been an academic and used Macs, i now work in commercial enterprise databases.. we use XP/Vista laptops for 'office' work and all our Oracle databases run on rather expensive AIX or VMS servers. I've not come across a Mac yet. My XP laptop is 2 1/2 years old and I don't think its had a BSOD for 18 months. That stands up to about the same frequency I remember from using a OS X machine (yes, they do crash, they just don't like to give you error messages to let you know they've done it)

Different products, different strengths and weaknesses, different user groups. Get over it you pretentious nerds.

This argument reminds me of the Amiga vs Atari arguments we use to have when I was 14. It's nerdy, childish and pathetic.

Apple have a particular user-base, it consists of musicians, publishers, graphic designers, academics and home users. I'm sure there's plenty of other groups that use it, but it's rarely considered a mainstream business machine for good reasons - it's too expensive.

You can get an el cheapo Dell machine far cheaper than a basic Mac.

converse

brazilianwax wrote: »

I don't have time to research it now, but as I'm married to a SQL database expert (and certified DBA) with a huge and varied client base, none of whom use Access, I'd assume there are (better) alternatives. OH doesn't run windows on any machine, and his business partners also operate on macs without windows.
I don't use Entourage - Mail works for me (and is much better than the Outlook I'm forced to use on my crappy Dell work pc)
I don't (unfortunately). And they don't make a diesel version of my car.
I wouldn't consider driving a diesel till they make one that sounds like a proper car.

I presume you've never completed a Masters or PhD which requires a more careful balanced approach... Luckily I have...

I'll save you the time in your research. I speak from many years of extensive experience in this sector as a director with large corporate companies developing and managing distributed database systems, working with SQL for a least 10 years. I've never come across one company we work with yet using Macs as a front or back end for systems, they are virtually non-existent in a corporate database environment. They will gain ground, no doubt. I love them, especially their MacBooks, but I'm retaining a impartial view about the pros and cons, rather than a blinkered view, nothing is perfect.

Access is hugely popular in the SME market, and has been for at least 10 years, there are a large amount of developers, and millions of bespoke apps in operation. It is a very mature desktop application with a proper development environment for smaller systems. FileMaker is probably the nearest competitor, but it's lack of a proper programming language and this is a serious problem for developers. After Microsoft shelved Foxpro on the Mac, they didn't have a database on that platform, this was deliberate to keep the database and core office workers choosing Windows, over the then Mac OS 9. They stayed with this strategy when OS X was released refusing to port Access, but then at least there were open source DBs like MySQL to compete, but only for people who had a good understanding of systems.
Now in the latest release of Office 2008 for Mac, they have removed all VBA support, so millions of custom Excel systems won't now function on the Mac, so there is a real need to run Windows versions of software for many many users.

Your other half is missing out on an 84% percent market share of clients being exclusively working with Macs. I assume before OS X was released he used PCs, I can't imagine what true SQL software he used then...

To carry on the diesel aside, you seem to be stuck in the dark ages, and probably have never experienced a quality modern diesel. Most cars have a diesel equivalent that has more torque, miles better MPG, and sometimes better performance than equivalient CC petrol versions. I imagine my BMW 330d makes a nice sound as it hits 60 in just over 6 seconds, but it's so quiet inside I can't hear it... I wonder if you can if you take it to the limited 155 mph?!

BillScarab

chuckley wrote: »

download games for macs instead. there are sites out there and the games are free...

what OS do u know has more problems/faults/random crashes/virus problems, e.t.c than windows?

Downloading games is fine but if there are specific games I want to play that are only available for Windows I need to run windows.

As for problems, yes windows has problems but so does OS X. Leopard has had several well publicised issues since it's launch including security vulnerabilities. People often talk about BSOD on windows machines but my current Vista machine is almost exactly one year old and used daily, it hasn't crashed once. I work as a sys admin where we have several hundred servers running various flavours of Unix, Linux and Windows. The windows machines are just as reliable as the Unix and Linux boxes.

Personally I have nothing against Macs, they're good machines and tend to be pretty but personally I don't buy them because I like games and I use enough different OS'es at work without having yet another at home.

brazilianwax

I'll leave the technical arguments to my OH - that's his area of expertise, not mine. :rolleyes: I have other thing to do with my time

converse wrote: »

Your other half is missing out on an 84% percent market share of clients being exclusively working with Macs. I assume before OS X was released he used PCs, I can't imagine what true SQL software he used then...

Ah hah, read again. I never said he uses Macs. He doesn't exclusively work with anything. He runs a Dell laptop with various OSs, and removed Microsoft because he doesn't need it. He actually doesn't like Macs generally and will go out of his way to avoid them. He's got more work than he needs already His business partners bought Macs because they are pretty, basically, which as you should have gathered, is my bugbear. I was brought up by a musician who uses Macs. I know what they are good for, and what they are less good at.

On the other hand, one of my best mates runs a Mac consultancy, and is always in demand to provide home and office Mac solutions to companies and home users. She rarely gets asked to solve problems cos in the main, they don't happen.

converse wrote: »

To carry on the diesel aside, you seem to be stuck in the dark ages, and probably have never experienced a quality modern diesel. Most cars have a diesel equivalent that has more torque, miles better MPG, and sometimes better performance than equivalient CC petrol versions. I imagine my BMW 330d makes a nice sound as it hits 60 in just over 6 seconds, but it's so quiet inside I can't hear it... I wonder if you can if you take it to the limited 155 mph?!

I can and have taken my car to the max speed of 157 (on a track). 0-60 in 4.3 seconds and a gorgeous sound even when she idles. I'm not old enough for a diesel yet.

I'm a petrol-head, not a diesel-head (I leave that to my 'pottering' FIL, along with MPG)

:beer:

Smirch_This

I love the Mac vs Windows debate. My own analysis:

Everything has a place. The hardware matters not for it is all the same. Windows has a place where people need to make money (capitalism), MacOS has a place where people want to be productive for the greater good (democracy), Linux has a place where people want to be economical yet reliable (communism) and commercial UNIX is a place where people are stuck (dictatorship).

That is the zen of computing.

Disclaimer, I am a software engineer who uses everything but commercial UNIX where it is needed. My company has a multitude of Windows (for developers), Mac (for training/testing/graphics/office) and Linux machines (servers) where they are required.

isofa

ringo_24601 wrote: »

No one should ever consider buying this... very simply for one reason: No removable battery.
I can accept it on an Ipod, but i know the way laptop batteries go.. they're just not great at all long term. Would you splosh that kind of money away without being able to replace the most likely component that will fail after a year or two?
It does look pretty, but wait till you can swap batteries

Regarding the batteries, I've just read this, quoting from:

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/macuser/news/156780/mwsf-battery-replacements-for-macbook-air.html

"In a private Q&A session, Apple confirmed to us that it will provide and fit replacement batteries to the MacBook Air, just as it does for iPods and iPhone. Like them, the MacBook Air has a sealed case that prevents its battery being a user-serviceable part.
At £99 including VAT, the service matches the cost of replacement batteries for the MacBook and MacBook Pro. Apple describes this as the cost of the service, and not just the part. Replacement batteries are also covered by an additional one-year warranty. It also emphasised that old batteries will be disposed of safely.
Details of the scheme, including pricing by country, are available on Apple's website."

k18dan

chuckley wrote: »

.

what OS do u know has more problems/faults/random crashes/virus problems, e.t.c than windows?

ever used a mac on a network?? nightmare! total nightmare :mad: