Why Web Developers Don't Need a Mac

midrange is an abomination :0

Sorry - only joking, getting the flame in early. This is thing thing with Mac vs PC debates. I have been watching them for 15 years now and one thing always shines through: people that are happy with a PC don't need or want a Mac. People who are happy with a Mac don't need or want a PC. It just that, switchers happen mainly in one direction...
 
I use both every day. Mac's search is far superior to Windows', apart from that...
 
midrange said:
I use both every day. Mac's search is far superior to Windows', apart from that...
Click to expand...
This is the thing: everything you tell me about a Mac, I can duplicate in Windows. Search included. However, I'd still love to have a MacBook Pro (my brother has a MacBook, and it really is a work of art).
 
Raithlin said:
This is the thing: everything you tell me about a Mac, I can duplicate in Windows.
Click to expand...

Time Machine
Pretend viruses
Spaces
b/ba/t/c sh command line

And more seriously, because I would actually like to know for my Father's machine - I am sure it must be possible:

LittleSnitch is a background app that alerts me whenever something tries to make use of my network connection, except permitted applications (Safari, Mail, Firefox - ie, internet stuff). Some apps like to phone home or even check for updates (and sometimes install them without asking). This chews bandwidth and I would love to know how my old man can have control over this in Doze.
 
GreGorGy said:
Time Machine
Pretend viruses
Spaces
b/ba/t/c sh command line

And more seriously, because I would actually like to know for my Father's machine - I am sure it must be possible:

LittleSnitch is a background app that alerts me whenever something tries to make use of my network connection, except permitted applications (Safari, Mail, Firefox - ie, internet stuff). Some apps like to phone home or even check for updates (and sometimes install them without asking). This chews bandwidth and I would love to know how my old man can have control over this in Doze.
Click to expand...

Automator, smart folders and AppleScript are also useful.
Not sure if windows has that.

And the file system.

Front row and iLife as standard.
Remote as standard
 
GreGorGy said:
Time Machine
Pretend viruses
Spaces
b/ba/t/c sh command line

And more seriously, because I would actually like to know for my Father's machine - I am sure it must be possible:

LittleSnitch is a background app that alerts me whenever something tries to make use of my network connection, except permitted applications (Safari, Mail, Firefox - ie, internet stuff). Some apps like to phone home or even check for updates (and sometimes install them without asking). This chews bandwidth and I would love to know how my old man can have control over this in Doze.
Click to expand...

alf101 said:
Automator, smart folders and AppleScript are also useful.
Not sure if windows has that.

And the file system.

Front row and iLife as standard.
Remote as standard
Click to expand...

:D Should've known this was coming. Lets' see how far we can get. I'll push the open source alternative if available (iLife isn't free, for example).

Time Machine: Check lifehacker.com for backup utilities that come close (even they admit that Time Machine is point and click easy).

Spaces: Virtual Desktop Manager or VirtuaWin

Command Line/AppleScript: Cygwin for bash, or PowerShell for AppleScript-type coding (standard in W7, available for Vista/XP).

LittleSnitch: What you are looking for is a software/personal firewall. Something like ZoneAlarm Free for your parents' machines, as it's user-friendly, if a little resource heavy, or Komodo Firewall Pro.

Automator: AutoIt

Smart Folders: That's a good one. Windows 7 has Libraries, but I'm in no position to compare the two.

File System: It's Unix. No comparison there. ;)

Front Row: Windows Media Center for one - Vista and W7 versions are very good. There are other media centers out there if you don't want to use that one though. ;)

iLife: Let's split these up, shall we?
There's iPhoto - use something simple, like Picasa (excellent organisation capabilities) - or choose for yourself.
Then there's iMovie - we can take a look at the plethora of Movie-creation software available for Windows - or we can simply turn to Microsoft's own Movie Maker 2 (now renamed and updated).
Next is GarageBand - may I direct you to the tons of sound editors out there, while drawing your attention to Audacity - also available for MacOS X. ;)
(I don't believe the rest of iLife is worth the effort... :p)

Remote as standard: buddy of mine picked up an LG laptop with remote as standard. It depends what you buy.

K, so I didn't say it would be a smooth interface - but I did say I could pretty much duplicate the software. Some of the replacements are better, some not - but they're there.


I have nothing further, your Honour.
 
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Raithlin said:
:D Should've known this was coming. Lets' see how far we can get. I'll push the open source alternative if available (iLife isn't free, for example).

Time Machine: Check lifehacker.com for backup utilities that come close (even they admit that Time Machine is point and click easy).

Spaces: Virtual Desktop Manager or VirtuaWin

Command Line/AppleScript: Cygwin for bash, or PowerShell for AppleScript-type coding (standard in W7, available for Vista/XP).

LittleSnitch: What you are looking for is a software/personal firewall. Something like ZoneAlarm Free for your parents' machines, as it's user-friendly, if a little resource heavy, or Komodo Firewall Pro.

Automator: AutoIt

Smart Folders: That's a good one. Windows 7 has Libraries, but I'm in no position to compare the two.

File System: It's Unix. No comparison there. ;)

Front Row: Windows Media Center for one - Vista and W7 versions are very good. There are other media centers out there if you don't want to use that one though. ;)

iLife: Let's split these up, shall we?
There's iPhoto - use something simple, like Picasa (excellent organisation capabilities) - or choose for yourself.
Then there's iMovie - we can take a look at the plethora of Movie-creation software available for Windows - or we can simply turn to Microsoft's own Movie Maker 2 (now renamed and updated).
Next is GarageBand - may I direct you to the tons of sound editors out there, while drawing your attention to Audacity - also available for MacOS X. ;)
(I don't believe the rest of iLife is worth the effort... :p)

Remote as standard: buddy of mine picked up an LG laptop with remote as standard. It depends what you buy.

K, so I didn't say it would be a smooth interface - but I did say I could pretty much duplicate the software. Some of the replacements are better, some not - but they're there.


I have nothing further, your Honour.
Click to expand...

iLife is actually free with a new mac btw. U pay for the new versions if you want them though.

The things I mentioned are standard on a Mac, no need to hunt for them.
For all those open source things you mentioned, there are the same for mac.

I won't go into viruses, malware etc, sure you know about that. ;)

To help your argument. ;)
Stuff that I can't do on a Mac as well as I can on Windows are...
(These are my opinions)

Financial software - there isn't anything as good as MS Money for the Mac.
Quicken is totally crap. A new version of it will be out in a few months time, hopefully it's decent.

Electronic Pilot logbook - I use a windows version, haven't found a decent one for mac.

Binary downloader - Still using Altbinz in windows, there are a few out there for mac, but nothing free and as good.

Those 3 things are all I use windows for at home.
 
Financial Software: MYOB for Mac USED TO BE good. Now, its ***. Previous classic versions were excellent but (like Pastel) it demands activation and dial home and one user and annual upgrades. Still, it is workable if slightly hampered by its payroll integration (wants to use UK PAYE/SITE/or whatever they call it).

Electronic Pilot: My deathly fear of flying makes that irrelevant.

Things I use Doze on my Mac through parallels cos makers don't have mac versions:

Nokia Updater
Nokia Carbide

Worst software I have ever used in my life:

Nokia Updater
Nokia Carbide

:(
 
alf101 said:
iLife is actually free with a new mac btw. U pay for the new versions if you want them though.
Click to expand...
Point taken.

alf101 said:
The things I mentioned are standard on a Mac, no need to hunt for them.
For all those open source things you mentioned, there are the same for mac.
Click to expand...
Granted. The point I made is that they can be duplicated (and they aren't forced on me - I don't make Movies on my machine, for example).

alf101 said:
I won't go into viruses, malware etc, sure you know about that. ;)
Click to expand...
Yeah, I know about it - but I haven't had a virus/worm/you-name-it run wild on my network in years. I'm not paranoid, either. ;)


alf101 said:
To help your argument. ;)
Stuff that I can't do on a Mac as well as I can on Windows are...
(These are my opinions)

Financial software - there isn't anything as good as MS Money for the Mac.
Quicken is totally crap. A new version of it will be out in a few months time, hopefully it's decent.

Electronic Pilot logbook - I use a windows version, haven't found a decent one for mac.

Binary downloader - Still using Altbinz in windows, there are a few out there for mac, but nothing free and as good.

Those 3 things are all I use windows for at home.
Click to expand...
Gaming? That and .net development are primarily what I use Windows for - although I try to develop for web in Linux, I end up in Windows most of the time.

All said and done, I still want a MacBook Pro. Anyone have one just lying around? :rolleyes:
 
UPFRONT DISCLAIMER: No instances of "windoze" to be found in this post...

I'd like a MBP for playing around and the coolness factor... For gaming (the little that I do these days :rolleyes:) and .NET (the heaps and tons that I do) I still prefer a Windows laptop. I'm not much of a desktop PC fan these days - I like portability.
 
Raithlin said:
Point taken.

Granted. The point I made is that they can be duplicated (and they aren't forced on me - I don't make Movies on my machine, for example).

Yeah, I know about it - but I haven't had a virus/worm/you-name-it run wild on my network in years. I'm not paranoid, either. ;)



Gaming? That and .net development are primarily what I use Windows for - although I try to develop for web in Linux, I end up in Windows most of the time.

All said and done, I still want a MacBook Pro. Anyone have one just lying around? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

You can use them for gaming, but not as supported as windows.
Things are looking up in that area though.

I kinda lost interest in gaming a couple of years ago
I bought an xbox after I got the iMac and haven't used it since November last year I think (Got a gf who keeps me busy).
 
alf101 said:
I kinda lost interest in gaming a couple of years ago
I bought an xbox after I got the iMac and haven't used it since November last year I think (Got a gf who keeps me busy).
Click to expand...

Sorry, but as a husband with 2 kids, I can say with authority: That's no excuse. ;)
 
Raithlin said:
Sorry, but as a husband with 2 kids, I can say with authority: That's no excuse. ;)
Click to expand...

I'm married and just got a new puppy. If it weren't for the DVD movies that me and my wife watch, the XBOX would be caked in dust right now. Also, I can't remember when last I played a game on my laptop... That's if you don't count eRepublik and MyBrute. :p
 
alf101 said:
Still have a tube TV with 640x480 res. :o
So not that attractive.

When I have 12k saved up for a SONY, it may be different though.
Click to expand...
We don't go to the movies (kids + sugar == bad), so DVD's are a must in our house. To that end we got ourselves a decent home theater system.

32" LCD TV: R6999 (Yes, it's HD. No, it's not HDMI)
5.1 DVD + Sound system: R1500
Kids falling asleep on the couch: Priceless.
 
It's a TOBISHI 32" - has Component input, as well as SVIDEO. We have the usual TV through aerial, then DVD via SVIDEO and Wii via Component. V. nice.
 
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