I don’t use a Mac, and I’ve been thinking about why. I’ve been tempted to get one in the past, the specialist applications I use most (music and chemistry apps) are better supported on Mac systems. As for office software and general use apps, I’d be happy with the options on any platform. Apple make excellent hardware, I’m impressed by Macbooks, especially the near-seamless integration of hardware with software. So… why don’t I get one?
The gut reaction reason:
I don’t like the Mac brand. The trendiness, the curviness, the ‘identity’. it seems a little cult-ish. It works though, the Mac brand identity is widely loved and people are willing to pay a premium to buy into it. I’m not, I don’t want to buy into a brand identity at any price. But that’s not the reason I don’t use a Mac. The above still stands, they make good hardware and I’d be a fool to miss out just for stubborn untrendiness.
The real reason:
I like playing with my computers. The box in front of me is one of the most complex machines that man has ever created, and I have complete control of it. With a bit of effort I can make this machine dance to my tune*. How awesome is that!?
*Put far more eloquently by Cory Doctorow in ‘Little Brother’
My issue with Macs is that, in many ways, the way you use them is prescribed by the manufacturer. When I buy a PC I’m buying a tool, a (sometimes) blank canvas that I can tinker with and put to whatever use I fancy. Buying a Mac is different, a user decides how they want to use their computer and then buys the Mac that fits that purpose. It’s almost expected that the user won’t then tinker with, customise or repurpose that machine.
I’m talking in sweeping generalisations, and certainly not absolutes. Many of the ways these prescriptions for use are manifested are very subtle and often a by-product of Apple’s design philosophy, perhaps unintentionally. So here are a few of the ways, as I see them, that Apple prescribe the use of their computers, both implicit and explicit.
First, the explicit. The iPhone opened up it’s architecture to developers in 2008 when Apple allowed third party applications to be installed on the device. Before this it was only possible to install third party apps by illegally ‘jailbreaking’ the iPhone first. Since then the App Store has become huge. However, Apple have kept a tight control on what applications make it into the App Store. Developers must pay Apple to list their app and then Apple rigourously vet all submissions and updates before the end user can use them. Jailbreaking is still popular.
The implicit. I’ve alluded above to the fact that Mac hardware and software integrates very smoothly. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Apple work much harder on their user interface than any other manufacturer, with really intuitive results. But the by-product of this approach is less wiggle-room for the user. Naturally, considering the effort that goes into the user experience at the manufacturer end, modification and customisation at the user end is undesirable. This is just a matter of design philosophy. The fact that Macs are out-of-the-box easy to use and intuitive means that I don’t get to have any fun with them.
But these things in isolation wouldn’t make me not buy a Mac. After all, I could just install Linux on the hardware and be free of a nannying manufacturer and free to tweak and twiddle to my heart’s content.
I think the biggest way Apple prescribe the use of their computers is with the price. Macs are expensive machines, I couldn’t possibly justify buying a Mac over buying a more powerful machine at the same price. Or 2 cheap machines. Or 3 self-built machines. And which of those options do you think I’d find most fun?
Photo by kurtphoto
Comments (2)
I realise I’m a raving apple fanboy, so therefor my opinion is invalid, but I disagree on the price issue…
Macs are expensive, generally not more expensive than equivelant PCs though…
e.g
http://www.themoderndaypirates.com/pirates/?p=366
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9023959/Mac_vs._PC_cost_analysis_How_does_it_all_add_up_?taxonomyId=12&pageNumber=1
http://technologizer.com/2008/10/19/is-the-new-macbook-expensive/3/
Obviously there’s never going to be conclusive evidence, but the main point I think is choice. Apple have a very limited choice. If what you want is only available on a higher end model, and you don’t want a load of other stuff that the higher end also gives you, then yes it’s expensive. But on a like for like basis, most people who’ve investigated (who aren’t Microsoft making “laptop hunter” adverts) seem to come to the same conclusion…
I also disagree on customisation (software-wise). Apple make it easier. Things like applescript and automator mean you can spend hours tinkering with things, making things happen automagically -passing data/running one app from another etc. (e.g the applescript I wrote so if anyone deleted any of the photos from the laptop at our wedding, there would already be a nice backup copy hidden away out of site etc.)
Quicksilver is another example… that thing is unbelievable powerful…
Anyway, as I said, I’m a fanboy (for now…) so I’ll stop
Yeah, you make a good point about price. I haven’t done any real research of that, just an annecdoctal observation. And you’re probably right, it’s likely down to lack of choice in hardware options and retail suppliers.
I remain to be convinced about costomisability. I haven’t played with a Mac enough to really know about the stuff you’re talking about, I should preface all of the above with ‘I haven’t had all that much time with a Mac, but..’. (Maybe you should ‘loan’ me a Macbook to ‘educate’ me
)
So I’ll defer to your superior experience on that one. But one of my favourite ever OS setups was Fluxbox running on Slackware, which is pretty antithetical to the Mac user experience.
Oh, and have you met Gnome-DO?
http://do.davebsd.com/