[ptyork]

Originally Posted by Vincent Ferrari

Initial setbacks? I'm on my fourth Mac and I know not of what you speak. Setting up a Mac takes a few hours. Setting up a Windows PC takes longer just to uninstall all the garbage they install so that they can sell PC's at commodity rates. Also, to call the "perception" issue a "major factor" insinuates that there's no advantage to a Mac and that it's all a placebo. That kind of talk coming from a Mac user would be instantly labeled fanboyish.

Hmm, deja vu. Seems like this conversation already took place a few weeks ago. We've all already acknowledged the PITA factor of having to uninstall bloatware, so +1 for Apple over HP and eMachines.

Funny, though, I have just as many niggling issues with my MBP as I do with my Gateway tablet. Occasionally unable to make wireless connections or having them drop unexpectedly. Unexplained slowdowns. Hard disk thrashing. Burning testicles (from the MBP on my lap). Etc. Etc. It is the name of the technology game. If somehow you've avoided all of these, then please let me meet you in person so that I can shake your hand and absorb some of your magic mojo.

Saying there's a perception issue doesn't insinuate anything. I perceive my Lexus to be superior to a Toyota. It is in some ways, though in many it is no better (and in price far worse). However, any degree of absolute superiority doesn't necessarily change my perception. They are independent constructs. Sometimes reality can equate to perception; they are often highly correlating constructs. However, they are still independent. My point is that I'm much more willing to accept a small design flaw in a Lexus by saying "well, I got the best I could" than I would in a Toyota (thinking "if only I'd spent more--I got what I paid for").

[ptyork]

Originally Posted by Vincent Ferrari

Initial setbacks? I'm on my fourth Mac and I know not of what you speak. Setting up a Mac takes a few hours. Setting up a Windows PC takes longer just to uninstall all the garbage they install so that they can sell PC's at commodity rates. Also, to call the "perception" issue a "major factor" insinuates that there's no advantage to a Mac and that it's all a placebo. That kind of talk coming from a Mac user would be instantly labeled fanboyish.

Hmm, deja vu. Seems like this conversation already took place a few weeks ago. We've all already acknowledged the PITA factor of having to uninstall bloatware, so +1 for Apple over HP and eMachines.

Funny, though, I have just as many niggling issues with my MBP as I do with my Gateway tablet. Occasionally unable to make wireless connections or having them drop unexpectedly. Unexplained slowdowns. Hard disk thrashing. Burning testicles (from the MBP on my lap). Etc. Etc. It is the name of the technology game. If somehow you've avoided all of these, then please let me meet you in person so that I can shake your hand and absorb some of your magic mojo.

Saying there's a perception issue doesn't insinuate anything. I perceive my Lexus to be superior to a Toyota. It is in some ways, though in many it is no better (and in price far worse). However, any degree of absolute superiority doesn't necessarily change my perception. They are independent constructs. Sometimes reality can equate to perception; they are often highly correlating constructs. However, they are still independent. My point is that I'm much more willing to accept a small design flaw in a Lexus by saying "well, I got the best I could" than I would in a Toyota (thinking "if only I'd spent more--I got what I paid for").

[jdmichal]

I believe ptyork groks what I was trying to say the first time around. I have to admit I'm not very good with the psychobabble

[Spooof]

Originally Posted by Vincent Ferrari

Initial setbacks? I'm on my fourth Mac and I know not of what you speak. Setting up a Mac takes a few hours. Setting up a Windows PC takes longer just to uninstall all the garbage they install so that they can sell PC's at commodity rates. Also, to call the "perception" issue a "major factor" insinuates that there's no advantage to a Mac and that it's all a placebo. That kind of talk coming from a Mac user would be instantly labeled fanboyish.

Hands down the setting up or transferring setup on OSX is way easier than windows; however how many of you visiting a tech blog do not blast a new image on a fresh windows machine. I immediately boot to a cd and wipe it clean. If it has unique drivers I might ghost it first.

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by Spooof

...however how many of you visiting a tech blog do not blast a new image on a fresh windows machine. I immediately boot to a cd and wipe it clean. If it has unique drivers I might ghost it first.

You mean with a commercial machine, like a Dell or HP? I tend not to do that anymore myself - I usually just uninstall the crap, clean out the startup processes to trim it down, and that's about it. Maybe I'm getting lazy in my old age.

[jdmichal]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

You mean with a commercial machine, like a Dell or HP? I tend not to do that anymore myself - I usually just uninstall the crap, clean out the startup processes to trim it down, and that's about it. Maybe I'm getting lazy in my old age.

I would definitely blast on a new image. I doubt they have such specialized parts that you can't find the drivers online -- or aren't already built into Windows. (Well, for desktops at least. Though even laptops are becoming pretty standardized in their parts lists.)

[Spooof]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

You mean with a commercial machine, like a Dell or HP? I tend not to do that anymore myself - I usually just uninstall the crap, clean out the startup processes to trim it down, and that's about it. Maybe I'm getting lazy in my old age.

I am very lazy... most of my windows machines are work related so I get my infrastructure guys to image my machines. Plus I do not have an MSDN account anymore so they have to do it and we stay within our MS EA. Personally I think that it is much faster than uninstalling all the crap Dell installs. I have only played with one HP notebook in the past few years so I can't comment about their bloatware.