The Mac user credibility problem

Years of exaggerated claims comes back to haunt MacOS X

Published on November 20, 2003 By Draginol In Personal Computing

So now that Panther (MacOS X 10.3) is out the Mac users are out again trying to convince "pee-cee" users to "Switch". The problem is, Mac advocates have no credibility at this point. They've spent it long ago. People don't like being lied to and the most vocal of Mac fanatics regularly and massively crossed the line between exuberance and outright dishonesty.

Anyone who has debated in the OS wars long enough has seen what I'm talking about. Over the years argued that things like pre-emptive multitasking, SMP, multi-threading, memory protection, etc. were either things they didn't need or more ridiculously, bad things that they were better off not having.

Then, once MacOS X came out and finally brought Mac users into the 90s (Windows NT 3.1 in 1993 had all of he above and OS/2 2.0 in 1992 had all but SMP) Mac users not only began chanting the importance of these things but occasionally would even claim that they were exclusive to MacOS X. That Windows didn't have it. Even Windows 95 had multithreading and some memory protection for crying out loud.

Today I read a Mac advocate claiming that Windows, even today, doesn't support SMP. Windows XP Pro, Windows 2000, and Windows NT before it all supported SMP. I also read one claiming that Windows programs aren't multithreaded and that was just another reason to switch to MacOS X.

But that wasn't the claim that sparked me to write this article. I read a Mac user finally admit that MacOS X 10.2 "Jaguar" was "kind of beta quality". No DUH. After all the flames I got for my iMac experience review in which all my claims were trivialized by various Mac "advocates" who referred to me on public forums as an "idiot" for someone to finally fess up that hey, yea, Jaguar was actually kind of crappy in various corners. And bear in mind, Jaguar was the first useable version of MacOS X in my opinion. Before that, MacOS X was so slow as to be unusable by anyone who actually needs to get work done (don't send letters about how you used 10.0 just fine, I'm about as interested in that as I am from hearing from OS/2 users today saying how OS/2 Warp 4.x is as good as Windows XP).

MacOS X 10.3 (Panther) is actually good. Very good in fact. It is what MacOS X should have been. But after all the..sorry LIES that the Mac community spread about previous versions, now that they actually have the goods, who's going to believe them? How can anyone take seriously someone who claimed that MacOS X (10.0 / 10.1) was better than Windows 2000 or Windows XP? Give me a break. And remember there were web articles that seriously tried to "compare" MacOS X 10.0 and 10.1 to Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Remember how they always showed MacOS X 10.1 being better? Right... Not even close.

Ironically, Panther is that good. I must say that I could see how people would prefer Panther to Windows XP. I still find it a big sluggish, and I don't like not being able to MAXIMIZE programs to use the whole screen easily (maybe there's a keyboard commend that does that). But it really is a solid operating system now. But Mac users can't, IMO, be trusted on their verdicts. Their biases go way beyond being helpful into being damaging to the Mac movement. Windows users generally just don't care if you use Windows or not. So it's generally easier to find more balanced reporting on it. I have no particular love for Windows. But the alternatives haven't been promising both as a user and as a software developer.

It will be interesting to see how things go with MacOS X now that it has finally delivered the goods. Pity though that the Mad advocates blew their wad before the OS was ready for prime time. Because it's now when credibility on their part would make a big difference.

Comments (Page 1)

Calor

on Nov 20, 2003

How's Cairo coming along?

Rick

on Nov 20, 2003

This is the kind of thing you write well. It is interesting and shows knowledge and balance. What I hope doesn't happen is that Joe User becomes an endless forum of boring trite male-female relationship garbage which would ruin it for me. It may get you into the 14,000 most visited but what a pity and what a waste to have your stuff diluted with this.

dinky balls

on Nov 20, 2003

What it is with these people? Years ago I was at CompUSA looking at Apple's new "cube" when some moonface came up to me and started trying to sell me the damn thing. Problem was Mr. Moonface wasn't a CompUSA employee -- he was just some random Apple devotee. I think he'd've put me in a headlock rather than allow me to check out the PC aisle. He talked and talked, explained and explained. The one-button mouse was better. The OS was better (doesn't crash!). It's an engineering marvel. It's got that translucent plastic that makes New Yorker magazine readers go batshit with style-envy. I simply couldn't get away from this guy -- so I lied. I told him there was a Trek convention down the street and they were giving away free phaser guns -- so hurry!

The Mac's new OS is great, huh? Fabulous! Now drop the price a $1,000 and get some hardware and software variety. Until then, I'll stick with Uncle Bill.

kthxbye

on Nov 20, 2003

Ah - the Cube was a work of art in itself. It's a shame that the computer itself was plagued with problems. I've heard many stories about people putting SFF PCs in a Cube case - that'd be fairly nifty.

Me, I'm perfectly happy with the minimal lines of my Liam Li case - which, I might add, had made more than a few Mac owners (and zealots,) jealous.

Kevin

on Nov 20, 2003

I get *so tired* of Mac people espousing that their OS is so superior - I used to be a Mac user years ago, but never EVER became an evangelist or anything near. Ahem, it's JUST A MACHINE. I like the one guy's reference to a Mac user as a 'moonface.' It fits.

Mac lost their chance to lead long ago with their pricey systems. They should have glutted the market with cheap machines so everyone would have one, and THEN they'd have a captive market to do exactly what Microsoft is doing right now. But no--they're just as greedy as microsoft, in a touchy-feely, Claifornia-smile-and yogurt breath.

I work at a library reference desk, and when one patron found out I was in the market for a new laptop, practically assaulted me with plans to 'help me buy a Mac." When I told him that the sophisticated software that I'm using in my PhD dissertation was PC based, he told me to bug the company to write Mac software, like, yeah, they have time to accomodate one user.

We recently had an opening of a Macstore here in Honolulu, and 3,000 people came out for it! You'd think the Dalai Lama was making an appearance, or Lucille Ball came back from the dead to sell vitavetavegimin!

Sorry, but no decent software to do the things I want to do are being written, and I'm sticking with the PC, though I can't say that I would want to shake hands with Bill Gates and tell him what an excellent job he's doing.

Thanks for the article dude. I hope Mac folks start smelling the stink as they continue to shit in their own pool, but alas, they're so blissed out, just step over their bodies. Their contempt for Microsoft is too strong.

the power of a computer....how sick.

k

Slacker85m

on Nov 21, 2003

I really love this, I always give my best friend a hard time about his mac "devotion." It's so bad that I actually nicknamed him iHoe on yahoo messenger. I'm definatly having him read this article.

Pragmatic

on Nov 21, 2003

Who cares about advocates? Some kind or another plague all environments, even with objective-looking weblogs like yours. You aren't advocating Windows over OS X are you?

Who cares about past lies? You DON'T want to get into Microsoft's marketing unfairness (to put it mildly) argument, and it's much worse than the marketing 'lies'.

What matters is that OS X is so compelling that you, a diehard Windows user, with direct interest in the Windows market, are playing around with OS X today.

People less interested in software politics will go into some department store, see some cool shiny plastic with a decent screen and a great looking OS and will buy Apple instead of MS.

iPot

on Nov 21, 2003

interesting. imo mac osx is not much more than just a pretty face, so who the hell will buy a mac if its operating system has the looking of windows95. lol.
and why bill why u give windows such an ugly face.

sorry for my bad engrish.

peace out~

Jos

on Nov 21, 2003

I find it incredulous that any Windoze "advocate" can comment on any of the issues that MacOS has - perceived or otherwise. Windoze OS' are some of the most bug ridden pieces of code to have hit the streets since the inception of the PC. You only have to visit the MS web site for the "security updates" and the ever present rash of virus attacks. The reason wheeled out everytime when we are faced with yet another virus, is that it is "a measure of the popularity of the OS". This is utter bunkum, the reason is that it attacked so frequently is not due to any popularity, but because it is such an easy target.

You would have thought that after 10 years MS would have resolved the security fragility of it's Operating Systems - funny that isn't it!?

The only significant advances that have been made to the Windoze world have all come from ISVs - like Stardock. And the best of these advances are all geared towards replicating the "look & feel" of the Mac. For example - PNG images rather than icons, zooming/hover, "glass/metal.

MS has brought nothing that is inovative to the computing arena, only taken others ideas - and then made a royal "hash" in deploying them. Most of what is really neat in the Windoze arena, started life being developed for anothers Operating System. The afore mentioned Stardock - probably would not be in existance without OS/2. StarOffice - a significantly better product than the "cobbled together" offering that MS have - in every single way - but most significantly in price & performance, again OS/2.

And what was Bill Gates comment on the need for the internet (web browsers, etc..), I believe he said that it was unecessary, and would never catch on.

MS Windoze "devotees" have nothing to crow about, popularity does not make it better

Slacker85m

on Nov 21, 2003

Hmmm, the last few comments.... case in point?

Gabriel

on Nov 22, 2003

And so the platform war continues... Think different!

Lee

on Nov 24, 2003

Well, another one bits the dust; so to say. MUSICMATCH Jukebox as of October 22, 2003 stopped their production of their highly popular Jukebox for the Mac. As to their reasons who knows maybe it is because of iTunes (not really sure), and iTunes is not all that great of a program, Winamp 5 when it is finally release will out shine the overly touted iTunes. However, after reading this article it is understandable as to what is happening in the Mac world. Adobe bought out Cooledit/Cooledit pro and turned it into Audition (for the pc only with no plans for the mac). An eight percent share in the market does not help Mac users get better programs/applications; it appears to be hendering growth in good to excellent software choice.
The Mac is a good computer system (user 1987-2003), but it leaks a great deal in its ability to change the look and feel of its GUI (always has). With the ability to change its GUI both Windows XP, and the latest Linux OS; they are more fun to work with. Also, with the hugh shareware/freeware base for the XP and Linux the Mac tends to take a back sit. The Mac doees have X11, really like this one. How does a Mac user know about a XP machine, well that is simple, it is called a Laptop with Windows XP Pro install (really do like this computer, and enjoy working on XP). Mac machines have a long way to go, and one of those is to come up with an OS which allows the user to modify the GUI to his/her desires.

Jos

on Nov 24, 2003

Some further thoughts on the "crowing" that is coming out of the MS corner (and also back to the originating article)...

MS - Memory protection..... I think not, and certainly not at NT 3.1 as the article describes - GPF & "blue screen of death" ring any bells?? - any time your application had a "brain fart". Even today the memory management is dire, I ask anyone to drill down through the working set anf explain to me why my laptop should have drivers "enabled" for SCSI RAID?, why do you have multimedia loaded as an integral part of a server??. I would not advicate a Mac/Apple for a server system. I would go with Unix/Linux - servers should follow the "KISS" methodology.

SMQ - The good ol' "Single Message Queue" you start a programme it has it's own thread - and subsequently it's own "message queue" - you spawn another app from that originating app, the "parent still owns the MQ - it crashes all apps it spawned crash along with it. Not very resilient is it!?

Multi-tasking - windoze struggles even on a good day. This is an area where MS continue to struggle, the essence of the struggle is borne out of the inheritance of the OS. Developed from DOS to become a graphical "gaming platform", sadly it still is encumbered by legacy DOS requirements - for example you cannot install Windoze on a system without a C: partition. You may well argue why would you want to?? - good question - but the fact that you can't is saying that "hey, I still have DOS at my core"

And as I have stated before if the OS is so good, why does it have so, so many security holes?? It leaks memory all over the shop worse than the "Titanic". It relies on so many ISVs for decent system management tools - anybody had a good look at "PerfMon" lately?? Crikey OS/2 with OS/2 2.11 & Warp 3.0 had Thesaurus shipped with it, and today with Thesaurus4 there isn't a better tool at drilling down through processes/threads/memory allocations anywhere on the Intel platform.

Windows is fine for the kids, who only want to play some "rank" games, chat, check e-Mails, and do their homework on the web (single tasks - well two if you count playing their music whilst doing each of these tasks serialy) so not much call for multi-tasking abilities there then. But for businesses to put so much stock into deploying windoze into the desktop arena, let alone the server rooms is very worrying. Are you happy that some banks are now deploying Windoze behind their ATMs?? ....... I'm not!!

Jos

Slacker85m

on Dec 07, 2003

I do a little graphic design stuff on the side myself. I'll run dreamweaver, photoshop 7, winamp, mozilla firebird, yahoo messenger, paint, notepad, word, kazaa lite, dc++, beatnik, and of course my firewall and antivirus. This is all done at once and I very rarely see problems. Thats not multitaking?

As for crashing, I almost never crash. Maybe once in 2 months if that often.

It makes me wonder if you've even ever used XP, or if you have if it wasn't some intel celeron 128mb e-machine.

As for me it's all about AMD.

Daniel Kovacs

on Dec 08, 2003

With all due respect, if you are a mac user (and human) you are inclined to brag about computer related items that actually work (most of the time) and that makes working on a computer a pleasure and not just bareable. Yeah some folks do go on about the benifits, but bear in mind; who developed the first graphical user interface and WHO?? stole and copied the idea ?
Want to talk about credibility? hey bill.... sory, bob ? Windows, mac, whatever. All I can tell you, I switched from pee wee, I mean pee cee 8 months ago being just tired of batteling along and my mac ibook has a special place in my office and home, because I can actually do my work and be creative without having to spend all my time downloading drivers, patches and virus definitions. If you can see what I can see, when I'm cleaning windows.......

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