Mac vs. PC

[Big Hurtin]

Some of your problems apparently are mouse-driven. I right click using my right click on the mouse, the scroll is my scroll wheel. New tab is Alt T or the plus sign on the Chrome tab bar. The maximize button on my browser is the far right button on the upper left corner. You can also customize your browser with where you want the button etc. The bottom menu acts as a quick launch bar and also a "force close" application so you never have to ctl-alt-delete to get to where you need to go. Alot of the shortcuts are the exact same as a PC.

 

I personally use a Logitech wireless mouse and keyboard for my imac, so it operates just like a pc in my interaction with it. Where it performs easier is in things like storing files and having them be indexable and accessible without me having to point the damn system at the location of the file, it does it automatically. the iMovie questions are something that should be easy to figure out since the Mac is the premiere system to do video and graphic editing on. It sounds like they just have their Macs set up in a very basic way or just a strange set up.

 

The issue with this, is that it isn't enabled by default. You have to go into the system preferences to enable it. It's not something obvious for those unfamiliar with Mac OS.

[Y2HH]

The issue with this, is that it isn't enabled by default. You have to go into the system preferences to enable it. It's not something obvious for those unfamiliar with Mac OS.

 

It's enabled by default now...has been since last year.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Some of your problems apparently are mouse-driven. I right click using my right click on the mouse, the scroll is my scroll wheel. New tab is Alt T or the plus sign on the Chrome tab bar. The maximize button on my browser is the far right button on the upper left corner. You can also customize your browser with where you want the button etc. The bottom menu acts as a quick launch bar and also a "force close" application so you never have to ctl-alt-delete to get to where you need to go. Alot of the shortcuts are the exact same as a PC.

 

I personally use a Logitech wireless mouse and keyboard for my imac, so it operates just like a pc in my interaction with it. Where it performs easier is in things like storing files and having them be indexable and accessible without me having to point the damn system at the location of the file, it does it automatically. the iMovie questions are something that should be easy to figure out since the Mac is the premiere system to do video and graphic editing on. It sounds like they just have their Macs set up in a very basic way or just a strange set up.

 

This is the mice we have everywhere at school.

 

 

No scroll wheel, and it's just 1-solid button, no split clicking. All the computers ran Safari I believe, and there was no little "plus" sign for open a new tab like Chrome has.

 

And it wasn't iMovie we were using. It was a much more sophisticated program, Final Cut Pro I believe. Yeah, couldn't figure that out at all, but luckily we do have some special video editing PC's in our library that run Sony Vegas, which I am very familiar with. But all of our teachers teach you everything assuming we all own an Apple computer, and know how to use Apple computers, so it's really frustrating sometimes when I am completely lost when it comes to doing things like use "drop folders" and "Thawspace" servers.

 

I know a lot of people who have Macs and like them, but I've tried them and they are just not for me, especially at those prices.

Edited July 15, 2011 by JoeCoolMan24

[Quin]

I had to get a Mac for college and the same week, my PC died.

 

I tried the Mac for a little bit, but for my general needs of computers, I like PC WAY more.

 

Plus, this Samsung is built nicely. It has an aluminum case like Macs, so it gets rid of heat easier.

[kjshoe04]

A little off topic but I just realized that whenever I need a new tab I just scroll click my soxtalk bookmark.

[Y2HH]

This is the mice we have everywhere at school.

 

 

No scroll wheel, and it's just 1-solid button, no split clicking. All the computers ran Safari I believe, and there was no little "plus" sign for open a new tab like Chrome has.

 

And it wasn't iMovie we were using. It was a much more sophisticated program, Final Cut Pro I believe. Yeah, couldn't figure that out at all, but luckily we do have some special video editing PC's in our library that run Sony Vegas, which I am very familiar with. But all of our teachers teach you everything assuming we all own an Apple computer, and know how to use Apple computers, so it's really frustrating sometimes when I am completely lost when it comes to doing things like use "drop folders" and "Thawspace" servers.

 

I know a lot of people who have Macs and like them, but I've tried them and they are just not for me, especially at those prices.

 

Your school is using old macs, and furthermore, old operating system software, which is the problem. They haven't made a mouse that looks like that in about 5 years now. Also, if your administrators bothered configuring anything properly, they'd work properly. It's not that the OS can't do these things, they can and have for years.

 

Modern macs do everything you are questioning, including tabs, split clicking, scroll-wheels, etc. As a matter of fact, my mouse has 5 buttons and a scroll-wheel that can also scroll side to side as well as up/down.

 

This is like me b****ing that Windows 2000 can't play certain games well, or doesn't work with my modern HD 1080p Camcorder (which would make sense since 1080p didn't exist when Windows 2000 was out).

 

Both Leopard 10.5.x and Snow Leopard 10.6.x and Lion 10.7.x (coming out in the next few days), all support these features. Leopard, for example, was released in 2007...it's that old...and macs have supported all of these features since.

 

In either case, it's not the macs problem...it's either the people administrating them that are incompetent, or they never upgraded anything since before 07...and in that case I'd recommend transferring to a better school.

Edited July 15, 2011 by Y2HH

[bigruss]

In either case, it's not the macs problem...it's either the people administrating them that are incompetent, or they never upgraded anything since before 07...and in that case I'd recommend transferring to a better school.

Most public, hell most universities aren't up to date on the mos recent OS or Mac/PC computers. They just switched over to Windows 7 on the "new" computers at U of I, and all the old ones still run XP. The biggest thing I don't get there is that they have some actually very nice and new iMacs but they put Windows 7 on them, wtf!? The whole point of having the mix of Mac and PC is so that you can utilize the advantages of each OS, otherwise that $5k you spent in each computer room to have a few Macs is pointless.

[Y2HH]

Most public, hell most universities aren't up to date on the mos recent OS or Mac/PC computers. They just switched over to Windows 7 on the "new" computers at U of I, and all the old ones still run XP. The biggest thing I don't get there is that they have some actually very nice and new iMacs but they put Windows 7 on them, wtf!? The whole point of having the mix of Mac and PC is so that you can utilize the advantages of each OS, otherwise that $5k you spent in each computer room to have a few Macs is pointless.

 

A lot of them do this because they get education discounts from Apple, or even donations for free computers...and since you can run either OSX or Windows on a Mac, if you have the money, you get the best of both worlds.

 

I witnessed this very problem when I was in college, and I actually raised concern to the school about it at the time (which was ignored). To this day I tell students I meet that in the computer science arena, there is no room for solely learning outdated computers/materials/tools, it's detrimental to the students who will be entering the real world with outdated knowledge. I tell that that in addition to what you learn at school, be sure to do things at home, on your own, in order to learn the most up to date methods, etc. While it's not always bad if you want to begin working for an organization that never updates anything...it's counter to what this industry represents. When I was in college, they were giving COBOL classes because that's what much of the corporate world used at the time...and while that was useful for a time, it's simply behind the curve. IMO, students need to be AHEAD of the curve, or at the very least, with the curve.

 

Students shouldn't be learning on Windows XP...it's nearly a decade old. They should be learning on Windows 7.

Edited July 15, 2011 by Y2HH

[Balta1701]

Students shouldn't be learning on Windows XP...it's nearly a decade old. They should be learning on Windows 7.

The scary thing is...a lot of the business world still runs the equivalent of XP, because no business in their right mind was going to upgrade to Vista, and Windows 7 came out at a timme when business investment jumped off a cliff.

[bigruss]

The scary thing is...a lot of the business world still runs the equivalent of XP, because no business in their right mind was going to upgrade to Vista, and Windows 7 came out at a timme when business investment jumped off a cliff.

Pretty much. Many organizations are JUST starting the switch.

[StrangeSox]

The scary thing is...a lot of the business world still runs the equivalent of XP, because no business in their right mind was going to upgrade to Vista, and Windows 7 came out at a timme when business investment jumped off a cliff.

 

IIRC Microsoft had to quickly back off their plans to end support for XP because of this. The computers in our office are a mix of XP and 7. I'm glad I've got my ridiculously overpowered Windows 7 workstation, though it's currently broken thanks to .NET issues.

 

Does it make sense for say an entire accounting department to upgrade to 7 from XP? Why not just stick with what works?

[Balta1701]

Does it make sense for say an entire accounting department to upgrade to 7 from XP? Why not just stick with what works?

Pretty soon it will yeah, Windows 7 is actually better and will improve productivity...but only if you're also upgrading other equipment/productivity software. If your office is still running an older network, Office 2003, with old computers that are adequate for your businesses computing needs, then the gains from upgrades are limited.

[Y2HH]

IIRC Microsoft had to quickly back off their plans to end support for XP because of this. The computers in our office are a mix of XP and 7. I'm glad I've got my ridiculously overpowered Windows 7 workstation, though it's currently broken thanks to .NET issues.

 

Does it make sense for say an entire accounting department to upgrade to 7 from XP? Why not just stick with what works?

 

This is a business decision based on something completely different than learning a trade on outdated software (like a student). I have no qualms about businesses not upgrading what doesn't need to be upgraded, however, there is no need to learn on only XP, when various newer versions have since come out.

 

I'm not saying a well rounded education isn't necessary, students absolutely SHOULD know something about XP and other such things that are still in real world use, but I wouldn't make it the focus of their educations. They should focus on the newer generation of technologies.

[RockRaines]

This is the mice we have everywhere at school.

 

 

No scroll wheel, and it's just 1-solid button, no split clicking. All the computers ran Safari I believe, and there was no little "plus" sign for open a new tab like Chrome has.

 

And it wasn't iMovie we were using. It was a much more sophisticated program, Final Cut Pro I believe. Yeah, couldn't figure that out at all, but luckily we do have some special video editing PC's in our library that run Sony Vegas, which I am very familiar with. But all of our teachers teach you everything assuming we all own an Apple computer, and know how to use Apple computers, so it's really frustrating sometimes when I am completely lost when it comes to doing things like use "drop folders" and "Thawspace" servers.

 

I know a lot of people who have Macs and like them, but I've tried them and they are just not for me, especially at those prices.

Wow that Mac must be pretty old. I would be pissed with that computer as well. The current and most up to date Macs dont really perform like that at all.

[bigruss]

This is a business decision based on something completely different than learning a trade on outdated software (like a student). I have no qualms about businesses not upgrading what doesn't need to be upgraded, however, there is no need to learn on only XP, when various newer versions have since come out.

 

I'm not saying a well rounded education isn't necessary, students absolutely SHOULD know something about XP and other such things that are still in real world use, but I wouldn't make it the focus of their educations. They should focus on the newer generation of technologies.

For many IT and CS classes I firmly believe they should be teaching SAP, etc. They don't have to go into great detail, but getting familiar with programs like that will be greatly beneficial and really will give any university department a huge leap in terms of rankings.

[Iwritecode]

A lot of them do this because they get education discounts from Apple, or even donations for free computers...and since you can run either OSX or Windows on a Mac, if you have the money, you get the best of both worlds.

 

I witnessed this very problem when I was in college, and I actually raised concern to the school about it at the time (which was ignored). To this day I tell students I meet that in the computer science arena, there is no room for solely learning outdated computers/materials/tools, it's detrimental to the students who will be entering the real world with outdated knowledge. I tell that that in addition to what you learn at school, be sure to do things at home, on your own, in order to learn the most up to date methods, etc. While it's not always bad if you want to begin working for an organization that never updates anything...it's counter to what this industry represents. When I was in college, they were giving COBOL classes because that's what much of the corporate world used at the time...and while that was useful for a time, it's simply behind the curve. IMO, students need to be AHEAD of the curve, or at the very least, with the curve.

 

Students shouldn't be learning on Windows XP...it's nearly a decade old. They should be learning on Windows 7.

 

I was hired for my current job 1.5 years ago mostly because I know COBOL and I'm still under 40. I guess I'm one of the rare ones. The last 2 programmers they hired didn't know any COBOL at all. But they need younger people to take over when everyone starts retiring in the next 10 years.

 

[RockRaines]

For many IT and CS classes I firmly believe they should be teaching SAP, etc. They don't have to go into great detail, but getting familiar with programs like that will be greatly beneficial and really will give any university department a huge leap in terms of rankings.

Java, .net, SQL, Oracle, and the main ERP's would be a nice base of knowledge for kids to have coming into the work place. If you could somehow kick some network diagnostics in there like knowing how to monitor netflow etc, you would be a very good hire for many companies.

[RockRaines]

I was hired for my current job 1.5 years ago mostly because I know COBOL and I'm still under 40. I guess I'm one of the rare ones. The last 2 programmers they hired didn't know any COBOL at all. But they need younger people to take over when everyone starts retiring in the next 10 years.

Wow, thats rare. Most guys i know that can write in COBOL are over 50. I tell my clients I may be one of the younger folks they meet that knows C++

[Iwritecode]

Wow, thats rare. Most guys i know that can write in COBOL are over 50. I tell my clients I may be one of the younger folks they meet that knows C++

 

When I was in college they were still teaching C. Then 10 years later I went back and tried to take an Advanced C++ class. That was rough. I still don't really have a good grasp on it. I'm much better with older mainframe stuff.

 

Even languages most people have never heard of like PL/1 and Natural.

[Y2HH]

When I was in college they were still teaching C. Then 10 years later I went back and tried to take an Advanced C++ class. That was rough. I still don't really have a good grasp on it. I'm much better with older mainframe stuff.

 

Even languages most people have never heard of like PL/1 and Natural.

 

I took both JCL and Cobol in college...hated both. I hate mainframes and the outdated code that rides on them. I vowed to never program in COBOL or anything related to mainframes after graduation...and I've kept that promise.

[RockRaines]

I took both JCL and Cobol in college...hated both. I hate mainframes and the outdated code that rides on them. I vowed to never program in COBOL or anything related to mainframes after graduation...and I've kept that promise.

Luckily alot of the mainframe software vendors have upgraded their software to be more like a windows program including "install shield" like screens. They did this particularly to combat the dying age group of mainframe programmers.

[Iwritecode]

I took both JCL and Cobol in college...hated both. I hate mainframes and the outdated code that rides on them. I vowed to never program in COBOL or anything related to mainframes after graduation...and I've kept that promise.

 

COBOL was the first language I learned and I took to it pretty well. I had a harder time with Visual Basic and C for some reason.

 

I been using JCL for about 10 years now but I just recently learned how to create emails with it by incorporating HTML into it.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Your school is using old macs, and furthermore, old operating system software, which is the problem. They haven't made a mouse that looks like that in about 5 years now. Also, if your administrators bothered configuring anything properly, they'd work properly. It's not that the OS can't do these things, they can and have for years.

 

Modern macs do everything you are questioning, including tabs, split clicking, scroll-wheels, etc. As a matter of fact, my mouse has 5 buttons and a scroll-wheel that can also scroll side to side as well as up/down.

 

This is like me b****ing that Windows 2000 can't play certain games well, or doesn't work with my modern HD 1080p Camcorder (which would make sense since 1080p didn't exist when Windows 2000 was out).

 

Both Leopard 10.5.x and Snow Leopard 10.6.x and Lion 10.7.x (coming out in the next few days), all support these features. Leopard, for example, was released in 2007...it's that old...and macs have supported all of these features since.

 

In either case, it's not the macs problem...it's either the people administrating them that are incompetent, or they never upgraded anything since before 07...and in that case I'd recommend transferring to a better school.

 

Well I have no idea how old the computers are, but they certainly don't look old. Maybe we just kept the old mice? I don't know, but I really couldn't care less because, again, I don't use MACs, so I could careless how well they work because I use my PC for everything I can.

[Y2HH]

Well I have no idea how old the computers are, but they certainly don't look old. Maybe we just kept the old mice? I don't know, but I really couldn't care less because, again, I don't use MACs, so I could careless how well they work because I use my PC for everything I can.

 

Technically, a Mac is a PC, same hardware.

 

Using Windows vs OSX is merely a difference in operating systems.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Technically, a Mac is a PC, same hardware.

 

Using Windows vs OSX is merely a difference in operating systems.

 

Ok, well you know what I mean.