Given that I can buy anything on the market the "hater" term doesn't apply, and that's just it - I just can't buy into that black-and-white, hive-mind world view.

I buy whatever product best fits my needs at any given time.

Six or seven years ago the 12" Powerbook G4 was the best product for my needs. Three years later the VAIO SZ was the best product for my needs - the equivalent Mac at the time didn't have discreet graphics, a DVD burner, or even an LED screen [].

When I was looking to replace my SZ I did look at Apple but the fact of the matter was that the Apple product literally couldn't do half what the VAIO TT can/could in a similarly sized package - but I would never try to convince you - particularly over your objections - that the VAIO was a better option for you.

Another funny thing about this and similar threads - I posted that I personally didn't like the trend of moving completely away from the optical drive but I have never once tried to convince anyone else that they are wrong for personally choosing that strategy for themselves, yet all of the Apple fans seem compelled to try and convince me of how wrong I am.

I don't like how Apple's disproportionate power in the marketplace is/will be limiting my choices in the future but I couldn't care less what you personally might choose for yourself - why is it so important for you guys to try and convert me, to convince me that the Apple way is the one, true way?

As I said before, it's kind of weird.

I wouldn't be surprised to one day see Apple Geniuses with clipboards standing outside of Apple stores offering to give free "personality tests" the way the Scientologists do.

Springfield gets a Mapple store!

Lisa Simpson: "[sad] I'll never have a Mapple anything."

Crusty: "Here kid, take my Mipod."

Lisa Simpson: "[joy] Now I am a Mapple person!"

Mapple drone: "We are all Mapple people."

Lisa Simpson: "[dejected] Oh, sorry."

Honestly, nobody is trying to convince you to buy anything or that any product is better for you than the one you have chosen for yourself.

I own a Sony TT myself. It's an excellent machine. Just gave it to my daughter. I never did understand why it wasn't more popular and didn't develop a following like other thin/light machines. Maybe it was the small screen size? I don't know. I don't know why they don't have a cult following either, but I suppose you could take a look at the new Z, or how their first mp3 players didn't play mp3s? etc, etc, etc. Strange how they managed to screw all that up, isn't it?

People are questioning your arguments, and you continue to use terms like the hive mind mentality, "apple fanatics" comments, comparison to TSA, Mapple store nonsense, and other non-technical arguments to try to turn the technical argument around to something that it isn't. You are trying to bait people and that has nothing to do at all with your real argument. But it lets you respond to their responses in a way that I think most intelligent people can see through. Why do that at all? It's only to bait people, right? Strange.

Try to stick to your technical argument, and it will be a much better thread. @:-)

JMHO.

-David

"Nonsense", LOL!

Yes, because The Simpsons regularly dedicate hundreds of thousands [if not millions] of dollars to create and air an episode that satirizes a non-existent phenomenon.

"Nobody", really? You sure about that?

I am also sure that all of the people in that 50+ page Apple thread in Omni are also just "baiting" people - well, except for those defending the faith of course, right?

You're so funny, anrkitec, you remind me of myself :P I'm an audiophile. I rejected iPod for years because of its closed system and its look. However, sony mp3 can't keep up, and Zune, I get it fixed under warranty 6 times and still coming with the same problems, thus I sold it. Both device can't display chinese characters. I get iPod classic as last resort, and loved it. Combined with macbook & osx, it's just work. Now, I got iPod touch which complement as PDA, mp3 player and portable game system.
I'm so grateful I got my mom converted to mac. Instead of once a month having to fix something on her pc, I just go there, run the update and onyx.

Actually I don't really think I am just like you - not in the way you have framed your statement. Are you actually reading the posts here?

[1] I haven't had any problems with my current and previous VAIO so I am not looking for a 'more reliable' solution, [2] I have had Apple laptops before and currently own three [and actually use two] Apple products, and [3] I have never had any problems navigating the Windows environment the way so many Apple fans seem to have though I do admit [and have said so before] that UNIX is a fundamentally better base kernel than is DOS.

I guess that is why I can't buy into the whole Apple "experience" thing; I have never been so frustrated by Windows/PCs that a mac is like a revelation to me.

But this isn't Omni and this isn't that thread. I don't know anything about that thread. It's strange that you want to turn this into an argument with what you call "fanatics". Strange and weird.

Why not use the South Park human centipod parody episode as an example? Was that one just too over the top?

Can we get back to the topic and have a real discussion based on facts without all the BS?

-David

Nope, sorry, it doesn't hold on tactics or results either. The TSA dictates because they are in a position of absolute power: "Do as I say if you want to fly today".

Apple on the other hand innovates, and other companies (Sony, Samsung, Intel, etc) choose to copy. Apple can't dictate because they don't have a chokehold on the CE market. They don't have a game console, make TV's, audio equipment, etc. They just do computers (desktops, notebooks, tablets), phones, and personal audio. And have a set top box as a "hobby". Actually, if any company should dominate, it should be Sony...

Now if you were referring to the AppStore, your analogy would stand up. But you weren't....

Yawn.

I went from MacOS to Win7.

Sold my MacBook Pro and bought a Vaio. Win7 beats MacOS in my opinion, and there was just too much that 'Just Didn't Work' on the Mac.

I still have an iMac, but just run Win7.

Why sell the hardware? Why not just dual boot and have the best of both worlds?

That's what I did on the MacBook, but I needed a new laptop with 8GB of RAM (the MacBook only supported 4GB).

I was initially going to get a Sandy Bridge Macbook, but the I had a look at the Vaio, and decided to go for that.

The only thing I miss is the MagicMouse (I thought I'd be able to get it to work on the Vaio, but it's proved to be beyond my capabilities ).

I'll still probably buy a new iMac this year. Nothing comes close IMO - even if I do only really ever boot into Win7.

Cheers,
Rick

I just replaced my TT with the new Vaio Z (yesterday!). It's really amazing engineering. From a hardware perspective, nothing that Apple's doing on the notebook side is any better.

Sony ID (industrial design) is pretty sweet and these types of unites can be very nice indeed. Historically, there were some pretty pervasive failure rates and hardware problems, but I THINK/HOPE they got most of that worked out. The only downside I can think of is that one still is required to run Win7 ;-)

Yeah - I think the reliability on their premium Vaio stuff is a bunch better than some of their other CE. Biggest problem with their builds is that a lot of their internal notebook guts end up being very proprietary. That's not dissimilar to mac, but more challenging/expensive to work with than other Windows notebook makers.

true, but just to add. the reliability issues were with the higher priced Vaio, Z etc. lines. I do think they should have fixed a lot of the problems, since they got a LOT of them returned.

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For years the only reason I had windows machines was to have a small, light notebook like a Viao or a netbook. Once the MB Airs came out I had the option of a small, light Mac. I just got an 11 inch MB Air and am off in my first trip with it. In the office it seemed great.