Apple vs. IBM

[windhound]

 "Describe why IBM and Apple computers are not compatible"
I've looked around on the internet but found mostly useless information, can some of yall discuss what ya know?

PC vs. Mac discussions are also welcome (and inaviodable), I personally perfer PCs, but I know several people that like their Macs, yet, its kinda like apples and pears, both are shaped different and taste different, but they are about the same size and about as filling, usually the apple is more crunchy though...
meh.

[Riverpaw]

 A.) File System
B.) File Extension vs. Header File Type Info
C.) Drive Letters vs. Drive Names (maybe)
D.) Endianness (or so I think)
E.) IBM = PC != Mac
F.) MSFT / IBM Alliance vs. Apple

Just to get you started...

[The Beatles]

 

412. Most harmful of all is the message that Microsoft's actions have conveyed to every enterprise with the potential to innovate in the computer industry. Through its conduct toward Netscape, IBM, Compaq, Intel, and others, Microsoft has demonstrated that it will use its prodigious market power and immense profits to harm any firm that insists on pursuing initiatives that could intensify competition against one of Microsoft's core products. Microsoft's past success in hurting such companies and stifling innovation deters investment in technologies and businesses that exhibit the potential to threaten Microsoft. The ultimate result is that some innovations that would truly benefit consumers never occur for the sole reason that they do not coincide with Microsoft's self-interest.

__________________________
Thomas Penfield Jackson
U.S. District Judge

(Court's Findings of Fact)


Of course, we must remember that Microsoft heavily funded Apple, and Apple wouldn't be here if Microsoft hadn't existed. Of course, with 2-3% of the market share in desktop OS, it's not really here anyways - again mainly due to Microsoft.

[Mark]

 You really have to see to judge, an awful lot of you have just simply been saying "Macs sucks", and you don't even know what your saying.

[Veranor]

 It depends on your tastes. I know a lot of people who swear by Macs. It's good for artists I hear, and for people who don't want to have to learn a lot to get around fairly well. Actually, though, the only reason I use windows is for games. I've got partition magic and mandrake/redhat sitting on my desk calling though...

[Riverpaw]

 Macs all the way for graphic design, but otherwise, I'm just too PC oriented. Yeah, I'd like Linux...

[Gen. Volkov]

 Schools have Macs.... 'nuff said...... *Snicker, if that doesn't bring down the place round his ears.. nothin will*

[caedo caelestis]

 The main arguement is kind of too general, I will try to explain...

IBM manufactures primarily complete systems, like Dell or HP/Compact but even within IBM systems their are incompatibilities. All of the workstations are using 64 bit processors which would generally make them incompatible with their 32bit counterpart desktop computers. In regards to say anything designed/hard-coded to the 32 bit platform will not work on the 64 bit system, with the exception of the Opteron only because its a 64/32 bit hybrid.

Apple has also manufactured many computers, I don't know the technical details for them but I don't think the old AppleIIe games work on a G5, but then again my knowledge of Apple is almost completly nil.

Another theoretical/educated guess - The what if statement
What if someone coded an opertating system in C, not nescesarily a *NIX based one but an OS none the less. It could be ported to both computers manufactured by IBM and Apple. As long as no one writes code that goes around the OS and talks directly to the hardware, there should be no incompatibilities. This would however require that the machines are both roughly of equal hardware, performance wise.

A.) File System - Operating System Based
File system if in which you mean FAT32/NTFS/FFS/NFS are based almost completly on an operating system, not really on the computers manufactured by Apple or IBM, although most operating systems are not portable. As opposed to BSD/*NIX which are coded in C and if anyone wanted to code a port, could theoretically use it on any computer. Other operating systems are written in assembly/(insert other language here) and are pretty much stuck to one flavour of computers or to a more defined point, processors, since assembly talks directly to the hardware/processor. As the 64 bit processors hit the mainstream people will start to become more informed about that. Until then have fun paying 600$ for one.

B.) File Extension vs. Header File Type Info - Operating System Based
File extensions in Windows are pretty much for our benefit, they allow you to associate files with programs, which can be bound and then executed by double clicking on a file from within Windows. Header file type info which im assuming is Mac OS would probably be exactly the same and shouldn't cause incompatibilities as long as you have a program on each system capable of opening/using the file.

C.) Drive Letters vs. Drive Names (maybe)
Maybe, as in maybe not. Just something that is different between the OS'. How that would cause incompatibilities I have no idea. *NIX mounts drives in a hierarchy something simillar to the directory structure in Windows, only you mount drives like folders spreading from root.

D.) Endianness (or so I think)
Big Endian/Little Endian - I don't completly understand it so im not going to comment.

E.) IBM = PC != Mac
Nice equation, but a Mac can still be considered a Personal computer, along with a commadore 64 and various other pieces of junk.

F.) MSFT / IBM Alliance vs. Apple
Yeah, Microsoft likes to make things incompatible to retain their monopoly. Although this point is contridicted by Beatles post, at different points in history things were different.


You really have to see to judge, an awful lot of you have just simply been saying "Macs sucks", and you don't even know what your saying.
Very True.


It depends on your tastes. I know a lot of people who swear by Macs. It's good for artists I hear, and for people who don't want to have to learn a lot to get around fairly well.
To the first two points, ditto. Again the artist thing I am uncertain of, and I like to think Windows makes it easy enough to get around.


Macs all the way for graphic design, but otherwise, I'm just too PC oriented. Yeah, I'd like Linux...
I'd think it would have something to do with the quality of graphic design programs created for each platform. If your gonna tell me it has something to do with hardware, I'd like to see benchmarks. Then again im not sure how you could compare benchmarks from a graphics design program.


Schools have Macs.... 'nuff said......
If your teacher jumped off a bridge would you?


Computers are like screws.
You have your different heads, philips, common, and roberston
You have different sizes.
Some of these screws are different lengths, they will not fit into all the places you would like to put them.
As long as the screw fits who cares. As for the idiots who strip them, they shouldn't have a screwdriver in the first place.


Feel free to correct any errors, personally i'd like to hear boze's input on this subject.

I take no responsibility for spelling and/or grammatical errors.
All opinions are my own and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Information contained within this post is not guranteed in any way.
I'm not responsible for anyone jumping off bridges.

[Gen. Volkov]

 *Snickers some more, and so it starts* Well actually.. I was arguing AGAINST Macs with that statement.. seeing as our public schools are pretty much a joke... especially where I come from...

[Riverpaw]

 

E.) IBM = PC != Mac
Nice equation, but a Mac can still be considered a Personal computer, along with a commadore 64 and various other pieces of junk.

I merely meant that a mac is not compatible with a PC.
Edit: Are you implying that Macs are junk?

[Aminrael]

 I just want to point out: Macs have no taskbar. And that reeeeeeally irritates me. Immensly. Plus, I luff my Dell Latitude laptop, and I don't want any other compy. *pets compy*

And no, I'm not saying that the only reason I dislike Macs is because they have no taskbars. There are other reasons, but that's the reason thats popping into my head right now.

[Riverpaw]

Macs have no taskbar.

They do have the apple icon in lieu of the start menu and the box in the upper right for switching windows, so what's really missing, or are you just not used to the feel?

[Aminrael]

 Are you talking about the "Finder" option, or are you talking about OS 10? My mom's computer is an iMac, and when my computer broke, I had to use hers for two weeks. OS 8.6. *shudder*

[caedo caelestis]

E.) IBM = PC != Mac
Nice equation, but a Mac can still be considered a Personal computer, along with a commadore 64 and various other pieces of junk.

I merely meant that a mac is not compatible with a PC.
Edit: Are you implying that Macs are junk?

I don't see how im implying that. Just that there are other things that can be considered PCs that are pieces of junk.

[Riverpaw]

I don't see how im implying that. Just that there are other things that can be considered PCs that are pieces of junk.

I never understand my subconscious, but I have a felling this has to do with my teacher overly emphasizing thinking outside the box.