As a Mac user, I'm going to respond to all of your points.
Note I'm not saying OS X is better than Windows (I quite like Windows 7, myself), I just think a lot of your complaints are ill-informed.
A lot of these things depend on the hardware, so maybe the Macs you've been using simply haven't had enough processing power, or RAM, or a good enough video card for you to do all the things you've been bitching about. (I will admit that you can get a more powerful Windows machine for less money than a less-powerful Mac.)
Anyway, here goes:
Ghostbusters said:
Here's list of reasons why I don't like Apple:
Dysfunctional OS,
The task bar on bottom of the desktop looks flashy, but it makes it hard for me to tell what documents/programs are minimized, with Windows it is clear as day to distinct different documents minimized in the task bar.
Minimized documents/programs are put on the other size of the dividing bar next to the trash can. Also, the "task bar," as you call it (the dock), can be on the bottom, left, or right of the screen, and you can set it to hide when your mouse is elsewhere so it doesn't get in the way.
GUI,
Windows GUI is very customizable, with Macs you're forced to see what they give you. With Windows you can view your folder files in many different ways from Filmstrip to Details, with Macs you're forced to view files in a list and I like to view them as thumbnails, it feels the most intuitive and comfortable to me. Mac OS GUI don't feel intuitive to me like Windows OS. With Windows I feel like I have a very good sense of where everything is, but with Macs I feel like I'm kind of shooting in the dark.
There are four options in the Finder for viewing files:
- List (I'm with you, kind of annoying)
- Columns (my personal preference - I always use this)
- Thumbnails (this was the default when I first started my Mac)
- Cover flow (fuck cover flow)
In other words, you're not "forced to see what they give you" - you can change how you view items in the Finder, and your preference - thumbnails - is one of the options.
One-click Mouse,
I know they finally got rid of that damn thing not too long ago, but those things drove me nuts! To right-click you had to hit cnrl first, again, not intuitive.
You basically just said "This complaint is no longer valid, but I'm going to complain about it anyway!"
I'm using a Logitech 3-button mouse with my Mac, and I have been using the same Logitech 3-button mouse for five years on the same Mac. Two-button mouse capability has been in OS X for a very long time - Apple just didn't sell their own multi-button mice until three or four years ago (and I hate their mice anyway).
Quick-keys,
In my experience it seems like Macs require you to learn a lot of quick keys in order to perform functions. With Windows everything is layed out visually so you don't have to learn any quick keys
I use "quick keys" in Windows more than I use them in OS X. Besides, it's good to know keyboard shortcuts for any operating system - it exponentially speeds up your workflow.
Screens,
I don't know what it is about Macs, but their screens just don't looks as crisp and clear as PC screens.
...Huh?!
Gaming,
They're not designed for gaming and you have to wait a long time for the games to come on in Mac format after they come out for PCs.
Then use Boot Camp to install Windows on a second partition, and play games that way. That's what I do.
Besides, I never play games anyway, so I really don't give a damn about that.
Updating,
With all the add-ons/fixes/bugs/viruses these days on the internet you need to update frequently. I don't think Apple has nearly as much updating going on as Microsoft does. Of course they say that their platform is better, that is why they don't have the need to fix as many security holes/bugs/fixes and add-ons. But it is also because a lot less people use them, so it is less of a problem.
As someone who switches between OS X and Windows 7 semi-regularly (as in, I'll use my Windows partition once a month or so), I update on my OS X side multiple times per month, whereas I update once every two or three months on my Windows side.
Multitasking,
I don't know what the latest macs are like with multitasking, but the ones at my school would go to a crawl anytime you had more than one program running at time.
Right now, I'm listening to The Black Keys playing from iTunes, using Firefox with 9 tabs open, ripping a DVD to my external hard drive with MacTheRipper, and encoding other ripped DVDs to MKVs using HandBrake, all while using uTorrent to download ... ah ... stuff.
I've never had my Mac crash from running too many things at once. The worst that'll happen is that any video file above 480p won't play smoothly while encoding video, which makes perfect sense.
Oh, and did I mention this is all on a 5-year-old MacBook Pro?
Video Editing,
Everybody says Macs are the best when it comes to video editing and Photoshop. I've had a better experience doing both on a PC. Again Macs are slower and harder to multitask, key things you need to have when video editing and photoshoping.
"Macs are slower?" Nope, sorry.
"Harder to multitask?" Again, nope.
The biggest reason why having a Mac in the video editing world is so important? Interchangeability.
What if I'm cutting something in Avid on a Windows machine, and then it turns out the colorist wants to work in Apple's Final Cut Studio Color (which is not available on anything but OS X)? This is a huge obstacle that is immensely difficult to work around.
What if I'm cutting something in Avid on a Mac, and the colorist wants to work in Final Cut Studio's Color? Guess what, that exact same thing happened to me last semester. We transferred it in a day. You know what my post supervisor said to me? "Thank fucking Christ you weren't working in Windows."
Plus, I've found Avid to run much better on OS X than Windows.
Speed,
Macs just by nature seem to be slow and I don't think they can be overclocked?
Yes, Macs can be overclocked, and I have no idea where you're getting this "Mac = slow" mentality. I maintain that it's because you're used to working on Windows computers with better hardware than the Macs you've used.
Proprietary Everything,
With Macs you're forced to buy proprietary everything made by apple. The hardware, software, and even internet connection has to be proprietary and you pay a premium for all these that are way cheaper with PCs for the same performance.
- You can install OS X on any computer with an Intel chipset. You're not meant to, but you can do it.
- What software has to be proprietary? I don't have to use iTunes, or Safari, or Mail, or Final Cut, or Aperture, or any of Apple's applications if I don't want to - I can use Firefox, or Thunderbird, or Avid, or Photoshop, etc.
- What the hell does "Internet connection has to be proprietary" mean?! The only Apple aspect of my internet connection is my Apple-made computer and operating system. My internet connection comes from Comcast, and my wireless router is Linksys, and I can either use a standard broadband cable or WiFi to connect. How is that in any way proprietary?
Price,
Everything with apple costs at least twice as much for the equivalent of PCs.
You're right on the money there. Apple products are way overpriced.
The iPhone,
The iPhone was the most overrated piece of crap. Steve Jobs said the iPhone is going to be way ahead of everything else out there but instead turned out to be 2 years outdated by the time it came out. Many phones had the same features an iPhone had 2 years before it came out. And you're forced to use AT&T for the phone service, buy far the worst and most expensive phone service provider out there. I do know that people can hack iPhones to work with different carriers.
I have an Android phone, so I can't comment on the iPhone.
However, in less than a month the iPhone 4 will be available from Verizon (without hacking), so your "AT&T Suxxorz" sentiment is moot.
iTunes
I never cared for the software, it's too busy and always pops up after download a music file, and I couldn't find a way to turn that off. It gets annoying. I like to view the files in a folder, with iTunes you have to view them in the software. I heard it will automatically tag your music files but that didn't work for me. I ended up uninstalling the program because of the stupid pop-up feature.
You can get rid of iTunes and use a wide variety of alternative software. I have no idea what the "pop-up" feature you speak of is. I don't mind iTunes, though, so I use it (for music only, I hate using it for video).
Also, I will state here that iTunes on Windows blows giant monkey chunks. It wasn't designed for Windows, and it works like shit on it.
Quicktime,
Quicktime and it seems like every other software program made by Apple runs a lot more resource intensive than any other software made by a different company.
That's only on Windows (see my iTunes-on-Windows comment above - it applies to Quicktime as well). Quicktime is very resource-light on a Mac, and it works very well for what it does.
I don't use it. I use VLC. Yes, on my Mac.
The drag and drop feature,
Their dragging drives into the Trash Bin to eject disks is really old fashioned and amateur. It makes it feel like a computer made for babies.
Command+delete = item goes to trash.
Right click+"Move to Trash" = item goes to trash.
Right click+"Eject Disk" = disk is ejected.
You don't have to drag-and-drop a damn thing if you don't want to.
But I thought you were all about the all-clicking-on-things, no-shortcuts GUI of Windows earlier? Surely dragging-and-dropping is the kind of thing you want, right? No? Hmm...
Amateurish,
It feels like it is made for people who don't know how to use computers
Says the person who thinks Apple has a "proprietary" way to connect to the Internet that you have to use.
What are you thoughts on Apple products? I have not kept up to date with Apple so they might have changed a lot in the last few years and my complaints about the software might be my fault. I've used older Macs, I know their newer ones are a lot better than their older ones.
So what you're saying is, you don't like Macs because you used very outdated versions of them (going by your complaints, anyway), therefore they must still suck as hard today? Interesting.
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Anyway, what are my thoughts?
I like Apple laptops quite a bit. iMacs are okay. Mac Pros are immensely powerful desktops, and I want one really badly.
iPhone? Don't care, I like my Droid, thanks.
iPad? Don't care, I don't feel like I'd ever use it.
That's about it. I'm not the "OMG Apple announced something new IWANTITNOW!!!!" Apple-fanboy guy - I like some of their products. The ones I prefer to their competition's, I'll purchase. The ones I don't, I won't. Simple as that.
Mac computers are pretty important to me in my (future) profession, as it requires me to be proficient not only in cross-platform programs, but in OS X-exclusive programs as well. If I couldn't use Final Cut, I'd lose out on, like, 50% of all the video editing/colorist jobs out there.
So I'll stick with my Mac. But as I said, I do sneak into good old Windows on occasion...
