Prius Owners and Mac Users

I use a PC for a couple reasons. The most important reason is useability. By this I mean mostly software. Someone in a post said it is a non-issue. While most graphic and music software is available for both, the PC is far ahead in other areas. I am currently deciding on what computer to put in my Prius. I would love to put a MAC Mini in. Just because it is so small. But, it will not run Delorme software, it will not interface with my GPS or run its software. It will not run automobile test software (what ever the type is for the Prius, I don't think it is OBDII). And I don't want to emulate a PC and get very slow 3D graphics from my Delorme Topo or slow map draws.

For my home PC, I do video editing. Adobe Premiere and Photoshop come in both versions, but the hardware card for advanced graphics would have cost me over 5 grand vs the PC version at 1 grand. Also, I use titling and motion graphic software only available on the PC. The audio edit software that I like also only on a PC.

Then there are the games. I like high graphic fast games and these are mostly only available on the PC.

Oh, and the PC as move way beyond the 2 button mouse. Mine is 5 buttons plus side to side scrolling. Oh, and I like my game pad too and it only works on a PC.

But really, doesn't that Mac Mini just look cool?

 

The first GUI I saw was the Xerox Alto when I interviewed for a job at PARC in the late 70s. I bought my first Mac in March 1984. I realize that a GUI is not for everyone. I worked on one design in the early 80s that used a GUI and a light pen. (Mice were still hidden away at Xerox.) One of my co-workers let out a stream of expletives every time she touched the light pen. I loved it. She, by the way, knew the two-digit hex multiplication table by heart. Not all brains work the same way.

I've always liked new technology. One of my first dream cars was the Citroen DS-19 in the middle 50s. I liked the hydraulic suspension, etc. Fortunately, I was too young to buy one. By the time I had enough money, I had also acquired a bit of wisdom -- reliability is also important.

Hybrid cars intrigued me from the beginning. I really liked the technology in the Insight, but it's simply too impractical as my only car. I almost got a Civic Hybrid, thinking that the Honda design is simpler. Then I looked at the Toyota design more carefully. It is simply a very cool system.

I then delayed my purchase because of the long wait, but I finally gave in. (You only live once.) I've put almost 1,000 miles on my blue 2005. The thing I like most about it is it's engineering. The gas mileage is also very welcome, but I probably would have bought it anyway.

Now that I have it, though, I find myself driving very differently. I knew that driving up hills, quick starts, etc., use more gas, but I didn't realize how much more.

Similarly, the thing I like most about my Mac is knowing that it has a very advanced architecture. I get a big kick out of programming the AltaVec (Apple calls it the Velocity Engine) array processor that's built in.

Bob

 

The first Mac I was introduced to was the first modular color Mac in 1988. I immediately became a staunch devotee and stayed that way for years and installed several Mac only and a couple mixed Mac/PC networks...forced to use DOS and Win3.11 against my will and better judgement!

Although my career path in network administration shifted entirely into the dark side (Windows) by 1996 and I even have a shiny new Dell PC at home with all the latest bells and whistles, I also still have a five year old second-generation iMac (special edition graphite grey).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AnOldHouse\";p=\"90440)</div>

That is the same computer I had before I got my new iMac G5. I'm bringing mine to school to add to my 18 other 2nd generation iMacs.

 

I have to say to those who say that the Mac GUI is non intuitive that there is data on the subject. XEROX PARC studied the problem and came up with the GUI interface use by the Mac. When Bill and his crew "borrowed" the interface they turned it on its ear to avoid law suits.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jkash\";p=\"90444)</div>

That is the same computer I had before I got my new iMac G5. I'm bringing mine to school to add to my 18 other 2nd generation iMacs.[/b][/quote]
And you drive a Tideland Pearl too....hmmmm....geeky minds think alike...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ScubaX\";p=\"90437)</div>

There are lots of OS X GPS solutions -just not one yet by Delorme. Route 66 works with OS X. Just google GPS OS X and you'll find lots of options.

I have a rare (read old) MLR handheald GPS unit that has worked with my Mac since OS 9. I use it on my sailboat with an old Powerbook here in Japan.

There is talk that Tiger's new Spotlight will incorporate GPS into its file indexing system - so if you are looking for a file that you wrote on your Powerbook in Seattle while on a trip, you can find it simply by searching on the location where the file was written...look out for GPS receivers built-in to new Powerbooks sometime soon.

5 grand vs 1 grand for graphics? ATI did overcharge on Mac graphic cards for a while but the list prices are about equal now - would need a complete price comparision to make any sense out of this. The top of the line ATI card is $499 at the Apple store and can be found for a lot less elsewhere.

Games - although most great games have Mac versions, the PC simply has more. My kids have a PS 2 and Game Cube for games - it keeps them away from my Macs!

I don't know about automotive testing software but a lot of enginering software is open source and will also run on OS X or via emulation. OBDII works via VPC.

...and 5 button (or more) mice work just fine on a Mac -like a PC, these things are options of course.

 

fjef,

The graphic card I am talking about is not display, but video edit. Yes, know the MAC can edit out of the box, so can a PC. This is advanced editing - Prosumer level.

The FX/Titling software for editing that I use is PC only. If they came out with it for the MAC, I would not reinvest a couple grand to switch.

The software in my GPS (maps) does not work with MAC. The NMEA should but I already have and love Delorme software - why change?

Games, yea I see they finally got CC Generals, about 2 years after I bought it for my PC. How about Half-Life or Halo? Hey, DOOM3 is out now too, already finished it on my PC. :guns:

I will still give the Mini Mac some thought for a car computer. Change GPS software, but I also wanted a blue tooth GPS. Anyone make that?

 

Thanks fjef, you beat me to a similar reply. I have done work on the highest end graphics cards available for the movie industry and never cost close to a grand, let alone five !
Masterpieces like Lord of the Rings were done on Macs (and files transferred for rendering on ipods!) and are documented widely for the fastest rendering times.
I used gpsnavx and a cheap adapter I used on a telescope driver as one of many gps solutions. There is a demo at www.gpsnavx.com.
Sounds like rumors without research are easier to believe and what we own is what we like (or is right) some of which were true years ago.
Now I must move MY 5 function mouse to open a game that I will play with my gamepad before retiring.
See what you started "elvis" ? Fun read!

 

Longtime Mac and PC user here. Macs are just so much better than PCs that it just boggles my mind to hear how some actually think that Windows is somehow better or more intuitive. Bizarre.

 

I use both PCs and Macs routinely as part of my work and I find that, hands down, the Mac OS X is much more stable and easy-to-use than any Windows machine I have used. That's just one person's opinion though. Your mileage may vary. ;-)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Prius Maximus\";p=\"90355)</div>

Thats what I use to think.

We have a couple of Mac laptops for monitoring some spacecraft systems, and its running an old version of the MAC OS (7 or 8 I think). My sister had a very old iMac which was on OS 7. I hated it when she asked me to take a look at some problem or other as nothing made sense. Not to mention only having 1 mouse button!

Things have changed a lot on the Mac front. When I first saw OS X I was impressed, but the cost of a Mac was (still is) too high compared to a PC clone. However, with the advent of the MacMini, the price barrier is no longer so true and I bought one a couple of months ago.

I still have 2 PC's (a tower and a laptop) but I hardly use them now. The OS X was quick and easy to learn and doesnt crash any where near as often.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(exhuman\";p=\"90379)</div>

Yes. Goto the folder with the pictures, towards the middle left is a small symbol with apulldown arrow. Thereyou can select slideshow.

 

Chiming in: As a user of both systems I find mac to be a far superior environment in which to create. Mock me if you must. For me, like Prius, Mac feels friendly.

Watts D. Hour

 

Someone recently asked me if I was worried about the computer in the Prius getting a virus. My response was that if the OS in the Prius was a Microsoft product, I would certainly not have bought the car.

I don't worry about reliability or viruses in my Prius or my computer network.

I bought the Prius because after 8 years and thousands of cars sold and tested, they have proven reliable and "friendly". I buy Macs for my business because after 21 years of using and supporting computers, Macs have proven far more secure and reliable.

The peace of mind, and the "friendliness" factor is worth more than any extra dollars (or in my case, yen) spent. In fact, the reduced maintenance costs, downtime and increased efficiency have left me way ahead - and a little friendlier...

 

Got my Powerbook and my Prius right here.

Now all I have to do is get them talking via bluetooth so I can start transfering entries from my address book.

Anyone had luck with this before?

 

Spam is not platform dependent by any means, any more than an email address is platform dependent.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DanMan32\";p=\"90506)</div>

You are right - but with OS X, the Mail application is very user friendly and junk mail handling is elegant, intuitive and seamless - so spam is not a problem.