How I see it...

I've read about peoples views about PC's and Mac's.
 
I've been told what makes them different but I don't know.
 
I read what people say about incompatabilty with different parts for PC and read
about Macs not being "customizable" and Apple programs for them.
 
Then I wonder...If there are only a couple of major PC manufacturers that sell more computers than I can imagine and they don't offer that many models then why is it that the software for them doesn't get along with them?
When it doesn't the recommendation is that a specialist can find out why...well then, does that mean that the ones that wrote the software didn't? Does it really mean that they didn't test it using the makes of the most popular selling computers?
 
It just seems strange to me based on the little bit I may know...and it could be wrong...maybe Dell and HP aren't so big. Maybe the couple of processor and video card makers aren't so big. Just not much of it making sense at all to me.
 
I read it all has bugs. Does that mean it just can't be done right?
 
 
thought I'd add...there are only 3 forums I visit. 2 of them are people sharing creative works and ideas- 1 is for
people having trouble and asking for help.
Using software and computers is the only thing that is in my life that has a forum for trying to get what they paid for working.
 

Can you name me something else in your house that you have purchased that you spend time on a forum that is there for people to sort out what's wrong and they can fix it?
 
I can name one thing in my house that I joined a forum to help me resolve issues and that was in 2004 and today I'm still here and people are dealing with the same issues.
 
Just one Mesh?

Mesh...I wasn't putting one name on it...
 
I'll ask again, (respectfully) can you name me one more thing in your house that you bought to use and that you have to join a forum to get help because it doesn't work?
 
I have one thing in mine...computers. Nothing else.
It is the one thing that doesn't work. It is always in need of me trying to fix or update it. It is a time sucking piece of ****.
If I do manage to get it lined out after countless hours I know that it won't be many hours and I'll be back to dealing with it's problems.
 
It is without doubt the most expensive, time sucking piece of **** that has ever been made and it's in a class all by itself.
 
The people that make them, sell parts for them and write software for them have to know this and have to constantly be on top of keeping things changing because if not for "changes" people would dump it in the trash quicker than a cat licks its ass.

There are too many cooks in the computer world, imperfect standards (and accompanying documentation), great complexity, too many changes, and the somewhat unique possibility that a small problem can mess up everything - if your car has a minor noise coming from, say, an interior vent, it doesn't crash the whole car.
 
And all kinds of SW gets installed, including lots of stuff that goes under the casual user's radar - stuff that even if it's well intended might cause problems. And sometimes the bigger, household names (like the ones you mentioned) insist on installing layers of their own crap to try and make things "better", "easier" or somehow "add value" and those of us who are more closely involved with computers tend to avoid that stuff like the plague.
 
There are also business related problems - too few programmers are often asked to do too much in too little time and stuff is sent out the door too soon with too little testing.  Then resources are torn between the next revenue-creating-release vs. fixing the current release (which doesn't pull in any new revenue, at least in the short term). Prioritizing things is difficult: Which bugs should get fixed first, minor easy-to-fix stuff or more serious but more time consuming, harder to fix stuff? And when some bugs fall into the category of very serious, but only affecting a small number of users, how do you prioritize those?
 
Unfortunately, all of these factors collude to make life difficult. For those of us more versed in computer stuff, we are very careful in what HW we buy and then guard our systems carefully from unnecessary SW in order to try and minimize, but not eliminate, problems. But this gets beyond the average user's scope very quickly.
 
Sadly, I don't have a better answer for you.

drewfx1
There are too many cooks in the computer world, imperfect standards (and accompanying documentation), great complexity, too many changes, and the somewhat unique possibility that a small problem can mess up everything - if your car has a minor noise coming from, say, an interior vent, it doesn't crash the whole car.
 
And all kinds of SW gets installed, including lots of stuff that goes under the casual user's radar - stuff that even if it's well intended might cause problems. And sometimes the bigger, household names (like the ones you mentioned) insist on installing layers of their own crap to try and make things "better", "easier" or somehow "add value" and those of us who are more closely involved with computers tend to avoid that stuff like the plague.
 
There are also business related problems - too few programmers are often asked to do too much in too little time and stuff is sent out the door too soon with too little testing.  Then resources are torn between the next revenue-creating-release vs. fixing the current release (which doesn't pull in any new revenue, at least in the short term). Prioritizing things is difficult: Which bugs should get fixed first, minor easy-to-fix stuff or more serious but more time consuming, harder to fix stuff? And when some bugs fall into the category of very serious, but only affecting a small number of users, how do you prioritize those?
 
Unfortunately, all of these factors collude to make life difficult. For those of us more versed in computer stuff, we are very careful in what HW we buy and then guard our systems carefully from unnecessary SW in order to try and minimize, but not eliminate, problems. But this gets beyond the average user's scope very quickly.
 
Sadly, I don't have a better answer for you.

Ok................so what's the downside?

 

 In my time as a PC user I approached the whole thing as an ongoing process instead of a once and done event. In working with a medium that can be and is constantly modified I tend to try and incorporate improvements where necessary and affordable. In buying into the idea of something that is never going to be completed we don't need to stop using what we have if it still works but understanding that the day will come when we will need to make what we have fit into the new normal. 
 
 There is absolutely nothing wrong with my present setup. Even so, I am looking at what needs to be done in the future to keep it all talking and current,mainly because of the very real chance of hardware failure at any time. I save back ups but this isn't a perfect long term strategy if you want to work  in the future  on  different systems. No one wants to rebuild all of their hard earned work and software from scratch. I can't imagine how long it would take for me to round up all my software and serial numbers and reload it all( if I can find it all), and then hope that all of it loads and sees the right files in the right places.
 
 Looking ahead keeps it simple for me. I don't remember ever having any software that was so bad it didn't communicate or load. I wouldn't say it has always been a smooth ride but usually it was a simple process of working through something and it never kept me from getting what I had set out to do accomplished. Maybe a factory patch or a memory upgrade, an audio driver.Nothing that ever threatened to stop the show. Mac users have it too. The OS is constantly changing . Same with the hardware, always changes over time. I don't think it's a platform issue I think it's part of being a computer owner who uses software over years.
 
 

FWIW, we recently received notification from Jeep about a software glitch that could stop airbags and seatbelts from working in a crash. This will obviously be fixed free of charge. But still, so much for the good old days.

ppppfft. They both work well here...so there.

spacey
Can you name me something else in your house that you have purchased that you spend time on a forum that is there for people to sort out what's wrong and they can fix it?
 
I can name one thing in my house that I joined a forum to help me resolve issues and that was in 2004 and today I'm still here and people are dealing with the same issues.
 
Just one Mesh?

Seriously, this will likely, eventually, get on the lists of companies and things that have to get removed off the market ... I'm getting tired of Microsoft not helping, but they make money ... I get tired of people thinking Apple is cool, and they have, for 30 years stiffled competition and software makers, more than anyone else!
 
In the end, all it takes is a state, add a statute that buggy software can not be sold in that state and the company will face fines, if they do not support their software ... and if they do NOT, then, they can not sell it in that state ... and pretty soon it will be 50 states! Hopefully!
 
On that day, Sonar will stop having issues, and IKT will regret not helping Mosh!