        The following files (listed in the order in which they appear) were 
compiled by: Tim Bailen (last file added by Grant Guenther.  File not uploaded, but added to this)

        MACVSIBM.TXT - Original file
        PCVSMAC.TXT  - rebuttal to MACVSIBM.TXT
        MCVSIBM2.TXT - rebuttal to PCVSMAC.TXT
        PCVSMAC2.TXT - final words from PCVSMAC author
        MACBULL.TXT  - more support for IBM by someone else
				PCBull.TXT - even more support for the Mac.

        Sorry about the formatting for the first document, I had to strip some 
control codes out and do a lot of reformatting. Enjoy, although I really doubt 
that these files will change anybodys mind about the computer they like. It 
seems you either hate Macs or love 'em. About the only use I can see for these 
files are for you to cheer on your favorite...




MACVSPC.TXT
I am here to debate which is the smarter buy for your money:  A Macintosh or 
an IBM PC ( or compatible ). I know there is a long, ongoing debate on which 
is better, but I cannot stand what is going on. Stores such as Best Buy 
selling PC's like they are the best thing since sliced bread. They are, you 
say?I THINK NOT! I know you're about sick of this discussion, but hear ( or 
read ) me  out.This text file is meant to settle this argument once & for all. 
I  welcome E-Mail from anyone & I can be reached in the following places:AOL: 
BVBrain Exec-PC: Brian Verre CI$: Not yet! InterNet: BVBrain.aol@comNow to the 
nitty-gritty. I admit the PC is a good computer. However, it is getting along 
in age, and becoming outdated by newer, faster, superior computers. You say 
I'm  full of it, I'm a fool. I'm not. The IBM computers ( excuse me for this, 
but I'm not going to say "or compatible " everytime I mention a PC ) are 
falling  behind, constantly. The Windows idea was an attempt. But if you look 
at it, Microsoft was feebly trying to copy the Macintosh. Sure it's legal, 
definently  immoral, but in fact it's downright plaguerism. Plain & Simple. 
Windows 3.1 is nice but incredibly inferior to a Macintosh interface ( which, 
for the duration  of this article [series?] will be refered to as a MacGUI & 
the PC a WinGUI ). Windows NT will be even better than 3.1, but still 
worthless compared to the  Macintosh System 7.1. Again the ninnies at 
MicroSoft are ripping off apple. Now a windows compatible QuickTime will be 
initiated. O/S 2 is fast, but  unpractical. A 486sx w/ 4 megs RAM & at least a 
80 meg HD ( 40 MB's would be filled w/ O/S 2.0 ). Another problem with it 
would be the lack of programs. O/S  2.0 will not ever gain acclaim as a common 
operating system. In many, many ways Windows is worthless.Another way IBM is 
behind is it's basic file storage/ 11 chars max ( including the THREE letter 
indentifier. ). Three chars? Excuse me,  but I call that crap. On the Mac, you 
have up to 31 chars to name your file, in any caps. The file indentifiers ( 
you know, like .EXE ) are stored in the files  info. So a file withe type 
"TEXT" & the creator "MSWD" would be double clicked (  or launched from within 
a shell, whatever you prefer ) and would be opened into Microsoft Word. Same 
with other files. This allows each file to have a unique  icons, etc.Even more 
technically, a IBM PC's files are stored in one data  fork. Aaaaan! Wrong 
answer. If you changed the file identifier from say, .EXE to .TXT you would 
have a major disaster. On a Mac that would not happen. Why  not? On a Mac, 
data is stored in two data forks. One, the resource fork contains mostly 
regulated resources that have four char names. Such as "CODE"  resources for 
applications. "DITL" would hold coordinates for a window. Etc. There is also a 
data fork that goes unregulated, and can be used by  applications for whatever 
they want.This brings us to another point. There is no standard for drawing 
things on the PC. Most applications use either ANSI or  have there own process 
for drawing things on the screen. This is just another thing that bogs down 
the speed of the already outdated CPU. On the Mac it is  very regulated, 
having 32-bit color QuickDraw and regulated resources standard. Most people 
say these things make the Macintosh a bitch to program on ( which  we will get 
into later ). Not true. You may have to call the Mac Tool Box ( again, we will 
get to this later ), etc, but for example, drawing a line on  the screen would 
be very simple compared to a PC. You would make a window call, then give the 
coordinates for the line. On a  PC, you would have to go  through a tenacious 
process of making ( or using some NON-STANDARD process ) to draw the line 
directly to the screen. This is crap. No way, jose!People call  the Macintosh 
a game machine. THERE IS NO POSSIBLE REASON FOR SAYING THIS. ALL THE GAMES ARE 
ON PCs! All the real men use Pc's... ...as expensive paper  weights. They are 
in all ways inferior. If a Mac is such a game machine, why do expensive TV & 
Movies use them for graphics? I know a person who worked on  Terminator II, 
and what did they use? Macs, of course. The toon cult Ren & Stimpy are drawn 
on Macs. Many prominent magazines are designed on MAcintosh  computer's. The 
Macintosh is FAR from a game machine.You say a Intel 486sx is a workhorse? It 
may be, but it is a slower work- horse than a Motorola 68040. It  runs at 
66MHz? So? A 33MHz 68040 actually outpreforms it with a 128k cache. Motorola 
processors, because of their new design can preform approx 2  instructions per 
clock cycle. The "Pentium" (586) will have 3,000,000 transistors? So? The 
68060, a generation ahead because Motorola skipped the  68050, ( They liked 
the radical new design of the 68060 better ) will contain 3mil transistors and 
as usual, out preform the 586. Possibly even the 686. It  will also run at 
66MHz.While we're on the subject of processors, lets talk  PowerPC. Why is it 
in construction? "To bridge the gap between the two giants". Ya, nice try 
guys. The real reason is because IBM is dying, having lost 6  billion dollars 
in the last term. Sure, it runs at Spec89f, and it's RISC, lightning fast, 
etc. It's a good thing, it is the first step. But the new line  of Macs will 
incorporate the 68060 with a slot left open for the PowerPC chip. Now, as of 
today, Feb 24, 1993, IBM as anounced even more layoff's. This time,  they 
cannot make up for these layoff's.Enough of the kiddie stuff. This is the real 
gang buster reason why the Mac is a superior machine. This is for serious  PC 
user's, like the kind that can't switch to a Mac because they have custom 
written software or something but need the superior power of desktop 
publishing  graphics, etc. There are software emulators can run PC  stuff, but 
those usually can't get the job done, even with VGA. THIS IS THE SOLUTION:T H 
EO R  A N G E P CC A R D  ! ! !What is this magical card? It is a full-fledged 
IBM PC motherboard, adapted to work in the Mac Nubus slot. Currently, you can 
have a 486sx 66MHz, 16  MB's, RAM SVGA, etc, and a couple other goodies. For 
$1099!!!!! That's definentely the thing that beat's anything the PC can 
offer!Why won't they make a OrangePC for the PC that has a Mac board? If you 
don't already know, it's because of STRICT copyright laws that are heavly 
enforced. IBM obviously didn't copyright there BIOs well or something, because  
everyone and there grandmother  can assemble & market a PC compatible. The 
last  company, back in '84, that tried to make their own mac compat, got their 
butt's sued off. Back when Apple tried to make their first portable, a 
disaster,  they struck a deal with Outbound to market portables. In January, 
1993, Outbound went out of business, falling behind the NEW, sleek, Apple  
portables.Finally, the programming. Sure you might have to follow some ( ok, a 
lot ) of guidelines, the final product you get on the Mac excels what you get 
on an IBM. This is fact. I know a lot of backwards little men that use  IBM's 
still think a mac is a dinky little toy that has a built in 9" screen & is 
Black & White. Not true...In closing, the IBM computers are sold because IBM 
stands for: "Inferior But Marketable"... Many PC user's have agreed with me 
and said this was true... You can get them cheap, but will get a cheap product  
compared to what you could have on a superior machine, such as the Macintosh.I 
WELCOME EVERYONE TO DISTRIBUTE THIS FILE, BUT DO NOT MODIFY IT! SEND ME  
COMMENTS AND YOUR VIEWS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WHY YOU THINK THE IBM PC OR 
COMPAT. IS SUPERIOR IN ANYWAY TO THE MAC! I DON'T WANT COMMENTS FROM AMIGA AND 
OTHER SMALL PARY COMPUTER's, AS THEY WILL NEVER BE WORTHWHILE. These views 
were expressed by Brian Verre. Following files might become avail. if I get a 
good  reason to make them. ( such as e-mail debates ).END OF FILE #1... 

PCVSMAC.TXT
MACVSIBM.TXT March 3,1993 _____________________ 
  I've decided to reply to the afformentioned file as I continue to download 
in the background, then I'll upload this file, so please excuse the poor 
grammer! _____________________ 
  Settled once and for all? Hmm, I've heard that one before...   Windows & 
OS/2 worthless? NOPE! Never EVER heard that one before! 
  Look, I currently work on two systems, a blazing fast 486 at work, and a 
blazing fast Quadra 950 at my school (I'm a designer.) And I can tell you its 
not quite that simple.   Here, I'll make this simple and organize what I know 
from experience as  well as others and publications I regularly read... 

_____________________ Apple Quadra (Motorola based)   Built around a graphical 
op. (ripped off from XEROX back at PARC) gives it  incredible graphics power 
"out of the box."   Most graphic designers use them. Why? Because back when 
the Mac was  introduced it was a real tool that designers could use to help 
them in their  tasks. At the time this was exclusive--since then, they have 
become a standard  tool because everyone has them, thus, all the design 
software is written for  them first (larger market!) Also, designers as a 
whole enter computers as a  necessity, not as an interest, and they want 
something simple that will do  what they want and thats it--much like an 
appliance!   Are easy to buy. (Apple owns most standards and is the only one 
to produce  the computers, so there's not too many choices) 	  Are easy to use 
(Apple controls the GUI, and has designed it for point- and-click 
manuverability only)   Are good looking (Apple spent alot on industrial design 
to produce sharp  looking, ergonomic computers) _____________________ PC's 
(Intel, AMD, Cyrix  etc.. based)   Are TOTALLY configurable and at a "lower 
level" for techo-freaks (the  innovators!)   Are MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, cheaper (to 
a similarly matched Quadra) due to a  MASSIVELY competing marketplace   Are 
totally flexible in environment: DOS, UNIX, X-Window, DrDOS, OS/2,  Novell 
(which means we can have different GUI's that are more suited for a  task, and 
have different resolutions--Great for games, CAD, Virtual reality  and all 
that other stuff Apple users dream about...   Has superior networking power & 
Flexibility (although PC's takes alot of  unjustified crap about not being 
networkable "out of the box" like what Apple  passes off as networking)   Have 
superior speed in customized environments   WIIIIIDE assortment of motherboard 
manufacturers & motherboard features   Most of the WORLD uses Intel based 
computers, which gives Intel more power  which gives us better technology than 
Motorola. Ps--You won't see Motorola  advertising their CPU's like Intel any 
time soon--can you guess why?   Mail-order companies such as Dell and Gateway 
2000 are superior in  service, support etc... compared to Apple--and, you can 
choose! Hell! You can  build! What a concept!   Standards come about via a 
democratic system--ie. the users! Not Apple!  (QuickTime?! Ack! Whoever 
designed that standard needs to take a big step back  for a sec!) 
 Basically, in fact, you can push a PC in any direction you want. Currently 
Multimedia is the buzzword, but how many people out there actually USE 
multimedia--and why? Well, Apple has a head start on this in terms of mass 
production as I mentioned above, which is fortunate for us since PC peripheral 
manufactureres can improve on what Apple tried to do before we're commited to 
something stupid! Ps. The neatest multimedia in action that I've EVER seen in 
actual mass use actually came from Big Blue at the '92 world expo in Sevilla 
Spain!--Note, I usually do NOT encourage IBM as a company.) 
  Sure, DOS' filenames are stupid, I haven't met anyone who supports them!But 
they're there if you cling to DOS, which was created over a decade ago  lest I 
remind you! Apple on the other hand, preferres to FORCE their  paganistic 
blind followers "forward" by making a new "system" incompatible  with the 
previous! Can you afford that?!?? 
  Intel and Motorola seem to be at the heart of this battle though, and I,  as 
well as most of the world would invest in Intel right now. Currently, Intel is 
deep in "parallel manufacturing", working on the p5 and the p6 at the same 
time (both will break records). I read in PC magazine about how by 1995 they 
predict speeds in the 250 Mhz range. (thats TWO-FIFTY folks!) Fortunately for 
us PC followers, we can expect our peripherals to be pushing forward at a 
similar pace, since its a free market out there! I find it amusing that the 
author to which I'm responding actually boasts about Apples tight grip on 
their technology! I also find it amazing how easily he dismisses Amiga and 
other third party systems (does this include Sun, Silicon Graphics etc?!) 

 Oh, and did I mention the software industry?.... 

_____________________ Times up! Downloads over! Reply VIA Exec-PC please. 

Thanks for giving my editorial your time! Sincerely, Devout Cyberpunk:Chris 
Gielow Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

Please leave this file unmodified, and distribute with MACVSIBM.TXT, thanks! 

MCVSIBM2.TXT
Omigod, the  Sequel!!! --------------------- In this I'm going to settle a 
couple points. THE  OBJECT OF THIS FILE IS NOT TO TELL PEOPLE TO DUMP THEIR 
PC'S AND BUY MACS. I have  gotten a couple E-Mail response's, and I am 
satisfied. I was going to leave it where it was at, but I saw the file 
PCVSMAC.TXT in the file section  and HAD to reply.I never said ( or meant to 
say ) that Windows & OS/2 are  worthless. They may be inferior in a VARIETY of 
ways, but FAR from worthless!!! They are a major part of the backbone than 
folds up the PC!!!Secondly, Apple  took the MENU's from XEROX'x STAR computer. 
They took nothing more. They designed a new approach to computing. Then the 
people at MicroSlop decided  that: "Hey! Lets rip off Apple's GUI! We can make 
lotz of cash, and support the PC user's!". Take away MicroSlop and the PC is 
SEVERLY weakened.Anyone that is going to argue with me about speed and 
preformance BETTER have used a top of  the line Apple Computer & A top of the 
line PC before yelling at me. I can take Chris Gielow seriously because he 
obviously has, or  at least he sez. Sounds like he isn't too comfy with the 
Mac, and not entirely know- ledgable of it  from his comments.Apple didn't 
FORCE anyone to upgrade to System 7. I know  plenty of people that use new 
macs ( and old ) that continue to use the previous system. 97.5 % of the new 
applications can run under the old system as  well as the new. Same goes for 
practically ANY other OS on  ANY other  computer.Plus, until last month, 
UPGRADES WERE FREE. The MicroSlop was the one  that ALWAYS had cost money. 
Proof of that is the Apple copyright software on Exec- PC. Absolutely FREE. 
hahha. Then came the cutbacks. So NOW they have to  charge.Chris Gielow said 
the best multimedia you ever saw was by Big Blue? Get  out more Chris. Look 
for one of the computer animation/rendering videos. Most of that stuff is Mac. 
T2 was partly done on a Mac, as many things are. Have  you sen Apple's 
multimedia/computer animation commercial? If you haven't look for it. I read 
the article about the 250MHz 386. Not bad at all. Motorola won't  be far 
behind. Right now, they're ahead. As for an Intel being more advanced? 
hahahah, what a joke. So PC's are cheap, and can be sold in mass  quantities. 
I guess they believe quantity is better than quality. As for Motorola not 
advertizing? Just you watch. They are starting to now, as they  want to point 
out why the Intel is inferior. They are ahead, and are gonna  take  advantage 
of it, as they will in the future, because they will constantly BE AHEAD. I 
guess you've been studing Intel pretty well, but have dismissed  Motorola. If 
you studied Motorola you would have realized why they have always BEEN 
ahead.As for Apple holding copy-right, they do, tightly. Who cares? There are 
MANY choices in what you want your setup to contain. As for networking 'out  
of the box', Apple is. What it 'passes off' as networking is configurable & 
pretty good for built in, unlike PC's. Who sez you cannot buy something  
external if you wish???As for QuickTime being 'Ack!'? What does a PC have to 
offer? An 8-bit .FLI with no sound in it? ( Stored in a seperate file, of  
course ). Mac user's dreaming of quality games, CAD, and virtual reality  
software? This agai points out your lack of knowledge in the area. Mac 
software in those fields can match and usually excels the PC ( and 'third-
party'  computers ).I don't easly dismiss those computers. But Amiga's are 
extrememly  virus prone and ripped Apple off down to the  Trash can. A MAc can 
outpreform an  Amiga mostly due to the software aspects. The Amiga is a good 
computer, far ahead of the PC in the Multi-media field, but behind the Mac 
mostly because  of software ( and developers ). As for Dell, Gateway  and 
others being better?  Don't think so. Same product, different box. Anyway, 
Apple outsold them last year, along with IBM.I'll write more if I find 
necessary. I don't want E-Mail, or more files. This subject is going nowhere, 
but I hope it has proved some  insight. If anyone out there wants to be 
backward, let them. Just don't mail me and tell me about it. I'm not being 
backward, I accept PC's for what there  worth. This should prove to  be the 
end of the series. If you are going to  distribute PCVSMAC.TXT and/or 
MACVSIBM.TXT, include this file, unmodified.PS- Thanks for warning us about 
'bad grammar' because of a D/L in the back- ground,  Chris. Just goes to show 
how worthless a PC is for multi-tasking. I wrote this file with a large D/L in 
the background, and didn't even have to pause for the  computer to catch up. 
Just typed like normal. Open up a little. 

PCVSMAC2.TXT
  Are MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, cheaper (to a similarly matched Quadra) due to a 
MASSIVELY competing marketplace   Closing remarks to "MCVSIBM2.TXT" February 
5th, 1993 

Sorry, but I can't let your last file (mentioned above) go without comment. 

In response to your remarks: 

"Take away "Microslop" and the PC is SEVERELY weakened" Hmmm, take away Apple, 
and what's a Quadra (or Mac?)??? Also, I disagree, take a look at high end 
modeling and rendering software from Alias and Intergraph etc... I mention 
this since I work primarily on graphics software and thats what I know--that 
kind of stuff was not made to work in the windows environment. Luckily you can 
run anything under windows you want. I'd also like to point out some features 
that Apple is trying to catch up with, like their advanced forms of OLE, 
portable environments, handwriting recognition etc... What do you use YOUR Mac 
for anyway? If its not graphics or word processing... 

Also, I'm very much aware that Apple didn't force users into Sys7--but 
couldn't they make it a little easier? I suppose it doesn't matter since 
Apple's not competing with anyone--therefore, they can do whatever they want! 
(This is NOT a compliment!) 

As for "getting out more often" I'm quite informed when it comes to 
multimedia--I know what both platforms are offering, and I suggest you read my 
first letter more carefully: Multimedia is all in the software, and what I 
said about the graphic design field I believe to be true. 

As for the article you read on the "250 Mhz 386" first of all, thats a FOUR-
eight six not THREE!  Second, there WAS no article, just a news brief (a 
sentance or two.) 

As for fringe technologies like VR, most of it spawns of PC's because of the 
versitality in hardware and programming! I'm not talking commercial stuff 
here! And T2 graphics? Macs were only a part of it! Right now the STANDARD in 
animation are workstations from Silicon Graphics (Go RISC!) 

As for Quick Time: I think the standard sucks, It takes up too much power and 
space to make any effect on myself.  I just recently downloaded MS' "Video for 
Windows" player along with an AVI file--great! JUST like what I've seen in 
QuickTime...then I proceeded to delete both!  But if you're curious: Quick 
Time does exist on the PC, as well as Video FW, as well as standard .FLI 
files. So... if you're into making training videos or bad "convention booth" 
multimedia shows, use it! But I'd use an PC controlled external device like a 
videodisc player for some good, fast, BIG analog video! 

As for Mail-order PC companies, if you check out the back cover of PC Magazine 
sometime (a Dell Ad) you'll notice that Apple Came third to users in overall 
satisfaction, reliability, Price, Technical support etc.. (After Dell and 
Compaq & occasionally even Big Blue!) And Apple outselling PC's? NEVER! Also, 
your comment that they're the "same product/different box" was faaar off. 
Check em' out sometime! 

Finally, as for my disclaimer of bad grammer, I said so because I was only 
downloading about 20 min. worth of files--I wrote the document before they 
finished. You'd be quite amazed at how you DON'T EVEN NOTICE a background 
transfer along with 6 more open applications on a unaccelerated 386sx 16Mhz... 
I'll be soon slapping a 486 motherboard in there to more than quintuple my 
home computing speed (and OH SO CHEAP--no labor or shipping costs either!) 

In summary, I find your uneducated arrogance not only insulting, but not worth 
the time to argue with. I enjoy Macintoshes, but I'd never buy one myself and 
I think these last three documents should speak for themselves. 

Signing off for good:C.Gielow, who no longer wants to be part of a pointless 
argument thats been burning for years, and will continue for years... (I hope 
this argument opened some eyes out there! I'm getting sick of it all!) 

MACBULL.TXT
Grrr! Argh!I finally got to read macvsibm.txt and found that the author is 
proball an apple stock holder as well as a sales man for special products that 
cost as much as if not more than most pcs off the shelf. The single most 
thought provoking idea he holds up is the pwoer of the macs processor. This is 
a motorola chip which is exclusived to apple  so that it cannot be obtained 
inexpensively the buss and data arcatechture are not compatable with the low 
cost and easier to use pcs and the exclusivity of product makes it user 
hostile in the event of failure costing often 3 to5 times the cost to repair 
of pcs if Apple is ever challenged for its unwieldly stucture by the japanese 
or koreans you will see them fall to the same fate as ibm which is laying off 
not because of poor product showing but because of market forces which have 
driven prices below profit margins for a company with as much research and 
developement as ibm used to have. Apple depends on its unwieldly repairability 
and obscure structre to stay clear of the japanese and european copiers but 
don't ever try to fix one your self or you will have to pay dearly both 
mentally and financially to have the factory refurb it. vm 

PC?  I doubt it.
by Grant Guenther

	I admit that I am no one, as far as computer technology goes.  Don't get me wrong--languages and software know-how is second nature for me, but I don't know a 382 mKz from a hole in the ground.
	So guess which computer I prefer?  Macintosh.
	Yes, Macintosh, "the computer for the rest of us."
	Now, I image you ask, why would uneducated no one be allowed (or even want to) add to this PC-Mac debate?
	Actually, the question is why wouldn't he?  Isn't that the point of the computer?  To give power to those who need it?
	I'm a writer and sometime artist.  I've tested some IBM-clone in Journalism class--in fact, we use Aldus's PageMaker on four machines to construct our high school newspaper--but I'm afraid that I prefer the Macintoshes that I can find.
	I tested PageMaker on both machines, fairly and justly, and, with Access PC (an extension that allows Mac users to interface with PCs, disk-wise, at least), I moved the documents back and forth.  Not only did the Macintosh LC worked just as fast as the clone, but faster.  A LOT faster.
	Graphics?  Well, I have to hammer PCs for there zillion different formats.  I tried to use a Microsoft (Microslop?) drawing program, and it did marvelous things with letters, but that was it.  It could load TIF, PCX and more, but it only save as PCX and a few other formats.  Then I tried another drawing program--all it could do is save/load PCX, MBP, and BMP.  Great.
	So, now, if I save as PCX, go to Microsoft, save as TIF--oops!  Can't do that.  Well, I'll just bring it home on my Mac.  You see, on the Mac, the formats are pretty much standard:  PICT.  On some machines you can save/load TIFF, and, with GifConvert (a shareware program) you can convert between TIFF, GIFF, PICT, and tons more.  Plus, with Image, another shareware program, I can read Atari, Amiga, and IBM formats (examples:  PCX, GL, PIC, CLP, BMP, PIx, PCx, Scx, TNx, IMG, HAM, etc.) and save as GIF, TIFF, PICT, and others.
	With ZipIt!, I can read/save ZIPped files.  With MacArc I can read/save ARCed files.  With Sound-Trecker, I can listen to MOD files!
	So what's my point?  The truth is the Mac is superior not for what you can add on:  it's for what it is.  Double-click and load.  You need a formatted disk?  Slide it in and the computer will ask, "Do you want to format?"  If not, just click the button labelled "Eject."
	Copying files?  No "C:\COPY GREGG D: HARDD C:\COPY D..."  Just drag the folder over the hard drive icon.  Copied.  Done.  I remember when I had to put together a magazine in Journalism:  the only computers available in the library were PCs, so they typed out their assigned articles on Microsoft Works then handed in their disks to me.  I asked David Lau, the PC-guru, how to copy all these disks to mine.  I swore, it would have taken about an hour.  Realizing time was something I needed a lot more of, I went to the Mac.  Using Apple File Exchange, I read each disk and copied them to a folder on the hard drive, then copied the folder to my disk.  No more the five minutes, tops.  Honest.
	That Chris guy talked about customizing the Mac with this and that.  How the hell am I, average Joe, going to know this from that?  How do I know that the grinning sales clerk isn't trying to rip me off?  Because truth is in standard.  You see a Mac at school.  You say, "Hey, that's cool, it's fast, it's better."  You want to buy it, let's say.  You can go to the clerk and say, "I want a Mac LC III with 13" screen, etc."  Done.
	Have you ever set up a Mac?  I have, at least 5 dozen times.  On the mouse cord there is a little icon that matches the keyboard.  In the back of the Mac there are little icons of a phone port, printer port...easy!  Luckily, I've never had to install a PC mouse, but I've heard of it.
	What about sound?  The first time I was alone with our Mac, I discovered the Sound control panel (do PCs have control panels as easy as Mac?  I don't think so).  I recorded and played back so many neat little sounds, like a rift from George Thorogood or me saying "Yeah!  Moron!  Whatscha do'n?"  How many PC users can do that?  Well, those with SoundBlaster...
	The pisser is that PCs have the games.  But we have Universal SoftPC (for about $500).  We have stupid little soundclips that make us laugh.  And Quicktime--buddy, if you think that's crap, you have another thing coming.
	What about Maxis?  They made SimCity, SimAnt, SimEarth, etc.  Do you know for what machine they write for first?  Macs.  Why?  We're nicer?  Well, I'm not about to deny that, but it's worth looking into.
	Mac without Apple?  Have you heard of Aldus?  And Microsoft pushes its junk on us, too.  In fact, Claris supplies a lot of its quality stuff to Macintosh.  Unfortunately, it's owned by Apple, now...
	On intimidation scale of 1-10, 10 being the most frightning, IBM ranks 20.  You sit down, the computer beeps a few times, displays some weird gibberish, then goes to a DOS (dead on the street?--just kidding) prompt.  Mac:  you flip the switch, it chimes, shows a nice startup screen (or "Welcome to Macintosh), a few icons pop up, and there is your screen, ready and waiting.
	Opening a folder:  double click on Mac, "CD:\SMEFLD" on PC, assuming you type it right.  Cataloging:  On the Mac, open the folder and JUST LOOK!, on the PC:  "DIR" and hope it doesn't scroll too fast.
	Another test of "superior-ness":  PC, trying looking for Mac BBSes (I warn you, you'll need the magnifying lenses).  Just downloading and using some of its stuff.  I dare you.  What?  What's that you're saying?  Can't quite use it?  Well, as a Mac user, I don't have any troubling looking at your PCX files or FLIs.  If I had $500, I could even see your EXE files.
	I also disagree with Chris's statement that Apple is 3rd in sales.  Maybe if he turned the page right-side up, he'd see what the rest of us knows.
	Yes, this debate is going to continue, but only as long as one of us stays afloat.
	(So I guess Apple is going to win, right?)
	Okay, that was a cheap shot, but I have one last ancedote:

	Someone was bragging to me about their 250 Mhz 386 with VGA moniter and 80 meg hard drive.  I wiped my brow and said, "I'm sorry, I thought we were in Calculus for a minute there.  Could you say that again, slower, and, then, in English?"
	("Or buy a Macintosh so I have some idea of what you're babbling about?")
