Read why below — it’s a bit long, but a years worth of issues with Apple are clearly outlined and explained in detail.

http://myappleexperience.com/?p=10

Macs aren’t the best computers on earth any more than Dells, HPs, Lenovos, or Sonys (Lenovo and Sony do make some nice stuff). Macs are just what I prefer and for some things they have IMHO an advantage. I am sure that Windows has the advantage in other areas, areas I am doubtless without a clue on. :)

Over all I also enjoyed our discussion and I concur that we both got a bit silly at the end there. I would like to redact a bit and return to a statement I made earlier

Peace and Good Computing for the Holiday Season! :D

Also, PC World did make the statement I claimed they did and at the end of the article I linked to they also said that this was no longer the case as of October 2007, (which was after the Mac ad initially aired I believe). Nothing in what I said was wrong, nothing in what you said was wrong. Engadget is hardly a neutral source of editorial comment. either. It’s a grandiose blog. As of the writing of that article I believe that PCWorld had not tested a faster machine.

Again it’s all about perspective. I live in the U.S. I come at the world from that (no doubt flawed) point of view. I live 15 minutes from Goddard. I have friends that work there. I have repaired Goddard owned Macs as recently as 14 months ago. To be told by someone an ocean away that I don’t know what I’m talking about was a bit insulting.

How about checking out http://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/downloads/widget.php which is also publicly available software for download from Goddard but is Mac only?
OR http://cdf.gsfc.nasa.gov/html/FAQ.html#intro
OR http://satc.gsfc.nasa.gov/tools/download/
For that matter go to http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html and type Macintosh Software into the search box.
BANG!

All of these, just as your link are downloads that NASA makes available to the outside world. None of these, including your link, tell you exhaustively what NASA uses. If you knew anything about the U.S. Government (not that you should, being in the UK) you would know that the software and systems used may be classified and are often not published to the public without the filing of a Freedom Of Information Act lawsuit as a matter of National Interest and National Security. It’s the biggest bureaucracy on Earth for goodness sake!

Honestly, your absolute refusal to believe that NASA could possibly use Macs, all evidence to the contrary not withstanding is really starting to erode my respect. YES, NASA uses Windows. YES, the majority of their PCs are Windows PCs. YES they use Macs too. I have never indicated anything to the contrary.
Why you insist on making this uninformed, easily disputed, and poorly supported argument that NASA only uses Windows is completely beyond me. Now you’re just attacking for the sake of it.

I’ll say it again, NASA proves out my main computing thesis, they use the right tools for each job. Often that’s Windows, sometimes it ain’t. I don’t care what the press release says, especially one that comes from the United States Government. The phrase that’s always left off of such releases is “accept where not practical”. When I am getting head-hunted by people at Goddard because they need knowledgeable techs for Mac software rollout and support I feel pretty darn confident that they still use Macs.

I didn’t think I’d say this but perhaps you should get a life and pay some attention to PC blogs. If you’re going to make comments on an Apple blog just to prove your thesis that all of us who use them are stupid and wrong because we’re the only ones who do, (remember I use Windows too when it’s the best for the job) then you’re just blowing smoke and trolling. Alright, I took your bait, but in the name of all that’s good on the Earth can’t you show at least as much class as Ritik (who started an argument on mouse buttons as a reason for Windows superiority!) and admit that someone else might just know something you don’t? Or are you really as arrogant as my outgoing President??