On 2010-09-29, Doug Freyburger > wrote:


> mechanics prefer SnapOn and/or Mac because the tools are better than are
> available elsewhere no matter the plentiful commercials for
> Craftsman.

In some cases, yes. Not in all.

> That they deliver to mechanic shops is an added benefit but not enough
> to make up if their products were not better.

Ummm... yes it is. When Snap-On or Matco (Mac Tools) will give you a
tool, "on the books", before you actually have the money to pay,
that's a monstrous advantage. Served me well, specially when the
Snap-On truck came once a week and the closest other professional tool
supply was 100 miles away. I had a choice? I think not.

> In that sense comparing to Apple works well. Try doing a technical
> comparison between the Apple and PC of any era.

Excuse me!? Of any era? If you take a look, Apple has long since
abandoned its use of Motorola processors in favor of the same CPUs
(Duo-Core, etc) used in your std PC. As for the software, OS X is
mostly unix-based, a non-Apple created OS that's older than either
Microsoft or Apple and the basis of that ugly upstart, Linux. You
know Linux, that outlaw OS you would have us believe is jes a mere
pretender and/or flash in the pan? That OS that's on most of the
computer servers, regardless of hardware platform, most of the
internet functions on?

> There's no comparison.

Actually, it'd be more difficult to point out the differences.

> The reason PCs are more popular is the price and the lack of technical
> knowledge by most people. PCs are the MacDonalds of the computer realm.

The reason is due to the open architecture that IBM designed into the
original PC and its overwhelming brilliance. It's still the standard
by which all others are judged, despite being over 40 yrs old. Yes,
it's cheaply produced. The Taiwanese blew IBM out of the market by
virtue of their mfg power. Little has changed, since.

> Foodies tend to be unimpressed with MacDonalds for the same reasons that
> mechanics tend to be unimpressed with Harbor Freight Tools for the same
> reason geeks tend to be unimpressed with PCs.

Ummm.... geeks flock to PC in droves! Buy 'em, build 'em, hack 'em,
love 'em! It's the overpriced bogus crap from Apple that geeks laugh
at and avoid like the plague.

> SnapOn is the Cray or Whole Foods.

Like I said, overpriced crap. Cheap Linux Beowulf-like clusters have been
eating away at Cray's market for years. As for Whole Foods, I'd shop there
only if I had no better alternative, and even then I'd buy little.

nb