1. A line of personal computers designed, marketed, manufactured and devolped by Apple Computers. It was the first operating system to feature a GUI (Graphical User Interface). Introduced in 2001, Mac OS X was based on Unix and was a more secure sucessor to the older Mac OS 9. Mac OS X is directly derived from NeXTSTEP, the operating system developed by Steve Jobs’ company NeXT before Apple bought it.

The Macintosh line has been responsible for many innovations which have had signifigant impact on modern computing, including the indroduction of the GUI as mentioned above. Other innovations include the introduction of standard audio in/out ports, the abandonment of the floppy disk drive, and the support of multiple monitors. Macintosh has also greatly contributed to the field of portable computers, being the first to introduce the touchpad, which ahs now become an industry standard.

The Macintosh differs noticably from other personal computers, especially those running Windows operating systems. All macintosh hardware and bundled software are assembled by Apple, whereas Microsoft supplies their software to third-party producers such as Dell, who make the hardware using a much wider range of components. The fact that the Mac OS is a less common operating system means that there is less third party software available for it, although suitable applications, such as Microsoft Office, are available in most areas. The design of the Macintosh operating system has contributed to the near-absence of the types of malware and spyware that plague Microsoft Windows users. However, recent security issues have made headlines, including a alleged severe hole in the Safari Browser and a "slew of malicious code" including the “Leap” & “Inqtana” worms to infiltrate the system. This has led some industry analysts and anti-virus companies to issue warnings that Apple's OS X is not immune to viruses. While no operating system is completely secure, there is no extant malware for Mac OS X -merely "proof-of-concept" code.

Many computer-users prefer Macintosh because of its user friendliness and integrated software, which gives it an ease of use that appeals to more casual computer users. Apple's minimalist design principles often appeal to the aesthetic, and many choose to buy a macintosh in part because of this. The Macintosh is also used widely in the field of graphic and video editing.

Detractors cite the non-upgradability of most macs, as well as the inability of a user to customise the Operating System through direct contact with the code, due to the lack of a command-line interface. Many criticisms of the macintosh focus on its inappropriatness for gaming purposes. Though the recent release of "Boot Camp" allows the Windows OS to be run on mac hardware, thus allowing the running of many previously unavailable games, macintoshes are certainly not optimised for maximum computer gaming performance.

2. (Also known as "Makintosh", and nicknamed "Mac") A type of waterproof raincoat, sold first in 1824 and made from rubberized fabric. The Makintosh was named after its inventor, Charles Macintosh. The name Macintosh has since become a generic term, but a geniune Makintosh coat is distinguished by being made from made from rubberised or rubber laminated material.

3. A type of apple (known specifically as the "McIntosh Red") with red and green skin and a tart flavor.

The 10 reasons that Apple must think is imperative for making the change from a PC to a MAC can be found on their website. Of course if you have the time to read through all of them you realise that these 10 features or reasons have been standard with the PC a long, long, long time. Some of the reasons are just plain myths that Apple invented. Probably because they ran out of fabricated facts.

So take the journey through the 10 commandments of a mac-enthusiast and enjoy their naive attitude towards personal computing.

1. The Mac... It just works

This is maybe the ultimate reason a mac owner will give you to explain why it's superior to a PC. The mac owner will tell you that all people that own macs are really satisfied with their computers and would never switch back. This is ofcourse not true.
The mac owner will also tell you that with a system from Apple you will never have to think about drivers, upgrades or anything. A mac is perfection itself when delivered. Atleast according to their standard. Many macs can't even be upgraded. So what you buy is what you get. Expect your system to be outdated within 1-2 years.
Apple also states: "Only with a Mac do you get an operating system built by the same people who built the computer it runs on.". Actually Apple's Mac OS X (the operating system) is not based on their own technology, but by the technology of freeBSD. Apple's own capabilities in form of creating an operating system have been demonstrated in previous ve...

The computer for the rest of them...

Macintosh is an OS which no common people can find a use for, and therefore it is used in elementary schools because no decent game company/programmers would waste a second of their lives even considering to create a Mac-compatible version of their programs, thus creating a distraction-free learning environment for 10 year olds.

A computer, also known in short as "Mac". very easy to use but not many programs available for it, and useless for gamers. Some schools may have it for it's basic functions.

A large expensive paperweight typically favored by granola lovers and those who prefer not to be able to use a computer for anything worth while.

A "computer" that doesn't have shit hot stats and is not normally upgradable, making it useless to gamers, and due to a different interface, cannot be used in the workplace efficiently, making it useless to those that have a job.
Considering the fact that gaming and working are the only two plausible applications for a computer, macs are entirely useless. They can browse the internet, but then again, so can cell phones. Some say these are "media computers" having programs designed for media editing and such, but considering that even the mac word processor is a microsoft program, this arguement doesn't have much weight.
Given, they do look cool, but PCs, being upgradable, have far surpassed mac in the 'looks cool' category.
Also, the statement that PCs crash often isn't true. PCs don't just crash, the users cause them to crash. Mac users not able to cope with the fact that PCs are better try to use one, cause it to crash, and blame it on the system. PEBKAC

(Also known as a "Mac") A raincoat (the first) named after Charles Macintosh, a Scottish chemist who in 1822/23 patented a method for making waterproof garments using rubber dissolved in naphtha.