Mac computers?

[Bonnie Campbell]

We're thinking of switching to a mac computer. Can anyone give me the pros and cons of doing it? Am I going to have to do without a lot of programs I use on MS XP?

Appreciate any ideas you've got on it. Thanks!

[Warren White]

You will find a lot of spirited discussion on this topic!

I am a long time Mac user and love them. There are some downsides that you might want to consider.

1. Software is generally more expensive on the Mac side of the house. For example you can buy a genealogy program for the PC for about $35.00 (there are two that are free). For the Mac, Reunion (the best program for genealogy) is $99.00.
2. There is a larger selection of software for the PC.
3. Some things don't translate between the Mac and PC. (I have heard that Quicken files can be difficult to move to the Mac.)

On the plus side, I don't think you will have any issues with normal Word, Excel or Powerpoint files. Check with the software companies you want to migrate. Someone else can speak to running the Mac as a PC; I have never bothered with that since the old days of running emulation software and found it to be a pain.

I like the Mac because it is more intuitive for me. I don't have to be a teckie to keep it working. I have not had any issues with viruses, worms, or any other attacks.

My first Mac was a Mac Plus. I bought it after I read an article that was entitled "Dragged to the Mac and Never Looked Back."

[Art Mulder]

We're thinking of switching to a mac computer. Can anyone give me the pros and cons of doing it? Am I going to have to do without a lot of programs I use on MS XP?

Appreciate any ideas you've got on it. Thanks!

Bonnie, you'll need to give more information. What software, specifically are you using?

All the standard "core" software is readily available: Word, Excel, Web browsers, etc.

You don't need any anti-spyware software. And rarely would you have any need for anti-virus software (I don't bother with it at home. I keep one copy at work and use it maybe once or twice a year on the 50+ mac's we have there)

I'm not a gamer, so I don't care, however I've heard that lots of games are only on Windows. Personally I think that is a good thing, as it is a handy excuse to the kids. (No, we are not buying that cereal with the free game CD in it, it won't run on our Mac anyway.)

I bought my wife a mac almost 2 yrs ago and we haven't yet bought any software for it at all. Email: use the built-in Mail tool. Web: Use either Firefox(free) or the built-in Safari browser. Office tools: Use the free NeoOffice tool (based on OpenOffice) ---AND I have not had any trouble reading/writing word-compatible *.doc files. Drawing: Use Google SketchUp. Photos: Use the built-in iPhoto. I also use the free GIMP photoshop-like tool for photo image tweaking. We have considered buying a copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements, as GIMP has a bit of a steep learning curve for my wife, and Elements has lots nice features. Burning CD's or DVD's -- use the built-in tools. Watch a DVD : ditto.

So that is our experience.

[Sam Kennard]

We're thinking of switching to a mac computer. Can anyone give me the pros and cons of doing it? Am I going to have to do without a lot of programs I use on MS XP?

Appreciate any ideas you've got on it. Thanks!

I switched to Macs about two years ago. It was a good move. I was able to do a cross platform switch for most of my software at little to no cost.

Remember that the new Macs are Intel based and you can run Bootcamp from Apple for a dual boot to XP or buy Parallels Software (http://www.parallels.com/). This will run Windows software in a window and will allow you to make the switch a little less costly.

Sam Kennard

[Bonnie Campbell]

Looks like we'd need to do the Parallel thing. Some programs aren't going to be compatible :o And I'm the game player, though pogo says they are compatible ;)

ACDSee is the photo managing program we use exclusively now.

Firefox and Opera, for browsers.

Thunderbird for email.

We use AVG antivirus, but guess we won't need it?

Agent newsreader.

MailWasher Pro.

MS Word.

That's about it that I really need on my computer that I can think of off hand.

[Tim Morton]

Looks like we'd need to do the Parallel thing. Some programs aren't going to be compatible :o And I'm the game player, though pogo says they are compatible ;)

ACDSee is the photo managing program we use exclusively now.

Firefox and Opera, for browsers.

Thunderbird for email.

We use AVG antivirus, but guess we won't need it?

Agent newsreader.

MailWasher Pro.

MS Word.

That's about it that I really need on my computer that I can think of off hand.

you can eliminate the need for all programd virus related...no more washing your mail;)

OSX comes with safari(with built in RSS news reader) and Mail and those 2 programs are GREAT. Plus it comes with iPhoto to manage photos as well as a bunch of others that you may find useful. You can even download "open office" and use it for free...and it is just as robust as MS Office.

[Charles Wilson]

If you are a gamer, PC can't be beat.

Everything else, use the Mac.

Used to be a PC guy (still use them at work), not a Mac addict. I have yet to have a crash. I am glad that I switched.

Regards,

Chuck (iMac 20", PowerPC model)

[Jim Becker]

you can eliminate the need for all programd virus related...no more washing your mail

MailWasher is used primarily for dealing with SPAM, although it does integrate with virus protection software.

[Dave Fifield]

I run both. They both have their good and bad points. I use PC's for day to day email/laser engraving/finances etc. and Mac's for my music/art stuff. Best of both worlds!

If you can, keep your PC and buy the Mac as a life enhancing device. :)

Cheers,

[Paul Kunkel]

I've used Macs for years and run Windoz now on my Intel Mac with an inexpensive program called Crossover at www.codeweavers.com No longer is emulation needed for most Windoz programs.
Get lots more memory. The standard machines don't come with enough, but it's inexpensive now.
As mentioned, NeoOffice is free and works just like Office. I haven't run into a file I couldn't open and modify yet.

[Mark Rios]

Bonnie, I am a Pogo member and I have no trouble.

Also, with the new intel based Macs, Windows and it's apps are not a problem. A little something (EXTREMELY MAJOR :D :D :D ) called Bootcamp. Here is a page from Apples website that should help you get a little better understanding.

http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/

Go and buy the Mac. You won't ever look back. ;)

PS....make sure and buy enough memory. Windows is a hog. Try the Tiger OS for a while to see if you can do without Windows....you'll be like it much better I"m sure. ;)

[Mike Mackenzie]

I have been a PC user for 25+ years with the new Vista being shoved down our throats. I decided to switch I got an I Mac 24 and loaded the Parallels program. I have been very happy and I don't see any reason to return to the PC.

[Bonnie Campbell]

Okay, I'm starting to be convinced ;) So what would be a recommended starter Mac? I'm looking at the imac 17? Or is the 20 worth the extra $300?

I've been using a computer for about 10 years now, but I still don't know what's best to be looking for :o I just mess around on my PC until it crashes lol (which it's regularly blue screening :confused: )

What 'extras' do I need to keep in mind that I'd be needing?

[Mike Cutler]

Bonnie.

I've owned a Mac for about 10 years. As the others pointed out, other than gaming, the difference is small, and gets smaller everyday.
Now, I'll point out some of the negatives.
Apple is very quick to suspend support, in the form of hardware, for an abandoned standard. Leaving you up to the limited availability of third party vendors. case in point;
Apple came out with a properitery connector, ADC(Apple Display Connector) a few years back for their Displays. Video cards that supported this display were only available from Apple at the time. The problem was compounded due to Apple not maintaining the same AGP video slot standard, making the card required for this display not entirely backward compatable. This required the purchase of an ADC to DVI adapter from Apple, and the purchase of a Third party video card that supported the resolution of the new displays, and had a DVI connector, There were two cards available at the time.
Apple dropped the ADC connector format,and to the best of my knowledge no cards are currently being manufactured to this spec. Apple now has switched to the standard DVI, but with a hitch. You have to know if you need DVI, or dual DVI to support your display. Then you have to know the architecture standard of your machine. The G5 has had many different variations in the last three years. Aftermarket video card upgrades for the Macs are difficult to effect due to the proprietary nature of the video cards. Apple did again with the 2003-2005 G5's. No hardware support for the AGP video cards. Dumped for the PCI Express cards.
The current generation of G5 is working on the PCI Express standard. This is not the PCI-X standard but is something different. Machines that support the PCI-X connector standard use an AGP edge connector for their video cards. The newest machines are all PCI Express.
The new HD cinema displays are beautiful. Once again though, video card support is limited after the initial purchase. There is also an overheating issue with the ATI X1900xt video card due to faulty cooling with the OEM fan. The Nvidia GeForce is the better card right now.
I recently upgraded to a 30" HD Cinema display on my older G5,a nd had a heckuva time getting a compatable video card to run it.
If you are buying new, none of this will be an issue until you want to upgrade, and with Apple switching to the Quad, and 8 Core systems I expect video cards to change again.
Aftermarket Ram is an issue also, but not as great as the Video card problem.
Crucial has a full offering of Ram chipsets for all Mac's. In fact you may want to buy the system barebones on the ram and then upgrade through Crucial. You can save some$$$ doing this. Don't buy cheap ram. Crucial makes ram under liscense for Apple. Mac's are Ram intensive machines, so plan on adding ram.
I'd like to see Apple put more USB ports on the backplane. I have a few audio/video input devices on my machine, and none of the manufactures support the use of an external hub, so I ran out of USB ports pretty quick. I'll probably go to a PCI card USB controller in the near future.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from a Mac, they're great machines. Just trying to point out some of the potential problem areas with respect to hardware issues.

One more thought is that "Leopard", Mac's newest OS, is set for release this fall. If you want the latest and greatest you may want to hold off for a few months. The current OS is "Tiger" 10.4.9.

The software stuff takes a backseat in my opinion. Eventually I just converted everything to Mac. My PC ran in "Safe Mode" for the last 8 months I owned it. I just didn't feel like reloading it again.

[Jim Becker]

Okay, I'm starting to be convinced ;) So what would be a recommended starter Mac? I'm looking at the imac 17? Or is the 20 worth the extra $300?

IMHO, the 20" machine is worth the extra money, no question, especially in today's graphic intensive and multi-tasking world. Outside of that, buying a MAC is not much different than buying a Windows machine..."memory" is one of the most important options/adds. Be sure the model you buy has enough hard drive space to support the kind of work you like to do. And buy a rodent that has the extra buttons you are used to... ;)

[Andrew Williams]

Even though I don't care all that much for them, I have been using computers since the mainframe era. I do most of my stuff on a powermac G4 and powerbook. The last PC that I used was a P4. I feel that both systems have relative merits and faults. No matter which one you choose, you will be forced to accept the paradigm of the modern computer age: Programmed obscelescene. At some point, they will stop supporting a certain piece of software that you use, you will be forced to upgrade the OS which will force you to eventually upgrade the hardware etc etc etc.

Basically this leaves the choice of accepting this kind of treament from either Microsoft or Apple. Both have a similar business strategy. Apple appears to (at least at the moment) care a slight bit more about quality, although this has dropped off a bit in recent years with "unannounced beta testing" of virtually everything in the computer world. Hence a nonending and regular sequence of required updates, and eventual paid upgrades.

So given this situation (and being unwilling and unable to go to linux due to my business type) I have chosen to stay with Apple. The biggest reason is simply that the Mac OS (based on BSDI unix) is far more stable for me than Windows, although not nearly as stable as other Unix flavors. It is much more powerful for me as well.

I would not recommend abandoning antiviruses. Macs are now being made with the same processor type as PCs, and I am certain that cross-platform viruses will eventually show up.

[Mark Rios]

Bonnie.

I've owned a Mac for about 10 years. As the others pointed out, other than gaming, the difference is small, and gets smaller everyday.
Now, I'll point out some of the negatives.
Apple is very quick to suspend support, in the form of hardware, for an abandoned standard. Leaving you up to the limited availability of third party vendors. case in point;
Apple came out with a properitery connector, ADC(Apple Display Connector) a few years back for their Displays. Video cards that supported this display were only available from Apple at the time. The problem was compounded due to Apple not maintaining the same AGP video slot standard, making the card required for this display not entirely backward compatable. This required the purchase of an ADC to DVI adapter from Apple, and the purchase of a Third party video card that supported the resolution of the new displays, and had a DVI connector, There were two cards available at the time.
Apple dropped the ADC connector format,and to the best of my knowledge no cards are currently being manufactured to this spec. Apple now has switched to the standard DVI, but with a hitch. You have to know if you need DVI, or dual DVI to support your display. Then you have to know the architecture standard of your machine. The G5 has had many different variations in the last three years. Aftermarket video card upgrades for the Macs are difficult to effect due to the proprietary nature of the video cards. Apple did again with the 2003-2005 G5's. No hardware support for the AGP video cards. Dumped for the PCI Express cards.
The current generation of G5 is working on the PCI Express standard. This is not the PCI-X standard but is something different. Machines that support the PCI-X connector standard use an AGP edge connector for their video cards. The newest machines are all PCI Express.
The new HD cinema displays are beautiful. Once again though, video card support is limited after the initial purchase. There is also an overheating issue with the ATI X1900xt video card due to faulty cooling with the OEM fan. The Nvidia GeForce is the better card right now.
I recently upgraded to a 30" HD Cinema display on my older G5,a nd had a heckuva time getting a compatable video card to run it.
If you are buying new, none of this will be an issue until you want to upgrade, and with Apple switching to the Quad, and 8 Core systems I expect video cards to change again.
Aftermarket Ram is an issue also, but not as great as the Video card problem.
Crucial has a full offering of Ram chipsets for all Mac's. In fact you may want to buy the system barebones on the ram and then upgrade through Crucial. You can save some$$$ doing this. Don't buy cheap ram. Crucial makes ram under liscense for Apple. Mac's are Ram intensive machines, so plan on adding ram.
I'd like to see Apple put more USB ports on the backplane. I have a few audio/video input devices on my machine, and none of the manufactures support the use of an external hub, so I ran out of USB ports pretty quick. I'll probably go to a PCI card USB controller in the near future.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from a Mac, they're great machines. Just trying to point out some of the potential problem areas with respect to hardware issues.

One more thought is that "Leopard", Mac's newest OS, is set for release this fall. If you want the latest and greatest you may want to hold off for a few months. The current OS is "Tiger" 10.4.9.

The software stuff takes a backseat in my opinion. Eventually I just converted everything to Mac. My PC ran in "Safe Mode" for the last 8 months I owned it. I just didn't feel like reloading it again.

MIke, it doen't sound like Bonnie is a "high end" user, just a regular ol' everyday, go online, check the email, play a couple of games, and check out Amazon for a deal kind of user, like most of us.

The hardware that they are using now in their machines will be compatible for a very long time to come. Bonnie is looking at an "all-in-one" iMac so the video card/monitor thing won't be an issue.

As far as the OSB peripheral/connectivity issue, if she chooses, she can have only one cord, the power cord, coming off of the machine and that's it. She can print wirelessly, connect to the net wirelessly, listen to iTunes through wireless speakers and lots of other stuff. Wireless keyboard and mouse have spoiled me. If she decides to connect any USB hardware that doesn't use wireless technology she can use a hub if she finds that she needs extra ports; I had two hooked up inline before my last move. The only peripherals that I have plugged in now are a back-up hardrive (Firewire) and my iPod dock. Everything else is wireless, either Bluetooth or through my Airport.

Regarding the memory, I couldn't agree more on fast, good quality memory. I just called a friend who owns a Mac reseller store (http://macdaddy.net) and he recommened Lifetime Memory Products (http://www.lifetimememory.com/) or Kingston Technology (http://www.kingston.com/). One of those companies is filling my 20" iMac with 2 gig of memory right now (I don't remember which one :o ) with never a bit of trouble.

I also agree with Jim on the monitor size. I like my 20" way better than the 17" that I had on my last Mac. However, I'll be jumping up to the 24" on my next upgrade. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: ;) ;)

With any new, Intel based Mac Bonnie, you will be able to very simply upgrade to the Leopard OS (10.5.x). The new, intel based hardware and the software that you probably use will be just fine. You won't need to upgrade, you may like Tiger just fine. However, Leopard will have some very, very neato features and upgrades to it. BUT.....don't let an Operating System upgrade affect the timing of any computer purchase, you'll be fine.

iMacs are shipping with a 250 gig hardrive which should be P-L-E-N-T-Y for most folks. But they also offer a 500 gig as well.

Here is an option that you may want to look at; http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?nnmm=browse&mco=3929D548&node=home/specialdeals/mac. There are a few refurbed iMac 20" for sale. These include, as standard of course, a built-in iSight camera (for video chatting and conferencing), built-in Airport Extreme (for your wireless internet connection and wireless printing) and built-in Bluetooth 2.0 (for oyour wireless keyboard and mouse, your digital camera, your PDA or cell phone and much more) plus more stuff. You can save a few hundered dollars and Apples refurbed machines have the same one-year factory warranty.


As far as extras, an Apple wireless keyboard and mouse are about all that there is to add, other than memory as previously mentioned. It only costs $60 extra for the pair. However, if a wired keyboard and mouse will do you, they are included with every iMac.

If you have a digital camera (or camcorder), you won't need anything for that: Just plug it in and let iPhoto (or iMovie for the camcorder) walk you through transferring your pics. You won't need any special driver or anything like that.

Hope this helps..................

[Mike Cutler]

Mark.

I think I focused a little too much on the gaming aspect requirements based on one statement.
Apologies Bonnie. My current setup is beyond what most folks need, and I tend to get a little myopic.;)

One thing I would recommend is to Visit the Apple>Support>Discussions forums at apple.com and read through the issues and resolutions that folks have posted.


(http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=132)

[Jason Roehl]

I'm just surprised nobody has yet told you the BEST way to accelerate a Mac


-9.8 m/s^2 :D

[Bonnie Campbell]

Well y'all gave me lots of help, I appreciate it :) Thank you!

I guess we'll be checking the budget to get one maybe this month (saves hubby from having to think of a Mothers day gift lol)

I've only got a couple games loaded on this computer. Nothing I couldn't live without, if they don't work. No apology needed Mike. It's good hearing all the info, pro and con on the Mac.

Does any wireless keyboard and mouse work or do you need to use theirs?

And should my HP all in one printer/scanner/copier work okay?

Guess I probably missed it on specs somewhere on their site, but how many USB ports are built in? Right now my PC has one broken USB, so I'm constantly switching my camera cord with my printer :( I think I've forgotten what the front of my CPU looks like lol

[Bart Leetch]

Well I tried to follow this thread & my Unisaw is looking better all the time.:eek: :) :D

I wonder what about just using Linux on a regular PC?

If so which Linux is recommended that will install easily & work with what office programs & web Browzer & hopefully Quicken 2002 just to keep track of accounts not go on line to the financial establishment?

[John Shuk]

As a casual computer user I am very happy with my 2 MACS. A G5 Imac for me and a Mac Mini for the kids. They just haven't crashed yet and they are very intuitive. Not the case with my past windows machines.

[Tim Morton]

Well y'all gave me lots of help, I appreciate it :) Thank you!

I guess we'll be checking the budget to get one maybe this month (saves hubby from having to think of a Mothers day gift lol)

I've only got a couple games loaded on this computer. Nothing I couldn't live without, if they don't work. No apology needed Mike. It's good hearing all the info, pro and con on the Mac.

Does any wireless keyboard and mouse work or do you need to use theirs?

And should my HP all in one printer/scanner/copier work okay?

Guess I probably missed it on specs somewhere on their site, but how many USB ports are built in? Right now my PC has one broken USB, so I'm constantly switching my camera cord with my printer :( I think I've forgotten what the front of my CPU looks like lol

I use a logitech wireless mouse and keyboard with my 17" imac and it is a great set-up. 17" is plenty big enough...but 20" is nice too:)

you will get 4 (2 on the computer and 2 on the keyboard)usb slots, but you can add a hub to get more.

Check the HP website to see if it will work on osX.

[Mike Cutler]

I'm just surprised nobody has yet told you the BEST way to accelerate a Mac


-9.8 m/s^2 :D

Bad Jason... Bad Jason, but funny.

Bonnie. The Logitech wireless mice and keyboards work just fine with Mac's. If your HP printer/scanner/copier is fairly new, it will probably support OS X. You may need to go to HP's website and download the software for it. It may even be Rendevous compliant.
I don't know how many USB ports are on an iMac. My G5 only has three. The 30" Display takes up one port. The Bose system takes up a port, and the Direct TV/ Miglia Satellite interface hardware takes the third.
As Mark pointed out, an external hub will work for most needs. The three devices I have currently connected though, are very specific about not routing them through a hub, so that was the reason for my previous statement.Printer/scanners and cameras are fine. Some high rez' audio and video may not be fine with a hub.
I just installed some extra ram in my Powerbook, and will install some extra Ram in my G5 when I get time. The latest Tiger upgrade(10.4.9) slowed things down a little bit.
I like my Mac's, in spite of my initial post, and I find those challenges to be much less annoying than reformatting a HD and reloading XP every 10-12 months.
I find Mac's to be very elegant in their simplicity. You can do some extremely serious work on one if you become so inclined, or just leave it as is, being a very reliable stable part of your life.

I know the G5 is a little out of the range you seem to be interested in, but give the G5's a look. The expansion capabilities are much greater with the G5's down the road.

[Art Mulder]

Guess I probably missed it on specs somewhere on their site, but how many USB ports are built in?

you will get 4 (2 on the computer and 2 on the keyboard)usb slots, but you can add a hub to get more.

On my 20" iMac at work there are 3 USB slots on the back of the box, and two on the kbd. On our Mac Mini at home there are 2 USB slots on the box, and two on the Kbd. You can either plug the mouse into a USB on the kbd or a USB on the CPU, depends on which works better for your desk.

I use the USB on the kbd for both memory sticks and for USB cameras, and it works great. However, I did bump into someone who had a USB memory stick that would NOT work on the USB port on the kbd. I think that the USB port on the kbd is somehow different (low powered?) But yes, a USB hub is an easy thing to add.



I wonder what about just using Linux on a regular PC?

If so which Linux is recommended that will install easily & work with what office programs & web Browzer & hopefully Quicken 2002 just to keep track of accounts not go on line to the financial establishment?

Bart, I use Ubuntu Linux at home. I've had it for 2+ years. In my experience it is so far the closest to an "It just works" experience with Linux. (To be fair, I stopped looking after getting Ubuntu.) The install procedure is easier and easier with each release. It comes with OpenOffice (MS office like program) which I use all the time with no problems. It comes with Firefox which is a great web browser.

Quicken does NOT work natively on Linux. However there is a company named Codeweavers that markets a tool called "Crossover Office" for a fairly modest price ($60 I think) which emulates Windows and is tuned for certain products, Quicken being one of them.

[Mark Rios]

I wasn't aware of the aftermarket makers of wireless keyboards for Macs, great info guys. But for only $60 dollars extra, it seems like a better deal than buying aftermarket, although I haven't ever priced aftermarket.

Mike, Sounds like you've got a great gaming set-up there. Gaming was never my strong suit. My son would ALWAYS beat me, evry time, and VERY badly. Like a footrace between a baby and a cheetah. I truly suck. :o :D

Good gaming to you.

[Jim Becker]

Quicken does NOT work natively on Linux. However there is a company named Codeweavers that markets a tool called "Crossover Office" for a fairly modest price ($60 I think) which emulates Windows and is tuned for certain products, Quicken being one of them.

Bart's version of Quicken is very, very old...there may be more compatibility issues than with newer versions. Or maybe just the opposite... :rolleyes:

[Peter Zacarelli]

I have both an older G5 and a brand new 17" iMac (intel). I don't believe most people would ever need anything more then the iMac. I use the iMac for just about evething accept I have a few PC applications that I run using Bootcamp on the iMac because I don't want to repurchase them. Everything PC application that I use on Bootcamp runs perfect. I had a 1 year old Dell to run these programs and connect into the mainframe a work. Even with all the spyware, firewall, adware, etc. software that I purchased I sill had so many crashes, slow reponse. I had to do a clean install which unlike Macs is a completed nightmare on a PC. One day the machine would not boot up so I went out an got the Intel iMac. After starting up the iMac and using for about a week I threw my Dell in the trash and never looked back. I have been working with computers in one form or the other since 1972. I built my own S100 Bus and Home Brew computers, if anyone is old enough to remember that these were the first computer kits before Applie introduced the Apple I. I have been using pre internet modem communications since 1984. I was one of the first users to be on AOL when it arrived, prior to that I was an Compuserve user. I have been a systems programmer for 35 years on large enterprise mainframes. My knowage of PCs is above what most people know about them. If fact eveyone I know always calls me to help them out when their machine miss behaves. Anyway the point of all this is my opion is as far as the average lay person is concerned the only computer anyone shoud get now is a Mac. The G5 is mostly over kill unless you are heavy into editing movies for profit, even then you could do this on a simple iMac with enough memory and disk space. I never have the problems that I did with a PC based machine with all their problems with virus, worms, spyware, etc. Also the Mac is really a better plug and play machine then PCs. Installing and Uninstalling software is a breeze on Macs not like PCs where it will ask you "Do you want to delete file dadada, it may be used by other applications?", well how the heck are you suppost to know if it's used by other applications or not. I could go on for hours about the differences between Macs and PCs but all I'm saying here is unless your a computer tech or you like a challenge then get a Mac. One more thing, that when friends and family call me about a PC problem I tell them to get a MAC! ;)

[Ken Milhinch]

Sounds like Apple are more popular in the US than here. They are about twice the price of a decent PC in Australia, and are basically a rather quirky alternative in my opinion. When I replaced my PC's about a year ago, I really could not find a single reason to buy one. Too expensive, too non-standard. They seem to have a bit of a cult following though - still not sure why.

[Tim Morton]

Sounds like Apple are more popular in the US than here. They are about twice the price of a decent PC in Australia, and are basically a rather quirky alternative in my opinion. When I replaced my PC's about a year ago, I really could not find a single reason to buy one. Too expensive, too non-standard. They seem to have a bit of a cult following though - still not sure why.

Macs are "quirky" you say:p Maybe you should buy one to find out for yourself just how NON quirky they really are:eek: :eek: I

[Chris Barton]

Hi Bonnie,

I went through this process about 6 weeks ago and the MacBook was my replacement choice. As others have said, they are about 1/3rd more expensive than a comparable PC but, they are worth every penny. If what you want is a computer that allows you to do work or entertain yourself, then get a mac. If you want to spend your time having to work on the computer trying to get it to function properly and entertain others with the frustrations and machinations of the PC, then a PC is a good choice. Just the freedom from all the security software that mucks up PCs is worth the premium price...

[Keel McDonald]

Sounds like most of you are happy with your macs. That's rare in my neck of the woods. I deal with both macs and pc's on a daily basis. I would spend twice the money on a pc rather than have to deal with another mac. Just my opinion, but I hate them. Granted, I don't use computers much for graphics or music like most mac users seem to. Maybe they are the better machines for such applications, but since I don't, I'll stick to my pc.

[Tim Morton]

Sounds like most of you are happy with your macs. That's rare in my neck of the woods. I deal with both macs and pc's on a daily basis. I would spend twice the money on a pc rather than have to deal with another mac. Just my opinion, but I hate them. Granted, I don't use computers much for graphics or music like most mac users seem to. Maybe they are the better machines for such applications, but since I don't, I'll stick to my pc.


I'm curious as to what specific problems you have with macs? I do use them in the prting enviroment at work, but I also have this one at home...i use it for websurfing and photo management and a music server for the kids rooms and the outdoor pool. I also plan on using it as a HTPC very soon...i can't imagine doing any of that with a PC. IN fact I have to chuckle when 75% of my friends who have PC's tell me stories about spending hours troubleshooting virus's and having to stay up to date with spyware and adware and virus programs:eek:

[Mike Cutler]

Hey folks.

Let's not drag down Bonnie's original question with the PC vs. Mac stuff. It won't help Bonnie make a decision either way.
If you're having problems with Mac's. Post the problem(s) in an articulate manner, and help Bonnie decide if a Mac is the correct decision for her.

[Ken Milhinch]

Macs are "quirky" you say:p Maybe you should buy one to find out for yourself just how NON quirky they really are:eek: :eek: I

Tim,

I think Macs are the pot smoking hippies of the PC world. Not my cup of tea, especially at twice the price.:D

[Tim Morton]

Tim,

I think Macs are the pot smoking hippies of the PC world. Not my cup of tea, especially at twice the price.:D


wow...not even sure how to adress that*LOL*

[John Hemenway]

Tim,

I think Macs are the pot smoking hippies of the PC world. Not my cup of tea, especially at twice the price.:D

You're so right, dude. I'm sitting here surrounded by 25 Macs, watching 'Weeds' stream on iTunes and smokin' a big doobbie! :eek:

Well at least some of that is true... :p

Bonnie, get an iMac, install either bootcamp or Parallels and Windoze and have the best of both worlds.

Computers are just like all other tools. Some users appreciate the well made and designed -- others think they are way overpriced.