OT - Switching from PC to Mac

[Kansas_Jones 0]

So, the nutshell is this:

 

1.) People will use (and continue to use) either the PC or MAC based on their personal preferences or business or pleasure situations.

 

2.) The choice is made because this is something they've used all along, got converted due to exposure, or they got fed up with this or that ops system, or are attracted to the pretty shiny.

 

3.) And, we are all hamstringed and herded into using the PC or the MAC until a 3rd party computer developer comes along with a third option to sweep the world and go boo yah on the Eeeeeeeeeeeeevil PC and Mac empire and conquer the market?

 

::grins:: that about cover it guys? :-P

[Samantha_Kent 0]

Yep, Kansas, that about covers it. :)

[Garnoopy 0]

I believe the original question was has anyone switched from PC to Mac and survived... that would be me.

 

I was a die hard Dell fan who would tell anyone to buy Dell whenever they got the chance cause of the excellent customer support. I still believe that. However, after 2 years of beating the heck out of my laptop using it 8+ hours a day in school, it died on me... and Dell (great company) sent me a brand new laptop. I sold that laptop on ebay and bought a mac.

 

People now ask why I rave about Mac's...

 

They simply work.

 

That's the big difference. The way you think it should be, it is. The way you think it should act, it does.

 

Compatibility? No lies, I have issues. My former work and current work both have websites that require IE to run which I cannot get on mac. I use parallels and Windows XP. This is a 4GB program to simply surf my work website, but, it works. Shockingly, running XP on my MacBook as a program while still having my OS X running works better than it used to on my state of the art PC.

 

If I have computer games I want to play, I use them in Parallels. Now, keep in mind... I am not a die hard gamer. I use my computer for internet, pictures, videos, chatting, and general word processing. Sometimes I do some video editing, but mac software is better for that. I do NOT use my computer for hardcore gaming. I have no idea how mac's fare in that field as the only game I play is Monday night at 10 PM.

 

Microsoft Office works great. I use that. So, never had any problems with any office documents.

 

I find Mac's easier to use and make more sense. I could go on and on and on about all the amazing things I've discovered how to do on my mac I couldn't do on my PC. Don't get me wrong, I like PC's... but mac's just seem friendlier to me.

 

Again... it comes down to this. I've always known something is my best option when I don't think about it. When it just works. When I never complain about it. I always was working my way through issues on a PC... but never on a mac.

 

It just works.

 

I would suggest you go hang out with someone who owns a mac and ask them to show things to you. Play with it. Maybe if they are a really good friend... borrow it for a day or two and see what you think. (Make sure they show you how it works first! Lol).

 

Hands on experience is much better than anything anyone can tell you.

[Col. C.E. Harper 0]

I may be sucked into the Mac vortex when I try to replace my laptop sometime next year (read: after I get a real, post-gradschool job. also read: when I have money again). My best friends were taken by the Mac side, leaving me the only PC holdout. The primary cause? Vista, Vista, Vista. I swear that OS is going to be singlehandedly responsible for the downfall of Microsoft at this rate. My preference right now is to get a PC and cough up the extra dough to get the custom install "down"-grade to XP. However, as my friends try to lure me to Macs, they point out the following small tip --

 

Apparently, you can get two-button mice for the Mac, eliminating the eternal "how do I right-click?!" problem. :-P

[Sam_SemaJ 0]

two fingers on trackpad, click.

[Capt Muon Quark 0]

Well after a week on a new Mac, here's what I have to report.

 

I found the right click. LOL

 

Still learning how to install programs on a Mac. It's somewhat different than a PC. I do have a couple of PC games (Pretty Good Solitaire and Jigsaw Galore) that I might have to get Paralells or something to play on the Mac. Luckily Firefox installed with no problem so I'm good to go with the chat rooms.

 

The only major problem I'm having is installing brushes into a paint program called Gimp. They need to go into a folder but that folder (from what I understand) is hidden. It has a . in front of it. How do I find and display the hidden folders?

 

Over all I really love the new iMac. It's way cool.

 

Thanks!

[STSF Seiben 0]

Do let me know how you're liking it. After some time with Vista and putting up with my computer constantly crapping out on me, I too am deeply considering getting a Mac when my current PC kicks the bucket. I went to the Apple Store today, and had a look at some, and boy, am I tempted. (and I managed to find the Right-Click pretty quick too :) )

[Col. C.E. Harper 0]

two fingers on trackpad, click.

 

I hate trackpads, and use them only under protest.

[Samantha_Kent 0]

The only major problem I'm having is installing brushes into a paint program called Gimp. They need to go into a folder but that folder (from what I understand) is hidden. It has a . in front of it. How do I find and display the hidden folders?

 

Great program -- good choice.

 

I'll send you a PM with how to do it so as not to bore everyone to tears.

[LoAmi 0]

3.) And, we are all hamstringed and herded into using the PC or the MAC until a 3rd party computer developer comes along with a third option to sweep the world and go boo yah on the Eeeeeeeeeeeeevil PC and Mac empire and conquer the market?

 

::grins:: that about cover it guys? :-P

This one's the one I disagree with. (As long as, by "PC," you mean "Windows." By any other definition I can think of, a Mac is also a PC).

 

My argument is that at least one third option that is usable by the average person already exists, and is being held back by lack of glitzy marketing, fear ('too hard to use'/'only for geeks'), and inertia ('not enough market share to...').

[Capt Muon Quark 0]

Do let me know how you're liking it. After some time with Vista and putting up with my computer constantly crapping out on me, I too am deeply considering getting a Mac when my current PC kicks the bucket. I went to the Apple Store today, and had a look at some, and boy, am I tempted. (and I managed to find the Right-Click pretty quick too :) )

 

Well, the interface is different but that's no big deal. It just takes some getting used to. The programs shut down differently. They don't shut down by clicking on the X. (by the way the X is on the left side now) You have to go up to the menu and shut them down from there or used the keyboard short cut. That's kind of a weirdness. The programs also install differently.

 

The one thing I can't figure out yet (maybe someone can enlighten me) is how to maneuver to a particular directory for installing programs or saving files. In windows, you can double click on the folders until you get to the directory you need and then install your program or save your file. Not so on a mac, or else I haven't figured it out yet. LOL The pop up window doesn't let me maneuver thru the directories and such. Did I explain that right? That is weird so I wind up saving files to the desktop and then manually moving them later.

 

All in all I am loving the new mac. My 3D graphic programs certainly run faster and that's a big plus. There are more programs available for the PC versus the mac but again, you can set the mac up to run windows programs if you need to. I'm still looking for a macro program for the chat room... LOL

[Samantha_Kent 0]

The one thing I can't figure out yet (maybe someone can enlighten me) is how to maneuver to a particular directory for installing programs or saving files. In windows, you can double click on the folders until you get to the directory you need and then install your program or save your file. Not so on a mac, or else I haven't figured it out yet. LOL The pop up window doesn't let me maneuver thru the directories and such. Did I explain that right? That is weird so I wind up saving files to the desktop and then manually moving them later.

 

Which pop-up window is it that's confusing you? When I go to save a file, I get a popup window which says at the top, "Enter name of file to save to," and which has a menu bar down the left side of the large overarching folders, and then from there you can use the main central window to click further into the subfolders -- clicking on a folder expands the window to the right with the subfolders and files contained in that folder and so on. And then when you reach the folder that you want to save to, you hit OK.

 

Occasionally when you try to download a file it will give you a window which gives you options of opening the file with an application or saving it to disk, in which case you can select "Save to Disk" and it will give you the same window as described above.

 

Feel free to hit me up via PM or AIM with any questions about this; I don't want to completely hijack the thread, although it is upping my post count nicely. :)

[Guest STSF Muon]

Thanks Sam, I found the expand button. :)

[Tom Servo 0]

Hehe...yeah...I pretty much was...luckily it happened three days before my warranty went out, so I got the new one free, and I only lost three weeks worth of work because I had backed up the harddrive on the occasion of the quarter getting stuck in the DVD drive.

 

quarter getting stuck IN the dvd drive?...

 

 

as a slight aside, for those that frequently use macs with a technical side to them, how upgradeable are mac boxes/laptops. for instance, i can swap out my ram inside 5 minutes on my pc, but i would imagine that for something like an iMac, it would me more difficult. as for laptops, i would imagine it is comparable between pc's and macs. but again, no one i know that owns a mac has ever tried. what about prices for parts of macs?

[Samantha_Kent 0]

quarter getting stuck IN the dvd drive?...

 

Yep...this is what happens when you carry your laptop in a laptop bag with a quarter floating around in it for an entire flight from BWI to Atlanta. BEWARE...

[Sam_SemaJ 0]

quarter getting stuck IN the dvd drive?...

 

 

as a slight aside, for those that frequently use macs with a technical side to them, how upgradeable are mac boxes/laptops. for instance, i can swap out my ram inside 5 minutes on my pc, but i would imagine that for something like an iMac, it would me more difficult. as for laptops, i would imagine it is comparable between pc's and macs. but again, no one i know that owns a mac has ever tried. what about prices for parts of macs?

 

Laptops are easy. I easisly upgrated my last one right away when I got it. I would not recommend upgrading it from Apple while building the machine, this is overpriced, get your RAM third party (dealram.com) and install it yourself, instructions are easy to find online. As for desktops, I would imagine the Powermac towers are just as easy as your PC box, from what I read the imac is as simple as taking a plate off of the bottom of the monitor/computer and sliding a new stick in.

 

So I'm sure it's comparable to PCs for both price and ease, I've had a fine experience with it.