Mac or PC

[jonwood79]

Not wanting to start off an age-old debate that will probably never resolve itself anyway (a bit like Diesel v Petrol) but I've had PCs for years and have grown increasingly annoyed at how installing software or hardware usually takes a whole day or weekend to sort out because NOTHING I've ever bought for my PC seems to install correctly first time round. That along with constant error messages, crashes and endless virus scares over the years.

As such the next time I buy a computer I've decided to go for a Mac. Is there anything I need to know in advance before making the jump? Will all my precious JPEGs and Office documents be readable if I make the switch? Am I likely to find any problems installing existing peripherals? That sort of thing.

Thanks in advance all.

[Dirk]

Mac :aaANYWORD:

[markysharkey]

Go for it, it will be fine, you can always use bootcamp and boot it as a pc if you install xp on it.
Macs the way to go!!

[mikeruss]

I have been a pc user for years and work in IT. I moved to mac and it's great. all your "pc" stuff will work or there are free apps which will do it. Also because it's linux under th hood, you can aslo take adavntage of that. Well I do anyway ;-) Do it do it.

The latest mac mini is awsome......

[mikeruss]

PS - also check out the apple refurb area - save a forune ;-)


Apple Store - U.K. - Special Deals

[Gary Slegg]

Well, I've always used PCs - but I must say this Vista debacle has put me off them...

[AlfaJack]

Had PCs for years and moved to Mac about 8 months ago - really wish I had done it long ago! Its so much nicer to use. I have Windows installed too but rarely have to use it.

Check if your printer has Mac drivers, my Epsom 3850 did not

[Pud237]

Won't be upgrading to Vista from XP - not sure what I'll do when the time comes to upgrade, but it won't be for a few years or so for me.

[AlfaJack]

Originally Posted by jonwood79

Office documents be readable if I make the switch? Am I likely to find any problems installing existing peripherals? That sort of thing.

Thanks in advance all.

Office 2008 (This is the Mac version) is due out in a couple of weeks btw

[boneman147]

Originally Posted by mikeruss

Also because it's linux under th hood, you can aslo take adavntage of that. Well I do anyway ;-) Do it do it.
The latest mac mini is awsome......

Hiya, with all respect the Mac uses BSD Unix under the hood. Loads of similar commands but also many different.

Yes the mini is sweet. Got my Mum one last year and she couldn't be happier.

[PaulR]

I use both Macs and PCs - both have their merits. At work we are tied into Windows and, to be fair, it works but it is like driving a Mondeo.

However I have always used Macs at home and would not swap for a PC if you paid me. It is far more intuitive and I have found that there are no software problems that are not easily resolved. You can get Microsoft Office 2004 (now) 2008 (soon). A friend tells me that you can download 2004 using bittorent and it works seamlessly. This is of course illegal and not to be recommended so don't do it. NeoOffice is freeware and does the same job.

Freeware/shareware Mac programmes are so much better. I have just paid $30 for iRecordMusic - which lets me record any radio programme. VisualHub will convert any video format into any other. Both these will load (if I wish) the resultant files into iTunes for instant playback. I know that there are Windows applications which do the same - I have used them but, believe me, the Mac ones are so much easier.


Go on jonwood just BUY A MAC NOW.

Paul.



Paul.

[Kevin Slegg]

I've just started a new job and have been given a new Toshiba lap-top running Vista.

For what it is it is very capable.

However, compared to my 3 year old Mac Powerbook running OS X 10.4 its utter crap.

If its your own computer and you're not forced to buy a windows based machine go for the Mac; you won't regret it

[GTACharlie]

Originally Posted by PaulR

I use both Macs and PCs - both have their merits. At work we are tied into Windows and, to be fair, it works but it is like driving a Mondeo.

However I have always used Macs at home and would not swap for a PC if you paid me. It is far more intuitive and I have found that there are no software problems that are not easily resolved. You can get Microsoft Office 2004 (now) 2008 (soon). A friend tells me that you can download 2004 using bittorent and it works seamlessly. This is of course illegal and not to be recommended so don't do it. NeoOffice is freeware and does the same job.

Freeware/shareware Mac programmes are so much better. I have just paid $30 for iRecordMusic - which lets me record any radio programme. VisualHub will convert any video format into any other. Both these will load (if I wish) the resultant files into iTunes for instant playback. I know that there are Windows applications which do the same - I have used them but, believe me, the Mac ones are so much easier.


Go on jonwood just BUY A MAC NOW.

Paul.



Paul.

Agree 100%!

Several years ago my uni in fact DID pay me to use Windows-based machines. I am a CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) expert and they wanted me to help design the university's new CALL center. Problem was, all my computers were Macs and the uni including the new lab is all Windows. They bought me three top of the line Windows machines and the nightmare began. Spent more time trying to get the darn computers to work than I did in designing the lab. Four years later when the project was completed, I immediately returned the three machines - they wanted me to keep them but I wanted nothing more to do with all the headaches those computers caused me. I have 5 Macs and 3 iPods and my relationship with technology is once again happy fun and easy!

Get a Mac - all your pictures, videos, music (iPod and personal CDs) and Office files will all be automatically saved in the proper format.

OSX is Unix-based so it is extremely stable, almost every device you hook up is truly "plug-and-play", and software installs are super simple.

Mac support is also fantastic. I do recommend to get the three year extended warranty though as this will insure if ANYTHING ever goes wrong, it will be replaced for free.

Macintosh - the Alfas of the computing world!

[PeterWolf]

Originally Posted by jonwood79

As such the next time I buy a computer I've decided to go for a Mac.

Well it seems that you've already made up your mind so it's not Mac or PC just Mac. I am sure that you'll enjoy the switch and everything will go much smoother.

[BigFoot]

Mac

[PeterWolf]

Originally Posted by BigFoot

Mac

But wait!!! You are NOT a true ferrari fan..... so why don't you drop this apple nonsense and get yourself one of these right now

http://bilder.hardware.no/167/167667/i_167667.jpg

[GTACharlie]

Originally Posted by PeterWolf

But wait!!! You are NOT a true ferrari fan..... so why don't you drop this apple nonsense and get yourself one of these right now

http://bilder.hardware.no/167/167667/i_167667.jpg

Yuck! Thats like pasting a GTA label on a 147 1.6 TwinSpark or an M3 label on a 318iA

[Dibby]

It all depends on what you want to use it for.

Macs are a lot of money for the hardware you get in the case, a bigger %age of the £'s go on product design and less on performance. The new version of the Apple OSX is rumoured to be as buggy as Windows Vista - don't know if they've sorted it yet.

Remember if something goes pop after the warranty runs out, you could be in for expensive repairs being tied own to Apple proprietary parts. They hardly ever go wrong but when they do they're a lot more of a nightmare than a PC.

If you're looking for stability, performance, price, ease of use and willing to learn a new operating system, but not bothered with looks, a PC with Linux Ubuntu installed is worth looking into.

If you want something easy to use, looks good, not worried about performance-per-pound, go for an Apple.

[HSTDriver]

My PC does everything I ask of it, which isn't very much at all.

I DO like a gadget or two, but find Mac talk a bit geeky (probably because I just don't get it)

[GhostyDog]

Only thing I can add is that if you do get a Mac of some sort get the Applecare Extended Warranty, it's worth it's weight in gold IF something does go wrong with the hardware.

I have worked for 2 Design Agencies in an IT Support capacity, Macs are NOT infallible and the suffer the same problems any PC does because they all work the same way.

I'd say the vast majority of problems people have with Windows is simply down to misconfiguration and not knowing enough about the OS and how it should be used.

The same can be said for OS X on Mac.

In my opinion you choose the tool for the job you want to do, in some cases this will be a Windows based machine, in others Mac or even Linux.

Figure out what you want to use your computer for then choose the best machine and platform for that use.

Good luck.

GD

[Dibby]

Originally Posted by GhostyDog

In my opinion you choose the tool for the job you want to do, in some cases this will be a Windows based machine, in others Mac or even Linux.

Figure out what you want to use your computer for then choose the best machine and platform for that use.

Very true, think about exactly what you want the machine for. Too many people get caught up in marketing and sales hype and end up with a standard PC out of the box with bunch of peripherals, software and bumf you'll never use. A computer is a functional tool, not a fashion statement.

Don't be fooled into buying a machine for the way it looks or forking out for more expensive components to 'future-proof' it. Think about what programs you'll want to run and that will dictate the number of processor cores, speed, memory, external connectors, cooling fan noise. A family PC for word processing, internet and email will be a completely different beast from a gaming & home entertainment centre or a video, music & 3D graphics production and editing machine.

[jonwood79]

Thanks all. I really just want something that won't crash as much as my PC seems to. Apart from the usual internet and office applications, I use Photoshop Elements quite a lot, although I think what I'm going to do at the moment is buy a Macbook, because I need some sort of laptop for work, then see how I get on with it and whether it's worth replacing my Windows desktop which I use for my photography hobbies.

Cheers for all the constructive advice from everyone

[BigFoot]

Originally Posted by PeterWolf

But wait!!! You are NOT a true ferrari fan..... so why don't you drop this apple nonsense and get yourself one of these right now

http://bilder.hardware.no/167/167667/i_167667.jpg

Cheap shot!

[paintergirl]

Buy the MacBook

I replaced my iBook with one just before Christmas and it's just brilliant!

On the other hand my hubbie's Fujitsu is total ****e I'm always having to sort it out for speed, virus updates etc. etc.

[Stori]

My cousin had trouble being able to reply to emails in sent English from foreign countries.....Apple's Solution use Windows ......

So he sent his iMac packing.... back to Apple it went and he said to let him know when they made computers for the real world