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Question for Mac Owners

mateomasfeo
Thinking about a new computer and want to go Mac this time instead of a PC.

Any drawbacks for consideration? Office Software? Compatibility with PC's on a network? Support? Refurbished? Learning curve? Accessories?

When I buy a computer I like a computer capable of handling video and photo editing with relative ease.

Any suggestions?
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Comments

24 comments

Date Votes
  • zipperzap
    This is the best advice you'll ever get.

    Go to: http://forums.macnn.com/

    Join the forum.

    Go to: http://forums.macnn.com/macnn-lounge/

    (It's the Mac Lounge - usually 40 - 50 member geeks there at any given time)

    Ask all those questions - you'll get straight answers to all of them.

    It's a fantastic place.

    Best of luck - you'll really really enjoy Macs.
    [8D]
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  • A J Christ
    Running a Mac right now.

    Think if you go with a Mac, the only regret you'll have is not doing it sooner.
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  • zipperzap
    +++1
    [:D]
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  • mr_floppy
    Hmmm I haven't played with Microsoft based equipment in over 5 years. I'll never go back.


    As for Mac look for the intel based units rather than the PPC. You can get software that will run windows. Look for Parallels.
    There's talk if you run both operating systems for cross applications you have to be more virus aware due to to the windows applications.

    If you don't plan on keeping up with MS apps, I did find it necessary to get Neo Office in order to open up some items my microsoft pals have sent me. There's a few others here that run Mac's that give you more info.


    Maybe my vagueness is a testimony to Mac's ease of use. You can pretty much just turn it on and just use it. I remember too many years of redoing / training things every other year for Microsoft.


    Forgot This might help.
    Http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/
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  • spurgemastur
    I'm not sure how it is outside of my field, but in my field (biological sciences), it pays in spades to run the PC.

    -Most of the open source software is PC.
    -Many weird but useful little programs are PC-only (none that I know of are Mac only)
    -Most of my colleagues run PC.
    -If I give a talk, I can count on using a PC to run PowerPoint and it just works better if the presentation is built on the same platform on which it will be presented.

    Then again, if the computer isn't so important to your work, I might even suggest a Mac. The rest of my family sure likes them.
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  • dheffley
    Mac's are easier to use and safer in many reguards, but, there are a few commercial softwares (like my CAD/CAM system) that will not run on a Mac. I've found that several advanced softwares are not programmed for Mac, and they will not run no matter what you do.

    For general computer use, you can't beat a Mac.
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  • drsck
    I bought a new pc with vista last November and a friend bought a Macbook a month later. I paid three times more for my pc than my friend did for her Mac. Sitting them side by side, the Mac blows the doors off of my pc. My pc has been in the shop three times since then and I've spent another grand on "upgrades" to try to get it to run right. I admit a big part of the problem is that my pc is a Dell piece of !@#$!@$. But taking everything else into consideration, in the future I'll never buy anything but a Mac. I was a diehard pc guy, but let me say that I'm now reformed. There are lots of other diehard pc people out there who will try to tell you that "only pc's can do this or that." In reality, the only thing that pc's do better than Macs is crash! Yea, some you'll have to install some additional programs to do all "geek" stuff that takes FOREVER on a pc with vista, and there will be some obstacles to overcome with networking, but you'll never regret it. The only negative thing I have to say about the Mas is that the keyboard for the Macbook is really pretty lousy. It's just so flat that it's really difficult to use after years of using a standard keyboard. Best of luck -- Steve
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  • cowdoc
    sorry don't own a mac but do own a Peterbilt.[:0][:D]
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  • spurgemastur
    quote:Originally posted by drsck
    I bought a new pc with vista last November and a friend bought a Macbook a month later. I paid three times more for my pc than my friend did for her Mac. Sitting them side by side, the Mac blows the doors off of my pc. My pc has been in the shop three times since then and I've spent another grand on "upgrades" to try to get it to run right. I admit a big part of the problem is that my pc is a Dell piece of !@#$!@$. But taking everything else into consideration, in the future I'll never buy anything but a Mac. The only negative thing I have to say about the Mas is that the keyboard for the Macbook is really pretty lousy. It's just so flat that it's really difficult to use after years of using a standard keyboard. Best of luck -- Steve


    Funny. I've never had trouble with my Dells. I have had trouble to the extent that I will never buy a Compaq or HP EVER again, and I consider Dell to be extraordinarily reliable. I guess it's just all about your experience with the brand. Dell has served me well.
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  • andersk
    I've never had anything other than a Mac. I now have an iMac G5 and it is wonderful! It is the only way to go. They are super easy to use!
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  • spurgemastur
    quote:Originally posted by cowdoc
    sorry don't own a mac but do own a Peterbilt.[:0][:D]


    [:D][:D]
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  • mateomasfeo
    Thanks for the comments, and ZIP (I knew I could count on you for this one!) I will go look at the forum after this post.

    So is it accurate to say, that for business PC is the way to go and personal use is Mac?

    I have had great service from my many Dells over the years, but when I got my iPhone I immediately recognized the quality and ergonomics of the Apple product. Figured the computers would be the same.

    Besides, I'm not a big Microsoft fan...
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  • zipperzap
    quote:mateomasfeo:

    So is it accurate to say, that for business PC is the way to go and personal use is Mac?


    It's pretty accurate to say that 99 out of 100 PC (only) users don't know what they are talking about when they use that same old/lame argument that Macs are for fun and PC's are for business applications.

    A couple of years ago Mac came out with the Intel chip ( Go to: http://www.apple.com/intel/) - absolutely fluent in PC/ALL applications, that I know of. If there are some applications that won't run on the Intel chipped Mac ... educate me. I could be wrong - but I doubt it. I believe there were 7,000 applications and growing daily.

    I understand the US military is investing in huge numbers of Macs this year - for many reasons - but I doubt they are going to be playing Pac Man with them.

    IF you are going to play with the big boys - you've got to do a little catch up reading - it's not 1989 anymore!
    [:D]
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  • Cutiegirlracing
    I've got a Mac. I've also got a Tec and a Spectre and a another Tec.

    100_0633.jpg
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  • dheffley
    quote:Originally posted by zipperzap
    If there are some applications that won't run on the Intel chipped Mac ... educate me. I could be wrong - but I doubt it.

    Unigraphicx NX4 and SolidWorks are two of them that won't run on the Mac.
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  • zipperzap
    Solidworks: Read http://developer.apple.com/business/macmarket/edrawings.html

    As far as Unigraphicx NX is concerned, I haven't had time to research that one. Will do so tomorrow.

    Scott
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  • dheffley
    quote:Originally posted by zipperzap
    Solidworks: Read http://developer.apple.com/business/macmarket/edrawings.html

    As far as Unigraphicx NX is concerned, I haven't had time to research that one. Will do so tomorrow.

    Scott


    eDrawings is a viewer, not the full CAD system. We tried it on SolidWorks 2007 and 2008. It failed.

    It also failed on UGNX, NX2 and NX4, but will run the viewer fo UG.

    It is worth noting that SW required XP-Pro, and had some issues with Vista.
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  • KSUmarksman
    hope you don't care much for games if you're considering a mac [:D][;)]
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  • Colt Super
    If it weren't for the iPod toy, there wouldn't be any apple.

    Doug
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  • tobefree
    quote:Originally posted by Cutiegirlracing
    I've got a Mac. I've also got a Tec and a Spectre and a another Tec.

    100_0633.jpg



    At least yours has some use!!!
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  • spanielsells
    quote:Originally posted by spurgemastur
    quote:Originally posted by drsck
    I bought a new pc with vista last November and a friend bought a Macbook a month later. I paid three times more for my pc than my friend did for her Mac. Sitting them side by side, the Mac blows the doors off of my pc. My pc has been in the shop three times since then and I've spent another grand on "upgrades" to try to get it to run right. I admit a big part of the problem is that my pc is a Dell piece of !@#$!@$. But taking everything else into consideration, in the future I'll never buy anything but a Mac. The only negative thing I have to say about the Mas is that the keyboard for the Macbook is really pretty lousy. It's just so flat that it's really difficult to use after years of using a standard keyboard. Best of luck -- Steve


    Funny. I've never had trouble with my Dells. I have had trouble to the extent that I will never buy a Compaq or HP EVER again, and I consider Dell to be extraordinarily reliable. I guess it's just all about your experience with the brand. Dell has served me well.
    Agreed. I've two DELLs, I got my folks a DELL and I got my wife's family about six or seven of them. They run great, and they're a good deal for the money.

    The laptop I purchased last month isn't a DELL, but Gateway was having a sale and I honestly couldn't come close to getting a DELL for the same price as a Gateway. In fact, Gateway was able to beat it by almost 50% on this sale when comparing apples-to-apples.

    Right now the DELL laptop, which has run 24/7 for the last three years, is retired and is now my network server.

    Love DELL computers.
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  • Sperry
    You do not have to buy software that will run windows with the new Macs.
    You can load in your existing PC software, and start up the Mac as a virtual PC if you
    have to emulate a PC environment for some particular work.

    Myself, I have Office for Mac, but never use it.

    All the video editing software is included, [iMovie] except perhaps Final Cut Pro, which has been used for some feature films.

    I'd recommend the MacBook.
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  • zipperzap
    Link at bottom:

    There's no better sign of Microsoft's increasing acceptance of the Mac population than the latest version of Office for Mac 2008, the first Office with native support for Intel-based Macs. Like its Mac-side predecessors, this Office has its own interface and tools, many of which aren't found on the PC. But whatever you use to create your PowerPoint presentation or Word doc, it will be 100% compatible with the 2007 PC Office edition. We've known it was coming for a while but now it's officially en route, hitting most retail outfits on January 15th at three key prices starting at $400 for suits and $150 for students and home use. We've been playing with the beta for a few weeks, too, and so far it's a smooth ride.

    All editions include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage. The $400 "standard" edition also has Microsoft Server Exchange support and Automator actions. The $500 Special Media edition has all of that plus Microsoft Expression Media, formerly iView, a program for managing and processing vast batches of 100 different media types.etc., etc., etc.

    http://gizmodo.com/339376/first-hands-on-microsoft-office-for-mac-2008
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  • mp5shooter
    i just switched to a mac this january the only draw back that i find so far is finding games to play. it is easily fix by installing windows on it also. otherwise i really enjoy it.
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