P.C. or Mac? Should I Switch to Apple?

All of my computers have been PCs,
but I 've noticed the fanatical loyalty that Apple has generated. That 's interesting.





David

This is my second mac, I had two or three PCs before that. (Plus work computers which were PCs.) I much, much prefer macs. Quality is good, everything is intuitive, if there's an easier, more elegant way to do it they usually find that way.

However, they're more expensive, and I don't know if the price differential is really worth it. So I'm hesitant to recommend it in general.

I don't think you have to worry about relearning "computerese," my adjustment time after the switch was very brief. (That goes back to the intuitiveness.)

There were two couples that with whom we often socialized, maybe 10 years ago. One of the men was a P.C. fan. The other was a die hard Mac lover. Each and every time we got together, the two guys would get into a heated discussion, sometimes practically coming to blows!

I agree with your comments about Macs, but I do think there is some computerese to learn. I've been on computers for 30 years and the operating system on Macs is different from anything else I'm familiar with.

What I like most about them is the stability (mine freezes from time to time, but has never had any kind of virus) and how you just plug your computer or scanner or camera in and it finds the program and you're up and running in minutes - no downloading operating disks. However, learning to manage the iPhoto was a challenge to me since it's very different from anything else I've used.

Also, I didn't want any Windows products on my computer so I had to join and download (for free, although I contribute monthly to them) free Windows-type software (neo office) which is exactly like the Windows Office programs. The Neo Office programs are completely compatible with others and they upgrade them all the time. It's a non-profit volunteer group that hates Windows

From a long time PC user to a relatively new MAC user, I'd never go back. But learning it, at our ages, is not as easy as you might think. Depends on how computer-literate/savvy you are. It can be done, but I'm sure I'm not using the full potential of my Mac. I've got loads of pictures and music on my computer, and have managed to organize things the way I want - just takes a bit of time to get used to it.

Soz- Thanks for your "take" on the subject. Now, not to sound too naive, do you need a virus scan for the Macs? What about annoyances like pop-ups? Is there less of that on a Mac?

Its quite a sight to behold,
especially on the Apple side; its almost like religious fervor with them.

I can 't help but wonder if Apple has MORE MERIT,
to generate so remarkable a phenomenon.

I feel tempted to get a Mac next time; I dunno for sure.





David

i like my mac, i bought one of the mini's

http://www.apple.com/macmini/

you can keep your monitor and keyboard/mouse (if they have usb plug-ins), you can run windows on them if you partition the hard drive (you must however have a full copy of the windows software not just an update disc), microsoft works makes a mac compatible version also

Mame- That sounds like heaven.

Now, when you have had a "freeze", how easy is it to get back up and running? With my Dell, all I usually do is reboot, and that normally takes care of it.

I *think*, but am not sure of this, that pop-ups have more to do with your browser (Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, etc.) than the actual computer. At any rate I don't think there was a huge change. (I used Internet Explorer on the PC and use Safari or Firefox on the Macs.) It may be better but I'm not sure.

In general, with Macs, I find that there's a lot less fiddling and dealing with annoyances. There is a setting, somewhere, and if there's a problem you set things up a certain way and the problem disappears and you don't think about it anymore.

I deal with very, very few pop-ups right now.

Virus scans were much more a part of my life with the PCs than the Macs, but there absolutely are Mac viruses. I don't know as much about this as I ought.

The blue screen of death doesn't exist with Macs [in my experience]. My browser used to freeze on the old computer (the mac before this) -- I'd have to force quit, then re-open. But the computer in general just hasn't ever frozen I don't think in all the time I've had one, and the one before this got quite geriatric (about 6 years old).

i've never had what i call a real windows/pc freeze, at most i have to open force quit and shut down an application

Thank u, Soz; that 's worth remembering.





David

i ran a full virus scan program for a year on my mac (got it as part of a package deal), never picked up anything

i'm pretty careful about my browsing and downloading, but even with mcafee running on my pcs i still managed to get a few things (nothing serious) every now and then

basically pcs are still the most prevalent comps out there and the choice of business so they're great targets for viruses

The freezing is program (software) related - it often happens when I'm Skyping, for example. Just restart your Mac and all is fine.

Without going into an analysis of your needs... I would say go with a Mac.

The biggest benefit I get from my Mac's is that I have confidence in their stability and reliability.

I would also recommend going to an Apple store and actually sitting down and using them for a while to see what you think. They have classes, but if you tell the sales dweebs that you are thinking about a Mac, but want to spend some time with one before switching, I bet they will spend hours with you showing their machines off.

The learning curve for switching to a Mac is small because the operating systems of the to products are merging in terms of functionality. If you buy a new PC, you will get Windows 7 anyway so there is a small learning curve no matter what. That said, I just bought a very nice 64 bit Windows machine for my son for $500. A comparable Mac is $1000. The PC is very friendly for popping off the cover and installing my son's old hard drive. Mac not so much. If you are doing serious creative work (video editing, high end photoshop type work), the Mac software is generally superior. If you are doing basic family picture editing, the Mac software is a little better, but the PC tools are pretty good as well. If you are surfing, it doesn't matter. If you are running business apps like MS Office, the PC's are generally better. For what I run (surfing, business apps, pictures) there is no return for the extra cost so PC's for me.

my last two pc's haven't needed operating disks - just plug in the cord/memory stick - the pc takes care of the rest

Niiice... but my husband just bought a new computer and he had to install everything, so go figure.

A Mac ?