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Mac OS X: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac?
- 8/15/08 3:00 PM
I will never switch from a PC to a Mac...
by Tarquin X Zanzibar - 8/15/08 10:31 PM In reply to: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
...why? Because I have always built my own computers, & PC's are so much more user-friendly in this respect; you can get under the hood & start messing about - & it doesn't cost the Earth.
In addition, the range of Software available for the PC is seemingly limitless! The same goes for Hardware, you're not constrained by having to buy expensive proprietary components (no matter how well-made they are!).
I know Macophiles love their Macs, but for me - well, I just can't see any reason to change!
Mac since the 80's
by Jeryrig - 8/15/08 10:37 PM In reply to: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My first computer was an Apple II. I quickly moved up to the Apple IIe (it had upper and lower case!). Friends who had IBMs laughed at the Mac's mouse. They said that if you didn't type in command lines it wasn't a real computer. Meanwhile, Steve Jobs raked Billy Gates over the coals for writing software for non-Apple computers. But the saving grace for PCs was a copy of the Mac environment called "Windows".
I used a Mac SE30 for years. I've had an 8600, a G3, a G4, a Mac Mini and a Mac Book. I would rather pay more for a classy, stylish product that's dependable, almost never crashes, has great support, seems immune to viruses, & has all the software I need. Most of the graphics & editing programs were written for the Mac first. Probably for that reason, most people in the film business use Macs, for Call-sheets & story boards to full on editing.
My kids all have PCs. Because they're cheap. They use them for internet & email. They love my MacBook because its faster & easier.
I'll switch, but not to a Mac
by rbsjrx - 8/15/08 10:37 PM In reply to: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I use Windows as a business necessity, but I *really* hate it. Macs are nice, but way overpriced. My preferred computer is a generic PC running Ubuntu Linux. I'm only a few years from retirement. By the time that day arrives, I'll be almost totally migrated to Linux. Affordable hardware and software, plus absolute reliability and dependability. Neither Windows nor Mac can touch it.
My primary Linux machine is almost identical to my primary Windows machine, yet will run rings around it with identical or comparable applications. Add to that the fact that it can run 24/7 for years on end without so much as a hiccup. I'm strongly motivated to ditch Windows at the earliest opportunity, but I have no motivation to make the investment in Mac just to be trendy or because they're pretty.
Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac?
by kfj2350 - 8/15/08 10:52 PM In reply to: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Started with a macPlus over 20 years ago and still use an iMac for secure internet and banking
Never switched. My first computer was a 512 Mac
by yarlq - 8/15/08 11:40 PM In reply to: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I've run Macs since 1984 - since the 1st 512.
Included PCs as of 1998 (Vaio 505 - 1st 3 lb. laptop)
Too many Macs to count - probably six Vaios.
Two Vaios now running Linux.
The results:
Windows: 30 years and still going wrong.
Macs: Lack a few programs but they are like little Energizers - they just keep on going.
Linux - just gets better every day. Not the range of programs but you can load linux and the top 25 programs in 22 minutes. And update everything before the half-hour is out.
Haven't had a BSOD on Mac since the late '90s - never had one on linux.
With Windows - it's the color of day way, way too often. Windows is, simply, crap. MS doesn't understand it, can't repair it, but dumps out new bug-filled versions and expects consumers to pay $400 for the privilege of being guinea pigs.
If you never got a Blue Screen of Death with a deadline two hours away, you will. You will. (With Microsoft).
Unless you have to run some PC-specific weird, esoteric software, Open Office (FREE) and Firefox (FREE) will run on anything - and do everything that Microcrap promises to do in WinDoze and Office ... but never has.
My 1st computer was an Apple ][e, & so was my 2nd!!
by timztoyz - 8/16/08 12:00 AM In reply to: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I bought my first Apple ][e in 1984 after watching what my boss could do with his -- then I discovered if I wanted to work at home I would need a second one at home! What's even harder to believe is the company I worked for didn't believe "executives" could benefit from a computer so we had to buy our own. I can't remember how much the first one cost, but I believe I spent something like $3800 for the two systems a printer and all the software that was available, which wasn't much. Then the Macintosh came out and I was in love -- except for the memory limitations without an external drive. I eventually had a job that required me to use a PC in the mid-90s, but I kept a Mac at home (including a Mac clone around '98). Now that I'm retired, I enjoy using a PowerPC G5 with dual processor (2GHz) running OS X Version 10.5.4, with 4.5 GB of memory that's already an "ancient" (nearly 4 years old). To make matters worse, I'm using an ancient Radius 21" monitor from 1996!
I can't help but laugh at the people who say they'll "NEVER" use a Mac/PC, or how the users of the opposite make of computer have attitude problems but then go on to totally diss everyone who doesn't think exactly as they do! Does it REALLY matter what the other guy is using as long as you're both happy?
Confusing but interesting
by mdm27 - 8/16/08 12:19 AM In reply to: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
This post won't be a profound testament of my computer greatness. Switched to an iMac about a week ago and while the thing is awe-inspiring next to the mundane PC and Windows, it is a bit too much. It's programs are better, the look is better and the operations are better but the so called Apple cult is a little full of it. Provide ways to learn how to use the equipment in more than one format with the purchase, not forcing me to either spend more money on "mac for dummies" or searches on the internet. I like the Mac, feel like I'm starting all over again. (which of course I am) Bottom line, Windows is integrated so deeply into everything, Windows would be a better buy. I do not think I will go back to a Mac after buying this one but things change with time. Just to throw blood in the water, all the Apple freaks, get over yourselves. The software is cool and all but it is not that much better so kick it down a notch nerdlings.
MAC SWITCH.
by CALLOHAN - 8/16/08 1:03 AM In reply to: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
SWITCHED TO MAC PROBABLY 12MTHS AGO BECAUSE HOME PC WAS CONTINUALLY CLAGGED BY INTERNET VIRUSES BECAUSE MY KIDS USE PROGRAMS WHICH ATTRACT EXACTLY THAT,. MAC FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW HAS BEEN FANTASTIC AND THINKING BACK ON ALL THE TIME I USED TO SPEND CLEANING UP THE COMPUTOR OR PAYING SOMEONE TO DO IT I PROBABLY WOULD STILL CHANGE TO MAC,. MAC IS GREAT BUT ABSOLUTELY INCOMPATABLE WITH JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING EEVEN BAS STATEMENT LODGEMENTS WITH THE TAX DEPARTMENT . TRYING TO PATCH UP ALL THE INCOMPATABILITIES HAS COST ME HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS AND OFTEN FOR FAILED ATTEMPTS. MOST MAC SOFTWARE OFFERS LESS THAN YOU WOULD EXPECT AND APPLE MAC CASHES IN BY OFFERING ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE ATT A PRICE . NEARLY EVERY THING IN AUSTRALIA IS TWICE THE AMERICAN PRICE AND YOU CAN'T BY THROUGH A US STORE . BE CAREFUL WITH IWEB IT IS RAN FROM AMERICA BUT BILLED THROUGH APPLE AUSTRALIA WHO OFFER YOU NO ASSISTANCE WITH IT AT ALL. THE OTHER BIG PROBLEM IS HARDWARE SUCH AS PRINTERS ,EXTERNAL DRIVES, FAX MACHINES,ETC COMPATABILITY PROBLEMS WITH ALMOST EVERY THING . ANOTHER REASON I MOVED TO MAC WAS BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN IT CAME TO HOME MOVIES AND PHOTOS IT WAS RIGHT UP THERE!! ONCE AGAIN HAND IN POCKET AND HAVE PLENTY OF TIME ON YOUR HANDS TO PROBLEM SOLVE. BEFORE MAC I WAS PRETTY MUCH COMPUTOR ILLITERATE TRYING TO SORT OUT PROBLEMS WITH MAC AT LEAST BOADENS YOUR HORIZONS. HARRY.
Thanks, but no thanks!
by jplaclau - 8/16/08 1:21 AM In reply to: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My rejection of the Mac is based on comparisons done in what now seems to be an earlier life. I have used PCs at work almost since they were invented and then was given a Mac(the original one) as a bonus. I took it home and gave it to my wife who absolutely loved it. She did things so easily with it (particularly in setting up a small data base and in graphic design)that it caught my eye. However I strongly disliked the logic of its software and stayed with PCs, which was easy because all my work environment was equipped with PCs and compatibility would have been an issue.
Today, my daughter (a young professional very good on computers) has switched to Mac and loves it. I won´t follow suit simply because I don´t like the Mac mindset (closed system based on proprietary technology, full of idiosyncrasies, sold at a premium). I like their design and I welcome the competition they give to the PC world but there is no Apple in my future - never say never but not in the next 5 years (meaning two equipment upgrades).
I keep hearing about this "proprietary technology"
by mrmacfixit - 8/16/08 6:45 AM
In reply to: Thanks, but no thanks! by jplaclau
If you are referring to the hardware, Hard Drives, Optical Drives, Monitors or RAM, these components are the same in a Mac as they are in a Windows Machine.
If you are referring to the Mac OS, then you should know that OS X is Unix and for the greater part, open-source.
WIndows, on the other hand, is a completely closed and proprietary OS, details of which are never released.
Just thought I'd mention it.
P
Couple of monhs
by bumwithalaptop - 8/16/08 1:39 AM In reply to: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The reason I tried the MAC is because of the huge changes they made in their equipment. The equipment is Intel based and their software is now Unix based, which now means people, can actually program for MACS hence the huge explosion in programs being patched over to MAC. The main reason I gave it a go is because I got a taste of final cut and wanted it, the big reason I took the plunge was if I hated the MAC I could partition the drive and put Windows on the other partition, which I ended up having to do
How’s it going? Awesome now. I’ve had this laptop for about 4 months and I hated it at first, I mean its 30% more than a PC, though it does make up for it built in software. The so-called lack of viruses and needing to patch and up date is total b#$% $^%t, there isn’t as many viruses but they are there and it needs just as many patches and updates as windows.
At this point the only real problem is the built in one button track pad, A total PITA. Luckily their mouses are 4-function mouses. 2 buttons a roller and squeeze function, I like that, and a blue tooth connection for the mouse is a nice touch, no wire or adapter, totally clean, that has proven time and again to be one of the best accessories ever for any laptop I’ve ever owed. The MAC simply doesn’t work in controlling my canon camera, doesn’t work with either GPS or my programmable TV remote so I’ve had to make a windows partition to get that stuff to work, a real PITA to have to reboot for those functions. All the shady tasks we do is harder if imposable on a MAC since the software cracks just aren’t available
Again when I first got the system it sucked, I had to relearn how to use a computer all over again. I’ve been using a PC for what 20+ years now, I know every keyboard shortcut and how to access most of the system functions from the text editor ←DOS as well. PC and the MAC are all different. The thought and task processes are all different so even the most mundane tasks have to be relearned, like manual network set ups, file sharing, hard drive reformates and multi monitor functions. All the file structures are different so you have relearned all of them, things like .exe files are called .dmg file on a MAC. Most people probably care less about the latter but since I’ve been building, maintaining and troubleshooting systems since I was in Middle school I simple make it point to learn that kind of thing.
As far as MAC itself, Once learned it’s a pretty solid and stable system, So are my PC’s. Now that I understand the thought process it’s pretty intuitive, and most of the time their software is set pretty close to wear I’d want it stock. Final Cut Express simply kicks all, again once learned. I had to buy a computer book for the first time in 10 yrs to learn how to use it. Office for MAC made that transition seamless, ILife it kind of hit and miss. iMOVIE is a POS. Garage band seem to be very usable, it sees my FirePOD and I’ve had 10 inputs all going it never missed a beat. iDVD rocks, iTUNES is OK, I didn’t like it on the PC and still really don’t like it on the MAC but for the iPOD you have to use it.
The system is very powerful. I can run Wow in full resolution in dual monitor mode hooked to my HDTV via HDMI with no problems. I finally figured out how to have dvd audio pass through so the home theater sees the Dolby digital feed. My PC actually encode all audio in Dolby digital, so only having 2 channels on the MAC pisses me off. This is a software issue not a hardware thing. The video renders are very manageable, 1.5 hours of full resolution video takes about 45 min to render and another 45 min to encode a DVD and 3 hours to render down full resolution to iPOD quality video←- it’s not server fast but pretty damn good for a laptop. The real problem here is the heat created when the processors are running at 90-100% for 1-4 hours, it’s kind of concerning what it will do to the longevity of the system. This brings up another problem. There is no hard drive format that can handle unlimited file sizes that’s compatible with both MAC and PC so I’ve had to dedicate one of my external drive to only the MAC. FAT 32 it compatible with both but you can’t make single files over 4GB. The 45 min video files are 9GB so I have to use the apple journaled formate for it to work.
All in all I’ve found myself sticking to the mac and rarely touching my PC, in fact I think I’ve turned on my desktop once this month.
switched from PC's to MACS
by Bijoux - 8/16/08 2:47 AM In reply to: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
We used to be a two or three PC family... then I switched to an iMAC, (bought mine just before the Intel chip came out) Bummer - then husband bought one of the ones with the Intel chip, but didn't partition enough for Windows use, so ordered new PC... had problems from the getgo with that one, sent it back, ordered a new iMAC, partitioned it properly for his needs, now he runs it as a Windows machine; I switch back and forth between Boot Camp and OS X... which is a pain to do but have no choice as some programs are only for Windows environment and need to have them available daily. At one point we had two Dells, and three iMACs up and running... What fun...
The switch was not as easy as they make it out to be.. but their classes - One on One - really helped a lot.
Now we also have the new 3G iPhones.
Mac vs. PC the duel 'til death
by maciasd - 8/16/08 3:23 AM In reply to: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
So I have been a devoted Mac user for 2.5 years and worked for them for 8 months. I love their machines and more importantly their OS. I am a CS major at my local university and I call tell you that the BEST thing about a computer is stability. I know that when I turn on the power button in the top right hand corner or my blackbook, it will turn on and work as I tell it to. There is no BSOD, Error prompt, or DOS request. It just does as I tell it with the very rare force quite required. I would gladly force quite (the windows equivalent to cntrl+alt+del) a program every 3 months than deal with a BSOD or a virus every week. I gladly gave up many major games to know that my class papers were saved properly and that my internet surfing was secure. I want a computer to better my life and make it more simple. Windows cannot do this.
As a CS major, I tend to fix a lot of my friends computers. In the past year I have fixed 2 Gateways, 3 Dells, and 1 iPod (hard drive failure). All of the PC's, required either a FDisk or an extended deep scan. every time I service a Windows Based PC, I am glad that I have a Mac. It is the current proper mix of compatibility and stability. If you dis-agree, please email me at macias.dave@me.com, and I will explain why.
//Dave
I Will Never Switch Over To Mac Because...
by thealmightytanya - 8/16/08 5:29 AM In reply to: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Well, I technically did. But it was forced upon me! We have two PCs and a Mac mini. The Mac has too many issues for me to bother with it. I would rather use my eMachines, which takes 10 minutes to turn on.
So, I've used Macs, and they're definitely not worth the pricetag (about as good as a PC but up to 3x as much? ..no thanks). Especially with a hefty number of glitches, can't use PC programs on it, etc. The desktop on a Mac is confusing. It has far more options than are necessary for adjusting it, and once in a while, random keys will trigger one of those options. They don't put on good programs like Windows does. Windows comes with all these amazing programs, either on CD or already on the computer. But Mac gives you the bare minium, despite the fact that it costs more than a PC. If you want a program, you have to buy it. And the programs cost like a hundred bucks or more. So, that's why I will never switch over to Mac. I am sticking with my trusty old PC. The one that takes 1 minute to turn on. Yeah. Not the 10 minute one.
Besides, doesn't it sound catchy? Why I Will Never Switch Over To Mac... I think I'll write a song!
No need for a MAC, I use linux
by bcw142 - 8/16/08 5:48 AM In reply to: I Will Never Switch Over To Mac Because... by thealmightytanyaMAC OS is now based on Linux and I just use a version of Linux directly. Most of my systems dual boot with Windows/Linux so I can do either and see no need for MACs.
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