Mac OS X: MAC or PC--
MAC or PC--
by zackmail - 10/22/04 5:40 PMI know you are probably sick of this question but I am torn between buying a new PC or Mac.
I have a fairly good HP pavilion with 1 GHz speed, 256 RAM, 60 GB – (53GB full)
But I have done all I can to upgrade it—it is 5 years old and I am doing more and more video and graphic stuff and it just isn’t keeping up.
I always vowed “My next computer is gonna be a MAC” yet 3 PC’s later I still never have done it. Although I really believe that they don’t crash and screw up half as much…
Do I get a G3 or something and forget about the good but slowing down pavilion?
DO I get a MAC and try to network it with the Pavilion?
I am not a computer illiterate—which is probably why I am having such a hard time..
The Imac G5 is about $1200-- I know for $1000 I can get a top line PC-- do you still think I should go PC route?
the thing is I just always hear from MAC owners that they dont deal with blue screens, crashes, etc etc. and I dream about a world where that is really possible..but if it means that I will not be getting as much for my money--and admit that I live in a windows world and stick with the PC--
your opinions???????
Re: MAC or PC--
by marioaramirez - 10/23/04 12:59 AM In reply to: MAC or PC-- by zackmailI think it would be better and cheaper for you to buy a new hard disk for back up and free memory in your 60 GB PC HD and keep on in your HP because Macs have crashes, freezes and other problems like PCs. and software is hard to get for macs.
Re: MAC or PC--
by cutekangaroo - 11/1/04 7:49 PM In reply to: Re: MAC or PC-- by marioaramirezGetting a Mac or a PC, it's all up to you, and which you like better. Some people will say there are not much support at all for Mac, others say there are alot of support, depends on their bias and their experiences. Heck, some even ignorant to even say no USB support (e.g. my professor).
Anyway, if you can go to your local college or library, they should have Macs there for you to go about. Hopefully they aren't locking you from exploring the settings and other good stuff on the Macs.
Also it depends on what kind of software you use. If you are a gamer, stick with Windows, else, get a Mac.
One quick comment I could say is that Office:Mac 2004 (by Microsoft, yes, its for mac) is much better than the version on windows. It looks better, loads faster, seamlessly do the things you want to do.
If you have alot of videos and documents, you can buy an external enclosure for your 3.5" hard drive and use it on the mac as an external HD.
Mac works seamlessly with PC, especially networking. They do everything for you automatically, even auto configures any ethernet wire you use between any two computers and they can connect to each other.
All in all, any software that is available for Mac (other than games) are available for Mac. From office applications, to productivities, to database and servers, you can find many choices for your needs.
I actually switched from a 2.4GHz dell box for a 1.5GHz apple 'book, and I gave my brother the dell, I never regret what I did.
Re: MAC or PC--
by mrmacfixit
- 10/23/04 6:40 AM
In reply to: MAC or PC-- by zackmail
Get a Mac! I don't know what planet the last poster is living on, but the Blue screen of death, system freezes and the like are nonexistent on the Mac running OS 10.3.5 (the latest). You might find that a particular program will crash, not unusual on any computer, but the System(OS X) will be unaffected and there is no reason to restart your machine. My cube has been running continuously, only restarting on System updates, for a little over 11 months with NO crashes. There is NO shortage of GOOD software available for the Mac, especially in the field that you are currently working in. In fact it ships with iLife 04, a suite of integrated programs that will produce your movies and DVD's without you having to wonder if they will all work together. Networking your PC with the Mac is a no brainer, as long as the PC has a NIC card, so nothing need be lost. Where can you get a PC with a 20 inch LCD, a 64bit processor, firewire, USB 2.0, wireless, bluetooth, support for 2GB memory, DVD burner, iTunes, iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto AND, almost the most important factor NO VIRUS's for the price! Now compare the price of your "top of the line PC", don't forget to ensure that your $1000 "top of the line" machine has the same specs, with the price of the G5. Also, remember to add the cost of AV software for your "Top of the line" PC. Did I mention that there are NO virus's for OS X?
Be wise, join the ranks of those who have a computer that works for them and not one that you have to work for.
Re: MAC or PC--
by davmax - 11/5/04 12:16 PM In reply to: Re: MAC or PC-- by mrmacfixit
Yes Mac's are good. However it is quite usual for Mac users to not compare favourably. You quote the latest operating system as being great no blue screens. This is the same standard that was achieved by Windows XP years ago. You would be correct if referring to Windows 98 but that is history (7 years ago!!!).
I have a graphics artist son who uses both Mac and Windows systems, he prefers Windows.
The great advantage the Mac has is packaged software. They do not get many virus attacks, but it does happen as another son will attest (who only uses Mac's)
I am a skilled user with Windows XP that has not crashed with a blue screen or equivalent over the last three years even after updating to SP2.
Mac or PC
by taboma. - 1/11/05 7:01 PM In reply to: Re: MAC or PC-- by mrmacfixit
mrmacfixit, nice to read your postings again. Have not been on the forums lately. Read this posting. Nice!
Just wanted to tell you I ordered Symantec/Norton System Works six months ago installed it. I never knew Symantic was designed for Windows originally and the version for a Mac is just window dressing. I did a complete un-install two months ago and my G-4 Quicksilver Server is humming nicely.
I had no updates from Norton for over four months on my Mac. Something wrong here? When I had Norton on my PC, I would get updates almost every week! Kind of tells you that the Mac system is pretty secure from worms, etc.
I work as a professional designer for the Boston Herald/CNC. We use Macs. My PC at home is for GAMES!
taboma
Re: MAC or PC--
by under012 - 10/26/04 2:02 AM In reply to: MAC or PC-- by zackmailwhen you'll see o hear constantly the message NOT AVAILABLE FOR MACS everywhere you'll regret to have a Macintosh. It doesn't matter all the promisses that the last poster make to you about macs they are most expenssive and uncompatibles with out doubth.
Re: MAC or PC--
by rexcj - 10/29/04 4:02 AM In reply to: Re: MAC or PC-- by under012Get a Mac! You WON'T regret it.
Once again, when you say "Not Available For Macs" you must be referring to "Shared" programs. Any productivity program you can imagine is available for the Mac. And at a comparable cost to Windows versions.
And "Not Compatible"? Are you trying to run Windows software on a Mac? My Mac integrates into our Windows network flawlessly, even to the point of sharing folders between machines. For Office documents, you can run Office for Mac. Appleworks will also run Office documents.
On my desk I have a Windows XP machine, a G5 Mac, and a Linux machine. Only 1 of those 3 machines still has "issues". Just yesterday, I set up a new Windows XP machine. The OS installed in about 45 minutes. Then I got to spend another 2 hours installing updates, anti-virus, anti-spyware, and a decent browser that has pop-up stoppers built in (My company is not going to SP2 yet as we have some applications that don't play nice)
I could type pages about how much better OS X is. I have an MCSE and years of experience with PC and Mac. Most who don't like Macs have never USED a Mac.
Put it this way.
I tolerate the PC.
I really like the Linux (Linspire)
I LOVE the Mac.
Mac or PC? Think of it as Lexus or Hyundai.
They both can do pretty much the same thing, but one of them does things a lot more smoothly and with less likelihood of a breakdown.
Re: MAC or PC--
by Jkirk3279 - 11/5/04 7:28 AM In reply to: Re: MAC or PC-- by under012In all the time I've been using a Mac, there's only been two programs I wanted but couldn't get for my iBook.
One is TopoUSA. I thought it would be cool being able to see the USA in 3D.
As for regular mapping software, there ARE a couple of choices, so I'm not crying.
The other is a niche market product called ArtCam Pro. It runs 3D CNC routing machines.
I know a guy who's working on a Mac application that will fill this need, so again, I do have choices.
And I COULD run ArtCam Pro on Virtual PC, except for the little problem of something called a 'hardware dongle'. It's a doodad that you plug in via USB to authorize the program to run.
VPC, last I checked, doesn't do hardware dongles.
So, there you go.
If you need TopoUSA or CNC machining software, the Mac's not for you.
If you need a computer for regular stuff, though, the Mac's got it.
Email, Photoshop, PageMaker, QuarkExpress, FlexiSign Pro, Micro$oft Office, Apple's iLife apps including iMovie, iPhoto, etc.
Spreadsheets, Web Browsers, Electronic Design Simulation... Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My !
And lots and lots of shareware stuff that's often REALLY good.
But hey, if you do worry about hitting something you need that's PC only, then keep your PC around.
If you set it up behind a good firewall -- I have an Apple Base Station I connect through -- then hackers won't be able to see it.
And if you get your email and web browse ONLY on the Mac, your odds of getting viruses, spyware and trojans on your old PC drop substantially.
Then, if you need something for the PC, you've got it under your desk. You can get a KVM switch to share a monitor and keyboard between the PC and the Mac.
Re: MAC or PC--
by alphageek - 11/5/04 8:58 AM In reply to: Re: MAC or PC-- by under012This post is blatantly incorrect. Not available for the Mac? Some games, perhaps. Everyone I know who has a Mac has every applicaton they need to do business. What can't you find, other than maybe the latest game as soon as it is released?
More expensive? No. A Dell is more expensive if you configure it to have the same capabilities.
http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/But-Theres-No-Software-for-the-Mac-Right-37806.html
Not compatible? The poster obviously doesn't have a clue, or for that matter, a spell checker. Was a spell checker not available for your PC?
Post facts please, not troll bait.
For Alphageek.
by R. Proffitt - 11/5/04 9:16 AM
In reply to: Re: MAC or PC-- by alphageek
A recent development had us write some small application in visual basic and utilize MySQL and then create a distribution CD for installation on Windows based PCs.
It would be a stretch for us to do this on an Apple. Even moreso is that we had custom hardware that connected to the PC's serial port.
As to the spell checker, you may want to read this discussion -> http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-6132-0.html?forumID=32&threadID=43353&messageID=509392 It seems many would prefer content over correct spelling.
Bob
Re: For Alphageek.
by alphageek - 11/11/04 6:09 AM In reply to: For Alphageek. by R. Proffitt
Hello Bob-
You actually help prove my point. "A recent development had us write some small application in visual basic and utilize MySQL and then create a distribution CD for installation on Windows based PCs."
hardly describes the needs of the average computer user. However, "Mac OS X is the only high volume operating system that provides world-class developer tools to everyone. Xcode is the fastest way to create Mac OS X applications, using your choice of Objective C, C++, C, AppleScript or Java." What is included with Windows that is the equivalent of this?
You say:"It would be a stretch for us to do this on an Apple. Even moreso is that we had custom hardware that connected to the PC's serial port."
I have to agree with you here. Developing small applications for PC's is not actually a claimed strong point of OS X. However, MySQL, PHP, and Apache is. As to a PC's serial port- well, what can I say? Apple moved on past this sort of technology and embraced USB and Firewire quite some time ago. Along with the floppy drive. I see that PC's are starting to let go of the 1.44MB medium now, too. Perhaps the serial port will follow on this march to the bone yard, where 8 and 5 inch floppies await. My guess is that if this happens, you will be writing for a USB port instead.
Lastly, as to some folks preferring content to correct spelling, I say that is the wrong perspective. The choice is not either content or correct spelling with no content. There is nothing wrong with correctly spelled content. You really can have it both ways, you know.
Well said there mate!
by MartinM2517 - 12/6/04 11:37 PM In reply to: Re: MAC or PC-- by alphageekAnd no, I'm not British or Australian!
I'm just an optimistic-realist who own PC's but knows that a PC running Linux or Unix run better than Windows based systems and that Mac's generally run better still and are much safer when taking into consideration viruses, remote hacking, unknown virus distribution hosting, open ports, etc.
If someone hasn't used a Mac, or especially owned one, and doesn't read ALL the current factual information available out there on them, then they don't really know much to comment about.
Martin
Re: MAC or PC--
by nickynoo - 10/29/04 5:35 AM In reply to: MAC or PC-- by zackmailMAC MAC MAC
After years of struggling with Windows based PCs, years of hardware and software crashes, viruses, spyware and a whole host of other nasties I purchased a G5 a few months ago. I have never looked back. The MAC is used daily for web design, video editing and image manipulation, and I now do my work with a smile on my face, not a grimmace.
Re: MAC or PC--
by Sportymonk - 10/29/04 6:02 AM In reply to: MAC or PC-- by zackmailJust responded to a similar thread with similar title but your situation is a little different.
Agian, I changed to Apple last fall so realize I have a bias. That said,
You have a full HD so you are looking at spending some money on that to either add on or replace. The ram is a little low. It is 5 years old and it can't grow anymore but you are in your requirements.
As to your remark "I always vowed “My next computer is gonna be a MAC” yet 3 PC’s later I still never have done it." - Be there done that for years. But glas I fianlly did.
As to "I really believe that they don’t crash and screw up half as much…" its less than half but it does depend upon what OS yuou have. If it is Win 98, it was ok. Win XP is very stable. If comparing OS X to Win Me - Ha, a drunk is more stable than Me. Sorry but it was a bug farm and even Windows diehard will usually admit that.
I dont' beleive the G3 is available anymore. The new imac is now a G5! The PowerMacs are G5s the iBooks and Powerbooks are still G4 (heat issues primarily). I have a 15" Aluminum Powerbook and have loved it, performs wonderfully.
As to your question:
Do I get a G3 or something and forget about the good but slowing down pavilion? - It sounds like a good time to go ahead and change. Go by an Apple sotre if you can an play with some.
Do I get a MAC and try to network it with the Pavilion? - Why not. It is still working and can do things for you. networking is not a problem at all. I set my old Windows machine on the ssame wireless network at my Powerbook. (Admittedly not as easily but it wasn't that hard.)
I am not a computer illiterate—which is probably why I am having such a hard time.. - you don't have to be with an Apple, I worried about how would I knwo how to fix an Apple like I ahd learned with all the diffferent Windows. Found I don't have to, I simply use them. Easy to learn to use unless you step up to stuff like Final Cut Pro whichis the big league movie editing software. i Mvoie works great for most folks.
Prices are misleading. You can get a laptop for $999 but when I matched my wife's laptop to my Apple Powerbook for software and hardware, hers was about $300 - $400 more! A $100 PC is not top of the line.
the thing is I just always hear from MAC owners that they dont deal with blue screens, crashes, etc etc. and I dream about a world where that is really possible..but if it means that I will not be getting as much for my money--and admit that I live in a windows world and stick with the PC-- - You could go to XP and come close to that crashless world but when Word locks up in OS X, you only lose Word, it doens't take the system with it. I think you will find you are getting more for your money.
PS upgrade the Ram on Apples but don't buy from Apple. Email me and I can recommend a good Ram maker.
For you, I think I would go ahead and get the Mac. you can get MS Office for as lwo as $150 with ed discount.
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