Mac OS X forum: Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac?

The media gets a hold of an issue that affects a few and turns it into a parade for many.

For the most part, people who actually try Vista like it.

My 2nd computer was an IBM (back then PC meant personal computer and IBM and Mac were both PC's.). At first it was because there was more software for the pc. Now I have a pentium quad core PC and love it. I was forced to use a Mac in a couple of my college courses this year. I hated it. I put the software on my pc and brought my laptop to class. I don't think I will ever voluntarily switch to Mac. They can't even put the close (x) symbol in the right place. Oh, and I'm a senior female and consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about computers (not an expert, but I have built 3 computers from scratch). I do have Vista, it's weird, but I like it so you can tell I am open minded. And I like the Iphone.

Hey stlouieblues:
I just read your post and agree with it. I used to have a Mac book years ago but was forced to go to PC due to my work situation as well. Now, I am happily back to Mac and have no intentions of ever going back to a PC. I had so many problems with my PC (Viruses and such) that I have never gotten with my husbands iMac. I absolutely love it. It's great having one monitor which has everything in it except for the keyboard and mouse of course. I am looking to get another MAC for myself as my PC just literally blew up last week. I actually celebrated getting rid of it. Do you have any suggestions on which MAC would be a good one? I do unfortunately need to be able to run a few Windows based programs. I see now that MAC has Parrallels and VMFusion out now. Any advice that you might have would be greatly appreciated.

I laughed when I read what you said in response to the X to close the window being in the wrong spot on the MAC. Although, it is in a different spot than on PC's, it has been my experience that MAC's are WAY MORE STABLE than PC's. My husband has had his iMAC for 5 years now and we have absolutely no problems with it.

Thanks,
Karrenza

because I would rather pay less for better hardware and chose my OS rather than be spoon fed by the cult o mac!!

Hey,

It is not for being stubborn, it is because I am a .Net developer, so gonna have to stick with Windows!

I don't have anything against Mac, I actually like em, but it is too late for me now

I got my Imac one month before the upgrade to leopard.I know little about computers but there have been no difficulties with obsolesence.The upgrade just costs a few dollars more and everything works fine without it.This might have been a problem way back when but I've heard more complaints about Gates and his imploding software than anything about mac.The mac community is also very helpful if you get in a jam.

Compatibility and license are i think both the answers, it is harder to get a system to work on something when there are thousands of possibilities for hardware.... and consider that the mac os costs 85 ($125) windows costs 65 -- 140 ($95 -- 275) [i consider the fact that there is more than one windows option a fault -- from my own experience of running xp -- if i want protected samba shares i have to have pro, i think it is wrong i should have to pay money for something that could be on xp home very easily, especially when it is security related]. Apple probably make more money with their hardware when they sell computers, if mac was available to put on pc's the amount of people with dual-boot systems would probably double. To protect their income mac will restrict leopard and os x to mac hardware only (in my option).

And i have just switched to mac and to be honest i have had problems with the switch, i am running windows with boot camp (for games -- macbook pro = good graphics). THe mac has crashed once, although that was with parallels running (won't go there again).... but to be honest the only reason i wanted it is that i can run logic, photoshop etc (i know windows can run this too), and the bundled applications that came with it, which are brilliant and to have no viruses.

I will never consider mac a gaming platform, although that is because the games i have are for windows, and the moment you switch you can no longer do network games with windows computers, this is something i would blame on the game developers.

Going great so far! For a couple of years, I've been using MAC hardware to run Windows XP(through BootCamp)with the occasional foray on to OS X. This on a MacPro Desktop and more recently on a MacBook Pro laptop ... Use OS X mostly only to view DVD's (Windows codecs are an issue with me)or some surfing... bit of email... check Website compatibility with SAFARI... or just a break from the Windows GUI. Windows and all my Windows programs work as well or better even. I still use 2 Windows only machines as well. I like having the option to run either OS. I could use Parallels or VMWare but find I spend most of my time in Windows and it doesn't take as much "horsepower" to run one OS at a time... Typically I'll have 6 to 8 different Windows programs open simultaneously(some with multiple files open) running on 3 monitors easily (OS X allows two easily... more with special setup work)... bottom line is I came to the conclusion that everybody should own a MAC at least once in their life... if for nothing else to support an alternative system that's easy to use and to know something of what MAC life is all about compared to the Windows life.

Completely agree with that. I believe if school (and i am english) are going to teach you the multiple ways you can paint, or you can do multiplication - then they should also give you the opportunity to go on other computers, both linux and mac. I heard from somewhere that in someone's school they had one linux computer and there were always fights over getting to it, well if people were allowed to use linux and get used to the feel of that, why not mac.... the first time i used a mac i knew i wanted one, just by the way it looks and responds to what i can get it to do... i am used to the fact that the "x sign" is in the wrong place and before we get very technical i believe mac had had a graphical user interface before windows, so they got it the right way around, and i think the same applies to the mouse.

My first computer was an Apple IIa. At one point I needed a laptop and had to get a PC. But when Apple started putting out laptops, I bought one as soon as I could afford it. It was obvious to me that I enjoyed working on Apple computers much more. This was of course way back.

I had many friends who used PCs, and because PC software was richer in scope and choice, I did contemplate switching back. I am glad I didn't. Once Apple came out with OSX, it became clear that there were advantages to Macs that were decisive, and furthermore, with time, as OSX progressed, it seemed clear that the difference would only get greater, not less (at one point it did seem as if Windows, by becoming more user-friendly, was closing the gap). Nor is this merely empirical: the Linux system on which OSX is based has a better potential, and despite the commendable efforts of Microsoft developers, they cannot erase the difference. Stability, reliability, ease of use, security... these all seem to be on the side of the Mac, and this is only logical. The only way PCs could ultimately compete with Macs is by junking the PC system and beating Mac at its own game through an even better use of the Linux system! (this is exactly what some miniature notebooks are doing now).

I am not saying that the new PCs don't have things Macs lack, but all in all, I have no doubt about quality in the light of what I have experienced personally and through people I know. My sister, for instance, at the behest of collaborators who all used a certain PC program, switched from a Mac to a PC a few years ago: she held out for two years before switching back to a Mac. I am also appalled by how many of my friends' PCs have had major breakdowns due to viruses or malfunction; this in itself is enough to keep me away from PCs.

What cinches it today is that fact that the Mac can operate as a PC, so the best reason for using a PC -- all those programs you can't get for Mac -- is no longer there. You can have the best of both worlds. Why settle for less? Unless playing games is what you want most to do on your computer...

If you want to buy me an over priced MAC then I will be more than happy to try it

I switched and am happy but still I feel that essential programs like Word run better on the pc, even Powerpoint. Even considerin gthat I prefer the way the Mac operates. But I do understand those who are concerned about switching because there is a lot to learn, if only because the language is different. Not hard, but different.

After I purchased my first PC (a no-name cheapo brand) I immediately found myself doing more praying (and using a fair amount of colorful metaphors) than playing... so I bought a decent Gateway - same story - and it sits today unused in my bedroom. I then purchased a Mac G5 tower with 20" Cinema Screen monitor. This computer has not once in 6 years stopped working - and I use it daily in my photography job. I am still using OS X 3.9 although I wish someday soon to upgrade to Version 5.x Leopard. The survey said that 45% of respondents would never switch to a Mac - I feel sorry for those people!

I switched to Mac and am very happy, especially for graphic and web design work. I do almost everything on the iMac and have even bought a MacBook Pro, which I also appreciate. But I honestly still feel that Word works better on a pc-- it's less cmbersome. Also when I prepare Powerpoint presentations I have to prepare them on the pc in order to ensure that they will run smoothly on the pc where I will need them to work. (When I prepared poweroint presentations on the mac and tested on the pc, it took me hours to get the pictures working right on the pc). But overall I love my Mac because it works!