Community poll forum: PC users: Have you contemplated switching to Mac?

I need Office Professional (Access Database) so I have no choice but to stay with PC.

Actually there are some apps in the apple app store that are specific for writers. You should check them out. Also a lot of the apps are free.

I switched from an Apple to a PC years ago & am most happy with doing that. I've learned so much about computers, computing, programming & things like that. I can play nearly every game, most software is pc based & the mouse can do so many things.
The main reason (I've said here before) I switched, is because there wasn't enough software for the Apple. I still don't see much for the Mac. Saying that "we wait for the best ones" is like saying you'll wait for a pretty something You twiddle your thumbs (or do something else with them), while, in fact that pretty something went in another direction. I like being able to do many things, even if that is playing a mindless silly looking game for a few minutes, between working on something, & doing other tasks.
No, I don't like all that is associated with a PC, but I don't like all of the options on my new car either (just many or most of them).
I used to see someone had a Mac & I'd ask "creative huh?" "Yes."
Now, at work I ask why a Mac? I hear, I don't have to do anything just what is on the screen. I don't need anything more. Nice for them.
Another cool thing is I don't have to upgrade my software if i don't want to. Over 90% of my old software works fine on the new OS version when I do upgrade/upgrade, all of my old parts fit. I won't even get into how many Pcs I can buy & use for the price of a Mac.
Anyhow, that's my blurb.

I cut the cord completely in 2006. Since that time, I only boot Windows in my personal life about
4 times a year when I use my music-composition software that does not run in Linux. As a professor, there
is a single piece of software I need for lectures that does not run in Linux. Everything else I do, home banking, stock trading, organizing and editing family photos, listening to music on my MP3 player, videos, writing, presentations, writing assignments, writing scientific papers, writing software, has been easier in Linux than in the Windows world.
I skipped Vista completely, as I will Windows 7. My one remaining Windows machine runs XP. Why would I move from one closed architecture to another? There are reasons, Macs used to work better than PCs. Not so clear
that they do anymore. Anyway, you do have to know a lot more to run Linux than to have your hand held by Apple or Microsoft, but your knowledge does not become obsolete nearly as fast. Linux only changes to improve, not to make you upgrade. Unix command line stuff is relatively unchanged since the 60s. There is nothing else in the computer
world that is remotely as long lasting. Join us in freedom, CNETers!

The same as every one, I used Windows all my life since windows95. I work at an IT provider company, I have many technical certificates and in specific Microsoft certificates.
Few years i started a side photography business, started doing weddings, engagements etc ..
I was so frustrated on the amount of crashes I have on Windows, time after time, plugin fails, then when un install and install back, it is not working correctly, defrag, clean reformat. I ended up having a dedicated computer for my photography work only, still .. month after month. I waited for Win7 might resolve the issues windows had, but it seems it was the same *&^* different name.

I always bought top of the line brand machines, either Compaq, IBM, Dell XPS. Still same problems.
I fed up and bought my first IMac27 almost a year ago, since then my life has been nothing but a breez, productivity over the roof, work work work, no crashes, doesnt slow down, no difrags to cleaning .. nothing, One here something strange .. a month a go I had an application crash!! seriously, this is the weird news!!

Now I am waiting for the new OS Lion to come out next month to upgrade, never .. ever .. ever in my life, I used an OS without a problem/reformating till the next operating system comes out.

I bought 2Iphones now for my wife and I, next purchases will be 2 Macbook Pros when budget permits.
There is a reason why most of creative/engineering departments uses Mac!!

I used to build and repair PC's. Now I can't stand them since moving to Mac's. I bought my wife a Mac Mini in November to get her off the last full time PC in my house. She was constantly asking me to fix something on the PC or I had to do something for her because PC's are such a pain to work with. Mac's are intuitive (easy to learn), and they come with most of your daily software. For those needing a PC program, you can run Parallels and Windows software. I'm running Quickbooks for Windows on my MacBook Pro. Windows XP installed faster & runs better on Mac then it does on PC hardware. Updates under Mac's are about a 1000 times easier. Most updates and even software installs do not require rebooting. I just checked and this Mac has been running for 36 days. That's another thing I could never get a PC to sleep and wake up, it works great on all my Mac's. Cost? I tell people that the Mac doesn't cost more if you add up all the down time, protection software, clean-ups, re-installs, etc. that you have to put up with on a PC.

I've grown up with PCs, used them at work and at home for years and don't see the advantage of making a switch to a MAC. I'm fairly computer literate and don't need a 'simpler' operating system. I work with Adobe products a lot and the inability of the Apple operating system to handle flash is problematic. Likewise the difficulty in tuning the Apple LCD's to decrease their brightness is also a problem. It seems to me that people are paying a premium price to be restricted so I don't think I will be switching anytime soon.

I can't afford it... Plain and simple...

The reason why not to switch to Mac: For me, PC is like Garfield, sometimes a bit difficult, somewhat slow and demanding, but convenient and not boring, and Mac is like Nermal: cute, but in short time it becomes annoying.

<span style="font-family: Arial; ">I changed to Mac years ago because I was sick of viruses and tired of lining the pockets of antivirus software companies.

There are a small percentage of Windows folks out there who can't resist telling me that that the big mac virus is coming and I will get it in the mail any day now. Even while these guys are busy reinstalling their software for the umpteenth time (due to some code written by a 10 year old kid) they still bang on at me that the death of my Mac is imminent. Well, sorry guys, over a decade on and I'm still waiting. Not even a hiccup!

These zealots remind me of those Bible bashing, born again, so called Christians who march around with "God Hates ****" placards at funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

PS: Some of my best friends are Widows users.

It's only Linux with a shiny front end?
The hardware is very expensive, and it's only Intel based, and it breaks.
You can't get it fixed cheaply, Apple lock you in.
No way I'm sticking with PCs!!

Right now, I run a nice desktop. With it's modest Intel Core 2/Quad CPU, the Q8400 it does everything I need it to do, including (with a new power supply) drive my Nvidia GTX 480 card, my Creative Fatal1ty sound card, two peripherals which far exceed anything in an iMac or Mac Mini. Heck, I have enough GPU left over to run SETI full time. All of it for far less than the cost of the lowest iMac. My storage is a 3 TB system consisting of 3 moderately priced 10,000 rpm drives, all of which are faster than anything found in much of the Mac family. All for far less than the price of an iMac.

My sound card runs at 192 Khz, with 24 bit depth in sampling, far beyond the best Mac has to offer, meaning I can really stream movie sound tracks with more than a pale sampling that scarcely meets the requirements for Dolby Digital or DTS, all at a price that is less than the down payment on a new Mustang. Sure, I could buy a Power Mac to do the same thing at at least 3 times the price.

Oh yea, the security thing. Now that I have seen Apple's response to security threats, a spasmodic flip flop at best, I have decided that when the Mac really grows up, it may be worth consideration. Yes we have "Patch Tuesday", where potential and existing threats are addressed, Microsoft is mature enough to recognize and capable of dealing with security threats, although I have been running the professional version of AVG since XP and have not been struck once since XP.

My new Xbox 360 S integrates perfectly with everything, Mac, well, they aren't quite at the point of including the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 as devices, or maybe even internet ready blu-ray players. Oh yea, my current W7 desktop has a blu-ray burner....

Right now, I have an Apple Store, quite successful, within 1/4 mile of my house and I have been there, only to leave in frustration as the "Apple Genius Bar" folks were not able to answer simple questions regarding the hardware specs on either the iMac or Mac Mini. My local clone builder has not only answers, but solutions as well.

Nope, I think OS X is cool, I bought a "Silver Door" series back when they first came out, I sold it after 6 months and a lot of less than great attempts at quality multimedia streaming. One day I may again.

The ideal computer would be a combo of Mac and Windows, but I'm glad I switched. Microsoft changes operating systems about every year, so you have to learn the new system each time and often my application programs won't run on the new system. When Windows 7 and Live Mail came out, I decided to make the switch. I figured if I had to learn a new system every year or two, I might as well just learn Mac. The best thing about Mac is it just works and their support is light years ahead of Microsoft.