Got The Apple I Mac.....

[Blaine]

I appreciate all the input.....I like the fact that everything is built only for Mac, and will run properly without "messing" with it endlessly, like most applications I used on the PC.....

[Topside]

Blaine, I've been an Apple guy since '82. I have a few friends who've bought imacs lately who say they'll never go back to pc's. Ease of use and software that works = Apple. I'm biased of course. I just bought this imac in August. It's the smaller one (the 27" takes up too much room and costs a bunch more). Bought mine from Best Buy. Saved about $160 below Apple store price. PM me if you'd like details. Also.....I opened a Best Buy credit card allowing interest free for 18 mos. I divide the cost by 18, and that's what I send'em monthly.
Anyway, here's my vote........
Reed.

[Pisgah]

Topside, a word to the wise. Carefully scrutinize your "18 mos. free interest" agreement. The way many are written, if you split in to 18 payments, you will owe full interest for the period because by the agreement your last payment will be "late". Safer to do it in 16 or 17...

[KirkD]

Apple for sure. Occasionally, I work in Windows 7. Windows 7 is functional, but still cannot measure up to Apple's operating system. I would not even consider a PC for an instant.

[Topside]

Topside, a word to the wise. Carefully scrutinize your "18 mos. free interest" agreement. The way many are written, if you split in to 18 payments, you will owe full interest for the period because by the agreement your last payment will be "late". Safer to do it in 16 or 17...

Thanks, that doesn't surprise me. I'll pay it off in a year.

[Blaine]

Pretty much what I've been hearing from everyone......I'll put it on the Cabala's card, get the points, and pay it right off. 10-4 on Best Buys...seems like the best price. Do you think the standard 4 gigs of memory are enough? I'm no gamer.

[crs]

Choice depends upon your needs. The Windows based PC dominates the business world with a few exceptions. Many organizations specify the use of specific Windows OS and application software versions to their suppliers and contractors for cross company compatibility.

Inside my company, we use Linux for our commercial applications and even smart phone apps for the Android phone. Our CTO uses Linux almost exclusively, but has had to run Windows 7 on a virtual machine under Linux to meet a few specific needs.

Folks specializing in graphic arts often use Apple as it excels in that environment.
For personal use, it is a personal choice of which you prefer and which best meets you needs and budget(sort of like lever guns ).

[MrMurphy]

I'm the opposite.

I've used Macs since their introduction but never by choice.

PCs allow greater freedom to vary from The Communist Master Plan mentality.

I can (and have, several times) custom built PCs to do exactly what I want. Not always an option for Macs.

Macs are pretty, and they do work well. But at times they don't do what you want, and if they break, have fun with Apple CS (having seen it firsthand).

I work in the videogame industry and do 3D modeling and rendering for school (professional development) and the business is split 50/50.

Photoshop fanatics often use Macs. Everyone else uses PCs, and this is for high end, extremely serious graphically intensive programs. And photoshop also works on PCs just fine (as I well know).

Either one won't be 'bad', but put it this way.

If Macs are so great, why do they have Windows emulators to run programs...... you don't see that with PCs.

[win38-55]

Get the Mac you will be very happy with it. I have been using them since 1999. Never had one problem with them.
Great computers for the money. I will never go back to useing a pc .We have some pc's at work with the new operating system
boy do they suck. Get the mac you will be pleased.

[KirkD]

If Macs are so great, why do they have Windows emulators to run programs...... you don't see that with PCs.

Macs don't need Windows emulators. They use Intel Core 2 chips that can run Windows natively. I run both the Mac OS and Window's 7 natively on my Macbook Pro, no emulators necessary. I just boot up my Mac in Windows and, voila, I now have a PC. In my university department (Computer Science), over half the professors have gone over to Macs and most of the students. I write software on my Mac (Python) and use it for a wide variety of applications. My son is in Computer Science at a different university, same story there. At the universities in Canada, the vast majority of students now use Mac computers regardless of what department they are in (business, arts, computer science, physics, etc.). This is an indication of what the future holds regarding what platforms will be used.

There is one major advantage for a Mac over a PC. No virus protection software required. My Mac is hooked up to the internet a good chunk of 24/7 and I have not used virus protection software for the past 16 years.

You can build your own Macs out of components (exactly as you would a PC) to suit whatever your needs are. My son has done it to make money.

I use Windows 7 for games and for one old piece of PC software that I need that doesn't even run on Windows 7. For work I use Macs.

[FWiedner]

I've worked with and on PC's for nearly 20 years. Custom built more than a couple from parts for resale and personal use. Repaired and maintaned a pile of 'em as a part of earning a living.

I'm biased and I admit it.

I like PC's because I know how they work and I can build or repair my own. I pick the OS, the software, tools, peripherals, everything. Any part or application can be repaired, replaced, or reloaded in a straight-forward manner. A PC is like Frankenstein's monster, you can always put another bolt in it's neck, but you do take a chance that it might turn on you.

I've never found a PC that couldn't be fixed, and they are as reliable as the user and applications installed.

I've used Macs, and the good thing for the type of user that generally likes Macs is that most everything is canned. The user has access to nothing critical and there is no technical skill required to operate the system. Not saying that you don't have to know how to use your favorite application, just that it's not required for a user to know anything about how it works to use it. The problem is that when the thing breaks the user has access to nothing critical and doesn't have the technical skills needed to address whatever the issue might be. Most Mac users swear by them, and they are for the most part good machines and very reliable.

Maybe it's like deciding to own a Chevy or a SmartCar.

Either one drives OK and will get you from point A to point B. But you either don't mind laying on the ground and getting dirt under your nails once in a while, or you want to look cool eating your Starbucks yougurt and granola breakfast cup riding in a tow-truck.

If you like putting your hands on the gear, buy a PC. If you want to keep your hands clean and have to call an 'expert' or haul the thing to the shop every time it hiccups or loses conciousness, buy a Mac.

[Mike D.]

iMac, iMac, iMac! The ONLY way to go. Once you are shed of the trouble prone PC you will not look back.

[shooter]

I switched to Mac two years ago and never looked back. I'm not really a computer guy, and don't really care about what you can and can't do with a PC, because I have no interest in doing it. My Mac turns on every time, never crashes, rarely freezes and is always fixed by a reboot, and never gets viruses. The format is very user friendly. All I really use the computer for is pictures, music, internet, and the occasional Microsoft Office project. It does all of these things exceptionally well.

PC is great if you are like FWeidner and don't mind the maintenance or if you know how to make it do what you want it to do. For me it was just a hassle keeping up with the virus software or getting viruses and having them cleaned up, or the computer running slow and never knowing why.

[spaceman spiff]

A PC ain't so bad IF you have a self built system.
What I like about PC's is the ability to infinitely modify
and customize the hardware and software to my liking.
I had a Macbook Pro and never warmed to it.


spaceman

[AJMD429]

There is one major advantage for a Mac over a PC. No virus protection software required.

I've always wondered WHY that is...? Mac 'critics' say it is because the OS is so unpopular that nobody bothers, but that's obviously silly.

Why would the Mac hardware or operating system be so different in terms of vulnerability...?

[Blaine]

I can operate most "stuff", but I would never try to open it up and do anything, hardware-wise. I have put together a couple ACCESS programs for work, but, I don't do that at home on the puter.....Just don't want to fool with them...

[FWiedner]

There is one major advantage for a Mac over a PC. No virus protection software required.

I've always wondered WHY that is...? Mac 'critics' say it is because the OS is so unpopular that nobody bothers, but that's obviously silly.

Why would the Mac hardware or operating system be so different in terms of vulnerability...?

My personal take is that most PC OS stuff is written wth an 'open systems' approach, meaning that almost any Joe Schmoe can write his own code or driver and have it interface or work on a PC type system and hardware. This also means that any dirtbag with a little bit of knowledge can get to the goodies. This is both the open systems approach greatest strength and it greatest weakness.

Apple and Mac is stuff is very proprietory. A hacker has to break into the OS before they can do their mischief.

Why go to the effort of reverse engineering a closed OS when it's so much easier to walk in a great big open door on another?

But with this one must wonder, why are so few Unix and Linux systems affected by virus and malware? Those systems are totally open. Maybe I'm just wandering in the woods.

[KirkD]

The Mac OS is a form of Unix. The architecture of the OS makes it very difficult to break into.

For those who like to tinker with their computers, you can build your own Mac. The home built Macs my son and his friends built are a lot cheaper too. Laptops are hard to tinker with; everything is packed in there so tight.

[Grizzly Adams]

Mac. Be happy!

[Chas.]

What FWiedner said is correct. But the door swings both ways. Because the OS is easy to get to, more software is written to it, and cheaper software. If you have a task to do and the PC software to do it is expensive, just look around. Someone has probably written freeware/shareware. With a MAC, get in you pocket cause it's gonna cost you.

[Rusty]

I don't know first hand but from what I hear on the computer shows I hear on the radio, there ARE a few viruses out there for Macs, but they are far fewer.

[FWiedner]

I don't know first hand but from what I hear on the computer shows I hear on the radio, there ARE a few viruses out there for Macs, but they are far fewer.

Yeah, well... the virii dirtbags had to respond to the call when the Mac and Linux wonks said it couldn't be done.

[KirkD]

I have also heard that there have been one or two viruses developed for the Mac. I know that the University of Waterloo computer science department was able to develop one (not for public distribution, of course), although neither of the two I've heard of were very effective .... more like 'concept' viruses that required some assistance from the user.

[KWK]

I'm typing this from my new MacBook Air. It's my first Mac.

I'll have to say, if I could rewind the clock a few weeks, I'd get the Samsung Windows machine instead.

The software delivered on the Mac is rather basic and crude. The underlying OS is Unix, a system I detest. Yeah, the command line can do tricks Win32's can't, but all the simple tasks are easier on Win32. Then again, I've been using a command line for 30+ years; most people don't know it even exists on their computers.

The TextEdit program is a cruel joke. OS/X Lion apparently doesn't know about screen pixel pitch, so a letter typed in an 11 point font shows on the screen so small you can barely read it.

Help pages are generally limited to the crude Unix 'man' system; at least for me the fancier help utility didn't offer much useful. The machine ships with keyboard auto-repeat (hold down a key, and it repeats) disabled. I had to use the web to find some typically cryptic Unix command line function to enable it.

Win32 lets you modify most font sizes, etc, which the system uses, but--as a long time Mac user told me--with the Mac, you gotta drink the Cool-Aid.

Then there's the print spooler which seems to have to be restarted manually every time I connect the USB printer. Safari often gets bogged down and refuses to respond to touch pad gestures for several seconds.

The Unix flavor of OS/X is FreeBSD, if I recall. That ain't OpenBSD, so I'm wary about security. The Win32 world is a much bigger target, so hackers aim for it. They does not imply Macs are immune. Indeed, the major anti-virus guys sell their wares for Mac, too.

Be warned that OS/X Lion has rendered many programs temporarily incompatible with the OS. When I got my machine, Firefox could not install. There's even a private web site devoted to all the programs that won't run. This should all wind down quickly, but it was a guffaw for Apple not to better coordinate with developers.

All isn't bad, of course. The industrial engineering is first rate. The iPhoto editor is well polished. It's ability to subtly change the color balances, etc. blows away M-S's freebie, but I can't figure out how to scale down an image! Worse, I'm still not sure where on the machine it has placed my edited image. It seems to want to put images where it thinks is important; I'd like to know where so I can back them up. Perhaps one needs to trust that Apple's back-up (which I haven't configured) will do it. On the Win32 side, I know exactly where my images are kept, and my simple back-up utility can be told such.

Well, a copy of Win32 sits besides me, waiting for a dual-boot installation. Once in place, I won't be booting to OS/X very often.

Lastly, perhaps I'm just a grumpy old dog who doesn't want to learn new tricks. I'm happy with Win32 and quite used to getting things done on it. I scan my 11 year old PC for viruses once a year, and I've never picked one up, although once installed on this Mac, I plan to install anti-virus this time.

Karl

[rossim92]

I work in the printing industry. My buddy works in the prepress part of the company, and I work in the bindery department. His job is to transfer the files from the customer to the plates for the presses. He works with both mac's and PC'S. He swears up and down by the mac's. He has two at his house. I don't use computers for a living, so a pc is fine by me. He tried to talk me into buying a mac. I cannot justify the price for one. I Basically use mine for email and whatever. ( especially on this forum ) The one big advantage of mac over pc is no viruses. ( from what i hear). I don't hate mac's just prefer pc's right now. More softwares are now becoming mac compatable. IMo you can't go wrong with a mac. Hopefully when the price of a mac drops down to the level of a pc, i will buy one. till then pc's for me.

[pwl44m]

If it Aint broke, don't fix it. I have had this Toshiba for 4 years now (I was warned against Toshiba) hey it is what Sams Club was selling that fit My wallet. The only time it gets turned off is when I go on Vacation to take it with Me, otherwise 24/7. Had a Virus when I moved here (didn't know I wasn't protected) That is the only time I have had a problem. Have My history set to clear every 24 hrs. I run 6 tabs continuously and open a new Tab if I want to look at something else.
I hate Change but if I were given a Mac I would certainly try IT. I think it is "ALL" ABOUT what U R Used to. Isn' "PC" (personal computer)a misnomer in this case ? where in fact it should be Mac vs MS.
DO I like what I have- U Bet- another ? If MS IS SO bad why were They Sued for being a Monopoly ? because Mac wanted to use some of Their stuff.
Blaine ! I would try a Mac before laying down the bread. It is all in what U r used to IMLO.
PErry

[Griff]

Mac for "art", PC for "business".

That's what I was tole some 35 years ago, the lines might have blurred since then... but, probably not much. But I like simple rules...

[Steelbanger]

I worked in the graphic arts field and we went from the dark ages to the Mac in the mid-80's. Desktop publishing was forever changed and I believe the Mac platform is responsible for that. Every time I try to operate someones PC it frustrates me to no end. Navigable but nauseating - my opinion of the PC.

[wilko]

I am with Karl all the way on this one.... get a pc!

[KWK]

... we went from the dark ages to the Mac in the mid-80's. Desktop publishing was forever changed and I believe the Mac platform is responsible for that.

Yes, for home computers, the Mac was the first major platform with the graphics routines ready to go for such work. They led MS quite a bit. Over that time, they built a following in the graphics arts field, and that loyalty -- both among users and programmers -- continues.

I come from a different field, namely the programming of computers embedded in other products, for example the engine controller in your car. Here, the Mac is pretty much useless. It's not that it couldn't support such work, it's that the more portable Win32 software platform dominates the hardware platforms. Nearly all the tools for writing such software are Win32 based for this reason.

Today, both platforms can do what the other does, but the software programming fields trend to one or the other.

Win32's flexibility is also the source of some of its woes. The "drivers" for the multitude of platforms are often farmed out to cheap but hardly competent firms in Asia. This leads to the famous "blue screens." The more tightly controlled Mac platforms don't present so much a challenge to the OS designers.

For browsing and writing letters, either will do, but on the Mac you have to install extra software -- not very expensive, though. For specialty software, you'll have to look before you buy to see which of the two is better served.

[Modoc ED]

I personally have a DELL desk top and a DELL lap top both loaded with Windows XP.

Maybe someone above already said this (didn't read every post) but with Mac/Apple you can load a Windows OS into a Mac computer and use it just as you would a stand-alone Windows OS computer.

I'm going to stick with my DELLs untiil one or both stuff out and then I think I'll go Apple.

[Blaine]

I got the I Mac.....The adventure begins....

[madman4570]

There is one major advantage for a Mac over a PC. No virus protection software required.

I've always wondered WHY that is...? Mac 'critics' say it is because the OS is so unpopular that nobody bothers, but that's obviously silly.

Why would the Mac hardware or operating system be so different in terms of vulnerability...?

Never had a Mac,wouldn't mind trying one(I hear good things about them)I am not very computer savoy.
One thing I have learned though(no virus software will totally protect your system)
Best thing I have found for someone like me???
http://www.acronis.com/backup-recovery/

Don't even need to run any software protection-------------if I have any indication of any computer glitch etc.
Wham------------in 15 mins while having a coffee my computer is as new and backed up as current to what I want.No worry about going on any sites maybe carrying a virus, in 15 mins without installing any system stuff its as new again!

its to the point where if it even belches------wham(make it as new as say backed up on Friday)
and the backup is as easy as pushing a button.

Its impossible for that little virus mouse hiding in the house when you take a fire hose and white wash the entire house and everything in it.

With Virus software, sometimes that darn little mouse just hides for awhile to come out later on or even changes its color so you think its a different mouse?

[olyinaz]

Tried an iMac a few years back. Everyone in the family hated it and as my boys got into gaming it was pretty much DOA. Sold it off. All Windows 7 machines now and we're all quite happy with them. Windows 7 is, quite frankly, excellent.

What I will put in a pitch for is the Apple TV - at $99 if you have a high speed internet connection and an HDTV you cannot go wrong with this device. And of course the iPhone and iPad - both are simply excellent and really fun to use.

Cheers,
Oly

[Blaine]

Tried an iMac a few years back. Everyone in the family hated it and as my boys got into gaming it was pretty much DOA. Sold it off. All Windows 7 machines now and we're all quite happy with them. Windows 7 is, quite frankly, excellent.

What I will put in a pitch for is the Apple TV - at $99 if you have a high speed internet connection and an HDTV you cannot go wrong with this device. And of course the iPhone and iPad - both are simply excellent and really fun to use.

Cheers,
Oly

If I'm thinking of the same thing, I could suscribe to NetFlix on the high speed, and throw it over to the Big Screen HDTV, and cancel cable tv....I get really good local broadcasting on an antenna.