Should I Let The Imac Seduce Me?

[jkinbkk]

70% of my working day (when office based) is spent in front of my PC

I find the whole experience nowadays of trudging through the uninspiring Windows Operating System only a necessary chore, therefore I have been seriously eyeing Apples iMac.

About 3 years ago I went through a similar faze, but due to the prices tags at that time I relented and gave my PC a small upgrade instead.

However, pricing for the iMac is now very reasonable and the only thing holding me back is a leap of faith on my part!...or lack of!

Will I regret my move away from the boring, stayed and mind numbing Windows OS or will iMac renew my faith in human kind and inspire great things from me?

From those who have recently made the transition, what’s your experience?

[Phil Conners]

It's a bit like trying to discuss religion...

[sniffdog]

If you're a user of shared (read: illegal) software, you might want to consider that a lot more software is available for PCs than for Macs.

I still have to find someone who can convimce me that working with a MAC is so much more fun/ productive than working with a PC.

[swain]

If you're a user of shared (read: illegal) software, you might want to consider that a lot more software is available for PCs than for Macs.

I still have to find someone who can convince me that working with a MAC is so much more fun/ productive than working with a PC.

Well it wont be me... The world works..in fact runs on PC's... I run a small internet company in California, we have dial-up and DSL, .. we don't really even support macs anymore. In the 10 years we have been around I can count on two hands all the tech support phone calls I got for macs (not because they are so easy to use but because no was using them) BUT if you love the mac and many do.. it will be an exclusive relationship because getting software you will want will be as easy as going to the store and buying it (which all of us should do but a lot of us don't) You will be a good citizen and be a law abiding person and you will be with out much in the way of money or software, your choice.

Edited February 1, 2008 by swain

[freitag1]

I just bought a new nice Pc some days ago. I love it but I know if I would have had 1000$ more I would have bought an Apple. You can run both OS on an Apple, Windows and OS X and Windows does run great. In fact it was tested and runs faster than on any other regular Pcs (that was last November).

If you want to have the best OS and enjoy using all the nice little flashy features of it go for an Apple. If you know your way around with Pcs you can get the same by installing 15 - 20 3rd party programs.

Windows Vista is still a joke but would be fine for someone who merely uses the computer for browsing or some office work.

[ThaiLife]

If you're a user of shared (read: illegal) software, you might want to consider that a lot more software is available for PCs than for Macs.

The last IT Mall I went into was loaded with Mac software...

and if you are not a fan of IT Mall bootleg products there's all ways .....

http://www.versiontracker.com/macosx/

http://www.macgamesandmore.com/bestfreemacgames5.html

http://wilk13.net/macintosh/en-index.php

http://www.pure-mac.com/

http://www.download.com/Mac/

http://www.macupdate.com/

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=350064

http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/11/06/top-100-mac-apps/

http://www.macgamefiles.com/

http://macapper.com/2008/01/10/mac-os-x-freeware-list/

http://chip.cuccio.us/must-have-mac-software

http://www.opensourcemac.org/

http://www.shoppingmac.com/th/catalog.php?...&type=Apple

The lists are endless...

some more good bedtime reading ....The Mac-way! What every Switcher needs to know…

http://www.switchingtomac.com/wp/the-mac-w...-needs-to-know/

and of course ... http://www.apple.com/imac/

[hughden]

I switched to Mac almost a year ago. Now we have two Macbooks and a 24" iMac in the family. Mac OS is a delight to use; and I am finding the applications I used to run under XP run faster under Mac OS (in particular Adobe Lightroom and CS3), with equivalent processing power.

I bought the previous model iMac when the new one was introduced, because I did not fancy the glossy screen. It is great for photo processing, movie watching, music listening. The Time Machine backup is a boon for someone like me who never got round to backing up properly under windows.

There is only one program I need to use that I cannot run with Mac OS, and I run that under Parrallels, which runs XP in a separate window.

I know many people who have switched to Mac. I don't know anyone who would want to switch back. The iMac is the best computer I have ever owned.

[JimmyTheMook]

I know many people who have switched to Mac. I don't know anyone who would want to switch back. The iMac is the best computer I have ever owned.

Well you heard the saying "Once You Go Mac , You Never Go Back" .............

[Gary A]

I never had one and I always figured a computer was a computer. I never will have one because I think their prices are just silly. Kind of like a watch. Decent watches keep good time. Some people pay silly prices for a Rolex.

[ThaiLife]

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

If you're a user of shared (read: illegal) software, you might want to consider that a lot more software is available for PCs than for Macs.

I still have to find someone who can convince me that working with a MAC is so much more fun/ productive than working with a PC.

Well it wont be me... The world works..in fact runs on PC's... I run a small internet company in California, we have dial-up and DSL, .. we don't really even support macs anymore. In the 10 years we have been around I can count on two hands all the tech support phone calls I got for macs (not because they are so easy to use but because no was using them) BUT if you love the mac and many do.. it will be an exclusive relationship because getting software you will want will be as easy as going to the store and buying it (which all of us should do but a lot of us don't) You will be a good citizen and be a law abiding person and you will be with out much in the way of money or software, your choice.

Sure but the Intel Mac's will run both OS X and Windows simultaneously with the help of Parallels or VM Ware in conjunction with Intel's Virtualization architecture. I use Parallels and it works great. Costs $49. I run all my Windows financial trading software with it.. Never crashes.. Is as fast as native and lets me use Mac software for most everything else. Some people say its not as fast for gaming but that hardly affects me.. Gamers are said to reboot with Bootcamp and just load XP or Vista to play the games.

It's the best of both worlds to be able to run both OS's at the same time. When you compare similar hardware then the Apple products are maybe 15% more expensive. If your like me and spend 12+ hours a day in front of your computer then its worth it. Figure out what it costs per day and the difference is like 25 baht. Also keep in mind when you go to sell your used Apple gear it worth a lot more than PC hardware. Also most professionals can deduct their computer investment anyway. Really not a good reason not to go Apple unless your married to Windows only platform.

[Plus]

If I switch to a Mac I will probably be using all the same software I use on PC - uTorrent or Azureus, VLC player, Opera or Firefox browsers. I will not be using iTunes, Quicktime, or Safari, thank you very much, I hate them. If the rest of the Apple is the same as those I wouldn't even start thinking of switching to Mac.

Program names they bundle with their OS also don't sound right, like pure marketing gimmics with no value whatsoever, things like Time Machine - I'm not doing backups and I don't feel I need to waste time on that and I don't want the best backup program ever being forced on me. It's like Mac people rely on Steve Jobs to do all thinking for them and make all their choices. Why do they mention Garage Band all the time? Who told them that every user wants to be in a Garage Band?

User interface on Macs looks refreshingly different only for the first five minutes or so, after that I would have to start tweaking it just like I tweak Windows to look the way I like it.

Hardware package is excellent, though, probably worth the extra money. After that I'd make it look and work exactly like my PC.

[villagefarang]

I know many people who have switched to Mac. I don't know anyone who would want to switch back. The iMac is the best computer I have ever owned.

Well you heard the saying "Once You Go Mac , You Never Go Back" .............

Had a PowerBook for a few years and recently upgraded to an iMac 24. I'm in love and my wife calls my big sexy miss iMac my "mianoi". You won't miss your PC or the software.

Edited February 1, 2008 by villagefarang

[nikster]

Get it! Chances are you'll love OS X. And if not, you can always install Windows via BootCamp and use that as primary OS. You will have a beautiful piece of hardware either way.

@Plus: I want to point out that iTunes and Safari are way better on the Mac than on Windows. Safari doesn't crash constantly, for example. I use Safari, Camino, and Firefox (rarely - Camino is based on Firefox only nicer looking) on a daily basis. iTunes is fine - nothing wrong with it.

QuickTime is completely useless, same as on Windows, luckily there is VLC which is better than either QuickTime or Win Media Player, I use it on Windows and Mac.

[RKASA]

I never had one and I always figured a computer was a computer. I never will have one because I think their prices are just silly. Kind of like a watch. Decent watches keep good time. Some people pay silly prices for a Rolex.

I agree.  I don't even buy watches anymore, my cell phone knows what time it is and takes pictures too.

[JetsetBkk]

[Gary A]

I never had one and I always figured a computer was a computer. I never will have one because I think their prices are just silly. Kind of like a watch. Decent watches keep good time. Some people pay silly prices for a Rolex.

I agree. I don't even buy watches anymore, my cell phone knows what time it is and takes pictures too.

You're absolutely right! Being retired is great because I don't care what time it is. I rarely know what day it is and if I REALLY need to know, my telephone has the correct time, day and date.

[Plus]

Get it! Chances are you'll love OS X. And if not, you can always install Windows via BootCamp and use that as primary OS. You will have a beautiful piece of hardware either way.

@Plus: I want to point out that iTunes and Safari are way better on the Mac than on Windows. Safari doesn't crash constantly, for example. I use Safari, Camino, and Firefox (rarely - Camino is based on Firefox only nicer looking) on a daily basis. iTunes is fine - nothing wrong with it.

QuickTime is completely useless, same as on Windows, luckily there is VLC which is better than either QuickTime or Win Media Player, I use it on Windows and Mac.

Well, hardware is probably worth the price, you can still run Windows, use VLC and Firefox, and play PC games (and ditch Apple soft altogether).

WinXP does everything I need from the operating system. It runs programs and copies files and it doesn't crash. It's fun to tweak it, too. I don't feel the need to upgrade to Vista yet, or Apple.

I don't like Safari as a browser, it hasn't crashed on my computer yet, I just feel it's nothing comparing to Firefox/Opera/IE7, and customising options are VERY limited. Something I feel all Apple software has in common.

Not many people use full powers of Firefox addons, they'll be ok with Safari, I guess, just as they are ok without upgrading from IE6.

[JetsetBkk]

Being retired is great because I don't care what time it is. I rarely know what day it is

I went shopping at Macro today. Jeez, it was busy - so I looked at my watch. Da.mn! It's Saturday.

[traveller5000]

I bought a macbook about 10 months ago. I'll never willingly go back to a PC. The security and sophistication of the operating system, along with the suite of well integrated applications included with the OS did it for me.

For the one or two pieces of PC software I use parallels.

[dsys]

They say don't bite the hand that feeds you but:

I have both an imacs and pc's.

In an ideal world; it would be run on linux with free software for all. Its not an ideal world.

In the real world we have microsoft - deal with it its not going away anytime soon.

In the creative world we have the mac - its a pleasure to use, the graphics packages and DTP are far superior.

I guess your overall choice of which system reflects what you are Idealist, realist or creative type. I guess that makes me schizophrenic.

As for the original post:

** renew my faith in human kind and inspire great things from me?

The OS is definately more user friendly but I have found that the agro of getting the mac to talk to a pc network outweighs this.

** From those who have recently made the transition, what’s your experience?

Not so recent but a major pain in the ass converting, buying new software;not having software in mac versions etc. Having said that once you do go over you'll hate windows even more and once you realise that you can't (well I couldn't) go over completely it will make your time in front of windows PC's even less enjoyable.

[xbusman]

I have been using macs since 1974. With my programming degree in 1979, eventually I was immersed into the world of the PC for all the wrong reasons. My experience is that whenever a Mac enters a PC environment it becomes the greatly preferred machine by users and hated by IT. I made the unfortunate mistake of introducing a Mac into my company this last year. Now, we spend at least an hour a day fixing the PCs, accessing server files, getting back online, clearing viruses. We have spent a total of about ten minutes working on the mac over the past year. That was to try and integrate a HP printer that is rather messy without a proper driver. Our total time working on the mac is plug it in and turn it on.

Now, as has been my experience since 85, everyone lines up at the mac and sets appointments to do their work.

Here is where macs dont work. When some buffalo thinks that a proprietary program should be written using Windows OS only. These are usually IT geeks who abhor macs. Why? My guess is that if your job is based on the mysterious language of PC which forever need maintenance, it is not a good idea to promote a relatively trouble free product. Kind of like GM building a car that does not ever break down.

Gaming. Games are written for PCs. If you are an avid gamer, the Mac is not for you.

Other than that, it does about everything better than a PC.

[Plus]

Once I went to a presentation, there was a projector in the room already and the presenter brought his Mac. It didn't have VGA output and couldn't be connected.

So he sat there like an idiot for half an hour until someone located PC notebook and copied his presentation over.

I don't want to be in his shoes, ever.

>>>

Macs are getting cheaper and more popular every day, the OP won't be disappointed, but I bet there will be times when integration with the all-PC world will be practically impossible.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Once I went to a presentation, there was a projector in the room already and the presenter brought his Mac. It didn't have VGA output and couldn't be connected.

So he sat there like an idiot for half an hour until someone located PC notebook and copied his presentation over.

I don't want to be in his shoes, ever.

>>>

Macs are getting cheaper and more popular every day, the OP won't be disappointed, but I bet there will be times when integration with the all-PC world will be practically impossible.

well you could just carry the small mini DVI to VGA connector that comes free with Apple laptops. Sounds like the guy did no advance planning at all.

[Kyosuken]

Whatever you do keep this in mind :

As a recap at what was said on a iMac (intel based) you can :

- Dual boot OSX and XP (or vista) -very easy to do with leopard, and you get pretty much best of both worlds

- Or use XP (or vista) in a virtual machine (a la parallel) for your production work (you can access internet and files from OSX inside the virtual machine)

- Have access at a pretty large library of softwares for osx, lot's of freebies, though unlike on windows many stupid but useful tools are shareware (there is always a free alternative on PC, not always on Mac)

- Most of the "big" guns applications come both in PC and Mac flavors, so usually workflow isn't really broken by switching to Mac

- All coolness aside, virtually everything that can be done on a PC can be done on a Mac (under osx i mean) BUT gaming (if you intend to, you would rather have dual boot prepared for that)

- A lot of thing already integrated, like firewire, an excellent webcam, large lcd screen, great wifi, a nice remote control (though very limited if you plan to use it under windows as it wasn't designed for) etc....

What is very limited on a Mac :

- The hardware, you can't change parts that get defects over time, and it costs a LOT to have it repaired in an Apple shop (comes to mind the freaking slot dvd that i hate with a vengeance that keeps rejecting whatever i feed it)

- Very very limited upgradability (is that a word ?) : You can add Ram, by yourself or with the apple shop (depends of the warranty, but still straightforward to do) and that's all pretty much...

- Because the hardware is mostly proprietary (the motherboard) most mac lacks a little with extension ports (3 usb ports is too little compared to my PC 9 usb ports)

So with that in mind you just have to make your choice, if you aren't much on the upgrading side, an iMac as is (well with maximum memory upgrade available) is a great investment, pretty fast platform, and because you can have Windows too it adds a great layer of flexibility.

On the other hand if you can build yourself a PC, making it as powerful as a Mac will be much much cheaper and if you want badly osx there are ways, though it won't be as "cool"

[nikster]

well you could just carry the small mini DVI to VGA connector that comes free with Apple laptops. Sounds like the guy did no advance planning at all.

To be honest, same thing happened to me first time I tried to do a presentation on my Mac. My excuses are I don't give presentations very often, and I thought everything works on the Mac, and I had just made the whole presentation in 20 minutes in Keynote (like PowerPoint except the slides are pretty instead of fugly by default).

Lucky for me I was able to use someone else's DVI to VGA converter plug. MacBook Pro is a normal DVI port, but unlike most PC laptops, it doesn't have a VGA port. No problem, I'd never want to use the VGA port. Except for presentations where there is no other choice.

Two things that you need to survive in the PC world:

- DVI to VGA converter (free with Mac)

- USB stick (cheap)

The latter is the by far best option to transfer files between PC and Mac. There are other possibilities, but they are hard and fiddly.

PS: Apple hardware is standard Intel stuff these days, hasn't been proprietary ever since the switch to Intel processors.

[Plus]

How well do Macs integrate with Windows networks? I plug my notebook in office network and copy large files to stations in another building, or print something on office printers.

Unlike standard TP/IP protocol to access the Internet you'd need Windows Client Network and Windows File and Printer Sharing.

I guess it's not a problem for a standalone iMac, though.

Bottom line - the strongest point of new Apples appears to be ability to run Windows. You can get any cheap PC to do that.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

How well do Macs integrate with Windows networks? I plug my notebook in office network and copy large files to stations in another building, or print something on office printers.

Unlike standard TP/IP protocol to access the Internet you'd need Windows Client Network and Windows File and Printer Sharing.

I guess it's not a problem for a standalone iMac, though.

Bottom line - the strongest point of new Apples appears to be ability to run Windows. You can get any cheap PC to do that.

its not the strongest point.. its the last reason not to buy a Mac has now been eliminated.

[Kyosuken]

under Tiger i didn't have much problem even under a windows domain, Printer sharing may be a problem though depending if the printer is standalone or plugged with another PC

With leopard i didn't have the chance to test connectivity with a windows domain, but for point to point connectivity (in a workgroup) it worked pretty well

[nikster]

How well do Macs integrate with Windows networks? I plug my notebook in office network and copy large files to stations in another building, or print something on office printers.

It works fine. Windows is using the well-known smb (aka 'samba') file sharing protocol. If you have loads of windows volumes to connect to you can use one of the tools that automate the process. Built-in tools already work pretty well though. I use it all the time.

The Mac can even share volumes for windows clients, out of the box. All you need to do is click the checkbox in the sharing preferences, and boom you are a Windows file server.

I don't know about printing - I'd imagine it would work. Networked printers in offices are usually TCP-based, I haven't been to any office that used Windows Printer Sharing to do that. I just bought a Lexmark WiFi printer for BHT 4000 so I think that will be the future of printing - it's dirt cheap to integrate a printer into a network.