Windows or Mac? Recent Convert? Share!

[DRabbit]

So, your home computers, are they mostly mac or mostly PC?

Would your experience with the iPhone or iPod make you consider buying a Mac?

Have you recently converted to Mac? If so, why?

If you don't have a Mac, what keeps you from getting one?

Me? I bought my first Mac in 1999 - a B&W G3, which is still running just fine and used in a midi (recording) setup. It took a few years, but I'm finally a convert, and the last functioning desktop Windows PC in my house is about to be replaced with a Dual Quad Core MacPro. We've become a total Mac Family in my house.

A few years ago I also bought my brother his first Mac... a Mac Mini. He then became "Apple Certified" at his job (his previous job) and has turned into quite the Mac Fan himself. He just started working for an Apple Store a few weeks before the iPhone release.

With the introduction of intel-based Macs, there's no reason NOT to get a Mac now...


Thoughts?

 

[iFun Girl]

Windows

That's an interesting question, only because it's been on my mind for quite some time. I have considered switching to Mac many times.

I have used nothing but Windows in the last 15 years. Much of it has to do with having a background in office administration, where it was pertinent to know Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

But in recent months I gave some thought in terms of Windows "bugginess." I cannot tell you when it was the last time I used Internet Explorer (I use Mozilla) on my laptop. The majority of the worms and viruses target IE. Why give in to that?

And then I thought, 'that does it! I'm fed up...I'm switching to Mac!'

I then I looked at my bank account and it is unable to comply with my request at the moment. Alas....I will wait.

To answer your question, though...yes I plan to convert....someday!

 

[Keith Ellwood]

i started out on a Windows 3.1 computer way back, remember playing Windows golf on it, then over the years always read and learned everything on a mac but i have yet to own one, for the last 2 years i have been in a Commercial Art class for high school, that is all Macs, top of the line macs actually. better the most Colleges, and ever since i have enjoyed using macs mhmmm.

i recommend Macs they are just user friendly, and i use CS3, FinalCut, and many you can name probably, if you were wondering. im pretty excited to actually own a really nice mac when i end up leaving for florida this time next year.

 

[Errk!]

After working on Windows PCs almost my entire life, I bought a MacBook Pro about a year ago or so which I use for 99% of everything I do. We also have a Gateway laptop that my wife uses and a desktop that isn't really used for anything.

 

[Wangmaster]

Once you figure out the OS, then there's no turning back. Using Expose alone renders the OS ahead of its competitors if you're a good multitasker. Drag and drop is so much easier also...

 

[tharmsen]

I'm a recovering PC addict. I too have purchased my last PC and all future systems will be Mac. Like you said, now that they've gone to Intel I have no reason to run a PC anymore. The Mac is faster, easier to use, can run more applications (since I can run Windows in a window quite quickly) and the machines tend to be better built than most PC's.

 

[hexonxonx]

I ws always a Windows PC addict. Always had a computer or two around and I was never really interested in what a Mac could possibly do. I had learned everything Windows could do and could always fix my own problems without taking it somewhere for help.

A few years back, I started thinking about getting a Mac. I wanted a laptop but the small screen available quickly made me go back and get a Windows based HP and I quickly forgot about the Mac.

Then came the iPhone. I bought my phone July 13 and was and still am extremely impressed. With the iPhone my interest in getting a Mac returned. I started looking at the Apple website again and I was surprised, there were 15" and 17" MacBook Pros now available! A few days went by and I had decided to go down and buy a MacBook Pro and was I glad I made that decision! Best laptop ever.

I still use my Windows based laptops, I have two of those, in fact, I now have a computer in every room of my house. I just wish they were all Macs.

 

[Sleeper]

PC until they sort out the gaming power on a Mac.

 

[tharmsen]

PC until they sort out the gaming power on a Mac.

Get a powerful Mac and you can easily run games like Battlefield 2 in a window using Parallels... You can also boot the Mac into XP to play games. They have PLENTY of power, just as much as any PC. If you get high end Mac there are few PC's that can rival them in terms of horse power... 4 graphics cards, multiple processors... and a $7k price tag.

 

[brinky]

My first Mac was a Mac Plus circa 1986ish. Used it for several years until it died and couldn't afford to fix it, plus it was 5 years old and very out of date. Went back to Windows 3.1, 3.11, 95, 98, 2000 and then came XP. I hated it and it is was drove me to a G4 Powerbook with OS X. Since then I have had 4 Apple notebooks, the G4 Titanium, G4 Aluminum, Black Macbook and now a Macbook pro. Plus one lampshape iMac.

I have been a consultant in the PC world since early 2001 and I always used my Apple computer in environments where it was usually the only Apple in the entire enterprise. It is always a comfort to know that I can plug it into to any customers network and not only will it work, but I don't have to worry about spreading any virus' on their network.

I will admit that depending on the enviornment, it can be tough to get a Apple to work 100%, trying to connect to a Novell network running Lotus notes and sametime was a challenge, but usually found a way to get what I need to make it work. And you can never count on the local IT staff as they have little to no experience, with using and Apple product, although I can start to see a shift in that now as more IT folks are finding it more useful and stable. I still have to run XP in Parallels as there are some things that simply can't be done in OS X (PC Anywhere, and web sites that depend on java script are usually the culprits)

I will never go back and try to talk everyone into getting a Apple as IMHO they are just better and require less upkeep then a PC (no virus software to update, no malware to worry about, I can open any email from anyone and never worry about the consequences)

Once you go mac, you never go back!

 

[Sleeper]

Dude, that's a workstation, not a gaming system hence the hefty price tag. It's very nice though.

Macs don't cut it as top end gaming systems yet. Hell, they don't really cut it as mid range gaming systems if I'm being honest.

 

[Regnad]

Is there a Mac that I can stuff the 8800GTX video card into? Am I wrong in thinking that there is no way I can get the quality and speed I have now for 3D gaming?

 

[Sleeper]

Nope. Not at a comparable price anyway.

 

[iTiki]

I've been a PC user at work and home for about 15 years. Bought my son a mac mini (his choice) a few months back after forcing him to use a PC for the last 5 years. After using his mini a fews times, I'm going to make the switch to mac. Next purchase will be a macbook pro this fall when Leopard comes out.

Mike

 

[cdodkin]

Dude, that's a workstation, not a gaming system hence the hefty price tag. It's very nice though.

Macs don't cut it as top end gaming systems yet. Hell, they don't really cut it as mid range gaming systems if I'm being honest.

Maybe one day you'll figure out that there's a whole universe outside of 'gaming' and get that cheque book out for a Mac! LOL

 

[Sleeper]

Maybe one day you'll figure out that there's a whole universe outside of 'gaming' and get that cheque book out for a Mac! LOL

Or maybe Apple will realise that more than just poseurs and arty types want Macs and release a fully functional unit.

 

[Dinger]

I bought a brand new velocity micro about four months ago and after owning the iPhone for two weeks I went out and got a mac mini which is now my primary computer. I am certainly now a mac user for life. I guess it doesn't help that my velocity micro won't stay on for more than ten minutes without crashing.

 

[cdodkin]

Or maybe Apple will realise that more than just poseurs and arty types want Macs and release a fully functional unit.

way to go insulting a whole bunch of people on this forum!

Suggest you take a fresh approach, and ditch the old stereotypes.

 

[chris]

Or maybe Apple will realise that more than just poseurs and arty types want Macs and release a fully functional unit.

Way to insult the forum admin. Seriously, this is not acceptable and will be added to the forum guidelines. I'm guessing it was a shot at humor, but I've seen these debates get ugly. Mac vs PC discussions can be argued here at EIP, but let's stay on point. Argue the platform, not the person.

-Chris
~artsy poser~

 

[chris]

I started using Macs in college and bought my first Mac in 1994. PowerMac 6100. Since then it's been a steady stream of Mac's including a Mac clone - PowerComputing, G4, G5 and Powerbook. I haven't purchased an Intel mac yet, but I'll make the jump with Leopard. I did just purchase a PC. What a complete nightmare. Basically, don't be fooled by the cheap boxes sold by DELL. I bought a Dimension C521. After purchase, I had to buy a graphics card, speaker system, DVD writer, Virus software and RAM. Not to mention, I had to ask them to send Windows Vista install DVD, so I could rid my PC of all the crap it came with.

With Mac's, there is no "bare-bones" Mac that's unusable. BTW, I needed it for a PC program that was running like a dog on Virtual PC.

-Chris

p.s. - Did I mention the confusion surrounding which version of Vista to get?