Mac or PC???

[CelticBelle]

Im looking for a new laptop. Ive only ever used dells, but now Im debating a mac. I think the OS looks nice, but im used to my PC and im not sure if its worth it to switch. Would be easy enough for me to change and get used to it.

Anyone switched from PC to Mac? someone convince me

 

[ghost1000]

i switched a couple of years ago and wish I would have earlier. I think they are the best choice for home computers because of their stability, included software and you don't have to worry about viruses.

Microsoft office is available (and there is a reduced price student/home version also) that is fully compatible with other versions so you can send files to PC users.

As far as switching there is a few day learning curve - but its mostly just about forgetting how Windows does things and thinking "what would make sense to do here" and 99% of the time that works.

Edit - oh and a good resource are the tutorial videos on the apple.com website here: http://www.apple.com/mac/

Thats another thing - the service and support from Apple is excellent (and I recommend purchasing their apple care warranty which extends the warranty and phone support to 3 years) since they provide the hardware AND the software there is only one number to call regardless of the problem.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I also always get a Dell. My brother swears by his Mac though. I used his Mac laptop for a couple weeks while I was waiting for my new computer to arrive and while I do think it was nice, it didn't take me that long to get used to it either, even being a longtime PC user, I didn't think switching was worth the price difference. I got a pretty loaded new Dell for a really good price, alot less than a Mac would have been. I don't know, if I could get a Mac for the same price as my Dell, I might think about it, but just as a user I didn't think there was anything on the Mac to justify the price difference. There may be some technie things I don't know about it, but after using the Mac for 2 weeks, I wasn't sad to be going back to my PC.

 

[ghost1000]

I just configured a Dell laptop with the same specs as the mid level Macbook (only one I could get to match up well with the options) and it came to $1,229. You can get the Macbook for $1,224 after rebate from Amazon. So price really is a wash if you compare apples to apples (pun intended ).

 

[Anna114]

I use PC's at work and mac's at home. I would choose a mac every time. I just find it so much easier to deal with. My husband is my MAC genius.

 

[CelticBelle]

thanks for the info. I think I kind of freak out when I look at the apple site and see that you cant really configure the Macs. Im used to being able to customize the dell to what you want. But im sure what they already have configured is more than enough. They also seem to include things that are extra on dells like the camera and bluetooth. I think its just the fact that its cookie cutter and not to personal that gets me...haha

One thing that is comforting is that you can run windows on the mac also. Its just nice to know there is still something familiar if need be.

 

[concept5123]

mac.....im done

 

[Nicole786]

The thing that sold me on it was iPhoto. I can't imagine not having it It comes on all the computers. And there are so many resources out there for learning Macs. It's so different nowadays compared to a few years ago. the iMac is the #1 sold CPU on the market, and the macbook is the #1 college notebook!

 

[djlexus]

Heres it is pc's are more expensive then macs woah hard to believe right not really. Heres what u have to look at when u look at mac pc's now of days come with pretty much nothing in the way of software just the os thats it unless u configure it to have some. Macs come with everything out of the box. If u look at the cost of the software that u get on the mac and what u would have to pay to get it on a pc the numbers are huge. Its literally almost 1000 dollars worth of software. Plus think of all the money ur saving by not having to have virus protection paying that yearly subscription. Mac just makes sense all around it saves u so much money in the long run. They also save u alot of headaches too they dont crash as much hardly ever and life is just easier on a mac everything is drag and drop. I have to say 5 years i will never regret and 15 years of regret of having to put up with windows.

 

[CelticBelle]

Ok so ive wanted to switch to mac, and I think you all have convinced me. (what can i say I love and trust my fellow disers) But now how do I justify switching out my perfectly good pc for a mac. I wanted to downgrade in size and upgrade to vista anyway. But im also a poor college student and cant drop money for a new computer...

 

[CelticBelle]

Oh ya... Ive been looking for what software it comes with and havent been able to find much info. Does it include office?

 

[ghost1000]

I think I kind of freak out when I look at the apple site and see that you cant really configure the Macs.

Well you can configure the really high end ones but on the Macbooks it is pretty much just upping the HD and Memory (and FYI it is extremely easy to change out the hard drive and memory on the MacBooks - all it takes is a small phillips screwdriver and about 10 minutes).

I actually think that the non-configurable "generic" hardware is one of Mac's strengths. Why? Programmers know exactly what hardware is in there so they can write for it and get the most out of it. They don't have to consider 100 different video cards in the process.

You hit the nail on the head with the Windows fallback option. My father had a Mini that he ran Windows and Autocad (a drafting program) on and it ran better than his desktop machine. He recently switched to a Macbook and we discovered another Mac benefit that shocked us - they actually have a very good resale value. It was a 2+ year old computer and he sold it for about 3/4 of what he paid for it.

 

[ghost1000]

If you are a student be sure to go to Apples online store and click education at the bottom and you can get a very good discount on them.

What software comes with them? First off there is the iLife suite which is iPhoto (photo organizer), iMovie (movie maker), Garage Band (audio program), iDVD (DVD creator), and iWeb (website maker). Then there is your standard stuff such as mail, iCal (calendar), Safari (web browser), and a few other odds and ends.

Office does not come with them (I think they ship with a free trial). There is a reduced price student version though. There are free alternatives such as OpenOffice and Mac are working getting their own office type application (iWork) up to speed, but really the real Office is still the best.

 

[Happymom34]

To make things simple, macs are more ergonomic, but are beaten in terms of computer power.

 

[trivial]

I've been using PCs for about 20 years, and I used to work for Apple. Macs aren't as expensive as they used to be, and you can even run Windows on them if you wish. The one reason I would personally choose a PC is gaming, although Macs continue to advance in that area as well. If you're not into serious gaming, it would be hard to go wrong with a Mac.

OpenOffice is a nice, free MS Office alternative; give it a shot before forking over the cash for MS Office.

 

[Anna114]

Ghost, you have nailed Apple! Well said and well done. Trival you are right about gaming. I love online games at Pogo.com. I can't download any game on Aengus (my IMAC) there are many more programs for the PC. All things considered it's still a MAC for me. Mac is so much more user friendly. Look at the IPOD craze... do you think Bill Gates, had he the smarts, to develop ITUNES and the IPOD, would have let MAC users use his software and hardware....uh no. Apple ( and Steve Jobs...in his arrogance) is brillant! My son, a college freshman received a very nice discount for being a student.

 

[scarlett873]

I love my Mac! I use a PC at work everyday and we have a PC at home in addition to dh's laptop. I made the switch about 2 years ago and have never looked back...it's so easy! I'm still figuring things out with it though. I get confused on where things should be because i'm thinking of PC, or sometimes even the other way around! I will try to do something on my PC that I would normally do on my Mac...i'm just a dork sometimes...lol

I also wanted to make sure to point out (as a previous poster did) about the educational discounts that Apple offers. They aren't much sometimes, but every little bit helps! I saved about $100 on my Mac!

 

[Minniemouse07]

I'm a graphic artist... I use both a PC and a Mac at work, and a PC at home.

I MUCH prefer the PC interface and would do all my work on one too if my coworkers would agree to switch platforms.

My vote is for a PC!

 

[djlexus]

For all u guys u play games theres a great piece of software out there called crossover for games it allows u to play windows games on ur mac. Heres the link http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxgames/ .

 

[simonkodousek]

If I didn't have to use a PC for work, I would only use Macs.