MAC Users....a few questions please.

[my3kids]

I asked some MAC vs. PC questions on the budget board and got some great responses. Here is that thread if anyone has anything else to add to that one: http://130.94.75.33/showthread.php?t=1063501

So now my question is this: Can people send me documents who have them on a PC and me be able to open them on a Mac? Vice Versa?

Any opinions on these models: The base MacBook Pro vs. the larger screen ibook G4. So, comparing the newest, most expensive model to the more entry level laptop. (the top line model is about $650 more than the entry model)

How well can a MAC exist in a family of PC's? Can we share things between PC and MAC without difficulty?

Is the MAC worth what truly does seem to be a lot higher in price than a PC with similar specs.

Thanks! I really want a computer that doesn't get sick, doesn't take a lot of time to figure out, and lets me do neat things without getting a degree in computer science.

 

[RadioNate]

i love my mac. The difference between getting a MacBook Pro and an iBook G4 would be the difference between buying a Pentium II and a Pentium IV.

We have 2 PC and a iMac in the house and I don't see any huge issue. We all use the same wireless router for internet.

Most documents shouldn't be an issue if you have the right software. For example if someone sends you a Word document and you don't have Word on your Mac there will be an issue but I've never had a problem with PC to Mac work documents. Universal format documents like pdf, gif and jpgs are all a non issue.

I've never had a problem with email or downloading familiar document types from websites (like word or excel documents)

I think a Mac is worth it but it depends on what you do with it. I do a lot of audio and video editing so iLife alone is worth it to me.

 

[dcentity2000]

I asked some MAC vs. PC questions on the budget board and got some great responses. Here is that thread if anyone has anything else to add to that one: http://130.94.75.33/showthread.php?t=1063501

So now my question is this: Can people send me documents who have them on a PC and me be able to open them on a Mac? Vice Versa?

It depends on the file. 99% of the time, the answer is "yes". Microsoft Office files work in both, MP3s work in both, PDFs work in both, image files work in both, movies work in both, etc. etc.

A few file types are not interoperable. These are comparatively rare, though.

Any opinions on these models: The base MacBook Pro vs. the larger screen ibook G4. So, comparing the newest, most expensive model to the more entry level laptop. (the top line model is about $650 more than the entry model)

Very important: DO NOT BUY THE G4. Apple are porting their entire product line over to the faster Intel Core Duo chips and the PPC chips (G3, G4, G5) are being phased out. Generally speaking, the Intel powered MacBook is much more future proof and will work far better than the iBook. Intel version iBooks are expected very soon (perhaps next month).

How well can a MAC exist in a family of PC's? Can we share things between PC and MAC without difficulty?

Again, 99% of the time it will be fine. There are a few things the only Apples can do and (I presume) a few things that only Windows can do. Personally, I've never had a problem.

Is the MAC worth what truly does seem to be a lot higher in price than a PC with similar specs.

Generally, the quality of the build is worth it.

Apple's a far more secure at the moment due to a lack of viruses/adware and are built on a stable UNIX core which Windows is not.

Interestingly, the next version of the Operating System, code-named Leopard, will apparently support "virtualisation" on the Intel based computers, meaning that you'll be able to install Windows inside the Mac system. It would run at full speed, pretty much, although you'd probably need some more RAM as you'd be running to systems on one machine. Effectively you'd be able to run EVERY Windows program on your Apple without restriction, but Apple have somehow rigged it so that the reverse cannot be done.

Thanks! I really want a computer that doesn't get sick, doesn't take a lot of time to figure out, and lets me do neat things without getting a degree in computer science.

Apples are infamous in their ease of use and power. Need to work with images? Open up Photoshop. Need to write a letter? Open up Word (or the newer, Apple only app, "Pages", which is fully compatible with Word.) Need to listen to music? Open up iTunes. eMail? Load Mail. Internet? Load Safari. It's endless.

As a student, I was forced onto Apple's machines fairly quickly, needing the additional power and performance to master all of the documentation I needed to do my work. I noticed the difference after moving off my PC immediately, even though I was moving off a high power PC onto the entry level iBook of the time.

It was faster. It looked miles better. It was more stable. The software it ran was better. It didn't crash. It booted faster. It was just better.

Since then I've upgraded my machine and operating system and I'm happy to say that they are still seemingly superior, dealing with a Windows dominated workfront and all.

The only gripe anyone could objectively have is on the gaming front. A high-end PC pips Apple's machines here as there are simply more released titles.

Of course, you could always buy a Nintendo system



Rich::

 

[Mr. Silly]

So now my question is this: Can people send me documents who have them on a PC and me be able to open them on a Mac? Vice Versa?

It depends on the document type. Standard things like images, files like RTF, PDF, that are designed to be portable, and thinks like Word/Excel/rtf will work. There's built in support for reading Word docs in TextEdit, but you need to buy Office to read Excel. It depends a lot on what sort of files you plan to be sharing. If the file is made by a program that doesn't run on a Mac, and there is no similar program on the Mac that supports opening that file type you could run into trouble, but those aren't very common. The key is the details, what specific kinds of files are you planning on sharing?

How well can a MAC exist in a family of PC's? Can we share things between PC and MAC without difficulty?

I help Windows customers interoperating with Macs at my work quite a lot. Some things are very easy (file sharing). Some things are a pain (MS Exchange integration). The things that are a pain are generally more propellerhead kinds of things that most home users aren't going to be caring about at all (limits in Active Directory support, no DFS, limited NTLMv2 support). What kind of things were you planning on doing that involved interporation besides moving files around?

Is the MAC worth what truly does seem to be a lot higher in price than a PC with similar specs.

That's really a judgment call. I find that Macs do tend to stay out of your way so you can work. A lot of folks who especially like them might be drawn to them for reasons you may or may not care about - UNIX underpinnings, more advanced graphical capabilities, easier remote management, far better software integration and consistency, bettter security, virtually no viruses, no known spyware, OS design keeping ease of use as a top priority. If you have an Apple Store anywhere nearby it would be worthwhile to visit it and play with the machines for a while.

 

[my3kids]

The nearest Apple store is 3 hours away, but I think it would be worth the drive since I have actually never used or even seen an Apple notebook computer.

It sounds like the best long term solution is to buy the newest model.

I don't get many things I need to open but sometimes committee members of various things might send me a word file or one they typed on Microsoft works. These are kind of things I wondered if I'd be able to read. Nothing huge or complicated. I don't use Excel currently.

The reason my choices were the lowest end or the higher end was because the middle of the road model, to get a screen larger than 12 inches, would have been more than the basic unit of the top model. Who would have figured??

 

[Mr. Silly]

The nearest Apple store is 3 hours away, but I think it would be worth the drive since I have actually never used or even seen an Apple notebook computer.

It might be a good idea to get out there if you get a chance so you can spend at least a little time with one. You really don't want to buy a Mac sight unseen if you haven't worked with one before. I think most people would like Macs a lot, but it is going to depend on personal preferences, so you want to see it at least for a bit. If there are any CompUSAs near you, they have Apple store-within-a-stores, so you can see stuff there. They don't maintain them so well these days, since Apple has started their own stores which directly compete with them.

It sounds like the best long term solution is to buy the newest model.

Newer always is better. Honestly, if you can hold on for a while, you might want to. From your coments on screen size, it sounds like you want a portable. The Intel iBooks should become available before too long, and might be just what you are looking for. They will be plenty fast, and in the worst case, you could actually install Windows XP on it (gag) - it's difficult to do but it is possible.

I don't get many things I need to open but sometimes committee members of various things might send me a word file or one they typed on Microsoft works. These are kind of things I wondered if I'd be able to read. Nothing huge or complicated. I don't use Excel currently.

The reason my choices were the lowest end or the higher end was because the middle of the road model, to get a screen larger than 12 inches, would have been more than the basic unit of the top model. Who would have figured??

You might want to see what the 12 inch screen/system is like. It really will depend on your eyes in part. Three years ago I switched from a 14 inch PowerBook to a 12 inch PowerBook as my main production system for work and as a home system, and I always liked it. The smaller size makes it easier to carry around to meetings/carry around the house, and I was able to use a nice small computer bag that was easier to carry around. I got a 15 inch PowerBook this year, and while the bigger screen does have its pluses (it's easier to stack up windows for various apps side by side), it is a lot heavier, and my computer bag seems huge now. My wife HaleyB had a 12 inch iBook since 2000 and got a 12 inch PowerBook this year, and she's always liked it.

 

[dcentity2000]

The reason my choices were the lowest end or the higher end was because the middle of the road model, to get a screen larger than 12 inches, would have been more than the basic unit of the top model. Who would have figured??

Honestly, I cannot emphasise it enough, DO NOT BUY A PPC MAC. PPC is a reference to the processor type (Power PC) and is now being discontinued in favour of the Dual Core Intel chips.

The high end laptops, the low end desktops and the mid range desktops have all been switched over to Intel in the past few months.

Intel based iBooks will follow in a few months at most.

Honestly, you'd better wait for them. According to Apple ( ) the new Intel based MacBook is four times more powerful than it's predecessor - it could very well have as big an impact on the iBooks.

To confound the issue still further, Apple is pressing ahead with Intel development and toning down PPC development. In the coming years, PPC will be dropped entirely and then you will be forced to upgrade anyway in order to enjoy future software titles and security fixes.

Do NOT buy the PPC Macs.



Rich::

 

[my3kids]

Thanks everyone! I think I will have to go to a store next weekend to inspect and decide if I want an Apple. I think I do, but if I can't figure out how to work it then no matter how powerful....it won't do anything. Can a PC user really figure out how to work a MAC?

 

[dcentity2000]

Can a PC user really figure out how to work a MAC?

With considerable ease, yeah.



Rich::