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Author Topic: Will Owning A Mac Set Me Free?  (Read 14440 times)

Offline JP

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Will Owning A Mac Set Me Free?
« on: May 30, 2009, 12:43:44 am »
 I've had it up to my eyelids with microsoft and have been yearning for a mac but what sort of worms will that bring?

What's the learning curve like? Will I have to learn all kinds of new stuff to operate a mac or are they pretty user friendly?

Will I regret making the switch? Yada, yada, yada.

All feedback much appreciated!


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Offline buzzbee

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2009, 07:21:19 am »
What all are ya gonna do with your mac?
 Out off the box they are much better graphicas machines than windows.
There are lesss bugs written to infect macs with.
If mostly web surfing,there will not be a big difference.
I think Macs use better quality hardware from the start than PC therefore less broken down time.
that is where the initial cost difference comes in.
 They don't run to the bottom of the barrel to have the cheapest computer on the market.
If the operating system is 10.4 or above it will run ventrilo!!
  Be sure that most of the programs you like to use are aavilable for your mac.
 I had a lot of old macs that went beyond their useful life because of processor power and memory limitations but they still worked fine.

Offline eri

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2009, 08:47:19 am »
I agree with everything buzzbee said. And if you buy a new Mac, Apple has a first year support package for about $99 that covers transferring data from your PC to the Mac, free classes at your local Apple Store, and free individual instruction sessions. Yes, there is a learning curve, but it is not steep, and once you understand the interface, the menus and options are almost always in the same place and have the same functionality throughout the software. The Apple web site (and some others) offer free online tutorials.

Macs come with Apple pre-loaded software that will do everything most average users need and not a lot of free trial and other junk software. You can run anti-virus and anti-spyware/malware programs if you want but most Mac owners don't. You won't be barraged with ads to 'fix' your PC. You won't have to download a gazillion security updates. You can skip the pain of learning Vista. If you add an external hard drive the Mac will automagically back up all your data as you work. Like with all computers, there are lemons, but Mac lemons are rare.

The downside is that you may get razzed about having a 'toy' machine and if you need help there likely won't be a Mac user living next door. If you use any custom or specialized software (like for your business), check to see if a Mac version is available. If you're a gamer, your choices will be limited. Firefox and Picasa are available for Macs, but if I recall, iPhoto has an option to upload directly to Picasaweb.

Visit www.apple.com and take a look at the products and demos. Then go to your nearest Apple Store and play. You can also buy at Best Buy but they have a very limited selection. Don't let Apple talk you into buying all Apple peripherals; most that work on Windows will work on Macs as well and are less expensive.

Have fun!

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Offline JP

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2009, 10:06:51 am »
The Mac would be my own personal computer, nothing business related. I would simply like to surf, create my picture folders and of course ventrillo.

Right now I can't blow up or even view most image shack pictures cause microsoft boots me off with some stupid error message.

And the virus thing, currently have a few programs and a computer tech company that backs up our info, external hard drives, etc...

My computer is always busy either protecting against viruses or backing up info. I'm surprised it even has time for me to do what I do on it.

Thanks for the info, its been very helpful, perhaps the switch will be easier than I thought.


...JP
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Offline buzzbee

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2009, 10:17:34 am »
The mac has been user friendly from the get go. Try one,I'm sure you'll like it.
 I believe Apple was first to use the graphic interface with point and click(that is where it got called a toy) but low and behold windows was created on top of DOS to give microsoft a graphic interface.
Microsoft just did a better marketing job in the early years and established  a working relationship with IBM to put all these systems out with a microsoft system.
 

Offline MustbeeNuts

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2009, 10:42:55 am »
Jp, find someone that has a mac, try it out first. I am bias since I work for a PC company. But I tried Mac, I didn't care for it. I found that there was a shortage of drivers for the printers, the video cards, stuff like that. Pages on the Web don't look the same either. Something to do about Flash and Java. And the programs I wanted didn't work with Mac. They now have more programs, but still some programs aren't compatable.  Mac and PC users usually don't agree much. And I'm a PC


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Offline buzzbee

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2009, 12:26:31 pm »
No bias here,
Sadly i've been on a windows machine of late,but macs never sent me troubles that these pc'shave in short time.I'm not a heavy app user but i think there is an open office to work on Macs.I just couldn't let the money go for a new mac,and my experience with the older one was i didn't need to upgrade my drivers all that much. The plug and play was already there for everything i was using.
 Windows early version of plug and play was plug and pray in the experiences I had until xp came out.
As far as graphics,unless you buy a computer with a good graphics card,the mac comes with a better out of box card than most windows machines.
But we are back to opinions,just like the best way to treat for varroa :-D
 The best way is to try one ,go to a store that sells both and talk to someone that knows both machines.

Offline eri

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2009, 12:27:54 pm »
>Pages on the Web don't look the same either.

That statement would be more accurate if expanded to "pages on the Web don't look the same if you use any browser other than Internet Explorer (Microsoft) where the website developer has not followed WWW Consortium HTML standards."

I mostly use Windows, and prefer the Firefox browser, but I keep IE around for those few sites that stubbornly (or ignorantly) insist on using only Microsoft proprietary development tools. Microsoft entered the Internet universe late in the game, kicking and screaming and imposing its own proprietary "tweaks" to the already developed open source solutions. Apple, though guilty of some other early restrictive proprietary demands, was in from the beginning.

Enough of the rant; I could go on :-) Basically, don't worry about the few websites that may not display "properly." If you absolutely HAVE TO visit them, alternate browsers to Safari (Apple) are freely available -- Opera, IE, Firefox -- likely one of those will work. Personally, Image Shack is not my favorite, but I have not tried it with a Mac, so I can't say for sure what the compatibility is.

About the printers -- if you have a printer over, say, 6 years old, the manufacturer may not have written drivers for the newer Mac operating systems. The major manufacturers of personal use printers all supply Mac drivers for their new printers. Offbrand manufacturers, particularly of those business targeted multifunctional networked copier-printers may not (OCE is one).

Mac and Windows users often defend their choices with religious fervor. The real renegades are the Linux users, who eschew both Apple and Microsoft. Remember "PC" stands only for "Personal Computer." Macs are personal computers, too.

P.S. -- the first windowed (point and click) operating system was developed by Xerox PARC (research division). Jobs and Wozniak saw a demo and were told Xerox wasn't planning to market it, so Apple was first to the plate and marketed primarily to education, not business. Again, Microsoft was late in the game :-)
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Offline annette

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2009, 12:58:37 pm »
Well this is just about where I am at the moment.  My husband and I are so, so sick of the Pc already.  We went through hell after getting a trojan horse that cost my husband about 1 week of not doing any work and we lost lots of stuff.  Believe it or not, that virus is still in the back up system.  It is locked up, but still there.

I have wanted a Mac for years now, but my computer guy, who I adore, does not work on Mac's and this has been the deciding factor for us. But nearly every week I get a message that some virus or other has been caught by the system.

I believe the next computer, desktop or laptop will be an apple.  My 23 yr old niece just got a new Apple laptop and had some trouble I believe at first setting it up, but now says everything is easy.  I am sure there has to be a learning curve.

Let me know how you like it JP if you decide to go this route.

Offline MustbeeNuts

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2009, 01:29:57 pm »
I have to work on both, its just my personal preference to work on a Windows based system. That and almost all my training is MS. among others, I support two advanced educational faucilties and they use both systems. Mac in there graphics departments, windows most everywere else.
Once the Mac has a larger share of the market, the virus folks will turn there attention to them. And they have open souce. Even better for the trojan makers. You have to remember there is no glory in taking down 100 machines, when you can take down millions. :)
I also agree that Mac was first to play, however. Simple marketing doesn't keep millions of users loyal to MS.

And it really doesn't matter when you start a race, as long as you WIN.IT :)


 Mac Article

Apple will recommend security software
Jon Oltsik specializes in analysis and predictions. He writes:

Within the next 18 months, Apple will begin recommending that Macintosh users install Internet security software on all systems. I realize that this statement is blasphemy to dedicated Mac users, so let me start with a few qualifying statements. I am not comparing Mac OS with Windows, or Apple with Microsoft, and my prediction should not be interpreted as an attack on Apple, its developers, or the security of its code.
He further postulates that Mac attacks will increase precipitously over the next year, citing a few reasons why
* Macs users are a lucrative target.
* Organized cybercrime is diversifying.
* Macs are growing in the enterprise.
* Macs are fairly easy to hack.
Each new day brings decisions,  these are  new branches on the tree of life.

Offline JP

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2009, 02:36:48 pm »
Al, having had virus issues and even a computer having to be completely rebuilt from corruption issues, I would most likely run some kind of virus protection, even with a mac.

The question would be, can macs get viruses? So it seems the answer is yes and beware of eminent future out breaks, as the info you cited warns against.

I have a close friend with a mac I'll be talking to soon.

I'm not ready to fly the coop just yet, still getting my roosters in a row, but my mouth is indeed watering at the notion of owning a mac.

Ken, Al and Eri, thank you for the info, I appreciate your feedback.

Annette, I'll let you know what I decide and the progress.

Currently I'm running xp, heard vista's for the birds.


...JP
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Offline buzzbee

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2009, 02:46:45 pm »
Lets see what the free market thinks:
http://www.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:MSFT
http://www.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:AAPL

may be an indicator of the future of these companies,but who knows!!

Offline Bill W.

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #12 on: May 30, 2009, 03:40:15 pm »
Also keep in mind that you can easily run both MacOS and Windows at the same time on a Mac with a product like VMWare.  I just start up Windows in a window whenever I really need to run a program that is not available for MacOS.

Offline JP

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #13 on: May 30, 2009, 03:43:20 pm »
Thanks Bill, absorbing all info on this subject.


...JP
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Offline Robo

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #14 on: May 30, 2009, 07:58:03 pm »
Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?

No, but Linux will :-D

Mac and Free just don't fit together......
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline Ernest T. Bass

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #15 on: May 31, 2009, 12:23:29 am »
We've been Mac people since their second personal computer was released, and we love 'em. We use three macs every day and only have to reboot _maybe_ once a week because of goofy behavior. Perhaps a business user isn't easily impressed by the straightforward interface and stable system, but I don't think you can go wrong if you're just a casual user..

Also, if you want to do some ebaying you can find 1.25 GHz machines for around $100... We haven't bought new computers since our graphics design business folded.
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Offline Koala John

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #16 on: June 20, 2009, 08:54:02 pm »
JP I think that moving to Mac would be very selfish of you. Think of all those people who make a living from fixing PC's (I'm one of them)!

Seriously, most Mac people do not have any problems with viruses, spyware and malware, though they still have the same issues with spam. That's not to say Macs are immune, there are some nasty bits of software out there causing problems, but it's extremely rare.

As most of the other people have said, Macs have a high level of user satisfaction, they are reliable and easy to use, and they are comparatively expensive. I spend a lot of time in front of a computer, so for me, the extra money is money well spent. I use both Macs and PC's at work, but at home, MACS RULE!!

Offline fermentedhiker

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #17 on: June 20, 2009, 11:22:04 pm »
JP, I've used both and have hated both at different times.  I currently have a nearly ancient PC desktop struggling to run xp and a Macbook pro running MacOS and XP using Parallels desktop.  It's pretty cool to be able to drag and drop a file from the mac desktop to the windows one.  They both have their strong and weak points.  As has been stated earlier the primary reason Macs are not subject to as many virus problems is penetration of the market.  If a hacker plants a virus at some website for a Mac it'll be mostly wasted on Windows machines and won't have a high probability of encountering a Mac to infect.  As far as use is concerned I do find the Mac easier to use for most things.  When you go to do something it just happens without much setup required.  What I do find is that when something doesn't work it is a real pain to sort out.  My way of expressing it is the Apple makes hard things easy but tends to make simple things harder than they have to be.  I have to admit I've used pc's for decades and a mac for only the last two years, but it's no computing utopia.  I have found it much easier to troubleshoot networking issues with my PC's than with the mac. I agree with buzzbee that they tend to use higher grade hardware than you would see in your typical Dell or HP which partly explains the higher cost.  The drawback is they generally have lower processor clock speeds/less memory/smaller hardrives than a comparable PC would so they tend to be a bit slower in my experience.
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Offline JP

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #18 on: June 20, 2009, 11:26:34 pm »
Appreciate the feedback guys, haven't made a switch just yet.


...JP
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Offline doak

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Re: Will Owning a Mac Set Me Free?
« Reply #19 on: June 22, 2009, 12:33:42 am »
I have been using an E-Machine for about ten years. I only lost it all once, and never did find out what caused it. That was when I was using Internet Explorer. My son said there were holes in internet
Explorer that they had trouble patching over.
I am with the thought that no matter what brand it is, it depends on what you program it with.
I do not use Windows explorer. I have Mozilla Firefox &  I Google also.
Windows XP seems to be O.K.
My other package is Microsoft Works 7. and Adobe Reader 7.0
I had a lot of trouble on dial up.
Now that I have dish "dial up" I am cruising but I still get an error now and then.
Although I got the lowest package, I cannot do movies or short videos, which don't bother me none.
If I pull anything up that causes a lock up, I do not try to use that any more.
I don't have trouble posting pictures any more. And so on and on. :roll: :)doak

 

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