A move from Windows to Macintosh

GoldenGlory

GoldenGlory

GoldenGlory

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17 Jul 2006
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So, i've come home for summer from uni, and realised how much I dislike my PC.
Not only due to viruses/spyware, Microsoft etc, but because as a tool, my needs for a computer have changed from gaming and a bit of work, to just work.

I've had a look at the new MacBook Pro and I'm convinced that it is what I want. The MacBook is simply too small in screen size (13"! I need it bigger than that) and I prefer the more professional look of the pro version.

It would be great to hear a few stories of people who have done the "switch".
I'm also interested to know when the best time to buy such a laptop is, in terms of product lifecycle. A friend of mine bought a PowerBook G4, and 2 weeks later Apple announced the new range.
Shall I buy the laptop now, or wait till september/october?

Thanks all,

- GoldenGlory
 
I've made the "switch" in some regards. I really use three operating systems quite frequently. I find that OS X is stable and reliable. Even if you feed it dodgy code (as I sometimes do) it's tough to take down the whole OS. Check out a few of the Mac Apps threads in this forum for an idea of what sort of software others find useful.

Since you're thinking of getting an Intel mac, I reccomend that you resist the urge to give up and boot XP. If you stick with it you can make the transition and fall in love, robot fever style.

(did you get the futurama reference? :p)
 
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I switched about 9 months ago, I bought a G4 ibook. To be honest I was not intending to switch fully. I was more in the market for a highly portable notebook, the ibook was quite competitively priced (in my part of the world anyway). So I took the plunge and have never looked back. I realised I switched when I noticed that I had not switched my PC on for 8 weeks.

I'm no power user, I use my computer for standard office applications, playing music and editing photos. I like OS X, the bundled iLife applications are good and build quality if high. I don't tend to get orgasmic over hardware, as long as it lets me do what I want without throwing obstacles in my path I'm happy. In that sense the mac is good.

As to when you should buy, thats always a toughy. Macbooks and Pro's are new releases, so it is unlikely that there will be a major revision in the coming months. As with PC's if you wait for the next big release, you'll never buy anything. I think it's fairly safe to pick either of these lappys now. The desktops have also recently been updated, so the same applies. Apple have just gone through a major step change, it's therefore unlikely that revsion B will be a major jump. They are more likely to just tinker with the current range. Never buy new hardware when it's first released, as early production models always have problems, apple is no exception. From what I can tell the heat issues of the Pros has been sorted. So you should be safe with any purchase now.

I think there is a Apple conference or something in August, if you'r very worried wait for this to pass. Any changes will most likely be announced then. The only other thing I can think of to delay a purchase is the release of Panther sometime next year. But then again would you want to be in the first batch of users for a new OS upgrade? Anyway, any purchase today could be upgraded to Panther once it's out and any buggs have been resolved.

The introduction of bootcamp also gives you a nice safety net. If an application comes along that you must have but is windows only, just put XP on too. From what I've read it's a fairlyelegant solution, which works well.

I've never heard of anyone moving over to macs andswitching back to PCs. That says it all really.
 
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peter_hutson said:
As to when you should buy, thats always a toughy. Macbooks and Pro's are new releases, so it is unlikely that there will be a major revision in the coming months. As with PC's if you wait for the next big release, you'll never buy anything. I think it's fairly safe to pick either of these lappys now. The desktops have also recently been updated, so the same applies. Apple have just gone through a major step change, it's therefore unlikely that revsion B will be a major jump. They are more likely to just tinker with the current range. Never buy new hardware when it's first released, as early production models always have problems, apple is no exception. From what I can tell the heat issues of the Pros has been sorted. So you should be safe with any purchase now.
Click to expand...

The pro is expecting an update pretty soon.. although chances are it's only going to be a few tweaks and new processors.
 
I got my first Mac about 18 months ago (iMac G5 20" :cool: ) at home and after the initial shock of changing and learning how to do things the Mac way, I haven't looked back. I use mine for music, photos, games, web browsing and it does them all seamlessly without a single problem. The only time it has been restarted in that time is when an update has required it.

Lately, I have also been using it for professional uses such as 3D frame analysis, structural engineering calculations with spreadsheets and CAD. Again, it has performed magnificently. For work I have been using Windows less and less and just prefer the Mac platform now. In fact, I feel dirty when using Winblows. :p

I am in the process of changing my office over to Mac totally. The multi tasking capabilities are far superior to Windows and the integration of the different applications is unsurpassed. It just all seems to work so well and without the issue of virus or spyware problems.

I can guarantee that if you do get the MacBook Pro you will noty regret it one bit; my iMac is without doubt the best computer I have ever owned. Once you've had Mac, you don't go back. :)
 
peter_hutson said:
I switched about 9 months ago, I bought a G4 ibook. To be honest I was not intending to switch fully. I was more in the market for a highly portable notebook, the ibook was quite competitively priced (in my part of the world anyway). So I took the plunge and have never looked back. I realised I switched when I noticed that I had not switched my PC on for 8 weeks.

I'm no power user, I use my computer for standard office applications, playing music and editing photos. I like OS X, the bundled iLife applications are good and build quality if high. I don't tend to get orgasmic over hardware, as long as it lets me do what I want without throwing obstacles in my path I'm happy. In that sense the mac is good.

As to when you should buy, thats always a toughy. Macbooks and Pro's are new releases, so it is unlikely that there will be a major revision in the coming months. As with PC's if you wait for the next big release, you'll never buy anything. I think it's fairly safe to pick either of these lappys now. The desktops have also recently been updated, so the same applies. Apple have just gone through a major step change, it's therefore unlikely that revsion B will be a major jump. They are more likely to just tinker with the current range. Never buy new hardware when it's first released, as early production models always have problems, apple is no exception. From what I can tell the heat issues of the Pros has been sorted. So you should be safe with any purchase now.

I think there is a Apple conference or something in August, if you'r very worried wait for this to pass. Any changes will most likely be announced then. The only other thing I can think of to delay a purchase is the release of Panther sometime next year. But then again would you want to be in the first batch of users for a new OS upgrade? Anyway, any purchase today could be upgraded to Panther once it's out and any buggs have been resolved.

The introduction of bootcamp also gives you a nice safety net. If an application comes along that you must have but is windows only, just put XP on too. From what I've read it's a fairlyelegant solution, which works well.

I've never heard of anyone moving over to macs andswitching back to PCs. That says it all really.
Click to expand...

I agree on the most part, I think that 7th of August and the WWDC will be when Apple announces any new revisions to the MacBook Pro, as someone has already said the revisions will be new processors, I personally think the Pro line with get Core 2 Duo (conroe) chips and the smaller MacBooks will keep the Core Duo's. So wait till WWDC and then decide which to go for.

As for switching I think you would have no problems with OS X, infact I think you will love it as most people do as long as you understand its different to Windows. The thing I dont like is people switching then wanting everything to be like Windows, get used to the OS X way and you will get on a lot better.

As for the quote above, dont you mean Leopard not Panther? The next OS 10.5 is codenamed Leopard and will probably be released towards the end of 2006 or early 2007. Also keep your eye out at WWDC in August as Steve Jobs should be previewing that in his keynote speech.
 
AJUK said:
Lately, I have also been using it for professional uses such as 3D frame analysis, structural engineering calculations with spreadsheets and CAD.
Click to expand...

I'd be really interested to know which programs etc,. you've been using.

Cheers.
 
Founder_film said:
As for the quote above, dont you mean Leopard not Panther? The next OS 10.5 is codenamed Leopard and will probably be released towards the end of 2006 or early 2007. Also keep your eye out at WWDC in August as Steve Jobs should be previewing that in his keynote speech.
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Dooohhhh, yep I ment Leopard. That would be an amazing marketing success if Apple managed to get people to buy an OS that was replaced a few years ago!
 
I switched from Windows to OS X a few years ago, and don't regret it one bit.

Unless you use very high end, specialised apps on Windows, there's usually an equivalent for OS X. I certainly haven't found anything that I miss.

When you get used to it, OS X is a better way to work. Expose is fantastic, for example.

I've just got my parents to switch, and for them it's ideal. It's simple to use, and they're already enjoying the iApps.
 
punky_munky said:
Pretty handy if you're worried about obsoletion - http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/
Click to expand...
I have always taken that guide with a pinch of salt. For instance, how on earth can a MacBook Pro be classed as 'Buy only if you need it - Approaching the end of a cycle' It is only a few months old.

The one good thing about Macs is that they can be a perfectly reasonable computer for years, eventhe newer OS X versions run on very modest hardware, unlike a certain up and coming OS I could mention. ;)

AS with all computers, if you want to buy a new one, get the best you can afford at the time and then thrash it for as long as possible. :)
 
AJUK said:
I have always taken that guide with a pinch of salt. For instance, how on earth can a MacBook Pro be classed as 'Buy only if you need it - Approaching the end of a cycle' It is only a few months old.

The one good thing about Macs is that they can be a perfectly reasonable computer for years, eventhe newer OS X versions run on very modest hardware, unlike a certain up and coming OS I could mention. ;)

AS with all computers, if you want to buy a new one, get the best you can afford at the time and then thrash it for as long as possible. :)
Click to expand...

Good advice there. I think by end of cycle they mean it is due for a bump rather than a total replacement.
 
Hey,

Thanks so much for the replies you wonderful people :cool:

I think I will wait till the Apple Conference, and see the timeline for any new product releases. I believe I can get some kind of student discount (which is nice), does anyone know how much this will be for a University student like myself?

I will mainly be using the laptop for development work (java/php/sql), word processing, graphics so it should be perfect. Some applications I use may not be mac compatible, so that's where BootCamp comes in. I'm also interested to know if Vista works with a MBP?

I am looking at purchasing 2GB of ram, is this too much?
It's soooo so tempting to get it now, but if I wait a bit I won't be dissapointed if a new revision arrives! I've also got the sell my current PC bits on ebay.

Thanks again,

- GoldenGlory
 
GoldenGlory said:
Hey,

Thanks so much for the replies you wonderful people :cool:

I think I will wait till the Apple Conference, and see the timeline for any new product releases. I believe I can get some kind of student discount (which is nice), does anyone know how much this will be for a University student like myself?
Click to expand...
It is usually 15% cheaper or the way I look at it just look at the price without the VAT added.

I will mainly be using the laptop for development work (java/php/sql), word processing, graphics so it should be perfect. Some applications I use may not be mac compatible, so that's where BootCamp comes in. I'm also interested to know if Vista works with a MBP?
Click to expand...
I believe Vista will run because of the graphics card, but no one really knows 100% afaik - you could try a Vista beta through BootCamp :cool:

I am looking at purchasing 2GB of ram, is this too much?
It's soooo so tempting to get it now, but if I wait a bit I won't be dissapointed if a new revision arrives! I've also got the sell my current PC bits on ebay.
Click to expand...
The more RAM the better, it depends if you need it vs your budget. I would recommend everyone get 1Gb or higher, but personally I have always bought 2GB because then there's no worries of running dry when working in intense applications. One thing I would say, if Apple shoehorn the new conroe in to the iMac and the MacBook Pro then do you really want one of the first models, or would you be happy waiting.. it may not be an issue, but some people are a bit concerned about the Rev A Macs (especially with a new CPU, although I guess it's the same socket so who knows! lol)
 
GoldenGlory said:
Hey,

Thanks so much for the replies you wonderful people :cool:

I think I will wait till the Apple Conference, and see the timeline for any new product releases. I believe I can get some kind of student discount (which is nice), does anyone know how much this will be for a University student like myself?

I will mainly be using the laptop for development work (java/php/sql), word processing, graphics so it should be perfect. Some applications I use may not be mac compatible, so that's where BootCamp comes in. I'm also interested to know if Vista works with a MBP?

I am looking at purchasing 2GB of ram, is this too much?
It's soooo so tempting to get it now, but if I wait a bit I won't be dissapointed if a new revision arrives! I've also got the sell my current PC bits on ebay.

Thanks again,

- GoldenGlory
Click to expand...

Definately get as much RAM as you can afford.. although if you want 2Gig I wouldn't advise getting it from Apple as they are very expensive. As for the Windows apps that you need, unless they're very graphically intensive I'd recommend Parallels over BootCamp. It's not free, but it runs very nicely with 2Gig, and you can have it full screen on a separate virtual desktop and switch back and forth between the two as and when you need to.
 
Just a word of caution.
I dont know if its changed on the x86 Macs, but, and this sounds daft, the pointer moves 'differently' in OSX than it does in XP or Linux.
I dont know what it is, but it annoyed me when i used OSX.
:)
 
BoomAM said:
Just a word of caution.
I dont know if its changed on the x86 Macs, but, and this sounds daft, the pointer moves 'differently' in OSX than it does in XP or Linux.
I dont know what it is, but it annoyed me when i used OSX.
:)
Click to expand...
That's cursor acceleration. You can disable it but heck if I can remember exactly how.
 
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