"Out of curiosity" question

Andr3w

Andr3w

Andr3w

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Joined
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Hey im just asking this out of my own curiosity.

Apple macs/imac/pro etc what are there main use's over a normal desktop PC with windows installed for example. As you can tell i have never really used one and was wondering are they better at doing certain things or is it just ease of use that people like them? What are they like for gaming?

:)
 
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Ive started typing the reasons i like/use Mac a few times in this post... and everytime read it back and what ive said could easily been achieved on a Windows platform, im sure...

So for me, its not 1 thing which makes Macs my preference, its the whole package... everything seems to work intuitively, all the apps seem to integrate very well with each other, allowing things to be dragged and dropped between them rather than having to Save in one program and Open in the next...

Aperture is one app that Windows hasnt got, I know Lightroom is a similar tool, but i prefer Aperture, ive bought them both.

Stability is another factor, this is probably mainly due to having very little hardware variance across the range so its easier for Apple to create the OS... Personally I found Windows to be very hit and miss, you can have a perfect setup which never crashes and a flaky setup, and its not usually easy to find the weak link. Whereas with Apple you buy a package which "just works"

In my 2years of mac ownership ive had 3 crashes I can recall... each and everyone was caused by me trying to run something within Parallels or Crossover, which is for want of a better word is "emulating" windows... maybe too well if it also emulates the crashes.
 
TheMagicPirate said:
"The fastest Vista Laptop, tested by PCWorld Magazine, was a MacBook"

-According to a Mac Ad.
Click to expand...

Aye, it was.

I posted the link to the benchmarks in another post around here somewhere :)

I'm with Darryn.. my mindset is that I could achieve everything that I want to on a Windows PC, but the process isn't as muddled, and I have no conscious desire to want to use Windows, but that's because I never feel that OS X is my limitation. This is where a lot of switchers seem to miss the point, initially.

Once you go past the shock of migrating to a whole new OS, and adjust to a workflow you start to "Get" the Mac platform. Everything you want to do is usually a few clicks away, you don't have to mess with drivers and the best part is that you don't even notice the simplicity until you go back to using a machine that DOESN'T do those things automatically.

It's like having a really fast kit car (Windows) that you've built in your garage.. it runs like greased lightning, but mess 1 little thing up and all the hard work starts to come undone. Whereas, you get a production roadster from the expensive dealership (Apple), it runs just as well as the kit car, but you don't have as much control of the innards as it's a production model (naturally).. you never feel you need to tweak with the thing because you knew what you were buying (ok, so you can swap out HDDs and RAM, but that's like changing the Oil :p) and because you aren't always pushing for the extra performance you get on with actually driving it, and have more fun doing so.
 
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I recently got this really irritating little itch in the back of mind that kept urging me to buy a Mac, purely because I've never, EVER used one before. In fact, I used to have a pretty solid "Windows Only" stance ;)

This morning, I unpacked my brand new and very shiny MacBook Pro and all I can say is, I'm in love. It's very refreshing to get another company's idea on what an operating system should be.

So, a list of things I've found during my first few hours of Mac experience:

* You turn it on and it just goes - no fiddling or faffing around
* The quality of the hardware itself is superb - not just in build, but also in aesthetics (google Don Norman - emotional design, attractive products really do work better ;) )
* The OS is just plain brilliant from a usability perspective - I could sit my own mother down and she could use this, and she's never used a PC before in her life.
* Intel CPU - I've already got it dual booting with Windows Vista Ultimate (for games) using Boot Camp and the process was seamless
* The display - probably the best I've used on a notebook (I chose the matte version for less reflections)

I think for a first-time Mac user, the ability to install Windows via Boot Camp was the thing that really gave me the confidence to purchase a Mac. However, I didn't buy it with the intention of using Windows as the primary OS, merely to have it there for the occasional game and also as a safety net, I wanted to find out why Mac owners rave about Macs ;)

I think I'm starting to see why :)
 
kkbigal said:
I recently got this really irritating little itch in the back of mind that kept urging me to buy a Mac, purely because I've never, EVER used one before. In fact, I used to have a pretty solid "Windows Only" stance ;)
Click to expand...

That was my main reason for asking, never used one, never read about one,but, i want one :rolleyes:
 
The only thing I'd say to possibly warn you off it is the price, but if you can afford it, then I'd say it's definitely an itch worth scratching :D

Even if you decide to sell it, MacBook Pro's hold their price going second hand from what I've seen ;)

I went with a notebook because it's much more useful to me for work and uni than buying an iMac.
 
One thing I've found is that macs are not very customisable. If you want the usability then you really need to adjust to how they work.

I presume you are using Windows now, so the interface is NOT going to feel intuitive when you switch over, it'll just be different(possibly annoying).
 
Concorde Rules said:
Except with the no buggering around with drivers, AV, etc...
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OP asked about main "uses", and for the average user email, web, chat, looking at pics from that new digital camera they got for christmas last year, the experience is basically the same.

Most people wouldn't update drivers on a regular basis, and if the PC they have from the purple shirts has an AV package, it's something else that they wouldn't have to think about.

But, this is a forum choc full of computer-literate people, so they like to update drivers, they like to fiddle, tho sometimes they forget that most people aren't...

That said, if my parents were going to get a computer, I'd make sure they get a Mac :D

(Oh, and I'm not a Windows fanboy - I've been using Macs since 1986, own two Apple laptops and four ipods. But I also have a water-cooled, overclocked, SLI'd, XP and Vista dual-boot PC, and have used just about every flavour of Windows since Win98.)
 
[Robster];11753066 said:
(Oh, and I'm not a Windows fanboy - I've been using Macs since 1986, own two Apple laptops and four ipods. But I also have a water-cooled, overclocked, SLI'd, XP and Vista dual-boot PC, and have used just about every flavour of Windows since Win98.)
Click to expand...

Check out your e-penis!

:p:D
 
sid said:
I presume you are using Windows now, so the interface is NOT going to feel intuitive when you switch over, it'll just be different(possibly annoying).
Click to expand...

Actually, I wouldn't say that's necessarily true. I'd never used a Mac until yesterday and I've found the interface very intuitive (insomuch as I've managed to install Firefox 3 and navigate to OCUK at least :D )
 
The main reason i am interested is that, i hear good things about mac, and im moving on tuesday and where im moving i will have p[retty much nooo room for a desktop sized pc + monitor etc etc and macs do look small and pack the punch, however as commented above they are not very good for gaming, however i haer you can dual boot them with windows? How does windows perform in this way, is it easy to do?


edit: im sorry if there are spelling mistakes, its bank holiday sunday, im at home, f1 is on, and plently of becks to be drunk :)

edit2: i can get

* 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 2GB memory
* 500GB hard drive1
* 8x double-layer SuperDrive
* NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB

imac for
£1,305.43 :)
 
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[Robster];11753066 said:
But, this is a forum choc full of computer-literate people, so they like to update drivers, they like to fiddle, tho sometimes they forget that most people aren't...
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Yes, so do I hence why I have a custom PC.

But I also need something that works every time I turn it on... thats why you get a mac.

Major system bending issues from OS X in the last 5 years?
Nothing, only ever reinstalled is when a new version came out.

Reinstalls of XP over the last few years because of errors/what not?
At-least double figures, hell most recent was SP3!

So yea PC = messing around, mac = it works.. or atleast it has done for me!
:)
 
Andr3w said:
however as commented above they are not very good for gaming, however i haer you can dual boot them with windows? How does windows perform in this way, is it easy to do?
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It's a piece of cake.

All you do is the following:

1) Run the Boot Camp application inside OS X
2) Specify how much of your HDD you want to use for your Windows partition
3) Insert your Windows XP or Vista 32bit installation CD/DVD when the computer restarts
4) Windows installs without a hitch ;)
5) When you're at your Windows desktop, insert your Mac OS X install disc - it automatically tries to run the set up for Boot Camp on Windows. This will install the necessary drivers to make all the Mac hardware run on Windows.
6) When you power up your Mac from now on, hold down the option key and you get the choice to boot into OS X or Windows.

And that really is all there is to it. I installed Vista Ultimate 32bit and it was easy and without problems :) I've also installed Vista SP1 as well and Windows update and everything is up to date.

As performance, it'll run at 100% speed because it's actually running Windows and not doing it via emulation or virtualisation, like VMWare or Virtual PC :)
 
kkbigal said:
Actually, I wouldn't say that's necessarily true. I'd never used a Mac until yesterday and I've found the interface very intuitive (insomuch as I've managed to install Firefox 3 and navigate to OCUK at least :D )
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Shoulda tried Safari first, tisk tisk :p

I also disagree with "Macs aren't customisable" comment.. I can have any hard drive (total of 5), add my own RAM (which is now maxed), put in a new gfx card (so long as I flash it, or use it in Windows) or install up to 4 gfx cards if I want, add a RAID card, and muck around with the cooling / cut up my case to add L33T LEDs if I so choose. It just costs a lot more than the other Macs, and I wouldn't.. so it could be done, but no one in their right mind would!
 
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kkbigal said:
It's a piece of cake.

All you do is the following:

1) Run the Boot Camp application inside OS X
2) Specify how much of your HDD you want to use for your Windows partition
3) Insert your Windows XP or Vista 32bit installation CD/DVD when the computer restarts
4) Windows installs without a hitch ;)
5) When you're at your Windows desktop, insert your Mac OS X install disc - it automatically tries to run the set up for Boot Camp on Windows. This will install the necessary drivers to make all the Mac hardware run on Windows.
6) When you power up your Mac from now on, hold down the option key and you get the choice to boot into OS X or Windows.

And that really is all there is to it. I installed Vista Ultimate 32bit and it was easy and without problems :) I've also installed Vista SP1 as well and Windows update and everything is up to date.

As performance, it'll run at 100% speed because it's actually running Windows and not doing it via emulation or virtualisation, like VMWare or Virtual PC :)
Click to expand...


Whats it like using windows with a one click mouse ?
 
EVH said:
I also disagree with "Macs aren't customisable" comment.. I can have any hard drive (total of 5), add my own RAM (which is now maxed), put in a new gfx card (so long as I flash it, or use it in Windows) or install up to 4 gfx cards if I want, add a RAID card, and muck around with the cooling / cut up my case to add L33T LEDs if I so choose. It just costs a lot more than the other Macs, and I wouldn't.. so it could be done, but no one in their right mind would!
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Mac Pro... pff~

It's all about the laptops! :p
I've got this nagging regret at the back of my head since I switched back to Windows after over a year use of OS X - it is that brilliant in terms of intuitive and how theo whole package just works together. Many windows user seem to have forgotten this aspect when they touch a mac - most who complain about it just sees it as

a) more expensive than a PC (even thought Macs come entirely as a package of Software and hardware like webcam, screen e.t.c.)
b) snobbish
c) professionals only

I wish I've got enough money for a MacBook Pro soon...

Andr3w said:
Whats it like using windows with a one click mouse ?
Click to expand...

Bootcamp drivers will allow you to use the multi-touch / secondary buttons like on OS X - OS X has secondary buttons too! (The Mighty Mouse have 4 buttons too) - usually control click = secondary button or 2 finger tap on the touch.
 
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