PC guy thinking of making the leap.... (1 Viewer)

[Eric_L]

My PC is giving me grief again. I've about had it. It is time for an upgrade, but this time I'm thinking of doing a total makeover...

I use the pc primarily for internet, one game, IGN: Command & Conquer Renegade , music, iPhone w outlook, and sometimes making a photo/movie slideshow. Not much more. It used to be a HTPC but with a DVR and blue ray there is not much point. The kids use MS word,e xcel and powerpoint for school.

I'm thinking of an apple, but not sure... Based on my needs will I miss a PC or will an apple blow me away? If it will blow me away - which one should I get?

(as an aside - I've been thinking of storing my media on a network hard drive - not sure how that will go with itunes and with an apple)

 

[Sam Posten]

You will be absolutely blown away. Get a copy of xp and make a bootcamp partition for any time you want to game!

 

[Christ Reynolds]

I concur. Make the switch. Seriously. Your Mac will run Windows if you need it, but you won't miss it. OS X is amazing.

I run Boot Camp for gaming, and that's it. You can get MS Office for Mac, but NeoOffice has most of the features of MS Office, and it's free. Front Row is a great display for your media.

Do you have a display you're tied to? If not, you might like the iMac. If you have a screen you want to keep, the Mac mini will drive up to a 24" (1920x1200) display. Gaming won't be the best with the Mac mini, but the iMac would do fine. You'll also love the software that an Apple comes with. None of the bloatware crap. Apple includes useful software, which is usually better than the stuff you pay lots of money for on the PC side.

Apple rocks. Get one.

CJ

 

[ErichH]

Vote 3 here - hey, you're asking Mac guys if you'll love a Mac.
What else would we say

 

[John Dirk]

While I won't be a voice of actual dissention, I will chime in to offer some parity. Both platforms have obvious advantages and disadvantages and you should understand this before making a decision.

Generally speaking, Macs are more reliabe than PC's, but this comes at a cost. Mac's are also extremely proprietary and expensive compared to PC's. You don't sound like a hobbyist, so this may not bother you, but be prepared to spend significantly more.

PC's also enjoy a much broader software and development base. This means that some programs will simply not be offered for the Mac, especially more obscure titles.

I'm not a Mac person, but I have worked with everything out there, including Macs. I know some Macs will run Windows, but an emulation will never work reliably compared to its native version. Again, I do not have first hand knowledge of this, so it is speculative.

Bottom line. Macs are well engineered products designed for people who want a hassle-free experience and are willing to pay for it in both price and potential software and support limitations. From what you have written, I wouldn't rule you out as a future happy Mac customer, but make sure you do your homework first.

John

 

[DaveF]

I switched last summer -- I was enjoy computers and realized I need a change of pace from Windows. I'm now persuaded that for the casual user, the home user, even the SOHO owner, a Mac can be a good choice.

My biggest caveat: if cost is the most important aspect of choosing a computer, Mac is not for you. Switching is certainly more expensive than buying a new PC. In general, Macs cost more than similar PCs. And there aren't low-end options; you can't buy a $400 Mac like you can with a PC. You will have to buy all new software as well. And if, like me, you have some software that you can't find a Mac replacement for initially, you may want to buy a copy of Windows (and maybe Parallels or Fusion) to run that software in Windows on your Mac. So, going Mac is not for the penny-pincher.

For your concerns:
The game you play is an older one and so long as it will play on a standard WinXP installation, it should work for you in BootCamp. I play Half Life 2 in BootCamp (no on Episode 1) with no problems.

But if you play a lot, you may get tired of having to reboot in and out of Windows to play the game. If it's an infrequent thing -- I play HL2 once a week or less -- it's a tolerable nuisance. You could also keep your old PC for C&C, reinstall Windows clean and only install the game.

You won't have Outlook on the Mac. If you use it for basic home email, Mail (on the Mac) is a nice program. If you use the full feature set of Outlook , with all of its filtering, calendaring, etc. you might want to take a look at the Mac's Mail, iCal, and Address Book to make sure they're sufficient. Ask here too about specific features.

You can get MS Office for the Mac. Unless you use VBA scripting, it should be fine for home use and your kids. But everyone will have to learn the new software.

If you don't need MS Office specifically, iWork is a solid suite for general use and is half the price of Office. Or, you can install your copy of Office via Parallels or Fusion, if you go that route.

You can copy all your MP3s over and iTunes will import them.

I do have my quibbles about the Mac -- nothing this complex is perfect. But I've thorougly enjoyed the switch for home use. No regrets at all.

 

[Thomas Newton]

There's nothing emulated about Windows XP running in a Boot Camp partition on an Intel-based Macintosh. At that point, you've got a Wintel box which simply happens to have EFI instead of BIOS. It has all the advantages (lots of games) and disadvantages (lots of viruses) of Windows.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

There is great advice posted here thus far.

However, I'm going to be the guy here that is going to ease
your mind about switching to a Mac.

If you go back a few pages in this forum (or do a search of my
username) you will find some very interesting posts from me
concerning my switch from a PC to a Mac a little over a year ago.

I'll try to recap as much as I can in this thread.

Essentially, I had been a devoted PC user for over 15 years. Like
most people, I was brainwashed into thinking that Mac was something
you just didn't buy. I think there are too many people that have this
preconceived notion that Macs are overpriced computers that are
difficult to use and don't offer as nearly a satisfying computing
experience as a PC.

Well, a year ago, after being miserable with a $4700 PC that
kept crashing and having blue screen problems, I posed the same
question you did to this very forum. It took months of arm-twisting
by HTF members here to get me to switch to a Mac.

I ended up gambling on a $2400 Mac Pro desktop. Within a month
I purchased a Macbook Pro laptop and an iPod. Five months later,
an iPhone. I have fallen so deeply in love with Apple and the
products they put out that I have become a huge advocate for them.

The Mac experience is so utterly superior to a PC. The ease of
installing and uninstalling software is remarkable. There is no
windows registry that wreaks havoc on how programs play with
each other. At present, no antivirus software is required. Out of
the box, the Macs come with first-rate software that will instantly
allow you to make your own professional quality DVDs, webpages,
and photos. Unlike PCs, Macs are designed for people who want
to dream and create.

You get a top-notch email program, address book and calendar
that all interact with each other. You also get built-in video (on
the laptops and iMacs) that offer quality video communication
from wherever you are.

Yes, Macs are much more expensive than a PC. However, you
get what you pay for. Instead of getting a PC with bloated trial
software and an undesirable Vista operating system, you get a
very reliable LEOPARD OS packed with goodies as described above.

Since buying my first Mac a year ago, I have turned quite
a few co-workers away from a PC to Mac and they all swear that
they will never go back. Once you fully migrate to Mac you will
never desire a PC again.

I need to comment on something stated in this thread about
running Windows on a Mac....

This is not just simple emulation. You can run windows on a
Mac as effectively as you can on a PC. When I need to run Windows,
I use PARALLELS which seamlessly combines the two OS and allows
for running Mac and PC programs side-by-side. It is the most
amazing piece of software you will ever use. I can transfer files
from Windows to Leopard just by dragging them across my screen.

The only thing that should stop you from considering the purchase
of a Mac is if you are a gamer. Macs tend not to be as gamer
friendly as a PC. However, for everything else, Macs hand-down
outperform the competition in ease-of-use and overall functionality.

PS: I don't use bootcamp but it would seem to me that you can run
any game you want on it. Bootcamp is included in the software.


Sir, you are reading all of this from a guy that was a power PC
user and thumbed his nose at the idea of going Mac. Now a year
later, I am the biggest Apple cheerleader on this forum.

To make things easy for you I have included a few links for you
to look at and ponder...

Click Here

Click Here

As far as what to buy? Have you gone to the Apple store and seen
the iMacs? Oh boy are you in for a treat! Do yourself a favor and go
look at them in person. I guarantee you'll walk out with one.

If considering a laptop, I'd go Macbook Pro since the prices are
pretty damn good now. MacMall (online) had them for just under
$1900 last week with 2GB ram standard.

Of course, the support you will receive in this forum will be
second to none. We really are an "elite" bunch of Mac snobs here.

Please keep us up-to-date on your plans.

 

[Eric_L]

Thanks everyone for the input. I appreciate your time.

The closest Apple Retail store is about 90 miles away. I won't be going there any time soon.

I use Outlook only for contact info and calendar info when I sync my iPhones.

I don't really 'need' MS Office so much as I need my kids to be able to do their schoolwork. They share files with friends and have made powerpoint presentations. If Apple can work with those same file types then its all good.

I have a PC laptop, a 2nd desktop PC and a network drive. Will these network with an Apple? Particularly the network drive?

I'm not likely to get a Pro, so I'm looking at the top end MacMini or a lower end iMac.

Dumb and lazy question - does either offer spdif out? My current soundcard does and that is how I play iTunes over my sound system.

 

[John Dirk]

Thanks Thomas. As I said, I am not up to speed on Macs. Question though. If it runs XP, how is it not just as vulnerable as any other XP machine?

John

 

[John Dirk]

Ron. I agree with everything you said. Even though I am still an admitted PC devotee, I cannot deny that the Mac offers a more satisfying experience for non-hobbyists who just want to get things done, and not spend time upgrading and tweaking. My main problem with the Mac [and Apple in general] is their extreme proprietary nature. I'm a DIY kind of guy and don't like being limited in that way.

Again, I wouldn't discourage anyone from purchasing a Mac [unless they wanted after sale support from me ] but I don't think any discussion of this subject is complete without mentioning the permanent tether to Apple that results from going this route.

John

 

[ErichH]

Yes - it's in the mini jack on current iMacs. Standard optical with door on Pros. Check here for the iMac - Apple - iMac - Tech Specs


BTW there are still a few white 24in iMacs in the chain for 1399-2.16 dual chip.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Eric,

Now that I see what you are budgeting for, if you are stuck
between the MINI or iMAC I would go with the latter. The iMac
is a piece of art. You can get a 20" 1GB ram for $1144 and less
than $100 more you can go 2GB which I highly recommend.

Click Here

And yes, I failed to mention that if you plan to run Windows
on a Mac you will need an antivirus.

 

[Eric_L]

Its really not so much a budget as an amount that I can risk on a venture that may dissappoint... I'm leaning to the mini because I already have a nice monitor, speakers, and wireless kbd/mouse. Considering that; what does the iMac have that could justify risking almost double on the experement?
looking at the pre-installed software options-is there a price advantage to getting them at purchase?
also, I see that they offer "combined optical digital audio output/headphone out(minijack)" WTF? Optical minijack?

 

[Christ Reynolds]

It IS just as vulnerable as any XP machine.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

It's got a screen, and a dedicated video card.

CJ

 

[DaveF]

You're off base here -- perhaps you've not used these new virtualization tools yet. My experience is that Parallels works quite reliably. My impression from reviews and online comments that Parallels and Fusion work reliably in general. They may not support the full range of accelerated 3D graphics for games and of course they're not as fast as Bootcamp. But they work, and they work well.

And to be picky, Parallels and Fusion are not emulators. They are virtualizers That may sound like semantic dodgery, but they are different things.

 

[DaveF]

Macs and PCs can share files on a network. That's how I transferred all my PC files to my new Mac.

Since your kids share MS Office files with classmates & teachers, MS Office on the Mac is probably the simplest choice.

Sounds like you'll be fine without Outlook -- you can use Mail, iCal, and Address Book.

The iMac is faster than the mini: faster CPU, faster and larger Hard Drive, faster video card. If these differences don't outweigh the cost increase, then go for the mini. You should make sure your game will run on the mini's video card, if you're going to do BootCamp for gaming.

 

[Sam Posten]

I know Ron loves his MBP but I am a huuuge power user and the Macbook runs everything I want including PC games just fine. you arent going to play Crysis on it but it works fine in 72 person everquest raids for example. It's light and soooo portable. I'd imagine the air is even more so, but way more expensive.

 

[Andrew Pratt]

How are apple laptops more propriety then any other brands laptops? You can use the exact same memory and hard drives as a Dell or Sony laptop and that's pretty much all anyone upgrades on a laptop. The iMac's use the same memory and hard drives as the laptops and the Pro towers offer drive, DVD Rom and video card upgrades just like tower PC's do. Sure you can't easily build your own computer from parts like you can with a PC but the vast majority of people don't do that either....and besides if you're up for a challenge check out the OSX86 project As for price the Mac Pro towers are actually cheaper then similarly speced out PC's from Dell and part for part the laptops and iMac's aren't badly priced either....in fact Dell's iMac knock off is priced higher then Apples.

I switched a year and half ago and I initially used XP both in BootCamp and Parallels but quickly came to realize that I didn't need XP and now I very seldom bother with it. Last week we sold my wife Dell Laptop and she now has a 20" iMac and loves it so we're offically an all Apple family