getting a new mac?

[disneydiva]

now christmas is over we're thinking about getting a new 'puter and the macs have been recommended

I have lots of questions though and probably more as I know the answers to these :lol:

is a laptop or a desktop model better?
Can I use the same programs I use on my pc?
is there a minimum model I should look at?
how different is it for example how easy will it be to find my way back here on a mac?
anything I should try and buy with it thats needed to make it work?

[Slowhand]

now christmas is over we're thinking about getting a new 'puter and the macs have been recommended

I have lots of questions though and probably more as I know the answers to these :lol:

is a laptop or a desktop model better?
Can I use the same programs I use on my pc?
is there a minimum model I should look at?
how different is it for example how easy will it be to find my way back here on a mac?
anything I should try and buy with it thats needed to make it work?

Now that`s what I call good timing! :thumbsup:
I am at your stage right now so I`m looking forward to the replies to this!

[Keith]

I'm in the middle of writing an email on this so I'll copy paste it when done unless catrancher gets here first :lol:

[Keith]

ok basic answers first to your specific questions

laptop or desktop, totally depends on your usage. If you're only ever going to plump it on a desk then a desktop is fine and you can perhaps get a larger screen. The iMac is a perfect desktop computer. Silent, fast and neat, an all in one unit
http://images.apple.com/imac/images/index_hero20080429.png

However, remember that a laptop will give you all that and the ability to take it into the lounge when its cold in the office in winter or even to orlando with you.

http://images.apple.com/macbook/images/overview-hero20081014.jpg

PC apps CAN be run on a mac, if you buy a cheapy pc compatibility program like this one http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/ It's brilliant! your normal pc apps will work fast and just as you had them on your pc.

Minimum model.... well all the entry level macs are quite capable. In fact people often say macs are expensive and thats because you can't get a "slow" mac, they start off quite highly specced. (the LOWEST spec will be the mac mini) http://images.apple.com/macmini/images/index_ports20060229.jpg

How hard? not hard at all :yes: It's *different* thats for sure, but not so much that you'll be flummaxed turning it on or anything. Most people say that the best way to get used to a mac, is forget the PC way you've got used to and just approach it in a common sense "how it should work" kinda way. In other words, it's intuitive as long as you dont think hang on thats different to the pc

Stuff to buy with it, nothing really! It'll come with ilife which provides truly great photo/video editing and much more. I do recommend iwork http://www.apple.com/iwork/ which is the apple version of Microsoft office (but better in my opinion). I think you get a voucher for a discount when you buy a new mac

[Keith]

Here's the apple page on switching
http://www.apple.com/getamac/whymac/

ps I'm really not as biased as I seem :) I use both windows and macosx, unix and others at work. It's just that I really do believe that for "trouble free" computing, the mac experience is very hard to beat :yes:

[Dawn]

*backs out of thread quietly*

[Keith]

*backs out of thread quietly*

:taunt:

[ieuanr]

Well - since a Mac is just a PC in nice box these days - you may as well get a PC and save a bunch of money! An entry level iMac £780 has a £500 PC inside. They look much better but you can get a much more powerful PC for less money - and you can probably run the Apple software on it - if you really have to.

The biggest Mac news in the last couple of years was that you could now get Windows on your Mac so you could run all the Windows applications.

[Keith]

Well - since a Mac is just a PC in nice box these days - you may as well get a PC and save a bunch of money! An entry level iMac £780 has a £500 PC inside. They look much better but you can get a much more powerful PC for less money - and you can probably run the Apple software on it - if you really have to.

I understand the sentiment but I don't agree with the conclusion :taunt: It's hard, very hard, to run Apple software on a normal pc because you basically have to run a hacked version of the operating system, if it works at all, it won't be a pain free operation.

[ieuanr]

Cannot really see why you would want to run it anyway. It's not that good!

Mac's really look nice though!

[Keith]

Cannot really see why you would want to run it anyway. It's not that good!


:lol: I think you're trying to wind people up ;) but that's ok!

[disneydiva]

Gentlemen, can I stop you both please

I've had this on another forum too, I'm not asking about buying a pc or a netbook or linux or anything else you may like :yes:

I've had a pc for years in work and know what they do, I've been to the apple store and I like what I see better than what I have. So no telling me I'm stupid for wanting what I want :nono: and no need to defend my choices either :slap:

Now, more mac information please :wiggle:

[ieuanr]

You Mac guys take everything so seriously! :taunt:


I can see the attraction with Macs. The reputation Macs have for not playing up is due to the fact that not very many people develop software for them - whereas everyone and his dog is writing dodgy bits of software for the PC. There are very few Mac viruses because there are very few Macs.

There is an awful lot of rubbish talked about Macintoshes though - just as there is with PCs.


Sorry - I did not mean to infer that the Mac was a bad idea - I was just presenting the opposite view.

[Keith]

oh I want to reply but I don't want to get shouted at either :lol:

Suffice to say, I truly believe your opinion is probably based on out of date information. There is masses of software for the mac, put it this way, will lack of software be a problem if someone buys a mac? absolutely not.

..but lets go the other way and accept the premise that pcs are dodgy because every man and his dog writes dodgy software for it, I think I'd rather have less software of better quality!

That aside, yeah there's a fair degree of "absolutes" used by mac zealots. "NO virus problems" "NEVER crashes" etc. which isn't true

Nevertheless, I'll stick to this. The mac environment, the hardware/software/shops/support combination will offer a better user experience for the majority of "users" than will a windows system currently.

[Dawn]

So what do you need to look for when buying a mac? For the OP please.

[disneydiva]

So what do you need to look for when buying a mac? For the OP please.

THANK YOU DAWN

[Keith]

Dawn's a schoolteacher and I sense she was using "THAT Voice" then :yes:

Well there isn't THAT much to watch out for if you're buying new from the apple store. Any of them will work great although the mini is a little old now and less powerful than the others in the ranges

The REALLY REALLY REALLY popular one to buy is the cheapest macbook that they do. That gives you a great portable unit with monitor built in of course for a decent enough price.

My personal, though a little more expensive choice, is the 15" macbook pro. I've had them for many years through many versions and revisions and absolutely swear by them. Granted though, that may be overkill for a first mac.

[catrancher]

Keith, I'm late to this party but I'm here! You knew I'd show up. :laugh2:

Nevertheless, I'll stick to this. The mac environment, the hardware/software/shops/support combination will offer a better user experience for the majority of "users" than will a windows system currently.

I have to agree with your statement 100%. I have been in Information Technology for 40 years now. I use Windows PC's in my work and Mac's at home. For work I support over 6000 installations of Windows. At home, I've been a Mac user and, I might add, on and off developer since they were introduced in 1984. I think the Mac environment does indeed offer a much better and more consistent and satisfying user experience for the vast majority of users.

Now, I think disneydiva was actually looking at the specifics of purchasing a Mac. So, with that, let me take a shot at answering her questions as well as I can:


is a laptop or a desktop model better?

Depends mostly of your lifestyle and how you want to work with the machine. iMacs and the the higher end of the laptop line (Macbook Pro) will be similar performance wise. So, do you want a computer that you can move around the house or take with you on vacation or to grandma's house? If so, a laptop's the way to go. I have a Macbook Pro. I use it in my basement office most of the time but bring it upstairs and work on weekends. So, for me, portability is paramount. Your mileage may vary.


Can I use the same programs I use on my pc?

As Keith already stated, there's a couple of ways you can accomplish this. With today's Intel based Macs, you can set your machine up to dual boot. A Mac side and a Windows side. Boot into one or the other.
Or, as Keith indicated, you can use something like Parallels. This is what I do on mine. With Parallels, you boot into Mac OS but run Windows in a "Virtual" partition. This means that you would have a window in Mac OS that actually has Windows (XP or Vista) running in it. I use XP still and can testify that the whole thing works a treat.


is there a minimum model I should look at?
This is strictly personal opinion but I would look at either the iMacs or the Macbook Pro line. I've always found that anytime I bought something and tried to get the lower end of the line, I ended up wanting the higher end anyway for any one of numerous reasons. I guess I finally learned my lesson several years ago and have bought the upper end ever since. I'm glad I have.


how different is it for example how easy will it be to find my way back here on a mac?
Actually, quite easy. If you buy your Mac from an Apple store, and take your existing PC in with you (you may need an appointment), I believe that an Apple Genius (that's what they call them) will help you move all your data from your old PC onto your new Mac. If you have them do that, one of the things they'll move for you is your bookmarks. After that's done, your new Mac will have all your bookmarks from your old PC so you should be able to come right back here to tell us how marvelously happy you are now with your purchase! :laugh2:


anything I should try and buy with it thats needed to make it work?
Nothing specific unless you absolutely must have Windows compatibility. Your new Mac will come with the iLife applications (iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand, iTunes, and iWeb). There will also be Safari (the Mac web browser), Mail (your email client), and various other bits and bobs. TextEdit for rudimentary text file editing. If you need more robust applications for word processing or spreadsheets, then you've got basically two choices. There's Microsoft Office for the Mac. This is Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. As native Mac applications.
Or, there's the Apple iWork suite. iWork has the capability to read MS Windows Office (Work, Excel, etc) documents and can save most documents in a format that you can exchange with Windows users.
I have both Microsoft Office and iWork on my Mac. I can tell you that I almost never use MS Office anymore since I got the iWork suite. Much like the Mac itself, the iWork suite is quite elegant and capable with none of the bloat that I associate with the Windows applications. It's also significantly less expensive than Micorsoft Office.

I hope this helps answer your questions. Let me close by quoting myself from an earlier thread.



So, having said all that, I would once again remind you that the opinions expressed in this posting are mine and mine alone and may not actually reflect the actual opinion of anyone else living or dead. So, please, take them for what they're worth!


Tom (yes, it's true. You can have my Mac when the old, dead fingers get pried off the keyboard)

[josh.p.]

HANDBAGS LADIES!!! :point: (Just kidding)

ok basic answers first to your specific questions

laptop or desktop, totally depends on your usage. If you're only ever going to plump it on a desk then a desktop is fine and you can perhaps get a larger screen. The iMac is a perfect desktop computer. Silent, fast and neat, an all in one unit
http://images.apple.com/imac/images/index_hero20080429.png
[QUOTE]
This is the computer I have and definatley reccomend it. I think if you got a macmini, it'd run great, but you'd get the taste and end up upgrading to a iMac or macbook. I love my iMac and it's great.. the screen is excellent but the lack of portablity annoys me. I think if I had to choose either/or, then I'd go with the iMac (exclusivley for the screen size as I do a lot of design work) , but now I am so used to the Mac OSX operating system, I am so fed up of vista that I want a macbook so I can use it everywhere that I go (As I currently have a vista <spit> laptop as my 'portability' computer.). If you are a 'light' user, (word proccesing, spreadsheets, internet, MSN etc) I'd reccomend a lower-end macbook, it'll always be cheaper to upgrade aswell, that way you can use it wherever you want. However, if you are going to be doing any webdesign, graphic design or similar, definatley go with the imac- or even a macbook pro! (Second hand, you could get one for not much more than a macbook :yes:)


Well - since a Mac is just a PC in nice box these days - you may as well get a PC and save a bunch of money! An entry level iMac £780 has a £500 PC inside. They look much better but you can get a much more powerful PC for less money - and you can probably run the Apple software on it - if you really have to.

The biggest Mac news in the last couple of years was that you could now get Windows on your Mac so you could run all the Windows applications.
I have to disagree there :sorry: They are so much better. They are better built, the software inside them is brilliant, and my imac (With 1gb ram, and 2.4ghz Proccesor) runs photoshop, itunes, iphoto and other programs (Firefox, MSN etc) all at the same time, whilst my dad's 3gb ram, 3.0ghz processor) really does struggle doing photoshop, MSN and firefox at the same time, never mind itunes!!! Because of the sleekness of the macOSX, I think it uses a lot less proccesses, and runs much faster. Apart from this, they have the advantage of being compact, coming with a brilliant host of software- the ilife suite, quieter, and a lot less problematic than windows in general, they do have the upper hand IMO. They are really stress free. Apart from that- for the extra price you pay, you get a lot more out of your computer, they do hold their value for MUCH longer too, when you come to re-sell. I think your info is a bit out-of-date really :sorry::sorry::sorry:



That aside, yeah there's a fair degree of "absolutes" used by mac zealots. "NO virus problems" "NEVER crashes" etc. which isn't true.
I agree :yes:


To the OP.... If you are a light user, I'd go with a cheap macbook or even macbook pro if you can get it, if you are a heavy user (Graphics etc) then I'd either get a macbook with upgraded ram, or an iMac :yes::yes:


is a laptop or a desktop model better?
Can I use the same programs I use on my pc?
is there a minimum model I should look at?
how different is it for example how easy will it be to find my way back here on a mac?
anything I should try and buy with it thats needed to make it work?
I'd say it depends greatly on what you are using it for. With regards to ease of use, after your first, say, two weeks, you will become a natural :) They sort of 'think' like a human does rather than a computer. Most things are just plug and play- for instance, a new printer I got, my dad plugged in it in, and was stressing out because he couldn't find out how to install it.
I came in and did the same- then thought, hold on... pressed print, and low-and-behold, it just printed out!!! It was already installed automatically.... DOH!!! :yes:

[josh.p.]

oooh... and I highly reccomend iWork!!

[Tink]

Ieuan!!! :bugeye: You are breaking my heart! :lol:

Disney Diva? Just get a Mac airbook and call it good. Slim, sexy, fast and too wicked for words. What more can you possibly want? Oh, me for a friend then. I'll be after borrowing it! :D :D

[Slowhand]

I can see a trip to Stoke-on-Trent is on the cards for Keith before too long!...or a trip "oop North" for moi.
[Helping a computer challenged soul to get up and running with his Mac! :lol:]

[Keith]

I can see a trip to Stoke-on-Trent is on the cards for Keith before too long!...or a trip "oop North" for moi.
[Helping a computer challenged soul to get up and running with his Mac! :lol:]

:lol: I'm sure that can be arranged :yes:

to be perfectly honest, I suspect you'll be amazed how easy it is

[Slowhand]

:lol: I'm sure that can be arranged :yes:

to be perfectly honest, I suspect you'll be amazed how easy it is

Play your cards right Keith and I may let you play with my scope. [Ooh er Matron! :lol:]

[Keith]

Play your cards right Keith and I may let you play with my scope. [Ooh er Matron! :lol:]

Now you're talking! :lol:

(the question is do either of us know how to use the thing? or is it going to be an evening of looking through the wrong end and saying HANG ON HANG ON I think I see something! :lol:)

[Slowhand]

Now you're talking! :lol:

(the question is do either of us know how to use the thing? or is it going to be an evening of looking through the wrong end and saying HANG ON HANG ON I think I see something! :lol:)

:laugh::laugh:
[I`m sure that I will be given some fool proof instructions for the scope when the time comes Keith....hopefully! :lol:]

[catrancher]

I can see a trip to Stoke-on-Trent is on the cards for Keith before too long!...or a trip "oop North" for moi.
[Helping a computer challenged soul to get up and running with his Mac! :lol:]

Ohhh.... Hooray..... (jumps up and down repeatedly) :mickeybounce::mickeybounce::mickeybounce:

Tom (patiently waiting for the shouts of joy from the computer challenged!)

[Slowhand]

Ohhh.... Hooray..... (jumps up and down repeatedly) :mickeybounce::mickeybounce::mickeybounce:

Tom (patiently waiting for the shouts of joy from the computer challenged!)
Anyone would think that you had had a hand in this Tom! :lol:

[catrancher]

Anyone would think that you had had a hand in this Tom! :lol:

Who???? Moi???? :HamsterDance:

Tom (instigator maximus :laugh2:)

[Mapman]

PC users don't quite appreciate that Mac's become your little friends LOL

Apple software is intuitive to use and far more user-friendly. If you're a creative type of person, then a Mac is a MUST have. Far more stable too, and dead SEXY !

But . . . I'm totally biaised and absolutely adore working and playing on my Mac laptop.

PS - my kids also adore using the Mac, and are always saying how much they wished that there were Mac's in school at college.

PPS - Word and excel etc are fully cross-platform with Mac's