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TeamWasabi
2007-02-14, 15:02
Hi everyone. I'm a long time PC user but have become increasingly interested in Macs. I currently have a 12'' Dell laptop that I use for school but I'm to big for such a small computer (6' 7'' and big hands) so I'm thinking about getting a MBP (either 15" or 17") and was hoping people could offer me some insights about the switching over and things like that. I have never used a Mac before so the biggest roadblock is that I would have to learn a new OS. I'm tech savy (or at least i think so) so if it is easy to pick up then I won't be worried but what about program compatibilty and things like that?
So basically just leave me any thoughts/insights/suggestions you think I should consider when making this decision.
Thanks all!

Yontsey
2007-02-14, 15:16
What kinds of things will you need to do or what to do with the Macbook Pro? What are some examples of programs you use a lot on Windows?

TeamWasabi
2007-02-14, 15:18
pdf, office, dvd/cd burning nothing to serious I guess..

Yontsey
2007-02-14, 15:20
You will be able to view PDF's with no problem, there is actually a new version of Office coming out this year (2008 I believe), and Mac's come with great dvd/cd buring software. You can burn cd's right from iTunes with the click of a button and you can create movies with iDVD and iMovie. There is also other programs like Toast and Popcorn that help you make dvd's.

spikeh
2007-02-14, 15:22
pdf, office, dvd/cd burning nothing to serious I guess..

If that's the case you don't need the MacBook pro - the main benefit of the Pro, aside from the larger screen, is the graphics card and a few other little features (backlit keyboard, better speakers, etc).

The MacBook is a wonderful little machine, my buddy Paul has one. It's lightning fast and if you put 2GB of RAM into it it'll fly.

PDF - OS X is great, if you can print it, you can turn it into a PDF. Office is on the Mac and works like a charm for me, and the built-in DVD and CD burning are great. The operating system itself takes a little getting used to, but it Just Makes Sense.

I'd suggest you go into an Apple Store and play with one, try out some of the iLife apps and so forth (iPhoto, iTunes, etc). Then when Leopard comes out, investigate any new portables.

TeamWasabi
2007-02-14, 15:22
that def helps... How is it picking up a new os? I would say I know windows in and out and I'm not sure how long the adjustment would take...

spikeh
2007-02-14, 15:25
that def helps... How is it picking up a new os? I would say I know windows in and out and I'm not sure how long the adjustment would take...

It doesn't take long at all, in my experience. Unlearning what you think you know takes a little while - things like when I get a screenshot of my desktop, my first reaction is to launch Paint and paste it. Fundamentally it isn't so different from Windows (except it's stable and pretty), but the added features it has - Expose, Text Clipping, Dashboard, etc - are what really take it leaps and bounds ahead. It took me about 2 months to become fully competent with the ins and outs, and I'm still picking up stuff (mainly on here). I'd describe myself as a total nerd. :)

FFL
2007-02-14, 15:27
If you buy in-person at an Apple Store, your student ID gets you a discount.

You will also want to buy the Student and Teacher Edition of MS Office for Mac, which at $149 is much cheaper than the standard edition.

PDF viewing and CD/DVD burning are all built in to the OS (as well as the iTunes audio CD and iDVD video DVD burning mentioned by Yontsey above), so Office is most likely the only additional software you'll need to buy.

What software do you use for e-mail and addresses? Most things can be easily converted to a Mac compatible format, and imported into either Apple Mail and Apple Address book, or Microsoft Entourage (like Outlook).

Yontsey
2007-02-14, 15:28
Picking up OSX is very easy. Itll take you a couple days to get very familiar with it, but once you do, you will never go back to windows. Thank being said, once you get it out of the package, you will pick a lot of the stuff up right away, I just said a couple days until you are comfortable with things and know what youre doing.

Like Spikeh said, the Macbook is also a great machine just make sure which ever one you get, you upgrade the RAM.

If you are looking into buying a new machine, I would wait until Leopard (10.5) is released, that way you wont have to purchase an upgrade copy. Plus, you never know if there will be an update in the next couple months.

TeamWasabi
2007-02-14, 15:29
nice.. thanks for the input.. For some reason I see myself having problems get used to not "right clicking" things haha... I'm pretty much a dork too so I'm sure I'll spend alot of time learning the ins and outs as well... I'm prob gonna do it just looking for reassurace :)
I also qualify for the ADC discount and can get a reasonable price for my current laptop so I think it's pretty much a done deal...

Yontsey
2007-02-14, 15:30
You will also want to buy the Student and Teacher Edition of MS Office for Mac, which at $149 is much cheaper than the standard edition.


I dunno if you attend college or not, but I know when I was in college, I was able to purchase Office through my school for like $30-40. That's something to look into as well.

kretara
2007-02-14, 15:32
How is it picking up a new os? I would say I know windows in and out and I'm not sure how long the adjustment would take...

One of the biggest issues that I have had is remembering the keyboard shortcuts. I have been pretty much mac/linux only since 99 and now I have a job where I have to use windows. I am constantly messing up keyboard shortcuts.

TeamWasabi
2007-02-14, 15:33
If you are looking into buying a new machine, I would wait until Leopard (10.5) is released, that way you wont have to purchase an upgrade copy. Plus, you never know if there will be an update in the next couple months.


I believe that I get Leopard with the ADC membership...

dmegatool
2007-02-14, 15:52
I switched in september 2006. It is very easy.

I installed XP with Boot Camp I used to use it a lot for things I didn't know what software to use. But the more you are on OSX, you discover all the programs you need and eventually complety drop XP.

AppleNova has been a great help for me too ! If you ever need some help, you search or post here and someone will answer you for sure.

Brave Ulysses
2007-02-14, 16:14
I believe that I get Leopard with the ADC membership...

That is correct.

Brad
2007-02-14, 16:34
nice.. thanks for the input.. For some reason I see myself having problems get used to not "right clicking" things haha...
For what it's worth, you can still right-click (or middle-click or any other click from a multi-button mouse) in Mac OS X. Just plug in any USB mouse and it should "just work" automatically.

As for the trackpad, Mac OS X has a feature called "two-finger clicking" which produces exactly the same result as a right-click.

Good luck with everything! :) Feel free to share any other questions you might have as you're adjusting to your new machine.

Is it 1981?
2007-02-14, 18:51
Don't forget, Apple has some great support pages for new users coming over from Windows.

Switch 101 (http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/)
How to move to Mac (http://www.apple.com/macosx/switch/)

Sargasm
2007-02-14, 19:23
I went from PCs to Macs cold turkey, and was able to adapt within half a week. The thing about OS X is, you actually want to learn it, as it's very fun. Trying to do something in windows is a pain in the ass in comparison.

Dorian Gray
2007-02-14, 19:57
Using OS X is, frankly, disturbingly satisfying. If you're a geek at all you'll love just messing about aimlessly with the OS, 'cause it's so damn' delicious. But it took me at least a month before I actually preferred using OS X to XP for proper work (partly because I am keyboard shortcut junkie so had to relearn scores of keyboard shortcuts), and I was still learning significant things six months after switching (though by that stage it was obvious to me that I would never buy a Windows computer again if I could avoid it). OS X has a few issues, but it's a wet dream in comparison to Windows. You might well find you start trying to use your computer for things you didn't expect, such as video editing, simply because OS X and the very flexible QuickTime architecture make it so easy to do.

TeamWasabi
2007-02-15, 09:58
Thanks everyone for the feedback, it was def helpful and reassuring... Now I'm just going to work on finding the best deal and go from there!

Wyatt
2007-02-15, 10:08
Thanks everyone for the feedback, it was def helpful and reassuring... Now I'm just going to work on finding the best deal and go from there!
Check out Apple's online refurb store. There are some great deals in there sometimes, and their refurbs are just as high-quality as their new machines.

Yontsey
2007-02-15, 11:09
Also, as mentioned I believe, if youre in college, you can get an Educational Discount. I did it about 2 years ago when I got my Powerbook and I saved a couple hundred.

krnholeboy32
2007-02-21, 17:55
My first time using a macbook pro and a mac basically this year and I picked it up right away and since then its wayyyy easier than a pc. Now i regret using a pc for over 15 yrs. lol and also for ur big stature the 17" would be perfect, i bet the 17" will look small still when ur using it lol.

TeamWasabi
2007-02-24, 17:35
Thanks for all the input, I'll give you all a quick update as to where I am.

First I think I'm going to go with the 2.13Ghz 15.4" MBP. The 17" was nice but to big and to much. I really wanted the 2.33Ghz model but as far as I can see the only differences are the clock speed, memory, and graphics chip. Unless someone on this board can swing me the other way, I just can't justify the price difference especially because it seems I can upgrade the memory for $100, and don't really need 256mb graphics right now. I like the increase in processing speed but that price difference is hard to justify...

Second, I've been following Mac rumors a little more recently (as most people on this board probably do) so I'm sure you've heard the rumors about a revamped line. Now I know its just a rumor and If I wait for a new model I could be waiting for a while (similar to my holding out forever for a "true" video ipod). I don't really care when the new OS comes out b/c I'll probably purchase through ADC and I get a free upgrade when it comes out. If anyone has suggestions about holding out and the rumors, I'm all ears.

I do have another question that I was hoping someone could help me with. If I purchase through the ADC progam, will the system come with all the software that would be pre-loaded as if I bought it through the apple store? I'm trying hard to justify selling a laptop I bought a year ago which has nothing wrong AND spending more money to switch to something new so I'm looking for anyway to shave money off the system...

Now all I have to do is find someone to ship it to in Delaware so I can get rid of that pesky sales tax and I'm all good to go :)

TeamWasabi
2007-02-25, 20:26
So after analyzing everything I bought from Amazon b/c although the ADC price was great ($1699),when you combine it with taxes and the $99 ADC membership fee, it was actually cheaper to buy it from Amazon (after the rebate) and I won't have to jump through all those ADC verification hurdles. So come Tuesday, I'll have my first Mac (awww) Thanks everyone for all the help!

defaultmike
2007-02-26, 02:02
awesome man! welcome to the community, you'll love owning a mac. Now is as good a time as any to purchase a mac. I doubt that there will be any significant upgrades that'll make you regret buying your MBP in the next revision. I have one that's just like the one you're buying, and let me tell you, it's amazing. Puting an extra GB of Ram in there won't hurt at all, specially if you're planning on running heavy work on Photoshop and non-native apps.