[JLG]

Hello, I am rather new around here and I hope that this isn't a question that's already been answered a million times but here goes nothing. I have been looking into macs for quite some time now after two of my friends switched from windows and have loved macs ever since. After being to multiple stores and asking why I should switch I never really got the right answer that I was looking for. At one place a sales rep basically said because the OS is designed better, the end. While although I believe that this is true since I have had first hand experience with windows problems for quite some time now, I am just looking for better and more thorough reasons why. I am not going to be doing any video editing and what not, only email, surfing, music, and the other basic internet things and I am just looking for some justification for shelling out the premium price for macs besides the fact that they are designed and look great! Thanks

edit: would you recommend me getting the iMac or iBook for my needs? i dont think apple supports the games I would want to play, and although i dont need portability it would be nice sometimes I suppose. also, with this switch that "might" happen in january is it even worth getting a new intel one with the possible problems and the time it might take for these new products to become available to get. With the new switch would I still be able to use microsoft office that i would get on my new mac without any problems?

[Sargasm]

it'd be helpful if you told us your age and situation (student?). You said you don't really need portability, you might as well get the iMac. Damn fine computers, those are. Also, tell us what kinds of games you play, as the selection of games for OS X is really pretty decent. Just take a look through the games section of an Apple Store.

As for your OSX justification question: it's like a breath of fresh air compared to windows. With OS X, you get virtually no problems with malware. No viruses, no adware, no spyware, none of that shit that Windows is just full of. The OS itself is much more intuitive and attractive, easy-to-use, and incredibly stable. I could expand upon each of those a bit more, but it's late, it's Christmas, and I'm tired. And yes, I believe a copy of Office that you buy now would work on future Mactels.

[JLG]

it'd be helpful if you told us your age and situation (student?). You said you don't really need portability, you might as well get the iMac. Damn fine computers, those are. Also, tell us what kinds of games you play, as the selection of games for OS X is really pretty decent. Just take a look through the games section of an Apple Store. As for your OSX justification question: it's like a breath of fresh air compared to windows. With OS X, you get virtually no problems with malware. No viruses, no adware, no spyware, none of that shit that Windows is just full of. The OS itself is much more intuitive and attractive, easy-to-use, and incredibly stable. I could expand upon each of those a bit more, but it's late, it's Christmas, and I'm tired. And yes, I believe a copy of Office that you buy now would work on future Mactels.

I am 19 and, as you said, I am a student. I like to play Battlefield 2 and other games of that genre and also Dark Age of Camelot. Thanks for your input Sargasm!

[AsLan^]

With these kinds of threads I always have to put in my two cents about the mac mini. You simply cant go wrong with the mac mini and for the uses you stated, a mac mini is a fine computer.

What makes macs so great... unix under the hood for a start, but if that doesnt mean anything to you, there is always the software. Macintosh software is designed for people to use, things generally work the way you expect them too and there is a lot of consistency across Applications that windows and linux dont have.

Additionally, macs dont get slower with age like windows pcs. This is for a couple of reasons but probably the biggest factor is the absence of a central registry. This means that it doesnt matter how much software you install and uninstall, the computer will function exactly the same, Windows programs like writing to the registry, so over time, the registry grows and takes longer to sort through effectivley slowing down the computer, and heaven forbid that registry gets corrupted !

In fact, newer OS releases often bring performance enhancements to the older macs. Check out the mini, its a no risk computer, that you could still use if you decided you loved macs and wanted an iMac, ibook, PowerMac, etc.

[julesstoop]

Almost all of the Windows users I know are:
- used to sort of regularly re-install their OS about every nine months if not because of malware it is for a f*cked-up registry;
- afraid to use the internet on systems which are intended for professional use;
- afraid to install any new software on their PC's;
- having a 'big' problem if point 1 applies to a laptop: I have seen many wintendo laptops become partially useless after a re-install simply because of the funky hardware and the find-the-correct-drivers-problem.

None of the above counts for Mac's. These problems are virtually non existant one our side of the world.

I would recommend an iMac though. I think the mini simply isn't powerful enough. I own a powerbook and it's a long shot from my parents iMac: the iMac is really a much faster machine.

[MCQ]

Originally Posted by Sargasm And yes, I believe a copy of Office that you buy now would work on future Mactels.

No, it wouldn't work. The current Microsoft Office is not a universal binary that would work on both PPC and X86 architectures. It will only work with PPC based (G3/G4/G5) Macs.

It remains to be seen which companies will be ready at the launch of the first Mactels with universal binaries of their apps for sale.

[miniuser]

I am new to the mac world myself. I bought the mini about 5-6 mons ago. I was in a similar situation as yourself. Interested in a mac but wondered if I wanted to shell out the $$$, and would I like the mac after I got it?. I decided to go with the mini to get my feet wet, and if it turned out the mac wasn't for me I was only out about $700.

I'm not a power user by any sense, and really don't know that much about computers at all. I'm pretty much a surf the web, e-mail, iTunes, iPhoto type of guy. I don't play games at all cause the bore and frustrate me. Anyway I went to the Apple store and got the mini. It was a breeze to set up, and works great with my old Dell CRT, no problems at all.

To me THE reason for switching was for the entire computer using experience. There is a night and day difference between using a mac and my dell. I don't have to worry about viruses, spyware, malware or anything like that. For that peace of mind alone, it's worth it. However that is not the whole story. Once you start using the mac to realize your don't have to be frustrated EVERY time you use your computer. You don't have to deal with locking up, freezing, crashing, re-booting problems like on a pc. The mac is so stable, it's a pleaasure to use. My dell would HAVE to be re-booted every day. There was no way around it. Now with the mini I re-boot once every 1-2 weeks, and leave it on 24/7. Try that with your dell !!!!

Since switching to the mac I have learned a ton of things about it. Not only that I have learned a ton of things about computers in general. That mac and the software that comes with it, makes you excited to use it, and that's how you start to do things you'd never try on a pc, you WANT to try new things with mac.

As for the cost of it. In the end I think you wind up paying the same weather you get a mac or a pc. The mac SEEMS more expensive up front. But in the end it winds up prolly about the same. When you buy the pc it's cheaper when you look at the price of the puter. BUT, buy the time you get your anti-virus program, your anti-mal ware program, your anti-spyware program....etc, your photo editor, yaday, yada, not to mention all the frustration you get from the puter, it all comes out to be the same. BUT with the mac you get a great user experience for the life of the puter.

I've only been a mac user now for about 5-6 mons, but I can tell you I doubt I'd ever go back to a pc. The min has been great to me so far. Can't wait to see what's next for Apple.

Next mon Apple is having their expo, if you don't NEED a computer right now, and can wait, I'd wait the 2 weeks and see what happens. There are tons of rumors going around, and we don't know what will happen.

Anyway, to get more info about mac and OS X think about getting the book by David Pogue. The Missing Manual. It's great, it goes over everything you need to know. He writes in a way that's easy to understand and makes switching pretty easy. I bought the book a week before I bought the puter, and the switch was very easy for me. I would have strruggled without it. Get the book learn from it, and it will help you decide if you want to swirch.

Hope some of this rant is helpful to you. Good luck.

[torifile]

Originally Posted by MCQ No, it wouldn't work. The current Microsoft Office is not a universal binary that would work on both PPC and X86 architectures. It will only work with PPC based (G3/G4/G5) Macs. It remains to be seen which companies will be ready at the launch of the first Mactels with universal binaries of their apps for sale.

Well, it would "work" but not natively. It should be fine running under Rosetta. (Unless I'm missing something.)

[atomicbartbeans]

Nope, you're not.

[MCQ]

Originally Posted by torifile Well, it would "work" but not natively. It should be fine running under Rosetta. (Unless I'm missing something.)

My brain's um... shut down during Christmas vacation. Apologies for the error.

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by JLG I am 19 and, as you said, I am a student. I like to play Battlefield 2 and other games of that genre and also Dark Age of Camelot. Thanks for your input Sargasm!

Well there are a few games like that for Mac, but not as many. The best FPS for Mac are Halo and Call of Duty 1, no Battlefield 2, not yet anyway (it depends on what graphics engine it uses as to whether they can port it or not). For someone your age who is a gamer, I'd say, buy an X-Box or whatever for gaming, and use an iMac or Mac Mini for everything else. If you got an X-Box and a Mac Mini, I'd say you'd be set, and not cost an arm and a leg to boot.

[JLG]

Thank you for all your responses, I truly appreciate it. I think I am going to go with the iMac or iBook and from what I've read I don't think that the iMac will be updated at the expo next month, but, if the iBook is updated to intel, I would still be able to use Microsoft Office with it under Rosetta(right?) without any problems except for a hit in speed?

[Brave Ulysses]

Originally Posted by JLG Thank you for all your responses, I truly appreciate it. I think I am going to go with the iMac or iBook and from what I've read I don't think that the iMac will be updated at the expo next month, but, if the iBook is updated to intel, I would still be able to use Microsoft Office with it under Rosetta(right?) without any problems except for a hit in speed?

I doubt there will be much of a speed hit even under emulation. The Yonah processor will be so far superior to the G4 that it wouldn't surprise me if the emulation was very close to the current G4 iBook

[JLG]

Originally Posted by Brave Ulysses I doubt there will be much of a speed hit even under emulation. The Yonah processor will be so far superior to the G4 that it wouldn't surprise me if the emulation was very close to the current G4 iBook

Ah, I agree that makes sense. Have Rev-A apple products normally done well in the past as far as bugs and glitches and what not?

edit: I would be able to use Microsoft Office right away with a new Intel, is this correct?

[MCQ]

Originally Posted by JLG Ah, I agree that makes sense. Have Rev-A apple products normally done well in the past as far as bugs and glitches and what not?

It's been hit and miss. However, if there is a systemic problem, Apple will open up a warranty repair program for the specific issue.

edit: I would be able to use Microsoft Office right away with a new Intel, is this correct?

Yes. Under Rosetta.

[JLG]

Originally Posted by MCQ It's been hit and miss. However, if there is a systemic problem, Apple will open up a warranty repair program for the specific issue. Yes. Under Rosetta.

Thanks for the info MCQ.