Switching from PC to Mac?- Page 2

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 9:46am

Their online information is extremely extensive, but if you call them, they're also very, very helpful, in case you can't make it to a store.

iBooks are the tiny ones, right?

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 9:56am

I have a friend who's an ex-Apple representative for our school, so I'll probably just track him down and bug him about it.

No, they're the same size. iBooks come in 12 and 15-inch, and PowerBooks come in 12, 15 and 17-inch. It appears that the advantages of PowerBook is the faster processor, lighter-weight construction and... well, it's prettier. Probably also better for graphical design, and has better screen resolution. But a 15-inch PowerBook is also $700 more expensive than the equivalent iBook.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 10:01am

How do you find out if your school has an Apple representative? My mom was telling me they exist, and I had no idea.

It's funny that the computer I'm on now cost more than the Powerbook ANYWAY. For what it cost, it really shouldn't be giving me problems. This thing is only a year and a half old.

Posted: 12/2/05 at 10:08am

yeah speak for yourself buddy, i'm a little too busy doubled over from NOT LAUGHING


em -- you can go on facebook and find the apple store thingy. there's like a group or link or something where they'll take you to the place to get student discounts. and i think u get a free ipod mini with your purchase! not that you need it, but they're so pretty! kyra got a silver one with hers.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 10:10am

I don't really know to find out about your Apple rep, but I'm sure your school probably has one. I wouldn't know who ours was if I hadn't already been acquainted with him... but probably you could ask at your student bookstore and they'd be able to help.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 10:12am

ask for the school's "Technology Coordinator"

[Act0r721]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 12:35pm

You shouldn't make the switch just because you hear all these people raving about it. You're probably getting an unusually high percentage of people doing so because this is an artsy board. I have lots of friends with Mac's and so have used them a lot and I still dislike them.

They may not get viruses, but the programs randomly shut down so often. Safari and AIM. . . constantly closing without reason. Also, they DO freeze. I think some people think that they don't, but. . . they do and, at least in my case, I couldn't even shut it off then by pressing the button.

If all you want to do is play music, then yes, buy a Mac. I do like how music doesn't skip eratically on Mac's like they do on my PC. Other than that, Mac's blow.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 12:37pm

If one program shuts down on a PC, a lot of times the whole system gives you trouble. A Mac doesn't do that, apparently.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 1:02pm

The Mac user interface (OS X, anyway) is based on UNIX, which is widely seen as the most stable operating system there is. All of my computer science professors use Macs. None uses Windows XP. The architecture of Macs is just better.

I'm a bit worried about this new switch to Intel processors, though. The Motorola processors that Apple has been using have been amazing, and I don't know if Intel can produce a better one. So I wouldn't completely recommend waiting for the next generation of iBook/Powerbooks. My Apple friends are telling me to buy a Motorola-chipped Mac while I can.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 1:22pm

BlueWizard, do you know when they're making the switch? If I buy a Mac, I probably won't do so until January.

Also, could someone tell me what the deal is with using AIM on a Mac?

Updated On: 12/2/05 at 01:22 PM

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 1:51pm

I think you all are overestimating the "difficulty" in switching to a mac. I made the switch and learned very easily.

First off right click...you just hafta hold down control as you click. Very easy.

And there's little keyboard differences...the apple keys on either side of the space bar essentially serve as control, as it took me a while to get used to pressing them w/ c and v to copy and paste, you get used to it. I really don't think there's any other differences in other areas...

What do you mean aim on a mac? You just download aim for a mac and it's easy and imo even better than PC aim...you could IM ppl w/ an away message up, the buddy list goes to your right side instead of left, when someone is idle you see the asleep icon come on right away, in my PC experience it takes a little while for my buddy list to let me know that someone is idle.

And they are wonderful helpers--I don't understand why but recently the format of my system got completely messed up--I sat in the mac store w/ a "mac genius" for about an hour and a half..first he saw if there was anything he could do w/o reinstalling the whole thing but he couldn't...he showed me how to save my files so I didn't lose anything, then he took out the system, told me to just reinstall my mac CD and my computer was fine, i didn't lose anything. And b/c I was there w/ him doing most of the stuff, it cost me nothing!

If you use ITunes on the PC, it should transfer fine to the mac. Actually, itunes on the mac accept many different files, so mp3s should transfer fine.

I installed word on my mac so that too I easily transferred.

I mean the only annoyance is Safari gives you a cookie that when you're on BWW too much it won't let you get there, but you just hafta click reset safari and you're fine. Just nothing like your logins are saved after.

If any application freezes, you're able to click on the apple icon on the left and click "force quit" and there's never any problem. I've never had it freeze or anything.

And I have an Ibook, I don't really know the difference between that and a powerbook...but mine's teeny.

Posted: 12/2/05 at 1:52pm

Oh god, whatever you do, PLEASE please promise you'll make your font non-boring!!

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 2:10pm

I don't know when they'll make the switch to Intel processors, but it probably won't be for awhile. Part of the reason is because the Motorola G5 chip that's the new iMacs won't work in a laptop: the chip heats up like crazy, and Apple hasn't been able to engineer a laptop with a good enough fan or cooling mechanism. That's why the G5 desktop computers have been out for almost two years, while Apple's laptops are still running on a G4 chip.

[DAME]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 3:11pm

Those anyone know anything about airport extreme wireless? Our signal keeps coming and going. I am not sure if it is the dsl or the airport.

[Plum]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 3:37pm

Oh, out comes the Mac cult. It never fails.

I've done a ton of work on both PCs and Macs (and, sadly, some on the Sun UNIX system). The ease of making the switch all depends on how deeply you've ingrained the ways of one system. I'm a PC girl- I've been using them since I was 4, and often fixing my own software and hardware issues. So even though I've used Macs a lot, it's like speaking a second language for me- there's always that moment of mental translation from one system to another and it annoys the crap out of me.

But if you just use your computer casually, the switch shouldn't be too bad. Macs have a very good surface- it's only once anything goes wrong underneath that they make you cry. :) And the folks at Apple have even, out of the kindness of their hearts, finally started making a 2-button mouse this year.

And dude, of course you can quit a program in Windows if it freezes. It's called the 3-finger salute. :) XP has been very stable for me- even when disastrous, CPU-devouring things are happening in multiple programs, it manages to hold on without making me reset. It's all a matter of how well you take care of your machine. Treat it well and it'll do the same to you. Good luck with whatever system you decide to use.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 6:17pm

I went to the bookstore today to talk to someone, and he said definitely not to get the 14-inch iBook (what I was learning toward, grr) because it has bad screen resolution, and also the white keyboard surface and mousepad get dirty really easily. He recommended the 12-inch iBook at first since it's the same resolution on a smaller screen, but that's TOO small for me, and the specs aren't as good. Is this legit advice? He didn't seem to have a huge amount of knowledge about Macs, but I'm guessing he has to know what he's talking about.

He also cautioned that PowerBooks dent easily because of the metal that they're made out of--does anyone have any experience with this? Argh.... so many factors to consider!

[amasis]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 6:17pm

I had been using PC since I was 10 years old and only switched to Mac when I was in grad school, and had no problem adjusting to the Mac environment. Because of the nature of my work, I have to use both, but for personal use I don't think I'll ever use anything else but my Mac.

iBook vs. Powerbook: I use a 17" Powerbook, but I my work requires lots of graphic work and lots of coding. If you're only going to use it for basic stuff - MS Word, Mail, browsing, etc., I think an iBook should be fine.

iPod will need to be reconfigured when you switch, Emcee. The DVD backup files should be no problem, though.

Emcee, the standard mac mouse don't have right click, but you can get a separate mouse or a wacom tablet which will let you do the right-click thing.

I wrote this in a rush, but let me know if anything I wrote was unclear.
Updated On: 12/2/05 at 06:17 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 6:22pm

I've been using PC's since I was like five. I've always had an aversion to Apple because I hate change. I don't even hate Windows. In fact, I like Windows, and I like the way PC's work. But my laptop is giving me such crap, and it's a good machine, too. But it's hard drive keeps needing to be reformatted, and apparently it's just going to die. NOW I find out that my computer has a notorious problem for hard drives doing this. And I feel like rather than getting another sub-par PC, I might as well make the change.

Plum, out of curiousity, what kind of PC do you have?

[Plum]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 6:49pm

I just switched to a Dell Latitude D510, so I can't speak for it's long-term effectiveness. But it's been working fine for me so far. I highly recommend buying laptops aimed at small businesses, because they're sturdier and don't come with all the stupid crap software "home" computers have. Mine came clean with Windows XP, some utility programs, and that was it, which was nice.

For most of my life at home I worked on "Frankencomputer", a creature we got when I was 6, and kept replacing the parts as they got worn out or outmoded. I used that thing for over 10 years before passing it on to someone else. To the present day, it's only had 1 meltdown, and that was due to the famous Michaelangelo virus in 1993.

Afterwards I briefly worked on a positively ancient laptop- I have no idea what brand it was, but considering that it was about 10 years old and its parts weren't kept up to date like those of Frankencomputer, it was no surprise when it melted down on me.

The other computer I had was a nice Dell desktop machine, which I exchanged for the laptop with my dad. He wanted a desktop computer for his home office. Anyway, that one never had any big problems, and I had it for about 2 years.

Updated On: 12/2/05 at 06:49 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 7:15pm

I have a schizophrenic IBM Thinkpad. We used to get along, but now, not so much.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 7:25pm

Ah, my roommate has an IBM Thinkpad. It seems to work well for her, although I think she occasionally runs into issues.

My desktop PC was custom-built by a local company three years ago and still works extremely well (aside from having replaced the hard drive once because it got damaged during moving). I've been very happy with it, but in the span of what seems like a few minutes it has become near impossible to function without a laptop. It's sort of assumed that you have one, since most of campus has wireless internet anyway. Plus, given that I hate aforementioned roommate, I need to have a computer that it mobile.

[Aigoo]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 7:27pm

Well, seriously considering switching now, but thing is, I have this entire Sims 2 SERIES. They're maybe not MAC compatible...so if it's not, then would I have to buy all three sets again? Maybe I can get an exchange?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 7:30pm

If I had a dollar for every hour I've spent on the phone with IBM tech support...

[shermanslave]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 7:44pm

anothe Apple boy here. As for AIM, it is just as easy to use. I have never had a PC or even worked on one so I don't even know what this right click talk is about.

[Plum]

Posted: 12/2/05 at 8:05pm

Er...I've heard IBM tech support has a "reputation". *cough* If you know what I mean. That's one of the reasons I didn't get a ThinkPad.