MAC users...Should I join you?

MoreCowbell · 10-30-2006, 07:12 PM

I have long considered making this change but my life became very busy the last several months. I am now very close to making the move, but I still have 3 questions. I was hoping to garner the opinions of some savvy MAC users if I could.

1) My Basic uses for a Laptop are, in order from Most use to Least use is...

-Internet Surfing for both business and leisure
-Email
-Excel and Word
-Music and Photo's(Non-Editing)

What keeps getting me, is that these are the very things that a Window's PC does excel in. I am not editing photo's or video, not creating music or drawings. Is a switch really right for my type of use?

2) If I decide to make the leap, part of me is saying "wait" for Leopard. Is Leopard worth the wait? It sounds great and I feel that I will either miss out or cost myself the cash it will take to upgrade if I buy now instead of waiting. Is this true? I REALLY like the sound of "Time Machine". Also, I believe that having Leopard installed on the machine to begin with is a far safer than upgrading down the road. Is this true?

3) Probably my biggest stumbling block is this: I have a blackberry and use a Blackberry Enterprise Server(3rd party) to Sync my blackberry and outlook wirelessly(email, contacts, tasks, calendar). From my research, it doesn't seem possible for a Mac to do this. Also, it seems that "PocketSync" or whatever it is called, is extremely unreliable. As I am married to my blackberry, what is your recommended solution?

Thanks in advance!!!

typerlover · 10-30-2006, 07:53 PM

I'd say I'm in a good position to comment on this since I've used both of them for a decent amount of time.

For doing anything as far as just chilling with the computer, such as surfing, email, doing excel and word, and viewing photos I like the mac better because it does just that and somehow without much distraction. I don't know why but doing that on a PC does not provide that same level of comfort and effectiveness.

I am a minimalist and enjoy the layout of the system.

As far as music, that depends on if you use itunes on a pc. If so, then you will be just fine. I personally am a WinAmp user and don't like much of the bloat that is itunes, but it works just fine in OSX.

One thing to note, is that when we talk about "internet" it is important to know that there are times, while not as often as before, that videos embedded in websites may not play properly in OSX. Sometimes upsetting, other times not a big deal.

I would say make the switch just for the sake of getting a breath of fresh air and a change of scenery. That enough is worth it.

As far as syncing your mobile, I'm sure that a PC will do that much easier and be far more compatible than on a mac. Everyone claims that you can now run Windows on the mac, and sure you can, but even still, just the fact of having to reboot to get into that system is enough to keep me from doing it too often. And emulation may have improved, but still is not the best alternative.

So what to do? Do it like I said just to try a new system. You will enjoy it I'm sure. Apple hardware can be a tossup between great and piss poor. I've had em all, powerbooks, macbooks, macbook pros, cinema displays, everything. Just read on the forums and see what issues each model has,although the latest released of C2D Macbook Pro's may have improved a lot.

Avoid the macbooks, the random shutdown is a serious issue and I believe it is an inherent flaw in the design of the laptop that affects EVERY unit. Sure some people may not be experiencing it just yet, but it will happen. Should they update the macbooks sometime soon though that may be something worth looking into.

The iMacs are nice and don't have many problems either, and the 24" is a real monster.

Good luck, let me know if you have any more questions.

MoreCowbell · 10-30-2006, 08:03 PM

Thanks for your response....

Does the Macbook Pro also have the Shutdown problem or just the Macbook?

Also...not sure I understand your answer as far as the blackberry. To me, Bootcamp is not a viable solution.

ADHD · 10-30-2006, 08:10 PM

everything on a mac is sooo much easier!!! ull be glad u made the leap..

whippersnapper · 10-30-2006, 09:42 PM

The new version of pocketmac is much better. My blackberry syncs fine. You can always run windows in parallels desktop (virtualization) if necessary. I think the shutdown problems were Macbook only and are now resolved. The Pro's are pretty attractive right now with the Merom chips (Core 2 Duo)

typerlover · 10-30-2006, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gluck75

Thanks for your response....

Does the Macbook Pro also have the Shutdown problem or just the Macbook?

Also...not sure I understand your answer as far as the blackberry. To me, Bootcamp is not a viable solution.

MBP had no shutdown problem. Was Macbook specific.

Don't know much about the blackberry, and others can answer better. Go for that new 15" MBP, 2.16 C2D, 1gb ram (pick up another gig anytime later), and up the HD to 160gb. Monster machine.

tintivilus · 10-30-2006, 10:12 PM

If you're looking at laptops, it's really hard to go wrong with Apple these days. Give it a try; if you decide OSX isn't your thing, they make damn good Windows machines... but all of my friends who used my iBook G4 for more than 30 minutes or so are now mac users.

My #1 concern at first was the single-button trackpad, but it turned out to be a complete non-issue. You can "right-click" by either control-clicking or just putting two fingers on the trackpad when you click the button.

It's a great machine for general use, where OSX's lack of routine maintenance really shines. The overall level of polish on both the software and hardware is tough to describe -- you just sort of get used to things working in obvious ways, and after a few months Windows seems clunky.

btw, what's up with all-capsing "MAC"? it's not an acronym, just Mac.

MoreCowbell · 10-30-2006, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by typerlover

1gb ram (pick up another gig anytime later), and up the HD to 160gb. Monster machine.

Was thinking about getting at least 2gb, and possibly 3 from the get go...

SE3P_to_E90 · 10-30-2006, 11:25 PM

i didn't read, but most users of mac never go back due to the simplicity of use. i have an old g4 powerbook (last generation) if you want to try it out. it has wireless internet and all that stuff -- perfect for what you're looking for.

looking to get rid of it, i have a newer powerbook. so let me know if u want to knwo more info.

CraigG · 10-31-2006, 01:19 AM

But PC's are wizzes with numbers.

Nikki · 10-31-2006, 01:20 AM

i like pc guy better, he's funny. mac guy is a jerk.

CraigG · 10-31-2006, 01:21 AM

Macs are great for creative stuff...even though it’s a juvenile waste of time

firstkill · 10-31-2006, 01:39 AM

if the mac fits the budget then id get that

BUT all the things u want done can be had on a 500-600 dell notebook..

obviously the quality isnt top notch more like poor, but if its gonna be used for basic stuff anything will do...

~fk

typerlover · 10-31-2006, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gluck75

Was thinking about getting at least 2gb, and possibly 3 from the get go...

Well if you have the cash, then go for the 2.33 and up it to 3gb then. I would be jealous.

txusa03 · 10-31-2006, 08:23 AM

gluck75, Mac now use the same intel chip found in PC. Mac no longer uses power PC motorola chip. Now that Mac uses intel chip, you can run pc applications on Mac without any problem. That is the direction they are heading. In the past, if you have a Mac, you really do not have to worry about virus attacks. Now that they move over to the intel chip, I wonder if this is still true with the virus attack and are they more prone to virus attack. Mac are more expansive. I like their new lazer mouse with the ball scroll in any direction, up, down, left, right, diagonal...I use both Mac and PC but use the PC more than Mac. But everytime I use the Mac, I am always impressed with it speed and graphics.

TommyBahama · 10-31-2006, 09:29 AM

for me macs seem overpriced and tend to send out a message to other people that you are some sort of green peace snob.

do they have a right click on the mouse yet? that was always a deal breaker for me, since i like FPS.

RichP · 10-31-2006, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikki

i like pc guy better, he's funny. mac guy is a jerk.

Be nice! I went to highschool with MacGuy!

Back on topic, Ive been using a Mac for 4 years now, never looked back. And I HATED them before I really gave it a go.

Leopard wont be out to spring. Upgrading/New OS is pretty damn easy on a mac, you could wait, but you would be missing out on using the machine for quite some time. Mac OS upgrades have traditionally cost $129 I believe.

Bootcamp is great for games and mission-critical windows apps, I dont have much experience with Parallels (windows in OSX) because I use CAD stuff and parallels cant run it at full speed.

MoreCowbell · 10-31-2006, 10:40 AM

Can I runt outlook in parallels?

txusa03 · 10-31-2006, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichP

Be nice! I went to highschool with MacGuy!

Back on topic, Ive been using a Mac for 4 years now, never looked back. And I HATED them before I really gave it a go.

Leopard wont be out to spring. Upgrading/New OS is pretty damn easy on a mac, you could wait, but you would be missing out on using the machine for quite some time. Mac OS upgrades have traditionally cost $129 I believe.

Bootcamp is great for games and mission-critical windows apps, I dont have much experience with Parallels (windows in OSX) because I use CAD stuff and parallels cant run it at full speed.

could you verify if bootcamp and parallels are available with a new mac systems or is it something you need to pay separate for? I think they both comes with the new mac.

dmitri · 10-31-2006, 12:13 PM

Personally, I am thinking about switching to Mac myself.

Im tired of stupid errors all the time, things that don't work, viruses, exploits, spam - that simply doesnt happen on the Mac.

I hate how the PC has to question my moves, or give suggestions, or simply not doing what I tell it. You hit X to close a program, why does it have to ask me if im sure or give me suggestions???

My next computer is definitely a small Mac laptop im fed up with Windows

Read this ^^^^^

txusa03 · 10-31-2006, 12:21 PM

my fav dumb error of PC is this: "cannot write file corejava.dll". was the error I got while installing oracle client. This happens a few years back. Well, I found the real problem and it was because there was not enough disk space. Yes, a better error could have been "give me more disk space moron." vs the above. Well, if you install any software lately, the first thing it checks for is disk space and depends on what you install, it also make sure the cpu and memory meet the minimum requirements.

txusa03 · 10-31-2006, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmitri

I hate how the PC has to question my moves, or give suggestions, or simply not doing what I tell it. You hit X to close a program, why does it have to ask me if im sure or give me suggestions???

cuz they are afraid to be sue by the users. remember, it is never the users' fault. lol.

10-30-2006, 07:12 PM	#1
MoreCowbell Lieutenant Colonel 530 Rep 1,702 Posts Drives: 24 i5M60 23 X740 23 Vette Z06 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Westchester, NY iTrader: (0)	MAC users...Should I join you? I have long considered making this change but my life became very busy the last several months. I am now very close to making the move, but I still have 3 questions. I was hoping to garner the opinions of some savvy MAC users if I could. 1) My Basic uses for a Laptop are, in order from Most use to Least use is... -Internet Surfing for both business and leisure -Email -Excel and Word -Music and Photo's(Non-Editing) What keeps getting me, is that these are the very things that a Window's PC does excel in. I am not editing photo's or video, not creating music or drawings. Is a switch really right for my type of use? 2) If I decide to make the leap, part of me is saying "wait" for Leopard. Is Leopard worth the wait? It sounds great and I feel that I will either miss out or cost myself the cash it will take to upgrade if I buy now instead of waiting. Is this true? I REALLY like the sound of "Time Machine". Also, I believe that having Leopard installed on the machine to begin with is a far safer than upgrading down the road. Is this true? 3) Probably my biggest stumbling block is this: I have a blackberry and use a Blackberry Enterprise Server(3rd party) to Sync my blackberry and outlook wirelessly(email, contacts, tasks, calendar). From my research, it doesn't seem possible for a Mac to do this. Also, it seems that "PocketSync" or whatever it is called, is extremely unreliable. As I am married to my blackberry, what is your recommended solution? Thanks in advance!!!
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10-30-2006, 07:53 PM	#2
typerlover Private 6 Rep 73 Posts Drives: coming soon Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Middle iTrader: (0)	I'd say I'm in a good position to comment on this since I've used both of them for a decent amount of time. For doing anything as far as just chilling with the computer, such as surfing, email, doing excel and word, and viewing photos I like the mac better because it does just that and somehow without much distraction. I don't know why but doing that on a PC does not provide that same level of comfort and effectiveness. I am a minimalist and enjoy the layout of the system. As far as music, that depends on if you use itunes on a pc. If so, then you will be just fine. I personally am a WinAmp user and don't like much of the bloat that is itunes, but it works just fine in OSX. One thing to note, is that when we talk about "internet" it is important to know that there are times, while not as often as before, that videos embedded in websites may not play properly in OSX. Sometimes upsetting, other times not a big deal. I would say make the switch just for the sake of getting a breath of fresh air and a change of scenery. That enough is worth it. As far as syncing your mobile, I'm sure that a PC will do that much easier and be far more compatible than on a mac. Everyone claims that you can now run Windows on the mac, and sure you can, but even still, just the fact of having to reboot to get into that system is enough to keep me from doing it too often. And emulation may have improved, but still is not the best alternative. So what to do? Do it like I said just to try a new system. You will enjoy it I'm sure. Apple hardware can be a tossup between great and piss poor. I've had em all, powerbooks, macbooks, macbook pros, cinema displays, everything. Just read on the forums and see what issues each model has,although the latest released of C2D Macbook Pro's may have improved a lot. Avoid the macbooks, the random shutdown is a serious issue and I believe it is an inherent flaw in the design of the laptop that affects EVERY unit. Sure some people may not be experiencing it just yet, but it will happen. Should they update the macbooks sometime soon though that may be something worth looking into. The iMacs are nice and don't have many problems either, and the 24" is a real monster. Good luck, let me know if you have any more questions.
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10-30-2006, 08:03 PM	#3
MoreCowbell Lieutenant Colonel 530 Rep 1,702 Posts Drives: 24 i5M60 23 X740 23 Vette Z06 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Westchester, NY iTrader: (0)	Thanks for your response.... Does the Macbook Pro also have the Shutdown problem or just the Macbook? Also...not sure I understand your answer as far as the blackberry. To me, Bootcamp is not a viable solution.
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10-30-2006, 08:10 PM	#4
ADHD Brigadier General 252 Rep 4,201 Posts Drives: F30 328i Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Magic Mountain iTrader: (38) Garage List 21 M540i [0.00] 07 e90 335 [0.00]	everything on a mac is sooo much easier!!! ull be glad u made the leap.. __________________
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10-30-2006, 09:42 PM	#5
whippersnapper Captain 23 Rep 972 Posts Drives: people mad Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Atlanta iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 BMW 325i [0.00] 2006 BMW 325i [0.00]	The new version of pocketmac is much better. My blackberry syncs fine. You can always run windows in parallels desktop (virtualization) if necessary. I think the shutdown problems were Macbook only and are now resolved. The Pro's are pretty attractive right now with the Merom chips (Core 2 Duo) __________________ __________________________________________________ __________________ 2006 BMW 325i, Jet Black, 6MT, ZSP, Black Leather, Aluminum, Power Seats, Logic 7
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10-30-2006, 10:12 PM	#7
tintivilus Lieutenant Colonel 26 Rep 1,826 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Lake County, IL iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 E92 335i [0.00] 2003 325i [0.00]	If you're looking at laptops, it's really hard to go wrong with Apple these days. Give it a try; if you decide OSX isn't your thing, they make damn good Windows machines... but all of my friends who used my iBook G4 for more than 30 minutes or so are now mac users. My #1 concern at first was the single-button trackpad, but it turned out to be a complete non-issue. You can "right-click" by either control-clicking or just putting two fingers on the trackpad when you click the button. It's a great machine for general use, where OSX's lack of routine maintenance really shines. The overall level of polish on both the software and hardware is tough to describe -- you just sort of get used to things working in obvious ways, and after a few months Windows seems clunky. btw, what's up with all-capsing "MAC"? it's not an acronym, just Mac.
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10-30-2006, 11:25 PM	#9
SE3P_to_E90 Banned 238 Rep 3,030 Posts Drives: E90 Msport + E83 Msport Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: MD iTrader: (29)	i didn't read, but most users of mac never go back due to the simplicity of use. i have an old g4 powerbook (last generation) if you want to try it out. it has wireless internet and all that stuff -- perfect for what you're looking for. looking to get rid of it, i have a newer powerbook. so let me know if u want to knwo more info.
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10-31-2006, 01:19 AM	#10
CraigG Enlisted Member 19 Rep 34 Posts Drives: 1993 Toyota MR-2 Turbo Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Boca Raton, FL iTrader: (0)	But PC's are wizzes with numbers. Attached Images
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10-31-2006, 01:20 AM	#11
Nikki Major General 1045 Rep 6,381 Posts Drives: Sepang Z4MC Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: LA iTrader: (9)	i like pc guy better, he's funny. mac guy is a jerk. __________________ Nikki
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10-31-2006, 01:21 AM	#12
CraigG Enlisted Member 19 Rep 34 Posts Drives: 1993 Toyota MR-2 Turbo Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Boca Raton, FL iTrader: (0)	Macs are great for creative stuff...even though it’s a juvenile waste of time __________________ I r oph topicness.
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10-31-2006, 01:39 AM	#13
firstkill Second Lieutenant 12 Rep 247 Posts Drives: e93 Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Alhambra iTrader: (0)	if the mac fits the budget then id get that BUT all the things u want done can be had on a 500-600 dell notebook.. obviously the quality isnt top notch more like poor, but if its gonna be used for basic stuff anything will do... ~fk
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10-31-2006, 08:23 AM	#15
txusa03 Major General 579 Rep 6,563 Posts Drives: TS330iPPSP6MT Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Planet Earth iTrader: (3)	gluck75, Mac now use the same intel chip found in PC. Mac no longer uses power PC motorola chip. Now that Mac uses intel chip, you can run pc applications on Mac without any problem. That is the direction they are heading. In the past, if you have a Mac, you really do not have to worry about virus attacks. Now that they move over to the intel chip, I wonder if this is still true with the virus attack and are they more prone to virus attack. Mac are more expansive. I like their new lazer mouse with the ball scroll in any direction, up, down, left, right, diagonal...I use both Mac and PC but use the PC more than Mac. But everytime I use the Mac, I am always impressed with it speed and graphics.
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10-31-2006, 09:29 AM	#16
TommyBahama Second Lieutenant 12 Rep 258 Posts Drives: e90 330i Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Umass iTrader: (0)	for me macs seem overpriced and tend to send out a message to other people that you are some sort of green peace snob. do they have a right click on the mouse yet? that was always a deal breaker for me, since i like FPS.
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10-31-2006, 10:40 AM	#18
MoreCowbell Lieutenant Colonel 530 Rep 1,702 Posts Drives: 24 i5M60 23 X740 23 Vette Z06 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Westchester, NY iTrader: (0)	Can I runt outlook in parallels?
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10-31-2006, 12:13 PM	#20
dmitri Private First Class 11 Rep 109 Posts Drives: 330xi Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Morristown, NJ iTrader: (0)	Personally, I am thinking about switching to Mac myself. Im tired of stupid errors all the time, things that don't work, viruses, exploits, spam - that simply doesnt happen on the Mac. I hate how the PC has to question my moves, or give suggestions, or simply not doing what I tell it. You hit X to close a program, why does it have to ask me if im sure or give me suggestions??? My next computer is definitely a small Mac laptop im fed up with Windows Read this ^^^^^
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10-31-2006, 12:21 PM	#21
txusa03 Major General 579 Rep 6,563 Posts Drives: TS330iPPSP6MT Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Planet Earth iTrader: (3)	my fav dumb error of PC is this: "cannot write file corejava.dll". was the error I got while installing oracle client. This happens a few years back. Well, I found the real problem and it was because there was not enough disk space. Yes, a better error could have been "give me more disk space moron." vs the above. Well, if you install any software lately, the first thing it checks for is disk space and depends on what you install, it also make sure the cpu and memory meet the minimum requirements.
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