Mac / Windows: Whats The Best ?

[kc8yff 0]

I need someone who has used both Windows and Mac to respond to this post.

 

I am trying to upgrade my (Windows) computer. It looks like it will cost me the price of a new Apple Mac Mini. It might be worth it for me to get a Mac.

 

Like I said, I would like someone who has used both Windows and Mac consistently. I don't want people to respond that have gone to Best Buy and played with a Mac. I want someone who (for example) uses a Mac at home and Windows at work.

 

You can reply to this post or:

AIM: kc8yff

YIM: kc8yff

MSNM: kc8yff@hotmail.com

Thanks. Edited December 21, 2005 by miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG (see edit history)

[MajesticTreeFrog 0]

I need someone who has used both Windows and Mac to respond to this post.

 

I am trying to upgrade my (Windows) computer. It looks like it will cost me the price of a new Apple Mac Mini. It might be worth it for me to get a Mac.

 

Like I said, I would like someone who has used both Windows and Mac consistently. I don't want people to respond that have gone to Best Buy and played with a Mac. I want someone who (for example) uses a Mac at home and Windows at work.

 

You can reply to this post or:

AIM: kc8yff

 

YIM: kc8yff

 

MSNM: kc8yff@hotmail.com

Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That would be me. I used PCs for most of my life, then got a mac. But, I still have to use PCs at work. That said, you didn't ask what you needed to know about the platforms, so let me know and I will tell you all that I can.

[kc8yff 0]

Thanks for replying. There are just two questions I have:- Which OS is more user-friendly?- Which OS do you prefer?Thanks.

[MajesticTreeFrog 0]

Thanks for replying. There are just two questions I have:

 

- Which OS is more user-friendly?

- Which OS do you prefer?

 

Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mac is the answer to both questions for me. After I bought my ibook, which is what I am writing this on, I rarely used my much more powerful desktop anymore. I just didn't want or need to.

 

That being said, any computer you get, make sure to put in at least 512 MB RAM. OSX needs this much, and apple is being silly selling things stock with only 256.

 

The other thing you should take into account is software. What do you need to do with your computer?

 

Let me know, and I will make sure there is software that does it(cheaply) on the mac.

[ndhill 0]

For the most part, when it comes to software, you can find mac compatible programs fairly easily. Either the developers of the program you want made it themselves, there's a third party port or there's a substitute that closely resembles it. You'll probably need to get used to buying things online though. Most major retail stores like Best Buy or Circuit City do not carry mac compatable software. I'm not sure about CompUSA. Be sure to correct me if I'm mistaken, anyone.

[MajesticTreeFrog 0]

For the most part, when it comes to software, you can find mac compatible programs fairly easily. Either the developers of the program you want made it themselves, there's a third party port or there's a substitute that closely resembles it. You'll probably need to get used to buying things online though. Most major retail stores like Best Buy or Circuit City do not carry mac compatable software. I'm not sure about CompUSA. Be sure to correct me if I'm mistaken, anyone.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

CompUSA carries Mac software. Also, there are Apple stores all over the country(world) now and they have a fantastic selection of software you can buy.

[ndhill 0]

I forgot the apple store. We don't have one in our area yet but we do have a cool little local place called Gorham-micro that specializes in selling and reparing apple computers and selling mac software... I imagine it that doesn't compare to the Apple store though. It's strange why we don't have one. Our former governer, Angus King, initiated this huge plan to provide all low income students in high-school and junior high with iBooks. You'd think after that, Apple would've more agressively pursued the PC market here.

[kc8yff 0]

Basically I will need:- A good word-processing program.- Good photo viewer and editor.- Video editor.- POP3 program.- Nice internet browser.- Chat client that can handle MSNM, YIM, and AIM.Thanks.

[ndhill 0]

A good word-processing program. - Appleworks which probably comes with the machine.Good photo viewer and editor. - iPhoto or just about any image editor you can think of is available for the mac. There's a program called Graphic Converter too, which I believe is also out for the PC, and that's a handy little piece of freeware.Video editor. - iMovie, iDVD, Adobe Premiere. (the first two are free).POP3 program.- I wouldn't know.Nice internet browser. - Just about anything you can think of plus Safari (by apple) which blows 'em all out of the water.Chat client that can handle MSNM, YIM, and AIM. - iChat handles a AIM and mac.com accounts. I'm sure you can find something that handles the others too.

[kc8yff 0]

I'm sure the POP3 program is available. This summer (I am a high school student) if I made the $500, I'll seriously consider the Apple Mac Mini.Are there any good games for the Mini?

[MajesticTreeFrog 0]

Basically I will need:

 

- A good word-processing program.

- Good photo viewer and editor.

- Video editor.

- POP3 program.

- Nice internet browser.

- Chat client that can handle MSNM, YIM, and AIM.

 

Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Word processor: you can use appleworks, but it is outdated. You can buy MS Word, if you want, but it costs money. You can get NeoOffice J, which is good, and open source, and free. You can also get pages, which is sorta half word processor half layout. For most people it provides a good mix(though it could use a few more advanced word processing features). I use word, cause I have it. However, I think I will be using NeoOffice more and more now that I actually bothered to download it. It seems faster than word.

 

Video editor: iDVD/iMovie. They work and come with all macs these days. If you spend 100 (only this price when buying the mac, otherwise 300), you can get Final Cut Express, which is a professional level video editor. I edit video for my day job, and if I am lucky, I get to use this program or its big brother(final cut pro).

 

POP3 client: Mail. This is part of OSX. Its easily the best email client I have ever used. By a LOT. Every mail client should work this well.

 

Nice net browser: Safari, Opera, Firefox. All very very good. I use firefox just cause its what I am used to. I may switch to Safari when verion 2 comes out with OSX 10.4

 

Chat client: Fire or Adium. Both fantastic, I use fire. Both are free

 

 

As for games, the mini(along with every other 500 computer) isn't for gaming. Really, if you want to do a lot of gaming (as opposed to being productive), don't get a mac. Or at least, be willing to plunk down the cash for a much more expensive powermac. Mac users in general care about getting work done, and not dealing with BS, rather than gaming. So, if you are a very light gamer, it might work. If gaming is a big deal, either get a console and a mac(if that works for you) or get a PC and deal with the BS that comes with it.

[kc8yff 0]

I am not a big gamer at all. I sometimes play small games (not big ones life Counter Strike) like the arcade games in this forum. It's not worth buying a powerful computer because I could care less about them and I rarely (once in two years) play them.

[MajesticTreeFrog 0]

I am not a big gamer at all. I sometimes play small games (not big ones life Counter Strike) like the arcade games in this forum. It's not worth buying a powerful computer because I could care less about them and I rarely (once in two years) play them.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Then a mac will suit you perfectly. There are also plenty of emulators for the mac so that you can play older console games like those on the super nintendo and such.

[kc8yff 0]

When you made the transition from Windows to Mac, how exactly did you feel? Were you comfortable with the Mac at first? Did you find it easy to get adjusted to?

[MajesticTreeFrog 0]

well, It took a bit of poking around. Some things are in very different places. But it was very fast. What makes the Mac so user friendly is that settings and such are in the same(logical) place for every program. So, where settings are is always the same. Keyboard shortcuts are always the same, etc etc... So, once you have found a few things, you know where basically everything is. The other thing you have to do is 'free your mind'. A lot of times i would be trying to figure out how to do something, and be thinking in windows terms. So, I would be hunting for some setting or dialogue box, when all I really needed to do is say, drag and drop, or some other totally intuitive operation if I hadn't been brainwashed by windows. After a bit of this, you like Mac FAR more than windows. I am writing this on my mac laptop instead of sitting in my big comfy chair in front of my windows desktop.Overall, the Mac is VERY easy to get adjusted to. Heck, I have been using windows for years, and there are some things I know how to do on the mac better in 3 months than on windows(though I am sure there are situations where the opposite is true).The other thing that makes the mac very easy is the excellent help system that is built in. Unlike windows, using help can really teach you how to deal with the system. Its one of the ways I learned.