My laptop is 3 years old. While that doesn’t seem very old in human terms, for a computer, it is kind of, well, old. A lot has changed in the past three years and it’s time for an upgrade…
When it comes to this much needed upgrade, I am not sure which direction to take. Should I stick with the PC or should I take the plunge and get a Mac?
I’ve always had PCs.. The last time I had to interact with a Mac was in elementary school while playing Oregon Trail. I know a lot of people who have Macs and swear by them. I have an iPod and am certaintly thankful that Apple invented that wonderful gadget. I’ve messed around with other Mp3 players and I have to say, they didn’t compare to the iPod. Would I love a Mac as much as I love my iPod? Or would I be kicking myself and wishing I had bought a PC?
I’m also a bit intimidated by the cost factor. A 15″ MacBook Pro starts out at just under $2,000. That’s A LOT of money. I don’t think I’ve ever dropped that much money on a single item, except for cars! Yes – I do realize the saying “you get what you pay for” exists for a reason. But it’s still kind of scary to put that much money into something, not knowing if it’s going to work for you….
From what I hear, a Mac will make my life easier. I’ll be able to record my podcast with ease (although, I don’t really think recording it with a PC is very hard at all). I will be able to edit my graphics easier (but again, I don’t feel I have trouble with this now…).
One thing that makes a Mac appealing is that there doesn’t seem to be a problem with them “locking up.” I’ve had a lot of problems with my PCs doing that in the past, and I’ve also faced the blue screen of death, a complete crash, and all kinds of other disasters. Macs are also known to be much faster than a PC and that would be a welcome change, as I think my PC is sometimes slower than a turtle on crutches ….
I am a bit worried about compatibility problems . And I do wonder what it will be like to use non-Microsoft products. (yes, I know I can buy Microsoft Office for a Mac, but after shelling out $2,000 for the Mac, I am not going to be able to afford any software).
So, like any smart consumer, I am going to research this heavily before I buy anything. I did go straight to the source and have been in touch with a rep from Apple who is going to put some info together for me. I sent a request to Dell and Hewlett-Packard, as well. So far, Dell hasn’t gotten back to me at all. I did receive an email from a very friendly and helpful HP staff member, but she worked in their printer department. She said she would forward my email on to someone in the PC area, but I haven’t heard back from them….
I am also interested in hearing from people with direct Mac vs PC experience. I took my question to Twitter and here are some of the responses I received:
“MAC — no versus just MAC. Never had a crash in 20yrs – doesn’t freeze up – A 20yr LOVE AFFAIR” – @thatwoman_soho
“Macs are better. Prettier, awesomer. The apps are always totally slick.” – @kimbuikimbui
“MAC!!!! I have an iMac, just got a PC laptop for cheap for hubby to dial into work and our macs are so much better”- @ChristieIngram
“Mac! Minimal virus problems, no blue screen of death, so much more user-friendly and they’re so much cooler than PCs!”- @JameeTPerkins
“I am a Pee Cee 🙂 I have a Mac but it’s a glorified television set I use mostly to watch Hulu LOL!” – @kellymccausey
“I use both, but slightly prefer Mac for work. If you’re happy with Windows, there’s no reason to pay the extra $$$ to switch” – @turboclaw
Like I said, I’m going to be researching this, and I will continue to write updates. In the meantime, feel free to let me know what YOUR opinion is!
I’m what one might call ambidextrous. I use a Mac at work and a PC at home. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. Yes, PCs tend to freeze, but so do Macs. It doesn’t take long for them to get bogged down and move really slowly and give you the annoying rainbow spinning wheel of death (not my term unfortunately).
I have to say that I do prefer the PC for several reasons. I don’t really do any graphic design at home, so I really don’t use my PC for that. I do graphic work at work and yes the Mac is great for that. But, everything is more expensive on a Mac, extra memory, extra components, it’s all a lot pricier. Also, should you need work on a Mac, people who are familiar with Mac trouble shooting are few and far between. That may be changing, however, but I know it’s been near impossible to find a good Mac tech guy for our office.
I’m not 100 percent sure that you get what you pay for thing works. I think Macs are just unreasonably expensive. My husband can rebuild a PC that works great with lots of memory for a third of what a new Mac would cost.
Also, it’s much easier for PCs to connect with sites that have software for upgrades and such. I never have trouble finding and loading software and using it on my PC.
It seems with the Mac that everytime there is an upgrade, the software does something quirky that can’t be fixed. Example: I use QuarkXPress on my Mac at work for newspaper design. Everytime I upgrade, something that I need that worked previously gets dropped, primarily standard newspaper fonts like Avant Garde and New Century Schoolbook. Frustrating!
For some reason, I find it much easier to troubleshoot on a PC. I suppose if you are used to doing all the graphic work on a PC and you can get good results, then why pay more?
These are just one user’s experiences, but I do use both regularly.
Hey, Crissy – thanks for the update about Mac. I, too, am wondering if I should release my PC of several years. I look forward to your findings and thoughts about same. If I hear of anything else about the Mac, I will be sure to send it your way for reference! Take care!
I’ve been a lifer PC and I am switching to a MacBook. I’ve done lots of research over the last month and I’m convinced Mac is the way to go. I’ll still use my PC desktops until they die (prognosis isn’t terribly long anyhoo). The two are compatible. If you don’t want to shell out extra $ for the Mac Office package, there’s openoffice.org as an alternative. I vote MAC all the way.
I use both- PC at my office and Mac at home. While I enjoy working on PCs, I personally would never spend money on one. I find them frustrating (occasionally) and while I suppose a mac can also be frustrating, the instances are far less. Plus I do a lot of photo/design work and macs are great for that.
They are a lot of money so it’s good you’re doing your homework and not buying impulsively. I have bought two in the past 5 years (my first one works fine, i just wanted an upgrade), and I could not be happier with them (knock on wood!).
Once you go MAC you don’t go back!
I’ve owned PC desktops and laptops for years, but my house is strictly Mac now. We have two iMacs (a 20″ and 24″) and a MacBook (13″) for travel. At first, I was hesitant to switch to a Mac – your mention of grade school and the Oregon Trail sounds exactly like me!
However, once I made the transition, I couldn’t have been happier with my decision. Anyone who tells you that a Mac isn’t an appropriate computer for business purposes is off base, as well. Macs are more expensive, but I do feel they are well worth the money.
Any time I’ve needed support, I’ve found Apple representatives FAR more helpful than the various PC reps. I use iWork instead of Office and honestly don’t miss it at all. I have absolutely everything I could ever want or need in terms of software and functionality on my Mac, without the hassles I struggled with on a PC. I’m of the opinion that once you go Mac, you’ll never go back.
They say “once you go Mac, you never go back,” and it’s true. I switched about 5 years ago and now swear by them. Ever notice how Mac people are VERY passionate about the brand? It’s for a reason – they kick ass. Yes, they’re a little pricier, but worth every penny.
What I have been told is that Macs are more for art stuff. If you do digital work, artwork, etc. Sure, I’m sure they are very practical for just business purposes too.
BUT I have also been told that you can find all kinds of free software for PC’s and with a Mac you must pay for everything you need. So…if you are on a budget, like me…I still have to use a PC. I never pay for software, and have everything I need. May not be hip, may not get the best image, but I cover my bases. I take the loss but I get a lot for the…lesser buck.
Mac all the way. If you enjoy saving time and money on with not having to deal with all the Pc problems, then do it.
You can also get a great one for $1500, and then get the microsoft software. I just talked with Apple, and they said the $1500.00 version is good enough even for a medical, or anyone doing lots of video.
When people say that macs are expensive, they are not as expensive as a pc after you buy everything you need to actually make a pc work.
Plus, since you make your money with you time, then a mac will actually give you money! Just think about all the time you have spend getting you pc safe from any virus, plus they never crash!
It is like asking if you want to spend the money on buying a new car or to buy the used tricycle at the next door neighbours garage sale. Yes, the tricycle costs less at the first, but takes a lot more of your time to get where you are going, and you will also have to pay for taxi fares as it really does not work everyday anyways.
Just look at your experience with just getting help with making a decision from the companys themselves.
With a PC, advice and help are at least $100 an hour, plus a long waiting time.
With a mac, you can walk into any store and they will give you help on the spot, even help with the project you are working on. Plus, you can buy procare, which for $100 a year gives you FREE phone help for a year, plus 52 one hour sessions to do anything you want. One on one. That would cost at least $5200.00 with a PC guy.
So to sum up, less time learing how to run, more time doing your work, easier, no crashes, virus, free tech support, less expensive as it comes with everything you need right away
I’ve done PC and I’ve done Mac, and I always come back to Mac.
The last newspaper I worked at had PC’s, and I’ve worked at several companies since that had PCs. At home my partner has a PC, and I have my Mac, and we share files and peripherals. They network well (plays well with others.)
My first (and last) experience with Vista brought me back to Mac. (In fact, Vista made my hardcore PC partner OK the Mac purchase and addition to the network.)
So, beyond Vista, why do I love my Mac?
I love drag and drop. If I want to attach files to my emails, I just drag and drop, don’t even have to click “Attach” and then “Browse”. If I want to transfer files to a USB flash drive, drag and drop. Do I want to attach photos to a document? Drag and drop and resize at will.
Installing is so easy, just hit “download” and the Mac takes care of it from there. Or, just drag and drop the application.
Oops! Did I just put something in the Trash I didn’t mean to? No problemo, just drag it back out to wherever I want (Desktop, into a folder, whatever.) My Mac aims to please.
I find the Mac applications more intuitive. I’ve been able to figure out Mac Pages, Keynote and iMovie pretty much without Help. Just put together my first movie (45 minutes of summer vacation. Now all I need is a captive audience.) Should I need an assist, the tutorials are also slick, fun to watch, and easy to follow.
I don’t have to defrag my Mac constantly to keep it running smoothly and quickly.
In 2007, Vista meant defragging became a weekend chore in order to start the new work week with any hope of getting things done nimbly.
Yes, I’ve had to get MS Office for my Mac to work with much of the PC world. (And of the applications on my Mac, guess which ones encounter “unexpected errors” and quit on me? Uh huh. You guessed it. )
My Macs last. I’ve had one desktop PC and one PC laptop fail after about 2 years. My Macs have eventually gone obsolete in 3-5 years (maxed out the RAM and hard drive upgrade capabilities) — but I quit them before they quit me.
My Mac isn’t perfect.
The battery crapped after just a year.
Various keys on my MacBook Pro keyboard stick from time to time after just 18 months of use.
But it’s faster, more user-friendly and intuitive, lasts longer, and crashes less. That’s really all I’m asking for in a home computer.
Miss IndieBiz Chick, I would go MAC. I reintroduced myself to a MAC about a year ago by purchasing a MAC for my home business and feel in love all over again. With a Mac I have less stress when it comes to a virus because most viruses affect Windows OS, updates to the PC and the unknown file format when documents are sent to that just want open, blank blue scrreen are all of the issues that do not apply to a MAC. I have worked on both a MAC and PC for years but I would never buy another PC.
And because I am a self-proclaimed “geekette’, the actual color of the notebook becomes as important as the notebook specifications. The notebook must match my home office decor.
MAC has lots of cool tools and simple to use: iphoto, ichat, iTunes (for your Ipod and Iphone), I have an Iphone and love love love the iphone. Other Mac tools: iMovie can load video onto your website and youtube. In addition, all these tools intergrate so no worries about if one tools works with the other. Also you can purchase a Windows operating system on a MAC.
Go MAC and I would rather work for myself than the Man on a MAC.
Mac Vs Pc? That is a Wonderful Question!!! I have always had PC’S and Always had problems with them. I am in the process of looking for a new laptop and the new Mac’s are looking better and better to me for a wide arrange of things.
I have an old Ipod that has been through complete hell and it still keeps going and going. I am very happy with the Ipod that I have and my boyfriend is also very happy with his new ipod touch. Apple always seems to have to latest and greatest products on the market!
I am hoping to have a new mac ibook very soon!!!!
I got a degree in Computer Science in the early 90’s and had a full on career in IT and various other computer related jobs. I used PC’s where we did lots of enterprise software deals and I was an avid PC user through the 90’s and into the early part of this century. When I left my corporate job in 2001, I was faced with this question and at that time, I remained in the PC world — primarily for Visio because it wasn’t available on a Mac at the time. in 2004 — yes, 3 years is a long time in computer land — I need a tool to address my video processing work. Hands down, if you’re doing a video podcast or making your own music, Mac is IMO the way to go. the integration is sooooooo tight and everything is so plug and play. Yes, your mac can freeze up — the first one I got (g4 laptop) kernel panic’d (the black screen of death rather than the blue screen of death) fairly regularly and no matter what tests I did, and even having apple care, what I learned is to buy your memory direct from apple and make them install it. I have subsequently gotten a second one – macbook pro and third one – iMac. On the 2nd and third machine I never had a kernel panic but I do have extra memory and I had them put the memory in and I have apple care which I highly advise you get.
I use MS Office — i learned too many skills when i had my corporate job to want to switch. but they are memory hogs and slow, so you do get the spinning beach ball of death — at least if you’re me — fairly often.
You can go with the cheaper model if you’re not doing graphics work, but if you are, i don’t recommend anything less than the macbook pro.
apple care is a must! seriously.
And finally, consider one-on-one. This program allows you to pay $99 for one year of lessons for 1 hour a week on any apple software around. I learned FCP this way — well, a good amount of it — in 3 lessons that really helped me a lot coming from using iMovie. and speaking of iMovie — do you know it has a publish direct to youtube feature?
I will say in addition to being prettier, macs are also lighter. They amount of time to make them sleep is quicker than PCs. If you’re doing any kind of graphics, video or music, this is the way to go. If you just need an internet writing station, then there really is no reason to spend the money.
So interesting. We have 4 windows computers and 3 Macs in our house. Two of which are notebooks. At one time I would have recommended Mac over PC but you said it yourself, a computer/notebook doesn’t last long anymore. I am actually shipping back a little HP Compaq that was on loan to my kids through a charter school. If I ever need another computer, I will certainly consider purchasing one. I think I saw them at Best Buy for around $500. It has such a little footprint and was incredibly quiet. With all the things that can be done online, I’d even consider a netbook and back up files to a little jump drive. There are so many options! I think I will blog about the other computer later, but right now I have to box it up!
Best wishes,
H4S
No debate. I have used both PCs and Macs for the past 10 years (at school, work and home)…finally stopped buying PCs and sticking with Macs exclusively.
and one more thing — I changed careers in 2002 from computer based work to running a fire dancing school. I make a ton of videos so the video processing piece was a huge deal for me then and still is today. FCP is *the* tool that most people I’ve talked to use — pros that is. It may have more bells and whistles than you need, but it’s younger brother (the lite version) and it’s cousin (iMovie) are born from the same brilliant minds and really, they work. I was able, having no video experience at all (i mean absolutely zero) produce a computer based training program with 1300 videos on my on on my mac g4 laptop.
We had a Mac for about a year. It was the most annoying desktop interface I’ve ever experienced. I don’t know if Leopard improved the interface but the one click mouse drove me nuts. Opening apps drove me nuts.
I’ve never gotten a computer virus and the only time I’ve had a PC crash is when it’s over three years old. (If you saw what I did to my poor computers you would know this just means it’s time to get a new box. I’ve been getting replacements every three years since my first Tandy-100 in 1989 LOL)
I don’t know if it’s just that I’m being a PC creature of habit or if I’d love a Mac once I got used to the new interface…but why would I pay the cool tax (don’t even TRY to tell me there isn’t one with how much those bad boys cost) to find out?
I could buy a macbook tomorrow but with the utter snobbery of Mac users (even my friends…Tammy “Mac Snob” Munson, this means you!) it makes me want to stay with PC and the unwashed masses. I mean, why would I choose my computer choice as the place to decide “Oh hey, maybe NOW is a good time to be a crazy, judgmental zealot!!” If it was really a better, faster machine…then I’d buy one – $2k or not. But I don’t know how to find out if it is…REALLY is…or if it’s just zealots and apple-beatniks who get excitement from the experience of just being an Apple User.
As a Mac user, I’m very biased. It’s very user friendly, you can use PC programs on it like Microsoft Word, Excel… However, they are more expensive and don’t have as much memory bang for the buck. I would say for graphics and video, use Mac, otherwise PC.
Diana
I’ve always been a PC girl. Ever since I got my first 600mhz (slow!) machine back in 1998 as a teenager, I’ve always stayed in the realms of the Personal Computer! A few times, I’ve had a play on friends Macbooks, but they just don’t seem to feel right. What’s with that funny little symbol which they use instead of the windows key? Or is it the ctrl key? Never been sure!
I think your primary choice of PC or Mac might come from what your friends and family use. My boyfriend at the time was a Mac Hater, so that probably swayed my choice for my first ever PC. Some people simply hate Apple products with a vengeance. I wouldn’t class myself in that group, but I definitely wouldn’t be an Apple lover. Maybe I’m Apple Nonchalant.
All the software I own is for the PC, I’m not even sure if I can install half of it on the Mac, so I’m not going to go there right now. And there would really be something missing from my life if I didn’t see that Blue Screen Of Death every once in a while.
Why buy a Mac Book Pro? The regular MacBook works great, and costs a lot less. Hmmm, consider a company refurbs and you might be able to get a 20″ iMac AND a MacBook for the same price as a Pro. Then you’d have the best of all possible worlds.
You don’t have to buy new apps. Use Boot Camp, or better yet Parallels, and all your PC stuff runs right there in a Window window on the Mac.
Strange as it may sounds WIndows runs better on a Mac. My husband’s 2 year old HP laptop didn’t have enough horsepower to run some PC games. Now he runs them on his iMac using Boot Camp and gets the performance he needs.
Hi Chrissy,
Wow, you’ve gotten a lot of great responses! I have used both (I have a Mac laptop at home and am forced to use a PC at my day job), but I am a die-hard Mac girl. There are a lot of reasons, but the main one for me is that working with a Mac is just simpler and more intuitive. PCs always feel so clunky to me, as if they’re running on backwards logic.
As far as the switch, one thing you’ll find is that it’s much easier to move from a PC to a Mac. Most Macs these days will recognize PC files and translate them as needed, whereas the reverse never happens. You’ll have to re-purchase some key software, but all of your files will transfer no problem.
Yes, the price is certainly tough to swallow, but look at it like an investment. I bought my laptop in early 2003 and it’s still kicking (without a single problem!).
Good luck making the decision!
Laura
We’re such dweebs, we have to have at least one of everything. Btwn SO and me, we own 10 (five are laptops) computers, all plugged and used except one (works fine tho). Two laptops run linux, two are pc (xp) and one mac, the newest toy. After using this Mac (mac book pro), I can only imagine that people who say Macs are better beyond compare, don’t know PCs as well as they know their Mac. I haven’t found anything I can’t do on my PC that I can’t do on a Mac but I have definitely found things I can do on a PC that I can’t do on a Mac. In fact, it’s really odd. Mac users don’t know PC users can do things they can’t. Like deleting individual email or web addresses that pop up in those user field boxes such as this one. Mac users are truly mystified, don’t know this capability exists. To erase all that garbage, they have to go into setting and delete all of them which is annoying because you have to reload those over time with usage.
And the one button mouse idea? Stupid. Just stupid. Mac adherents love to crow about the blue screen of death but I haven’t seen one since the mid 90’s. Buy a good PC brand and don’t buy lame OS (vista). I also don’t agree Macs are intuitive. Just try finding something and figuring out what those lame icons mean. It took me forever to find the applications folder, had to actually use “Finder” (another lame name) to search for the same of an application to find the breadcrumb. The icon for that folder looks similar to AI so of course I didn’t initially click on it because I didn’t want to run the program. And Macs don’t tell you that you can actually run a program without installing it which pissed me off because I went to the bother of setting all of my preferences and the next time I started up, it was no where to be found. Putting all the peripheral plug ins off to the left side is also stupid. The mouse cord has to go all the way over from the left side, around the back and down to the right to use it because I’m right handed -as are most people. Dumb. There’s lots of down sides to Macs. That said, it is a pretty machine and quite elegant.
NEITHER!! LINUX all the way, baby! The future is open source! You can easily download the Ubuntu OS to your “old” computer and and it will run well!
Please check out https://www.ubuntu.com/ and realize there are more than 2 options.
I made the switch to Mac a few years ago and will never look back. Any design, photo, music/recording programs you use will run so much better. I also feel it’s easier to customize it to fit your needs than a PC.
The only negative experiences I’ve had were directly related to my battery. Make sure not to plug in for long periods of time especially if it’s sitting on a bed or couch! The plastic on the plug-in started to melt and my battery has never been the same. A cooling holder is a great idea, these little guys get really warm.
Also, every fall there are awesome deals on Macs, Mac products and accessories. If you can wait it out it might make the decision process less expensive!
Good luck!
THIS SHOULD NOT EVEN BE A DEBATE! Hands down, go with a MAC!
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Don’t do it. While Mac proselytizers can be as evangelical, fervent, and passionate as Born Again Christians, there’s a reason PCs have, like, 90% market share; they’re simply better, and for much less money. That two grand you’ll have to drop for the Mac? You’ll get a giant HD screen, Blu-Ray playback, loads of RAM . . . a dream-machine PC, basically. No lie.
Viruses? I don’t get this argument. Just don’t look at porn. Don’t open things you don’t trust. How difficult is this? I’ve used PCs since 1996 and never had a virus.
I’ve also never understood the Vista bashing. I like Vista a lot. I’ve never found it remarkably unstable.
I don’t know. It always seems like the main argument is that Macs are so much more “intuitive” or “easy to use,” which always makes me wonder who’s using them, and if they think PCs are that much more difficult. Like iPods. Everyone’s all like, “ZOMG, a five year old could operate it.” Which is fine, I suppose, but not something I would care about, if only because I’m, you know, not five.
Mileage varies, of course.
I was a PC up until 6 years ago & have not looked backed since becoming a switcher. My original laptop (ibook) is used by the kiddos and they love it and find it easier to use than the PC at school. My kids love my new powerbook G4 b/c of Garage Band-they have become composers and have dualing wars to see who composed the best piece of music.
This creativity that both kids under 9 are inspired to & can do (and yes they figured out how to use it by themselves!)….is invaluable.
Love all the things I can do -graphics, video, etc!
Wouldn’t use a PC even if it was given to me for FREE!
Randi
Wow! I am loving the comments, so keep them coming! This is all really good food for thought…. and it is definitely making me think (A LOT!).
I’m speaking to someone from Apple later today, and I will be back with an update after that…
Until then, keep posting because I’m reading!
-Crissy
DO IT Take the Plunge!
I was so nervous about switching to a Mac – had been a PC user for ever. It is easier – very interchangeable if you buy the Microsoft for Mac.
In fact what I did was bought parallels and my Mac acts like 2 computers. On my PC side I have quickbooks – because in Canada you can’t buy quickbooks for Mac. But I do everything else on my Mac side.
I’m a boomer and it didn’t take me long to learn the short-cuts – you’ll catch on even faster.
Had it for a year – wouldn’t change it for the world.
Only down side – even though I installed an extra gig of ram to account for the parallels – there are times when it is a little slower than I would like – having 2 computers going at once.
All the best in your decision making 🙂
I switched a few years ago from PC to MAc and I haven’t regretted the move. I’ve had many problems with my PCs in the past and none with MAC (it’s been 4 years now). It all depends on your needs and how proficient you are/want to be in all the computer details. I always found PCs more complicated to use. I was hesitant to switch due to the price but I’m glad I did. I’m also a visual artist and MACs vibe with my nature more.
I use a PC at work and a MacBook at home and hands down my Mac is better, primarily because it allows me to be more productive. It’s faster, it doesn’t get bogged down as easily, with Leopard’s time machine I am constantly backing up my data without having to think about it, it’s much easier to search for something on my Mac’s hard drive (my PC takes a long time to search only to return irrelevant “matches” my Mac finds the document I’m looking for as I type in the search query), I have an Apple store down the street from me with a genius bar willing to brightly answer any question I have, I’ve never had a virus (can’t say the same for my PC), the dock keeps everything I need within one-click without mucking up my desktop, and my Mac makes me feel more creative.
In an ideal world, I’d have both. In fact I technically do but my iMac is a bit long in the tooth now. What do I prefer? A PC. But my reasons are practical – I’m not just a design geek but I’m a hardware geek as well – I’m a Systems Admin in my day job. I can fix or upgrade my PC with my eyes closed. And I have a good source of cheap parts to do it with. Not the case with a MAC. Also keep in mind that it’s not just the cost of the new laptop, but the software that you might have to replace – although you could run Parallels to use your Windows software on the MAC (if it’s Intel based of course).
Sooooo I’m no help. In a nutshell either are strong choices. You’ve got to decide what will best suit your situation. I will say I disagree with the person that said a MAC isn’t as expensive as a PC after getting the things you need to make a PC work – I can get a laptop inexpensively, or build a PC quite cheaply. Just because I have a PC doesn’t mean I have to run Windows after all, Linux is getting to be a competitive choice for the home user.
Check out https://technologizer.com/2009/04/07/macbook-pro-expensive-round-two/ for the former editor of PC world’s take on the Mac/PC debate
Take the plunge Crissy, get a Mac. I went from a PC laptop to an iMac six months ago. I also had reservations about the cost and compatibility, but am so VERY glad I decided on Mac. iWork replaced Microsoft office seamlessly for me. The single biggest difference I am grateful for is that I don’t have to worry about all those anti-virus programs that slow PCs down to a crawl!! Good luck:)
Looks like you are getting a lot of great feedbackl! I’ll add my 2 cents, too. 🙂 We replaced our home PC with a Mac mini 5 years ago. That little thing is still plugging away, though we mostly use it for our iTunes library now. My son has a PC which does have more frequent locking up & virus issues. He likes it for gaming, though. My husband and I both use Macbooks and *love* them. He purchased a refurbished one from apple a year ago and it hasn’t had any issues. My macbook is a breeze to use. Most applications are much easier. Good luck with your decision!
I’ve owned macs for about 8 years. I love it. The primary reason I use it is for my design software {illustrator, indesign and photoshop}. We have both in our house, though…our family computer is a pc, and not bad. I just love my mac, though…it’s a tough choice, and takes a bit of getting used to the new platform once you change over {even though it’s really easy to use}. Go mac!!
Here is the definitive answer to the Mac .vs PC debate.
https://www.collegehumor.com/video:1894839
However, I design on two PC laptops and a custom built tower. My other designers work on both platforms. I feel it is 6 to one and a half dozen to another. Mac’s tend to be better for new computer users and those that might be intimidated by computer maintenance.
Good Luck!
W. Dyer Vest
Northwest Phoenix
http://www.northwestphoenix.com
I’ve always used PC’s, and the few VERY brief experiences I’ve had with Macs were not the least bit amusing. I never understood why people said Macs were so intuitive; *they* (the Macs) couldn’t perform the functions by themselves, and I sure as heck couldn’t figure out how to do anything with them!
If you’re basically happy with your PC, then you may want to consider a different *brand* (i.e., I’ll probably never get another PC of the brand which is commonly referred to by two consonants). i’ve had a Dell for about 5 years now and while I have gotten the blue screen of death a few times (including just this evening), it’s been a good machine and lived a good life and I know it’s time is coming …
Remember that any software you already have for your PC probably won’t work on the Mac (unless you set it up to run Windows too, which I’ve heard can be done), so you’ll need to buy new software. Do you use Dreamweaver or Photoshop (2 popular and rather expensive programs)? Are they going to work on a Mac, or will you need to replace them? Will your current files (word processing, spreadsheets, etc.) transfer to the Mac? HTML files shouldn’t be a problem, of course.
Good luck, whatever you decide is best!
I have been using Mac’s since the 1980’s – and I am a mac lover to the core. At work, I have used both Mac’s and PC’s (sometimes both at once!) and always when it comes to making “things happen”, Mac’s are more elegant. Sure, you will have to think of it as an investment, as your current software will probably not work. However, I have had my current Mac – a lowly ibook – since 2005 and it’s still good enough for everything I do, including web builds, graphic design, word processing, spreadsheets, and internet use.
If you like elegance of UI, speed, longevity and resistance against computer viruses, you will love Macs. Plus, the ilife software they come with is pretty useful if you play around with it.
If I had the dough I’d upgrade to the dual platform versions, but like I said, my old “clunker” is doing just fine.
My husband hates macs because he likes to go into the operating system and break things. I like to be able to mess around without breaking things…so to each his own.
Hi Crissy!
We just bought a new imac in January, after having our ibook for 7 (yes, 7) years. We never had any problems with the ibook, other than we just overloaded it with too much stuff, and it was running very slow. I LOVE our new one, and would never go back. I use a PC at work, and it after only using our Mac while out on maternity leave, it was quite a bummer coming back to a PC. Macs cost more, but they are worth it. Not just for the looks, but the fact that I have never really had a problem with them in all the years I have had them. With an Apple, if you are trying to figure something out, the easy, most obvious way you think it would work is how it usually does.
Jump in, the water is lovely!
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