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432 Comments
- fishgeekva, on 10/12/2007, -56/+34012 You'll regret your purchase, but you'll get over it.
Everyone I have known to switch has only recomended it to others. - axiomflash, on 10/12/2007, -43/+246i switched a couple months back. very reluctantly. i can only say positive things about the experience. in fact i tell others my mac is a 'lifestyle improvement tool'. absolutely no regrets.
- rarkai, on 10/12/2007, -46/+208I made the switch 3 years ago, and I cannot recommend it enough.
- JasonPrini, on 10/12/2007, -32/+164Yep, I have NEVER heard of anyone regretting their Mac purchase.
Every single person who I've seen switch in the last couple years has said the same thing to me. "It's just so much BETTER!".
I'm not saying Mac is better in every way, I'm agnostic on this one. I use both all day long. But I do prefer to use my Mac. - ucbrave92, on 10/12/2007, -24/+114I have to say the same. While I still use my PC for some things, mostly gaming, all of my important functions I have now began doing solely on my mac as I find that I am simply more productive when working in the OS X environment.
- nogami, on 10/12/2007, -16/+81Or in my case, you buy a Macbook and you switch between windows and OS-X and use both.
Who cares what OS you use - just pick whatever is necessary for the task you're currently doing. When that task is over, move to the next task and choose again.
This isn't a religion folks (thank goodness). - finkployd, on 10/12/2007, -8/+74Wow. I guess I am. Thanks for setting me straight there.
- velocitychannel, on 10/12/2007, -6/+70>>You'll have a few moments where you really, really wish you had purchased that Dell laptop for $399, and you'll seriously consider taking the Mac back to the store, but eventually you'll get over it and wonder what the hell you were thinking.
I know plenty of people who regret buying a $399 laptop from Dell. You get what you pay for. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -15/+70One thing missing is networking, especially with windows computers. It works...I can't say its better, but it could be improved upon. My only other gripe is no universal binary version of Office and Photoshop, but that will all be fixed in a few months.
After 9 months of use I can say there are some things Windows does really well...and there are other things OS X does really well. Neither is way better, but the functionality of OS X fits my preferences better so I use OS X. - typo180, on 10/12/2007, -10/+63Surprisingly enough, running the latest and greatest game is not a huge selling point for a lot of people.
- birch25, on 10/12/2007, -13/+60i switched 2 years ago and i have to say this list is really pretty accurate. the club part especially; i definitely started to notice who else had macs and instantly felt a tiny bond with them. it was weird, but it still happens to this day.
i don't know if everyone gets mocked though. the only person who gave me a hard time was my roommate who's a comp sci major and was big on windows because it's "mature" and macs are for kids. he's lived with me and my powerbook for almost 2 years now and he's ready to buy a new computer. guess what brand he's getting :) - confusednazgul, on 10/12/2007, -23/+69Wait, when did homophobia become cool?
- 8177, on 10/12/2007, -10/+55What if I use windows on my intel mac? Does that make me a Bisexual or a hypocrite?
- MomoTheCow, on 10/12/2007, -7/+52As a current satisfied owner of an iMac, I have an insider's understanding of why Mac users can be so enamored by their machines that they almost come across as fanatical. I catch myself being like this sometimes.
As a former PC user, though, I can also understand why so many people want to punch loud Mac evangelists in the face. - Quix, on 10/12/2007, -24/+65"After this post I'm blocking the apple section."
On behalf of Mac users everywhere, I say thank you.
P.S. hate to interrupt your comfortable stereotyping, but the subculture of diehard Windows users is hardly an improvement, as you can see by our friend dizzyedge's comment above. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -12/+51You want an honest opinion from someone who was a PC Fan-boy for years? It's not that hard to come by, and many people I've met are extreme in their choice of PC or MAC. They love one and hate the other - but they normally feel that way without having ever tried the alternative.
I love both my PC and my Mac - I need them both. They're both great products, and too be honest, I don't think one could prosper without the other one's existance. - fpssledge, on 10/12/2007, -9/+48#23, you'll have gaming withdrawls
Come to think of it, I havn't had a virus on my PC for quite some time now. I use bittorrents, p2p programs, etc. And still, havn't had a virus in a long time. Even when I did have them, it was just as simple as making a scan and away it goes. I think the whole perspective on the viruses-for-PCs arguement needs to be tuned down a bit. - expunged, on 10/12/2007, -16/+53As a comment to some of the above postings, I switched to a Mac from linux a little over 2 years ago. I used it for about a year, and then switched back. I found it frustrating and lacking in a lot of ways and, over time, realized that I just didn't like it.
Off the top of my head and in no particular order, here are some of the reasons why:
* I have ripped my entire music collection to FLAC format. FLAC is supported on the Mac, but only peripherally. Yes, there are old players like MacFlac and there is a FLAC library for the Mac, but FLAC doesn't integrate into OS X. A new version of Quicktime breaks a FLAC plugin, and suddenly I can't listen to my music using iTunes anymore. I also can't really do much else with my music without bringing in all sorts of outside applications and packages because of the way OS X is built. Apple pushes how smoothly everything works together- and it really does- as long as you use Apple solutions.
* Java support, at least then. was problematic. It was there, but you were completely reliant on Apple for your JRE or SDK. Want JDK1.5? Sorry, gonna have to wait until we get around to it. Yes, I know 1.5 is out _now_ for Macs, but the point is that I shouldn't have to be dependent on Apple to decide what Java version I'd like to run or develop with.
* Maybe I'm spoiled after so many years of using linux, but I found OS X lacking in certain tools. Text editors are a good example. Why on earth should I pay money for a text editor? Some of the best in the world are available for free under linux, yet some company wants to charge me an arm and a leg because their editor has syntax highlighting? I'm aware of (and even used) fink to get some packages I wanted, and it's a neat idea, but I don't want to have to set up separate X servers to do work. I'm lazy.
* Games. There just weren't very many. After investing in an expensive Mac system, I was hoping to be able to do at least a little gaming. There are some good games out there for the Mac, but the pickings are pretty slim.
* Fish. I really was hoping Finder had the capability to work like Konquerer and Fish. Alas, it doesn't.
I guess the whole thing left me feeling just ho-hum. It sure looks pretty, but that was about it for me- looks will only get you so far. Overall, Macs are well-built machines- I still find myself looking at macbooks from time to time. But then I remember that, once I have it, I have a hard time actually _doing_ anything I want to do with it. - totorototoro, on 10/12/2007, -3/+36Why switch? I use both on a daily basis. Thinking about setting up Ubuntu too.
- totorototoro, on 10/12/2007, -22/+51Poor dizzyedge, can't seem to get over obsessing about gay people :p
- drwtsn32, on 10/12/2007, -5/+34"You'll be continually amazed at the fit and finish
[...]
As a matter of fact, the power button on my current Mac is broken. I have to disassemble the keyboard and touch two points on the motherboard to turn it on if it turns completely off due to the battery draining."
LOL - PleaseJustDie, on 10/12/2007, -6/+33I bought a 1500 dollar dell laptop, died 3 days after the warranty expired. I'll never purchase another laptop from dell.
- datisit, on 10/12/2007, -10/+37My story of when i got a mac.(Might not be very well written but I'm only 13...:) )
I got a mac about 2 years ago because our PC box decided to openly invite in all spy-ware, viruses and whatever else rubbish that came through the flood gates.
I was only 11 years old and didn't know anything about computing what so ever. My dad told me about the Macintosh and i agreed not really knowing what it was.
When my dad took the iMac G5 box out of the carrier bag i was sold. The box looked so inviting. I wanted to open it but i was told to sit and watch. When it was out and standing on the table i was quite confused.
"Where's the box?" i asked, and even my mom was confused. At the time i didn't realize that the whole computer was inside what i though to be i really thin display. (Our old computer was a tiny and was absolutely massive. Think it only had about 256m ram...)
The moment it turned on and the create account process started i was almost tingling the anticipation. My dad created an account and we logged on. The desktop was so clean and fresh and i was amazed when the dock came up and the menu bar came down.
I always thought that IE was 'The Internet' and when i could not find this icon i had grown to know i now wondered where the 'Internet looker' was. I soon found out that everything in OS X is self explanatory. I found in the dock what looked to be a compass, "for navigating" i figured. All the other icons, the same. A postage stamp, a CD with a double quaver on it, a calender date, a smiley face which when i clicked on brought me to the 'My Computer' equal which when hovered over told me it was the 'Finder'. And of cause, a panel with i light switch and the apple logo on with to me meant something along the lines of 'flick the switch to see more or behind the scenes'.
2 years down the line since then and now i am absolutely hooked on everything apple, computing and gageting. I leaned pretty quick to not be afraid of messing with settings and open every window just to find out more whereas most of my friends are like
"oh no!!!! i clicked something and something happened!!! I must have a VIRUS!!!"---I'd probably quote an apple commercial :).
When asked what apple are, my friends say "Oh, you mean iPod?" They no practically nothing about apple and when i told them what a mac was they just laughed and told me about their new Acer or Dell not knowing that really that's just what is printed on the box and it's what specifications it has that actually accounts for the speed.
That was my story on the coming of the mac into my life. It's a pretty short version as i can't be bothered to write anymore and Newsfire just bounced telling me I've got 5 new articles.
DC - Greyarea, on 10/12/2007, -12/+39"Buying a Mac is the ultimate sign you are a sheep and are showing the world that just like the 5th ipod you have bought, you are a slave to Apples incesant marketing."
Sorry, are you saying that opting NOT to go with what 95% of the computer using population are using makes you a sheep?
Didn't think that through very well, did you? - ahawks, on 10/12/2007, -7/+33I like this chain of comments here. It's like a giant Mac circle jerk. The one guy who pointed out a negative experience (thcobbs, at -1 when I read through) got buried and everyone toting how they love their Mac are at 20+.
- zweben, on 10/12/2007, -2/+27While you should be able to use iWeb pages in every browser, as a web designer I must say, they do suck.
The load times are about 10x what they should be, because it makes damn near everything an image. (including body text sometimes)
It's still version 1 though, so i'm sure they'll improve it. - LJRod82, on 10/12/2007, -2/+25In all honesty, Dell sucks and I'm a PC person.
- typo180, on 10/12/2007, -2/+22Regardless of your preferred OS, you should be able to appreciate this article for reporting some of the bad along with the good and for not resorting to name calling (I'm looking at you, dizzyedge)
- pluggedout, on 10/12/2007, -12/+31I would second that. I don't know many people that have Macs (I work for a MS development house), but those that do speak well of them.
- WiseWeasel, on 10/12/2007, -9/+28You can run Windows on a Mac... The main titles are typically Mac-native as well.
- jarinudom, on 03/31/2008, -6/+24I'm as big a Mac fan as any, but I can't stand iWeb. I use Rapidweaver instead :)
I laughed at that article, because it was spot-on hehe - hode, on 10/12/2007, -4/+20The new intel macs dual boot. Boot into windows to play that game that never made it to mac, boot back into OS X for everything else.
- MomoTheCow, on 10/12/2007, -4/+19Mike, your sarcasm is lost on this speed-reading crowd.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+22Rock solid Vista system...
you what? - MaxwellsMac, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16Wait.. you're a "tv pro major" that suggests Premier? Um, try again... I don't think you want to put Premier against FCP when it comes to high end work.
- davidlow, on 10/12/2007, -4/+19"#3: People will help you for no reason.
Other Mac owners are usually fairly willing to help you get up and running on the Mac. This may be self-serving on their behalf, because it helps sell more Mac stuff which in turn justifies their investment in a company with less than 10% market share, but it's still a perk."
I disagree. Here's why:
A) Generally, when I help a Windows user with their problem (I'm a former Windows network admin) their problem doesn't go away easily, and it now becomes my problem, including any cans of worms Microsoft has buried in there. So I'm always reluctant to get involved.
B) Generally, when I help a Mac user with their problem (I've been using Macs at home for 3 years) their problem goes away, or it resolves itself without my continued donations of time. So I'm always happy to help.
There are exceptions to both cases, of course; but not many.
This is why, if you are a new Mac user, other Mac users will be happy to help. There's very little danger of getting sucked into a tedious commitment. - pixelbender, on 10/12/2007, -7/+22#23. Apple isn't Dell when it comes to warranties.
With Apple you call them, get the box the next day and send it off that day, and usually have your item back 2 days later. Oh, and they speak English on the phone. - tarmithius, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16The irony in that statement was worth it.
- Quix, on 10/12/2007, -3/+18"It drives me crazy that the keyboard on my macbook has no forward delete key"
Hit fn-delete to do forward deletes. Sure, it's an extra key to hit, but it becomes second nature after using it a few times. My PC laptop has separate backspace and delete keys, but I actually prefer my MacBook's method after using it awhile. - JasonPrini, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16Installing is a pain?!
What can you possibly be doing wrong?
Open package. Drag icon to Applications folder. Done.
To delete:
Drag application icon from Aplication folder to trash. Done.
No DLLs. No Registry, no problems. - etruscan, on 10/12/2007, -10/+2401 People will ridicule you for having a Mac
Like people don't ridicule you for owning Windows, or running Linux. It happens all over.
02 You'll feel like you're in a little club
This is part of the "elitist Mac owner" attitude most people refer to. Mac people are rabid with Mac fanatacism. That's not a bad thing, but it's not a good thing either.
03 People will help you for no reason
I've owned a couple of Macs for quite some time. While people were not necessarily unfriendly, they weren't any more or less helpful than those in Windows circles.
04 Fewer people will try to attack you
The virus thing is absolutely true. However, since installing Windows XP I can count exactly... zero times that my computer has been infected with a virus. Spyware is likely more prevalent, but that comes with the territory when you take up so much of the desktop user market... and I can live with that.
06 You'll have some compatibility problems
More importantly, you'll have a much narrower choice in software, and virtually no choice when it comes to choice games.
08 You'll be continually amazed at the fit and finish
I do (guiltily) care about the aesthetic look of my toys... and Apple certainly excels at modern design. I often find their design overly simplistic, and some PC manufacturers and case designers are creating beautiful designs of their own... but I'll admit Apple has a real edge here.
09 You'll have a few "damn it!" moments
I seem to have more.
10 You'll have some "ah-ha" moments
Ah-ha moments happen anywhere where you're learning something and doing cool stuff, and all OS's let you do cool stuff.
12 You'll regret your purchase, but you'll get over it
I was the other way around. I only regretted the purchase later on, when I began to realize that I couldn't achieve (as easily) what I could on my PC, which is now my main machine... and when that gaming support never materialized.
13 You'll be amazed at how little there is to modify
I like modifying.
14 You'll actually have to plan your reboots
The PC has now been running for 2 weeks without a reboot, and was hoping for longer on the Mac, but it seemed to need it in about the same intervals.
...I congratulate the list for noting both the good points and bad points of owning (or switching) to a Mac, but some of them just don't ring true to me, and I happen to own a PC running Windows/Ubuntu and an iMac. - confusednazgul, on 10/12/2007, -3/+17I don't necessarily agree with all of those points, but I think that was refreshingly honest.
- hcnelson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15I got a MacBook a few months ago. I like it a lot and all of these things are very true.
I still have a couple Windows machines (my desktop, that I use primarily and laptop) I like Windows and plan to keep using both.
I guess I just don't see why everyone is so up in arms about Windows vs. Mac when they really work so well together. - totorototoro, on 10/12/2007, -12/+26thank god for xbox, PS, and Wii.
- Patranus, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1907 The Internet will be mostly the same
The Internet *should* be 100% the same but because MS does not follow web standards (debatable if they set them and not W3 being the defacto web browser - another discussion entirely) and poor web design - usage of Active X.
11 Keyboard shortcuts will drive you nuts
Last time I checked (I use both Mac & PC) the shortcuts are 99% the same in cross platforum applications and about 90% the same between operating systems.
12 You'll regret your purchase, but you'll get over it
The author uses price as an example of this, but with the recent switch to Intel CPUs it is crystal clear that apple products are extremely competitively priced. It was hard to price PPC v x86 systems.
15 There isn't much stuff to buy for a Mac
Everything that I have bought recently from the most expensive wireless bluetooth keyboard (all functions work) to the cheapest USB print server (Hawking's Technology - on sale at Frys... ) has just worked. Just because the little OS X logo is not on the box does not mean that it will not work.
16 You'll spend more money than with Windows
Has also been refuted. Use google. There is also a lot of *good* freeware out there for OS X while much of the freeware for windows is shotty at best. - hode, on 10/12/2007, -4/+17How is drag and drop a pain?
- alecks, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16I'd just like to add something which I haven't seen mentioned in all these PRO Mac lists.
With a Windows box, the more software that is installed and the more time that passes, the slower the box gets.
With a Mac, it'll run just as fast years later full of every program you can think to install, as it did the day you opened it. - KeepSwinging, on 10/12/2007, -9/+22actually i play unreal tournament 2004 all the time on my mac, and it runs incredibly.....
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -17/+29Another disappointed Vista user, I see?
- deadbaby, on 10/12/2007, -4/+16I'm very happy with my switch experience. Besides the fact it's a great computer I've been amused at the reaction it gets. Most of my friends know I am a hardcore geek and when they first saw my Mac they weren't sure exactly what to think about it. Since then, 2 of them have also bought Macs. My favorite Mac related experience so far was on a train ride to Boston. I had a total stranger sit down and ask me how I liked the Mac because they were thinking of getting one so I did a quick 2 minute demo of why I love OSX for them.
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