Apple/IMac or PC?

Off-topic
1

My Gateway PC is old. It runs Windows 98SE, and doens’t have the capacity to upgrade to lots of stuff, and not just due to the limited memory, but due to the speed.

I was going to get a new one now.

But what about an Apple/IMac?

I’ve heard that only 1% of the home computers are apples, but they account for 90% of the tech support business.

I know people are so damn loyal, they can’t hear or speak rationally about this choice.

Is there someone here who can?

In this moment, I’m actually open to an Apple/IMac.

Your thoughts?

2

Why not get one?
If you don’t like the OS switch to Windows and your set.
Every apple now comes with an intel chip so you can switch back to windows. Or you can get a windows emulator so it is just another program you pop up and it is like having a windows computer running.
I tried to keep my apple bias low a bit for this post, I hope I did a good job.

3

Billy, I have both… so my opinion here is sort of neutral. I have a PC that runs XP pro that I built and run my website off as well as some games and things. I also bought a Macbook Pro 15" for college. I love the new Apple. I rarely use my PC. I think Apple has really covered the bases on services and features. They are initially more expensive, but I’ve found my new computer to be well worth the money. If you’re thinking of getting an Apple (I’m not putting Apple down here…), get a model that has been out for a little while. I made the mistake of getting my Macbook Pro shortly after they came out with the Macbook line (and switched to an Intel-based system). I haven’t run into many issues, but there have been some that have been corrected in the newer ones. I know that most companies go through stages of development and things, and Apple is very understanding.

It’s false to say that PCs are more susceptible to spyware/adware and viruses. It’s simply that PCs are targeted more than Macs because more people have them. But all you need is good anti virus software and you should be all set.

As habbywall said, you can always run windows with the mac anyway. I haven’t personally done this yet for lack of need, but I know people who run CAD software on windows on their mac and say it works great.

4

Is there any specific software or tasks that you need to do with the computer? For example, do you have a GPS and does the GPS have a Mac version of the software. The first thing is to figure out is if there is any software, hardware, or tasks that you need to do or use that would prevent you from being able to switch to a Mac.

Do you have an overwhelming desire to create a web page for your cat?

5

You could always run Mac OS X on a PC. I vote for the mac.

6

Hell yes.

Check your sources. Apples represent a minimal percentage of the personal computer market (more than 1% but less than 10), but they also have the best customer satisfaction and repair record of any brand. Try Consumer Reports or PCmag.com to research this. The hardware tends to work better because it’s a mostly closed system, so it’s a lot easier to make something that works consistently than with the open platform of the PC.

Hell yes.

I had a PowerBook and my older PC for over a year before I finally gave up the (aging) PC. I have two reasons to use a PC now. To test Web projects, and to use software that doesn’t have a Mac equivalent. Right now I don’t have any software I need a PC to run; I have reasonable Mac equivalents for all. And some old games & things that probably won’t run on today’s PCs or Macs, like my You Don’t Know Jack CDs, which require OS9. I’ll live.

The Mac platform pretty much has software for all purposes, but there are usually less choices in any given category. But some of my most-used apps are the same for PC and Mac: I use Entourage for email, which is Microsoft’s version of Outlook on the Mac. I use Firefox. I use iView MediaPro to manage my photos. It comes in Windows and Mac flavors (and the company is now owned by Microsoft :astonished: ). I use Photoshop. I’m actually on CS3 (beta) now.

As mentioned, you can use a Mac to run Windows also, so you can have the best/worst of both worlds on the same piece of hardware. Use Parallels Desktop and you don’t have to reboot either. I’m going to be setting this up on my new iMac but am waiting for the price of XP to go down (and not in a hurry).

Correct. Susceptibility may be about the same for both, but it’s hard to tell because there’s almost nothing being targeted to the Mac OS. Spam, phishing and other types of scams are going to be the same of course, and if you run Windows on a Mac you’ll still need the usual compliment of security software.

But get this. I run my Mac with no antivirus software, no anti-spyware software, and basically only the security stuff that came with it. In other words, I made up the price difference between a similarly-equipped PC right there. Macs are not really more expensive than PCs, especially if you count time spent dicking around with the above software.

This does not mean there won’t be a time when the Macs will need this, but that time isn’t yet.

I have this one: http://tinyurl.com/38sd9b
A web cam is built in (as on all but the Mini), and it comes with Web creation software, video editing, DVD authoring, photo organizing, sound editing and lots of other useful software preinstalled. Full versions, BTW, not some introductory versions that suck.

And my sound works great. :slight_smile:

Disclaimer: I have friends who work for Apple. And friends who work for Intel. And I used to work at Intel. And nobody’s going to give me anything.

7

Macs ride unicycles (and build web pages for cats). I think that pretty much settles the debate.

8

Don’t let the operating system guide your choice, you can run either operating system on either hardware. People say you can’t run Mac OS X on non apple hardware but it is definitely possible, heres my proof:

I call it a Macindell laptop. Granted it is much much easier to get windows running on a mac than the other way around and for that I vote for the clean and efficient styling of the iMac.

9

That video is awesome. Thanks for sharing.

10

since I was raised with macs (the only computers in the house that aren’t macs are my dad’s work laptop and my “gaming laptop” which I have given up on attempting to make work again, it broke, again) I would say mac but that is biased, I’m pretty sure that now I’d still go with mac if I weren’t biased…

11

I know a lot of people with macs that are really satisfied with them, and they look like they work pretty well for most people that actually use them for work. I hate how they animate every single little thing (and also the lack of a right click button), but macs are begining to look much better in my opinion.

I have windows and I like the way I have it working on my computer, but there is a lot of crap you have to deal with. You might want to go with mac just because it is easier to deal with, buy you are going to have to get used to only having one button to click with…

12

You can disable the animations and as far as one mouse button, most of the newer mice, even though they look like one button they act as two depending on where you press down.

13

you can also use any USB mousew witha Mac, you don’t have to use the mouse that come with it…

14

go mac

if you just want a functional computer go windows, if you want a computer that is elegant, functional and versitile get a mac.

and john, you can play your “You Dont Know Jack” jsut fine on your new mac, just find your origional program disks and OS 9.2 should be on disk 2.

15

i didnt like macs until i got used to them and learned the “basics” it only took like 10 minues but afterwards i loved my mactop tons! i still use my windows PC when im downloading a file that might be infected

16

It depends what you need it for really. But 90% of the time I’d recommend a Mac. I have one, and i LOVE it. No seriously, i LOVE it.

17

Crash Different :smiley:

18

Clean and efficient?

I run Windows XP Professional, with bbLean GUI.

It’s clean, sleek, doesn’t need fuss with setting up hardware, and I can play games on it.

19

If you’re still running 98SE, it doesn’t matter what computer you buy. It’ll be like star trek either way. For surfing porn and posting on unicyclist.com, you may as well save some $$$ and get a PC.

20

Ouch! More dissing of unicycles. From Mr. PC. I’m not sure what your message is here, JC?? :roll_eyes:

It was a cute spoof of the myriad Mac commercials like it, only it wasn’t very funny. Unless you appreciated the unicycle crack at the end.

And yes, with a Mac you can build a web page for your cat right out of the box (iWeb). Of course you can with a PC as well, if you’re good at hand-typing HTML (Notepad).

I hadn’t really noticed the animation that much. The only animation that I find annoying is when a program wanting your attention bounces up and down in the Dock. This doesn’t happen much, and you can turn that behavior off if you want. The right-click thing, on the other hand, I 100% agree with. What’s so bad about putting a right-click button on a Mac mouse? Too complicated? My new iMac came with the cool Mighty Mouse, which has right-click functionality (without the actual button, which can get a little annoying), and a pretty cool little trackball in the center. I used it for a couple of days, got fed up and went back to my Logitech TracMan. In other words, any USB mouse will work.

That’s funny. Not sure if you meant to say it that way, but those infected files are probably harmless to a Mac, but if you want to save them for your PC that’s fine. :slight_smile:

That one was a little funny. But mostly I feel bad for the poor, helpless guy who doesn’t want to learn how to use his Mac. The do things a little differently, but they work fine. Programs occasionally crash, and when this happens they do disappear completely. Some come back with a dialog box that asks if you want to restart. This is handy with Firefox, which offers the option to restore all the tabs you had open. In over three years using Macs, I’ve hardly ever had the actual OS get stuck. When that has happened, the power switch has always worked. Like a PC, you do have to hold it for several seconds to turn the thing off.

one area that troubles me sometimes with both my iMac and my older Powerbook is the slot-loading CD/DVD drive. Sometimes the disc doesn’t want to come out, and there’s no obvious way to eject it. Also, mini-discs and credit-card ones can’t be used in there. But I’ve never been completely stuck. Usually the eject button will work if it won’t eject using onscreen commands.

Nice! That’s about the best-looking Windows GUI I’ve seen.