please help me.....thinking bout switch to mac

air23cary said:

will there be a better video card in the imac by xmas?

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Probably not, but if you're lucky, they'll update the iMacs on January 10th when Steve does the Macworld SF 2005 Keynote presentation. But even that would be only 4 months after the intro, so don't count on it.

how does safari compare with mozilla?

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For me, Safari is less snappy as far as loading pages. I switched to Firefox a while back. In my opinion, Safari looks better and goes along with the OS visually better than Mozilla and Firefox do, but for performance, I'd take Mozilla/Firefox.

what if dual layer media becomes standard in the next year, will i be able to put a dual layer burner in the imac or is it in there already?

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I could be wrong here, but I don't think you can replace the optical drive in an iMac. I don't think it's currently dual layer.

are there things like winmx and kazaa for mac where i can download music without having to pay for it?

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I don't think we're allowed to discuss this on the forums...

...but, in case you're ever inclined to utilize p2p file sharing for its many perfectly legal purposes, check out Poisoned.

also i would put a gig of ram in the mac.......i have read others prefer to get aftermarket ram though.......what should i do if i have no idea how to put the ram in? is the apple ram much worse?

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I bought 1 gig (2 sticks of 512) directly with the computer from Apple. It was more expensive ($200) but I felt it was worth it because then it's covered by the warranty, basically guaranteed to work without a hassle, and I didn't have to open up the computer. But it's really not hard to add RAM to the iMac, my impression is that it's really easy to open, and the RAM slots are right there, you can always ask for more help if you need it. But if money's not too much of an issue then you might just want to get it from Apple like I did.

why else should i get a mac? any reason will be greatly appreciated.

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My personal reason for choosing Mac OS X over Windows is that it "just works." With Windows, the operating system (and various spyware and viruses, of course) can basically do whatever they please with your computer. With OS X I always have the feeling that I am in control of the computer, and can make it do almost whatever I want.

example: with Windows, you have to kindly ask the computer to add or remove a program (using Add/Remove programs); with OS X, you just put the program wherever you want to, by yourself, and it's easier and faster that way.

edit: double post

will there be a better video card in the imac by xmas?
Unlikely but Apple is notoriously silent on most upgrade time frames.

how long does it take to copy/burn dvds?
The more RAM, the better on this one.

how does safari compare with mozilla?
I find it is a very usable browser. It works about 99% of the time and when it doesn't, I use Firefox.


what if dual layer media becomes standard in the next year, will i be able to put a dual layer burner in the imac or is it in there already?
No duel layer drives but from the looks of it, the iMac's optical drive is replacable (would probably void warranty is not done by an Apple Authorized Tech).

are there things like winmx and kazaa for mac where i can download music without having to pay for it?
Officially - We do not condone the use of P2P clients for the use of downloading free music/movies/games/programs. iTunes music store offers 1 million songs at a very reasonable price. Version Tracker and MacUpdate offer a great selection of Shareware/Freeware programs.
Unofficially - Yes there is.

also i would put a gig of ram in the mac.......i have read others prefer to get aftermarket ram though.......what should i do if i have no idea how to put the ram in? is the apple ram much worse?
Apple RAM is not poor quality, it is just overpriced. Other World Computing and Crucial offers good RAM at decent prices.

why else should i get a mac? any reason will be greatly appreciated.
1. No (or unknown) viruses, spyware, etc.
2. Stable, powerful OS.
3. Many free high quality programs with every Mac purchase (iLife and many more)
4. Computer that holds its value much much longer than Wintel boxes.
5. It's a Mac, the BMW of the computing world!!!

will there be a better video card in the imac by xmas?
Probably not, but I wouldn't be surprised if they made it to where you could upgrade the video card. Look at the new laptops lately. Besides if you have enough RAM you won't need a greatly better video card

how long does it take to copy/burn dvds? a little shorter than the PC because mac has better burning capabilities. Macs are just better

how does safari compare with mozilla? Safari you can make it to tabbed browsing. I love using Safari + you can install Mozilla and Firefox on Mac if needed or wanted

what if dual layer media becomes standard in the next year, will i be able to put a dual layer burner in the imac or is it in there already? Its probably not going to happen, but they might show you how you'd go about replacing it, or you send it into them to do it.

are there things like winmx and kazaa for mac where i can download music without having to pay for it? Yes iMesh is for Mac, I think. I think it is bc I think I saw a Linux version. You just have to check with WinMX (I don't think it does) but you can find Mac clients or extensions to where one client works for multiple clients.

also i would put a gig of ram in the mac.......i have read others prefer to get aftermarket ram though.......what should i do if i have no idea how to put the ram in? do a google search or ask here on the forum. I think it has a thing to take off the back you can just stick the RAM in and go.
is the apple ram much worse? no, its just the same as PC RAM, there is no difference. You can buy crucial RAM or kingston and put it in a Mac as long as its the same DDR type

why else should i get a mac? any reason will be greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]
You should get a Mac because its the perfect computer. They already have had 64-bit out for over 2 years now. They're ahead of the market and design. Besides the iMac G5 only uses 1 Power Cord!!! So you have tons of space available and it saves you on outlets. You can buy tons of external things or use external things that already work for it. Such as printers and that. I use my keychain memory thing and it works even on OS 9.2 here. The panther interface is just beautiful. Tiger will be 64-bit coded so it'll run so much faster. A Mac doesn't go through a pre-op POST before your computer starts loading. Viruses aren't propigated as easily. When you buy applecare and if something goes wrong you can just send it into apple and get it fixed for free. Internet is connected automatically - I didn't have to configure it when I connected it up to my router like I had to with all my Windows PC's. I still when I format my AMD computer I have to configure internet. AMD is better than Pentium btw. If you choose a PC get an AMD 64-bit PC, no intel. IBM makes the G5 processors so you have great dependability. Panther doesn't crash. The OS is so stable, you get no BSOD's (blue screen of death). Need anymore reasons. I'm going to mac btw and I love this wallstreet I'm on right now. I'm upgrading to Jaguar which is the highest I can upgrade. If you're still questioning it, buy an older iMac and see how you like it. Or an eMac. Its all fun and good and that. But if you're a serious buyer, buy a G5.