Persuade Me To Buy A Mac...

Dude, you're getting a Dell! Nah just kidding. There really is no persuasion necessary since you already hate windows. I'm telling you, vista is no better. In fact as it currently stands its worse than XP. UAC is a joke, my fresh install of vista ultimate gave me no less than 15 pop-ups of UAC it was so frustrating to see "This program wants to install X driver for Y hardware. Cancel or Allow" Well other than the initial price of getting a Mac, there really is nothing to stop you. While true that it maybe expensive compared to "other" PC laptops you can get out there, Macs are truly value for money. Plus you can't put a price tag on "the experience" which is truly amazing. I once spent 15 minutes messing around with an XP box trying to get it to output to a projector while using spanning instead of mirroring. With my MBP now, I just plug and play baby!

From the perspective of a recent switcher, I can tell you about "all the little things."

1. Good all around hardware quality. There are a few (note the few) laptops out there that are thin, light, have good battery life, and a quality chip. In fact, the macbook and macbook pros are the only computers that seem to have it all. A few Thinkpads will be slightly lighter, but have less power. Some Sonys will be thin, but have bad battery life, and so on. Mac hardware really seems to have a good balance between all the important factors for a notebook.

2. OS X is really awesome. Not only is it pretty, but it has a lot of functionality that is missing from Windows. Example: Expose. Alt+Tab is really pathetic when compared to Expose. The Dock is also a much better concept than a "Start" menu. And Dashboard, what can I say except that it's my favorite little toy

3. It's pretty. The hardware that is. Macs are by far the best looking computers in the world. Nothing even comes close. I want to use my computer now, rather than thinking of it as another appliance.

4. Trackpad is so much better. The macbooks/pros have a much larger trackpad than regular PC laptops. It makes using them much, much easier. Also, putting two fingers on the trackpad is much better for right-clicking and scrolling. On my old PC laptop, I would have to keep two fingers on the buttons: one for the left and one for the right. Scrolling was also a pain because it was off to the side, and I would sometimes accidentally swipe it. This doesn't happen on a Mac laptop.

5. Setup is super easy. It took all of five minutes to do everything. My old PC laptop took about 45 minutes to setup. My dad actually looked at me with a confused face when I told him that I was already surfing the web, only a few minutes after I had opened the box.

6. iLife is a great thing to have. Even though I haven't used all of the apps yet, just having them waiting for me is great. That's worth at least a hundred or two.

7. Everything plugs in without trouble. My old laptop (an HP) had problems with our printer (also an HP!!!). My mbp was ready the second I put in the USB cable. I had to do nothing. The same was true for my digital camera.

All of these things have proven to make my Mac experience just awesome. In fact, my dad even wants to use my computer from time to time, even though he fought tooth and nail to convince me not to get it. Even he's considering getting a Mac now! Anyways, just my perspective.

OS X is pretty much all you need. If you need some Windows stuff, just install Boot Camp, Parallels or Crossover like others recommended. I will never switch to a PC. Mac showed the truth that there is something better out there than Windows.

dartzorichalcos said:

Once you go mac, you'll never go back.

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You're about twenty posts too late, check out post #8.

If you dont play games then theres no real reason to get a PC laptop over a macbook. They are relatively the same price. I cant think of a single reason to get a PC instead of a macbook other than games, the macbook has supperior build quality and doesnt come with annoying bloatware. Desktops are completely different since apple refuses to offer a midrange expandable desktop, so the difference in price can be extreme and usually not worth it unless you are wondering what to do with your disposable budget.

My list

1. OS X is reliable, any Windows since Windows 95 is flaky.
Yes, a clean install of Windows can actually work fine, and get the job done. But install a few programs on it, then uninstall them, then install something else and use your computer for a year. If you have Windows, by this time your OS has a myriad of small and annoying problems and glitches, and you feel that your computer is not as snappy as it was a year ago. The only solution is to reinstall Windows. The reasons for that are multiple... But this has been a fact of life ever since 1995.
On the other hand, OS X will continue working - like new. You would not know when it has last been reinstalled.

2. Malware, spyware, crapware. None of it on OS X by design.
Granted, with Vista Microsoft has clamped down on this somewhat, and if you don't use Internet Explorer - you are reasonably safe. However, it is still there, it still exists, and the results of even a single infection can be disastrous. As in you will need to reinstall Windows.

3. A Mac is easy to back up and restore. By design.
All the OS X configuraiton information is stored in flat text files. No registry or anything funny like that. All the software is stored neatly in bundles, and all your personal config files are in your Library. You can put any Mac in a Firewire disk mode, and copy amy information to or from your hard drive without booting the OS. So even if you hose your Mac OS X install, restoring from a backup (or making a backup in the first place) is a snap. Can't do that with Windows - typically you need to reinstall it and all the programs that you use.

4. Hardware and drivers.
Ever tried installing Windows on a typical Dell laptop? You will need to download a separate driver for pretty much every component in your machine, and reboot it 7-8 times. To have the latest drivers you will have to check manually for updates - and sometimes a new driver may make Windows unbootable. Which in many cases means you will have to reinstall Windows. See a pattern here?
You have none of those problems with a Mac.
In addition, compare how a Mac machine looks with how a typical consumer Windows box looks. I don't know about you, but 10 glaring blue LEDs and two useless buttons for launching my mail program and browser are not my idea of beauty and elegance. Maybe I am strange.

5. Apple Store, warranty, and customer support
Name me another PC manufacturer who will replace a broken key on your machine while-you-wait. Or exchange your battery. Or do a lot of simple things without you having to spend hours on hold and having to wait for a delivery truck.
Apple support people are also surprizingly competent. I typically avoid using other companies' tech support (to save myself the aggravation), but Apple does definitely stand out here.

6. Resale value.
Macs hold their value very well over the years. I have owned quite a few, and every time I was able to sell them for 50% or more of their original price after 2.5-3 years. Try that with any other computer. Most likely it won't sell at all - or it will go for $100 on Ebay.

intempo808 said:

Okay, im 15, sick to death of Windows already becasue it keeps breaking. Persuade me to buy a new MacBook, rather than a Vista ready laptop ready for college...

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Umm... here's a huge section of Apple's site completely devoted to persuading you: http://www.apple.com/getamac/

Nobody here should have to *persuade* you - it's a decision to make on your own.

This picture sums up everything I could ever say.

CalBoy said:

From the perspective of a recent switcher, I can tell you about "all the little things."

1. Good all around hardware quality. There are a few (note the few) laptops out there that are thin, light, have good battery life, and a quality chip. In fact, the macbook and macbook pros are the only computers that seem to have it all. A few Thinkpads will be slightly lighter, but have less power. Some Sonys will be thin, but have bad battery life, and so on. Mac hardware really seems to have a good balance between all the important factors for a notebook.

2. OS X is really awesome. Not only is it pretty, but it has a lot of functionality that is missing from Windows. Example: Expose. Alt+Tab is really pathetic when compared to Expose. The Dock is also a much better concept than a "Start" menu. And Dashboard, what can I say except that it's my favorite little toy

3. It's pretty. The hardware that is. Macs are by far the best looking computers in the world. Nothing even comes close. I want to use my computer now, rather than thinking of it as another appliance.

4. Trackpad is so much better. The macbooks/pros have a much larger trackpad than regular PC laptops. It makes using them much, much easier. Also, putting two fingers on the trackpad is much better for right-clicking and scrolling. On my old PC laptop, I would have to keep two fingers on the buttons: one for the left and one for the right. Scrolling was also a pain because it was off to the side, and I would sometimes accidentally swipe it. This doesn't happen on a Mac laptop.

5. Setup is super easy. It took all of five minutes to do everything. My old PC laptop took about 45 minutes to setup. My dad actually looked at me with a confused face when I told him that I was already surfing the web, only a few minutes after I had opened the box.

6. iLife is a great thing to have. Even though I haven't used all of the apps yet, just having them waiting for me is great. That's worth at least a hundred or two.

7. Everything plugs in without trouble. My old laptop (an HP) had problems with our printer (also an HP!!!). My mbp was ready the second I put in the USB cable. I had to do nothing. The same was true for my digital camera.

All of these things have proven to make my Mac experience just awesome. In fact, my dad even wants to use my computer from time to time, even though he fought tooth and nail to convince me not to get it. Even he's considering getting a Mac now! Anyways, just my perspective.

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the only thing I dont like about macbook/mbps are the trackpads....i havent figured out the two finger thing, but not being able to right click drives me crazy

jayeskreezy said:

the only thing I dont like about macbook/mbps are the trackpads....i havent figured out the two finger thing, but not being able to right click drives me crazy

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If you have only one finger on the trackpad, it will be a regular right click. If you have only one finger and you drag, it will be a regular cursor drag. If you have two fingers and click, it will be a right click. If you have two fingers and drag, it will scroll. It seems confusing, but once you start using it, you'll understand just how much better it is than regular PC trackpads.

iToaster said:

(I've heard of iMac G3s still running after 8 years)

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Ha! My sister actually still uses her 8-year-old iMac G3

Sell your old setup and then buy a lightly used MacBook with the software you need.

intempo808 said:

Okay, im 15, sick to death of Windows already becasue it keeps breaking. Persuade me to buy a new MacBook, rather than a Vista ready laptop ready for college...



Thanks

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PLEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSSE! Come on, BUY A MACBOOK!!!

If that isn't persuasive enough, I don't know what is.

intempo808 said:

T

P.S. One last question, i have a lot of software that i use on my Windows XP PC, such as Microsoft Office, The Sims 2, Adobe Photoshop CS8 etc. etc. What do I do with these when I get my Mac? Are they compatible, because I odnt really want to use Bootcamp to run Windows... that defeates the object of having a MacBook!

Thanks again!

You all rock!

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Unless you want to use Parallels or another virtual machine, your PC software won't install on the Mac.

So, for instance, you'll need to "purchase" the Adobe products for the Mac platform, as well as everything else. Same with Office. If you have the Windows CD's, they won't work in OSX (outside parallels).

I'm facing the same problem, I've got a new Mac Pro on the way, and I've got to re-acquire all the software I need. No big deal, but still, if you don't have OSX discs for the software, you have to buy it or, well... is there any other way to get software other than buying it?

intempo808 said:

Thank You!

You've successfully persuaded me to buy a MacBook...

As you all stated, Windows is unreliable and doesnt always work, whereas, a Mac does.

From what i have researched from the sites some of you gave me and the information given to me directly from you guys, the hands on users, thye sound awesome... and i really cant wait!

I need money and fast...

I have £40-50 so far... only £650 to goooooo!

You lot are great!

Thanks

P.S. One last question, i have a lot of software that i use on my Windows XP PC, such as Microsoft Office, The Sims 2, Adobe Photoshop CS8 etc. etc. What do I do with these when I get my Mac? Are they compatible, because I odnt really want to use Bootcamp to run Windows... that defeates the object of having a MacBook!

Thanks again!

You all rock!

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There are 3rd party solutions such as Crossover, Here are all of the supported applications: http://www.codeweavers.com/compatibility/browse/name/

There are around 3,000 supported applications.

All you have to do is pop in the disk and launch crossover and voila it will run those applications no problem.

I'd rather convince you to buy another Windows machines. If you buy a Mac, you'll lose out on:
- all the latest and greatest viruses
- all the latest and greatest spyware and adware
- all the latest and greatest MS bloatware
- the weekly hard drive scans
- seeing your Vista Experience Index score (2.5, don't worry )

You know you want all that fun stuff. Buy a Windows machine today!

you buy a mac and you buy a quality machine and Yes you can run vista on it toooo. will that do it

Excellent usage

I really don't care one way or the other which computer you buy, but you should be commended for your proper use of the word "persuade," which the rest of the world seems to think can be completely replaced by "convince." Keep up the good work.

Samuel Beckett said:

I really don't care one way or the other which computer you buy, but you should be commended for your proper use of the word "persuade," which the rest of the world seems to think can be completely replaced by "convince." Keep up the good work.

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convince |k?n?vins| verb [ trans. ] cause (someone) to believe firmly in the truth of something : Robert's expression had obviously convinced her of his innocence | you couldn't convince him that a floppy disk was as good as a manuscript. • persuade (someone) to do something : she convinced my father to branch out on his own.

persuade |p?r?sw?d| verb [ trans. ] cause (someone) to do something through reasoning or argument : it wasn't easy, but I persuaded him to do the right thing. • [ trans. ] cause (someone) to believe something, esp. after a sustained effort; convince : they must often be persuaded of the potential severity of their drinking problems | [ trans. ] he did everything he could to persuade the police that he was the robber. • (of a situation or event) provide a sound reason for (someone) to do something : the cost of the manor's restoration persuaded them to take in guests.

From Apple's own built-in dictionary So yeah I think we have been doing a lot of "persuasion" haha

The best use of "persuade" was in "The Last King of Scotland". Here's a deleted scene of Idi Amin using Vista.

"Nicholas! I hate this Vista. It is like when i was a child and the British army officers would beat me for nothing. How could you let me get this thing? Why did you not tell me to get a Mac?"

"I did! I told you to get a MacBook!"

"But you did not persuade me, Nicholas. You did not PERSUADE me."

Post deleted.

Are you sure you want a Mac?

refurbished stock

intempo808 said:

Okay, im 15, sick to death of Windows already becasue it keeps breaking. Persuade me to buy a new MacBook, rather than a Vista ready laptop ready for college...



Thanks

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Why not save some money and buy one of the reconditioned ones on the Applestore. I got my Brother a MacBook Pro for 1299 euro instead of 2000 Euro. It was completly unused but re packaged in plain brown packaging and wasnt the latest Intel chip but one about 3 months old. I also got an iPod Nano refurbished and again in plain packaging. Just do a search for ''refurbished'' on the Applestore site.
BTW Ive been using Apple since 1988 and also use PCs in work. Theres no real comparison, you pay a bit extra but its worth it.

suneohair said:

Are you sure you want a Mac?

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Are you sure you want Vista?