A few impressions coming from a PC to Mac!

[Imola Ghost]

I just bought a Macbook 2.4GHz Unibody w/lighted keyboard 2 or 3 days ago. I wanted to post up some initial impressions of my user experience.

Well I've used a Mac for a little while a few years ago when I the Mac mini's came out but became frustrated with it and sold it after a few months. And then the iphones came out and I bought one of those and I believe that has helped me where I'm at today with using a Mac. So the transition from iphone to a Mac has definitely helped.

Before I even turn on my Macbook I replaced the stock 250gb hard drive with a Seagate 500gb 5400 hard drive. It was VERY easy to do. I had to have a little help with getting it to boot to the OS DVD but that was easy once I knew what to do. Formatting and installing OSX was extremely easy and comfortable even though I've never done it before. Once everything was installed I began to customize things which I'm sure I'll learn some better ways as I go but I've got it right now.

Upon configuring Mail and a few other things I've noticed that when I want my Mac to do something it does it. I played with iChat today with a friend and that program is very nice and you know what, it was easy. Everything was functional like the screen display, where your buddy can take control work on your computer. I've done this similar program on a PC and it was a freaking nightmare to get to work. We did have a problem with trying the File Transfer within iChat and found out that you can't do the screen share and File Transfer at the same time. Even after we cancelled the screen share we still couldn't do the file transfer. I'm sure it's user error or some setting but we'll figure it out. If someone know let me know on the file transfer.

I plugged in my iphone 3G and began to transfer and sync files I needed. I must say that my PC is no where close to syncing as fast as the Mac was. It was copied, synced, transferred and done it NO TIME at all. I would say it was about 1/2 or a little more faster syncing than a PC. I was very impressed. I don't what it is but it just works.

I'll post up some more impressions after I install some programs and see how it goes from there. But I do have to say that I love it and I'm glad that I'm comfortable with leaving Windows. There are a few programs that I'm going to miss but I'm sure I'll find a replacement.

The programs I'm going to miss are:

Tag & Rename (ID tag editing program-INCREDIBLE)
dBPowerAMP (CD encoding-I like to rip my music to FLAC)
Ross-Tech VAG COM (Audi/VW engine code diagnosing)

 

[anjinha]

I'm glad you're enjoying the transition. And I'm sure you'll be able to find Mac equivalents to the programs you need.

 

[testcard]

I followed a similar route - I was always PC-based until I bought an iPod touch last year and it set me thinking. Now 4 weeks after buying my MacBook I'm a total convert. And the best thing is that I can just get on and do stuff without endlessly being told that I need to defrag/download new anti-virus definitions/check for spy-ware and so on.

 

[andrewkendall]

I was searching for something like Tag & Rename and finally found this: http://www.jthink.net/jaikoz/

The interface takes a while to get used to but I recommend you persevere. I've been using it for years now, really great.

 

[Jasoco]

Tag & Rename can be replaced by one of many programs out there dedicated to mass renaming and attribute editing. They mostly cost money though.

Do you want to edit the attributes or just the name?

I use Adium instead of iChat, but only because it can be customized to look cool. But iChat is an awesome chat program if you just want AIM.

Glad you decided to give it another try. I Love my MacBook even though it's the previous white model. I hope to replace it with an aluminum model soon. I just wish it had the next resolution up. 1440x900. I'd get a 15" but I dunno. The 13" just feels so right. 15" seems too big for me. If I could get a 13" with a higher resolution I'd be in heaven. I keep holding out but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[amabo]

Glad you decided to give it another try. I Love my MacBook even though it's the previous white model. I hope to replace it with an aluminum model soon. I just wish it had the next resolution up. 1440x900. I'd get a 15" but I dunno. The 13" just feels so right. 15" seems too big for me. If I could get a 13" with a higher resolution I'd be in heaven. I keep holding out but I'm not holding my breath.

I personally use Adium because iChat freaks out on my network. I actually like Adium's customization + Growl support a lot more than iChat.

I moved from a 15" MBP -> white Macbook recently (this past week, don't ask) and I agree with you. 13" feels a lot better in terms of mobility and laptop itself. I use an external monitor that's 19" and has 1680x1050 resolution which is pretty nice, but it's not a whole incredible step up. I mean, when I use just the Macbook I don't feel much difference besides screen real estate.

I converted from PC -> Mac almost 2 years ago and I found that it was an instant switch for me right away. I didn't have much experience with a Mac before buying an MBP but as soon as I hopped on the platform I felt really accustomed to everything it had to offer. The great thing about it is if you need some utility to do something specific, chances are it exists. It's convenient to think that even at a fraction of the population in platform size, most applications are available for what you need.

If you can't find it with a Google search, try MacUpdate

 

[andalusia]

http://flac.sourceforge.net/download.html

 

[Zazoh]

I was always PC-based until I bought an iPod touch last year and it set me thinking. Now 4 weeks after buying my MacBook I'm a total convert.

DOS 4.2 to Windows ALL to Vista, throw in some Linux about half way through-- Bought iPod Touch, went to apple store a few times. Just to look.

Two weeks into a Macbook,. not going back. Networked to my Dell in seconds. Moved all the files over. I have two XP machines I still can't get to connect to each other.

For the technology, they are about $500 over priced, but I look at that as membership dues.

 

[NewMacbookPlz]

DOS 4.2 to Windows ALL to Vista, throw in some Linux about half way through-- Bought iPod Touch, went to apple store a few times. Just to look.

Two weeks into a Macbook,. not going back. Networked to my Dell in seconds. Moved all the files over. I have two XP machines I still can't get to connect to each other.

For the technology, they are about $500 over priced, but I look at that as membership dues.

At the 2.4ghz MB level, a Studio XPS Dell with the same specs (but with 4GB RAM as the default and 9500M gfx) is $1249. If you wanted the MB with 4GB, you could self upgrade and the final price would be $1550, so ~$300.

The reason I go with the Studio XPS as compared to the Inspiron or M series is to get the same P8600 chip, which is considerable more $$ than the T-series the lower Dells use. Now I know, you can always stack and find coupons for Dell, but I'm talking MSRP

 

[Ov3rlord Falc0r]

At the 2.4ghz MB level, a Studio XPS Dell with the same specs (but with 4GB RAM as the default and 9500M gfx) is $1249. If you wanted the MB with 4GB, you could self upgrade and the final price would be $1550, so ~$300.

The reason I go with the Studio XPS as compared to the Inspiron or M series is to get the same P8600 chip, which is considerable more $$ than the T-series the lower Dells use. Now I know, you can always stack and find coupons for Dell, but I'm talking MSRP

Ya that's what I was thinking. His 500 seemed a little high to me.

Personally I think the difference isn't that much given the fact that you can generally keep using macbook (pro) longer than a PC laptop, for general purposes mind you. And they typically have a slightly higher resale value than their PC brethren.

 

[acron1]

Ross-Tech VAG COM (Audi/VW engine code diagnosing)

Sorry but this as far as I know it's a Windows only program (as most automotive products are except for accounting applications). You could load Windows on a BootCamp partition or use a virtual machine program (VMware fusion, Parallels) or both. I would never dream of bringing my beloved MacBook in the garage so an older and very cheap laptop would be my recommendation, LOVE my TDI btw.

 

[opinioncircle]

Thanks for sharing your impression. I'm on the verge of switching, and any help/first hand impression is always tremendous help

 

[Richard1028]

I just had a kid graduate from high school and she needed a laptop for college. Her High school issues all the students very basic and lean Dell Latitudes with Vista and she insisted on something that ran that OS (she really likes it). I tried talking her into a macbook but she insisted on something that ran Vista. Like a dufus I forgot one could run Vista on a mac.

So I was an idiot and got her a Dell Studio for about $1250. What a piece of crap. It has that cheesy plastic casing you see in their models they sell at wal-mart for $650. The lid is so tight on that thing it takes 2 hands and one foot to open it. The keys "rattle" and feel like mush.

Did I mention I was an idiot? At least I got her a 2 year service plan because I know she'll need it.

 

[chrismacguy]

I went -> Windows,iPod,Linux,Mac OS X Leopard. Switched a few months ago, and I hope you enjoy the transition as much as I did. Mine was made easier by both the great community here at macrumors and also with the help of, well Apples help actually . - Enjoy it!

 

[Richard1028]

Thanks for sharing your impression. I'm on the verge of switching, and any help/first hand impression is always tremendous help

Listen... until 6 months ago I had been using PC's for 25 years all the way back to the DOS-based IBM XT through Vista.

A while ago my brother-in-law let me play with his macbook and I fell in love with the build quality. I researched it for a very long time and took the plunge.

It is so nice just to use something that works and never crashes due to missing and screwed up "registry" entries or misplaced "DLL" files strewn all over the place. I never have to defrag my drives and the virus/trojan threats are minimal. Uninstalling a mac application is pretty easy as well. With Windows you have no idea how many freaking files are left behind.

As far as the transition... If you're comfortable with Windows you'll be fine in OSX. Afterall... The Apple OS was really the model for Windows.

I won't mislead you though... Windows is better for folks who like just using the keyboard whereas the Mac seems to insist you keep one hand on the mouse/trackpad.

One thing for sure though... with my mac I seem to be more productive because I don't concern myself with what's going on "under the hood" like I did with every windows version.

 

[testcard]

The low-maintenance aspect of my MacBook is one of the things I like most of all. For anyone else on the verge of converting from PC, I'd definitely recommend the free one-hour session with a personal shopping adviser at an Apple store - that's what finally swung it for me.

 

[opinioncircle]

Listen... until 6 months ago I had been using PC's for 25 years all the way back to the DOS-based IBM XT through Vista.

A while ago my brother-in-law let me play with his macbook and I fell in love with the build quality. I researched it for a very long time and took the plunge.

It is so nice just to use something that works and never crashes due to missing and screwed up "registry" entries or misplaced "DLL" files strewn all over the place. I never have to defrag my drives and the virus/trojan threats are minimal. Uninstalling a mac application is pretty easy as well. With Windows you have no idea how many freaking files are left behind.

As far as the transition... If you're comfortable with Windows you'll be fine in OSX. Afterall... The Apple OS was really the model for Windows.

I won't mislead you though... Windows is better for folks who like just using the keyboard whereas the Mac seems to insist you keep one hand on the mouse/trackpad.

One thing for sure though... with my mac I seem to be more productive because I don't concern myself with what's going on "under the hood" like I did with every windows version.

I do not want to get into the whole OSX/Windows debate but I've never had any BSODs, any "misplaced" DLLs, or anything that is SUPPOSED to come when using Windows. I just used common sense, and it worked pretty well if you ask me. The virus/trojan threat may be higher in Windows, but if it ever hits Linux or Macs, there'll be plenty of problems, as users and software manufacturers won't be as ready as they are under Windows.
However I agree that uninstalling a file in Windows leaves a lot of stuffs behind, I couldn't tell about OSX, so I'll trust you on that ...
To be quite honest, as a computer enthusiast, I like to know what's going on under the hood, but I don't think that disqualifies my "application" (and my wallet ) to take a leap of faith and put my heart and soul on a computer from Cupertino ahaha...

 

[peepboon]

After months of looking around... i made the jump too. Went from iPod Touch to Macbook Alu 2.0. Had windows on bootcamp for just in case... never ever used it, so i deleted it, lol...

 

[UnderLoK]

I plugged in my iphone 3G and began to transfer and sync files I needed. I must say that my PC is no where close to syncing as fast as the Mac was. It was copied, synced, transferred and done it NO TIME at all. I would say it was about 1/2 or a little more faster syncing than a PC. I was very impressed. I don't what it is but it just works.

iTunes is a pig one Windows, but truth be told that isn't Window's fault

 

[opinioncircle]

Did you get 4GB of RAM?

 

[mousouchop]

Glad that you are loving it. I recently transitioned my father to a new Mac Mini. I hope they he finds it just as easy and beneficial of a conversion as you have. He is not really tech savvy. He really just browses the internet and checks his mail, but doing that on a Mac Mini is so much easier than on a 5 year old budget Dell with more viruses than a Mexican pig farmer.

Good luck with the rest of your conversion. Haha.

 

[Consultant]

Congrats!

DOS 4.2 to Windows ALL to Vista, throw in some Linux about half way through-- Bought iPod Touch, went to apple store a few times. Just to look.

Two weeks into a Macbook,. not going back. Networked to my Dell in seconds. Moved all the files over. I have two XP machines I still can't get to connect to each other.

For the technology, they are about $xyz over priced, but I look at that as membership dues.

FYI. There is more to cost than upfront cost.

Windows, can suffer:
- lost PC resources used to serve a spambot network
- lost PC resources used to run protection software.
- the nuisance of adware
- machine downtime
- inexplicable slow down within half a year of new install
- requires constant defrag and maintenance
- and a lot more...

With a Mac you are getting a computer with OSX, not just some hardware.

I won't mislead you though... Windows is better for folks who like just using the keyboard whereas the Mac seems to insist you keep one hand on the mouse/trackpad.

Have you ever played a FPS on the computer? Is it more efficient to use one hand on a mouse and one hand on keyboard or both hands on keyboard?

OSX is designed to work best with mouse and keyboard combo. However it will work with mouse only or keyboard only too.

 

[Imola Ghost]

Did you get 4GB of RAM?

If you were talking to me then no, I didn't. I want to but I'm not sure what the best ram and price is to get, so I thought I'd wait and add it later.

If you have some recommendations let me know.

 

[Richard1028]

OSX is designed to work best with mouse and keyboard combo. However it will work with mouse only or keyboard only too.

Sure it'll work with just the keyboard... if you want to wear out your arrow keys.

You can't invoke menus in OSX like you can in Windows using the Alt Key and the hotkeys associated with each item. The closest thing the mac has is Cmd+"/" to activate the apple menu, then it's up to you to figure out how to get to where you want to be.

Now... the mac fanboys will of course say that OSX has direct command key equivalents that allow you to bypass all this but these don't cover 50% of the menu items. And by the time you remap the others you're into 3 key combinations anyway.

So... no thanks. I prefer the Windows keyboard interface instead of memorizing a ton of keystrokes. At least it gets me to the menu I want in 2 strokes.

I don't care how much people rave about the mac - they'll never convince me that keyboard navigation is easier and better than windows. MS has stolen enough from Apple so this is one thing I wish Apple would "borrow" from them.

 

[peepboon]

If you were talking to me then no, I didn't. I want to but I'm not sure what the best ram and price is to get, so I thought I'd wait and add it later.

If you have some recommendations let me know.

Got mine from crucial, came today, installed within 5mins, faultless