Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
give me a reason to get a mac
- Thread starter twoodcc
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
twoodcc said:
Surprisingly to me, no one has really answered that question. AFAIK, there's nothing you can do with a Mac that can't be done with a Windows PC (and vice versa). So the main difference between Macs and Windows PC is not what can or cannot be done but how it's done. That's where OS X enters. Unlike MS, Apple spends a lot of money or R&D on building intuitive software. I guess as a computer information systems major you are perfectly comfortable working with software that requires a lot of computer skills and experience. So using a Mac might open up a whole new experience on how simple (but not simplistic) and easy everyday computer tasks can be. That also applies to things that are beyond standard use (such as video editing). Also, IMO, working on a different platform always is an eye-opener in terms of how you look at the platform you normally work on. In sum, I do recommend giving the Mac a try.
Absolutely. MCE Technologies (www.mcetech.com) specializes in Macintosh upgrades. They also manufacture hard drives and accessories for the Mac. They've received good press from MacAddict and Macworld for their external HDs.twoodcc said:
The iBook upgrade in particular is slot loading with 8x burning and DL capability.
PCMacUser
macrumors 68000
Well, I would say that the decision to go Apple or PC is down to personal preference. There is no right or wrong.
Your PCs can do anything the Macs can do, but the software is not as integrated as Apple's. This is because Apple is allowed to attempt a software/hardware monopoly (noone suspects a thing - in fact it's considered a good thing haha!), whereas Microsoft gets slammed by the PC world whenever they try to integrate anything. When Windows 95 came out they integrated the web browser into the OS - this caused an uproar, so they had to make it 'removable' (which of course it wasn't really). With Windows XP they integrated Windows Messenger and a few other apps. You know what happened? You guessed it. Service Pack 1 came with the ability to 'uninstall' them.
Hardware is not as readily available or compatible for Mac systems - this is something you should know about in case you are eyeing some new piece of kit - but still there is plenty available (at a price though) to keep most people happy.
I fully intend to buy a Mini Mac or iBook as soon as my wife allows me. She's not convinced by the benefits of going Apple at all, but she's quite a lot smarter than me hehe. I'll clarify this point before I get flamed:
a) all of my software and some of my hardware is for PC, I would need to buy new Office software and games - most of which would not be available for Mac and would run terribly on any desktop system costing less than £1000. The software cost would be huge.
b) transferring the majority of my data (pictures, music) across to OS X would be easy, but some things aren't, eg Outlook .PST files. Fortunately it can be done, but only with some fiddling (or the purchase of a 3rd party app).
c) my MP3 player would be useless because it's not compatible with iTunes (see the bit about monopoly hehe). My wife's would be fine cos it's an iPod Mini.
I love using OS X, and this is one of the reasons I'd like to get a Mac. I definitely do NOT believe it's better or more advanced than Windows XP, but sometimes I get bored with XP and want a change and a challenge.
I have PearPC on my XP machine, which runs OS X slowly, but well enough to get a taste and also experiment with transferring data from PC to Mac.
So, in summary (heh), the benefits of a Mini Mac:
a) It's dead sexy.
b) It runs OS X with integrated apps. Good if you want a change from Windows XP.
c) It's a lot quieter than a lot of desktop PCs.
d) A relatively cheap way to see if you like Apple.
e) It's dead sexy.
The not-so-good things:
a) It runs OS X. Bad if you want to play most games or third party apps.
b) Limited upgradeability. If you want to install that latest 16x dual layer DVD drive, your own memory chip, or a powerful graphics or audio card, forget it. If you want an audio "line-in" for video, you will need to purchase an accessory to do it.
c) Unproven reliability. Most Apple engineers I know (and that's a few), say beware of buying 1st generation Apple products.
d) Not the fastest piece of kit that Apple produce, but nevertheless it will run.
Your PCs can do anything the Macs can do, but the software is not as integrated as Apple's. This is because Apple is allowed to attempt a software/hardware monopoly (noone suspects a thing - in fact it's considered a good thing haha!), whereas Microsoft gets slammed by the PC world whenever they try to integrate anything. When Windows 95 came out they integrated the web browser into the OS - this caused an uproar, so they had to make it 'removable' (which of course it wasn't really). With Windows XP they integrated Windows Messenger and a few other apps. You know what happened? You guessed it. Service Pack 1 came with the ability to 'uninstall' them.
Hardware is not as readily available or compatible for Mac systems - this is something you should know about in case you are eyeing some new piece of kit - but still there is plenty available (at a price though) to keep most people happy.
I fully intend to buy a Mini Mac or iBook as soon as my wife allows me. She's not convinced by the benefits of going Apple at all, but she's quite a lot smarter than me hehe. I'll clarify this point before I get flamed:
a) all of my software and some of my hardware is for PC, I would need to buy new Office software and games - most of which would not be available for Mac and would run terribly on any desktop system costing less than £1000. The software cost would be huge.
b) transferring the majority of my data (pictures, music) across to OS X would be easy, but some things aren't, eg Outlook .PST files. Fortunately it can be done, but only with some fiddling (or the purchase of a 3rd party app).
c) my MP3 player would be useless because it's not compatible with iTunes (see the bit about monopoly hehe). My wife's would be fine cos it's an iPod Mini.
I love using OS X, and this is one of the reasons I'd like to get a Mac. I definitely do NOT believe it's better or more advanced than Windows XP, but sometimes I get bored with XP and want a change and a challenge.
I have PearPC on my XP machine, which runs OS X slowly, but well enough to get a taste and also experiment with transferring data from PC to Mac.
So, in summary (heh), the benefits of a Mini Mac:
a) It's dead sexy.
b) It runs OS X with integrated apps. Good if you want a change from Windows XP.
c) It's a lot quieter than a lot of desktop PCs.
d) A relatively cheap way to see if you like Apple.
e) It's dead sexy.
The not-so-good things:
a) It runs OS X. Bad if you want to play most games or third party apps.
b) Limited upgradeability. If you want to install that latest 16x dual layer DVD drive, your own memory chip, or a powerful graphics or audio card, forget it. If you want an audio "line-in" for video, you will need to purchase an accessory to do it.
c) Unproven reliability. Most Apple engineers I know (and that's a few), say beware of buying 1st generation Apple products.
d) Not the fastest piece of kit that Apple produce, but nevertheless it will run.
iindigo
macrumors 6502a
I love my Mac, mainly for these reasons:
- No antivirus and firewall software to keep updated (firewall is included in the system)
- Stays out of my way and lets me get my work done
- Super-stable (before today, my iMac had an uptime [amount of time running w/o restart] of 23 days!!)
- Great design
- Mac software is generally designed better
I would never even think about switching to a PC.
BTW, twoodcc, what speed of internet connection do you have? If it's high-speed (I assume it is) then I can show you a live video feed of my Mac's desktop and kinda give a tour of Mac OS X while chatting - just IM me at iindigo@mac.com (same name on AIM and MSN) 🙂
- No antivirus and firewall software to keep updated (firewall is included in the system)
- Stays out of my way and lets me get my work done
- Super-stable (before today, my iMac had an uptime [amount of time running w/o restart] of 23 days!!)
- Great design
- Mac software is generally designed better
I would never even think about switching to a PC.
BTW, twoodcc, what speed of internet connection do you have? If it's high-speed (I assume it is) then I can show you a live video feed of my Mac's desktop and kinda give a tour of Mac OS X while chatting - just IM me at iindigo@mac.com (same name on AIM and MSN) 🙂
iindigo
macrumors 6502a
twoodcc said:
Sunday sounds good to me 🙂
PearPC is a PowerPC emulator - it can, to a limited extent, run Mac OS X. However, it's very limited - it emulates about a 32Mhz processor. Because of this, there is no way one could try video editing with it.
Yep, you can transfer perfectly. MPEG files should play without a hitch, however you'll need to install DivX to watch DivX AVI files.
Also, to capture video to your Mac, there area couple ways - first is to connect your firewire video camera to a VCR, have the VCR play through, then have the Mac capture it. The other way is to buy a special hardware video box to connect to your Mac (generally about $150-$200).
iindigo
macrumors 6502a
twoodcc said:
SheepShaver is MUCH faster than PearPC. I tried it on a 750Mhz PIII and it felt like a 600Mhz Mac.
Only problem is that Mac OS 9 is DRASTICALLY different to Mac OS X - it's like going between Windows 95 to Windows XP in a single leap. Also, Mac OS 9 is now unsupported by Apple, and very few developers keep OS 9 software in development. In fact, current Macs aren't even able to boot Mac OS 9. OS 9 is much crashier than OS X as well - it isn't UNIX based like OS X is.
jaseone
macrumors 65816
twoodcc said:
Well that's exactly what I have. 🙂
A Compaq Evo N1020v (don't ever think about buying one, I'm so peeved with my work that it is the model they chose, like integrated floppy drive in a modern laptop, wtf? it's a heavy, bulky thing...) running XP SP2 for work, a Toshiba Satellite 2430 running Gentoo Linux (typing on this now) and a 15inch REV C Powerbook.
They all have their uses, the work one is just for that, the Linux laptop I do my web development on (kde.org) and on the Powerbook I do everything else with it being my choice to carry around and do like graphics stuff and what not on it. 🙂
PCMacUser
macrumors 68000
Yup, iindigo has hit the nail on the head. There is no comparison between OS 9 and OS X. If you want OS X on a PC you will need PearPC. On a side note: PearPC is a fascinating piece of software, in that it can emulate a PowerPC in a program that is only about 300 kilobytes in size!iindigo said:
Fortunately (and this may surprise many people here), PearPC's website is full of people who _love_ OS X. This is, of course, why they developed the software to emulate the PowerPC. Many people who try it end up purchasing Apple hardware. Many people do not. It's down to personal taste.
The link to the community site (contains links to the downloads and forums) is: http://www.pearpc.net/
A mac can do just about anything a PC can, unless you include a few games... And they do those things better! And with less crashes etc. And it looks cool! 🙂
iindigo
macrumors 6502a
Just thought of another few factors -
Macs are really low-maintenance. On Windows, you have to regularly run anti-spyware software, anti-virus software, disk defragmenters, disk cleanup, scandisk, the list goes on and on. On a Mac, however, none of these things are necessary . The only real maintenance you need to do are install updates and fix disk permissions monthly. That's it. You now have extra time for what you really wanna do 😀
Macs also happen to be very tough. I have an ooooold 33Mhz Mac (yes, 33Mhz!) from back in 1993, still works like a charm, every single part, and has never been serviced or repaired once. I also own a 400mhz iMac from the summer of 2000, which has run without a hitch for five years an has never been serviced or repaired.
Macs are really low-maintenance. On Windows, you have to regularly run anti-spyware software, anti-virus software, disk defragmenters, disk cleanup, scandisk, the list goes on and on. On a Mac, however, none of these things are necessary . The only real maintenance you need to do are install updates and fix disk permissions monthly. That's it. You now have extra time for what you really wanna do 😀
Macs also happen to be very tough. I have an ooooold 33Mhz Mac (yes, 33Mhz!) from back in 1993, still works like a charm, every single part, and has never been serviced or repaired once. I also own a 400mhz iMac from the summer of 2000, which has run without a hitch for five years an has never been serviced or repaired.
AngelDragon
macrumors newbie
twoodcc said:
Come on people!, we have to address this very important question!!
This is not doable with a PC, ...only with a Mac and OS X!
1.- You CAN run your mac for entire MONTHS without having to restart or without having a crash
2.- You CAN run your mac and surf the web FOR YEARS WITHOUT AN ANTIVIRUS and NOT get infected by any viruses.
3.- You CAN resell you mac after years and still get a great value for what you payed!
4.- You CAN save HUNDREDS of dollars and countless hours on computer maintenance (antiviruses, firewalls, hardrive and motherboards replacements )
5.- You CAN run your mac without EVER having to REINSTALL your OS every month or so.
6.- You CAN keep using your mac in perfect working conditions for DECADES. (Hell, I still use my classic Mac, 1985)
7.- Lastly: You CAN get support and advice from the coolest people online, the Comunity (almost fellowship) of Mac users, this forum is one example.
8.- one more...You CAN look at the rest of people using windows and say "I WAS on of them... 😛 "
Try ANY ONE OF THOSE on a PC.
Here is my personal quest to help people try a Mac and OSX for very little money.If your PC user friends can't afford a mac mini for now, let them know about this:
http://stores.ebay.com/Senor-Mac
Cheers.
Angel Dragon
twoodcc said:
I think you said you see people using them in your classes?
If you want to meet one of those people, you can ask them about their Mac and they will probably let you use it unless they have an appointment to get to.
A reason to buy a mac?
Girls will be instantly attracted to your new shiny friend like they would be if you were walking a big furry Husky down the street. Girls DIG macs. They exude sex appeal. A three way will never be far!
Girls will be instantly attracted to your new shiny friend like they would be if you were walking a big furry Husky down the street. Girls DIG macs. They exude sex appeal. A three way will never be far!
PCMacUser
macrumors 68000
Ahh common misconception I'm afraid. The important thing here is to differentiate the hardware from the software. What you are talking about is operating system stuff. OS X is a UNIX-based operating system. UNIX has been running on PCs for a loooong time - even Microsoft have been marketing and selling their SCO UNIX product for (I think) at least a decade. That stability is available too with certain configurations of Linux (although personally I find Linux's GUIs very unstable). Maybe what you're trying to say is the OS X give you the stability of UNIX + it's a no brainer. People who don't like using computers will like using OS X.AngelDragon said:
Things are a lot better with PCs running XP now, just as they are with Macs running 10.3 instead of 10.1 or 10.2 (we won't mention 10.0 haha). Firewall software is BUILT-IN to the OS, just like OS X. Antivirus software (regardless of the vendor) is now recognised and partially absorbed by XP to run without any input from the user (this includes updates and definitions). XP software updates require even less user input than OS X updates do now (both are so easy!).
Spyware is the single biggest threat on a PC running XP, because most people are ignorant of what is safe and what is unsafe on the Internet. This is an EDUCATIONAL issue. It's just like saying New York City is a crap city because you will get mugged. This is not true if you follow common sense rules. On a Mac, you're not in New York City, you're in a small town in the countryside of New Zealand. There's not too many shops around (translate 3rd party software), but there's plenty of things to do and you're not gonna get mugged.
The big thing to remember is that operating systems are evolving. Problems of today are solved tomorrow. New problems arise, which require new solutions. If this sounds bleak, OS X can offer a glimmer of hope, because it has proven stability and the evolution is happening at a slower rate. This means LONG TERM stability.
My $0.02.