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Leaving Apple for PC

nbs2 said:
Skrilla kind of has a point. For whatever reason he felt like he MB wasn't a good investment for him. So he got rid of it and got something that met his needs. I don't think at any point he expressed any animosity towards the users here or Apple, Inc. Just pointed out that for his needs, XP met his needs better than Tiger.

In return, he got a handful folks that asked why he felt that taking the loss on the machine was acceptable, when he could have avoided it. Fair enough. He was kind enough to respond with his thoughts - he didn't need to justify himself, but he did anyway. From others, there was a kind farewell - also fair enough. But form some, he got a fair bit of flack and discourtesy. Not so fair. There may not have been a lot, but barbs are barbs.

I am curious though - why is there an assumption that just because he sold his MB he was leaving the forums forever? Apple goes much further than just computers (as many of the folks here are quick to complain about). Perhaps there is another item that will meet his needs. Perhaps the OS will eventually have the functionality to balance out or overcome what he saw as gimmicks. Instead, there is an assumption that those who choose to use a PC over a Mac are lesser folks. We need to get over ourselves.

Edit: from a quick look through, he's getting rid of his MB becuase he feels that WoW will play better on it. I don't play, but if he feels that way, fine. No big deal - hopefully the MB will reach the point where it runs WoW to his satisfaction and he'll consider buying one.
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Yes, when I purchased my MB I was not playing any computer games, I played my 360 every once in a while but was bored with it. Started playing WoW and really enjoy it. Anybody who has played this game knows that it takes up a good amount of your time. I wanted to be able to play on my sofa or during my lunch break at work - but have some decent graphics.

I also use my laptop at work during meetings. I tried MS Office for OS X and that is just awful. If you want to run Windows I suggest getting a Windows box.

I chose the Dell because I really don't have any use for OS X. Some of the OS X exclusive apps were really neat, but I really don't need them. I do need Windows for MS Office and some other Windows exclusive business apps I use. I was not impressed with the new features coming out in OS X (not impressed w/ Vista either, so I'll be using XP).

Never had to deal with Dell support (or Apple support) and I probably won't ever have to. I can fix most problems on my own. So I won't be saying hi to your friend, sorry :(

Oh I still have an iPod :p
 
Have any of you guys actually bothered to look at the new dell xps m1330?

It is a seriously sweet machine. 13.3" LED screen, magnesium alloy lid construction, santa rosa etc.

These are things apple is not offering at that size currently. And the OP stated he ordered with XP, which is now at a stable and secure (relative to vista anyway) point.

Don't get me wrong, I own a new SR MBP, and had a g4 ibook before that, and love them both, but just because a machine doesn't run OS X doesn't mean it can't be a good one.

So to the OP, good luck with the m1330 and let us know how it is - the expectations are very high for that machine!
 
Megatron said:
Don't get me wrong, I own a new SR MBP, and had a g4 ibook before that, and love them both, but just because a machine doesn't run OS X doesn't mean it can't be a good one.
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But that's the thing. I don't think many on here will say Gateway, Dell, HP don't make a good machine hardware wise. It is usually on par or ahead of the curve when it comes to pure specs. It's the fact that these machines run Windows that has the masses reconsidering their next computer purchase.

I would say a good marjority of customers do not care about the speed of the computer. The average Mac now is fast enough for the average person. It's Mac OS X that is drawing them in.

jon
 
MS Office for OS X is "awful"? That's a new one on me.

I've given up on trying to figure out people who go from Mac to PC. I simply reckon using Windows is its own punishment.
 
Thomas Veil said:
MS Office for OS X is "awful"? That's a new one on me.

I've given up on trying to figure out people who go from Mac to PC. I simply reckon using Windows is its own punishment.
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I find that comment surprising as well. But, then I recalled another user at work who had a difficult adapting to not having everything contained in a single window. Some people learn a certain way of doing things and do not embrace change. I think what is more surprising is how long this thread has ran. If someone wants to move to another platform, I say good luck. Why it needs some special announcement is curious.
 
my story

my story is a bit different than OP's... Some time ago I had to get my first laptop, a bargain from ACER that had 2 USB ports, a 14" screen and not much else :). It cost me EUR750 in 2002 when all stores carried laptops at prices from EUR999.
At the time, wi-fi hotspots weren't that common in Portugal, and using the mobile phone as a modem was the solution. Trouble is, Windows XP managed this operation in a primitive way, requiring a bit of configuration every time I needed to set up the bluetooth connection to the mobile phone.
I was already curious about OS X for a while and when I saw how this same operation is made on a Mac, I decided to get one from ebay.

Fast-forward 2 years and I have to change jobs again, this time I move to another country. The G4 powerbook works nicely and looks elegant enough but feels like yesterday's technology even when using basic stuff like OpenOffice or Firefox.
Looking at what's on offer on the market, I'm sure that macbooks are a good value at EUR1200 and if I could spare EUR2500 for a MBP I'd probably be happy with it too too. But I'm not spending that much, I'd rather compromise and use the savings on something else (like the EUR40 digital&analog USB TV tuner that would have cost me 3x more if I wanted OS X compatibility)

Last April, my Packard Bell laptop cost me EUR777 and its specs are:
2x512MB RAM
Core2Duo T5200 (that's 1.6GHz)
120GB HDD
15.2" screen 1280x800

and it's BIG: 360x263x35 mm. The space is well used though, the built-in numeric keypad is very useful for me.

I ended up with XP and Ubuntu like I started, my mom ended up with a Mac Mini, which has never failed the family in its role of email & skype machine. I understand that switching back to Windows isn't common, but it's also clear that Apple can't please everyone and in my case it was just that I'm cheap :)
 
Skrilla™ said:
Nothing wrong with Apple computers, just Apple users. Just look at the way you talk to people.

Glad to not be a part of the crowd :D
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To be fair, all the comments on here have been tongue in cheek. Some have questioned your decision but everyone respects it.

Keep smilin' :D
 
To be fair, some people just don't like Macs. I find the slightly technophobic users who like to just load stuff via the start menu, click the task bar to change from the no-more-than-two apps they have open often don't really like Mac. I'd say that for that very basic kind of use Windows is a little more friendly and obvious.

I find pretty much anyone who 'throws their computers around' juggling umpteen files and apps all at once, be it music production, graphic design, video or photography really loves Mac if they've ever been exposed to one and wouldn't go PC. I have to use Photoshop, Illustrator and Quark on a PC at work and even though I've been doing it for a couple of years now I just can't get over the tiresome clunkiness of Windows.

It's like Mac is a free flowing, pleasant fountian pen while a PC's a scratchy ballpoint.
 
Thomas Veil said:
MS Office for OS X is "awful"? That's a new one on me.

I've given up on trying to figure out people who go from Mac to PC. I simply reckon using Windows is its own punishment.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's "awful," however it is kind of slow and choppy on an Intel Mac. That might be what he was talking about. I can't wait for Office with a universal-binary to come out.
 
Let's face it 99% of people who use MS Office barely use it to it's full ability and probably don't even know how to.

I think the OP simply could not hack the creative geniuses within the exclusive Mac community and preferred to graze with the sheep in the world of Windows. That's okay... just make sure to install your anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-wormware and all those other neat apps that slow your sleek new Dell down. :D
 
more gimmicks than actual finctionality
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Just curious.....what functionality have you gained by returning to XP? I'm *really* not trying to be a smart@$$. I'm simply curious.

I switched from a PC to a Mac about a year ago and I feel my productivity has increased.
 
Skrilla™ said:
...I tried MS Office for OS X and that is just awful....
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But this is what puzzles me... why would you take the financial hit because Office OS X is "awful?" You could just run Office FOR WINDOWS on that machine.

Sorry, but I smell something fishy in this thread.
 
I think a lot of folks may be leaving their new Intel Macs to go back to XP because of Office.

Office is still under Rosetta and runs like a$s. That app MUST get UB'd because it turns off so many people.

So many people run just MS Office and...the internet, and that's it! MS keeping office NON Intel native is the ultimate F you from MS.....and it is working...
 
mactastic said:
To each their own. Have fun with your new Windows toy...

(You do realize you could have just run Windows on your MB and saved whatever hit you took selling it.... but again, that's your choice and I'm not going to second guess you for it.)
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Running Windows on a mac is complete ****. Pardon the language, but I have a bootcamp partition, and every time I go into it, I cringe. Not because it's windows (I actually miss Windows) but because mac hardware just isn't designed to run windows. Keys are in the wrong places- or flat-out missing- on the keyboard, there's no right mouse button, and because Apple designed it to run OS X, Windows will always run 2nd rate on it, just because there's no need to support it.

I'm almost tempted to get a 2nd laptop, just so I can run Windows and Ubuntu on my Dell :D (try tri-booting without going against what Apple planned for you to do, it's not so easy)

Reaver said:
I am the same way I feel my productivity has gone up since I switched from using WinXP to Mac OSX 4 months ago and I will NEVER GO BACK I love the OS.
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Coming from a Windows machine that never blue-screened on me (well, no more then my MBP) I consider switching back every now and again, but the same program always keeps me on my mac as a primary machine... Adium. Now that's just sad.
 
thejadedmonkey said:
Running Windows on a mac is complete ****. Pardon the language, but I have a bootcamp partition, and every time I go into it, I cringe. Not because it's windows (I actually miss Windows) but because mac hardware just isn't designed to run windows. Keys are in the wrong places- or flat-out missing- on the keyboard, there's no right mouse button, and because Apple designed it to run OS X, Windows will always run 2nd rate on it, just because there's no need to support it.

I'm almost tempted to get a 2nd laptop, just so I can run Windows and Ubuntu on my Dell :D (try tri-booting without going against what Apple planned for you to do, it's not so easy)


Coming from a Windows machine that never blue-screened on me (well, no more then my MBP) I consider switching back every now and again, but the same program always keeps me on my mac as a primary machine... Adium. Now that's just sad.
Click to expand...

Then by all means- go back to Windows. I don't know why you'd stay on a Mac if it's so awful for you.:rolleyes:
 
nbs2 said:
Skrilla kind of has a point. For whatever reason he felt like he MB wasn't a good investment for him. So he got rid of it and got something that met his needs. I don't think at any point he expressed any animosity towards the users here or Apple, Inc. Just pointed out that for his needs, XP met his needs better than Tiger.

In return, he got a handful folks that asked why he felt that taking the loss on the machine was acceptable, when he could have avoided it. Fair enough. He was kind enough to respond with his thoughts - he didn't need to justify himself, but he did anyway. From others, there was a kind farewell - also fair enough. But form some, he got a fair bit of flack and discourtesy. Not so fair. There may not have been a lot, but barbs are barbs.

I am curious though - why is there an assumption that just because he sold his MB he was leaving the forums forever? Apple goes much further than just computers (as many of the folks here are quick to complain about). Perhaps there is another item that will meet his needs. Perhaps the OS will eventually have the functionality to balance out or overcome what he saw as gimmicks. Instead, there is an assumption that those who choose to use a PC over a Mac are lesser folks. We need to get over ourselves.

Edit: from a quick look through, he's getting rid of his MB becuase he feels that WoW will play better on it. I don't play, but if he feels that way, fine. No big deal - hopefully the MB will reach the point where it runs WoW to his satisfaction and he'll consider buying one.
Click to expand...
I don't feel I was in any way discurteous, nor was I questioning the OPs decision as stupid. Not sure where you're headed with this lecture.

Skrilla™ said:
Yes, when I purchased my MB I was not playing any computer games, I played my 360 every once in a while but was bored with it. Started playing WoW and really enjoy it. Anybody who has played this game knows that it takes up a good amount of your time. I wanted to be able to play on my sofa or during my lunch break at work - but have some decent graphics.

I also use my laptop at work during meetings. I tried MS Office for OS X and that is just awful. If you want to run Windows I suggest getting a Windows box.

I chose the Dell because I really don't have any use for OS X. Some of the OS X exclusive apps were really neat, but I really don't need them. I do need Windows for MS Office and some other Windows exclusive business apps I use. I was not impressed with the new features coming out in OS X (not impressed w/ Vista either, so I'll be using XP).

Never had to deal with Dell support (or Apple support) and I probably won't ever have to. I can fix most problems on my own. So I won't be saying hi to your friend, sorry :(

Oh I still have an iPod :p
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Ok, well color me confused since in your original post you said the hardware was top-notch. Now you're saying it's not top notch, and that's why you switched. Which is a far more understandable reason than the one you initally gave.
 
I don't envy you :D
I have to spend so much time in XP that I'm really getting tired of it now. It's not as cumbersome as Vista mind.

I think people like you are great though. We bought an almost brand new iMac off a friend for half the new price! If it wasn't for him I'd only have 1 iMac :D
 
thejadedmonkey said:
Running Windows on a mac is complete ****. Pardon the language, but I have a bootcamp partition, and every time I go into it, I cringe. Not because it's windows (I actually miss Windows) but because mac hardware just isn't designed to run windows. Keys are in the wrong places- or flat-out missing- on the keyboard, there's no right mouse button, and because Apple designed it to run OS X, Windows will always run 2nd rate on it, just because there's no need to support it.
Click to expand...

Bootcamp runs flawlessly, many M$ employees have said that Windows on an Intel Mac has been the smoothest Windows experience they've ever had. The hardware is identical to PCs from other brands that run Windows, so I have no clue what "just isn't designed to run windows". As for the keys and mouse button, you do realize you can two finger click to right click (do you have the latest drivers)? Considering it's still technically beta and Apple has continually updated drivers to not only address minor bugs but also to support newer Macs as they are released - and they're already supporting Vista, I'd say they're doing alot better than 2nd rate. Not to mention the fact that since they only have to support drivers for a small number of hardware options, it's alot less likely to have problems.

Considering the options we have now with dual/triple booting and virtualization, I'm surprised anyone would even consider giving up a Mac to go back to a PC. Even if you wiped the HD and only ran Windows, you'd still have a solid machine with good specs at prices competitive to PCs and great resale value.
 
I'm kind of in the same boat as the thread starter.

I like the Mac OS, but as far as support for games go (which I can be big on), Macs blow. Besides games though, there are lots of good pieces of freeware software that can do most of the things I can do on PCs.

And although the thread starter could have decided to just run Windows on his Mac, it's just like Mac users and their apprehension to run OS X on PCs. Sure, you can do it... but it's just not the same.
 
MUCKYFINGERS said:
it's just like Mac users and their apprehension to run OS X on PCs. Sure, you can do it... but it's just not the same.
Click to expand...

Uhh, maybe that has to do with the fact that OS X on a PC is severly crippled because of absolutely no support for it, and the fact that it violates the OS X EULA? :rolleyes:
 
I like using Office for Mac much better than the new Microsoft Office. Word is so confusing!
 
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