New potential buyer - Seeking comments from those who left a PC

[GIZBUG]

Been a PC user since early 90's. My GF has an iMAC and loves it. Right now my pc isn't doing so well, and it's looking like its time for me to purchase a new PC.
I am looking at the Mac Pro, but wondering if there is a newer model due out soon? I also see Leopard is due out soon, and unsure if the OS will run on current Mac Pro's. I use to be a hardcore gamer on my PC, and now I really only play World of Warcraft, and a few EA Sport games. I have been reading about bootcamp, and assume that if I purchase a mac, I can dual boot to windows xp (or vista in January). This factual?

To those who have switched from PC to mac, what was your determining factors? Was the price of the switch (Macs are a lot more expensive than me building another computer) worth it? Are you able to connect to windows computers on a home network? Any other comments

Thanks in advance.

 

[playm0de]

I had ordered all the parts for my PC I was building in January, but then after two of the products being faulty I decided to look into an already built computer. Decided to go mac.
Switched in March of this year...one of the best decisions I've ever made. I love OSX, and all the programs that came with my iMac. I was skeptical at first, but now I haven't touched a PC for personal use since I got the iMac.

 

[Me1000]

The mac pro will run leopard amazingly!
An update may come out in the distant future, but they were just released about 3 or 4 months ago...

The mac pro will also run windows too,


I was a switcher the biggest factor was i hate microshit! I hate windows and everything about it! that was my biggest factor!

 

[GIZBUG]

Thanks.

Any word on being able to upgrade the video card on the Mac Pros? I have a Geforce 6800GT in my computer now, and noticed there are only 4 selections for video cards on the mac pro. Wondering if that will change or plans on being more upgradeable in the future?

 

[Willis]

Theres always a new model around the corner. But seeing as the MacPro has only been out since August, you dont have to worry much. Also, an 8 core Mac is sort of useless today as no software takes advantage of all 8, although you can run more than 1 app and full cap without a backlog.

Leopard will work perfectly with pretty much all macs upto 3-4 years old if not more! Vista should work fine too as the RC1 and betas worked fine.

I still have to use windows for a few programs, but virtual PC was such a dog, I had to have a dedicated machine. Now... I can have OSX and Windows in one machine.. right in a Mac Pro.

 

[GIZBUG]

Theres always a new model around the corner. But seeing as the MacPro has only been out since August, you dont have to worry much. Also, an 8 core Mac is sort of useless today as no software takes advantage of all 8, although you can run more than 1 app and full cap without a backlog.

Leopard will work perfectly with pretty much all macs upto 3-4 years old if not more! Vista should work fine too as the RC1 and betas worked fine.

I still have to use windows for a few programs, but virtual PC was such a dog, I had to have a dedicated machine. Now... I can have OSX and Windows in one machine.. right in a Mac Pro.

Thanks. Can I put the ATA/100 HD's I have now in a Mac Pro? Is the Gefore 7300 the best option for video cards for someone who does game (guess Ill play some of my games in windows if I buy a mac pro)?

 

[AP_piano295]

i play games on my pc rig

everything else is mac, its just better dont spend hours working through problems+i love software like gband and imovie.

 

[Mernak]

Thanks. Can I put the ATA/100 HD's I have now in a Mac Pro? Is the Gefore 7300 the best option for video cards for someone who does game (guess Ill play some of my games in windows if I buy a mac pro)?

Sorry, the Mac Pro uses SATA drives, but you could buy some external enclosures for the ATA ones that you have.

 

[islandman]

Thanks. Can I put the ATA/100 HD's I have now in a Mac Pro? Is the Gefore 7300 the best option for video cards for someone who does game (guess Ill play some of my games in windows if I buy a mac pro)?

The Mac Pro uses SATA drives, so those ATA/100s can't be used. You could use them externally with an enclosure, of course.

 

[GIZBUG]

Is apple.com the best/only place to buy for a good price?

 

[ThunderLounge]

is a newer model due out soon?

An expected new upgrade capability is looming on the horizon, but it appears it will be at the very top end. Probably overkill for your situation, but 2 years from now who knows?

I also see Leopard is due out soon, and unsure if the OS will run on current Mac Pro's.

As mentioned, not only will it run on the current ones, but it will also run on machines that are several years old as well. Of course it will run better on current hardware, but isn't that usually the case?

To put it into perspective for you, you could run xp on a PIII 733 just fine. Now look at the difference between that and a current pc model now.

if I purchase a mac, I can dual boot to windows xp (or vista in January). This factual?

Yes, completely.

Or, you could run parallel (a program) and run it inside of OS X.

Personally, if you're going to have xp or whatever on there too, I'd recommend a second hard drive for it. Not that you have to, but it would make it easier down the road for unforeseen circumstances.

To those who have switched from PC to mac, what was your determining factors?

Back when I fully switched, the biggest thing for me was every inherent windows problem was non-existent on Mac. No BSOD; no reinstalling the OS frequently because it becomes such a cluttered piece of crap; no spyware, malware, and all that crap; OS X doesn't get in the way of your work; and tons of other stuff.

Was the price of the switch (Macs are a lot more expensive than me building another computer) worth it?

The initial cost is higher for the higher end equipment. However, if you look at total cost of ownership, it's lower. How much additional crap would you buy for a pc? Anti-virus and other software for blocking all the crap, plus their annual subscriptions, and also other apps that are already a part of OS X or come bundled with it? Also, how much is your time worth? Count up the hours of dealing with reinstalls, virus and spyware problems, etc. Not to mention hardware changes or whatever because the OS doesn't support the "whatever" you just bought, etc.

Are you able to connect to windows computers on a home network?

Yep.

The good bastards at ms also put out a free version of remote desktop, that you can run on your mac to connect and use a pc on the network or wherever. Plus file sharing and other stuff is a snap.

Any other comments

You won't regret it, and wonder why you took so long to wake up.

 

[Shotgun Pete]

I was a compaq user, but I bought a Macbook, if I were to do it again I would definately go with a PC not a Mac.

My OS X crashes way more than XP ever has, plus the cost isn't really worth it, it comes with some bundled software that I dont really use even though I thought I would.

but it works okay, just too expensive.

 

[mini.boss]

I didnt "switch" necessarily because there are still lots of apps on PC that are unavailable/drastically inferior on mac so i'm still using the PC 25% of the time. So when making your decision then you really need to consider which apps are most important to you and find out if there's an equivalent on Mac that does EXACTLY what you want. I love having a mac, but its a shame i have to still load Parallels or use my old pc so often.


As for your other questions:
- I prefer parallels but bootcamp should work fine for gamers.

- Despite what some mac users say, price is a factor that isnt easy to ignore. Some system choices are a bit pricey because they aren't joking when they call them "pro". Average consumers really dont need a Mac Pro so check out if an iMac may fit you better. Or just a macbook because this current gen of notebooks (both pc and mac) are really pretty powerful.

- Networking to a pc network is simple. Sharing files back im still having some issues with. I have to use an app caled "sharepoints" to get the directories i want shared.

(BTW, i do have to agree with shotgun pete up there. People bash PC's all the time but ive crashed/frozen on my macbook more in the last 3 weeks than i have in 2 years with my old pc laptop. PC's run just fine if you know what youre doing. I'm still happy i got a macbook but Vista is looking great so sticking with PC's isnt something you want to dismiss too quickly.)

 

[Ladybug]

Been a PC user since early 90's. My GF has an iMAC and loves it. Right now my pc isn't doing so well, and it's looking like its time for me to purchase a new PC.
I am looking at the Mac Pro, but wondering if there is a newer model due out soon? I also see Leopard is due out soon, and unsure if the OS will run on current Mac Pro's. I use to be a hardcore gamer on my PC, and now I really only play World of Warcraft, and a few EA Sport games. I have been reading about bootcamp, and assume that if I purchase a mac, I can dual boot to windows xp (or vista in January). This factual?

To those who have switched from PC to mac, what was your determining factors? Was the price of the switch (Macs are a lot more expensive than me building another computer) worth it? Are you able to connect to windows computers on a home network? Any other comments

Thanks in advance.

Dual booting with XP or Vista is fairly easy to setup as others have said.

I made the switch in April of this year. The determining factor for me was several things really. First I was tired of all the maintenance..spyware, antivirus, rootkits etc..and having to keep up with security related issues. Secondly after many years of building and upgrading my own computers, I just wanted to get off the upgrade bandwagon. I wanted a stable machine minus all the nonsense *security risk*, something I could just sit back and enjoy. I'm really enjoying my iMac.

I dual boot but haven't booted into XP for a few months now. I use Parallel's to run one app that will never have a Mac version, and for an older Windows version of Photoshop until the universal version comes out next year.

I really don't think you'll regret it if you make the switch. I was a bit nervous about it myself, but after a few short days I knew I made the right decision.

 

[mleary]

I've been using PC's for a long time, my first mac was a mac mini which I've had for about 6 months. I ended up using that as my primary computer at work. I still have a PC desktop at home as while as a dell laptop. I also just ordered one of the new MBPs.

The user interface of OS X is just a lot more intuitive then Windows IMO. That, the fact that it's unix based ('m a big computer geek) and apples decision to use Intel hardware are the big determining factors that lead me to choose Macs over Windows.

That said, I'm not a Windows hater like most of the people on these forums. Half of the negative **** people post about PCs/windows on here is BS.

 

[nsbio]

I switched during 10.2 times (about two years ago, when I had to use a 10.2 computer at work) and it was not much fun. Safari crashed, finder was slow. Panther and then Tiger upgrades made the experience much better, to the point that now I can't help cursing when I have to use a windows machine. My favorite is pushing F11 on a dell box in vain, forgetting that expose should not be taken for granted and is only available to the select few .

My personal computer is now a powerbook and, apart from a few quirks, it has been a marvelous machine. All happy here.

 

[Silentwave]

Thanks. Can I put the ATA/100 HD's I have now in a Mac Pro? Is the Gefore 7300 the best option for video cards for someone who does game (guess Ill play some of my games in windows if I buy a mac pro)?

The best gaming video card for the Mac Pro is the ATI X1900XT.

You *may* want to wait until the next update, as it is possible that along with the 8-core option at the high end that some other things may change (optical drives, video cards, stuff like that). Otherwise you probably shouldn't bother

You need SATA drives for the mac pro, but if you only order one optical drive, you can put one of your ATA/100 drives in and use the connections for the 2nd optical drive.

 

[Yvan256]

I was a compaq user, but I bought a Macbook, if I were to do it again I would definately go with a PC not a Mac.

My OS X crashes way more than XP ever has, plus the cost isn't really worth it, it comes with some bundled software that I dont really use even though I thought I would.

but it works okay, just too expensive.

If your OS X crashes (way more than XP, too), there's a problem somewhere. I've had OS X freeze on me only twice in more than a year and a half, on a Mac mini with 1GB RAM.

 

[wako]

I switched one year ago.


To be honest, I dont see a reason to switch from Windows to OSX completely. The reason why I did was simply because I got sick of Windows because i been using it forever and Linux just wasnt working out for me. It wasnt because the OS was bad, it was simply because I wanted a new taste in something and something to learn. There are things the PC does alot better, and there are also alot of things that the Mac alot better.

The "determining factor" for me to switch was because I was going to college and needed a laptop. Since I been using Windows forever, I decided I would get a Apple for a new experience.

All in all, I dont find it worth it, but I dont regret it either. Now that i have switched, Im pretty happy with the results. Im still always going to buy a PC as a desktop and probably buy a mac for laptops. There are just too many things about the PC that i cant simply part myself away from completely. The price for my mac is definitely higher than I would have liked though, however having a Mac is definitely a nice little retreat from the windows worl. Especially for me at college, since most people are Windows users when they ask to use my computer, they take a look and say nevermind.


As for your networking concerns, you most definitely can. It is in the network options to allow your computer to be shown in the Windows network. You just have to set it up and turn it on.

 

[dsnort]

I switched in january of this year, no looking back. Mac OSX is just so much more intuitive and stable.

...but ive crashed/frozen on my macbook more in the last 3 weeks than i have in 2 years with my old pc laptop. PC's run just fine if you know what youre doing.

And Mac OSX runs better......if you know what you're doing. ( Just Kidding ! )

 

[wako]

I switched in january of this year, no looking back. Mac OSX is just so much more intuitive and stable.

so Im taking it that you didnt know what you were doing in Windows then?

 

[NewSc2]

I switched one year ago.


To be honest, I dont see a reason to switch from Windows to OSX completely. The reason why I did was simply because I got sick of Windows because i been using it forever and Linux just wasnt working out for me. It wasnt because the OS was bad, it was simply because I wanted a new taste in something and something to learn. There are things the PC does alot better, and there are also alot of things that the Mac alot better.

The "determining factor" for me to switch was because I was going to college and needed a laptop. Since I been using Windows forever, I decided I would get a Apple for a new experience.

All in all, I dont find it worth it, but I dont regret it either. Now that i have switched, Im pretty happy with the results. Im still always going to buy a PC as a desktop and probably buy a mac for laptops. There are just too many things about the PC that i cant simply part myself away from completely. The price for my mac is definitely higher than I would have liked though, however having a Mac is definitely a nice little retreat from the windows worl. Especially for me at college, since most people are Windows users when they ask to use my computer, they take a look and say nevermind.


As for your networking concerns, you most definitely can. It is in the network options to allow your computer to be shown in the Windows network. You just have to set it up and turn it on.

totally agree. i switched from a pc desktop to a powerbook 2 years ago, and recently sold it. i use a macbook at work.

at home, and for almost everything I do i use a pc. I thought the switch back from OSX to PC was going to be bad, but you really settle into whatever OS you're using. It was like that from Windows to OSX too.

I got a few Vista themes, installed foobar, and remembered why I love PC's (games and freebie utility softwares).

EDIT: I'm still going to buy a Macbook Pro. This $500 Logic Pro program is feeling very unused.

 

[dsnort]

so Im taking it that you didnt know what you were doing in Windows then?

Yeah, I knew. Kind of like I know how to shift a 15 speed Road Ranger. But I damned sure don't want one in my car!

Automatic is sooooo much nicer!

 

[vega07]

To be honest, I dont see a reason to switch from Windows to OSX completely. The reason why I did was simply because I got sick of Windows because i been using it forever and Linux just wasnt working out for me. It wasnt because the OS was bad, it was simply because I wanted a new taste in something and something to learn. There are things the PC does alot better, and there are also alot of things that the Mac alot better.

I'm the same. Although I did have my share of blue screens of death, my latest PC I built myself was very reliable and still is (oh dear, the PCs I had before were absolute garbage). I just got tired of using XP for so long. It got really boring. Now I am very happy with my mac because it's so different. Plus, OS X is so much more aesthetically pleasing. Haven't experienced any BSODs or kernel panics yet. I feel that I am using a much more stable system. But I wouldn't die if I had to go back to PC.

 

[Shotgun Pete]

If your OS X crashes (way more than XP, too), there's a problem somewhere. I've had OS X freeze on me only twice in more than a year and a half, on a Mac mini with 1GB RAM.

Macbook 1.83 ghz 1gb ram, froze 4 times in last two months, I have NEVER had XP freeze on me. Nor have I ever had a virus or spyware problem, a simple 30 purchase of norton internet security every year doesnt make up for the hundreds more you are spending on a mac.