Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Switching From Windows To Mac

J

James1234

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 26, 2007
4
0
Hello. My son is interested in purchasing a 20" inch iMac. He is just a regular high school student, and doesn't do much photo editing, or anything like that. I was wondering if buying a Mac for him would be a right idea. I was told macs are only for art students and can't run microsoft word. Can someone give some advice? and also do u suggest we wait to buy in October when Leopord comes out? :confused:

thanks alot.:eek:
 
James1234 said:
Hello. My son is interested in purchasing a 20" inch iMac. He is just a regular high school student, and doesn't do much photo editing, or anything like that. I was wondering if buying a Mac for him would be a right idea. I was told macs are only for art students and can't run microsoft word. Can someone give some advice? and also do u suggest we wait to buy in October when Leopord comes out? :confused:

thanks alot.:eek:
Click to expand...

They are so not only for art students, and they can run Microsoft Word just as well as a PC, if not better. Also, don't wait for Leopard if you're looking to get the computer now. It's not worth the wait, you can always upgrade later.
 
Don't wait if you dont want to. Its not worth it, and the upgrade is cheap (compared to Vista). Macs can run word, and they can run a full version of windows through virtualization apps like parallels, or Apples app, bootcamp. Macs are not only for art students, but they do have the power, and the ability to do any sort of thing you would want, such as photo or video editing, if anyone decided they wanted to do that. It comes with those apps too, so you wont have to buy them. Macs can do just about everything a windows computer can, better even. They are nicer looking, and all around a lot better computer, in all aspects. Buy a mac, and i guarantee youll want to buy yourself a mac, or steal your sons ;)
 
If you are looking to buy an imac, take into consideration that there are a lot of rumors stating it will be updated soon!
 
Lol it's funny because my mom said the same thing to me when I told her I wanted a Mac. "Why would you want a Mac if you're not going to be doing art?" Lol theres so many reasons for switching to a Mac. And they can definitely run Microsoft Word, Excel, etc. Also, for a list of reasons as to why get a Mac heres a great page :

www.apple.com/getamac

(was previously apple.com/switch which still works, same site though)
 
James1234 said:
Hello. My son is interested in purchasing a 20" inch iMac. He is just a regular high school student, and doesn't do much photo editing, or anything like that. I was wondering if buying a Mac for him would be a right idea. I was told macs are only for art students and can't run microsoft word. Can someone give some advice? and also do u suggest we wait to buy in October when Leopord comes out? :confused:

thanks alot.:eek:
Click to expand...

I would wait until October. That way you can take advantage of the new OS and the new models, which will surely be released before then.
 
James1234 said:
Hello. My son is interested in purchasing a 20" inch iMac. He is just a regular high school student, and doesn't do much photo editing, or anything like that. I was wondering if buying a Mac for him would be a right idea. I was told macs are only for art students and can't run microsoft word. Can someone give some advice? and also do u suggest we wait to buy in October when Leopord comes out? :confused:

thanks alot.:eek:
Click to expand...
So, we're talking internet, email, Microsoft Office? Macs do that stuff better than PC's do. I use Macs at home. I use PC's at work because that's what they buy for desktop units on their Microsoft Exchange server, but a Mac with Parallels works just fine on that network too. No reason to pigeonhole Macintosh computers as an "art computer". It's a superior OS, absolutely rock stable.

As to timing of the purchase, buy the computer you want when you want it. Leopard can be seamlessly installed at any time. iMacs are indeed likely to be updated in the near future, but that's likely true of every single computer on the market. The Dell Inspiron you buy today is likely to be a model behind within weeks or months too. You can spend your whole life waiting for the Next New Model.
 
If you are on a budget and all he needs is a word processor, web surfing and email, you might want to consider buying a used one. You could save money now and by the time he hits college, he could get a more up to date system.
 
James1234 said:
I was told macs are only for art students and can't run microsoft word.
Click to expand...

Actually, since PC's are serious business machines, your son shouldn't buy one until he starts his first job. Kidding aside, the iMac is a fine machine. It runs Word (which was originally written for the Mac) and a great deal of other software not available under Windows. It even runs Windows.

There is another version of the operating system coming out in October, and probably hardware upgrades too. However, there is always something better coming. Think about buying the machine now so your son has all summer to enjoy it. It will last him for years to come. Best wishes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back