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What are you keeping a PC for, and why...

L

l33r0y

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 7, 2007
288
0
For the past 6 months I've been keeping an eye on the Mac scene with the intention of replacing my current PC with a new Macintosh.

In terms of software I think I've managed to find all equivalents for the workflow types I perform on my PC, but there may be a reason to switch to Windows for some applications (with a little help from Parallels).

The best scenario would be for everything to run under OSX, so if I can't perform a task with the tools at my disposal, I will look real hard to find an OSX application to perform the task as I would in Windows.


This got me thinking - how many switchers out there have either kept a PC, or switch to Windows on a regular basis and for what reason?
Perhaps there is an alternative Mac application you've not tried yet, or you have tried but just didn't work to your satisfaction?

Are there people out there that just cannot fully make the break from Windows/PCs for comfort reasons, or keep them merely to maintain compatibility with other hardware?


Are there Mac users out there that could lend a hand to help new switchers fully migrate over with some helpful tips and alternate software suggestions?


Recently I've decided to keep my PC - but only as a headless fileserver, as all my client needs would be handled by the Mac - if everything goes to plan!
 
I don't have a PC, but I'd say that gaming would be the main reason that people would hang on to their old systems. Easy and cheap to upgrade to the latest GPU cards and ability to play new games and not have to wait years for crap ports :rolleyes:
 
I do not have a PC, my Mac handles everything and all the programs that I normally use are on the Mac. Although if you did need to use a windows program then you can use Boot Camp or Parallels to run windows on your Mac.
 
I know my grandad uses VMWare's Fusion (like Parallels, but IMO better) because his (old) scanner's drivers are only Windows and OS9 unfortunately...many Mac users use Windows to test their websites on the platform...
 
Any Windows user/owner with a real life has no real need to switch over to Mac's or even spend the time to worry about it. People that use these messages boards fail to realize that a large portion of PC and Mac user are only checking email, and sending a few photos of the grand kids to Mom and Dad and for this just about any low end Mac or PC will do just fine. My point is only lunatic fringe PC and Mac users spend time worrying about who has the fastest processor etc. when John and Jane Doe of Wichita Falls, KS are out on the front porch enjoying the evening breeze or better yet traveling across America in the new RV :)

Get a life people it makes no difference Mac or PC turn the computer off and go enjoy life ! :)
 
psychofreak said:
I know my grandad uses VMWare's Fusion (like Parallels, but IMO better) because his (old) scanner's drivers are only Windows and OS9 unfortunately...many Mac users use Windows to test their websites on the platform...
Click to expand...

Have you checked to see if the driver will work using crossover? I was using a logitech joystick driver that was windows only through crossover and it worked perfectly.
 
dwl017 said:
Any Windows user/owner with a real life has no real need to switch over to Mac's or even spend the time to worry about it. People that use these messages boards fail to realize that a large portion of PC and Mac user are only checking email, and sending a few photos of the grand kids to Mom and Dad and for this just about any low end Mac or PC will do just fine. My point is only lunatic fringe PC and Mac users spend time worrying about who has the fastest processor etc. when John and Jane Doe of Wichita Falls, KS are out on the front porch enjoying the evening breeze or better yet traveling across America in the new RV :)

Get a life people it makes no difference Mac or PC turn the computer off and go enjoy life ! :)
Click to expand...

I'm all for enjoying life, however this requires money. And what is the most productive tool in todays modern world? Why its that box you've just turned off! You've managed to bypass the majority of computer users, those who use them as a tool, as a means to earn money to pay all this travelling :rolleyes:.
 
I have a Core 2 Duo PC running Windows Vista Home Premium here. It is plugged in to my HDTV and is used for Windows Vista Media Center. I have a nice big HDD, a dual digital HDTV tuner and I'm loving it. Hopefully 1 day Apple come up with a solution that is comparable, but so far they aren't even close.
 
I only keep a PC around since a few of my stock trading VPN programs only work on a PC. I want to add Windows to my iMac, but I am not sure what method yet. The more I read, it seems like I will choose VM Ware over Parallels, but I am going to wait until Leopard comes out anyway. I can't wait though to see my stock programs on the 24 inch screen.
 
My laptop is a PC still...the desktop I'm on now is a mac. And I still kept my old desktop PC, though I took the hd out and put it in a usb enclosure.

There are a couple Windows-only apps I still use but they run just fine in Parallels. I'm not really crazy about new PC games these days, so I didn't even bother with bootcamp.
 
I am currently keeping my PC because I don't have enough dough to buy my Mac. But I also need to keep it till I can buy Flash and maby Photoshop for said Mac. After that I'll be able to defenestrate my PC.
 
I use my PC for home protection. Throw it at someone when they break into my place. really though it currectly is keeping my Mac Pro box off the floor down in storage to prevent the mac pro box from getting wet.
 
risc said:
I have a Core 2 Duo PC running Windows Vista Home Premium here. It is plugged in to my HDTV and is used for Windows Vista Media Center. I have a nice big HDD, a dual digital HDTV tuner and I'm loving it. Hopefully 1 day Apple come up with a solution that is comparable, but so far they aren't even close.
Click to expand...

What specs is that machine? I would be interested in a setup such as that in the future I think.
 
I kept my old PC mainly for backup/eventual media server purposes,

2.33Ghz Pentium D
1GB Ram
200 + 160gb HD
Crap graphics card, 9200 Radeon something i think

want to buy 2 500gb hard drives to backup all of the pc, install OSX86 on it, connect it to my TV and use it to watch films on.

Since i got my mac though I haven't used it, I have no need to, if Final Cut came out for PC, i'd consider it, but that'll never happen.
 
I was a switcher back in 1997 but I trashed my PC as soon as my Powermac arrived.

I do still have a PC in my apartment which runs my MAME cabinet.
 
Cromulent said:
What specs is that machine? I would be interested in a setup such as that in the future I think.
Click to expand...

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4 GHz
2 GB DDR2 RAM
320 GB SATA II HDD
Hauppauge PCI dual channel HD tuner
802.11B/G PCI card
Dual Layer DVD burner
Asus mainboad with onboard Intel X3000 video/7.1 surround sound/Gb LAN (etc) (can't remember the exact model name, the boards change so fast these days)

Microsoft Media Center remote/keyboard

The X3000 is perfect for what I need, it runs all of the 3D stuff from Vista without issue.

I'm using a slim line case with a 220W PSU, the only fans in the thing are on the CPU/PSU and unless you press your ear up to the case it is pretty much silent.
 
I keep an XP box in the closet, sans display, which I use via Remote Desktop Client. I run Quicken on it and test the occasional web page in IE.

I'll probably get rid of it entirely when I finally upgrade my desktop to a Mac Pro, but my current PowerMac doesn't provide a very pleasant virtual machine experience. Virtual PC on a G5 is a much less gratifying experience than Parallels or VMware is on an Intel-based Mac.
 
I still use my low-end 5 year old desktop for the usual net, email, and word processing tasks. I can watch DVD's on it, if I want, though rarely do so.

It's a 1.4 GHz Athlon 1600 with 768 MB of RAM running WinXP. The fans run a little loud.
 
Why am I keeping my Windows PC?

Because I can't afford to buy another iMac at the present time. ;) Hopefully, I will be able to replace my 5 year old Gateway PC in January.
 
I have 5 pc's laying around in my study and they all average around either 2.8ghz athlons or P4 3.6 and 3.8ghz machines.
Been an avid pc user although playing games very lightly from a long time (mainly the command and conquer series) however since I purchased my macbook I used another pc mainly for work about 70% of the time.
This deteriorated very very quickly as did the need for more apple machines!
I now have both vmware and parallels to run my work applications and am avidly waiting for office 2k8 so I dont really need to run these either (but no doubt I will keep them to see any new pc apps that may appear).

So, I now own a macbook, a macmini upgraded to 2gb with a 200gb hdd, an imac 17" for my daughter and this week I am going to purchase a high end Imac for myself.

I think I jumped on the apple "cart" at the right time as for many many years I have been wanting to play around with home video editing yet the pc apps that I purchased were buggy and crashed a hell of a lot.
I used ilife 06 for a little while and then then brought out 08 which is just superb!

So the answer to the original question...? yes, I have fully made the break!
Yes I still own 4 pc's but they haven't been switched on for a couple of months now. I intend to ebay them but havent got round to doing it yet.

If I want to play games then the new imac will be just fine although I will mainly be playing games on my Wii/360 or ps3!
 
I personally don't own a PC....haven't owned one since 04 but my brother who is a recent switcher is keeping his AMD notebook for media center/DVR purposes instead of shelling for Eye TV
 
dwl017 said:
Any Windows user/owner with a real life has no real need to switch over to Mac's or even spend the time to worry about it. People that use these messages boards fail to realize that a large portion of PC and Mac user are only checking email, and sending a few photos of the grand kids to Mom and Dad and for this just about any low end Mac or PC will do just fine. My point is only lunatic fringe PC and Mac users spend time worrying about who has the fastest processor etc. when John and Jane Doe of Wichita Falls, KS are out on the front porch enjoying the evening breeze or better yet traveling across America in the new RV :)

Get a life people it makes no difference Mac or PC turn the computer off and go enjoy life ! :)
Click to expand...

Sheesh, LIE-TEN UP!
I have 3 PC's, One runs my web site business and Airport Shuttle business, One runs my wife's business, and the last my Daughter who is a Teacher uses as well as a school Laptop and her lap top. All are PC's and Windows. I will be getting a Mac Book to learn something new and in all probability, the only switcher in the family. PC's run our business'es but not our live's. I enjoy computers as well as the art of maintaining them, as I built all the destops myself. Apples/Windows doesn't matter, love em all
Gotta run and make my Pear marinade for the Labor Day Grilled duck poolside.
My point, do what you like, and let the world revolve.
Cheffy Dave
 
dwl017 said:
Any Windows user/owner with a real life has no real need to switch over to Mac's or even spend the time to worry about it. People that use these messages boards fail to realize that a large portion of PC and Mac user are only checking email, and sending a few photos of the grand kids to Mom and Dad and for this just about any low end Mac or PC will do just fine. My point is only lunatic fringe PC and Mac users spend time worrying about who has the fastest processor etc. when John and Jane Doe of Wichita Falls, KS are out on the front porch enjoying the evening breeze or better yet traveling across America in the new RV :)

Get a life people it makes no difference Mac or PC turn the computer off and go enjoy life ! :)
Click to expand...

Sheesh, LIE-TEN UP!
I have 3 PC's, One runs my web site business and Airport Shuttle business, One runs my wife's business, and the last my Daughter who is a Teacher uses as well as a school Laptop and her lap top. All are PC's and Windows. I will be getting a Mac Book to learn something new and in all probability, the only switcher in the family. PC's run our business'es but not our live's. I enjoy computers as well as the art of maintaining them, as I built all the destops myself. Apples/Windows doesn't matter, love em all
Gotta run and make my Pear marinade for the Labor Day Grilled duck poolside.
My point, do what you like, and let the world revolve.
Cheffy Dave
 
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