Why Should I Pick Mac?

[Dannehkins]

First of all, you may have noticed that this is my first forum post so hello.

Secondly and more importantly, I am looking for advice and preferably not a scripted response but a more closer mac user response so here's my story.

At the moment, I am on a Sony Vaio F11 laptop running Windows 7 64 bit. When I was choosing the laptop, I had the choice of a mac and this laptop and so you do the maths and you figure out I bought this. They were both of similar price and I was kinda feeling well, it looks that I get more features by going for the Vaio and it was actually cheaper.

However, recently a family member of mine was looking for a laptop and I was kinda thinking well, I have the money and they are my close family so I decided that providing that they wanted to, I would sell the laptop to them for a very reasonable price and search for a new laptop.

Regardless, the more I see a macbook pro out in the open, the more I feel that, sure I may have a Blu-Ray driver and such, but I also have a battery life of 2 hours and I don't have that pristine feel of a macbook pro.

But being from a Windows based background all my life, I am, at the moment, just trying to get a general jist from users themselves of what makes mac so special. I will refrain from saying, should I pick a macbook pro or stay with this laptop, because that's like going on the official PlayStation forums and asking, is the PS3 any good? What I really want to know is, why? I am sure there are some of you out there who made the jump from PC to Mac so I'm really trying to find out how you feel now, after that jump?

What is it that you enjoy most about the mac that you didn't enjoy about the PC? Also, is there anything you miss from a PC that you don't really get with a Mac?

As you can see, I am trying to make a fully informed decision and I am hoping for some detailed answers here - they would be very much appreciated.

For your general info, I am looking at the 15" Macbook Pro. The one that sports the quad core i7 I believe.

Again, thank you for taking the time to answer this.

 

[GGJstudios]

You may have better success in attracting responses to your thread, and you'll make your thread easier to find for those searching for the same answers, if you follow this tip.

 

[chrono1081]

Its all going to boil down to what you use a computer for. A computer is simply a tool to complete a task and some machines are better at certain tasks than others. That being said, I've worked with Windows all my life and make a living from Windows (I work in IT supporting Windows and Windows servers).

For me, I switched over one bug in Windows (the Vista pre-service pack 1 volume shadow copy error). I was unable to transfer 500GB of data from one drive to another on my brand new $1500 laptop, yet my crappy little eeePC running an obscure version of linux did it just fine. I was angry already that day, sold my laptop to a co-worker for $500 and went online and ordered a Macbook Pro. That was about 3.5 years ago and I never looked back.

Although I still work in IT I do a ton of media related work as a hobby and Macs handle large amounts of data better than Windows hands down in my experience. Its great to work with enormous files and not have to worry about your machine crashing or freezing up.

There are also features in the OS that are insanely convenient such as quicklook, spaces, Time machine, etc. I often catch myself tapping spacebar to look at the contents of a file in Windows only to be disappointed. (Quicklook is activated by spacebar incase you didn't know that).

The fact that I don't have to worry about malware either is a big draw. Sure there are a handful of malwares that exist for OSX but they are blocked by Apple updates and are much better to deal with than the over 150,000 known malwares for Windows (the Windows figure does not include variants which would blow the number over 1 million according to the reports we get from Symantec at work).

Anyway I also like the fact that if I need Windows (which is rare) then I can run it on my Mac too if I need by either bootcamp or VM. I only use Windows if I have to make something in UDK or program in Direct X. Other than that I haven't used Windows for anything else.

Anyway if you don't need a Mac for specific reasons than it is all personal preference. Go to a store and play with them for a bit. Sure they are different but once you get used to it, if you are like most people, you'll wonder why you didn't switch sooner.

 

[Pogopuschel]

Like chrono1081 mentioned, the big question is, what will you use the mac for? If you play a lot of games and make your living with Microsoft software buying a Mac may not be the best choice. Sure, you can install Windows natively or on a virtual machine, but why go through the trouble of starting it every time if you can buy a PC instead?

I was in a similar situation as you, I first opted to buy a windows laptop instead of a mac. However, a couple month later that laptop actually got stolen. At that time I was studying Computer Science in university and I saw that all my professors were using Macs and I thought "Well, there must be something to it." I had to buy a new one anyway so I opted for a Macbook Pro that time. Since then I've never looked back. I should mention that I'm a developer and that's what mainly use my Mac for. Since I got my Mac, my productivity has increased 5-fold and I threat touching my friends' Windows PCs Software runs smoother, faster, spaces is amazing, and I love having a real terminal. I've never had a single problem with my Mac, Windows on the other hand would always crash or hang for no apparent reason. I think I've rebooted my Mac less than 15 times during the past 1.5 years, and most reboots were due to software updates.

What I miss from my PC? Nothing. The only exception is that sometimes people send me MS software-specific files (such as Access), for which I have to fire up a virtual machine to open them, it's pretty troublesome.

 

[glenthompson]

I still use both, a Windows laptop for work and a Macbook Pro for personal. I switched my personal stuff over to the Mac early this year. I run MS Office on the Mac for compatibility and ease of transition. I do miss having MS Access on the Mac. There are a handful of programs I use in Windows that I'm slowly finding Mac equivalents for. That takes some time. I will be working on something and need a particular utility and realize that I don't have that program on the Mac. I then have to search for something to handle it.

Things I don't miss about Windows - Lack of a decent backup is a major annoyance. I had used Win Home Server but it has problems with encrypted disks. Otherwise it worked fine but I now prefer Time Machine.
Windows 7 learning curve was almost as much as switching to the Mac.
Difficulty installing and uninstalling programs.

As the others have stated, it really boils down to what you're going to use it for. If you don't have specific needs that requires Windows, I'd go with the Mac. After 5 months, I haven't regretted my decision.

As an aside, this is being typed on a MBP that's over 4 years old. I got it as a hand me down from my sister in law. I've upgraded the hard drive and memory but it runs better than my relatively new Lenovo R400.

Glen

 

[InternetDude08]

Time Machine. Macs just work. And they look cool

 

[Barnzee]

One of the main reasons I switched is simply because of the quality of the build and the beautiful High Resolution Displays. You just can't come close to it in the PC realm. These machines are just so damn sexy.

When I received my first mac I didn't even take it out of the box for like a week and all I could think about is how I spent all this money on a computer. but once I opened it I was blown away at how elegant yet simple doing everything was. After the first day of messing around with it I couldn't help but think to myself, Why didn't I switch sooner?!

The multi-touch gestures on the track pad seemed foreign at first but eventually I opted to use it more and more till eventually I just don't even use a mouse anymore unless I'm playing a game.

It might sound a little weird but I feel like my Mac is an extension of myself I just love turning it on and using it. I cant explain the sort of attachment I've gained towards Apple computers other than calling it the Apple effect. I love these machines.

The ONLY reason I would NOT buy a Mac was if I wanted to build a gaming rig. However, my 2011 MBP handles every game that I play on High to Med and looks great. So I have no need for a gaming rig.

 

[ThomasBoss]

I have always really wanted a mac only because it was 'pretty'...Anyway after buying an old PowerBook G4 running Tiger off of eBay to test out the Mac OS I thought to myself...'Hey, I really enjoy using this..' Why? I am paranoid when it comes to getting malware on my computers, and now with a Mac I have loaded up Sophos Home and now I can actually browse the web with peace of mind....I like the simplicity of the OS (installing and uninstalling programs, not getting all these weird error codes..etc) and also the support is excellent not that you'd need to use it anyway (lol...I know, I know )

Before spending the huge amount of money, order an old powerbook from ebay to test out or go to an apple store and try it.....

 

[GGJstudios]

I am paranoid when it comes to getting malware on my computers

No viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any, since it was released 10 years ago. The handful of trojans that exist can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install:

Mac Virus/Malware Info​

I have loaded up Sophos

Sophos is not recommended, because it can actually increase your Mac's vulnerability. Read the link above for details.

 

[chrono1081]

Time Machine. Macs just work. And they look cool

Time Machine saved my @$$ today! A friend was using my machine to work on a movie project and somehow deleted my game project database ( ! ). (That database is VERY important!) Needless to say thankfully I had Time Machine so I just went in and got it back (That being said Time Machine should be a supplementary backup, not a complete backup solution.)

Anyway, back on topic

 

[ThomasBoss]

No viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any, since it was released 10 years ago. The handful of trojans that exist can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install:

Mac Virus/Malware Info​

Sophos is not recommended, because it can actually increase your Mac's vulnerability. Read the link above for details.

I know there are no viruses for Mac OS X, but just for my peace of mind I like an antivirus Maybe I didn't explain it probably, what I mean is with OS X I like not being scared to go on a site that will give me malware.

Thanks for the link about Sophos, I will uninstall and see how I am with no virus protection...

 

[Dannehkins]

These have been some great replies, just what i wanted.

What would I use it for?

Well, I'm currently at university so I'll be doing a lot of processing work, powerpoint and spreadsheets. In fact, i'll be doing a hell of a lot of spreadsheets to record data in.

Apart from that, everything else is just personal use. Surfing the web, listening to music, watching videos. I once in a while game, but we're not talking anything too graphically intensive here and I noticed the Mac part to Steam and the games I occasionally play are there and can be run on the macbook pro I'm looking at.

I think someone nailed it on the head when they said they didn't open it for days because they had to let it sink in on how much they've spent on a machine.

So my next question is, how long have you all had your macs? I am hoping this will last me to the end of my whole 4 year course if I do purchase a mac and hopefully longer! I will be starting my second year in October.

 

[ECUpirate44]

So my next question is, how long have you all had your macs? I am hoping this will last me to the end of my whole 4 year course if I do purchase a mac and hopefully longer! I will be starting my second year in October.

A mbp will easily get you through 4 years. I have an iBook that is still running strong.

 

[Barnzee]

I bought my first Mac in 2009 and had it for two years before I sold it for the new 2011 model MPB. I didn't need to upgrade I just wanted to. I originally had the 17" model but my lifestyle became more mobile so I wanted a MBP that was a little easier to take around with me.

What is cool about Macs is their amazing re-sale value. I babied mine and it had no cosmetic damages like scratches. So two years later I sold it for about 1400$ USD which payed for half of the new Model I bought with apple care.

 

[applefan289]

Again, thank you for taking the time to answer this.

Let me start by saying that I have been a Windows user all my life until about two years ago.

About three years ago, I was on vacation. I happened to land in a shopping plaza while on vacation that had an Apple store. I had never been to an Apple store (or even seen all the products Apple had), and was curious to see what was inside, considering I am into electronics in general.

After I went inside, I knew my next computer would be a Mac (or iMac, for that matter). The iMac I saw was before the 2009 redesign (the iMac with the bigger chin).

So, considering I bought my Windows computer just a few years before that, I waited.

After the 2009 redesign, I couldn't bear not having an iMac any longer, so bought a 27" iMac.

I prefer it so much more than the Windows desktop I used to have because, to me, Mac OS X Snow Leopard has a really nice interface.

But, if you want to know the real reason I bought it, it's because of the computer design and Mac OS X. I was amazed that so much "computer" could fit into something a few inches thick behind the monitor. I'm sure there were other all-in-ones at the time, but nothing compared to the design of the iMac.

And on top of all that, Apple's website enticed me even more. That is one of the best websites on the planet.



I think the question should be, why NOT get a Mac?

 

[jca24]

Once you go Mac you will never go back!

 

[sirxavier]

After 3 years of having my first mac (mbp) i can tell you the things i think are better than win:

- effortless networking: you set up file sharing over LAN and that's it all your machines can access your files over the network (including winpcs), screen sharing is easy to use too!

- almost no crashes, can keep my pc on all the time, downloading stuff, ripping, etc, and I don't need to restart it, if I close the lidit turns off quick, if I open it, it comes back to life quick too.

- the interface is clean and intuitive, and stylish! From connecting to wifi to burning dvds... I like the clean interface a lot. Even copying files... It just feels..smoother... You never get any errors when doing this basic things like copying files too.

- the big, multi touch trackpad.

- the magnetic power cord have saved my machine a few times

- the beautiful led screen.

What I don't like:

- underpowered for games, if you want games cheap desktop will be much better.

- the battery and DVD drive have failed me twice, I have had to replace them twice.. : /

- every time a new MBP model comes out I want to buy it, lol!

So yeah, just my experience here... Still using my 3 year old Mac every day and happy with it ^^.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I switched in April 2008 to Mac.

Prior to that, I had bought an iPod (a number of iPods, to be precise). The first reason I contemplated switching was the excellent service Apple gave me when the HD on the old classic iPod died (twice) while under warranty. The warranty was honoured and the device replaced almost immediately without a quibble or an attempt to seek refuge in contractual small-print.

Then, of course, I was impressed by the design and style and spec of the machine. Above all, (because I was very fed up with spam, malware, viruses, despite actually investing in - rather than simply downloading free software - or purchasing, the most robust anti-virus, anti-everything package I could find to protect my old Windows machines), I really liked the fact that malware, viruses and spam are virtually unknown on Apple devices. This was a major factor in my decision to switch. Actually, a BBC report which I read (in 2008) stated that no virus had ever successfully attacked an Apple computer, so it was not simply Apple's own advertising.

So, in a nutshell, the plusses were and are design and elegance, Apple customer support along with the fact that they honour their warranties and the fact that the machines are secure from external attack.

Minuses: Cost - yes, they are a bit more expensive, but, by then, my Windows machines were Toshiba or Sony, rather than Dell.

Moreover, I had held off for years because Apple had not taken on board that most of the rest of the world uses Office; yes, iWork may be better, but my world uses Word, Powerpoint and Excel. Ever since Office for Mac was developed, that particular problem was addressed (and yes, I have Office for Mac).

I bought my first Mac - a MBP - in April 2008 and in September of last years I added a MBA to it and now use that as my sole computer.

Sirxavier is right; glitches can happen. I, too, have had HD problems, but fortunately I had Applecare.

I have to say that I have been very impressed by Apple products, and the service given by Apple when problems arose.

Good luck with the switch if and when you decide to make it.

Cheers

 

[RUGERMAN]

Office?

Word, Excel and Power Point have been on the Mac almost since day one.


Moreover, I had held off for years because Apple had not taken on board that most of the rest of the world uses Office; yes, iWork may be better, but my world uses Word, Powerpoint and Excel. Ever since Office for Mac was developed, that particular problem was addressed (and yes, I have Office for Mac).

 

[Dannehkins]

Aha, love the end bit Applefan.

Sirxavier, thank you for pointing out the negatives. Out of curiosity, what version of the macbook did you have? Would it be 2008?

At the moment, I have Office 2010 on my laptop and I was wondering would I have to re-purchase it for Mac or could I use the same disk?

Thanks Scepticalscribe. I have bought a couple of versions of the iPod Touch and the iPod shuffle and to be honest, I don't think I would be even considering a Mac if it wasn't for those purchases. I was so impressed by the service and the build that it did make me wonder what their other products would be like.

Again, I can't stress it enough, thank you for the detailed replies. I am gathering at the moment that yes, Mac can have it's little hiccups here and there ( what doesn't?) but it seems to be minimal. I also get the feeling that a Mac would be something I can enjoy as well. There is something I love more than anything and it's trying something new.

I have my university card ready and I can't wait to get into my local Apple store to see what they have in store. I'd still love to here what kind of Mac stories you have and maybe times were you have had quite a bit of frustration with a mac maybe.

But overall, this has been incredibly helpful. It's pleasing to hear that you get your money's worth AND the resale value is good. The downside of loving to try something new is that it can cost you servely so a good resale value is always a plus.

 

[GGJstudios]

At the moment, I have Office 2010 on my laptop and I was wondering would I have to do re-purchase it for Mac or could I use the same disk?

Office 2010 is for Windows and will not run on Mac OS X. You need to buy Office 2011 for Mac.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Word, Excel and Power Point have been on the Mac almost since day one.

Not in the 1990s when I had my first computers and this issue first arose. It was a real pain when working with documents between Windows and OS computers at that time and Apple's own closed software meant that articles, documents, or essays needed knowledgeable people if one wanted to switch from one system to another. Many people were not that knowledgeable; certainly, I wasn't at that time and one should not have to be a tech expert in order to be able to use two different systems simultaneously.

Anyway, for me, it was a deal breaker, and, to be honest, as a consequence, I had ceased to consider Apple until I bought an iPod (and later, and iTouch). Then, it was the service as well as the style that prompted me to consider a switch.

And yes, the availability of Office for Mac made life a whole lot easier.

To the OP, there are differences. One of the things I had to learn is that the commands on an Apple keyboard are not quite the same as those on all of the Windows machines (and when I return to a Windows environment, I have to remind myself of what I used to know); the same things get done, only the actual keys to command this outcome may differ. There are tutorials to guide you through it - I downloaded a Windows to Apple guide. The biggest difference is the touchpad; Apple does not have a right click function on the touchpad. However, all of what you can do on a Windows machine, you can do on an Apple, it is just that the commands to enable this may differ.


Cheers

 

[balamw]

I think the question should be, why NOT get a Mac?

This is what it boiled down to for me when I bought my iBook G4. All the reasons that kept me away vanished.

I'm far less annoyed and annoyable when the computer I'm using is a Mac running OS X.

B

 

[GGJstudios]

Word, Excel and Power Point have been on the Mac almost since day one.

Not in the 1990s when I had my first computers and this issue first arose.

Actually, it was even earlier than that:

Prior to packaging its various office-type Macintosh software applications into Office, Microsoft released Mac versions of Word 1.0 in 1984, the first year of the Macintosh computer; Excel 1.0 in 1985; and PowerPoint 1.0 in 1987.

The Microsoft Office was introduced for Macintosh in 1989, before Office was released for Windows. It included Word 4.0, Excel 2.2, PowerPoint 2.01, and Mail 1.37.

 

[balamw]

Actually, it was even earlier than that:

Yes, but Mac and Windows versions didn't get smooth interoperability until way later.

Word for Mac was WYSIWYG when the DOS version was still a text based Wordperfect competitor, Excel and PowerPoint were originally developed for the Mac.

B