Windows or Mac? VHS or Betamax?

[Barrie]

Great to see all these different opinions,
I saw that in the recent Las Vegas electrics show, key line speaker, Bill Gates was showing off the new M/S tech which allows the latest Nikon cameras to transfer their data to the PC with out wires, what a great idea, only trouble was the PC he was using crashed twice during the demo.

I agree with the previous writer, there are cheaper, faster, lighter machines on the market but we ride GS's and like a bit of class.
I have 5 Mac's of various ages, they all work.
So there it is, you have to make a choice, but as the Mini Mac has just come out for just £400 inc.vat you can try one, use your old monitor and key board. It's a deal.
cheers,
Barrie

 

[Lunsarboy]

I have been working with Macs for nearly ten years now both selling and tech support. I would never change. I would not argue the PC has it's place in the professional WORK environment but Beemer wants a simple machine for basic home use, email, web, word etc. In this situation you cannot beat the Mac.
I would also say to a look at Mini Mac or an iMac. For anyone like myself that may need the odd Windows access i have a copy of VPC. Beemer I would 100% say the best thing is go into an Apple centre and talk to someone and have alook for yourself.

Lunsarboy

 

[Beemer]

I've just had a look at Mac Mini and I have to say it lseems as if it has alll the features and probably programmes I'd be inclined to use, such as Appleworks 6, which sounds like the Mac equivelant to Word?

Also iLife 05 looks pretty impressive in respect of it's audio and video possibilities.

The overall size of the item is relatively small which I find attractive.

I assume I'd be able to continue to gain internet access by using my current browsers Mozilla Firefox and Inernet Explorer?

I think I'll have to pay PC World a visit assuming that they sell Mac Minis, see if I cant get some sort of demonstration or summit.

Thanks again guys for all your comments, you've been very helpful.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Heston Service]

I've been trying not to reply to this thread. But as a Mac user since 1985 ....

First things first. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go into PC world and ask for a demo of a mac. They know nothing, care about nothing and will tell you nothing.

If you're in town go to the Apple Store on Regent's Steet. They will clue you in and won't put any pressure on you to buy anything.

Apple works is not really equivalent to word. Microsoft produce a great version of office for the Mac which is pretty cheap if you buy the student and teacher edition. And let's face it, everyone knows a student or teacher.

You can use IE or Firefox or Safari, Apple's own browser. Using that combination of three I've never had a problem opening any websites.

Mac OSX is different to use from XP and in many ways no better. Personally I appreciate the effort that Apple put into the user interface and the general design of the OS. It all seems to fit together as a coherant whole.

ILife is great. The apps all work together so you have easy access to all your movies, photos and music when putting together a dvd for example. IPhoto works with pretty much any camera without drivers or configuration and the new straighten function is pure genius (IMHO of course).

You need to decide for yourself but please do yourself a favour and go to a shop where you can speak to someone who is enthusiastic and knowledgable about the platform.

Myths debunked: Apple has long held pretty massive cash reserves and has never been in danger of going bust. It did lose it's way for a while and made some shocking products (If you had a powerbook 5300 you'll know what I mean) but never lost much money. The iPod has added to it's revenues and reserves but has not rescued it from the jaws of doom.

Mac Office is produced by the Macintosh Business Unit at Microsoft, an automonous division that is run for profit. As a smaller operator they seem to be able to innovate features into every release of office for Mac that are not, at the time, on the PC version.

I wish I hadn't started now. Good luck and I hope you find the machine for you, that does what you want at the price you can afford.

 

[Beemer]

Thanks Heston.

Re PC World, why doesn't that surprise me??

Steve

 

[Kropotkin]

I'm surprised no one has suggested OpenOffice as a replacement for Mickeysoft's Office.
It runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD and Solaris, so it should work for just about everybody. It can export and import most Word and Excel documents without any problems (as long as they are not using the more obscure features of Word or Excel), and they are free (as in Open Source free, as in free upgrades, free to use, never pay anyone anything, and hack the source if you feel so inclined). They also do not suffer from Mickeysoft Office's cute tendency to infect itself with macro viruses.

If I was looking for a cheap computer just to surf, e-mail, and type a few documents, I would also be tempted to look at Linux (probably Mandrake, because it's so ridiculously easy to install and use). Lots of free software, and no real need to worry about viruses, spyware or hackers. Then all you need is a cheap OS-free PC box, and a CD. Images of all major Linux distributions (flavours, if you like) can be found from LinuxIso. And for those of you who have heard of Linux, and would like to play with it, but are afraid to install it, try downloading Knoppix, burn an image on CD, and boot from CD.

David

 

[richie]

Yep openoffice is very good.

Installed on my PC but not bothered on my MAC

 

[Lunsarboy]

Beemer having sold Macs for years I would 100% agree with Heston DO NOT go to PC World or that type of place. The staff know nothing about Macs. I have been in PC World one time listening to a sales guy selling a serial printer to a lady for her iMac. Well it has been years since Macs only had USB!! Just an example of the type of bad info you can get. Go to Apple Store in Regent street or if you are in the west end and the Store is crowded (most likely) you can try Square Group on Lower Oxford st. You need to speak to someone that cvan not only demo the machine but can also explain how you move from windows to Mac and what is invloved.

Good luck and hope you get a Mac it will not disappoint!!

Lunsarboy

 

[Deleted Member I]

It's so much cooler though!

I switched to mac to purely satisfy my vanity. Macs are just so much cooler.

Since getting it though, I found the following "little things" that are just great design considerations.

1. Things are really Plug and Play! I have not had to download a single "driver" or additional software to make the following items work:
1. USB drives (dongle and external hard drives)
2. Digital cameras (mine and a few mates)
3. My bluetooth enabled phones

2. The user interface is really neat. I found tabbing through applications in Windows such a pain now. It is a simple pointing action on the mac

3. Using Mail, Calendar, and the iLife suite is really neat. It's only a hassle if you interact with Windows people

4. Mac users are so much friendlier! I emailed some Mac users in the states for advice, and they just help you. Simple.

The negatives:
1. Windows is not compatible with you. So if you need to interact with Windows users, than it is not so good.
2. It's expensive!
3. You wonder why you stuck with Windows for so long ... am I really that dumb!
4. Its proprietary. So everything is Apple or nothing!

At the end of the day the more people switch the more the platform will be supported by third party companies (as they are in the states). So by buying it, you will find it gets better and better.

Hope you get the one you want!
T.

 

[cookie]

i have to admit, i do like novice's arguments


as to virus problems, i have mcafee AV & zone alarm on my pc's & have never been infected.

i've had the odd bit of malware trouble, solved for the most part by ditching internet explorer.

 

[Kropotkin]

as to virus problems, i have mcafee AV & zone alarm on my pc's & have never been infected.

Correction: have never KNOWINGLY been infected. The virus firms (though they do their best) can still lag a couple of days behind the virus writers. Which may turn out to be a couple of days too long.

 

[Beemer]

Re: It's so much cooler though!

1. Things are really Plug and Play! I have not had to download a single "driver" or additional software to make the following items work:
1. USB drives (dongle and external hard drives)
2. Digital cameras (mine and a few mates)
3. My bluetooth enabled phones

2. The user interface is really neat. I found tabbing through applications in Windows such a pain now. It is a simple pointing action on the mac

3. Using Mail, Calendar, and the iLife suite is really neat. It's only a hassle if you interact with Windows people

Thanks Novice, the plug and play features sound very good.

Just need to clear up one or two things you've mentioned. Sorry, but I am not very computer literate.

What is a "dongle"?

What do you mean by "user interface"

When you say "Using Mail, Calendar, and the iLife suite is really neat. It's only a hassle if you interact with Windows people" do you mean if someone sends you an e-mail from a PC that it there are problems opening that e-mail on a Mac?

Again guys I apologise for my lack of knowledge here but "you dont ask, you dont get"

Steve

 

[needlongerlegs]

I'm really enjoying this post well done to all...

Dongle is a bit of hardware sort of like a key you plug in a USB or Printer port to enable you to use certain software not used much any more in the PC world but still used on some application s in the Mac world especially expensive graphics and editing programs.

Any pc you buy these days will have USB ports all over the place not sure what Novice is saying there.

It is a standard that both PC's and Macs Use beware of old ver 1 usbs new printers hate them and they are bloody slow.

User Interface is just that how you the user communicates with the Computer; type stuff; click on things etc.

The step of right mouse clicking IMHO just hyper spaced the Windows PC in front, hen ever I used a MAC now I find it extremely inconvenient not have in do it button and a ask about it button on the mouse

Most problems on any kind of computer are caused by the UKI (user keyboard interface) in other words YOU ..... LOL

Emails to and from Mac's to PC's can cause problems mainly minor stuff and hardly ever they lose formating etc sometimes again this can be fixed by changing or training the UKI
Windows is truly Plug and Play Mac's in my understanding are not thats why you have to mainly stick to proprietary stuff.

God don't I go on No AXE to grind just enjoying the banter...

As I said before people get attached to Mac's and not to PC's otherwise you'd have seven thousand replies saying don't be daft by a PC like the rest of us..

Oh bugger it; buy the one you fancy if head then a PC if its heart then a MAC

LOL

G>>

 

[Deleted Member I]

Steve,

I hope I wasn't coming over too technical

As I said I bought the machine because I think they are cool.

The dongle in my post merely mean one of those memory sticks things (not THE memory sticks from Sony ... but I hope you know what I mean)

I have found that PC webcams don't just plug and play on my Mac. If you get iSight it will work out of the box!

With Mail, and Calendar. I found that I can receive appointments with ease. But when I set them up my "Outlook" colleagues can't load them onto their calendar.

Just goto the Apple store or a reseller to check out the Mac. Apple store is good because you will get less pressure to buy from the guy explaining the thing to you. Flip side is that the store seems to be always packed.

BTW, if you decide to have one. Haggle!! They are too expensive. Apple store will not give you a discount, so goto a reseller. Wait until the annual Mac expo/show in London.

On the other hand if you just want a computer. PCs are just so flippling cheap these days. That's without haggling!

 

[Beemer]

Thanks Graham for the explanations of your terms I think I get the idea.

I like the idea that some retailers will haggle re the price. As soon as I get some free time I'm going to start having a look around.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Andy80F]

Re: Re: It's so much cooler though!

What is a "dongle"?

Its an old technology that was used to protect some expensive software packages from being loaded onto other computers. Hard to think of a program that still uses one.

When you say "Using Mail, Calendar, and the iLife suite is really neat. It's only a hassle if you interact with Windows people" do you mean if someone sends you an e-mail from a PC that it there are problems opening that e-mail on a Mac?

No e-mails are not specific to the type of computer you use.

While many of the most popular programs can be bought for either the Mac or PC there are some Mac specific applications available that do things a little differently and follow the apple ethos of ease of use and elegance of design, these are the iLife programs and most come free with new Macs. If you have to swap files, music, pictures or documents from the Mac to PC/PC to Mac then its very easy to use a file format common to both. There are however a few buisness orientated programs which cannot be accessed by both platforms so if your computer was to be connected to your workplace system it might be an issue.

Again guys I apologise for my lack of knowledge here but "you dont ask, you dont get"

No worries

 

[Heston Service]

I've never had any problems with opening emails form other macs, windows, blackberries or linux.

Most people send .pdfs nowardays - and Mac OSX can print straight to .pdf from any application which is fabulous.

But I open .doc or .xls files in Office, Autocad drawings in VectorWorks, Powerpoint in Keynote, pictures in Photoshop or iPhoto. With no problems.

The only attachments I can't open are windows viruses.

It's the little things that Apple does that show how much thought they put into the design of their products. For example:

The autosensing Ethernet port. You don't have to choose between a crossover cable or a normal one; the mac just senses that a connection has been made and works out what pins are in use.

Networking. The computer shows local networks, especially windows ones, as a normal folder on the desktop. I can connect to one of my client's networks far easier from my powerbook than my colleagues can from their wintel machines.

And my favourites: The pulsing sleep light and the backlit keyboard on the powerbook. Small, simple, elegant touches that make my life better and bring a smile to my face. Well worth the extra cash.

And they look cool of course.

 

[Beemer]

The step of right mouse clicking IMHO just hyper spaced the Windows PC in front, hen ever I used a MAC now I find it extremely inconvenient not have in do it button and a ask about it button on the mouse

This is one point that does give me a tiny bit of concern. I use the right click facility on my mouse quite a lot, if I want to see the propertires of something, or to quickly provide me with options for perhaps moving an item.

Are these facilities available elsewhere within the Mac system? ie By using the keyboard?

Cheers

Steve

 

[bakerlonglegs]

I use a three button mouse with my Mac, just plug-n-play, the right button accesses all the same info features that you get on a PC. Logitech sell them. You can also access right-click functions by holding down the CTRL key.
HTH
BLL

 

[richie]

Beemer, no worries. Get a two button mouse and the right click still works in MAC

I got a logitech cordless as I wanted two buttons. I regret not getting the bluetooth option as I could have got a bluetooth mouse instead of using a USB port. No big deal really.

In actual fact I find myself using the touch pad a lot on the MAC where as I would never use it on the PC, it just seems to work better