A "switcher" reflects on his decision...

[dh2005]

They people there knew their Macs and treated me well and THAT'S more important than blue t-shirts and hippie beards.

Agreed. But if the staff look like dropouts and certain shoppers don't even come inside, the staff won't have the opportunity to demonstrate their customer service skills... call me old-fashioned, but I don't want to be sold something that costs many hundreds of pounds by people who look like they failed all their GCSEs. Particularly when I know that they probably didn't, and in fact scored decent grades, but choose to look like dumb-asses because it's fashionable.


Thanks for the welcome. I'm happy to be here. My Mini is pleasantly diverting, and it's given me the taste for an iMac; probably this time next year.

 

[petetropolis]

Thought I chip in too as I've been lurking around these parts for a couple of months (mostly checking on the progress of the iMac issues as that's what I was looking at buying). Sorry, it's a bit of a long post.

Around September last year I decided I wanted to have a go at iPhone development so could only do that using a Mac. I didn't want to spend lots of money straight away so firstly went down the route of getting OSX running in a VM ware image, that worked and I was able to try my hand at coding in the iPhone SDK to see if it was worth investing money. Having done that I reaised that going down the virtualisation or hackintosh route was just to complicated, the trade-offs and issues just made the experience more trouble than it was worth so I decided to spend some cash.

The first issue was finding a suitable replacement for my PC. Having been a Windows Sys Admin, Unix Sys Admin, support person, developer etc... I've become a bit of a tinkerer so like building my own systems and changing things reguarly so the thought of being locked down wasn't good. However with my wife always complaining about the noise my PC makes I decided I could cope with giving that side up for a nice quiet cable free desk. So what to buy, I didn't want a laptop, mainly because I didn't need it to be portable but also, well, have you seen the prices of the top end models! A mac pro was out of the question too, although it's upgradeable I didn't really need a Xeon processor (or 2!) and, well, have you seen the price of those too! Mac minis, a little to underspecced, so that left the iMac and because I didn't want to go lower than the spec of my own built PC I decided on the i7.

....Oh dear, finally made my decision and then I read about the long list of issues with the iMac. Decided to pop along to the nearest apple store to actually have a look at the machines to see if I could spot some of the problems and had my first experiences with the staff. To be honest I was fine with the dress sense and everything, it's what I was expecting, but what I hated was being labelled a 'switcher'. There seemed to be no understanding that someone could be just as happy to use Windows as they are to use OSX, they'd already decided that if I bought a Mac I'd eventually decide that OSX was all I'd want to use and I found the whole 'Mac is the only way to go' attitude the biggest gripe I had with them.

After this lengthy decision process and then subsequent weeks of lurking around places like this I decided to order an i7 online. I did so on the 25th of Feb and as I'm in the UK got ready for the two week shipping wait.....to my surprise my week 9 model left Shanghai on the 27th and was delivered by UPS on the 4th, exactly a week later. I powered it up and it was perfect, I couldn't find any faults with it. The first thing I did was install Windows 7 via bootcamp and that went smoothly too.

So after only ever owning PCs....I love the iMac, as a package it looks good, runs silent and My desk now has a lot less clutter so I'm very happy with it. As far as OSX vs Windows, well I don't really care, they both do their job and I use whichever is appropriate for the task I'm doing. The buying process, well I don't like the limited choice of models and the fact that there isn't a decent PC equivalent sat between the iMac and the Mac Pro, and I could do without the 'Apple superiority' attitude that seems to exist in the stores, but buying online was great and at least the stores have almost all the models on show I can play with properly, I just need a 'do not disturb' sign!

So if anyone else is contemplating it, I can fully recommend the i7 iMac and if you like windows, you don't have to leave it behind......I'm only left with one real annoyance, if Steve Jobs would just let me run OSX on a PC (theres no technical reason why it can't) I could have saved a lot of money.

 

[SpitUK]

Thanks for that. I am at the about to switch stage!

 

[dh2005]

petetropolis;

Thanks for the input. I agree with several things you've pointed out, there.

 

[voyager03]

Interesting thread.

Nothing much to add other than I bought a mini to replace an aged PC - I got a 'Refurbished' 2.53 from the on-line store, a Mac keyboard and VGA cable from eBay and used my old monitor and mouse. All has been fine. I've been playing with VirtualBox but since pretty much everything I regularly used on a PC was freeware (OpenOffice, Gimp and the like) they are all available on the Mac too.

My wife 'switched' a year or so before me and we did the Mac Store experience (in Exeter) a couple of times before she bought as we knew less than nothing about Mac at the time. Can't say I thought the staff were overly trendy or even that young. She was dealt with well, our questions answered and happily she bought a white MacBook 2.4 (which I soon upgraded the memory in to 4gb) and she stopped hassling me with computer problems. Which was good. (I'm currently trying to get her to wait a month or so - her Vodafone contract is up and she wants and iPhone. I think waiting 'till June would be a good idea.....)

 

[AdeFowler]

I didn't say they weren't. They just dress like idiots - not all of them, but many.

At the Apple Store in the middle of Manchester during my visit, I'd say more than half of the floor staff had either a "creative" haircut, an unimaginative tattoo, or a piece of silly headwear (ski hat, bandana, whatever...). One guy had all three; he looked like a twentysomething waste-of-space who'd never finished senior school. And what's ironic is, I bet he was a middle-class, privately educated university graduate; it takes money and forethought to look that slack.

Tart.

Tarts indeed.

I think it's an Americanism that just doesn't quite work in our culture. I always cringe when the staff are whooping and high-fiving at store openings. That said, I am nearly 48 and the Apple Stores are doing rather well

 

[dh2005]

Well, they know which side their bread's buttered, don't they? Trendy idiots who replace their iPods every fifteen months.


I don't where else on the UK high street I could buy a Mac, to be honest. PC World, I guess, though they're typically marooned in business parks on the outskirts of town... anywhere else that anyone can think of?

 

[AdeFowler]

John Lewis
Argos

 

[trose]

Well, they know which side their bread's buttered, don't they? Trendy idiots who replace their iPods every fifteen months.

You've a real problem with folks different than yourself, eh?

I'd just *love* to go over your budget (and style) and point out all the things that I find to be wasteful and idiotic. I guarantee you there would be plenty.

Point being- Live and let live. If they've the money and desire to purchase a new iPod model, why shouldn't they? Doesn't seem to be hurting anyone. Unless, that is, we take into consideration the discomfort caused by your twisted panties.

On top of all that, you make a hell of a lot of assumptions. They work at an Apple store so they must be purchasing lots of iPods?

For the record- I don't and never have owned an iPod.

 

[dh2005]

You've a real problem with folks different than yourself, eh?

I'd just *love* to go over your budget (and style) and point out all the things that I find to be wasteful and idiotic. I guarantee you there would be plenty.

Point being- Live and let live. If they've the money and desire to purchase a new iPod model, why shouldn't they? Doesn't seem to be hurting anyone. Unless, that is, we take into consideration the discomfort caused by your twisted panties.

On top of all that, you make a hell of a lot of assumptions. They work at an Apple store so they must be purchasing lots of iPods?

For the record- I don't and never have owned an iPod.

I have problems with some people who are different than myself, yes. Child-molesters, for instance. Or should I be nice to them, too...? I'm sure you've never made a value-judgement of another human being in your life. How fortunate I am to have your liberal counsel at my ear.



As for my budget (and style); two things to say about that:

1. You'd "*love*" to do that, would you? That's an admission that you would delight in doing the exact same thing that I've done, for which you have criticised me. Makes you a hypocrite.

2. You "guarantee" you'd find plenty that's "wasteful and idiotic"? That's one "hell" of an "assumption", wouldn't you say? Makes you a hypocrite.



As for "Live and let live"; who have I killed...?



On top of all that, perhaps you should have clarified the definition of the expression that I used before publicly soiling your own "twisted panties". Knowing which side one's bread is buttered means behaving in a certain way to gain a certain advantageous outcome; the "trendy idiots" who constantly replace their iPods to whom I referred are the customers, and not the staff. I am suggesting that Apple Stores allow/encourage their staff to project that image to appeal to that consumer demographic.



If you want to vomit some more, send me a PM. I don't do public arguments.

 

[Sir Cecil]

I didn't say they weren't. They just dress like idiots - not all of them, but many.

At the Apple Store in the middle of Manchester during my visit, I'd say more than half of the floor staff had either a "creative" haircut, an unimaginative tattoo, or a piece of silly headwear (ski hat, bandana, whatever...). One guy had all three; he looked like a twentysomething waste-of-space who'd never finished senior school. And what's ironic is, I bet he was a middle-class, privately educated university graduate; it takes money and forethought to look that slack.

Tart.

Maybe that says more about Manchester than it says about Apple.

 

[trose]

I have problems with some people who are different than myself, yes. Child-molesters, for instance. Or should I be nice to them, too...? I'm sure you've never made a value-judgement of another human being in your life. How fortunate I am to have your liberal counsel at my ear.



As for my budget (and style); two things to say about that:

1. You'd "*love*" to do that, would you? That's an admission that you would delight in doing the exact same thing that I've done, for which you have criticised me. Makes you a hypocrite.

2. You "guarantee" you'd find plenty that's "wasteful and idiotic"? That's one "hell" of an "assumption", wouldn't you say? Makes you a hypocrite.



As for "Live and let live"; who have I killed...?



On top of all that, perhaps you should have clarified the definition of the expression that I used before publicly soiling your own "twisted panties". Knowing which side one's bread is buttered means behaving in a certain way to gain a certain advantageous outcome; the "trendy idiots" who constantly replace their iPods to whom I referred are the customers, and not the staff. I am suggesting that Apple Stores allow/encourage their staff to project that image to appeal to that consumer demographic.



If you want to vomit some more, send me a PM. I don't do public arguments.

Right, because "child molesters" is obviously comparable to "someone who dresses differently than myself".

Let's just leave it at that, since I can see the way you like to "debate".

 

[dh2005]

Right, because "child molesters" is obviously comparable to "someone who dresses differently than myself".

Let's just leave it at that, since I can see the way you like to "debate".

It's ironic that you should lecture me on the etiquette of debate; you insulted me, made a series of hypocritical comments, and misinterpretted part of what I'd written. You destroyed your own credibility straight off the line, then got the hump when I pointed it out; using, in large part, the same words you used towards me. Maybe if you hadn't been so aggressive (make sure you're on firm ground before you attack...), and if you'd explained yourself a little better, we'd be debating this now, rather than arguing about it.

Other people on this thread have managed to disagree with me without getting chewed. You set the tone of this exchange; I merely responded to it.


I don't like making enemies on forums - it's stupid, and counterproductive. I'm willing to forget about this, if you are.

 

[dh2005]

Maybe that says more about Manchester than it says about Apple.

Maybe, yes. Though the Mac-owning friend I took with me to buy my Mini commented that the staff have a similar image in London.

Mind you - is that much of a defence...?!

 

[yamawho]

I've given apple a few bucks for the years mostly for iPods ...

Kids keep losing them or getting them stolen

Anyways I decided to get a Mini for myself back in November and although I had many plans for it, I just basically use to for internet and emails.

Decided to go legit and got fed up hackingtoshing.

For the record I can't find my ski hat and I use a blackberry

 

[Wrathwitch]

I too am a switcher and I have to say:

I am constantly blown away by not having to have "new updates are available for your computer" constantly demanding my time and "You must restart your computer to have these changes take effect".

Its bloody wonderful. I have never had a glitch, hitch, restart requirement, everything just bloody works. When I wonder about updates, I take a look and maybe 1-3 may be available, not the 73 others that you "Could" update.

It starts up in under 30 seconds and is ready to rock World of Warcraft, emails, bit torrents or whatver!

Bloody amazing! Loving it.

 

[voyager03]

If nothing else the Mac store employee (and her 'grandmother') here appear to need to get a dose of real life and a sense of humour transplant....

 

[dh2005]

Aww, man. That makes such a depressing read.

 

[dh2005]

I too am a switcher and I have to say:

I am constantly blown away by not having to have "new updates are available for your computer" constantly demanding my time and "You must restart your computer to have these changes take effect".

Its bloody wonderful. I have never had a glitch, hitch, restart requirement, everything just bloody works. When I wonder about updates, I take a look and maybe 1-3 may be available, not the 73 others that you "Could" update.

It starts up in under 30 seconds and is ready to rock World of Warcraft, emails, bit torrents or whatver!

Bloody amazing! Loving it.

Yeah, it's certainly a quicker startup. And generally less instrusive as an OS.

Maybe I'll make an effort to use OS X this weekend. Leave Windows 7 out in the cold for a while...