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Anyone else use windows on bootcamp more than OSX?
- Thread starter watchmainspring
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I normally in the past only work with desktops. I hate laptops for being inferior, unupgradeable and more expensive etc.
But now speed and specs are hardly an issue anymore - with dual core and 2Gb of ram it will be quick enough for my needs I think for the next 3 years.
I wanted a laptop so I could work a bit from home, a bit when travelling with work or business etc. But did not want to compromise on specs.
For strength, build and reliability on previous surveys the choice was IBM or Apple. When you compare price and consider it is a work tool over 3 years the minor possible price differences were not an issue for me.
Plus I guess if Windows XP crashes and burns when I am away, I can probably boot into MAC OS and still access my emails over Safari.
MAC OS is cool with the remote control for watching DVDs when away as well I guess.
I am also delighted with the 17 screen. I thought I was gonna go with extra external monitors but 17 is great on an iCurve with external keyboard.
The keyboard has 2 x USB ports for my mouse and Garmin, phone etc, so almost like having a port replicator. I just need plug in 1 USB keyboard, power, and network cable (dont like wireless unless necessary), which I can live with. Printer sits on my network.
Just need to get these damn external speakers working!!!!!
But now speed and specs are hardly an issue anymore - with dual core and 2Gb of ram it will be quick enough for my needs I think for the next 3 years.
I wanted a laptop so I could work a bit from home, a bit when travelling with work or business etc. But did not want to compromise on specs.
For strength, build and reliability on previous surveys the choice was IBM or Apple. When you compare price and consider it is a work tool over 3 years the minor possible price differences were not an issue for me.
Plus I guess if Windows XP crashes and burns when I am away, I can probably boot into MAC OS and still access my emails over Safari.
MAC OS is cool with the remote control for watching DVDs when away as well I guess.
I am also delighted with the 17 screen. I thought I was gonna go with extra external monitors but 17 is great on an iCurve with external keyboard.
The keyboard has 2 x USB ports for my mouse and Garmin, phone etc, so almost like having a port replicator. I just need plug in 1 USB keyboard, power, and network cable (dont like wireless unless necessary), which I can live with. Printer sits on my network.
Just need to get these damn external speakers working!!!!!
lord patton said:
Judging by the way the trainwreck that is Vista is going, the opposite is also true for a lot of PC users (but for very different reasons!
)"maybe when the new Windows comes out, I'll give the Mac another try."!
grockk said:
Out of interest how did you get it down to 2gb?
I'm assuming you didnt install any of ilife or the free apps??
SC68Cal said:
Well after everything that Toshiba's been through I dont think anything else can happen to it.
(we we're roomates this past year at college...i saw everything that poor PC had to endure.)
MacRumorUser said:
Its quite easy to get it down to about 2gb just don't install any of the extra iLife apps, the office trial etc.....Also don't install the languages, Printer drivers and translations and you will find the install at about 2gb,
ShadoW
I ended up re-installing 3 times as it happens. I have a cacky HP networked printer and could not get the original drivers to work, so got stuck installing all 2.5GB of drivers, but can probably delete these later. Likewise the extra languages.
But the irony is because you are forced to make a "once in a lifetime" partition decision I gave the Mac 20Gb so it wouldnt matter if the install was 2Gb or 10Gb really. Also now of course I dont get to try out the extras, but I have space in theory to load them.
If I was being REALLY brutal I would have given the MAC OS 5Gb and ignored it, but I am trying to give this thing a chance at least!!!!
Dead scared however that if I load those boot disks again it will try and install over everything inc the Windows partition?
p.s. Why does it only show 111Gb from a 120Gb disk?
But the irony is because you are forced to make a "once in a lifetime" partition decision I gave the Mac 20Gb so it wouldnt matter if the install was 2Gb or 10Gb really. Also now of course I dont get to try out the extras, but I have space in theory to load them.
If I was being REALLY brutal I would have given the MAC OS 5Gb and ignored it, but I am trying to give this thing a chance at least!!!!
Dead scared however that if I load those boot disks again it will try and install over everything inc the Windows partition?
p.s. Why does it only show 111Gb from a 120Gb disk?
androvboy said:
You can actually pick individual company drivers, the HP are 300-400 meg if I remember correctly.
dpaanlka said:
agreed, the MBP is a great looking machine, but to use it JUST to run windows...i guess itll be one of the first macs completely destroyed by spyware and viruses
I've had my new iMac for about a month now. I only use OS X when I edit videos from my camcorder. 95% of the time I use Windows. I use MS Money and Excel for the majority of my computing needs. Since I already own a copy of XP Office Professional and Money isn't available for OS X, Windows makes more sense for me. I'm not going to spend $300+ for a copy of Office for OS X and several of my financial apps don't support Quicken.
I bought the iMac for it's space saving design and features...not for the OS...and I'm perfectly happy with the computer.
I bought the iMac for it's space saving design and features...not for the OS...and I'm perfectly happy with the computer.
TexBiker said:
While the iMac is a spectacularly nice piece of hardware, I would say that you are missing out on the whole purpose of owning a Mac. OS X.
Excel is the defacto standard of spreadsheets but there are always alternatives if you take the time to search VersionTracker, Macupdate, Macrumors, and the Apple Made4Mac site. There is Open Office, Neo Office, or ThinkFree which are fine for what most people do. Or there is iWork and Mariner Calc as just a couple of examples. These are all cheaper than purchasing MS Office.
Also, it has been widely discussed that MS Office for the Mac is superior to its Windows counterpart strangely enough. Although, I wouldn’t purchase it until it goes universal.
MS Money is a nice but there are alternatives like iBank, Budget, MoneyDance and Quicken
on the Mac. For that matter, unless you are doing some pretty intense bookkeeping, spreadsheets are easier IMHO anyway.Most people here will say that you are completely missing out on the best part of owning a Mac. With a little research or a couple of posts on these boards, you will find that almost every single application for Windows has an OS X version or a competent OS X counterpart. Especially, the common apps you are describing.
Goodluck with you system.
I've tried Open Office and NeoOffice along with several other OS X and Linux offerings. None of them supported all the different macros and/or charting options I'm required to use with my spreadsheets so they aren't viable alternatives for me. I'm not a casual user and I need to share my spreadsheets with quite a few different people during the day. I can't afford to risk formatting issues between applications/platforms/versions.ddrueckhammer said:
Since I already own Office for Windows, it simply makes sense to use XP for those tasks. I'm sure Office for OS X is a great product. I just don't see the advantage of buying another versions of an application I already own on another platform.
I have all my bank accounts, investment portfolios and budget tracking info in Money and this data is downloaded several times a day from multiple sources. As I stated in my original post, several of my financial institutions don't support the programs you mention. None of those products will allow me to import ALL of my data in my preferred format from MS Money anyway. I spent a lot of time researching those issues.MS Money is a nice but there are alternatives like iBank, Budget, MoneyDance and Quicken
I appreciate your opinion...wait, that's not really true.dpaanlka said:
I love my iMac. It has all the features I wanted in a new computer. It's compact and powerful with adequate storage and a large monitor. It integrates seamlessly with my home network and has a combination of features that I couldn't find on a comparably priced PC. It also has great aesthetic appeal...which is a nice, if unecessary, bonus.
I don't find it illogical, ridiculous, wasteful or shameful to purchase a product that fits my needs and does everything I need in an efficient and accurate manner.
I like OS X and think it's superior to XP in many ways. It just isn't the best choice for several of my specific needs at this time.
I believe iBank will open MS Money files but it doesn't do Automatic synching.
Another option for spreadsheets is to use Filemaker Pro to manage your data in a database. Of course, this is expensive as well. I see where you are coming from but personally I always try to make native software work first on OS X.
I am an Engineering student and have found alternatives for AutoCAD and other advanced 2D/3D CAD packages, as well as, mathematics packages so it seems that a spreadsheet and a personal finance manager shouldn't offer such a problem.
Maybe the next incarnation of iWork will include a full-featured spreadsheet app but I imagine Apple doesn't want to step on Microsoft's toes. I would recommend looking into MS Office when the universal version for Mac comes out and see if there are any features that would make it worth upgrading to you.
Mariner Software has a beta of its Calc software so I would check that out. It seems to have pretty robust functionality although it lacks advanced features like pivot tables I think.
http://www.marinersoftware.com/download.php
It sounds like you are trying to run a business with MS Money with that level of activity daily and of course there are more professional solutions for that but probably not as inexpensive as you are looking for.
Good luck and again I hope I didn't come across as abrasive but OS X is truly the best part of owning a Mac. (I know I'm typing this from a Compaq laptop while I wait on my new iMac as I sold my G4 Powerbook to upgrade...)
Another option for spreadsheets is to use Filemaker Pro to manage your data in a database. Of course, this is expensive as well. I see where you are coming from but personally I always try to make native software work first on OS X.
I am an Engineering student and have found alternatives for AutoCAD and other advanced 2D/3D CAD packages, as well as, mathematics packages so it seems that a spreadsheet and a personal finance manager shouldn't offer such a problem.
Maybe the next incarnation of iWork will include a full-featured spreadsheet app but I imagine Apple doesn't want to step on Microsoft's toes. I would recommend looking into MS Office when the universal version for Mac comes out and see if there are any features that would make it worth upgrading to you.
Mariner Software has a beta of its Calc software so I would check that out. It seems to have pretty robust functionality although it lacks advanced features like pivot tables I think.
http://www.marinersoftware.com/download.php
It sounds like you are trying to run a business with MS Money with that level of activity daily and of course there are more professional solutions for that but probably not as inexpensive as you are looking for.
Good luck and again I hope I didn't come across as abrasive but OS X is truly the best part of owning a Mac. (I know I'm typing this from a Compaq laptop while I wait on my new iMac as I sold my G4 Powerbook to upgrade...)
No, I only use Money for my personal finances, which are a bit complex, and it is more than adequate for those tasks. I was a dedicated Quicken user until a few years ago when several of my banks switched to a download format that works better with Money. I don't use MS Money because I think it's superior to everything else; I only use it because it's the most convenient product for my specific needs at this time. Cost isn't an issue...only functionality.ddrueckhammer said:
I don't think you were abrasive. You love OS X and it obviously works well for you. As I said, I think it's a superior OS, but unfortunately it's not the best for me and my specific needs at this point in time.
G99 said:I don't know why, but my friend is buying a black macbook soon. He's not a gamer or anything, but he's never gonna use OS X
I agree. What's the point? The isight? It isn't supported yet in XP. Why the heck would anyone want a macbook if they're not running os x?
Personally, I started browsing this forum because I was sick of Windows' nonsense problems, and I wanted to work with my computer instead of working on it. Now that I've gone Mac, I'll never go back to windows unless my paycheck required it. If not for games and Windows only apps, what the heck is it good for? Nothing! From an experienced pc user's point of view, OS X is hands down the most enjoyable operating experience out there. For a hardware company I'm very impressed with Apple's OS... it's a shame the masses don't know how good it is.
I think it is a shame to bash those of us that have purchased a Mac even though we may not wish to use Mac OS at this time.
I feel it was a brave move for me to purchase a MBP Pro as this will become my #1 machine for every day use. It can only help put a few pennies in the Apple collection tin and allow them to survive.
Logically I should have purchased a Sony or IBM, but this way I at least get a chance to run MAC OS and it has a chance to win me over. But at this stage in the game my new notebook needs to earn its living - and for that it is being used 100% for Windows XP at this stage.
I probably could actually survive using Mac OS for my main business needs but cannot take the time just yet to switch over. I have already invested the cash, but it takes time to learn new systems even if they are better.
However I still think I will be sticking with XP longterm to be honest!!
I feel it was a brave move for me to purchase a MBP Pro as this will become my #1 machine for every day use. It can only help put a few pennies in the Apple collection tin and allow them to survive.
Logically I should have purchased a Sony or IBM, but this way I at least get a chance to run MAC OS and it has a chance to win me over. But at this stage in the game my new notebook needs to earn its living - and for that it is being used 100% for Windows XP at this stage.
I probably could actually survive using Mac OS for my main business needs but cannot take the time just yet to switch over. I have already invested the cash, but it takes time to learn new systems even if they are better.
However I still think I will be sticking with XP longterm to be honest!!
I got one of the "free" iMacs after trading in my old Dev Kit..I liked it so much I HAD to have the 20" model..All the while my brother was using one of my older PowerMac's...
I told him I was getting a new iMac and he could have the 17" with a nice 20" cinema display..
Gave it to him and the VERY FIRST thing he does is install XP and he hasn't looked back since..He says he prefers XP because it has cooler colors etc...
Makes me want to puke and smash him over the head but I did give it to him.
I told him I was getting a new iMac and he could have the 17" with a nice 20" cinema display..
Gave it to him and the VERY FIRST thing he does is install XP and he hasn't looked back since..He says he prefers XP because it has cooler colors etc...
Makes me want to puke and smash him over the head but I did give it to him.