Buying dilemma / PC to Mac / Apple QC - advice or thoughts ?

[sushiman]

I must buy a new computer in the very near future . I’ve never owned a Mac , but am seriously considering an iMac this time around .

I’ve spent many hours on this site reading mixed reports about quality control , and there seems to be an inordinate number of reports of defects / problems ( especially with 20” screens , which is what I would want ) . For the price Apple charges for their products , one would not expect to read about so many complaints .

Obviously , nobody is perfect . Google “ Dell Sucks ” or “ Acer sucks ”, etc. and you’ll come up with a number of blogs dedicated to these topics .

I am somewhat uneasy about making the switch from PC to MAC , especially considering that I use a computer for mainly basic stuff and probably wouldn’t utilize a lot of the finer points Macs have to offer . I could definitely spend less on a PC and get all I require , but like more and more people I’m pretty fed up with Windows/Microsoft , hence the possible move to Mac.

A quandary to say the least .

I’d most appreciate comments ( as unbiased as possible : ) please …hehe…)

Thanks in advance …Sushiman in Japan

 

[thegoldenmackid]

Make the Switch, you will take advantage of a significantly more amount of programs that will make your experience so much better.

As to the problems, you are right, there are no stats on percentages which are key, I purchased a MacBook Pro with a 7200 RPM hard drive and don't have any clicking? Just take the dive.

I am clearly unbiased.

 

[illibball087]

buy applecare with your imac then you have no worries at all for 3 years, i have had plenty of pc's in the past and recent bought a MBP and could not be happier, no virus's, spyware or any of that crap ftw

 

[sushiman]

buy applecare with your imac then you have no worries at all for 3 years, i have had plenty of pc's in the past and recent bought a MBP and could not be happier, no virus's, spyware or any of that crap ftw

Applecare an additional 22,000 yen ( or $ 240 US ) here in Japan . I could see it if I were buying a mobile unit like a Macbook . You really think Applecare is a worthwhile investment ? Are the odds that great something will go wrong within the first three years ? This goes back to my QC worries .

 

[akutad]

Applecare an additional 22,000 yen ( or $ 240 US ) here in Japan . I could see it if I were buying a mobile unit like a Macbook . You really think Applecare is a worthwhile investment ? Are the odds that great something will go wrong within the first three years ? This goes back to my QC worries .

+1. Don't bother with applecare. Applecare is nothing more than a fancy name for extended warranty. Best Buy makes more money off of extended warranties than any other product line in their store.

 

[cirdan]

Having just bought an IMAC 24 " 3.06Ghz, I found using Win XP, via Parallels helpful in making the transition. I also have my PC next to me. Initially I prefer to get the best of both worlds but I'm sue my time on the PC will gradually get less and less.
Applecare like any insurance, is for three years peace of mind. They are very expensive to repair if anything goes wrong.

 

[sushiman]

Having just bought an IMAC 24 " 3.06Ghz, I found using Win XP, via Parallels helpful in making the transition. I also have my PC next to me. Initially I prefer to get the best of both worlds but I'm sue my time on the PC will gradually get less and less.
Applecare like any insurance, is for three years peace of mind. They are very expensive to repair if anything goes wrong.

Thanks for the replies guys .

Still haven't decided , but I am leaning towards an iMac 20" with 2GB for 124,800 ( $ 40 education discount ) w/o Applecare . I am over 2 hours from an Apple Store ( nearest is in Fukuoka , Japan ) so if I have trouble it means I'd have to ship the computer for service and call for tech help , etc.

I must admit that the more I read through past posts on the iMac , the more I read about assorted problems people have had and are having , and it has me feeling just a little bit leery about taking the plunge .

 

[kilowattradio]

I must buy a new computer in the very near future . I’ve never owned a Mac , but am seriously considering an iMac this time around .

I’ve spent many hours on this site reading mixed reports about quality control , and there seems to be an inordinate number of reports of defects / problems ( especially with 20” screens , which is what I would want ) . For the price Apple charges for their products , one would not expect to read about so many complaints .

Obviously , nobody is perfect . Google “ Dell Sucks ” or “ Acer sucks ”, etc. and you’ll come up with a number of blogs dedicated to these topics .

I am somewhat uneasy about making the switch from PC to MAC , especially considering that I use a computer for mainly basic stuff and probably wouldn’t utilize a lot of the finer points Macs have to offer . I could definitely spend less on a PC and get all I require , but like more and more people I’m pretty fed up with Windows/Microsoft , hence the possible move to Mac.

A quandary to say the least .

I’d most appreciate comments ( as unbiased as possible : ) please …hehe…)

Thanks in advance …Sushiman in Japan

Well out of millions of computers sold there are going to be defective products. While the posts may seem like a large number in actuality they are a minority. If there was a very serious problem the Mac media sites would pick up on it.
One nice thing about making a switch from Mac to PC is that you can use Boot Camp to install Windows XP for easy transfer of information from your old PC and if you need to run a Windows only Program you can boot Windows from your mac and accomplish the task.
I have a MAc and PC w/ Vista and I use the Mac the most. One thing I do encourage you to do is get at least 2 GB of ram when purchasing for the best results with MAC. I currently run a Mac Mini from 2006 with Snow Leopard and 2 GB and the computer works great with no problems.

 

[sushiman]

Well out of millions of computers sold there are going to be defective products. While the posts may seem like a large number in actuality they are a minority. If there was a very serious problem the Mac media sites would pick up on it.
One nice thing about making a switch from Mac to PC is that you can use Boot Camp to install Windows XP for easy transfer of information from your old PC and if you need to run a Windows only Program you can boot Windows from your mac and accomplish the task.
I have a MAc and PC w/ Vista and I use the Mac the most. One thing I do encourage you to do is get at least 2 GB of ram when purchasing for the best results with MAC. I currently run a Mac Mini from 2006 with Snow Leopard and 2 GB and the computer works great with no problems.

Thanks for the reply , and info on Bootcamp .

The basic iMac comes with 2 GB of RAM ...Enough for what I do , but some friends advise having 4 .