Help! Im being tempted...

[RobHague]

Excuse the post - It's a thought bubble, and MacRumors is the only forum I know of where I wont get bashed for comparing Mac and PC. Yeah i know people here are all keen mac users but they arent 'blind' or ignorant like a lot of PC users are usually (sorry to generalize ).

Anyway I bought a new PowerMac G5 2.3 recentley (last month) and although ive been over this a few times in other threads when the new systems (iMac's for instance) arrived i was left wondering if i should have waited a little longer. I didnt expect iMac upgrades at all....

I had two plans in mind, sell my PowerMac & Display > Get an iMac or Sell the PowerMac and get a new Dual Core equiv with PCIe. As the new systems arrived within a short space of time (and being that im not infinatley rich lol, i thought it would be wise to get most of my investment back and renew) I was looking at the graphics options on the site and the 7800 has still not appeared yet. I woner how much it will be....

So, sat with £1600 looking at me i just started browsing a few websites and found myself at OCUK. I must have forgotton how much PC you can get for £1600 these days because what i just speced up made me go .

Take a look at the attached image. I'm now in the "Hmmmmm should i go back to PC's for now or carry on with the Mac" position. I really like OSX, i mean its been great - Not having to worry about spyware and virus's has been great, infact ive started taking it for granted. But you have to admit thats a lot of computer down there for the same money as a basic spec Dual Core G5.

Yes i know this is a mac site so im not expecting to get totally 'yay PCs' advise but this is teh first time ive been tempted by a PC - I guess the parting with my system to upgrade left me with other complications too ....

I could always buy a copy of SuSe if i wanted rid of Windows. Meh help me! Tell me why i shouldnt do this!! Any reasons just make some up if you have too -- Ok but seriously -- would you take the obvious higher spec and Windows/Linux and then go back to Mac's when 'Intels' arrive, waiting in the wings with a trusty PC... or get amnesia about the system i just speced up and go for a nice new Dual-Core system.. Both platforms have definate advantages and dis-advantages but it looks like the hold up in my purchase could be down to me trying to decide if i made the right choice last month or not.

I wont lie, i used my PowerMac for games (a lot) but other general use was neat. Although i did miss the fact that i couldnt use my webcam anymore with my MSN contacts.

 

[Heb1228]

If you think you can live without OS X, then go for it. Personally, I couldn't deal with any other OS.

 

[XNine]

Well, you have to consider a lot of things. With Windows, you have more exploitable security holes than any other OS on the market. The powermac will last you 3-4 years (on reliable useability with new apps) and let's face it, PC's seem to die after 1-2 years of use. They become completely obsolete and worthless.

Myself, I'd keep the PM. I have a G4 Quicksilver PM and it's still running strong after over 3 years of use. I upgraded the RAM to full capacity and the graphics card, but that's it, and it's still pretty cool. The only thing I would complain about it the superdrive as its slow as hell compared to my mini.

I'd say if you sold your PM setup you'd be foolish. Only because your going to end up wasting more money on virus definitions and software than you would on a Mac.

The initial investment of a Mac is more, but in the long run its far cheaper.

 

[ipacmm]

If you think you can live without OS X, then go for it. Personally, I couldn't deal with any other OS.

I agree, I know I can always go and get a really good windows computer for net to nothing, but I don't think I can live with another windows computer again after using OS X.

 

[Xeem]

I was in a similar situation, and I got out of it (eventually) by building a gaming PC and buying an iBook for everything other than games. Actually, I do game on the iBook quite a bit as well.

 

[chaosbunny]

Um, what exactly is wrong with your setup?

 

[zap2]

no mac OSX good luck cuz ur going to need it!!!! when ever u get a headach tryign to fix ur CP just dont think had a PM ,one of the best desktop computers in the world!

 

[jsw]

As someone who uses XP each work day and then my beloved Macs nights and weekends, I can say honestly that XP is a fine OS, and that PC which you've spec'd will seem snappier than its similarly-priced Mac equivalent.

BUT... I'm writing this on a developer Macintel. 3.6GHz single CPU. Nothing amazing, but fairly quick. More or less the same CPU as one of my work desktops. And... OS X squarely beats the pants off of XP running on similar hardware. No competition! And this dev Macintel is not anywhere near the power of the Macs Apple will release. The GPU sucks, there's not much except a little motherboard with really so-so specs. And OS X screams on it. Over all, it is faster than my dual-2.0, even with multiple apps running.

If I were you, I'd keep your current PM and wait for the Intel-based ones to come out. If you don't, trust me, you'll be upset with yourself for switching over to XP.

And I do like a lot of things about XP. I know people here like to knock it, but it ain't so bad.

But... I love having the Terminal app around. I love the spell checking. I love Exposé. I love all the Tiger features, and I loved even Jaguar. You'll miss those things, you really will.

XP works well, and you can do a lot of things with it cheaply. But it has no soul. I feel that, with XP, the OS serves merely as a means to get to the apps, whereas I feel that OS X is a welcome wrapper to the apps and helps meld them together. Maybe it's just me. But until I got my little 12" PB last spring, I used my 400MHz 1999 Lombard PB instead of my fast Dell 15" with the massive screen res (God, it does have a beautiful screen). Why? OS X is, to me, more "comfortable" than XP.

 

[RobHague]

It's quite funny actually i just had a look at Windows Vista beta screenshots.... and now im wanting that Dual Core PowerMac G5 lol.

I think im 60/40 in favour of the G5. There are just a few things i used to do on my PC i havent been able to do since getting the Mac that makes me doubt my new purchase.

Incidentally, there was nothing wrong with my system. I got it last month, but when the new versions came out i decided to cut my loss's and go for a new one to get PCIe... (and thus the ability to upgrade to more graphics cards in future). I sold my mac Base Unit (in sig) for £1600 today to a fellow Mac Fan so im looking at my options. Thats when i was curious to how much PC i could build for the same amount.

I think im leaning back towards my new Dual Core though... I know that the PC would be wonderful no doubt and XP is adequate but ive enjoyed using OSX. Looking at Windows Vista though, ive got that thing to look forward too next year >< which is rather off-putting

 

[gekko513]

I was under the impression that the dual core Pentiums are terrible performers and that at 3.0GHz it will perform worse than a Dual Core 2.0GHz G5.

 

[pags]

I'm in a similar boat as the first poster. I use XP on a desktop at work and I've been a switcher to OS X at home since early '03. My trusty iBook G3 800 died this summer and I've been without a laptop since then, borrowing my wife's iBook or my kids' iMac to use at home. I'm ready for a new laptop, and I'd like one I can use both at home and at work as a supplement to my desktop. Replacing the XP system at work is not an option.

I'm the perfect candidate for a Tablet computer--I take lots of notes on different projects in meetings out of the office and I'm on the road a fair amount. I need something very small that I can tuck into my briefcase. I hate paper and I hate keeping track of various notes and pads, etc. I've been crossing my fingers for a mac tablet, but who knows when it will appear. I played with an HP TC 1100 last week and I think I'm in love. But it may be a passing fling and every windows laptop I've ever owned has been a crash prone lemon. That's part of what made me a switcher in the first place.

It's down to this: I'm getting a new laptop this week. HP TC 1100 or 12" powerbook. Advice anyone?

 

[mduser63]

For me at least, the advantages of OS X vs Windows are enough to offset any hardware advantage that a PC might provide. I'd much rather do my video editing under OS X on my dual 1.8 GHz G5 than on even the very fastest PC. It's really a personal choice though. I really don't like the Windows UI, and I find it to be unstable and annoying in general, but I'm not going to say that it's an unworkable OS. There are millions of people who use it every day, and it gets the job done for them.

If I were in your position, I'd be on apple.com ordering a new Power Mac right now .

 

[p0intblank]

I've actually thought about this sometimes, but there really is no need to use only one machine. I have a kick ass PC rig next to me that I use for gaming, and that's it: gaming I may browse the Web on it once in a while when my friends come over, but other than that, I am on my PowerBook all the time. I do everything on here, but my gaming. And I don't even play many computer games. I am more of a console guy. My next major computer purchase will most likely be the Power Mac Quad. And plus, I am getting older and more serious about what I do on my computer. I was actually all set to build a new PC this upcoming summer, but then thought: "Do I really need a new PC? The one I have now is fine for a couple years." I may build myself another one in a few years when I need it for newer games, but it is no longer a priority. My priority for the rest of my life (my career) is graphic design and digital photography. The Mac is the standard for this area of study, so there is no better machine. My money will be much better spent towards the new Power Mac Quad, which will easily last me for at least two years. All production apps that I use now will run great on the PMQ, as will future apps. I plan to purchase Aperture in the near future when I get a dSLR camera. And plus, Apple is an addiction: I want more and more from them! Check this out: my next purchases are the PMQ, an Apple Cinema Display 20-inch and then a iPod 60GB. I don't spend that kind of money that easily. I know my money is going to be well spent. Sure I'll have a lot of credit to keep up on, but it'll be well worth it. Heck, I even want the new iMac 20-inch for Front Row alone, but I know I don't need it like I need a Power Mac.

Well that's nice long lecture for ya! I tend to really get into these kinds of discussions. Just remember this: no one is forcing you to use only one platform. I use both Mac OS X and Windows XP Pro, and for different reasons.

 

[gekko513]

The 12" laptops from Apple are the best laptops for note taking on the go that I've come across. They have superior battery life, they wake from sleep in an instance, they are small and portable and at the same time they are full functioned. (No modular optical drive needed).

 

[SummerBreeze]

While I love OS X, I can also admit that XP isn't a terrible operating system. I've owned a number of windows desktops and laptops, and they've done what I needed them to do. But somehow, I always go back to Mac.

Weigh the pros and cons of each operating system. With Windows, you do have a lot more options with cheap hardware, etc. But you also have spyware (as evidenced in these horror stories) and Vista to contend with. If the thought of both doesn't send shivers down your spine, then by all means consider a PC.

 

[jsw]

Looking at Windows Vista though, ive got that thing to look forward too next year >< which is rather off-putting

And next year will bring a new version of OS X as well. Don't underestimate what Apple is going to do... not that Tiger isn't already quite competitive with Vista as it stands now (as opposed to how it was hyped before all the feature cuts).

 

[jsw]

It's down to this: I'm getting a new laptop this week. HP TC 1100 or 12" powerbook. Advice anyone?

I bought a 12" PB in May as a stopgap measure to hold me over until something better was released. Now? I can't imagine not having it. I might have to sell it to get something with more screen real estate (I'm a developer), but I doubt it.

Why do I like it?

(1) Portable, really amazingly portable. Taken it many places, worked great on planes, etc., good battery life, easy to use in foreign countries.

(2) Sturdy. I keep a skin on mind when I travel so the outside doesn't get scratched, but it's taken some falls and is fine.

(3) 802.11g. 2D scrolling trackpad (excellent feature, ruins other trackpads for me). Firewire, USB 2.0, etc.

(4) OS X. There is no substitute.