Potential new mac user questions....

[levitynyc]

I have an old Dell that I do some older gaming on. I do all types of work related things, and some personal finance stuff on it. Lots of web browsing and just generally having fun.

Its looking REALLY bad as the the 30G HD is almost full, and the performace has been sliding for years. Its 5 years old. I wanted to buy a fully loaded XPS 700, but it doesnt look like you can get one anytime soon. I want the Quad SLI but by the time those are available, I might has well wait for the DX10 cards. I looked at Alienware, but they get up a bit too pricey when you add all the features. Either way I wanted to buy a lower end Dell for my work and for browsing and other daily tasks... and leave the XPS for gaming.

Dell's response to this whole situation has soured me on the Dell brand. I am still going to wait for the 700 to come out, but for now I need a new computer for everyday use. I despise HP and Compaq, I have a long history with Gateway and I can't stand their customer service.

What I may actually do is wait until September and (gasp) buy an Intel Core 2 Duo Mac (either an Imac or Probook). I have never owned one but from what I've seen they are excellent at what I need them for and are generally regarded as excellent computers.

I went to the Apple store to play around with one and I was completely lost. The OS had me befuddled. The sales rep told me I would get used to it and never go back to windows. I asked the sales rep about the upcoming Core 2 Duo and he played dumb (maybe he just didnt know anything, but I doubt it.

I think I am sold on buying a Mac when the Core 2 duo is released. From what I can see by searching the boards it looks like next month they will be released.

I am not sure which one to buy.
Should I look at the Imac or the Probook for the uses that I have?

Am I going to get over my complete and utter illiteracy regarding the Apple OS?

What do you think?

Thank you for your time.

 

[gadgetgirl85]

Welcome to MR I think that a big question is will you need portability or not? IF you do then I would reccomend a macbook or macbook pro (Just depends on how much power you need) If you dont need portability or dont want it I say get an Imac. Whatever you choose and whenever you buy it will suit you just fine I am a switcher myself and have found I adapted to the Mac OS very easily and I think you will find the same. Good luck!

 

[Frisco]

Yes. Mac OS X, will have you lost coming from Windows and Vica Versa. I switched in early 2002 and at first I had difficulty with the OS, because I had been using Windows my whole life, for example where is the start menu?" I almost returned my Mac (Powerbook) but something inside me said "stick with it." I am so glad I did, because when I have to use Windows today it is Hell. I now understand the Mac and the way in operates and why so many people love it.

It may take a few weeks to learn and become comfortable with, but once that day happens you will feel liberated and enlightened!

In terms of iMac of Macbook Pro, in depends on what you want: desktop or portability. Both should be updated soon.

Any questions please let us know!

 

[FFTT]

It sounds to me like you won't really be happy with an iMac.

Your primary focus is gaming and graphics with otherwise light use.

A MacBookPro will cover you fairly well, but you're paying a premium for portability.

I'd have to recommend the new MacPro 2.66 Ghz tower with the ATI X1900 GPU.

Buy your RAM at Datamem.com, OWC or Crucial.

Another smart move is to wipe your current P/C's drives and run a fresh OS install retiring the P/C to offline gaming.
You won't need to bog it down with A/V, adware and spyware applications
IF you keep the P/C offline.
Then buy a MacBook for all your daily use and online work.

2.0 MacBook Refurbs are running $1099.
Add 1 or 2 GB's of RAM and you're in great shape at a reasonable price.

You'll be able to run all your Windows Only applications under Boot Camp or Parallels and the rest you'll have on your P/C.

 

[skwij]

Oh go for it. Get a macbook.

PC/Windows user for years here, and switched about 4 months ago. I still have dualboot capability on my IntelMac, but honestly, I've booted into Windoze maybe twice.

OSX is intuitive. Just remember things are named differently, but they work the same, and faster and better. You won't be lost. If you can nav around winXP, mac OSX will be a piece of cake.

 

[FFTT]

It would help greatly to know what your primary work applications are.
It would also help to know what you consider a comfortable budget.

If a 5 year old P/C is handling your favorite games fairly well,
you may not need to go all out for an Apple Pro Tower.

A MacBook will come in handy, no matter what you do later.

If like most people, you end up loving the flexibility of Apple Products, you'll feel much better buying a Pro Tower later on down the road.

 

[macaddicted]

I am not sure which one to buy.
Should I look at the Imac or the Probook for the uses that I have? [/QUOTE]

An iMac will be less expensive and have a larger hard drive. The downside, of course, is that while it may be movable it certainly isn't mobile.

Am I going to get over my complete and utter illiteracy regarding the Apple OS?

I've been forced to go the opposite direction, from Mac to PC because of software I need that only runs under M$. I think you will find OS X to be a pleasure in the long run, if for no other reason that you don't have to subscribe to the virus protection racket.

And remember Apple stole the GUI from PARC before M$ stole it from Apple.

What do you think?

Personally I would think about a MacBook Pro. You could probably play your games under Boot Camp and still have the Mac when you need it.

 

[levitynyc]

My uses....

I am not much of a high end gamer anymore, but I do have some free time on my hands so thats why I am interested in the XPS.

However for everyday use, and for the convenience of not worrying about virus's and spyware, I really think an Imac would be best for me.

I am just concerned about the OS being unfamiliar at best for me.

I am also waiting (like i am sure most are) about Core 2 Duo's.

I wish they would make an announcement.

 

[bep207]

I am not much of a high end gamer anymore, but I do have some free time on my hands so thats why I am interested in the XPS.

However for everyday use, and for the convenience of not worrying about virus's and spyware, I really think an Imac would be best for me.

I am just concerned about the OS being unfamiliar at best for me.

I am also waiting (like i am sure most are) about Core 2 Duo's.

I wish they would make an announcement.

i recently switched to mac from pc. i describe os x like this: imagine everything you wish that windows could do. then try to do it on os x. voila it works. its very easy and intuitive, if you can get around windows, you can fly around mac os

 

[spencecb]

I am not much of a high end gamer anymore, but I do have some free time on my hands so thats why I am interested in the XPS.

However for everyday use, and for the convenience of not worrying about virus's and spyware, I really think an Imac would be best for me.

I am just concerned about the OS being unfamiliar at best for me.

I am also waiting (like i am sure most are) about Core 2 Duo's.

I wish they would make an announcement.

Personally, I would go with the MacBook Pro. I have both an iMac G5 and a MacBook Pro, and while I prefer using my iMac over my MacBook Pro, I greatly enjoy the portability of the MacBook Pro. If I had to chose between the two (as in, if I could only have one) I would keep the MacBook Pro so I would have the option to have portability when I needed it.

Of course, this is also dependent on your lifestyle. If you do not care about having the option to take your computer to a cafe, coffee shop, library, etc, then you have no use for a portable.

Both are great computers, and you would be very pleased with either choice. It is just up to your lifestyle and what type of computer would fit it best for you.

 

[spencecb]

i recently switched to mac from pc. i describe os x like this: imagine everything you wish that windows could do. then try to do it on os x. voila it works. its very easy and intuitive, if you can get around windows, you can fly around mac os

I second this. You will quickly learn to appreciate how many programs (not limited to the ones made by Apple) will seamlessly intergrate into the system and just work. It truly is a superior computing experience.

 

[FFTT]

If you qualify for educational discounts, that can help considerably with your decision.

There's a whole lot of people out there playing WOW on their iMacs now but
I wasn't sure about your needs/wants when you mentioned SLI.

Getting enough RAM will do more to increase your performance than anything else.

I'd figure on 2GB to get the most out of your machine.

 

[levitynyc]

If you qualify for educational discounts, that can help considerably with your decision.

There's a whole lot of people out there playing WOW on their iMacs now but
I wasn't sure about your needs/wants when you mentioned SLI.

Getting enough RAM will do more to increase your performance than anything else.

I'd figure on 2GB to get the most out of your machine.

The only thing that is holding me back is the Core 2 Duo. I am going to buy one as soon as they are put into macs.

 

[freakonguitar]

I wouldn't worry too much about the OS being unfamiliar. As long as you can run what you need on an iMac then you are good to go. The OS will most likely feel weird for the first week maybe at the most 1 month but for me when i switched about 10 months ago it took me around 2 weeks to get used to it and by the time a month rolled around i was navigating as easily as i did in windows. Go for it! It seems odd at first but once you use one regularly....you will never wanna go back

 

[Agathon]

I am just concerned about the OS being unfamiliar at best for me.

It won't take long to get used to. About a week at most. The main difference is that there is a lot more drag and drop functionality in the Mac interface. OS X is not as simple as the old Classic Mac OS to learn, but it's more modern and more in line with what people do with computers now.

If you are really worried, spend more time at the Apple Store playing with one. They won't usually bother you, and you can ask them stuff if they do.

 

[gadgetgirl85]

It won't take long to get used to. About a week at most. The main difference is that there is a lot more drag and drop functionality in the Mac interface. OS X is not as simple as the old Classic Mac OS to learn, but it's more modern and more in line with what people do with computers now.

If you are really worried, spend more time at the Apple Store playing with one. They won't usually bother you, and you can ask them stuff if they do.

Trust me they like if you ask them stuff

 

[soulatrium]

Macbook pro

The one thing I would like to add to this discussion is:

I have always used Apple laptops as both my portable and desktop. The Macbook Pro is definitely powerful enough to serve as a desktop as long as you do not need to do heavy-duty gaming on it. The solution? Plug in a monitor and a wireless keyboard and mouse (as well as a USB hub maybe) and you have a perfectly serviceable desktop when you are in the office. This has worked great for me for many years and I would recommend that over buying an iMac if you want to do any portable computing.

 

[e-clipse]

I am not much of a high end gamer anymore, but I do have some free time on my hands so thats why I am interested in the XPS.

However for everyday use, and for the convenience of not worrying about virus's and spyware, I really think an Imac would be best for me.

I am just concerned about the OS being unfamiliar at best for me.

I am also waiting (like i am sure most are) about Core 2 Duo's.

I wish they would make an announcement.

OS X took me 2 days to feel totally at home with it. It feels so strange not having to check for spyware/adware or registry cleaning. OS X feels maintenance free. You don't have to reboot. Installing most software is easy as dragging .dmg file to the applications folder...and presto, no long wait for installation. You don't have to worry about programs that won't uninstall from your pc, because you accidentally lost an important file somwhow. OS X is safe, secure, and fun.

You might be right about waiting it out for the Core 2 Duos. I think they will come with the spring release of OS X Leopard.