Switchers, how has switching changed your life?

[bob5820]

Has switching changed the way you use your computer. When I had a PC, while not a fanatic I had some interst in gaming. That interest has dropped to about zero. To the detriment of my bank account I find that I am now drawn to digital photography. What is it about Mac's that brings out the creative gene?

 

[suneohair]

I used to build PC's and fix them, etc. I always wanted a Mac. So I sold my custom PC and bought an iBook. I fell in love.

OS X makes computing a fun thing, but at the same time powerful. I don't feel at all inhibited by not having Windows. If I want to do it in OS X, chances are I can.

I don't know about the creative gene, as I have always had it. I will say that OS X makes completely work a million times simplier.

If you like photography, let it help your bank account. And I am sure your Mac will aid you greatly in that process. Even if it iesnt full on professional photography do a little side business.

Switching to Mac made my life simplier and more fun. I love Apple products and I love getting excited about them. OS X is the best OS, FOR ME. My life isn't one where I am buried inside my computer all the time. I simply use my computer and create amazing things, sometimes i dig around in there though.

Right now I have a Mac Pro + 23" ACD. I will complete the family next year with a new notebook oh yeah that new D80 is looking nice too.

 

[ero87]

now I'm on the computer way to often

basically, using my iMac is the equivalent of driving a comfortable, easy-to-use, super-sexy Jaguar. Even if you have nowhere to go, you still want to drive it around the block.

Also, my Mac has totally helped me be more creative! I've recorded songs and movies, made photo slideshows... the kindof stuff i could never do on a pc.

 

[wyatt23]

the thing with the creative gene, is that OSX has all of the software you would use on windows to be creative, except most people like using them better on a mac.

you look at photoshop, better on os x.
you look at pro tools, better on os x.
you look at reason, better on os x.
then you have these programs like logic pro, soundtrack, illustrator, etc, etc,...

all of the programs you would use are more usable on macs. plus you are introduced to lite programs by just having a mac with iLife.

Personally switching has been hard for me, because of gaming. thing is tho, i still have civilization 4. Plus i'd still have to go out and buy a monster video card to just play some of the games i'd like to play [halflife2, fear, doom 3, quake 4, .... ] so when i think about gaming, i remember there's much more i can do to curb my addictions.... for me, it's music. for others it's photography. for others it's video.

now with new advancments in mac gaming, we shouldn't even have to worry about that soon. i just wish developers would concentrate on making REALLY FUN games that all computers can run fine instead of making games that have incredible engines and graphics just so i can see springs in a matress mid shooting. my ibook won't be handling games.

 

[dsnort]

now I'm on the computer way to often

I can second that!

Also, I find myself much more time doing things with my computer, and a lot less time doing things to my computer.

 

[frankblundt]

I used to have one PC, now I have four Macs (here +2 more in service elsewhere) and another on the way, so the primary change to my life is a larger electricity bill

 

[BoyBach]

Since switching I spend far too much of my time on this forum!

 

[richpjr]

My life has not changed in the least. A computer is a tool. When used properly, a Windows box and a Mac can be equally effective. No, I'm not trolling. I have a Mac Mini and recently switched over full time from a PC to a new Mac Pro for home use. It's a hell of a powerful computer. I do still use a Windows laptop at work.

Actually, my life has changed - I have spent a ton of money replacing all my programs and utilities on top of the big chunk of change I dropped on my Mac Pro.

 

[furious]

i download less pron

 

[mattniles007]

I am the computer more yes. But I spend no time "fixing" programs so to speak. I am a computer novice really this makes me love my Mac it is so easy to use.

 

[lord patton]

I no longer have the physiological response often referred to as anxiety when installing a new program

Since switching I spend far too much of my time on this forum!

Ditto!

 

[babsuvulawho]

I love my new Mac Pro and OS X. Sure I had some doubts when I ordered and some second thoughts when I first started to use OS X but the more I use it the more I love it.

For me the Mac Pro is the perfect all-in-one box. I installed a WD Raptor drive (which was so easy due to the amazing design of the Mac Pro) last week which has Windows XP on it for the few Windows only games I play and most importantly for Flight Simulator. It is far and away the best machine I've ever had for Flight Simulator. I didn't think it was possible to have all the sliders to the max and have it run smooth as silk. I must admit that hate having to boot into Windows XP now because it just seems so clunky compared to OS X.

There is no going back now but let's get serious, my life hasn't really changed all that much.....other than thinking about my Mac Pro every 5 minutes when I'm torn away from her for stupid activities like work and eating.

 

[teitoku]

It's opened up a whole new world of wonderful and mysterious problems that I have no idea how to solve.

 

[MacsAttack]

In some respects switchig to using a Mac made no difference (for the applications I use are available for both platforms - in fact it was because my Lightwave livence covers both platforms helped to justify the move). Thanks to the ongoing efforts of MicroSoft the UIs on both platforms are converging, which makes switching a lot easier than it was in years past (thanks MicroSoft).

Because OS X was "just working" I was soon to busy "doing stuff" to really notice the switch. Not at first. Then I sat down and looked at the productivity I was acheiving. Using "doing stuff" as an index, I quickly concluded that because I was not forever downloading patches, anti-virus signatures, malware-blocker updates etc, and not being bogged down in all those system admin tasks that I was "doing stuff" more under OS X.

Using iTunes I copied my entire CD collection into an easy to access collection that I have at my fingertips. I was able to throw out my CD player. I even got an iPod (something I never expeced to do - a kind of reverse halo effect?)

With a neat little digital TV receiver and the most excelent EyeTV software I have TV, digital radio, and the ability to record. My radio, TV, and video player followed the CD player giving me lots more room.

iMovie and iDVD are proving sufficient for light tasks and open up whole new vistas ( )

Oh - and women find me more attractive

 

[ddekker]

change

switching has made me a better rounded computer user, since playing with OS X and OS X server (mainly server) I learned a ton of command line and since loaded up many old PC's with linux since the command line doesn't scare me... as far as doing more or faster, not so much... all three have their places for me... although it did give me a reason to start a website....lol...

DD

 

[Trishul]

the switch for me has been a massive deal, can sum up like this.. last year shot a music video in HDV, and used a fairly capable windows pc with Pinnacle liquid... pc was powerful enough to handle a 5 min music video with hdv, but for whatever reason, technical issues, windows etc.. the video took a long time to edit. This year i got a quad g5 and FC studio.. just another story completely.. i totally fell in love with mac.. capturing was easy, no need for random restarts.. it just worked straight away... then editing.. the only thing we had to worry about after learning the new software was our creative decisions, there was never an issue of having to babysit the OS etc... we were just able to get on with the creative process.

completely agree with the 'creative gene' theory, i used to be concerned about getting the best and baddest video card for gaming on windows, but since getting the mac, all i could care about was doing something creative in Soundtrack Pro, photoshop etc.. i just felt more creative in general, and started seeing how games were wasting my time. At the moment i've sold my G5, am waiting for the new Clovertown MP, but am sorely missing a Mac computer, i'm already feeling more lazy as a result, and for the first time in ages have turned on my PS2.

Mac just lets you forget about mindless things, and get on with things that are constructive, i can't have a single bad word against Mac Os.. if you could play windows games on it, and some other high end software that refuses to support Mac Os, then i really cant think of a single reason why i'd use windows, it really is crap for 'regular' users like myself... my windows hasn't crashed in over a year, which seems to be the main complaint of windows, but use Mac Os for just a month, and you start to see the serious downfalls of windows. Mac os isn't just about iDVD, iphoto etc.. it is an absolute must for anyone creative, or anyone who just needs a pc to do basic things, the amount of friends and family who can afford a mac, but still refuse to listen to me, and still go for windows then afterwards ask me how to do this, fix that, it really annoys me.

 

[iJaz]

I see my computer as a friend nowadays, something I can trust!
When I had a PC I was always suspicious because there was always something that didn't work, a crash was always around the corner.
Now I can be relaxed and I don't worry so much, it just works.

 

[jackc]

I am now the smartest and greatest man alive.

 

[Transeau]

two main things for me...

1) I'm not wasting so much time dealing with updates and repairs on my own computers... Now, when I'm cleaning up a virus, I'm getting paid for it.

2) I find myself defending my Mac's and my choice to switch. I get a lot of crap from Winblows and Linsux users.

 

[AlexMaximus]

little left of the old times...

In the past the mac comunity was something like a small group of individuals. Individuals with a little bit more creativity, brains, wits, maybe a little cracy. I just enjoy this groupy thing, it's somehow not mainstream - it feels different. The change to Intel CPU was for sure a good decision from a market/financial side, however I fear we may loose our exclusiv/groupy/individual/innovative thingy. I hope mac will never become something like dell, however I see it coming.... one reason I keep my G4 PPC like I keep my 68'corvette...

 

[Clix Pix]

Switching to the Mac last year opened up a whole new world for me. A month or so after I'd gotten my iMac I decided to see what iTunes was all about -- wow! Next thing you know I'm buying my first iPod...... I bought my second Mac -- the Powerbook -- within weeks after I had purchased the iMac because I knew I didn't want to wrestle with Windows on the road any more than I wanted to wrestle with it at home, and my old laptop was an inexpensive and not so good one anyway. In January 2006, I traveled out to San Francisco, a city I'd never seen, in order to go to MacWorld. In May I couldn't resist the lure of the intel Macs and bought a MBP. I've done a lot more with my digital imaging and recently bought my 4th Mac, the Mac Pro.... So, yes, I'd say that the switch changed my life!

Also, absolutely had an impact on my bank account, needless to say!

As has already been mentioned, when I'm on the computer now it is always a pleasurable experience because I'm not wrestling with some configuration problem or conflict or scrambling to avoid viruses/trojan horses/spam, whatever.... My time on my Macs is quality time, and that's important to me.