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Windows switchers: were you scared/worried to make the jump?

I was in a similiar situation to the one you describe about 2 years ago. After enjoying my first iPod and playing around the Apple Store for a few months I decided to get my first Mac. I purchased a 1.5Ghz 17" PowerBook. Being used to Linux/Unix and finding the OS X GUI pretty intuitive I took to it fairly easily, but the more time I worked with it I found myself believing that the quality of the apps designed for Mac simply weren't up to par with the apps for Windows. Truth be told for a few weeks the PowerBook became a paperweight as I went back to my XP machine. I even gave it to my wife for a few months when her laptop died. Then for whatever reason perhaps from reading the forums or reading Mac magazines, I decided to get back into the Mac and started finding the software that I needed to make my experience a positive one.

It's been a few years now and even with owning the PowerBook and a mac Mini and enjoying them well enough, I'm still drawn back to XP rather frequently. I bought a 15" MBP and found it to be a great laptop, but ultimately returned it to await the release of the 17". Thing is now as I've waited and used XP more and more I'm stuck in the exact same scenario that you presently describe. I go into the stores, but ultimately think to myself "I don't really need a Mac to do anything I want to do and I can build a powerful PC for a lot less money". As such I haven't been able to pull the trigger on the 17".

Don't know what the answer is for you to be honest. Not even sure for myself. Both operating systems work and work well and each have their share of great applications. I guess with Boot-Camp available now you at least have the safety net of being able to run Windows on the Mac if you don't find OS X your cup of tea.

~shoe
 
I made the switch in 2004.

Bought my first Mac - PowerMac G5 2.5 Dual and I'm glad that I made the switch. I love the stability and ease-of-use that OS X provides. Computing is how it should be, fun, intuitive, and free of viruses and spyware
 
I'm never afraid to learn new things, and I tend to approach new, unfamiliar things eagerly and not antagonistically. I realize that some thing can be different and new, but that doesn't mean it's bad. That said, I worried about buying my first Mac. I had been using one for a month or two due to odd circumstances that made it so that was my only option (dad strangely bought a Mac that he's never even used, and at the same time my PC basically died). Still, I worried that I wouldn't be able to get the software I needed, would find out that Macs weren't all they were cracked up to be or would otherwise regret my purchase. I was very familiar with Windows and felt like I could do anything I needed to, simple or complex with it. I was pricing out and comparing new PC laptops as well as Macs. Eventually I decided to make the plunge and bought the 12" PowerBook in my signature.

Let's just say that there is zero chance that I will go back to Windows. Macs aren't perfect, but they're a lot closer than Windows is. When I use a Windows machine for whatever reason I quickly get frustrated by how poorly designed the UI is and how I can't do what I want to do. It's odd, because I basically feel the same way I did when I very first sat down in front of a Mac. Not knowing how to do things that were simple for me on Windows. The difference of course, is that I absolutely know my way around Windows. I used it every day since Windows 3.1 was current, and used DOS before that. It's just that so many things that are simple on a Mac are needlessly complex or even impossible in Windows.
 
When I first switched and got an iMac, I set it up on my desk right next to my Dell desktop. I thougt it would be a gradual transition as I learned the new OS, but it turned out to be surprisingly quick.

I still have that Dell set up (in my basement now) just in case I need to use it for something windows-specific (which is never).

A couple months ago I fired it up and connected my external HD, just to pull off any files I might have still been storing on it. I was going to donate it since I never use it, but kind of forget about it (until this very moment).

The big thing that worried me as I switched was that everyone says there are so many more programs available for windows compared to mac. I was worried I would keep using my Dell because I couldn't find a program I like for a given task. I quickly realized that I was always able to find a mac program to do what I wanted, and to do it well. While there may not have been as many options to choose from, there was always (at least) one that completely met my needs.

Looking back, my only regret is that I hadn't switched sooner!
 
Windowing in windows was the main problem for me. I had too many Windows open, couldn't get to my desktop, had to try and menuver everything. I kept getting viruses, having to fix everyone in the house's computers while still dealing with my own. Installing updates 24/7, keeping current with different products just to chat with everyone. Finally, i got into a graphics design class at my school - Sophomore year. Previously I had seen Mac OS X and loved the interface, but hated the idea of the file bar at the top. The eject key on a keyboard, what the ****? Finally I used a Mac for a couple months and I'm like, awesome. I kept looking for that eject key and found it. Next my teacher showed me Exposé and I fell in love. OH MY GOSH, ALL THE WINDOWS ARE VISIBLE HOW THE HECK!!! After that day I wanted a Mac so badly. The PC's kept going down but the Macs stayed up at my school. And yes printing lines were like zilch. Things just worked.

I bought a Powerbook G3 off these forums, threw Jaguar on it, sold that bought an iMac G3 off the forums threw on Panther, bought an iBook G3 from Tech Restore threw panther on it, dad bought me an iBook G4 in Oct. of last year (he can actually use a Mac, PC's confuse him, but he likes Macs).

Now I go use a PC and I ask people, "Hey where's the eject key on this thing" I'm so used to macs *hugs*, but sadly, I want a PC for gaming, I miss my ole gaming days.


EDIT: Get this, my Junior summer, my teacher let me take home a PowerMac G5 over the duration of the summer. I think I used it about 15% of the time because I didn't respect it like I should have, bc I was a gamer still. I wish I had it back cause it was the absolute best computer in the world.
 
As recently as March of the current year, I believed that Macs sucked and I worshipped Bill Gates. But then, after laughing at a friend's iBook G4, I was told to take notes on it at a study session. At first it was frustrating because none of the Windows shortcuts worked in Word for Mac. I started poking around and was intrigued. I went home and visited Apple's website and read up on Macs. After a couple more uses of the iBook G4, I decided that I might consider Mac for my next computer. My current computer (err... parents' computer) is a rather old model from Gateway, built in late 2001. Since January, the Internet has been refusing to connect to certain web sites (especially Yahoo! and MSN) and has been slow in general. Around April, I decided that I would buy a laptop from Apple with my earnings from my summer job. Once the MacBook came out, that sealed the deal. I've got my paychecks charted out, and I should be going to my nearest Apple Store (400 friggin' miles north or south) on my Independence Day holiday (probably Monday, July 3) and picking up a MacBook. If I wasn't decided before, this past weekend, I performed two separate clean installs of XP for DIFFERENT problems! And the Internet is still screwed (a tech from the ISP came out and said everything on their side was fine).

Don't look back, except to laugh.

That made me remember a funny thing that happened near me. I was at the library (coincidentally, to read MacWorld) and saw a woman pass with a laptop. I kept reading and heard the familiar start-up sound of XP. Several minutes later, I heard it again. At first, I thought it was just another user. Several minutes later, I heard it again. Several minutes later, I heard it again. I looked over, and there was just one user. Several minutes later, I heard it again. I realized she was having to reboot every few minutes.
 
I know a few switchers.

Their main concerns were related to lack of computer knowledge in general, which is most likely the majority of switcher concerns.
 
I thought I'd through in my 2 cents since I went into a mac with little experience also. I've been a PC user since I started working with computers save for a little use in high school on I think OS 7(late 90's so can't remember exactly which OS). Last year I needed a laptop since my job at the time had me on the road 20+ days a month. I had originally considered getting a IBM/Lenovo but I had consistanly heard good things about OSX so I decided to check the mac laptops out. I found by going to the local Apple stores that the laptops in general were better constructed then most of the PC laptops I had looked at so I decided "what the hell" and picked up a 12" ibook.

Going in "cold" shouldn't be a problem for you. In my first 2 days I had already figured out how to load software I needed up on the system, network to my desktop PC, and setup my personal preferences. Since then I have found it to be a really smooth interface and very user friendly. The only issue I have had with the OS is when I needed to change the settings it saved for my brothers wireless network. My brother changed his router settings and the ibook kept trying to connect with the old settings. It took me a while to find were I needed to change the settings. It was more of a case of "overthinking" the problem. I still use my desktop(self built) half the time for basic internet use and for the ocasional PC only software, but I prefer using my mac everything else.

I think for you a mac wouldn't be bad to try out. You already stated that you don't "need" a PC for what you use it for, so why not. If at worst you don't like it you can return it or sell it. Personaly I plan on selling my ibook to get a Macbook later this year so I can have the ability to duel boot.
 
Hell yeah I was worried. I had used Windows all my life and never used OS X for more than one minute. But I got trapped by the ads and the 'halo' effect. I was worried that what if OS X wasn't my thing, what if I couldn't learn it because it was against my logic or so.

But it wasn't and if they just fix the f... Finder sometime, I'll adore this thing.
 
Thanks for all the input, its all positive, which I figured it would be. On my way home with my new mini duo in the trunk :)
 
I'll be switiching in less than a week now :eek: I'm scared to be truthful. I've been using windows since I was in first grade. I know macs are better, but part of me is still apprehensive. Will I ever get used to ctrl+q to quit programs? Will adjusting the volume with function keys ever seem normal? It's the small stuff that scares me. At this point, macs are computers I use on occaison- they're a short holiday. I'm scared to jump in full-time. Unlike a lot of people, I don't hate microsoft or windows. They have served me very well. I have a tenderness for IBM thinkpads. But I know I will like mac OSX. It's just that first jump that's hard. Or maybe it's just me:eek:
 
Chundles said:
No hesitation at all. I'd had enough.

Windows s**ts me now, I hate using it. No matter what the cost advantage may appear to be, I'll never go back.


Ever.
Click to expand...

Same here. I love my powermac g5 and the os is just amazing.
 
acutally i dindt have a problem at all and i new alot about XP. the jump was easy, just stay on these forums, it was probably the most help for me wehn i made the swtich. if ur really that worried, buy a book about macs , like mac osx for dummies or something.
 
I wasn't scared or worried. I always knew Macs were something special. I read Scott Kelbys' book "Macintosh the Naked Truth" back in 2002. As I read I started to think wow, Apple people are pretty cool. Some of it even described me.

I always had that idea in the back of my head that Mac's were more expensive. Plus I didn't have money in general to buy anything new. So I held off.

I found myself revamping the college computer I built in 2002, last year. I never really did it proper and wanted to redo it with some umphf. I finished it off, water cooling, lights, all that stuff. It felt good, I killed some hardware tried some cool things. But I was bored... where do i go next. I had been building and fixing computers for almost 7 years.

So, I sold that very bright blue glowing computer to someone. I took the money and bought myself an iBook G4 in October of last year.

I had never really used a Mac before. It arrived I fired it up(first adding a 1GB stick of mem), grabbed on and never let go. Having the years of experience I had with technology it wasn't hard to pick up. Everything felt very intuitive and natural, much more so than windows.

One of the things everyone seem to believe is this misinformed sentence and I am sure we have all heard it: "There is no software available for the Mac"

This is a tactic of the PC Weenies to defend their platform. There is nothing, and I mean nothing that I did on my PC that I can't do on my Mac. And I would consider my self a Power User/Professional. The people that are usually saying this use Word, a music player, and a video player. Last time I checked you can do all these things and MORE out of the box on the Mac.

Coming from building custom budget computers, my new recommendations are Macs. It comes loaded with amazing software that encapsulates everything a typical home user wants to do. Photos, Music, Movies, etc. All out of the box. No weeding through all the Crapware, errr... I mean software available for the PC and finding a good one.

People who are afraid of switching or spend there time bashing Macs are misinformed and stubborn. You can love windows all day, I don't care. But when you go and bash my platform with misinformed statements you better believe I am going to come back at you.

Don't get me wrong, I would never bash Windows. It has its ups and downs. But when it comes to the general home user, the Mac is simply the best computer in the world. Hands down.

P.S. I am happy for all you PC Weenies! Welcome to the Apple club :D
 
I never had any fear, because I am not a Switcher. I am an Adder. (No, not the snake.) I have three Macs (Intel Mac mini, G4 Mac mini, MacBook Pro) and three PCs (Sony desktop PC, Sony server, Sony notebook). Whatever I need to do, I've got a machine that can run whatever software I need.

The ability of the new Macs to ALSO run Windows alleviates some of the need I have for PCs, but until Macs can do everything that my PCs can do (namely, run Windows Media Center and run Exchange Server), I will never be without PCs.
 
No hesitation. Once I saw the 12" PowerBook I just *had* to have it.

Go ahead and buy your Mac Mini. Like you said... you still have Windows. Just don't use it as your primary OS. :D
 
i just made a switch, before, i used windows XP, and tired of virus, and PC gets slower from time to time, you can't do something bout it, fresh format and reinstall is the solution for that. my friend whose using mac told me that mac is not like this, and secure. i was quite confuse about the switch, afraid that i will not like it, or hard to get used to it. i went to apple store, looking at the new MBP just came out that time.. fell in love with it, did a little research about MBP through the net (then i learn to do hardware test etc.) and decided to buy one (although many people complaining bout whine and heat) but my MBP is perfect. im glad with the switch, i love my MBP, i love mac os.. i was still using my PC for about a week together with my MBP, then i decided to replace it with mac mini. So now, no PC at all in my room :)
 
I had never used OS X when I bought my first Mac, I'd never even seen it apart from on an idling iMac G3 once. I'd never owned a "Classic OS" Mac, although I had screwed around with a couple of emulators (and pirated ROMs :eek: )

Looking back, I'm definitely glad that I switched :)
 
Mac OSX is nice... XP isn't too bad...

I switched about 1.5 months ago. I was looking for parts for my wife's old TiBook and came across a store that was blowing out a 17" PB G4 Rev E in great condition at a phenomenol price. I picked it up. I had been thinking about switching for two years: my wife, my brother, one of my students, even my former supervisor - all use Mac and love it. I had very little worries: the OS was very intuitive and being quite comfortable with computers for 'regular' use, there have been no big issues: just little ones (come on Apple - let's get a two button mouse/touch pad button!).

The PB is stable, great to hold, and beautiful to look at... except I'm using my XP machine right now. Why?

1. My university doesn't support Mac very well: programs like Lotus Notes look and operate better in a Windows environment. Unfortunately, I don't have much choice.
2. Some programs seem to be more efficient in Windows, and in my opinion, one or two of the OS aspects are better in Windows than in Mac. However, I acknowledge that this could be just because I'm used to them in Windows.
3. The biggest reason is that this XP machine is a tablet. Bash Bill Gates and Microsoft all you want, but they did a nice - at least, reasonable - job with the latest generation of tablets. I'm a professor and the ability to take notes or mark up reports in digital ink is an incredible advantage if you're in the education/research field. The OneNote program for Windows, which is especially useful if you have a tablet, is very nice and I use it all the time to lecture.
4. I purchased a dock for my tablet: life is much more convenient - I wish Apple would produce a dedicted business line of computers and accessories, including docks.

So despite the less stable nature of XP - and it hasn't been too bad for me - I find that the XP machine fulfills some specific computer roles very well for me.

... I can't wait to see how Apple implements a tablet form factor...
 
I officially switched last Friday when my Macbook arrived :)) ) but mentally I have been a "switcher" for about a year, just waiting for the right machine to come out.

I was not afraid to make the switch because I got the impression from reading and playing with Macs in various shops that there was nothing that I couldn't do in OS X as compared to XP. It meant learning a slightly different way of doing things but, in less than a week of playing with my new machine, I am feeling very comfortable in the new environment. There was also the additional safety blanket of installing Windows via Bootcamp but, to be honest, I am not itching to do that anytime soon as I do not see the need for it. Perhaps if I was a big Windows gamer then it would be a different issue but, for me, it is OS X all the way and I am more than happy with my choice.

Go for it...
 
I switched in January. Yes, I was somewhat lost. To be honest, it has been the forums like the one here that got me up to speed quickly. This is probably the best of them.
 
I switched in 04 purely because i was EXTREMELY bored of windows and all the black boxes in my room so i bought a 12" PowerBook and got rid of my dell portable but still kept my tower for the "just in case" scenario....which never happened.

I got used to OS X in about a week and didn't use my tower for ages it even started collecting dusts because i was always on the PowerBook which was just faster and "smoother" overall plus i liked the fact that all the ladies where going "wow, thats such a sexy laptop...sooo pretty".

Anyway i decided to sell the tower and sold the 12" PowerBook as well to upgrade to a 15" version to act as my complete desktop replacement and as a main computer which is what it does now and is very good at it.
 
It is always reassuring to hear about other people's good experiences. However, I and many of the people posting stories here, were frustrated switchers. When you do not like what you are doing, the motivation is there to do something else.

You understand Windows and you don't seem unhappy with it. Yet the desire to understand OS-X has not gone away. First, buy Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition by David Pogue. It is not like actually using a Mac, but it is cheaper than buying a computer. If you do eventually buy a Mac, you will know what you are doing and will not have that awful feeling of going from power user to noob.

Next, take Chris' advice: make sure you can do everything you need to do using Mac software (this may involve finding alternate software). Unless you love Apple hardware, and many do, there is no point in buying a Mac just to run Windows or Linux. Bootcamp is a fail-safe for those times when you must run Windows. I do not recommend that switchers install it until they are forced to (or are comfortable with OS-X).

Finally, if you buy a Mac, enjoy it. Explore. Enjoy the problems you no longer have. Ask about any new problems you do have. The Mac user community is one of the great features of the machine.

Best wishes
 
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