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Should I switch to Mac, or stick with Windows?

C

crbama92

Scout Team
Dec 12, 2000
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0
The South
Hi everyone

First let me say I am fine with vista, don't quite understand all the bashing it gets. So I'm not on a mission to rid my life of microsoft or anything, i just happen to be in the market for a new laptop and looking for opinions.

I write software for a living and focus primarily on user interface design and development. I spend most of my working hours writing in java using Eclipse and throwing ideas around in Photoshop.

Still with the work use - it is a necessity i be able to work from home and get to my windows based work domain using standard windows tools like vpn, remote desktop, etc. I know that you can run windows on mac side by side, but i'm assuming there is something native i could use to perform simple tasks like this? I'm not looking to purchase a mac then turn around and buy a copy of vista to run on it.

Spare time computer usage - aside from general web surfing - is spent mostly doing amateur photography. I also play music and would love to trade in the eight track i use at home for garageband, though I am only assuming it's a good tool. I've never used or even seen it, but just guess it does a decent job of home recording.

My last two laptops have both been dell latitudes, and they've been fine. No real complaints. My most recent one passed away last month though, and since then i've been thinking more and more about the new macbook or macbook pro.

So I guess I'm looking for experiences from people who have made the so-called switch? Pleased, displeased, indifferent?

Note getting a desktop isn't an option - must be a laptop.
 
I'm highly impressed with Apple's interface.

In the past, the only thing keeping me from going Apple was Microsoft Office. At the Apple store, I noticed that there now exists a Microsoft Office for Mac.

The Apples tend to be a little pricier for my tastes. Though, as I mentioned, I like the feel.

crbama92 said:
Hi everyone

First let me say I am fine with vista, don't quite understand all the bashing it gets. So I'm not on a mission to rid my life of microsoft or anything, i just happen to be in the market for a new laptop and looking for opinions.

I write software for a living and focus primarily on user interface design and development. I spend most of my working hours writing in java using Eclipse and throwing ideas around in Photoshop.

Still with the work use - it is a necessity i be able to work from home and get to my windows based work domain using standard windows tools like vpn, remote desktop, etc. I know that you can run windows on mac side by side, but i'm assuming there is something native i could use to perform simple tasks like this? I'm not looking to purchase a mac then turn around and buy a copy of vista to run on it.

Spare time computer usage - aside from general web surfing - is spent mostly doing amateur photography. I also play music and would love to trade in the eight track i use at home for garageband, though I am only assuming it's a good tool. I've never used or even seen it, but just guess it does a decent job of home recording.

My last two laptops have both been dell latitudes, and they've been fine. No real complaints. My most recent one passed away last month though, and since then i've been thinking more and more about the new macbook or macbook pro.

So I guess I'm looking for experiences from people who have made the so-called switch? Pleased, displeased, indifferent?

Note getting a desktop isn't an option - must be a laptop.
Click to expand...
 
Partitioning your drive off and installing both OSX and Windows is probably the way to go.

I did this for a while, but switched to running OSX through VMWare in Vista. It's a nice novelty, but it can only utilize one of the two CPU cores I have and half my RAM; but 1x2.0ghz and 1x1gb RAM is not bad at all.

An Intel Apple would be capable of the same thing, or just a dual boot system.

I stuck with XP for a long time fearing Vista for all the crap I've heard, but it's really quite good.
 
5 to 10 years ago, I would have said Mac without giving it any thought, since the alternative was the worst OS known to man aka Windows. But nowadays, for the applications you describe, I don't see it especially mattering.

Thanks for giving me Windows 98 flashbacks though. Those were the days.:mad2:
 
I'm still not sold on Apple. Apple has been the better operating system for some time now but they just have not closed the deal. I also think Mac is still better for music and gaming. I was a Apple user 10+ years ago before it was cool. I remember the operating system being so much more advanced than Microsoft for years. But with XP and even Vista, Microsoft has come a long way. The problem with crossing over to the windows platform was always hectic for the Mac. While it is easier to run Windows based programs on Mac now, I do not see it being worth the hassle of buying special programs and such when Microsoft decides to cut Apple off. I have always been pretty involved with computers but I do not like to spend as much time on them nowadays. I still have to spend a lot of time on computers but I do not like to as much and I am not into the experimentation phase anymore. Everything seems to always be available under the Windows platform without having to install this or purchase that. In another 10 years, Apple may surpass Windows and thus have more equal representation in the market. Until that happens, I will stay with Windows.
 
TRUTIDE said:
I also think Mac is still better for music and gaming.
Click to expand...
Whoa, no... Apple can't even touch Windows in terms of gaming. They have better support than they used to, but it's still not even close.

I've installed OSx86 on my laptop and wasn't tremendously impressed. I'd rather grab Ubuntu and learn Linux terminal commands if I have to relearn a new operating system.
 
CrimsonCT said:
Whoa, no... Apple can't even touch Windows in terms of gaming. They have better support than they used to, but it's still not even close.

I've installed OSx86 on my laptop and wasn't tremendously impressed. I'd rather grab Ubuntu and learn Linux terminal commands if I have to relearn a new operating system.
Click to expand...

I probally misspoke on gaming. The only gaming I really do is on a XBox 360 and PS3. I just thought the Mac graphics would still do better but I realize that Microsoft has come a long way here as well.
 
TRUTIDE said:
I probally misspoke on gaming. The only gaming I really do is on a XBox 360 and PS3. I just thought the Mac graphics would still do better but I realize that Microsoft has come a long way here as well.
Click to expand...
I really wouldn't know too much. People used to say that Macs were better for music and picture/video editing, but a lot of their software has been ported over to Windows (and vice versa), and I'm not sure there is a significant difference anymore. So I'd stick with the cheaper hardware in the end; after all, you can always just install OSX on any intel box if you really want.
 
Well, who would you rather be?
apple_ad.jpg
 
Windows Vista Ultimate is probably the most stable and versitile OS out there. The Media Center features alone are well worth the price of admission. Combined with DirectX and dynamic memory allocation, Vista Ultimate is the only player.

I develop software as well, primarily using the Microsoft .NET platforms along with some Java. An Intel based OS is essential for that, and the machine I dual boot on is Ubunu and Vista Ult.

WindowsVistaUltimate.png
 
wisten said:
Windows Vista Ultimate is probably the most stable and versitile OS out there. The Media Center features alone are well worth the price of admission.
Click to expand...
I plan on building an HTPC for my parents next week which will be running Vista Home Premium. It really is excellent software if you know how to keep a clean system.
 
Macs are exceptional for designers and other graphics-intense users (production applications, not gaming). There are just too many advantages that OSX holds for graphic designers such as myself when compared to Windows.

Windows isn't as bad as people make it seem, especially for the average user, so don't buy into the hype.

The standard rule I have always operated under is to not buy or build a system with more specs than you need currently or will need in the immediate future and fit the system according to your needs.
 
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