Poll: When did you switch over to a Mac?

I spent over 20 years writting software for PC computers. In the early days creating software for use in an Apple computer resulted in threats by Apple to take me to court. They threatened many people and companies over the years. When I helped design an early computer that ran circles around the Apple II we forced Apple to cut their prices in half and helped stop the company from monopolizing the field. I've never looked back. Look what Apple did to restrict the iPhone just for larger profits.

I bought a Mac desktop a few years ago. Unfortunately, I purchased it with not enough memory. After FOUR orders and returns of memory, I sent the Mac back to Apple. I repeatedly told the customer service representative that I had a desktop Mac, they invariably sent me laptop memory that would not fit my desktop. If they want to sell me a product, they had better change their customer service system and at least hire people who speak my language.

...I just came across Sony's new FW series laptop. I was recently shopping around for a new one and came across this model and was surprised by how much features Sony includes for the price. I configured one with:
1. Intel

Why should I? I am happy with PC. I know Windows and have lots of good software. I am very technical having been a mainframe IMS/DB2 Cobol programmer. I was also using Visual Interdev and Visual Basic when I retired. I have a Dell Desktop and a HP laptop. When I am ready to upgrade I will research the available PC products out there. I don't need to bite the bullet and learn the MAC when PC does everything I need.

When I was in school, the marketing gurus at Apple figured out a neat scheme to force our parents to buy their mediocre computers. They essentially gave the machines away to the schools, so we were forced to use the Macs in school, and begin our creative writing assignments and other schoolwork in class on the Mac. At the end of the period, you'd save your work on a floppy disk.

Now the kicker was that if you didn't have a Mac at home, you'd either have to "give up" the time and progress you made on the assignment and start from scratch on your home PC, or come in early in the morning and use a Mac in the computer lab.

Since my parents realized that not having a Mac at home would put me at a competetive disadvantage, they bought me a brand new Macintosh LCIII.

The Mac LCIII--as well as every other product sold by Apple at the time--had consumer fraud as a built-in part of the business model.

First, unlike PC's which typically came with a keyboard, mouse, speakers, modem--and in many cases even a monitor--the Mac LCIII came with the CPU, a power cord, and microphone. The keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer, external modem, external CD-ROM drive, etc were all extra-cost options which DOUBLED the already-high pricetag of $1000.00 to almost $2000.00.

Second, unlike PC's which could be upgraded at will, the Macs were designed to use proprietary expansion cards and were "crippled at birth" with arbitrary RAM size limits in the firmware even though the machine could physically hold more RAM. I really loved how the RAM limit in my LCIII required the purchase of more than 8 megabytes of RAM above the limit--RAM which the OS would never see and I could never use--simply to take it up to the maximum.

Third, the hardware did not have very good performance, even when compared to mid-range PC's of the day. An 80486 or Pentium based system could have remained useful up until the days when Windows XP was out. The Mac LCIII was hopelessly obsolete by the late 90's.

Sure, Apple may have now started using commodity-type PC hardware, and I've heard you can now reformat the hard disk and load Windows XP onto a Mac. Unfortunately, my experience with Apple products has forever soured me on the brand, and I will never touch them with a 10-foot pole!

And I am proud of it. Ever since I started using iPods and iTunes, about 3 years ago it seems, I knew that Apple had some quality products. As time went on, my iTunes library grew, and I needed more capable hardware (than my aging XP machines) to run it on. Not only that, but I needed a good system to run multimedia programs on. OS X is unmatched when it comes to video editing and design.

I bought an old iMac G4 from through a friend about a year and a half ago or so. It was dated hardware, and it had older software preloaded, but it ran quite well. I was amazed by the abilities of OS X. A while later, I went ahead and ordered a MacBook Pro. When it arrived, I already had some video work to do, and it got the job done perfectly. To my disappointment, the Santa Rosa-equipped MacBook Pros arrived a month later. To top that off, my new MacBook developed WiFi problems, along with some terrible cosmetic issues. In December, I brought it in for repairs two times; nothing was accomplished by this. Later, in January, I brought it in again, and Apple replaced it for me. All of my problems were solved with the replacement. It's good to know that Apple has good in-store support.

I am glad I switched, and I don't think I will ever regret it. The other day, one of my PCs failed on me when I was working on some network problems. If the machine had been a Mac, this would not have happened. What's interesting is that I replaced it with a new, HP quad-core desktop, and I was impressed with it as well. I had not used Vista to an extent before, and I was amazed by how well Vista ran on this new machine. However, a lot of the newer features in Vista look similar to features that have been around in OS X for awhile (gadgets anyone?). Still, it is good to see Microsoft learning a thing or two from Apple. OS X is by far a superior operating system when compared to Windows, but I bet MS is going to release some great stuff with Windows 7. But, as long as Apple keeps up with their fantastic designs and innovations, they will be one step ahead. And that's why, "Once you go Mac, you never go back."

-BMF

For those trying to decide on what to get for college... Here's my 2 cents. You can do exactly the same things on both and you can play more games and find more programs for PC, but I lean toward Mac for a few reasons:

- You don't need to worry nearly as much about viruses and spyware, which means you can open those mysterious emails that you think are OK but aren't quite sure... (You need not buy any molasses creating programs named Norton!)

- Mac's plug and play seems to work more smoothly with more gadgets... you don't need to deal with drivers.

- If you cancel a Mac print job from a queue it really cancels... immediately! If you force a program to quit it really does... immediately!

- Since programs installed on Mac stay in their own folders and most of the time don't share files, you don't need to worry about one program installing a critical file over the top of an identically named file previously installed by another (which gums up Windows' works).

- Windows seems to develop more processor clogging peanut butter than Mac as it goes along

- You can get a freeware program (like MacJanitor) that let's you run Mac's maintenance routines any time you like which keeps things ship shape.

- AppleCare is a tremendous support system

- iLife is an incredible gang of freebies that comes with all Macs. Garageband and iMovie as free apps are phenomenal

- and... right now if you get a Mac for college you get a free iPod

That all said, Windows has some ways of handling things that make more sense to me and I much prefer their file handling system, particularly the way you can pick and choose what do do when errors happen. Window's file search is better. Mac often gives you no choice but to close.

If you choose to go with a Windows machine, do not consider any that don't have a great tech support plan the same as if you get a Mac, spring for the AppleCare.

I used an Apple ][e back in the Middle Ages. Bought an iBook four years ago. But I'm an OSnivore. I have Linux boxen, an XP Pro laptop, and an Win2K desktop. I added Apple back to my mix and it's been a mixed bag. I'm sure I'll never be committed to just one OS.

Basically far less compatible programs for Mac as for running this HP XP
Bargain shoppe when things get a bit shaky and like downloading games and other beta version loads periodically. Feel far more secure knowing theres more options this way the going Mac. Advid IE and MS site mongrul.
Dont see transfering anytime soon or within this desktops future,
Girlfriend starting classes soon again Kaplan U online she needs new system; has her ma's Acer laptop, she's always complains about something,
Being an amputee too, (www.citytraveler.mysite.com her story) she has a more difficult time when her work suddenly disappears on her, her 2 hour classes go 6 to 8 hours , she wants a desktop atleast, for the most part, setup and comfort, bought her a laptop easel which for the most part strains and limits her movability due her disability, NOT saying wouldnt think of MAC but for now and the next system thinkin' another HP
Any suggestions welcome

I have read the posts concerning both platforms and I think it is important to be fair and balanced about responses. Most people have strong opinions about what works best for them, and as indicated by market share, PC's own the market. Both PC's and Mac's have great points that people gravitate towards, and I think the best information that can be gathered from this discussion is that it boils down to what feels best for the user. If you have used windows for all of your computing experience, you will probably feel more comfortable with that platform. As for my personal opinion, and having used both platforms, I have decided that for ME, Apple is the way to go, and I am slowly replacing my windows machines as they phase out their usefulness. Is Apple for everybody? No. Do I tell everyone they have to use Apple instead of Windows? No. I am not a zealot, but I will say to friends/family who ask me that for me, Apple is the better product with better customer service. And as for the post earlier panning Apple's customer service, I strongly disagree. Every windows product/hardware customer service issue I have dealt with (way too many to count!) have been a nightmare with customer service and the dreaded script from entry level phone workers. Apple phone support has been quick, knowledgeable, English speaking, and willing to do what is necessary to resolve a problem. I am writing this post on my MacBook Pro (my only Mac so far) and I am confident I will continue to buy Apple in the future. They just do it right. People have strong opinions about the products they use, but both platforms can exist and have a place in today's market. Also, competition is a good thing for all choices, and I hope they continue to drive each other into giving us products that improve and inspire us to write many more conversations.

I switched to a Mac at home years ago. Then I switched back when I went into business for myself. I had to use AutoCAD, and it only runs on Windows. I've had it though. I love AutoCAD and Revit, but I'm in the process of switching to ArchiCAD and VectorWorks because they will run on Mac OS. I presently use two laptops side by side every day, a Mac and a PC. There is no comparison. The day is coming when I will use the Mac only, maybe two Macs--I've grown to like having two computers in front of me. I won't run Windows on the Macs even though a Mac is the best platform for running Windows. Windows' star is setting while Mac's shines brighter every day.

It's usually the case that those who swear by Windows have little or no experience with Macs while most Mac advocates have ample experience with both platforms. That should tell you something.

...why? Because I have always built my own computers, & PC's are so much more user-friendly in this respect; you can get under the hood & start messing about - & it doesn't cost the Earth.
In addition, the range of Software available for the PC is seemingly limitless! The same goes for Hardware, you're not constrained by having to buy expensive proprietary components (no matter how well-made they are!).
I know Macophiles love their Macs, but for me - well, I just can't see any reason to change!

My first computer was an Apple II. I quickly moved up to the Apple IIe (it had upper and lower case!). Friends who had IBMs laughed at the Mac's mouse. They said that if you didn't type in command lines it wasn't a real computer. Meanwhile, Steve Jobs raked Billy Gates over the coals for writing software for non-Apple computers. But the saving grace for PCs was a copy of the Mac environment called "Windows".

I used a Mac SE30 for years. I've had an 8600, a G3, a G4, a Mac Mini and a Mac Book. I would rather pay more for a classy, stylish product that's dependable, almost never crashes, has great support, seems immune to viruses, & has all the software I need. Most of the graphics & editing programs were written for the Mac first. Probably for that reason, most people in the film business use Macs, for Call-sheets & story boards to full on editing.

My kids all have PCs. Because they're cheap. They use them for internet & email. They love my MacBook because its faster & easier.

I use Windows as a business necessity, but I *really* hate it. Macs are nice, but way overpriced. My preferred computer is a generic PC running Ubuntu Linux. I'm only a few years from retirement. By the time that day arrives, I'll be almost totally migrated to Linux. Affordable hardware and software, plus absolute reliability and dependability. Neither Windows nor Mac can touch it.

My primary Linux machine is almost identical to my primary Windows machine, yet will run rings around it with identical or comparable applications. Add to that the fact that it can run 24/7 for years on end without so much as a hiccup. I'm strongly motivated to ditch Windows at the earliest opportunity, but I have no motivation to make the investment in Mac just to be trendy or because they're pretty.

Started with a macPlus over 20 years ago and still use an iMac for secure internet and banking

I've run Macs since 1984 - since the 1st 512.
Included PCs as of 1998 (Vaio 505 - 1st 3 lb. laptop)
Too many Macs to count - probably six Vaios.
Two Vaios now running Linux.

The results:
Windows: 30 years and still going wrong.
Macs: Lack a few programs but they are like little Energizers - they just keep on going.
Linux - just gets better every day. Not the range of programs but you can load linux and the top 25 programs in 22 minutes. And update everything before the half-hour is out.

Haven't had a BSOD on Mac since the late '90s - never had one on linux.
With Windows - it's the color of day way, way too often. Windows is, simply, crap. MS doesn't understand it, can't repair it, but dumps out new bug-filled versions and expects consumers to pay $400 for the privilege of being guinea pigs.

If you never got a Blue Screen of Death with a deadline two hours away, you will. You will. (With Microsoft).

Unless you have to run some PC-specific weird, esoteric software, Open Office (FREE) and Firefox (FREE) will run on anything - and do everything that Microcrap promises to do in WinDoze and Office ... but never has.

I bought my first Apple ][e in 1984 after watching what my boss could do with his -- then I discovered if I wanted to work at home I would need a second one at home! What's even harder to believe is the company I worked for didn't believe "executives" could benefit from a computer so we had to buy our own. I can't remember how much the first one cost, but I believe I spent something like $3800 for the two systems a printer and all the software that was available, which wasn't much. Then the Macintosh came out and I was in love -- except for the memory limitations without an external drive. I eventually had a job that required me to use a PC in the mid-90s, but I kept a Mac at home (including a Mac clone around '9. Now that I'm retired, I enjoy using a PowerPC G5 with dual processor (2GHz) running OS X Version 10.5.4, with 4.5 GB of memory that's already an "ancient" (nearly 4 years old). To make matters worse, I'm using an ancient Radius 21" monitor from 1996!
I can't help but laugh at the people who say they'll "NEVER" use a Mac/PC, or how the users of the opposite make of computer have attitude problems but then go on to totally diss everyone who doesn't think exactly as they do! Does it REALLY matter what the other guy is using as long as you're both happy?

This post won't be a profound testament of my computer greatness. Switched to an iMac about a week ago and while the thing is awe-inspiring next to the mundane PC and Windows, it is a bit too much. It's programs are better, the look is better and the operations are better but the so called Apple cult is a little full of it. Provide ways to learn how to use the equipment in more than one format with the purchase, not forcing me to either spend more money on "mac for dummies" or searches on the internet. I like the Mac, feel like I'm starting all over again. (which of course I am) Bottom line, Windows is integrated so deeply into everything, Windows would be a better buy. I do not think I will go back to a Mac after buying this one but things change with time. Just to throw blood in the water, all the Apple freaks, get over yourselves. The software is cool and all but it is not that much better so kick it down a notch nerdlings.

SWITCHED TO MAC PROBABLY 12MTHS AGO BECAUSE HOME PC WAS CONTINUALLY CLAGGED BY INTERNET VIRUSES BECAUSE MY KIDS USE PROGRAMS WHICH ATTRACT EXACTLY THAT,. MAC FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW HAS BEEN FANTASTIC AND THINKING BACK ON ALL THE TIME I USED TO SPEND CLEANING UP THE COMPUTOR OR PAYING SOMEONE TO DO IT I PROBABLY WOULD STILL CHANGE TO MAC,. MAC IS GREAT BUT ABSOLUTELY INCOMPATABLE WITH JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING EEVEN BAS STATEMENT LODGEMENTS WITH THE TAX DEPARTMENT . TRYING TO PATCH UP ALL THE INCOMPATABILITIES HAS COST ME HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS AND OFTEN FOR FAILED ATTEMPTS. MOST MAC SOFTWARE OFFERS LESS THAN YOU WOULD EXPECT AND APPLE MAC CASHES IN BY OFFERING ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE ATT A PRICE . NEARLY EVERY THING IN AUSTRALIA IS TWICE THE AMERICAN PRICE AND YOU CAN'T BY THROUGH A US STORE . BE CAREFUL WITH IWEB IT IS RAN FROM AMERICA BUT BILLED THROUGH APPLE AUSTRALIA WHO OFFER YOU NO ASSISTANCE WITH IT AT ALL. THE OTHER BIG PROBLEM IS HARDWARE SUCH AS PRINTERS ,EXTERNAL DRIVES, FAX MACHINES,ETC COMPATABILITY PROBLEMS WITH ALMOST EVERY THING . ANOTHER REASON I MOVED TO MAC WAS BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN IT CAME TO HOME MOVIES AND PHOTOS IT WAS RIGHT UP THERE!! ONCE AGAIN HAND IN POCKET AND HAVE PLENTY OF TIME ON YOUR HANDS TO PROBLEM SOLVE. BEFORE MAC I WAS PRETTY MUCH COMPUTOR ILLITERATE TRYING TO SORT OUT PROBLEMS WITH MAC AT LEAST BOADENS YOUR HORIZONS. HARRY.

My rejection of the Mac is based on comparisons done in what now seems to be an earlier life. I have used PCs at work almost since they were invented and then was given a Mac(the original one) as a bonus. I took it home and gave it to my wife who absolutely loved it. She did things so easily with it (particularly in setting up a small data base and in graphic design)that it caught my eye. However I strongly disliked the logic of its software and stayed with PCs, which was easy because all my work environment was equipped with PCs and compatibility would have been an issue.
Today, my daughter (a young professional very good on computers) has switched to Mac and loves it. I won?t follow suit simply because I don?t like the Mac mindset (closed system based on proprietary technology, full of idiosyncrasies, sold at a premium). I like their design and I welcome the competition they give to the PC world but there is no Apple in my future - never say never but not in the next 5 years (meaning two equipment upgrades).

The reason I tried the MAC is because of the huge changes they made in their equipment. The equipment is Intel based and their software is now Unix based, which now means people, can actually program for MACS hence the huge explosion in programs being patched over to MAC. The main reason I gave it a go is because I got a taste of final cut and wanted it, the big reason I took the plunge was if I hated the MAC I could partition the drive and put Windows on the other partition, which I ended up having to do
How?s it going? Awesome now. I?ve had this laptop for about 4 months and I hated it at first, I mean its 30% more than a PC, though it does make up for it built in software. The so-called lack of viruses and needing to patch and up date is total b#$% $^%t, there isn?t as many viruses but they are there and it needs just as many patches and updates as windows.
At this point the only real problem is the built in one button track pad, A total PITA. Luckily their mouses are 4-function mouses. 2 buttons a roller and squeeze function, I like that, and a blue tooth connection for the mouse is a nice touch, no wire or adapter, totally clean, that has proven time and again to be one of the best accessories ever for any laptop I?ve ever owed. The MAC simply doesn?t work in controlling my canon camera, doesn?t work with either GPS or my programmable TV remote so I?ve had to make a windows partition to get that stuff to work, a real PITA to have to reboot for those functions. All the shady tasks we do is harder if imposable on a MAC since the software cracks just aren?t available
Again when I first got the system it sucked, I had to relearn how to use a computer all over again. I?ve been using a PC for what 20+ years now, I know every keyboard shortcut and how to access most of the system functions from the text editor ←DOS as well. PC and the MAC are all different. The thought and task processes are all different so even the most mundane tasks have to be relearned, like manual network set ups, file sharing, hard drive reformates and multi monitor functions. All the file structures are different so you have relearned all of them, things like .exe files are called .dmg file on a MAC. Most people probably care less about the latter but since I?ve been building, maintaining and troubleshooting systems since I was in Middle school I simple make it point to learn that kind of thing.
As far as MAC itself, Once learned it?s a pretty solid and stable system, So are my PC?s. Now that I understand the thought process it?s pretty intuitive, and most of the time their software is set pretty close to wear I?d want it stock. Final Cut Express simply kicks all, again once learned. I had to buy a computer book for the first time in 10 yrs to learn how to use it. Office for MAC made that transition seamless, ILife it kind of hit and miss. iMOVIE is a POS. Garage band seem to be very usable, it sees my FirePOD and I?ve had 10 inputs all going it never missed a beat. iDVD rocks, iTUNES is OK, I didn?t like it on the PC and still really don?t like it on the MAC but for the iPOD you have to use it.
The system is very powerful. I can run Wow in full resolution in dual monitor mode hooked to my HDTV via HDMI with no problems. I finally figured out how to have dvd audio pass through so the home theater sees the Dolby digital feed. My PC actually encode all audio in Dolby digital, so only having 2 channels on the MAC pisses me off. This is a software issue not a hardware thing. The video renders are very manageable, 1.5 hours of full resolution video takes about 45 min to render and another 45 min to encode a DVD and 3 hours to render down full resolution to iPOD quality video←- it?s not server fast but pretty damn good for a laptop. The real problem here is the heat created when the processors are running at 90-100% for 1-4 hours, it?s kind of concerning what it will do to the longevity of the system. This brings up another problem. There is no hard drive format that can handle unlimited file sizes that?s compatible with both MAC and PC so I?ve had to dedicate one of my external drive to only the MAC. FAT 32 it compatible with both but you can?t make single files over 4GB. The 45 min video files are 9GB so I have to use the apple journaled formate for it to work.
All in all I?ve found myself sticking to the mac and rarely touching my PC, in fact I think I?ve turned on my desktop once this month.

We used to be a two or three PC family... then I switched to an iMAC, (bought mine just before the Intel chip came out) Bummer - then husband bought one of the ones with the Intel chip, but didn't partition enough for Windows use, so ordered new PC... had problems from the getgo with that one, sent it back, ordered a new iMAC, partitioned it properly for his needs, now he runs it as a Windows machine; I switch back and forth between Boot Camp and OS X... which is a pain to do but have no choice as some programs are only for Windows environment and need to have them available daily. At one point we had two Dells, and three iMACs up and running... What fun...

The switch was not as easy as they make it out to be.. but their classes - One on One - really helped a lot.

Now we also have the new 3G iPhones.

So I have been a devoted Mac user for 2.5 years and worked for them for 8 months. I love their machines and more importantly their OS. I am a CS major at my local university and I call tell you that the BEST thing about a computer is stability. I know that when I turn on the power button in the top right hand corner or my blackbook, it will turn on and work as I tell it to. There is no BSOD, Error prompt, or DOS request. It just does as I tell it with the very rare force quite required. I would gladly force quite (the windows equivalent to cntrl+alt+del) a program every 3 months than deal with a BSOD or a virus every week. I gladly gave up many major games to know that my class papers were saved properly and that my internet surfing was secure. I want a computer to better my life and make it more simple. Windows cannot do this.

As a CS major, I tend to fix a lot of my friends computers. In the past year I have fixed 2 Gateways, 3 Dells, and 1 iPod (hard drive failure). All of the PC's, required either a FDisk or an extended deep scan. every time I service a Windows Based PC, I am glad that I have a Mac. It is the current proper mix of compatibility and stability. If you dis-agree, please email me at macias.dave@me.com, and I will explain why.

//Dave

Well, I technically did. But it was forced upon me! We have two PCs and a Mac mini. The Mac has too many issues for me to bother with it. I would rather use my eMachines, which takes 10 minutes to turn on.

So, I've used Macs, and they're definitely not worth the pricetag (about as good as a PC but up to 3x as much? ..no thanks). Especially with a hefty number of glitches, can't use PC programs on it, etc. The desktop on a Mac is confusing. It has far more options than are necessary for adjusting it, and once in a while, random keys will trigger one of those options. They don't put on good programs like Windows does. Windows comes with all these amazing programs, either on CD or already on the computer. But Mac gives you the bare minium, despite the fact that it costs more than a PC. If you want a program, you have to buy it. And the programs cost like a hundred bucks or more. So, that's why I will never switch over to Mac. I am sticking with my trusty old PC. The one that takes 1 minute to turn on. Yeah. Not the 10 minute one.

Besides, doesn't it sound catchy? Why I Will Never Switch Over To Mac... I think I'll write a song!