Mac V. PC

I would stick with a PC. I use both a MAC and a PC. I love my MAC for the artsy things however, some of the basic keyboard techniques and applications are not the same, thus you will be learning a whole new "way."

K.,
We bought a pc about 10 months ago, and I HATE it! Windows vista is a joke! It is constantly crashing, and the programs (like the photo programs...which is what I love to use to make cute videos and stuff of the family) are so difficult to use. I wish I'd bought a MAC.

I am wanting to know the same thing! I don't have much advise for you, but am looking foward to reading some of the other answers.

I realize you've already pretty much made your decision but I wanted to weigh in anyway.

I've been a Mac user since 1984 (!) and have always loved them. Ease of use, great for graphics, etc. I ended up working for many years in publishing and graphic design. I've almost always used Macs at work, and had *always* used them at home.

Last year, we switched to PC. Why??

First off, the operating systems are very similar nowadays. I'm not sure what learning curve people are referring to... even most of the keyboard shortcuts are identical between platforms.

Second, Mac's OSX is not nearly as stable as some of the older systems were. My last Mac (a G4 desktop) used to crash all the time!

True, the virus writers mostly target PCs, but if you get good virus software (which you should do regardless of which platform you choose) you'll be in pretty good shape.

And if I were working in publishing/print I'd think about going back to Mac, but mostly just because I'm more familiar with how to pre-flight a document on Mac (though the software does most of it for you now) to send it off to the print shop.

The bottom line for me: Computers are buggy. I find it much less frustrating that my $600 PC crashes all the time than when my $2500 Mac did it. ;)

Well, it depends on what you want in a computer. I love our Mac and we had a PC laptop for awhile. It was just fine. A mac can do what a PC can for you and if there is a specific program that doesn't fit with mac then you can set it up to do both. I do pampered chef and the program we use is PC oriented and so we have our hard drive split and it works beautifully. The reason that a lot of programs don't run on the Mac is that they didn't want to buy the technology from the company to make it work with that machine. Apple keeps it on the expensive side to keep just anyone from making software for their machines. It keeps the bugs down. They have problems just like other computers, nobody's perfect, but they sure seem to have a lot less. My one caution is that for those that want to switch, make sure you have someone show you the ropes of the Mac because it does run completely different. From what you are going to use it for, I would get a Mac. Good luck and have fun!!!

Hi K.
We have a Mac and like all other Mac users would never go back. We are not artsy people at all and do not use it for any of those features. I love that it doesn't require any security software that slows down the computer and you have to pay for every year and never seem to have enough. I love that everything you can do on your old computer you can do on a Mac and more. It comes with a camera which is fun for the kids. Also it is more user friendly once you get used to it. You can work in multiple windows at the same time which is awesome. I recommend taking the classes they offer when you buy it just to be up to speed with all the features and all it does. Plus the fact that it comes with I Tunes for your I Pod makes it so easy. The pictures feature is beyond compare. Go to the store and take a look guaranteed you wont leave without one. I knew nothing about them prior to going to the store and now I rave and tell everyone how wonderful they are. Good Luck

My husband has used both Mac and PC in his job as a schoolteacher. At home, we have a Mac. I love it. I'm a stay at home mom and I just use the computer for basic purposes like bills, email, digital photos, online shopping, iTunes, and word processing. I use my mom's PC every once in a while, but I find it cluttered and illogical (of course some of this goes to simply knowing the system you use.) I can do everything I want to on a MAc. It can open everything I've received through email, etc. I don't have to worry about viruses (virtually all viruses out there are written for PC, although as more people get Macs, this may change a bit.) I love how it automatically chooses which program to use for things that I need to do (for example, when I plug in my digital camera, it already has the program to download installed, and it opens iPhoto automatically.) I just really find it clean and elegant, easy to use, and really nice to look at. I also love the design, no tower or anything, just all contained in the one unit with the screen. Take a look online at Apple.com. Best of luck whatever you choose!

I agree with all that has been said. We use both, too, as my husband is also an IT guy and loves his Mac, but also uses Windows for different things. Our biggest issue is money. You can buy a Dell or other non-MAC desktop for a lot less than a MAC. We eventually want a MAC desktop, but it's currently not in our budget. If it comes down to cost, I suggest sticking with a something other than a MAC. Sometimes you can even get education discounts if you're still in school.

Hello K.,

I would suggest you stay with a PC. In my experience, PC's are more user friendly, and Mac's are just too slow. Mac's are really hard to change the properties when trying to print things, so if you want to print, it can be difficult. Also, PC's are alot cheaper!

Hope this helps you make your decision.

M.

I love my Mac, too! I wish the whole world would switch to Mac. I mostly love it for the photo and video tools, but the other great thing is that we NEVER worry about viruses like with PCs. I think the Mac is definitely superior to any PC. I never want another PC. Good luck with your decision!

We have both. My husband is a musician- hence the Mac. I was resistant to using it at first. But then we got the microsoft office suite for it - (word, excel, access, powerpoint) so I've used it much more now. There is definitely a learning curve though - I got frustrated a lot. I still can't use it to it's full potential. But I can do everything that I want to do. I must say that for pictures - I love it! iPhoto is awesome! And we also use the iChat a lot - as it has a built in camera - so we can talk to family (and see them) that live in other states. Our boys get a kick out of that. But you could do the same thing with a webcam on a PC.

So - to sum it up - if you're not going to use it for the artistic reasons - or for the picture thing. You could go either way. And if you don't want to deal with the learning curve - I'd stick with a PC.

Hope that helps -

S.

Dear K.,
We too, after many rave reviews from friends and family switched to a Mac from a PC. I am frustrated daily, but feel that it is just due to lack of learning on my part. It will take some studying and practice. I am reassured time and again that this computer will do all of the things my old one did. Navigating is just completely different.
I know that the Apple store in Orem holds free classes for their customers on the different programs. I will be looking into that soon. It is just hard to find time with the 5 little ones.
With a baby on the way, I would see if there are other materials you could have at home to read when you get the chance to learn about the different applications and how to make them really work well for you and your family.
One of the biggest draws for us in buying a Mac is that the virus risk is extremely low. Most malicious hackers out there right things for PC because Macs are such a small percentage of the marketplace. I have been told the parental controls are awesome as well. I just haven't had the time to get that going yet.
Hope this was helpful and good luck on the delivery of your sweet baby girl.

A. C.

K.,

My son has a Mac and feels the same way as your friends.
The rest of the family are PC users. Since my son is an
IT perhaps he knows something the rest of us don't.

Those Mac commercials seem pretty convincing.

I really think its just a matter of personal choice.

With Joy,
C.

We used a PC for years and switched to a Mac three years ago. We will NEVER go back to PC's! Our family now owns and uses five Macs. They are so used friendly and virus free! There is even software you can buy that will install Windows on the Mac if you happen to have something that will run in Windows only. (There are not many things out there that will only run on WIndows anymore.) Macs are not just for "artistic" people anymore. My husband is a software engineer and he works on a Mac!

My husband got a Mac in January, and he LOVES it. He is an IT guy, and things their hardware is way better that PCs. In addition, you can dual boot windows OS and Mac OS on the same machine, or run VMware fusion to run both operating systems. He likes not worrying about viruses.

I am going to switch eventually, although I have a windows laptop I am happy with for now.

Good luck making the decision.

Working in the publishing industry, I used Macs at work and PCs at home. One advantage Macs have is that the vast majority of viruses are targeted to PCs and do not affect Macs. Good virus protection software is a necessity, of course, but it is always a step behind the people who write virus programs.

get a mac, i was raised on pc's and my husband only uses mac. so i have only been using mac's since we have been married. going back and using pc's is really annoying!

I love our Mac! It is the second one that we have gotten. I would never go back to a PC. You get your own email account through your mac so that you don't have to use one through Comcast or Yahoo or some others. I never get spam on my mac email. I love the iPhoto feature for downloading all your photos in a library. Of course, iTunes is the best for getting all the latest music! The Mac support team is awesome and so helpful when ever you have a question or problem. And a plus is that at Park Meadows Mall they have a Mac Store. We recently upgraded to an iMac and took our old and new mac to the store and they transferred everything over to the new iMac... no charge! The last thing I would say is that, from my understanding, most kids today learn on Macs in school. I think it is a great idea to have one at home that they are familiar with. Plus, you really can't go wrong with the creative aspect of Macs!

Kimberley, my son is a professional web designer and in 2005, he suggested me "MAC , and only MAC, because all the professional programmers, and designers use mac, and for two, they don't crash." Guess what? I have it since 2005, three and a half years, and NOT ONE SINGLE problem occured so far, and I see it is like a new ready to share my working and fun hours for another good amount of years. So, based on the word of professionals, I say : MAC. Now, Mac Pro is so cute also, they make it VERY nice and friendly, and it IS is totally PC compatible, there are very tiny little few sites-additions that do not come on mac, but none of them is really important (like an aquarium running on the screen when you're done working - I can do without, really...)

I love my Mac! My husband got it for all his school work and I use it for fun stuff like blogging, downloading stuff ect. We just love it and have never had any problems. It just works way better than our pc ever did. I know that everyone has their own view but I'm telling you GET A MAC!

We have had a Gateway PC and a Dell PC. The Dell only lasted about a year and half before we got the blue screen of death! We purchased a Mac and love it! My son's school system (Cherry Creek in CO) uses Macs exclusively, so it is very helpful to have one to go with everything he is taught in school. He teaches me stuff on the Mac!

Like Michelle H said, you can get VM ware Fusion and run Windows on the Mac. It's like having two computers in one! This helps my husband do stuff from work and anything else that is not Mac compatible; websites, and many kid CD rom games. My son is happy now that he can play his old PC games!

If you get a mac.com account, you can also do a fun thing called ichat. It's great for talking to far away relatives and friends. With the camera built into the Mac, it's like they are in the room with you! It's a great tool when planning a family vacation, instead of talking to one person on the phone and then having to call someone else and call another back.

GET A MAC!

Hi Kim,

I switched over a year ago and went thru the same questions as you. I LOVE my mac and wouldn't switch back to PC! I'm not a "techy" person but I found it very easy to use! I upload my pictures so easy to Kodak Gallery (there's a special program you can use as an express upload for mac users). I also have a Flip video recorder to take videos of my kids. I can burn the movie clips to DVDs and make a movie out of it. There's a bit to get used to (there's no right click button - my biggest challenge) but it's so worth it! And they look cute too...good luck!

C.

We have a MAC and my husband loves it for working his photography and such. Since I only use it for the same things you use a computer, and use a PC at work, I get frustrated at the MAC occasionally. Things work a different way on programs I use (Excel, Word...) and I keep forgetting. But I blame that on lack of use. My biggest complaint on the MAC is that alot of the children's computer programs are compatible for MAC's. If you don't need the design aspects, I would suggest a Dell PC. Dell is great on service and you can build exactly what you want in your computer on their website. It gives you a running tally of your total and you can save the computer setup, print it and take it to a store to see if you can get something similar to your wants in the same price range. Usually you can't, so you just order from their site and it ships straight to you - where you can choose to have someone install it for you if you don't want to deal with it! One other thing, if you prefer the Windows XP operating system, you need to buy soon (before the 19th of June) since they are phasing it out to be solely replaced by Vista (yuck!). Hope that helps and happy shopping!

I would say PC. They are much more versatile, more programs work with them, more off brand things do too, like mice and keyboards. And don't go with Vista, it is horrible, XP will do everything you need it to. You will have more options with a PC. I wouldn't buy one off Dell either, have one custom built by a computer nerd (like my husband!) You'll get more for your money.

Given your usage patterns, either a Mac or a PC would be fine.

Mac's are, in general, more stable. The hardware is better designed and even though you might see that a Mac has a lower speed rating than a PC, it will generally perform faster (because of the better design).

Some software is still designed for only a Mac or only a PC.

The other advantage to Mac is that the new ones can have the hard drive partitioned to handle both the Mac and PC operating systems so that all software can be used on the Mac.

Additionally, Apple provides one-on-one training for their customers. I'm not sure whether it comes with the PC purchase or if you pay extra for it. But the people I know who have taken advantage of the training speak very highly of it. And for the really hard technical questions, the Apple Geniuses (their really technical customer service people located at every Apple store) are great.

On the other hand, PC's are usually less expensive.

(P.S. I know that it must sound like I use a Mac but I actually use a PC. I've just been around the computer world long enough to know that these are the things the average user would really prefer. I think Apple has a leg up on the PC market when it comes to keeping their customers happy.)

Just got my Mac last week and LOVE it. I purchased it for my work at home but it will be a great asset to our family. I haven't gotten Windows up and running on it yet but so far I am so happy with my Mac. I used to be a Mac person and happy to be back. I think it is work the money. My daughter's (5 years old) school is also on Mac.

My transition is a little rough as there are differences in how they function but everything is just easier to do than on Windows. It is just about becoming familiar with all the capabilities. I went to Windows 6 years ago due to price but now I believe again that Mac is worth the price. I bet you start seeing that the special features aren't just about Art people.

I got mine at the Simply Mac store in C. Springs (almost as good as a Mac Store but didn't have to drive to Denver). They were very helpful.

Good luck.

K., I am not an artsy person, but I could not live without my mac and I will never go back to a pc!! Computer crashes a thing are a thing of the past. Compatibility is no problem. Speed, ease of use, intuitive programming. I can't say enough about them. The operating system works flawlessly. I am so frustrated whenever I sit down at someone else's computer and have to switch to "pc mode" because it is just not as easy. There will be a bit of a learning curve for you when you first switch, but it's fun and soon you'll get the hang of it and wonder why you ever waited to switch.

As a bonus, all the extra "specialty features" that you mentioned are really great. Like I said, I am not an artsy person (I absolutely HATE scrapbooking) but I have learned to use these features and now couldn't live without them. I make photo books with iPhoto instead of scrapbook. I make dvd's with all my home movies and still photos, and it is so much easier than on a pc. You will love all the easy ways of documenting your family's goings-on and preserving memories. I can even record my babies talking and make cds or import their sweet voices onto a video with no problem.

Go ahead. Make the switch. You won't regret it.

Once you go Mac you'll never go back. I've had the new Imac for about a year and I have had no problems with it. The learning curve takes about a day to figure out, and if you have someone with a mac that can show you where all the programs are, it will take about 10 minutes. Plus the apple support is great. If you have any questions, they answer the phone right away and are great help. I did buy all the specialty features, but the basic mac is so great I don't use any of them.

If you have a lot of photos, the photo program is awesome. So organized and easy to find. I think you have to adjust to everything being so easy and accessible after having a pc. I spent an hour the first week trying to figure out how to move a picture file, then I clicked on it and saw it drag. I couldn't believe all you had to do was drag it to where you wanted and it magically appeared.

I would buy the Microsoft word/excel/power point that they offer because you will have a lot easier time going back and forth with your other documents, and if someone e-mails you a word doc you won't be able to pull it up without it.

Happy shopping.

I just switched over to Mac in January and I am THRILLED and wondering why in the world I did not do this long ago! Seriously, there are NO cons, it is just so fun, user friendly, easy and enjoyable. They have thought of everything.

I bought a desktop and a new MAC Pro laptop from Simply Mac in Sandy and they gave me 52 private one-on-one hour long lessons for 99.00 ( to be used in a year).
Don't hesitate another day...run out and get one!! You will never regret it.

My husband is a computer guy. What he does exactly is classified, but he works with both Macs and PC's. He says that despite what is portrayed about Macs, they have as many problems as a PC. We have four (yes four) computers in our house, and none of them are Macs. My husband does not like them at all, and based on what you are saying you would use the computer for, he suggests getting a PC. I hope this helps you.

We own both a Mac and a PC. My husband uses his Mac a lot more than I do. From the information you posted it sounds like a PC would be fine. The main reason we bought our Mac was to do photos, DVD's, family movies and so on. If you are interested in the art process than a Mac is great but if you don't plan on doing anything in those categories I don't know if it would be worth the extra money and also the time. There are some differences from using the Mac compared to a PC. I will say that for the art categories the Mac is way easier to use and the quality is much better. It really is a personal decision. Good luck!

We have both. I use a Dell laptop for work every day, we have a Dell desktop as our home base PC (with wireless router, bluetooth, etc), and I bought DH a Mac laptop for his b-day 1 yr ago. I like them all.

The biggest issue I have with the Mac, is that there was/is a learning curve when you make the switch. Everything is a little bit different than a PC, and I have used PCs exclusively for over 10 yrs (I did own an Apple in college). I don't think I could ever switch full time to Mac unless my work made the switch too, because I would get too frustrated on a daily basis with the differences between the two.

However, if money were no object (Macs are quite a bit more expensive), and I was mainly just using a computer at home, and not switching from one type to another every day, I would buy a Mac. I think the Mac is a superior machine.

One of the biggest 'Pros' I can think of for buying a Mac, is that you don't have to worry about spyware and viruses nearly as much as with a PC - at least not yet, since most of them only affect PCs. Also, the battery life on my husband's Mac lasts for hours, whereas my Dell lasts about 1 1/2 hours. Drives me crazy.

The biggest 'con' I can think of is you won't find as much software for Mac - e.g. I've never found a good 'Cribbage' game for Mac. Obviously, not a deal breaker. ;)