Is it Easy getting into a Mac?

Thinking of a MBP 13 for a while now to use at uni. Liked it in terms of style of design, keypad size - and the battery seems good. My main concern is that I've been a windows user as long as I used computer.

Frequently switched laptop before but frankly done messing with windows, instead want something to keep - I'm sure since won't be doing much heavy work, the CPU would do nicely. The reason MBP 13 makes sense, is so I could carry it about too - I can't think of many thing I'd be missing, if I went with a Mac?

The switch be easy, right?

 

It's a somewhat subjective question, since you'll get radically different answers from a diverse lot.

I suppose you should first consider whether the applications you intend to use are available as a Mac App. If so, you would be in a very similar situation as I was when I decided to go with an OS X device.

I've had some prior experience with older Macs, but it didn't play much part in my acceptance. You'll pick it up easily, so that's not much of an issue.

The real pleasure comes from the "elegance" of the OS. There is no other word for it in my vocabulary. Is it perfect? No. Some find little things that really bug them. I find that you have to be rather anal retentive for any of it to rise to the surface to be a deciding factor.

The switch will be quite easy for most, IMHO.

 

If mac os got all the applications you need it will be easy, yes.
There are really not many "how do i do it on mac" questions that can arise.

If anything you can always install windows as secondary os. I do so for playing games else i wouldnt bother but gaming is just something that mac doesnt have yet unless you are fine with just blizzard games like wow and sc2.

 

I personally think that it is just easy a switching from using XP to using Windows 7

cheers ...

 

I made the switch (though I continue to use Winodws XP and 7) two months ago now and it was relatively easy. There are a few things that OS X does that are a little funky but the same can be said for Windows XP and 7. Both platforms have their quirks and neither are perfect. The only thing that kind of bugs me about OS X is the way it handles extra displays. I like having the keyboard shortcuts on Windows notebooks that allow me to extend my notebook's desktop to the second display, mirror my notebook's display, or just use the second display. OS X makes you go through the settings to do this (though I am sure there is some type of app or script that can be run allowing for keyboard shortcuts) and you can't use only an external display without first closing the lid on the MBP.

Is that a major fault making the purchase not worth it? I don't think so, it is more of an annoying feature and it just requires an additional few seconds to do the same thing as a keyboard shortcut in Windows. Then again, I think the way Windows handles external storage devices (ie USB hard drives/thumb drives) makes ejecting them take a few seconds longer than what OS X does.

 

It would, but in my opinion, a Macbook Air is a better Macbook Pro 13 for anything that isn't insanely CPU heavy. You get a much better screen, SSD standard, and lightweight which is perfect for mobility.

 

The switch isn't "hard" per se, but whether or not you will like it is highly subjective. For example, some people love the green zoom to fit button (back when it was fairly consistently used as that anyway), while others coming from Windows simply can't get used to not having a maximize button.

I suggest going to the Apple store and testing their display models thoroughly first.

 

Macs are easy to use if you follow their guidelines and have the money to dish out for them

 

I think it's pretty easy, especially nowadays as we do more within our browsers and not in individual applications.

Easiest way to find out? Borrow a friends machine, or use a mac in a lab if your school has one.

 

Personally I think that any young adult in 2011 can easily adopt any platform. We have iOS, Android 2.x and 3.x, Windows phone 7 OS, Blackberry, Netflix, Direct TV, Dish TV, Comcast, Windows 7, OSX, and so many more interfaces in today's world. Even TV remotes are as complicated as an operating system!!

 

I actually like my TV's remote. It's pretty simple.

I'll agree that for younger people it's easier to adapt to different interfaces and stuff though.

 

When I switched to from a PC to a Mac, I found the learning curve was fairly simple. Within a week or so, it was all natural to me.

The toughest thing to get used to was not having to run maintenance programs - Anti Virus, defragmenting, spyware, etc.

 

I just switch to Mac with a MacBook Pro for over a week
It was really seamless, as if I used it for years.
Seriously, I really don't think about going back to PC with all their driver troubles

 

Depends.

My wife used Windows most of her adult life, and 'switched' last year. Now she utterly loathes having to use Windows.

When I started messing/building computers back in the mid-90s, I progressed using Linux and Windows on an equal basis...so OS X was like a dream come true. Best of both worlds.

So I suppose it depends on how well a person is immersed in whichever platform they are familiar with, and how much they enjoy it.

 

Plus, OSX is just so much cheaper than the retail price of Windows when upgrading (unless you have some sort of discount--Microsoft's academic/corporate/developer/whatever discounts are really quite decent IMO).

 

Went to the store again - MBP 13 felt quite heavy in hand - and just didn't feel right somehow so came home without one.I played around with a Powerbook G3 before - so guess I'm not completely new to Mac.

The feeling of a system that simple to maintain sounds great. But it does cost, and I think part of me just don't want to loose the control windows give. Decision time.

This university term is almost ending - Might settle with an iPad, and take advantage of Mac back to School in Q3 if I haven't found something suitable then.

 

Did you happen to try holding an Air while you were at the store too? Maybe that would suit you better.

There's also the Samsung 9 if you don't feel like converting to OSX.

 

The only bad thing about that type of comparison is that Microsoft has released far fewer versions of Windows than Apple has of Mac OS X. I forget where I saw the chart but it detailed how it was actually more expensive, over a long period of time, to keep buying new OS X releases than it was to buy Windows XP, Vista, and now 7 (which have all been released over the period of ~10 years).

Not that I am disagreeing as an OS X "upgrade" disc costs less than a Windows upgrade disc (for the respective years each version was released) but OS X actually costs more in the really, really long run (10 years). Then again, Apple costing more than other Windows solutions is nothing new and I think I would rather have a major OS revision once every 2 years than have a major OS release every 5 years.

 

maybe it costs more.. but you also get a new version and new features instead of being stuck with XP for 6 years...

 

I'm not knocking you per say but why the heck do people recommend others to borrow someone's computer? Do you lend yours? I sure as heck don't lend mine. I barely allow anyone to use it in my presence. If the OP wants to get a grab on OS X then he should just play with one at the Apple store. Like you said, we do more in browsers anyway so it's not as if he needs to test out a bunch of specific apps. But even then, if he needs to test out certain apps, I can't imagine someone willing to lend out there Mac for testing out apps. Just my opinion.

 

I mean "borrow" in the sense of "hey that looks cool, mind if I try it out for a bit while I'm here..I might buy one" sense. Like if he were hanging out at his friend's place. Maybe you would say no, but I'd gladly let someone use my machine for a bit while I was hanging out with them.

The apple store environment is a good place to check them out, but nothing can beat a no pressure "test drive" of sorts. You can call Apple stores "no pressure" sure, but just the store setting in general is not really conducive to getting to know a product. It's much easier in a more casual, quieter, situation.

If he needed to test out apps, I'd probably tell him whether they worked or not with OS X. If I had em on the machine, I'd let him play with them for a bit.

Maybe I'm just naive but I like to think I can trust the relatively small circle of friends I have and I love helping out with tech questions.

 

I think I am still nervous about getting into terminal compared to command on the Win 7. I guess terminal can do a lot more than Command but still I felt at ease there with flush DNS etc.

 

You don't have to be stuck with it now, Microsoft has gotten back on its feet as far as cycles go as development work is already being done on Windows 8. Vista was a bomb (slow) but things have improved.

 

thats not what i said at all... I mean frequent updates can be better, even if it costs more. it was 6 (actually barely over 5 counting the months and not the year numbers) that XP was the main OS before Vista came out.

 

I would rather have a better researched and machine mated product like in the case of Windows 7, where Microsoft worked with computer manufacturers to design the software.

PS Apple also doesn't have to really care about multiple hardware manufacturers, though I do know of a friend who installed OS X on a windows laptop. I also think Mac users tend to be more generous with their spending as Macs alone cost quite a bit.

 

Um..wut?

To be fair, OS X is designed for Macs...they go together like PB & J. Made by the same company and Apple chooses the components and all that.

While Microsoft undoubtedly works very closely with PC makers, there's definitely a lot more varieties of hardware that Windows has to be coded for.

 

If you are surprised about OS X, then it can theoretically happen since Macs now use intel processors as well. I believe the notebook in question was an Asus.

I guess you might be wondering the DOS vs. UNIX question, but I guess it isn't really a question when you go down to the basics.

 

thats like 5 year old news... I doubt anyone is wondering.

 

Extremely easy. Got the MBP last month and I've got to say, OSX is more user-friendly than I ever imagined. Just buy the mac and use it for a while. Unless you've been living in a cave and haven't used a computer in your life, you'd get the hang of it easily enough.

 

Was I talking to you there?

 

And thanks very much for your stereotyping of what you think Mac user are. You couldn't be more wrong.

 

Considering no one can figure out what the hell you're talking about, I don't think it really matters who you were talking to, honestly.

Once you started comparing Unix to DOS it all became a trainwreck...

 

It is true as even a new research survey showed that correlation. Have you looked at the PC prices and compared to that of Macs? You can easily get a good MBP in PC terms under a $1000.

 

You are correct in stating that, in general, Apple computers are more expensive than other models offered by other companies. That being said, HP's Envy line are more expensive than other similarly equipped notebooks from Dell (and even HP's lower line), Alienware notebooks are more expensive when comparably speced with MacBook Pros, and so on. I do agree that Mac users tend to spend more money on their machines because they are in fact more expensive than most systems. I would also say the same thing about Alienware users and fans of the HP Envy line.

It also doesn't matter who you were talking to as your information regarding OS X being installed on non-Apple computers is relatively old. Someone was just stating the obvious. They might as well have said that the person in your profile picture is carrying a sword. Big deal.

 

pretty easy, yes!

 

OS X sucks. Forget about wanting to do customizations in the OS. Forget about turning off UAC. OS X will ask you for your password every single freakin time. At first I loved expose and spaces and wished there was a Windows version. Now, I realize it's not really that useful as I once thought, but it still has a cool factor.

Web browsing is all the same. Battery life is usually better, that is, until you use Flash. Then MacBook loses its advantage.

MS Office is different. File compatibility between platforms is okay.

Games aren't really a huge problem if you put Win 7 on a separate partition.

MacBook's single killer feature is the trackpad and is enough to make it worth it above all other inferior features. You must use "Better Touch Tool" to make your trackpad sing.

There's a good video on YouTube for getting started on a Mac, a guide for PC users. It's a dude doing a crazy rant for like 20 minutes, but gives you a good overview. It took me a month to really be able to get around in OS X. See my guides in the signature.

 

now now.. thats not just a sword.. thats the Sword of Truth!

 

You're missing the point.

 

Was I way off mark for the price discussion?

 

I am assuming that you were responding to me? If so you should use Quote rather than just making a separate post so I can know for sure. The reason I said you were missing the point is because you were stereotyping Mac users as being big spenders in general just because they buy Macs. I don't care what statistics you read on the internet that confirmed your generalization, it's simply ridiculous.
Firstly the top base configuration Macbook Pro is $2500. Big deal! Does that make me rich or a big spender or generous with my spending habits just because I buy the top Macbook? NO. How about those people who live a very basic life, not generous with spending habits and refuse to eat out because it costs too much, but then these same people will treat themselves to a Louis Vuitton hand bag or Gucci or a pair of expensive D&B sunglasses when any one of those things can be substituted with a much lower cost product that still looks good.
Just because Mac users are willing to spend good money on a Mac doesn't mean they have generous spending habits in general. People do save up you know? Also it's getting quite tiring that people say "Oh you have a Mac, you must be rich or something". Give me a break, since when does one have to be "rich" to own a $2000+ computer? People spend lots on cars, clothes, endless weekend partying and take expensive trips all the time. Doesn't make them rich or have generous spending habits.

That was my point in response to your generalization.

 

Sure, not everyone fits the same stereotype as all fingers are not equal, but what I was referring was recently correlated by a study that showed that generally mac users are high end spenders and are younger. I believe it might still be on CNN if you search for it.

PS I do understand your example of cases where people would buy D&B sunglasses or expensive hand bags, but you also have to remember that that is a one time purchase, unlike a mac where you have to buy software and the updates and other parts that do add up just like it would with a windows machine but those laptops have an added value of a lower baseline price.

 

I've been using OS X for about 2 weeks, having used Windows for years. I've found it, so far, quick, reliable and easy to use, and haven't experienced any teething problems. I hope it's the same for you.

 

I bought MBP about a month ago. I very much miss certain keys on the keypad (Page Up/Down, Back/Forward, Home/End) that I was used to use in Windows. I didnt realize how much I used them until they were gone. In fact, it didnt occur to me that Macs would not have them, as they are so integrated with how I use a keyboard. (I know there are ways to get that functionality through shortcuts on a Mac.)

That is my greatest problem with switching. Well, that and the completely flat keys. But they are illuminated, so I foregive them Trackpad gestures have taken care of most of the problem with the missing keys, but it is less elegant than having dedicated keys.

No problems when it comes to software though, which should be your main concern.

 

Haha, you do realize that "High End Spenders" and young people don't correlate unless they are spoiled brats that are given everything to them from their parents right?

I'm not checking out anything CNN said in regards to a "study". Why? Because I'm 45 years old and most of my friends are Mac users and they certainly aren't kids or big spenders. I've been on Mac for 15 years. I started out on 3 PC's that I paid over $3000 for. Back then that was the price of a PC so I'm used to spending that on a computer, doesn't make me a big spender though.

You said the D&B glasses and expensive handbags are a one-time purchase? Nice try. Just as you can call Mac users big spenders those same D&B customers will always find something more in that category to buy.

Try to drop the "Mac users are big spenders" mentality and realize that spending $2500 on a computer purchase is not a life savings purchase. I'm just using the $2500 figure because that's the top spec Macbook. The Macbook Air is only $999. Come on man, don't make a Mac purchase out to be something someone has spend a king's ransom for or mortgage their house.

Let me bring you into a different reality here since you're talking about having to buy software for the Mac that increases the overall price. Let's talk about the Xbox, Playstation and the Nintendo. Those are not necessarily "one time" purchases either. In fact you're paying about $400 for a gaming machine and many people who aren't rich have an enormous library of games that run about $60 a piece. After they finish the game or get bored with it they will spend yet another $60 for another game. Does that make them big spenders? Not to me because that's how they pay for their entertainment.

If Macs started at $5000-$10,000 I could see your point especially if you could get $500 PC that offered the same build quality, amazing screen quality, trackpad gestures, long battery life and software/hardware integration. Sadly you can't find that combination on any price of a PC today and many of the Elite series (business) PC notebooks cost more than the best Macbook and they offer less features.

Please use QUOTE if you plan on responding.

 

I started using a mac back in the Classic days then made the jump into OS X. It's a really easy OS to get into. As others have mentioned OSX and Windows both have their share of ups and downs but both do a solid job.

I prefer Linux these days, nice OS and it's free. Can't wait for Mint 11.

 

I second Mint.. its superb

 

I remember earlier last year around November I pulled the trigger and tried out an i7 macbook pro 15 inch. I was excited with it, and used it all the time. Then.... I found out that the file system FAT 32 wouldn't work well with my PC NTFS, and when I downloaded my large video files i couldn't play them anywhere else but on my MAC, I was devastated and then gave my macbook pro away to a cousin. And no I wasn't about to buy a special HDD or convert all of my HDD's to FAT 32.

 

I'm guessing they meant "Educated", young professionals; young probably meaning anyone below 40.

 

pretty broad definition of the word "young". the majority of the population is below 40, IIRC.

 

I will never pay anything close to 1K for a laptop. I view them as appliances these days. I recently purchased a Dell Vostro V13 that has an aluminum outer case with 4GB of ram for $339 from Dell.