Mac vs. PC?

TrevMcRev · 21st February 2008, 04:06 PM

Hey all out there with more 'puter skills than myself

I'm looking to upgrade both desktop & laptop.

Considering Apple products this time round, what ive learned so far sounds good.

What are others using?
Why?
Have you actual experience with Apple?
Would Apple users go back to PC?

Tree Machine · 21st February 2008, 05:31 PM

I have both Mac and PC in the house. I have sort of equal abilities in both.

They're not a lot different anymore, the PC world, when they went from DOS to Windows, basically brought the PC world into a Macintosh-like environment (icon-based, drag and drop interface).

The PC couldn't 'copy' the environment, but could mimic it enough to get past intellectual property issues, out of the DOS era, and into a more friendly user interface.

I still don't consider the PC interface as friendly. Helping my family members on their PC's I find myself thinking, "If it were a Mac, I'd just go blip, bleep, done."

I only do a few specific things on the computer, web surfing/forums where PC and Mac are about identical, but then there are the images, video, music and wireless. These areas the Mac is so much a better friend.

Macs, as yet, do not get viruses, or at least haven't as far as I know. Free downloadable software updates. Great spam filter also.

Macs now have intel processors. I don't know what that means, really.

Macbook Pro, mmmmmm

Ekka · 21st February 2008, 07:24 PM

I cant really say, I got PC with XP SP2, has it's dramas but what woman doesn't.

The only problem I think happens is programs, PC is pretty much everywhere and help/programs easy to find.

Why dont you be the test pilot?

Also, how do prices compare?

JohN Dee · 21st February 2008, 08:17 PM

Have you noticed that in the majority of movies nowa days that they use Apple/Mac for the computers? The display output is a whole heap better then what a pc monitor can do where you get them flicky lines... Plus for graphic design Mac wins hands down.

Although. I am a PC user... Maybe one day I'll actually try a Mac, but that will be when ive got 2k sitting there that I absolutely have no use for...

Anyways here are some "Educational videos" for you to watch :P.

YouTube - South Park Mac vs. PC

YouTube - SuperNews! - Gates vs. Jobs

TrevMcRev · 22nd February 2008, 02:25 AM

I'm thinking i'll try em.

20" imac and if i can stretch it, a macbook air.

They seem so user friendly, easier to find stuff on - its all visual.
And for music & video which i'd like to more with having just got a HDD vid cam it seems real good.

Everything is built in ready to go.

TrevMcRev · 22nd February 2008, 02:41 AM

Oh, prices for similar spec'd stuff seems comparable, they just dont have low end stuff, so not for price shoppers (we all hate them hey! Except when we are one!)

Brands like acer, dell compac are offering pc's and laptops from around $700 compared to $1700 for an apple. The others make dearer models too, but have some entry level products to reel you in, then try n hook ya with upgrades and software n more this n more that.

Tree Machine · 22nd February 2008, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrevMcRev

20" imac and if i can stretch it, a macbook air.

The air, in order to get the thing intensely slim, it has no drive or ports. They are stepping into the 100% wireless mode, though I don't think the rest of the world is fully there yet.

Personally, if I had a laptop, I want it to burn CDs, DVDs, I want to plug a fat hard drive into it for video work. If a laptop won't do what your desktop version will do, then you're a step backwards.

This Apple homepage features the Air, and lower down the screen, online tutorials for whatever floats your boat; mixing and producing your own music, editing and creating video, storing, organizing and editing images, making slideshows, web-videos, and then the whole Quicktime world which seems to grow larger by the day.

The Mac is a much more intuitive beast, you can futz and fiddle around and figure things out, context sensitive help and tutorials at your fingertips. All the programs interwork seamlessly with each other, music, video, web, pics, e-mail.
I added Photoshop Elements ($99) so I can create graphics and edit images for you guys, and another program for uploading video to a server. Everything else I needed came internal with the Mac. Everything is built in ready to go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ekka

The only problem I think happens is programs, PC is pretty much everywhere and help/programs easy to find.

That was the case in the early days, but really not anymore.

For those who've conquered the PC, I have a great deal of respect for you. It still eludes me to a great deal. That's probably more a problem with me then the PC.

wulkowicz · 22nd February 2008, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrevMcRev

Oh, prices for similar spec'd stuff seems comparable, they just dont have low end stuff, so not for price shoppers (we all hate them hey! Except when we are one!)

Brands like acer, dell compac are offering pc's and laptops from around $700 compared to $1700 for an apple. The others make dearer models too, but have some entry level products to reel you in, then try n hook ya with upgrades and software n more this n more that.

I bought one of the first macs in 1984 and stayed in the family until 2003. I finally bought a windoze machine because everything was windows whether or not I went along. I hated it and its successor machines with their anemic imitation of the mac operating system.

I recently purchased a mac mini for about $550 and rediscovered the simplicity and user-friendly design of the little beast. It is a bit bigger that a dvd and 2 inches high. Mine has 2G of ram and I just bought an external 500G hard drive that nests beneath the mini. ($130)

It starts and shuts down in a flash comparatively and is literally virus free.

I had to provide a screen, a keyboard and a mouse, but those came out of the debris pile for the pc's.

The amazing thing is that I can run both mac and windows programs simultaneously, switching back and forth without rebooting.

Here's a link to look at specs: Apple - Mac mini

bob w

Tree Machine · 22nd February 2008, 03:07 PM

Thanks, Bob. I forgot about the mini. I bought my Mom and Dad a mac mini.

It seemed every year to 18 months my Mom would destroy a PC and get a new one. That meant a number of keyboards and monitors taking up space.

Wulkowicz really points out the beauty of this economical unit; you can recycle part of yor PC scrap pile (we all have them) mac mini , is a concept where if you have the monitor and keyboard and mouse, the mini is just the processor and ports. It is in every other way a full-blown mac, no two ways about it, it has the Intel duo-core processor (for running Windows OR the Mac OS, even simultaneously), it has the superdrive (burns CDs and DVDs), you can fill it up with RAM like Wulkowicz did and it's smaller than an average textbook. It stows up on the shelf like a book, out of the way, even out of sight all together with just your keyboard and mouse USB'd to it.

For my Mom's I added Photoshop Elements. That's all. When I go visit I schlepp the external harddrive, I plug in and I've got an image library, all my video, Photoshop, and the internet--- all the things I need to stay in touch with you guys. $550. I couldn't resist. I make silly videos with the rellys, shoot them, edit them, burn them to DVD in one session, great fun.

It is so worth it, in my opinion. Frees up money to get the laptop you want

and you know

which laptop

you

want.....

TrevMcRev · 6th April 2008, 04:38 AM

So im here now on my new macbook i just picked up today

Seems good so far

Will let ya's know how it goes.

Aerial · 6th April 2008, 06:39 AM

I've used Macintosh computers since the very beginning. I still have My Mac Plus and it still runs!

I've got four of them currently running, doing useful things. I never seem to get rid of them, not that I can't sell them easily, as they do hold their value, but I tend to repurpose them to other tasks and just keep them.

I've also had a great deal of experience with Windows machines (most of it bad), but I currently still retain an IBM Thinkpad running Windows 2000 Pro, (one of the best Microsoft operating systems in my opinion). I also have a Panasonic Toughbook running Windows XP Pro.

My latest Macintosh is a Mini that I bought to make it the heart of my home entertainment center. The Mini excels at this. With a wireless keyboard and mouse I can control it from anywhere in the room.

I can also use my Powerbook to control the Mini remotely using "screen sharing" a new feature of the "Leopard" version of OSX. I basically allows you to put the destop from another Mac on your screen and control it just like if you were useing it directly.

Here this is helpful to me is when I am watching TV on my HDTV the Mini is connected to, I can still use it by having the screen display redirected to my laptop. Here is a shot of this system, the screen on the HDTV looks washed out a bit, but that is glare from the bad lighting currently in the room. The HDTV works great as the only monitor on the Mini. Note the my Powerbook has the Mini's desktop on it:

I'll be happy to answer any questions about the macintosh, a topic I do know something about, far more than I know about treework.

Aerial

Tree Machine · 6th April 2008, 10:36 AM

if you were used to right-clicking (PC) with your mouse, and now you don't have a mouse, that is now ctrl-click.

The apple key is speedkey for frequently done things, the most important of all, is reverse. Like when you do something and you just want to undo whatever you just did; apple-Z. Appl-X is cut, apple-C is copy, apple-V is paste.

One finger on the touchpad moves the cursor. Two fingers on the touchpad moves the page up and down.

That's pretty much all you'll need to know. I'm on a Macbook, but it's 4 years old, yours will be more elaborate, but the same operating system.

Do you have a video camera at the top of your screen?

Tree Machine · 6th April 2008, 10:37 AM

Are you phone line, ethernet, or wireless?

rich · 6th April 2008, 12:56 PM

ive got a apple max pro and have found it the best thing ever ,i know nothing about computers and find it so easy to work plus if am out and about i can pull up at most places and go live,i seen the max book air and its to dainty for a real man

Tree Machine · 6th April 2008, 01:45 PM

I hear you, Rich. I consider myself a cyber-weenie, don't really care how it all works, I just want it all to work together; images, music, video, e-mail and internet, easily and intuitively.

And Mac does.

I'm with Rich, also, the at the Mac Air is too dainty for manly men such as are we Arborists.

I bought this macbook I'm on for wifey, and I use it 90% of the time here at home because I don't need to go to the basement to say hi to you guys (and gals). It goes on vacation sometimes, too. Wireless is a real luxury, I am grateful for it,

and greatfiul to just live in a time when technology is so powerful and so available and so affordable. Portable supercomputers for around $2,000, coupled with your internet subsciption and you are on the cutting edge of computer power and ability. Just amazing.

Aerial · 6th April 2008, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tree Machine

... the Mac Air is too dainty for manly men such as are we Arborists...I bought this macbook I'm on for wifey,.. Wireless is a real luxury, I am grateful for it... and greatfiul to just live in a time when technology is so powerful and so available and so affordable...

The Air is as specialized as an M200T, not really the best all around computer, but really great at what it does best. They feel surprisingly solid for as incredably thin and light as they are.

I also got my wife an Intel powered Macbook and she loves it. I'm a little jealous because it's about twice as fast as the G4 Powerbook I'm typing this on.

We use the laptops to surf from wherever we are in the house, she uses hers in the kitchen and dining room alot, I use mine from the couch or my easy chair. You can see in the photo I posted the tripod I have it mounted on, that makes it easy to move to wherever I'm sitting.

Aerial

wulkowicz · 6th April 2008, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tree Machine

Thanks, Bob. I forgot about the mini. I bought my Mom and Dad a mac mini.

It seemed every year to 18 months my Mom would destroy a PC and get a new one. That meant a number of keyboards and monitors taking up space.

Wulkowicz really points out the beauty of this economical unit; you can recycle part of yor PC scrap pile (we all have them) mac mini , is a concept where if you have the monitor and keyboard and mouse, the mini is just the processor and ports. It is in every other way a full-blown mac, no two ways about it, it has the Intel duo-core processor (for running Windows OR the Mac OS, even simultaneously), it has the superdrive (burns CDs and DVDs), you can fill it up with RAM like Wulkowicz did and it's smaller than an average textbook. It stows up on the shelf like a book, out of the way, even out of sight all together with just your keyboard and mouse USB'd to it.

For my Mom's I added Photoshop Elements. That's all. When I go visit I schlepp the external harddrive, I plug in and I've got an image library, all my video, Photoshop, and the internet--- all the things I need to stay in touch with you guys. $550. I couldn't resist. I make silly videos with the rellys, shoot them, edit them, burn them to DVD in one session, great fun.

It is so worth it, in my opinion. Frees up money to get the laptop you want

and you know

which laptop

you

want.....

I also purchased an Iomega Minimax which has 500G and a cost of $159. On the backplate, it also give me 3 more USB and 3 more firewires..not bad for something the size of a ham sandwich. Oh yeah, and a stereo doofus.

21st February 2008, 04:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
TrevMcRev Astronaut Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Posts: 672	Mac vs. PC? Hey all out there with more 'puter skills than myself I'm looking to upgrade both desktop & laptop. Considering Apple products this time round, what ive learned so far sounds good. What are others using? Why? Have you actual experience with Apple? Would Apple users go back to PC? __________________ Melbourne Arborist, Total Tree Care, Pruning, Tree and Stump Removal

21st February 2008, 05:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tree Machine Astronaut Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 567	Re: Mac vs. PC? I have both Mac and PC in the house. I have sort of equal abilities in both. They're not a lot different anymore, the PC world, when they went from DOS to Windows, basically brought the PC world into a Macintosh-like environment (icon-based, drag and drop interface). The PC couldn't 'copy' the environment, but could mimic it enough to get past intellectual property issues, out of the DOS era, and into a more friendly user interface. I still don't consider the PC interface as friendly. Helping my family members on their PC's I find myself thinking, "If it were a Mac, I'd just go blip, bleep, done." I only do a few specific things on the computer, web surfing/forums where PC and Mac are about identical, but then there are the images, video, music and wireless. These areas the Mac is so much a better friend. Macs, as yet, do not get viruses, or at least haven't as far as I know. Free downloadable software updates. Great spam filter also. Macs now have intel processors. I don't know what that means, really. Macbook Pro, mmmmmm

21st February 2008, 07:24 PM	#3 (permalink)
Ekka Eric Frei Administrator - Brisbane L5 (Dip) Hort Cert III Arb + some Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 5,673	Re: Mac vs. PC? I cant really say, I got PC with XP SP2, has it's dramas but what woman doesn't. The only problem I think happens is programs, PC is pretty much everywhere and help/programs easy to find. Why dont you be the test pilot? Also, how do prices compare? __________________ Remember to use the "search" function, if you have answers/questions post them so everyone can benefit. Free Tree and Green Industry Link Directory Qualified Brisbane Tree Lopping Brisbane Tree Care, Consultations and Arborist Reports Forum Sponsors

21st February 2008, 08:17 PM	#4 (permalink)
JohN Dee Astronaut Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 679	Re: Mac vs. PC? Have you noticed that in the majority of movies nowa days that they use Apple/Mac for the computers? The display output is a whole heap better then what a pc monitor can do where you get them flicky lines... Plus for graphic design Mac wins hands down. Although. I am a PC user... Maybe one day I'll actually try a Mac, but that will be when ive got 2k sitting there that I absolutely have no use for... Anyways here are some "Educational videos" for you to watch :P. YouTube - South Park Mac vs. PC YouTube - SuperNews! - Gates vs. Jobs __________________ Climber with slow climbing speed, must make up with mighty chainsaw roar. Free Tree and Green Industry Link Directory Red : Green : Blue

22nd February 2008, 02:25 AM	#5 (permalink)
TrevMcRev Astronaut Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Posts: 672	Re: Mac vs. PC? I'm thinking i'll try em. 20" imac and if i can stretch it, a macbook air. They seem so user friendly, easier to find stuff on - its all visual. And for music & video which i'd like to more with having just got a HDD vid cam it seems real good. Everything is built in ready to go. __________________ Melbourne Arborist, Total Tree Care, Pruning, Tree and Stump Removal

22nd February 2008, 02:41 AM	#6 (permalink)
TrevMcRev Astronaut Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Posts: 672	Re: Mac vs. PC? Oh, prices for similar spec'd stuff seems comparable, they just dont have low end stuff, so not for price shoppers (we all hate them hey! Except when we are one!) Brands like acer, dell compac are offering pc's and laptops from around $700 compared to $1700 for an apple. The others make dearer models too, but have some entry level products to reel you in, then try n hook ya with upgrades and software n more this n more that. __________________ Melbourne Arborist, Total Tree Care, Pruning, Tree and Stump Removal

6th April 2008, 04:38 AM	#10 (permalink)
TrevMcRev Astronaut Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Posts: 672	Re: Mac vs. PC? So im here now on my new macbook i just picked up today Seems good so far Will let ya's know how it goes. __________________ Melbourne Arborist, Total Tree Care, Pruning, Tree and Stump Removal

6th April 2008, 06:39 AM	#11 (permalink)
Aerial Fly'n Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 184	Re: Mac Mini I've used Macintosh computers since the very beginning. I still have My Mac Plus and it still runs! I've got four of them currently running, doing useful things. I never seem to get rid of them, not that I can't sell them easily, as they do hold their value, but I tend to repurpose them to other tasks and just keep them. I've also had a great deal of experience with Windows machines (most of it bad), but I currently still retain an IBM Thinkpad running Windows 2000 Pro, (one of the best Microsoft operating systems in my opinion). I also have a Panasonic Toughbook running Windows XP Pro. My latest Macintosh is a Mini that I bought to make it the heart of my home entertainment center. The Mini excels at this. With a wireless keyboard and mouse I can control it from anywhere in the room. I can also use my Powerbook to control the Mini remotely using "screen sharing" a new feature of the "Leopard" version of OSX. I basically allows you to put the destop from another Mac on your screen and control it just like if you were useing it directly. Here this is helpful to me is when I am watching TV on my HDTV the Mini is connected to, I can still use it by having the screen display redirected to my laptop. Here is a shot of this system, the screen on the HDTV looks washed out a bit, but that is glare from the bad lighting currently in the room. The HDTV works great as the only monitor on the Mini. Note the my Powerbook has the Mini's desktop on it: I'll be happy to answer any questions about the macintosh, a topic I do know something about, far more than I know about treework. Aerial

6th April 2008, 10:36 AM	#12 (permalink)
Tree Machine Astronaut Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 567	if you were used to right-clicking (PC) with your mouse, and now you don't have a mouse, that is now ctrl-click. The apple key is speedkey for frequently done things, the most important of all, is reverse. Like when you do something and you just want to undo whatever you just did; apple-Z. Appl-X is cut, apple-C is copy, apple-V is paste. One finger on the touchpad moves the cursor. Two fingers on the touchpad moves the page up and down. That's pretty much all you'll need to know. I'm on a Macbook, but it's 4 years old, yours will be more elaborate, but the same operating system. Do you have a video camera at the top of your screen?

6th April 2008, 10:37 AM	#13 (permalink)
Tree Machine Astronaut Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 567	Are you phone line, ethernet, or wireless?

6th April 2008, 12:56 PM	#14 (permalink)
rich Gettin' motoring Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: chester Posts: 10	Re: Mac vs. PC? ive got a apple max pro and have found it the best thing ever ,i know nothing about computers and find it so easy to work plus if am out and about i can pull up at most places and go live,i seen the max book air and its to dainty for a real man

6th April 2008, 01:45 PM	#15 (permalink)
Tree Machine Astronaut Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 567	I hear you, Rich. I consider myself a cyber-weenie, don't really care how it all works, I just want it all to work together; images, music, video, e-mail and internet, easily and intuitively. And Mac does. I'm with Rich, also, the at the Mac Air is too dainty for manly men such as are we Arborists. I bought this macbook I'm on for wifey, and I use it 90% of the time here at home because I don't need to go to the basement to say hi to you guys (and gals). It goes on vacation sometimes, too. Wireless is a real luxury, I am grateful for it, and greatfiul to just live in a time when technology is so powerful and so available and so affordable. Portable supercomputers for around $2,000, coupled with your internet subsciption and you are on the cutting edge of computer power and ability. Just amazing.