How many Mac users here?

[AUIIXR8_Tas]

I'm just about due for a new computer and have been considering giving Windows the **** for a long, long time now. I'm getting one of these with my tax return:

Best thing about these is the new Intel processors and how they allow you to install both MacOS and XP and have a choice at startup of what OS you would like to run. At first, I thought running XP on a Mac totally defeated the purpose of buying a Mac in the first place but I guess there are some applications you might want to use that are only available on Windows, so it could be kind of handy. Another reason to love the iMac is that it takes up nearly as much desktop space as a notebook and you don't have the 'orrible case sitting on the floor making noise.

So, are there any AFF users here that own/use an Apple computer? If so, how did you find the transition from Windows to MacOS?

Cheers,

Marcus.

[csv8]

I would stick with Windows because you have a much bigger choice of software and at a cheaper price than MAC. BUT if you can afford a MAC and don't mind limited software. Go for it. MAC is better but I stick with Windows for the reasons mentioned. At the end of the year VISTA will be out and MAC will be in trouble. I have XP and found XP very reliable.

[AUIIXR8_Tas]

I can run both MacOS and XP on this machine so I'm not going to have trouble with compatibility issues, etc. MacOSX Leopard is out soon too so I'm keen to see what thats like. Haven't heard too much about this new Windows dealie but I'm guessing it will be as tedious as everything else they have released. I've had nothing but trouble with my last few Windows-based machines. Probably due to the fact they have Hewlett-Packard written on the front of them. ;)

[YuGoStaR]

Hewlett Packard aren't the best thing on the market, so there you go.
I personally don't like the MacOS, but it's just because I'm so used to Windows.
If you are really after reliability you should get the Linux OS and use that.

[AUIIXR8_Tas]

I've heard good things about Linux. It is free download, yeah?

[S3SR]

ok firstly...mac doesnt support everything and im guessing at one stage you would like to use something that it dont support
your fed up with windows and its lack or everything WHO ISNT even after many, many years and billions of $$
yes linux is free but which one, theres heaps and some are few gigs to 10's of gigs

but question is what is it used for?....will you get 64bit?.....will you play games and use advanced software such as autocad, solid works, etc and how good is your IT knowledge

thats basically why windows has the monopoly, my suggestion is get the PC made or buy something you trust....either way its like a car you buy what you can afford and each computer has its benefits and well downsides

if you'd like some examples of PC's that are good enough id be more than happy to point some out...wont be biased opinions either

dont hold your breath for vista...could be delayed a while or as faulty as a computer made of cheese


FalconSR

[kinggee]

I've been a Mac user for 10years now and haven't had any real problems (fluke?). Having said that, I've only had 3 computers! First was a 33Mhz 68k Mac running OS 7.5.5 (1996), second is a G4 350Mhz with OS 9.1 (2000), and Now have a Dual G5 2.0Ghz (2004). I will be getting a Macbook Pro at the next revision (two years ahead of schedule it seems!).

I'm not really a hardcore gamer (have xbox anyway), but I will admit it is frustrating not to be able to pick up any game in the store and be able to buy it. When I get the Macbook Pro I will also be buying windows for some gaming (mostly for R/C plane simulator), and also for other misc programs, but I reckon I will be spending most of my time in OS X.

I use Windows at work and at my parents so I don't think I'm competely biased. Only just a little.

I do some fooling around with video and DVD's using both software that came with the computer and some I have bought since. The included software now has the features of the software I bought 2 years ago. The iMac comes with the iLife suite which has iTunes, iDVD, iMovie HD, iPhoto, iWeb and Garageband.

Microsoft have an OS X version of Word et al available (if you don't own a copy you can use with Boot Camp) or I use a version of Openoffice for Mac. There is some very good Mac only software out there, but as I mentioned, there is some Windows stuff I wish I had.

Buying a Mac, the hardware AND software is selected by Apple, so they have control over what is in the macing when you buy it. Only OEM hardware issues I've had was graphics card fan stuffed up in 2000 on G4. Still using the G4 today with OS 10.4.7. They are stingy with RAM though, so get some more straight away, or look for a deal that doubles your standard RAM (some online stores sometimes have this deal).

Go into an Applestore nearby and have a play on the demo machines. If you want freedom for gaming, rebooting into XP on a Mac or buying a PC may do. For general use that doesn't rewuire specialsed software though, I would say get a Mac.

Okay, I am biased. Sorry about the lengthy reply. no-one usually listens to me anyway.

Check out appletalk.com.au for some more brainwashing.

[AUIIXR8_Tas]

Cool, thanks mate.

I'm not a PC gamer so that won't worry me too much. I'm mainly into audio & video and I want a DVD burner and the iMacs with the Superdrive really impressed me. I think I'll go for it and like we both said, you can always boot into windows if you really want/need to use it bad enough.

I'll check out that website you mentioned, too.

[Paxton]

I am, and always have been.

At the moment, I use a PowerMac G5, Dual 2.0 Ghz (Same as Kingee, however I bought mine in December 2003), and a PowerBook G4 (which is about to be replaced by a MacBook Pro). Previously, I had a PowerMac G4, PowerMac G3, and an iMac G3. Those computers still work, and are being used by various family members.

The one downside to using a Mac, is that people are idiots. I bought my wireless router for my PowerBook. Its a Netgear, and I am happy with it. The moron at Hardly Normals, when questioned about Mac compatibility, told me that it wouldn't work on a Macintosh, for the sole reason that the Internet doesn't work on a Mac.

AUIIXR8_Tas, get a Mac Mini. They are a great 'feeler' computer, and as a bonus, they are BYOKDM (BYO Keyboard, Display and Mouse). For $949, they are at price that enables you to 'feel' the Mac, and, if you don't like it, you won't feel the squeeze, and if you do like it, you can move up in a year or two.

The CoreDuo chip in the Mac Mini, and the iMac are chip compatible with the Core2Duo Yonah Chip, so you can upgrade your computer straight out of the box.

If you have any more questions, try AppleTalk Australia. Good luck, the Macintosh will feel weird to you, however once you get it, you will find Windows clunky and outdated.

CSV8, a MAC is a Media Access Control, not a Macintosh, which is spelt Mac.

[M14A-Mclaren]

I have a Mac OSX 10.2.8, really need to upgrade to a newer version. When is Leopard out? how much does the upgrade cost?

[flappist]

There are many Apple Mac users about but they have, probably a bit unfairly, been tarred with the "weirdo" brush.

This is actually Apples fault. Macs (and Lisas before them) were marketed under a premise of "If you are too busy to have to learn how to operate a computer then use MacIntosh, the world's easiest to operate computer".

This had a similar effect to the Volvo "world's safest car" campaign.

A large quantity of people who were basicly just incapable of understanding any aspect of computer operation rushed our and bought Macs. This led to the perception that every time you tripped across a Mac user, he/she was hopeless. Note: Not all Mac users are hopeless but many, many are....

Depending on your required use for your computer, Mac, Windows, Linux, Solaris, BSD or whatever will suit you.
I have four workstations and seven servers in my cluster at the salt mine, one XP, one 2003SB, one 2003AS and the rest are RedHat Enterprise 4. I hate windows with a passion but require it for support, compatability and research purposes. Almost all actual diagnostic and forensic work is done on the Linux boxes.
I have now pensioned off my SCO Unix and Solaris boxes as they are no longer relevent and if I had to support Mac I would install one.

Go with whatever makes you happy and does the job that you require. Remember Mac, like Linux as almost virus proof and almost all virus are written to take advantage of flaws in the operating system and as by nature man is a lazy animal the operating system with the most flaws that are easiest to exploit is the target...

P.S. 1000th post...... Am I now officially a post whore?

[Lagom]

Originally Posted by flappist

There are many Apple Mac users about but they have, probably a bit unfairly, been tarred with the "weirdo" brush.

This is actually Apples fault. Macs (and Lisas before them) were marketed under a premise of "If you are too busy to have to learn how to operate a computer then use MacIntosh, the world's easiest to operate computer".

This had a similar effect to the Volvo "world's safest car" campaign.

Funny thing is that there a lot of Volvo drivers that use Macs (higher than average from what I've seen). I'd guess that the percentage of Ford drivers using Macs is probably lower than average, so bear that in mind with the comments here.

I've been using a Powerbook G4 for two years, work with both PC and Mac, I'm happy using a Mac. I don't really play that many games, so that's not an issue for me.

Stability and security on the Mac are two noteworthy advantages. As Macs become more commonplace, they'll start to be targeted more by dodgy folk though.

They're not perfect, but they do have a lot of good features (eg. love Expose which allows you to fit all your application windows on the screen and swap between them easily - much more impressive when you're using it), which for me outweigh any disadvantages.

Sure the opportunities to 'mod' Macs are more limited than PCs, but who cares really (especially if you're not a gamer). At the end of the day, there are stability and compatibility advantages when the manufacturer both designs the hardware and software for the system.

[kinggee]

If you are loking at doing audio/video work, you 'may' be better off with an iMac over a Mac mini. The Mac mini has integrate graphics ("integrated Intel GMA950 graphics processor with 64MB of shared DDR2 SDRAM") and the iMac has a separate graphics card (ATI Radeon X1600 graphics with 128MB GDDR3 memory). The iMac will cost more as mentioned earlier, but you will get more storage out-of-the-box, and much better graphics.

Check out http://www.macworld.com/2006/03/revi...mini/index.php
and http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/macmini.ars
for Mac mini reviews.

and http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardw...ac-coreduo.ars
for iMac.

[Livin'InThe70's]

Yep. :

[Paxton]

Originally Posted by M14A-Mclaren

I have a Mac OSX 10.2.8, really need to upgrade to a newer version. When is Leopard out? how much does the upgrade cost?

Never used Jaguar. My first feel of OSX was with Panther.

Leopard will be out in our Summer, some time before Vista. Upgrade costs A$195.

[Joes_meat]

I suggest you install Ubuntu linux (or Xubuntu if it's a very old machine) on your old computer before buying a new one.

You may find that the added speed from running Linux means you don't need to buy a new computer.

Both versions of Ubuntu are available free to download from the Ubuntu website. I've been running Ubuntu on the laptop for a few months now and have had no problems. Very glad to get rid of Windows XP.

[thefargo]

mac user 10.4.7 using a G5, also have a G4, a performa and my original mac plus. runs everything I need, and I don't have compatability problems (or virus issues either... say that if you are runnibg ibm clone!)
my wife uses a windows machine and has many more problems than I do.

[M14A-Mclaren]

I don't use Mac that often but don't mind it, mainly my old man uses it. What is a good email client? Entourage crapped out, I put Thunderbird on but he didn't like that, now he is using Mail, personally think that is a crap program, V2 might be better but v1.2 sucks. Any suggestions?

[BPXR6T]

I work from home sometimes and .NET/BizTalk Server put food on the table so Win2003 server for me it is. I am however getting a Mac to fool around with, why not. I haven't used one for about eight years so it might be fun...

[Livin'InThe70's]

Originally Posted by M14A-Mclaren

I don't use Mac that often but don't mind it, mainly my old man uses it. What is a good email client? Entourage crapped out, I put Thunderbird on but he didn't like that, now he is using Mail, personally think that is a crap program, V2 might be better but v1.2 sucks. Any suggestions?

I use 2.0.5. I find it much easier than Outlook Express......

[Paxton]

Originally Posted by M14A-Mclaren

I don't use Mac that often but don't mind it, mainly my old man uses it. What is a good email client? Entourage crapped out, I put Thunderbird on but he didn't like that, now he is using Mail, personally think that is a crap program, V2 might be better but v1.2 sucks. Any suggestions?

I use Entourage, as I too hate Apple Mail, even in Tiger form.

Your best bet is to search for

[code]com.microsoft.Entourage.plist[/code]

and

[code]com.microsoft.Entourage.prefs.plist[/code]

Send them both to Trash, open Entourage, and try again. Those two files are Preference files, and the deletion of them, with the repairing of permissions, should do the trick.

TheFargo, I 'broke' the Wife's Hewlett Packard, and told her to learn Mac, or there would be a computer shortage in the house, as I refused to get another PC. It worked too, as that was eighteen months ago.

Livininthe70's, Outlook Express is a PC only piece of software, and has been since OSX. I have no doubts that Mail V2 would be easier to use compared with an OS9 piece of software (that I used, but hated). Once you learn Entourage, you won't go back to Mail.

[M14A-Mclaren]

Cheers Paxton, might try to get a new version of Entourage current version is 10.1.1, most recent is 11.2.4. Do you know if that will run on OSX 10.2?

[Livin'InThe70's]

Originally Posted by Paxton

I
Livininthe70's, Outlook Express is a PC only piece of software, and has been since OSX. I have no doubts that Mail V2 would be easier to use compared with an OS9 piece of software (that I used, but hated). Once you learn Entourage, you won't go back to Mail.

Yeah, but it still came bundled with the machine; just had to open it in classic....

Me=die hard mac. From my little Mac Plus, to an LC (!!!), umm, a Performa, and now some "white thing". Heaps of others along the way. Both my daughters have macs as well. The ex struggles with her IBM.

I might look into entourage (maybe), but I love this version of Mail.

Oh yeah, I use Safari too.


Will

[Paxton]

Originally Posted by M14A-Mclaren

Cheers Paxton, might try to get a new version of Entourage current version is 10.1.1, most recent is 11.2.4. Do you know if that will run on OSX 10.2?

Office 2004 supports 10.2.8, presuming you have more than 256 Megs of ram.

Livin'InThe70's, my first Apple was a IIe, then an LC575. I have been there for the long haul also.

[Livin'InThe70's]

Originally Posted by Paxton

Livin'InThe70's, my first Apple was a IIe, then an LC575. I have been there for the long haul also.

Good to see. There aren't many "die-hards" left....

:(

[tbearz]

I lost respect for mac users when one told me that his Mac could beat anything windows 95,97 or 98 could offer (then again this was grade 6)

[Paxton]

Originally Posted by tbearz

I lost respect for mac users when one told me that his Mac could beat anything windows 95,97 or 98 could offer (then again this was grade 6)

This was how long ago?

The Classic OS's were mediocre to put it best. OS9 was the better one, however with OSX, Macs have the ability - no Viruses, No Spyware, Security, Ease of use. I'm not getting into a Flame war (I've just seen Rose Tyler and the Doctor separate forever) but until Vista is released, Tiger is the superior OS compared with XP.

[Lagom]

For me the thing is, most Mac users are fairly well acquainted with current PCs (e.g. at work), whereas the reverse is generally untrue.

So we can speak about both from a current, up to date perspective

[jim1606]

Macs are really up and coming so i say move to a mac computer, although the mac you have posted a pic of i use at college and just dont let them get too hot because they crash but other then that i think you will/do really like it!

[Paris Hilton]

Yup, I currently own a 800mhz G3 iBook, a Dual 867Mhz MDD G4 PowerMac (my main, using it right now) and a 1.25Ghz G4 Mini.