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Has anyone gone from a Windows 7 machine to an Apple and thought OMG...

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RavenSEAL said:
What are you smoking?
Click to expand...

I'm on a windows machine right now, go home and open up my macbook while playing Sc2 on my PC.



So let me hear your first hand experience on how a PC is superior to the MacBook for everyday tasks not including gaming


And to answer your question, only the best.
 
I almost forgot about that too. Exposé makes the mobile experience better when you're actually able to fluidly multi-task. When you don't have multiple monitors it really makes things much easier.

I think the Apple laptop experience is really very good. Give it a try and if you don't like it you can always sell it and get most of your money back.

Apples wake up nearly instantly from sleep, too.
 
allthatisman said:
I am thinking about ditching my desktop PC for something of the mobile variety. I have a 3GS IPhone, and ever since the first IPhone, I have been sold on them. I am wondering if I would feel the same way about a MacBook Pro... ? I rarely game that much anymore, I really only play a bit of SC2 and TF2, both of which can be played easily on an Apple(I think). I'm just wondering if the Apple tax is worth it or not...

Anand seems to be pretty sold on them...
Click to expand...

I like OSX for most usage. Windows 7 is pretty dang nice though, and better for games. Now that I have Steam for Mac it's okay. OSX is nice because it's low maintenance - you don't have to run antivirus, a separate firewall, spyware cleaner, etc. Chrome + Adthwart and you're good. And maybe Little Snitch (custom blocker firewall similar to ZoneAlarm).

I would definitely recommend plugging a Sandforce-1200 SSD into whatever machine you buy - speeds up the system across the board. Also, if you get a Macbook Pro, buy 8 gigs of RAM for it (aftermarket). OSX benefits from more RAM more than anything. G.Skill has a good kit for $150 (Apple charges $400):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231297

Contrary to what they'd have you believe, the metal unibodys ding and scratch like anything else. The cheapo $999 white plastic Macbook is far more durable, although more scratch-prone. The metal dents though, and it's hard to get dings out! I'd highly recommend getting a plastic shell for the exterior. They are expensive (usually $30 - $50) but they protect the case from dents & scratches, which is important because Macbooks have great resale value, especially shiny ones 😉

http://www.speckproducts.com/macbooks.html
 
Kaido said:
I like OSX for most usage. Windows 7 is pretty dang nice though, and better for games. Now that I have Steam for Mac it's okay. OSX is nice because it's low maintenance - you don't have to run antivirus, a separate firewall, spyware cleaner, etc. Chrome + Adthwart and you're good. And maybe Little Snitch (custom blocker firewall similar to ZoneAlarm).

I would definitely recommend plugging a Sandforce-1200 SSD into whatever machine you buy - speeds up the system across the board. Also, if you get a Macbook Pro, buy 8 gigs of RAM for it (aftermarket). OSX benefits from more RAM more than anything. G.Skill has a good kit for $150 (Apple charges $400):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231297

Contrary to what they'd have you believe, the metal unibodys ding and scratch like anything else. The cheapo $999 white plastic Macbook is far more durable, although more scratch-prone. The metal dents though, and it's hard to get dings out! I'd highly recommend getting a plastic shell for the exterior. They are expensive (usually $30 - $50) but they protect the case from dents & scratches, which is important because Macbooks have great resale value, especially shiny ones 😉

http://www.speckproducts.com/macbooks.html
Click to expand...

I bought a Satin case around 8 months ago, recently took it off to clean up the dust and the macbook pro is still in perfect condition. A little investment that'll pay off when you want to sell it.
 
allthatisman said:
Has anyone gone from a Windows 7 machine to an Apple and thought OMG...
Click to expand...

Also, in reply to the topic question - I bought a G4 Cube a couple years ago off eBay just because I was bored with PC's and wanted to try something new, and being a huge fan of industrial design, I picked up the Cube. It was slow as mud (450mhz), but I fell in love with the system immediately. I was a Linux guy for awhile but got really tired of the CLI stuff, and really appreciated the shiny GUI that Mac had to offer. Plus you can dig into Terminal under the hood and there's all kinds of *nix ports available if you're into that kind of stuff.

It was a big enough change that eventually I bought a Mac Mini for myself and later an iMac for my wife, then went through a couple Macbooks over the years. Eventually I started building Hackintoshes because I wanted more power on the cheap. I am a big fan of the system - it really just gets out of your way and lets you do your thing.

I use VMware for Windows when I need to pop in and use Windows applications, mainly Office (I despise Office for Mac). The only downside is that you can't play newer 3D games in a virtual machine because it uses an emulated video card, instead of being mapped to your actual video card - so all CAD stuff and heavy-duty gaming is out. They have AutoCAD out for Mac, but there's no CATIA, NX, etc. so if you want to use that type of stuff you still need a Windows PC (you can dual-boot if you want to, which is nice).

Overall I've been into Macs for maybe 4-5 years now and really enjoy them. They are expensive, but they are very nice. With an SSD, it's just like using an iPhone or iPod Touch - everything pops open instantly. Lots of fun apps, lets you dual-boot Windows, or use Windows in a virtual machine. I really like it. Ignore the haters; some people like Windows and others are into Linux, and it's no big deal - whatever floats your boat. If you want a low-maintenance machine that works pretty well, Macs are pretty nice imo.
 
Work got me a 12 core Mac Pro and i7 MBP about a 2 months ago and I've been very pleased with them. I use Final Cut Studio and Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection and both machines are real workhorses.

The trackpad on the MBP is awesome. It's MUCH better than any trackpad I've used on a PC or Laptop.

All of that said, OS X is SOOOOOO not ready for the corporate environment. The way it handles (or doesn't in a lot of cases) simple task is downright frustrating. Netowrked drives, no address bar in finder (making it a pain in the ass to grab a simple file path), no version of ctrl+alt+delete or simple way to lock/log back in to a machine. I could go on, but for being such a "simple" to use OS, they are missing so many user friendly features that make your workflow simple and quick.

So while I really like the OS and love the build of the machines, they are far from perfect like a lot of people make them out to be. I still use windows at home and on a Dell laptop at work and miss things when I'm using the macs.
 
LikeLinus said:
All of that said, OS X is SOOOOOO not ready for the corporate environment. The way it handles (or doesn't in a lot of cases) simple task is downright frustrating. Netowrked drives, no address bar in finder (making it a pain in the ass to grab a simple file path), no version of ctrl+alt+delete or simple way to lock/log back in to a machine. I could go on, but for being such a "simple" to use OS, they are missing so many user friendly features that make your workflow simple and quick.
Click to expand...

@RavenSeal

this is why IMHO windows = work
 
One of the higher ups has a mac and sometimes asks if I can him. I don't even do desktop support anymore but you can't tell someone up the ladder to google that sht. So I mess with it and I actually like it but every other minute I keep asking myself why this POS 3k machine doesn't even have a right click.
 
holden j caufield said:
So I mess with it and I actually like it but every other minute I keep asking myself why this POS 3k machine doesn't even have a right click.
Click to expand...


Assuming laptop:

because it's smart enough to recognize a 2 finger tap as a right click




If referring to desktop no arguments.
 
LikeLinus said:
All of that said, OS X is SOOOOOO not ready for the corporate environment. The way it handles (or doesn't in a lot of cases) simple task is downright frustrating. Netowrked drives, no address bar in finder (making it a pain in the ass to grab a simple file path), no version of ctrl+alt+delete or simple way to lock/log back in to a machine. I could go on, but for being such a "simple" to use OS, they are missing so many user friendly features that make your workflow simple and quick.
Click to expand...

hmmm?

We have 15 macs on a network and we can access all of them with no problems.

ctrl atl delete? You mean task manager? Check out Activity monitor under applications/utilities or if you just want to shut down unresponsive programs you press alt+command+esc

copying file paths? yes please.

http://www.macworld.com/article/133299/2008/05/pathcopy.html

You can lock and log the machine under system preferences> security

Me thinks you needs to spend more time with the machine.
 
My brother and his wife converted from PC to Mac and use their MacBook Pro for everything and don't ouch their desktop pc anymore. The Mac is setup to dual boot either OSX or Win7 but I don't think they boot-up Win7 outside of playing some games.
 
holden j caufield said:
I keep asking myself why this POS 3k machine doesn't even have a right click.
Click to expand...

Laptop? As mentioned, two-finger tap.

Desktop? I think it just has to be toggled in the settings/control panel.

Anyway, my wife and I intend on getting an iMac with her upcoming student loans. Honestly, I haven't found a Win7 AIO that really beats the iMac's value in terms of power, style and, most importantly, screen quality.
 
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LikeLinus said:
Work got me a 12 core Mac Pro and i7 MBP about a 2 months ago and I've been very pleased with them. I use Final Cut Studio and Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection and both machines are real workhorses.

The trackpad on the MBP is awesome. It's MUCH better than any trackpad I've used on a PC or Laptop.

All of that said, OS X is SOOOOOO not ready for the corporate environment. The way it handles (or doesn't in a lot of cases) simple task is downright frustrating. Netowrked drives, no address bar in finder (making it a pain in the ass to grab a simple file path), no version of ctrl+alt+delete or simple way to lock/log back in to a machine. I could go on, but for being such a "simple" to use OS, they are missing so many user friendly features that make your workflow simple and quick.

So while I really like the OS and love the build of the machines, they are far from perfect like a lot of people make them out to be. I still use windows at home and on a Dell laptop at work and miss things when I'm using the macs.
Click to expand...

Plenty of companies use Mac's exclusively, we have 500+ Mac users at my company.
 
eh... i would consider a macbook pro if 1.) they had standard VGA/DVI connections, and 2.) they didn't weight as much as a sack of bricks. I mean c'mon, 4.5 lbs for a 13" laptop??
 
Lifetime Windows user and Win 7 is the best yet. I have a fully loaded Macbook Pro at work and every time I use it, I can't believe how horribly inefficient I am on it. It's like I am reading the newspaper in a foreign language. I can make out some words but it's basically gibberish. If you watched me, you would think I never touched a computer before. I can't believe people say it's easier to learn or use.
 
LikeLinus said:
Work got me a 12 core Mac Pro and i7 MBP about a 2 months ago and I've been very pleased with them. I use Final Cut Studio and Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection and both machines are real workhorses.

The trackpad on the MBP is awesome. It's MUCH better than any trackpad I've used on a PC or Laptop.

All of that said, OS X is SOOOOOO not ready for the corporate environment. The way it handles (or doesn't in a lot of cases) simple task is downright frustrating. Netowrked drives, no address bar in finder (making it a pain in the ass to grab a simple file path), no version of ctrl+alt+delete or simple way to lock/log back in to a machine. I could go on, but for being such a "simple" to use OS, they are missing so many user friendly features that make your workflow simple and quick.

So while I really like the OS and love the build of the machines, they are far from perfect like a lot of people make them out to be. I still use windows at home and on a Dell laptop at work and miss things when I'm using the macs.
Click to expand...

<shift><cmd><G> = brings up a "go to folder" box in finder.
<shift><cmd><eject> = go to sleep, and you can have it set to be the lock screen when you come out of sleep. I'm sure there's a better way to do it though.
 
A lot of good input! Thanks for the people who actually have used/owned both. It seems to me that although OSX is good, it's not THAT much better, especially considering how good Windows 7 is. I priced a Dell XPS 17" with the 9 cell battery and it came to just under $1100 shipped. Although it is not nearly as sleek as a MacBook, the price difference between the XPS or even a pricier HP Envy simply cannot be ignored methinks. I really do like the battery advantage that the MacBook has over both those machines though. Whatever I get, my WD Silicon Edge Blue 128gb SSD will be going in it.
 
Ns1 said:
windows = work
apple = play

apple trackpad > *

if you don't game anymore the MBP is awesome. The only reason I have a PC is for gaming.
Click to expand...

Apple = play ??? :hmm:

Doesn't gaming qualify as the most common component of 'play' on computers? I use my computer mostly to play (games) and that is one of the main reasons I wouldn't switch to a Mac.
 
I was thoroughly unimpressed with OSX when I tried it. It combines the worst features of Windows and Linux in one box. If I bought a Mac(yea, right), the first thing I'd do is wipe OSX and install Ubuntu. I don't see the point in that though. Apple designs some nice hardware, but it isn't worth the premium imo.
 
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