Those of you who jumped from pure Windows based to MAC

[tconthepc]

Are the majority of you fairly happy with your Macbook Pros? I am highly considering taking the plunge to purchase one, being solely used to Windows based products forever. I currently have a Toshiba, and I hate it, I hate using it, and I feel like it's just a pos. Even in the middle market with the sub $1000, is this a reasonable investment?

 

[Spineshank]

Did it 2 years ago. Couldnt be happier. Best keyboard/trackpad I have ever used on a notebook.

 

[ControlD]

I did it a little more than a year ago although I still have a Windows desktop and some Linux machines. I am mostly happy with the hardware. As mentioned the trackpad is fantastic. I am less excited about OS X in general however. I would gladly get rid of my Mac if someone made a comparable Win7 laptop.

 

[TheStu]

I switched about 6 years or so ago, haven't looked back. At the very least, I will only use Apple laptops since that date. I have a gaming desktop, that I ran hackintosh for a while, but honestly, Windows 7 is a good operating system that I don't have too many complaints about (beyond usual Windows stuff).

 

[kowalabearhugs]

Did it 2 years ago. Couldnt be happier. Best keyboard/trackpad I have ever used on a notebook.

Same. Picked up a 2011 Sandy Bridge based 15" MBP and have quite pleased.

 

[tconthepc]

I'm considering a MPB and a build a PC for gaming later.

 

[Kadarin]

I did it a little more than a year ago although I still have a Windows desktop and some Linux machines. I am mostly happy with the hardware. As mentioned the trackpad is fantastic. I am less excited about OS X in general however. I would gladly get rid of my Mac if someone made a comparable Win7 laptop.

The Mac itself is a comparable Win7 laptop, if you install Win7 in a BootCamp partition and boot it directly.

 

[JavaMomma]

Did the switch in February to a Macbook Pro, I had never used a Mac in my life before that.

I cursed and swore at it for a couple weeks, but worked my way through "Missing Manual for Lion" and now I couldn't be happier.

The only thing I sometimes miss from Windows is Visual Studio.

 

[ControlD]

The Mac itself is a comparable Win7 laptop, if you install Win7 in a BootCamp partition and boot it directly.

That is a good point. I need to get another copy of Win7 and give that a shot one of these days.

 

[boomhower]

I did a month ago and have zero regrets. I've fallen on love with all aspects of the OS. Just simple things like installing and uninstalling software to the massively better touchpad and gestures. It's just wonderful. It took me around a week to be as comfortable as I was on W7. I'll never go back to windows. If I could get my wife to change it would be an all Apple house but she despises changes in technology when she has something she's happy with. (took me forever to give up her blackberry but now you couldn't pay her to trade her iPhone for one)

 

[tokie]

The only thing I need Windows for is PC games.

Everything else has a comparable app on Mac/Linux.

 

[cheez]

Are the majority of you fairly happy with your Macbook Pros? I am highly considering taking the plunge to purchase one, being solely used to Windows based products forever. I currently have a Toshiba, and I hate it, I hate using it, and I feel like it's just a pos. Even in the middle market with the sub $1000, is this a reasonable investment?

Good thread question.

Look at my sig........ since I got the MBP (starting of 2012) it made me upgrade my audio equipment for superb sound. MBP has *nice* onboard sound chip. It is an audiophile grade.

That and the stability and speed of Mac OS X is very good. It is definitely better than Win 7.


My Dad told me to stay away from Toshiba products... I don't buy them anyway... pretty low grade actually.

 

[alkemyst]

The Mac itself is a comparable Win7 laptop, if you install Win7 in a BootCamp partition and boot it directly.

or just install Parallels and run win 7 and OSX at the same time

I still have a Win 7 desktop, but I love my MBP and my wife her's.

 

[cheez]

And I do like my Mac OS X.... it is schweet.

You can install Windows Server 2008 R2 (64bit) via bootcamp on Macbook, and leave Mac OS X partition untouched.

I gotta empty out my hard drive (the hot stuff, uncompressed video files) first as they are taking up all of my HDD space.... then want to try out the Server 2008 R1 (32bit) and run windows programs...

 

[ControlD]

or just install Parallels and run win 7 and OSX at the same time

I still have a Win 7 desktop, but I love my MBP and my wife her's.

I already have Parallels with a Windows XP image. It works pretty well, but as much as I have tried I just really don't like OS X that much. Running native Windows might be a better option for me.

 

[Geekbabe]

Are the majority of you fairly happy with your Macbook Pros? I am highly considering taking the plunge to purchase one, being solely used to Windows based products forever. I currently have a Toshiba, and I hate it, I hate using it, and I feel like it's just a pos. Even in the middle market with the sub $1000, is this a reasonable investment?

I jumped from a Toshiba to a Macbook Air & I've been very happy with it, the only other system that comes close IMHO is the new Asus Zenbook Prime.

 

[Paperlantern]

My wife uses a Toshiba and swears by it. It is her second Toshiba since 2006 and she only bought this one last year so the first one lasted 5 years and was running Windows 7 on a Celeron 1.6GHz with 768MB RAM before she bought this one and it STILL works fine, just a little slow by todays standards. Shes also now never had an issue with her current Toshiba. I don't dislike them or think them shoddy, but I like my MacBook pro 2008 better. I agree with the comments of it feeling solid and the keyboard typing well and the gestures and touchpad are a dream. I won't be able to switch back to a PC laptop, but I still use PC and windows for desktop.

 

[themillak]

I did it in 2007 and got a macbook pro. It was nice for a bit and i used bootcamp for windows xp and some games. Eventually I looked at it and said to myself that if I wasn't using windows i should check out linux also and I've been using that for 2 years now quite happily.

 

[MotionMan]

The only thing I need Windows for is PC games.

Everything else has a comparable app on Mac/Linux.

I switched in early 2009 and am very happy.

I have to run Windows in Parallels at work for two programs that I am required to use:

1. WordPerfect (but I am trying to get us switched to Office);
2. Billing software (no Mac alternative).

I run one program in Windows at home, Quicken (the Mac version is old and crappy).

Otherwise, I have no need for Windows.

MotionMan

 

[sigurros81]

Are the majority of you fairly happy with your Macbook Pros? I am highly considering taking the plunge to purchase one, being solely used to Windows based products forever. I currently have a Toshiba, and I hate it, I hate using it, and I feel like it's just a pos. Even in the middle market with the sub $1000, is this a reasonable investment?

I find Mac's OS rather idiotic compared to say, Windows 7. There are various UX/UI design issues that I think make the experience rather counter-intuitive compared to Windows. However, Apple's hardware is top notch.

I've always been a pure Microsoft/Windows guy, but I now own an iPad3, iphone, and Apple TV...oh the irony. I still mainly use my Windows based PC at home, but at work I am on a Mac computer.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I find Mac's OS rather idiotic compared to say, Windows 7. There are various UX/UI design issues that I think make the experience rather counter-intuitive compared to Windows.

Boloney-sauce. You just don't like learning new things.

I haven't used an honestly counter-intuitive OS is decades.

Every OS X update gets it's detractors whining about how it used to be. Hell, I know some people that are still jonesing for OS 9. Same with the Metro UI hate for Win8. That's going to be a joy.

 

[sigurros81]

Boloney-sauce. You just don't like learning new things.

I haven't used an honestly counter-intuitive OS is decades.

Every OS X update gets it's detractors whining about how it used to be. Hell, I know some people that are still jonesing for OS 9. Same with the Metro UI hate for Win8. That's going to be a joy.

Maybe you're right, maybe you're not. I work in the industry of developing better user experiences, so it's also part of my job to be critical and analytical of how things are designed. For me, it's not about "how it used to be", but more about what they could have done to make it better for the user or be smarter about it. I spend equal amount of time on both Macs and Windows based computers and I can say without doubt that, in most aspects, Windows tend to be better than Mac OS's when it comes to the user experience.

Here's just a quick example: iTunes in my opinion is one of the clunkiest and most counter-intuitive music program out there. The UI is pretty poorly designed. I thought Zune was much better designed, but unfortunately as with everything MS's involved with these days, they tend to kill it pretty fast.

 

[vshin]

If you want to take the plunge, there's no better time than now and no better laptop than the rMBP. I think Apple is having some Back to School promotion ($100 iTunes gift card) and you'll also get the Mountain Lion update for free when it comes out. If you're a student, then they'll knock off another $100 as well.

 

[Ns1]

switched a few years ago. installed win7 w/ bootcamp for those instances where you NEED windows.

 

[Kaido]

Are the majority of you fairly happy with your Macbook Pros? I am highly considering taking the plunge to purchase one, being solely used to Windows based products forever. I currently have a Toshiba, and I hate it, I hate using it, and I feel like it's just a pos. Even in the middle market with the sub $1000, is this a reasonable investment?

Toshibas have generally been the biggest pieces of junk I've ever worked with. They advertise as a lot of computer for your money, but in my experience they have been garbage. I was working on one this weekend that came with Vista and had no Windows 7 drivers available - even the touchpad wouldn't work in 7 (and I think it had come with the 7 voucher when originally purchased!). The others I've worked on have been extremely hot, covered in cheap plastic that puts Dell to shame, and loaded up with a ridiculous number of Toshiba junkware apps. Although I did setup a nice Toshiba Portégé Z830 Ultrabook last week which I don't have any complaints about.

Anyway, Macbook Pros are are pretty nice. I think that the hard plastic black Thinkpads still trump them, but I do like the Macbook build quality. I will warn you that they still do scratch and dent, so I'd recommend getting a hardshell case if you really care about the appearance. Or at least a padded bag to carry it around in. They have improved since their flat-silver aluminum days, but they are still prone to aesthetic damage like anything else. I like Speck cases myself, although they run about $50:

http://www.speckproducts.com/macbook-cases.html

If you end up not liking Mac, you can just install Windows and dual-boot (there are tricks to wiping out the Mac partition if you really want to). You can also run VMware to emulate Windows in a virtual machine if you need to work with something familiar.

Also, the cheapest new Macbook you will find is $999 (the Air). The cheapest Pro is the entry-level 13" for $1200.