Going Mac
It has been a week of traumatic but good change for this old PC user.
I had been planning to make the move to Mac during Christmas vacation, when son-in-law and Mac user Andy would be home to help.
I intended to get a laptop, but receiving an iPad from hubby Rich for Christmas prompted an unanticipated change of plans.
Both SIL and Apple suggested I get a desktop instead and use my iPad for portable needs.
So that’s what we did this past Monday, and while Andy’s free time since has been spent moving my files and accounts, my free time has been spent taking online tutorials.
I also decided to abandon Comcast email for Apple mail and Firefox for Safari. I thought streamlining as much to Apple as possible would also streamline both electronic and mental syncing, including to my iPhone.
So needless to say, my 14 years of computer knowledge – limited to begin with – have been shaken to their new Apple core.
We hope to iron out all the kinks in all the electronic systems by Monday. Ironing out the kinks in my brain is another matter. But I’m working on it. This is all actually fun. I’m enjoying Apple’s intuitiveness.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Welcome to the dark side!!
Macs rock.
We have a 28″ iMac – love it. I use Google Chrome on it – the Mrs. uses Safari. Both work great.
Switch to gmail… you can use it with your Mac mail client if you must but you’ll be glad to avoid the spam.
I’m guessing you got the 27″ iMac?
You’ll be spoiled – going back to any smaller display after that takes some getting used to.
Also – did you know if you bought a Mac laptop, you can use the iMac as an alternate display? It’s as simple as hooking up the HDMI cable. It auto-senses and switches over. Lots of room now for your laptop work.
*shakes head* Coulda gone with Ubuntu… :P
Another case where replying to comments come in handy!
Ubuntu is basically the most revered distribution of Linux. Even products like Jolicloud and Mint are derived from Ubuntu. i use it because the cost is much less than of a Mac. However, i still have literally at least a dozen of Mac computers downstairs, including a monochrome LCD laptop and many of the early iMac computers.
There’s still feature i like from the old Tiger 10.4 that are still not included in Ubuntu, like built-in parental controls and the ability to create restrictive Guest and other user accounts. Here’s hoping that 12.04 will be a refined version of Ubuntu! :D
I’m using Ubuntu 10.04.somethingoranother (Lucid Lynx is the nickname for it), and I can make guest profiles or named non-sudoers profiles really easily.
Either way, though, it’s so much more wonderful than Windows. I should’ve switched ages ago.
Protip: Google Chrome, not Safari.
Macs are the greatest.
Congratulations on your new toys! I hope the switch is easy on you. I used Macs all the way back to pre-K years (oh, I remember the days of driving 45 minutes to the special – totally boring – software store that stocked a few Mac products on the back wall…nothing at all like the sleek Apple stores now!) and I had to learn PCs early on just for normal school use, so I don’t really know how tough switching to one after years of using another might be. But it shouldn’t be too bad!
Love the iPad. I have an under-cabinet mount for mine so that I can read recipes or watch TV (via Netflix – I have no television) while cooking, without taking up counter space.
Is there really a compelling reason to switch to Apple computers now? Or, for that matter, to switch to PCs from Macs?
I ask because – as far as I know (which may not be all that much)- things are much different now from the past. Used to be, Macs did not suffer some of the vulnerabilities that PCs did. But, PCs had a vast universe of software written for them while it was slim pickings for Macs. Macs were wickedly expensive, while PCs were somewhat less wickedly expensive. ;)
Now, PCs are fine – my wife and I have 7 computers between us, and none of the old “PC” issues. Macs have plenty of software, and they can run ‘Windows” software anyway, right? I’m sure Macs have gotten cheaper as the years have gone by, while PCs have, in spades. I mostly use an Acer laptop I got at Walmart over 2 years ago for $300, and it does everything for me except run video-card and processor-intensive games.
Doug–one big advantage of Macs is that they are not vulnerable to viruses. This is a huge difference. It’s not that they can’t get viruses but because Macs only make up about 3% of all computers people don’t bother creating viruses for them. I think there’s only been one virus for Macs in the last several years.
Most people find Macs more user-friendly and better for those who enjoy graphics. They also interface seamlessly with all the cool apple products out there (iphone, ipad, all the things Steve Jobs brought us!)
But you’re right there are way fewer differences than there used to be. And Macs ARE more expensive.
“Macs have plenty of software, and they can run ‘Windows” software anyway, right?”
True story. I even ran AutoCAD on my Macbook Pro long before the software finally came out for Macs.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the switchover. However, to a “tech-retard” like myself, it sounds more like hell. :-D
I will never be an Applephile beyond my iPod touch and iPod classic and neglected ipod shuffle. My mom said I should have bought an iPad (after seeing her sister in law’s iPad), but that thing is HUGE….and I love my Samsung 7 inch tablet I bought a week before Christmas as I can hold it in one hand with few problems. From what I understand, Apple BULLIED Amazon and other online retailers into removing their [b]direct buying links[/b] from their apps that are for iPod;/iPhone….so that’s one reason I refuse to buy ANY more Apple products.
plus, I’ve been using Windows since we got a Windows 3.1 computer in 1992..
I use Firefox and Google chrome…I don’t really use Internet Explorer that much
Macs don’t get viruses, but the games like The Sims games, are priced a lot higher….at least they were before the games became universally compatible.
Doug – while it’s true you can run Windows on a Mac, there’s still plenty of problems with Microsoft’s approach to things. For instance, I run Windows 7.0 on my MacBook Pro when I need to do certain things, but last year a service-pack glitch caused the Microsoft video driver to malfunction – it basically pushed the GPU. That caused the whole laptop to overheat horribly, even though it was just idling! (Never done that with OSX). The end result – the MS bug caused my battery to delaminate. The battery was cooked. They fixed the problem with a later service-pack, but the truth is, the buggy service pack never should have shipped in the first place. I could give you more examples of similar problems I’ve had using MS software.
Apple’s not perfect, but my overall experience has been lot more productive and hassle-free.
That said – I’m not happy with the direction they’re going re: content control & bullying.
Chris, yes, I got the 27″ monitor.
It has been slow going but things are a little less overwhelming than a week ago.
I did go back to Firefox from Safari. Perhaps I didn’t give it enough time, but I missed my Firefox.
Sarah: Doug–one big advantage of Macs is that they are not vulnerable to viruses. This is a huge difference. It’s not that they can’t get viruses but because Macs only make up about 3% of all computers people don’t bother creating viruses for them. I think there’s only been one virus for Macs in the last several years.
Most people find Macs more user-friendly and better for those who enjoy graphics. They also interface seamlessly with all the cool apple products out there (iphone, ipad, all the things Steve Jobs brought us!)
But you’re right there are way fewer differences than there used to be. And Macs ARE more expensive.
Sarah, thanks for the reply. I hear you on viruses, but always run anti-virus programs so not a problem, really, for PCs, IMO. The money doesn’t matter to me, either – I used to get a “state of the art” laptop every 3 years or so, for gaming. Load it up with RAM, best screen, fastest processor, hard drive, CD and DVD drives, etc. Usually about $4000 though it was less, last time around. Looking today, I see that for a little over $3000 one can get a loaded-up Macbook Pro, so for “top-end” laptops Macs are looking competitive on price. Just not sure they can run all the new games well, though.
I’ve always heard that Macs were better for graphics stuff, and more intuitive and user-friendly. That said, I “grew up” with PCs, having had them for the past 16 years, and they’re second-nature to me, while my mom’s Macs take some getting used to.
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Chris: Doug – while it’s true you can run Windows on a Mac, there’s still plenty of problems with Microsoft’s approach to things. For instance, I run Windows 7.0 on my MacBook Pro when I need to do certain things, but last year a service-pack glitch caused the Microsoft video driver to malfunction – it basically pushed the GPU. That caused the whole laptop to overheat horribly, even though it was just idling! (Never done that with OSX). The end result – the MS bug caused my battery to delaminate. The battery was cooked. They fixed the problem with a later service-pack, but the truth is, the buggy service pack never should have shipped in the first place. I could give you more examples of similar problems I’ve had using MS software.
Apple’s not perfect, but my overall experience has been lot more productive and hassle-free.
That said – I’m not happy with the direction they’re going re: content control & bullying.
Chris, thanks to you too. That’s nasty – cooking the battery, and yeah – I bet that laptop *was* hot. ;) In normal operation I’ve had ’em hot enough that they’ll burn bare skin, if left in contact for enough seconds.
Buggy software is often just unforgiveable, IMO, and I’ve run into it too. “I paid money for this?” :(
Lately I’ve had no Microsoft problems – XP and Vista work well for me. I keep older computers too, like with Windows 98, just to run older stuff on them. It is bothersome how the operating system upgrades sometimes render older software unusable. Even between Vista and Windows 7 there have been some difficulties. Sheesh!