One More Reason For Me To Switch...

trebuchet · February 10, 2003 11:28PM

Damn. I've been trying to fix soundcard issues with my computer (drivers won't install and Windows says it can't install the hardware) and just trying to find files and such for such a new guy is way frustrating. I built my PC last summer and am now trying to use it for mixing my band's newest recording. I'm using Soundforge 6 and thought it would be a piece of cake. Yeah right. I'm having problems with pops and hiss and my primary recording is clean as a whistle. Just trying to work with Windows to diagnose and solve my problems has been so frustrating I really blew my top earlier. This recording is very important to me and I never ever thought I would have such seemingly simple problems remain unsolved. I am new to computers but have caught on to a lot of things very quick. I have been able to solve most problems myself, but even with the help of numerous online friends, I am still without a mixed down version of our next CD.

I cannot wait until I can afford a Mac. I've watched my friends do all sorts of audio editing and manipulation on their Macs and I have been very jealous since. I am hoping my student loans can afford me such a luxury and I will sell off my damn PC and never look back.

Sorry peoples. I just had to get that off of my chest.

Oh yeah, another reason for becoming a convert:

Mac people seem to be more friendly in helping each other when problems do arise. I don't know if its just in the PC world, but I have been called all sorts of names because I haven't mastered my Windows based box and all of its quirkiness. In just seeking out information on buying a Mac, people have been nothing but friendly to me. Quite a change from being called "stupid" by some random online jerk.

I'm counting the days... <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />

[ 02-11-2003: Message edited by: trebuchet ]

alcimedes · February 10, 2003 11:34PM

it's a small enough community we can afford to be nice.

besides, it's a hell of a lot easier to be nice to folks when your computer isn't pissing you off all the time.

<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />

bioflavonoid · February 10, 2003 11:39PM

[quote]Originally posted by alcimedes:

it's a small enough community we can afford to be nice.

besides, it's a hell of a lot easier to be nice to folks when your computer isn't pissing you off all the time.

<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> <hr></blockquote>

Back when I was a PC user, I whacked my Compaq really hard, it made sort of a midi beeping sound and then shut off. Later, I found out that I destroyed my harddrive. Damn, it felt good though.

As for trebuchet, go for the Mac man. It'll treat ya' right, just like a good computer should.

<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />

[ 02-11-2003: Message edited by: Bioflavonoid ]

elric · February 10, 2003 11:49PM

Check out the apple instant loan, I just got one so I could get my wife a 12" powerbook. I'll pay it off faster than the 50 bucks a month because the interest rate isn't real great but it gives me a little breathing room.

Oh and you can use the apple instant loans at places like macmall.com and maczone.com, which is good cause they tend to give you free stuff, well semi free, I'm getting a 'free' airport extreme card but they charge 39.99 to install it but hey its like half price anyways

Oh and no sales tax

frawgz · February 11, 2003 2:10AM

[quote]Originally posted by Bioflavonoid:

it made sort of a midi beeping sound and then shut off. Later, I found out that I destroyed my harddrive.<hr></blockquote>

That's kind of........ a bummer.

mac the fork · February 11, 2003 9:23AM

I moved my ethernet card to a different PCI slot a few days ago when I was troubleshooting my Internet connection. When I restarted, Windows said it had detected new hardware. It wasn't new hardware, and the driver was still installed, I thought, so I dismissed the dialog box.

Well, I guess it had deleted the driver for me, so I got the driver disk and opened 'Add New Hardware'. The control panel didn't find anything. No matter; I found the driver for it. I browsed to the location and it didn't find anything. I closed the control panel, and Windows detected new hardware.

I showed it where the driver was, and it started to install. Then it asked me to insert the Windows 98 SE CD, which I lost a few years ago. The only response to this prompt is 'OK', so I pressed the button, and the installation completed unsuccessfully. That was borderline acceptable, I thought; I'll just get the CD from someone else and I'll be up and running in a few days.

I deleted all the crap pertaining to the old install of my driver from the Network control panel, and it, as usual, asked me to restart. So I did, and Windows crashed on startup with a cryptic error message regarding a driver. I restarted again, and the same thing happened.

Of course, one can't reinstall over Windows and that install was so screwed up, it wasn't worth keeping around anyway, even if I could, so I reformatted and popped a copy of Red Hat Linux 8 on it.

The installation process for this hodge-podge of interdependent, open source UNIXy junk managed to be more refined and straightforward than that for Windows 98. I didn't have to give it any driver disks, and I didn't have to restart until it was done. I logged in for a Gnome session and it worked.

There are numerous problems, however, which I won't bother listing unless someone wants to hear them. I find it odd that there is no shining example of a totally functional and totally polished consumer operating system out there for the PC.

[ 02-11-2003: Message edited by: Mac The Fork ]

artman @_@ · February 11, 2003 9:53AM

I gave my old Gateway to a musician friend when I moved and I kept my iMac...he was grateful at first because his other PC died...but then I started to get a phone call a week about this problem and that.

Now he has an iBook, his bandmate got a G4 Pro Desktop with cinematic display. No more calls and they have progressed so far that they will probably be releasing their music and web site by this Spring.

Macs just RULE.

poopoodoctor · February 11, 2003 6:55PM

[quote]Originally posted by frawgz:



That's kind of........ a bummer.<hr></blockquote>

Oh man... <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> Too funny. <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />

atrox · February 11, 2003 8:27PM

As we've discussed before...You know what to do bro

trebuchet · February 11, 2003 8:31PM

Yes. I have been doing my research and I think a 14'' iBook will get me into a Mac system and do everything I need it to do (I went and played iwth one on my lunch break... I didn't want to go back to work!). Plus, its about the only way I can afford to get to do so. Being a student soon (man, I'm conting the days. I can't wait to get into school) will put a crunch on the budget. Then, after school, I will hopefully be able to get a desktop system as well and ditch my shitbox Windows machine altogether. I'll have to keep it around until then, but I imagine it won't get too much use!

mcq · February 11, 2003 9:48PM

Well, since you'll soon be in college, then you may want to check out whatever college's Apple offerings they have. While some colleges give the normal individual education prices (usually $50 off on the iBooks, anywhere from $100-$200 off on Powerbooks), others let students buy at the department prices, which are a bit cheaper in the case of the Powerbooks, so you may be able to get a 12" Powerbook for $1499 for example. Considering that they can do monitor spanning (yeah, I know the iBooks have the hack, but with the audio and stuff I figure a G4 would be better)... the 12" Powerbook would be a sweet machine with an external monitor.

cosmonut · February 11, 2003 11:29PM

Trebuchet, although it has NOTHING to do with the thread, I just want you to know that your user name ROCKS! That font is one of my favorites, and I use it in a LOT of stuff that I do.

:cool:

trebuchet · February 12, 2003 12:12AM

[quote]Originally posted by CosmoNut:

Trebuchet, although it has NOTHING to do with the thread, I just want you to know that your user name ROCKS! That font is one of my favorites, and I use it in a LOT of stuff that I do.

:cool: <hr></blockquote>

'Tis okay. The trbuchet just happens to be my favorite catapult. Actually, I named my side project band Trebuchet... because we hurl the ROCK!

Oh, and thanks to those with the purchasin advice. My school doesn't offer the super-mega savings, but $50 is $50.

trebuchet · February 19, 2003 5:18PM

So, I have my iBook on the way. I found out a pretty slick way for paying for it too with a nice, low interest rate: My credit card company cut me a check for the amount of my purchase. It has a fixed rate of 4.9%!!! Way better than Apple's interest (which I am guessing s close to 21%, like most account you get from stores). My money will be here the same time my computer arrives. I am following some advice I found in the forums as well: Before I pay for it, I am making them open the box and fire it up for me to make sure its not DOA and there are no stuck pixels (I've seen far too many threads on this board and others griping about this). I am also taking advantage of the .mac deal as well as the Office:Mac promotion.

Finally, I'm getting a new computer. Soon, I'll get my mixing programs and will be recording my band on my Apple! Oh yeah, and doing my homework... like a good student.

Oh, pertaining to the Educational Discounts: Software is wicked cheap. I know soon I will be taking advantage of these deals. Unfortunately, our local store doesn't do Edu discounts on hardware... just software, but oh well. I'm getting my Mac!

overhope · February 19, 2003 5:27PM

Congratulations, and welcome to the Mac-owning world: whatever fooling around you did in the store, hwen you really get down to using your iBook for actual stuff you need to do, that's where the difference really counts. I've always loved Macs for the simple reason that the OS gets out of you way and lets you get on with what you want to do, rather than asking you what you want to do all the time.

imacfan · February 19, 2003 5:38PM

[quote]Originally posted by trebuchet:

 In just seeking out information on buying a Mac, people have been nothing but friendly to me. Quite a change from being called "stupid" by some random online jerk.

[ 02-11-2003: Message edited by: trebuchet ]<hr></blockquote>

You're incredibly and utterly stupid.

I don't know why, you just are.

Welcome to Appleinsider

rampancy · February 19, 2003 5:59PM

[quote]Originally posted by trebuchet:

So, I have my iBook on the way... I'm getting my Mac!<hr></blockquote>

Welcome to the family, trebuchet! if you ever miss your old life as an insulted and abused PC neophyte user, feel free to pay a visit to AppleOutsider.

trebuchet · February 20, 2003 8:19PM

Ooh! It showed up at the store I'm purchasing it from, but my check hasn't arived yet...

But they are holding it for me! Yay! An iBook, hot off the presses, just for me.

Next week, I am going to be having a lot of fun.

Edit: Oh yeah, I forgot to say my sound on my PC totally fell apart now. Its hard to even listen to music on my computer. Its sounding worse and worse every day. I guess my little iBook arrived just in time.

[ 02-20-2003: Message edited by: trebuchet ]

One More Reason For Me To Switch...

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