I'm a switcher, who looked at Apple notebooks for a while. And I really love OS X, but I am not really going to pay $1800 for a powermac.....or I would never settle for an emac. I bought an ibook. I really don't get why all of the Apple desktops are so steep. Laptops: you can pay more, becasue you get more with the extra cash. Smaller size and better battery life is pretty important to me.
My big question is, if you have long time customers contemplating switching to windows...what do you do about it. As any business knows, it is much easier to keep your current customers, than attract new ones.
Alot of you guys would never go PC no matter what, but quite a few people get cheap PC boxes and run Linux. OR build yourself a cheap PC that does everything you need for $800.
I find it amazing, that for the cost of the 17" imac, you could get 2-3 PCs (CPU only) that have better hard drives, more RAM and better or equivalent video. That is crazy! How is apple so of the mark?
I am forced to use a PC for work for 2 simple reasons. Microsoft Access and NetMeeting. That is it. It sucks so bad. And VPC is so slow I have a hard time. Luckily I have a 12inch PB and a Dell X300 so I can actually carry both with very little strain. If I had a solution for those two programs I would be on the Mac exclusively.
I've used PCs running every version of Windows from 3.1 through XP Professionals every weekday at work.
That's enough to keep me from ever buying a PC. Oh, I could get by on Windows just fine, and I could do all the maintenance that you're supposed to do to keep it locked down and running well, but why? Especially with all the crap floating around on the 'net these days, the Mac is simply the more attractive option by far. I barely even qualify as a casual gamer, so that doesn't matter to me. Most of the games I do have are Mac first or Mac only anyway.
My Cube is quiet, absolutely rock solid reliable, a better performer with every OS X release, gorgeous, and the OS it runs works with me, and the apps that run on that OS are a joy to work in. (Who needs games when you have OmniGraffle? <-- boy, I'm a geek!)
If Apple went under I'd go Amiga and try to find ways to keep the Mac(s) I had going for as long as possible before getting comfortable with Linux or BSD or something. But I don't see that happening.
The only niggling doubt that keeps some kind of windows PC option in my mind is games. Specifically Half-life 2 and Doom 3. I knew I wouldn't be able to play these games when I bought my PB last year and I know windows laptops released this year will crash and burn under the strain of them. But, these games might make me look into *somehow* getting a PC or making a deal with my brother to share the cost of upgrading his. I know all the arguments against games on the Mac, but its really a shame that spangly new games are just not available to people like me who don't want a PC with windows on it
Well since people seem to be pretty edgy about the no-hardware Mac year. I was wondering...have any of you long time Apple users, seriously considered switching? (Not becasue of slow hardware updates for you guys in the g4 500mhz dry spell) If you didn't, but you thought about it, why did you stay Apple? If you did, why did you go windows? And who is on the fence, and why do you want to?
(I understand this will have slightly skewed results but you know)
I switched to the Mac at my home in 2003 after using a PC since '86. I like the aesthetics of the iMac and OS-X. I don't buy the more MHz crap. The computer is for getting my work done. The Mac does just that and I don't have to worry about patching it every week for Virus and security updates.
As a longtime cross-platform/OS-agnostic user (Macs - 13 years, PCs - since the Amiga died... ) I'm quite happy with both. I know it's probably heresey to say here but IME XP has been very solid. While I earn a living off the Mac, I don't think I'll ever buy one for "home" use... although I have been tempted now and again to buy a slick little iBook just to run around with.
However... I like the choices you have on the PC side of things, and as a die hard do-it-yourselfer, I've cobbled together my last 3 PCs - all have worked great. I love that you can build a very decent box with exactly the components you want and save a yourself tidy bundle. Yeah, I play the occassional game too (and this year is shaping up to great PC gaming year) and I like the tinkerability of Windows too. Apple could take a page from MS here and offer more customization options, especially in the UI department.
I have no qualms recommending a PC... to those who aren't in the creative industries (printers, pre-press, graphic designers, studios, agencies, etc). However, since most of the people I know are in those industries, I always end up steering people towards getting Macs! Hell, I probably sold 3 High-end Macs last year - where's my commission!
In 1985, aged 57, I realised that my colleagues could handle a personal computer. I could not. A friend lent me a Mac 512 over Easter. Wow!. Mouse, GUI, seemed easy. Could not afford a Mac. Discovered that there was an affordable Atari TT with similar desktop. Bought it. Also easy to use.
My Swiss employer at that time had not introduced PCs to the workplace. Did my computing work at home. Then they supplied Macs to workers. My dream come true.
Later they changed to Wintel (parent company decision). I could buy a Mac cheap from them to use at home.
So, I used Wintel at work. With professional administrator support it was OK.
Needed no support for my Mac 8500 at home. Now have an eMac too but the 8500 iwith OS 9.0.4 is my most-used device. (I find games boring).
In nearly 20 years of Mac usage I have never suffered a virus. Also I receive only about 4 spam messages per month but not sure whether that's due to the Mac or to my reluctance to disclose my email address to others. My Wintel acquaintances seem terrified of viruses - except those who are behind a corporate firewall.
For me, apart from finding the Mac easy to use - and possessing Mac software - the virus issue is dominant.
Comments
My big question is, if you have long time customers contemplating switching to windows...what do you do about it. As any business knows, it is much easier to keep your current customers, than attract new ones.
Alot of you guys would never go PC no matter what, but quite a few people get cheap PC boxes and run Linux. OR build yourself a cheap PC that does everything you need for $800.
I find it amazing, that for the cost of the 17" imac, you could get 2-3 PCs (CPU only) that have better hard drives, more RAM and better or equivalent video. That is crazy! How is apple so of the mark?
Mac users: ever seriously think about going windows?
No.
That's enough to keep me from ever buying a PC. Oh, I could get by on Windows just fine, and I could do all the maintenance that you're supposed to do to keep it locked down and running well, but why? Especially with all the crap floating around on the 'net these days, the Mac is simply the more attractive option by far. I barely even qualify as a casual gamer, so that doesn't matter to me. Most of the games I do have are Mac first or Mac only anyway.
My Cube is quiet, absolutely rock solid reliable, a better performer with every OS X release, gorgeous, and the OS it runs works with me, and the apps that run on that OS are a joy to work in. (Who needs games when you have OmniGraffle? <-- boy, I'm a geek!)
If Apple went under I'd go Amiga and try to find ways to keep the Mac(s) I had going for as long as possible before getting comfortable with Linux or BSD or something. But I don't see that happening.
Originally posted by jade
Well since people seem to be pretty edgy about the no-hardware Mac year. I was wondering...have any of you long time Apple users, seriously considered switching? (Not becasue of slow hardware updates for you guys in the g4 500mhz dry spell) If you didn't, but you thought about it, why did you stay Apple? If you did, why did you go windows? And who is on the fence, and why do you want to?
(I understand this will have slightly skewed results but you know)
I switched to the Mac at my home in 2003 after using a PC since '86. I like the aesthetics of the iMac and OS-X. I don't buy the more MHz crap. The computer is for getting my work done. The Mac does just that and I don't have to worry about patching it every week for Virus and security updates.
However... I like the choices you have on the PC side of things, and as a die hard do-it-yourselfer, I've cobbled together my last 3 PCs - all have worked great. I love that you can build a very decent box with exactly the components you want and save a yourself tidy bundle. Yeah, I play the occassional game too (and this year is shaping up to great PC gaming year) and I like the tinkerability of Windows too. Apple could take a page from MS here and offer more customization options, especially in the UI department.
I have no qualms recommending a PC... to those who aren't in the creative industries (printers, pre-press, graphic designers, studios, agencies, etc). However, since most of the people I know are in those industries, I always end up steering people towards getting Macs!
Cheers,
C.
My Swiss employer at that time had not introduced PCs to the workplace. Did my computing work at home. Then they supplied Macs to workers. My dream come true.
Later they changed to Wintel (parent company decision). I could buy a Mac cheap from them to use at home.
So, I used Wintel at work. With professional administrator support it was OK.
Needed no support for my Mac 8500 at home. Now have an eMac too but the 8500 iwith OS 9.0.4 is my most-used device. (I find games boring).
In nearly 20 years of Mac usage I have never suffered a virus. Also I receive only about 4 spam messages per month but not sure whether that's due to the Mac or to my reluctance to disclose my email address to others. My Wintel acquaintances seem terrified of viruses - except those who are behind a corporate firewall.
For me, apart from finding the Mac easy to use - and possessing Mac software - the virus issue is dominant.
Would never connect a Wintel device to the Net.
Peace
eric j
As Jim Rome would say: "SHAKE YOURSELF!!!!!"