Switched from Windows to Mac?

konut · « **Reply #20 on:** 8 Feb 2005, 04:23 pm »

I moved from a Fujitsu 200mhz laptop, purchased in 1997, to a iBook 600 in 2002. I had to reload the operating system on the Fujitsu 3 different times, the Apple, 0. Weely maintanence the on the Fujitsu 1 hour, the Apple 20 min. Yes there are a few things that you cant run on the Mac. Thats why they make VPC. Chances are if you take your video camera to the Apple store and plug it in to the current operating system, it will work, no other procedures required. I will NEVER go back to a windows machine! If you decide on the Powerbook Applecare(3 year support) is almost mandatory as laptops are much more prone to gremlins than desktops.

suits_me · « **Reply #21 on:** 9 Feb 2005, 12:45 am »

Sonic Spirits nailed it, but I would just add some cautions to those who might be considering the Mini. Apple does have higher profit margins - deservedly, in my opinion - and the way Apple gets them with the Mini is by providing a basically inadequate base configuration and charging a lot for the needed upgrades.

The additional memory over stock which you _will_ need must be installed by a dealer. They seem more serious about this requirement with the Mini than in the past. Your other add ons like Airport also have to be done by the dealer. And the Minis currently have really slow hard drives, which would be another potential dealer installed upgrade.

It's true Apple recently dropped its prices for these upgrades, its RAM in particular, but the caveat still holds. The usual pattern is to wait six to nine months after an introduction for when Apple bumps either the speed or the base configuration....

The Mini is good for someone who wants to use existing hardware to get their OS X feet wet while staying with Wintel. It also might be good for my mom, etc. But for an only machine, an even semi-serious user really needs to look at a robust laptop or another desktop model from Apple. This is a matter of cost effectiveness.

orthobiz · « **Reply #22 on:** 9 Feb 2005, 02:24 am »

I have had Macs since 1988. Had one virus in 1989, easily eradicated with antivirus. No viruses since.
Now have 15 Macs at my place of work, 4 at home, all run all the time, no virus software, no problems. OS X stable like a rock. Interconnecting with a CAT5 wiring system easy as plugging them in.

My Windows buddies regulary take their computers in to have the spyware removed. Local PC repair guy says spyware is 80 percent or more of what he does!

I've owned at least 25 Macs, 19 running every single day. In all that time, for all my computers, I had one burnt hard drive (warranty), a black screen (warranty), a burnt modem (let it die, didn't need it), a couple of burnt monitors (running all day, you'd burn out, too), a couple of worn out keyboards, and now my iBook needs a new cable. Some of my friends' own PCs have been in that much!!!!

Try a Google search on viruses: run one for "macintosh" and one for "windows." See how many hits you get!

good luck,

biz

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #23 on:** 9 Feb 2005, 02:43 am »

I am slowly deciding in what move to make, either go low end, like a loaded up Mac mini and later, connect it to a non Apple LCD flat screen like those Sharp Aquos that run less than 1.5K as of now for a 30" or get myself a Powerbook Laptop with just a paltry 12" screen and a little more convenience. I still wonder if I am not overpaying with the laptop, as most laptops have compromises....paying for features people usually do not use often. I have read somewhere that about 70% of all laptops see about 95% of home use. So, I need to decide. Either pay little now and later, get myself a fast comp or get a laptop now and see what happens later. I tend to favor choice 1, but those Powerbooks seem appetizing anyway.

nathanm · « **Reply #24 on:** 9 Feb 2005, 02:54 am »

Definitely don't buy the extras from Apple. Get the most stripped down model and get memory etc. from somewhere else, it will be much cheaper. That usually goes for either platform. Pre-installed memory prices are always whacked. Unfortunately you always get screwed on any pre-configured system. They make you pay for at least some memory and it's inevitably the lowest sized chip which just goes to waste when you max it out on cheaper 3rd party RAM. Well, it might not be like this on the Mini, as it may have just one slot. Don't know, doesn't seem to say on the spec page.

Mathew_M · « **Reply #25 on:** 9 Feb 2005, 02:54 am »

I have a dual G5 I use for my business but recently had the pleasure of using one of the new iMac's with the wireless keyboard and mouse and would recommend that setup over the mini. There is something magical about the all-in-one Mac design. I suggest it to anyone looking at buying their first Mac.

Jay S · « **Reply #26 on:** 9 Feb 2005, 03:10 am »

I agree that the iMac is a better value (G5 processor vs G4 of the Mini), esp if you plan to load up the Mini with options.

What makes the Mini appealing to me is the slot-loading drive in the front, plus the *lack* of a monitor, which would give me the option of putting it in a rack and use a big screen TV as a monitor.

I think the Mini will be a hit with people who are sick of their home Wintel desktops (old or simply infested with viruses and spyware) and have monitors that they are willing to use. A G4 is perfectly fine for home use. And, $499 nearly qualifies as an impulse purchase when you consider that you'd use the computer over several years.

Btw, an anecdote... Valentine's is coming up and a friend asked his wife what she would prefer as a gift -- a nice watch or an iMac. She now uses a Wintel desktop at home (which is running ok). She chose... the iMac! Though she has never had a Mac, she has been a fan of Apple for a long time and, last year, got an iPod. I think that the halo-effect of the iPod on the Mac is real.

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #27 on:** 9 Feb 2005, 04:37 am »

Has anyone tried to connect a G4 based computer, be it a Laptop or a low end I series something to a large, LCD based flatscreen TV, 30"+ which was not designed necessarily for computing, but for HT? How did it look and was there any reaction delay on the monitor?

suits_me · « **Reply #28 on:** 9 Feb 2005, 09:20 pm »

>Definitely don't buy the extras from Apple. Get the most stripped down model and get memory etc. from somewhere else, it will be much cheaper.

This does not apply to the Mini, as was explained previously. Apple is being tougher on demanding dealers only do upgrades with this product. Your warranty is at stake. So a loaded up Mini is not a good value relative to an iMac, except for the specific scenarios already mentioned in the thread.

Brad · « **Reply #29 on:** 9 Feb 2005, 09:27 pm »

The mini only has one memory slot.

It is supposed to be a major pain to get to (and Apple is pretty serious about the dealer performing the upgrade)
I did see an article the other day on overclocking the 1.25 mini to 1.42 by changing a jumper (again - very hard to get to)

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #30 on:** 9 Feb 2005, 09:54 pm »

Bad news, Jay S, I spoke to someone over at Tekserve, an Apple Specialized store in NYC and spoke about the possibility of using a Flatscreen LCD TV through the DVI port in order to have a huge monitor. The salesperson told me that it is a no go for the Mac Mini because of the graphics card memory limits, only a G5 equipped comp should attempt that. What do you think about this?

John Ashman · « **Reply #31 on:** 10 Feb 2005, 12:23 am »

Quote from: Bemopti123

Bad news, Jay S, I spoke to someone over at Tekserve, an Apple Specialized store in NYC and spoke about the possibility of using a Flatscreen LCD TV through the DVI port in order to have a huge monitor. The salesperson told me that it is a no go for the Mac Mini because of the graphics card memory limits, only a G5 equipped comp should attempt that. What do you think about this?

That makes no sense to me. The most feeble video cards can handle just about any screen resolution available. I looked it up and they say that the screen will be the limit, not the card. I think they wanted to sell you a G5.

http://www.ati.com/products/radeon9200/radeon9200/specs.html

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #32 on:** 10 Feb 2005, 12:39 am »

I spoke directly to an Apple consultant at the Apple Store website...she told me what you told me, so TekServe definetly wanted to sell me the more expensive dog, bast---s. To hell with it. I do notice that the laptops have better graphing cards, NVIDIA. Will there be a difference in performance when and if I connect an Mac Mini in contrast to a NVIDIA equiped laptop? What will the difference be? Lag? I wonder. Any comments?

JohnR · « **Reply #33 on:** 10 Feb 2005, 01:07 am »

Found this interesting article:

http://mundy.org/blog/index.php?p=23

Jay S · « **Reply #34 on:** 10 Feb 2005, 01:16 am »

Glad to hear that a Mini should work with a large screen display.. the idea is still alive. I would be surprised if it didn't work. My wife's 2 year old Thinkpad displays quite nicely on our 29" CRT tv... (though I can't say the same for my 3 year old Thinkpad, which displays in 640x480 on the tv).

EchiDna · « **Reply #35 on:** 10 Feb 2005, 02:24 am »

the great parallel I feel is mobile phone menu systems - Nokias all feel the same and have the same type of menu system... pick up a motorola or siemens or sony-erricson and they are all different...and feel WRONG.

I'm a long time siemens user who was given a corporate nokia... it took me a few weeks to work out intuitively how to use the menus - hence my belief that we will stubbonly defend what we know best - at the exclusion of others whether deserved or not.... there is no "better for all" just more familiar to me or you as the case might be...

jakepunk · « **Reply #36 on:** 10 Feb 2005, 04:56 am »

I switched to Mac exclusively in December. I had been a Linux bigot since 1993. Linux is a great server operating system, but I got tired of being my own systems administrator (and I have a BS in Computer Science). I love my Powerbook. When I plug in an external monitor, a dual headed setup is detected automatically. The installation manual for my digital camera says, "Plug it in" (the windows section of the manual has three pages telling you how to right click and install a device driver). All of my applications look and behave exactly the same.

The most important thing I have experienced is that the intuitive nuances of the user interface work exactly the way you would expect them to. Many times I have wondered, "I wonder what would happen if I did THAT.... I would expect it do THIS if I did THAT..." and it works just like you would expect. That has happened to me at least 100 times.

My powerbook does just about everything I need it to do out of the box. The only extra software I needed was a $35 version of Appleworks from eBay and a downloaded version of the Gimp for graphics.

It took Apple 20 years to get to Mac OS X, but they finally got it right. I will never look back.

tracertwo · « **Reply #37 on:** 10 Feb 2005, 11:40 am »

I thought I might chime in as a 52 year old male who has been researching this very prospect.You might consider the Emac with superdrive as potentially the best value of the Mac offerings.Not as cool as the mini,or Imac,but seems to be the most bang for the buck.For the unitiated,check DEALMAC,
tracer

PhilNYC · « **Reply #38 on:** 10 Feb 2005, 12:58 pm »

Quote from: tracertwo

I thought I might chime in as a 52 year old male who has been researching this very prospect.You might consider the Emac with superdrive as potentially the best value of the Mac offerings.Not as cool as the mini,or Imac,but seems to be the most bang for the buck.For the unitiated,check DEALMAC,
tracer

Yep...my Mac is the eMac (looks like a white version of the original iMac). It was originally designed only to be sold to the education market, but the combination of specifications and price was so attractive that customer demand forced Apple to make it available to the general consumer...

windwaves · « **Reply #39 on:** 10 Feb 2005, 02:17 pm »

Bemopti123,
it depends on the size of the screen. I am pretty sure a mini could not drive a 42" screen at full resolution, the memory just isn't there. That you "need" a G5 is complete bs on the other hand; all you need is a graphic cards with sufficient memory depending on the size/resolution you want to drive. My dual G4, with its original graphic card, drives my 42" plasma very happily and it's great !