Considering Macintosh

[AMediaLuz]

Thinking of getting a Mac.
But have a few concerns. These are old and discussed before, but was wondering if anyone give their recent experiences:

1) Prices of Mac itself is alot higher than PC for the same specifications.
In your opinion, what is the 'value add' factor that explains for this difference (maybe apart from style - I can't show off my iMac since it's sitting at home in my room).

2) Do you need to re-buy lots of software? Eg. Microsoft office Mac version, Photoshop (if the Mac version is different)? These are expensive software if they need to be replaced.

So basically for those who did the switch from PC to MAC, how how do you feel about it?

Are there any who moved the other way - from PC to MAC? What's your opinion?

 

[2evans]

1. You get a different looking OS, that you need to retrain to use. Apple products are made in the same factories as PC products... same assembly lines.

2. Photo Shop activation keys are different for PC and OSX. You could use your PS in boot camp or a virtual OS, but you'd still need a copy of whatever windows you wanted.

 

[+evenstar]

switched camp, and never regretted it.

even for the same stats (from what i heard), the mac will perform better

 

[tSkye]

For a different OS, it's obvious you need to get used to it. Given enough time, you will find yourself knowing all the mac software that you require. The main things would be stability, user friendliness and security. Mac has bundled software that you might use, but for all commercial products like Photoshop, you will need to get a new license.

 

[thotshouse]

I switched from Windows to MacOS 2 years ago. The initial 3 months was quite terrible as I was lost ... For instance, I don't even know how to burn a CDROM from iso image, how to set password for my screen-saver, etc ... however once I got used to the Mac interface, I cannot imagine myself going back to Windows anymore.

 

[agws1970]

I switched from Windoze to Mac OS-9 years ago and never looked back. What I found was that using a Mac means more productivity and less admin and maintenance time. Therefore more shooting time for photography and less head scratching. Prices are higher but worth every penny. Try out with an open mind and see if you can get a friend who knows to share their skills with you. Learning a new OS is like learning a new skill, learning curves do apply but boy is it satisfying.

 

[xhui]

Best decision i've made 7years ago! Initial switch was a bit "lost" because things just aren't the way i've learnt to happen (windoze), but it is purely because we were all taught on windoze platform since school days. thus a bit of changing the way things are done on a mac.

The buying of mac version softwares did not bother me much, because it is obvious and expected that when you do a switch, be prepared to switch your software versions too. mac has been (and still is), a joy and hassle free to use. the simplicity and straight forward logic of how things work in mac just makes me wonder why i did not embark on mac earlier! It just works! plug and play! no need for what driverrs, install what patch, just to make something work.

Oh, i don't even need to worry/bother much with what spyware, popups, malwares, viruses etc etc happening anything soon too. These i have to say was a great relief and joy for mac users, believe me, i had enough time on windoze with all its anti-virus, periodic scans, constant updates, firewalls and slowing down the pc processor time! argh. the non cessant irritance of an anti-virus software and all that goes with it.

Well, these were just my personal experiences. mac always!

ps: i still use windoze at work, sadly.

 

[AMediaLuz]

1. You get a different looking OS, that you need to retrain to use. Apple products are made in the same factories as PC products... same assembly lines.

2. Photo Shop activation keys are different for PC and OSX. You could use your PS in boot camp or a virtual OS, but you'd still need a copy of whatever windows you wanted.

Looks like its worth a try getting Mac!!

That means I can use back the Win version of photoshop? Pardon, but what do you mean by 'still need a copy of whatever windows you wanted'?

 

[kohweeloon]

Looks like its worth a try getting Mac!!

That means I can use back the Win version of photoshop? Pardon, but what do you mean by 'still need a copy of whatever windows you wanted'?

if you like gaming, Mac not a good idea. less support for Mac. For me PC for gaming only, Mac for other usages.

 

[hazmee]

I became poorer after buying a MacBook and iMac. LOL! I still keep my Vista PC for doing heavy 3D illustrations.

If you know what your computing need is, you will definitely know which platform will suit you best. Cheers!