Till now, all in my life, I don’t know a single person who switched to Mac and then returned. I think it is the most dedicated and sophisticated OS on this planet. Windows can never beat it in any respect.

@Mike

I actually switched from Mac back to PC, so now you know at least one. I used Mac for about 8 years all through grade school and highschool and even my freshman year of college. I absolutely LOVED the powerpc. Then Steve Jobs came back and in my mind F’d it all up. They became ludicrously overpriced, and stupidly designed. Hockeypuck mouse anyone? Slim aluminum keyboard? Neither are usable and this is coming from a company drenched in usability… But I digress.

You also mentioned Windows can never beat it Mac. Therein is a problem… you’re comparing Mac to Windows. Neither is really in competition with each other. Mac OS X is Windows competitor but Microsoft is not Apple’s direct competition.

I’ll give you a reason why. I have Mac OS X installed on my PC right now. I also paid about $800 less than if I had bought a Mac. And I got to pick out every detail of my computer by hand and customize it to the fullest extent.

@James
I’m not saying Mac’s are worse but there is absolutely no founded basis on saying they are better at everything. In fact there are many, many things a PC will be better suited for. The most blatant is price. But even usability is up there as you can customize the keyboard, mouse, monitors, hard drives, RAM, case, cooling-system, etc.

I could go on but you should get the point. I’m not trying to argue the point, I agree Mac’s are great machines, but I’m trying to clarify that they are just that. Machines. You can’t argue the “Mac” is better than Windows and then try and compare hardware and price. You can say OS X is better than Windows and argue features/price. Or you can say a Mac is better than an HP and argue features/price.

The overall pitch you gave though is seriously flawed and I thought it prudent to point out why.

Too bad the Mac was hacked in 10 seconds at a competition earlier this month.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Pwn2Own-CanSecWest-2009,7322.html

@Chad
Thanks for the comment! I appreciate comments that are more than just “PC is better than Mac!” – I myself see the use for PC’s and understand why some like them better. Price is certainly an issue for most, but I’ve had my Mac for two years, more than double the life of any PC I ever owned. I work my computers hard and PC’s just couldn’t handle it. My specific audience with this post was people looking to get into video, photos, social media, etc. I’ve found through the years that Mac just handles it better. Sure you CAN do it on a PC, but from a Windows vs. Mac standpoint, iMovie blows away Movie Maker, iTunes runs better on a Mac (yes I know it was probably designed this way) and iPhoto is another great Mac app.

@Chad
I did read that before. I use Firefox. Not a huge fan of Safari.

As a lifelong PC user, my personal experience of switching to a mac 5 months ago:

The best dollar for dollar investment of money I can recall in years.

Was the transition easy? Since I was moving from outlook to gmail via imap, it was hell. 4 days of hell. I have office for Apple, but again, trying to get away from Microsoft and for good reason… gmail was definitely the right choice for me.

What about the rest? Not as easy as one would have thought, but at the end of the day it was worth it. Probably took me around a week to get everything moved over, adjusted, and replaced (if it was a software package I didn’t want to use or that was not available on Macs.

If you rely on your computer as much as I do, it simple to see that the cost savings of a PC are an illusion. The time and productivity savings increase with my mac make the ROI undeniable…. it’s simply a no brainer.

That being said, whatever works for you works. Arguing about pcs vs macs is like arguing about religion in my mind, I’m not going to convince you and you’re not going to convince me, so if we can agree to disagree we can move on and save ourselves the time!

It’s 2009.

Can we all shut up about this crap now? Really? 10+ years of bitching and flamewars aren’t enough for people?

Windows runs on Macs. There really is no reason to bitch anymore. And if you love Windows, you are not going to get a Mac unless you have a VERY specific reason to. (i.e. film/graphic design/photography)

I am not about to get into YET ANOTHER flamewar about over-generalized statements spanning entire OS’s features. I mean that is borderline RETARDED.

If you want to make direct comparisons with specific examples, I will be more than happy to prove to you that the Mac can perform the same task on it’s PC counterpart sufficiently, it not, better. And that is about the only conversation worth having on the topic nowadays because most people just don’t realize the capabilities of the current Mac OS because the last time they touched a Mac was in 1999.

The contributor here, James Shiner convinced me after many months that I must switch to a MAC. Lucky, one morning my PC (Dell Latitude 510) saw the end of his life (BSOD)!

I was really going nuts at the tail end of the PC’s life. Always needing to closeout on everything, losing e-mails/blogs 3/4’s the way done, and getting to websites took forever.

I can’t explain how thrilled I am with my MAC! I love everything about it. It’s sleek, sexy, and it kicks some serious ass! The e-mail system BLOWS away outlook and if your a music, picture, or video person there is nothing better than a MAC. These new PC commercials make me laugh. Vista sucks, and I can’t believe they are trying to promote it? I have convinced 3 others to buy a MAC, the increase in productivity is unmatched. So, PC vs MAC? I won’t even bother… There is NO comparison! It’s like trying to compare a Ford vs a Porsche.

@Mike
Sorry I missed your comment! Yes I agree. I haven’t seen one person switch back yet. The OS is certainly more powerful. Waiting to see what Windows 7 has in store. Also looking forward to Snow Leopard.

@James
I’ve had my PC for almost 6 years now. I’ve upgraded the RAM and added an additional graphics card as well as a few new HD’s.

As far as environmentally sound purchases a PC that you can upgrade will last you just as long if not longer than a Mac (hardware wise) because of the distinct way a Mac is put together and also due to the ever so effective Apple upgrade strategy. Anyone still have a first generation iPod that still works? I think not. Built in batteries and the likes will always prevent this. I do have an iRiver that still runs oddly enough. Again I’m digressing and again you’re comparing Windows to Mac which is like comparing apples to oranges. One is an operating system the other is hardware. Two completely different products.

Another thing to consider Adobe’s new CS4 runs faster and better on a PC. That means if you’re actually doing movie editing or photo manipulation with Photoshop or Premiere as your primary programs you will recognize a performance increase on a Windows 64bit platform.

I’m not trying to rain on anyone’s parade here but this is by far one of the most biased posts I’ve read in a long time with little to no understanding of the topic at hand from a technical standpoint. It’s purely emotional feedback and marketing talking points.

@Trace
You have great information and a wonderful post about the experience and benefits you gained.

If anyone is going to make the jump to an Apple computer I’d like to make some things a bit more transparent. If anything goes wrong with your laptop or desktop you will more than likely have to take it to Apple for support. This can be a long and arduous process and has at times (in my personal experience with a laptop) resulted in me having lost some data. This may not be your experience but be prepared by having a backup with either carbonite.com or some other means in case it does.

@Alex
It’s humorous that you make a sweeping generalization like this:
“I am not about to get into YET ANOTHER flamewar about over-generalized statements spanning entire OS’s features. I mean that is borderline RETARDED.”

And then say this right after it:
“I will be more than happy to prove to you that the Mac can perform the same task on it’s PC counterpart sufficiently, it not, better.”

It’s a fact right now that Photoshop actually performs better on a PC than a Mac. There is no 64bit CS4 for Mac OS X. So your argument is quite simply incorrect… even after you said having the argument is RETARDED. I agree.

To inform the interested I run parallels on OS X and it is not a “Windows substitute” it’s a bit slower and runs as an emulator. This means it takes a bit more processor power. It works perfectly in a pinch and makes OS X one heck of a web development platform being able to run all browsers in one environment but is by no means a substitution for Boot Camp and switching to your favorite flavor of OS to get what you need done, done.

@Jesse
I understand some computers can last 6 years, but I highly doubt that was a $500 machine you purchased (correct me if I’m wrong). Mac desktops are equally upgradeable. The new ones can handle up to 16GB of RAM and 4 TB of internal hard drives. So upgrading them is very possible. Most laptops are not easily upgradeable, Macs included.

I didn’t know that about Adobe CS4. Who did that research? Link to article? I’d be interested in testing that one out myself.

Also yes, I agree this post is 110% biased, and I meant it to be that way. I was trying to convince people to switch to a Mac. Everyone thinks PC’s are the only way to go and I am trying to argue the other side of that, since I spent the better part of my life on a PC and realized what a Mac can do. When was the last time you used a Mac?

(Thanks for keeping the conversation going. I love Mac vs. PC discussions!)

@James
The PC I built that has lasted me 6 years (and is still going I might add) cost me about $2000 all said and done. It is liquid cooled and runs entirely silent with an external radiator and only 1 fan (on the PSU).

I’ve had to invest about $500 into it over the years to replace odds and ends: Blown power supply, over heated stick of RAM, dead HD etc. But nothing extravagant.

However for a similar Mac (which actually doesn’t exist as they don’t make mac’s that are liquid cooled) it would have cost me upwards of $6000 at the time for similar performance.

Now not everyone can build their own PC and that would add to the vast price difference. But what everyone has to realize and acknowledge is that you’re paying for Apple’s brand. You’re also opting into a binding agreement that you will be at Apple’s will for repairs, support and software. For some that’s A-OK. For others, not so much.

As for upgrades, I know I mentioned harddrives and ram for my computer but I could also upgrade the motherboard, chip or graphics card for that matter. These feats are not so easily accomplished in a Mac. In fact your OS is tied to your intel chip. Which means you cannot use a cheaper just as powerful (and in some cases more powerful) AMD chip.

So upgrading some things is possible, but upgrading everything is not. If you want a faster chip you will need to buy a whole new Mac. This is NOT green and Apple has been feathered for this.

I hardly agree that everyone thinks PC’s are the best way to go (see this blog post for evidence)… and the market shows the opposite with the success of the iPod and Apple as a company ($90/share AAPL vs $15/share MSFT). A lot of what has been said in this entire blog post and comment section is entirely emotional based and has no actual fact or journalistic integrity behind it.

Maybe using the Mac has rendered you’re ability to think for yourself but you can always Google anything that is said to verify its relevance: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=64+bit+CS4

@James
In response to your “When was the last time you used a Mac?”

If you read my past posts you’ll notice I said I have OS X installed on my PC and I also have a Mac Laptop.

So in answer to your question: Today.

I actually just set up my girlfriend on her powerbook to watch movies from my NAS in bed (she’s sick today).

From a laptop perspective I tend to prefer my Lenovo just because I’m able to get 12-14hours of battery life out of it and it weights only 3lbs. The screen is pretty crummy but in order to do simple computing it gets the job done and quite well.

However if I’m on the road and need to do some web design the macbook works quite well. I’m still not a fan of the trackpad though 🙁 Gestures are awesome, but the accuracy leaves quite a bit to be desired when compared to the little red nub on my Lenovo.

@Jesse, so you are. Shockingly, I am not a Mac user due the same price thing so I have been using Windows OS since Windows 98. I am not against windows but I always wish to have Mac. I am shocked to read one comment regarding “Mac hacked”, that is really very shocking. I thought that Macs are most secure here. So I should consider UBUNTU.

@Mike, Ubuntu is a great OS and I’ve considered installing it on my Mom’s computer for just that reason. She doesn’t use anything more complicated than word processing and a bit of spreadsheeting so open office should be just fine.

It can be a bit shocking if you’ve never used Linux before but new horizons can be fun and exciting.

The Mac (also explained in the same article) is not secure at all. The entire OS is wide open after someone finds and exploit and I think this has something to do with the way Apple thinks and how secure it thinks it is. However, contrary to cognitive thought processes, just because it’s not secure doesn’t mean it isn’t “safe”. It is more safe than other OS’s most likely because of obscurity. If you read the article you know why.

OS X is a beautiful OS and if you’re curious to try it and try a Mac I’d encourage you to do so. If money is the big issue, you can definitely check out Ubuntu. You won’t be disappointed. Just be prepared to self educate or find someone willing to help you out in a pinch.

I’ve been a big fan of Apples & Macs since the old Apple IIe from back in the 80s (it was the first real computer that I was able to use). In general though, pound for pound (processing speed, rendering pixels, etc), they are more expensive. And there are compatibility issues (unless you try and run in Windows mode). Still, they are great machines. Really wish Macs were “the standard” for the world.

I think Jenn summed up my want or rather need for me to go to a Mac. Mac would need to become the “standard” platform. That is the reason that I use Windows. It surely isn’t because of it being a superior OS and with the price of the computers I buy, price isn’t an issue. I simply want to use a platform that nearly 90% of the world is using. Standards make computing simpler.

Jesse, Thanks for the reply and your suggestion to use UBUTNU. I have been reading a lot of stuff about that and have learned a few “sudo” commands. I have read that it is hard to make wifi devices work with that but I am looking at many documentation sites. UBUTNU forums are very helpful though.

@Mike, I’m sure you’re researching the right thing but just to make sure the Linux flavor is called Ubuntu, not Ubutnu. I hope you enjoy you trip down the rabbit hole. It’s a very fulfilling one if you can stick it out. Linux is a beautiful operating system and learning how to use something you can get for free can definitely help the ego and pocketbook.

I have been using PC/Windows since 8 years and I think there is nothing better than it. I am addicted to it and have tried other OS but I am not lucky enough to go with them. I don’t know what you or anyone else say about Windows but it is the most user friendly application I have ever used. I’ll keep on using it forever.

I have been seriously thinking about getting the new Mac. Kind of expensive though. All my friends that have them really love them and will never got back to a PC.

@Jim: like many things, I have found that the lower cost of PC’s is an illusion when weighed against the time savings / efficiency / ease of use my mac gives me. Again, I would pay double what Apple charges without blinking for the time I save as opposed to my lifelong experience with windows.

You’re deluded if you believe one computer over another will make you more efficient. I’ve seen people work just as hard and fast on Windows as I have on Linux and OS X. I’ve also seen people fumble around in OS X for years without actually getting anything done just as much as I have on Windows. You are not your computer. Repeat that to yourself. Now believe it.

Tools do not make the person or the work. They help, but it’s up to the person to do it.

I’m sick of the blind zealotry that exists around the Mac brand. Buy the tool for what is and stop building it up as a silver bullet for all computing needs. You’ll only end up getting yourself into trouble. Remember: Competition breeds perfection.

Notice too that I’m not claiming Windows as the end all be all of OS’s either. It’s not. And neither is Linux. Just look at which one offers what and pick the one that suits your needs. Simple.

…Or just admit that you’re buying because of the brand. Don’t claim it’s because it will make you more efficient. You only end up sounding like a vapid parrot. And we have enough of those on the internet as it is.

@Jesse:

“Tools do not make the person or the work. They help, but it’s up to the person to do it.”

Some tools are more efficient than others. If that makes me a vapid parrot, so be it. You win.

What makes someone a vapid parrot is parroting the same marketing jargon that a company puts out to sell the product in the first place. Doing this without actually providing any first hand information or examples of how that product helps or can perform a job more efficiently than the competition would definitely be vapidly parrot-esque.

@Trace, you made a sweeping generalization of what a Mac (Not even OS X) did for you without providing any examples or how it makes their work/life/play more efficient. Just that it did. Somehow…

If you’re trying to help people by informing them and thereby aiding in their decision I would hope you’d give real world examples of how OS X helped make your life more efficient and what aspects of it were able to do that. This way others can benefit from your experience.

I find it humorous that you’ve said I win. I wasn’t aware I was in a competition to “win”. But thanks? I also had no idea that some tools are more efficient than others… although you are quite possibly the most efficient tool I’ve encountered at providing absolutely zero value to a conversation. How about this time instead of me “winning” you just provide some value and we’ll call it a draw. Then everyone can win.

@Jesse: I consider sharing my experience with others as I have in the above comments my value add. All I can add to any conversation is my experience and my take aways.

I admire your passion, but this is more fun and we all learn more without the name calling, rhetoric and combative dialogue. Brawling is waaaaay too easy, been there done that.

If you re-read my posts I think that my goal is to share my experiences in a sincere and genuine way with others and not to provide a data set about how many minutes per minute, day, hour my mac saves me. If I had repeated Mac talking points as you say, I’m sure you would have provided them for me as a quotation in your argument, which bums me out because the nature of your comments suggests a debate. I’m not hear to debate, just here to say what up to fellow RE net peeps and add my two cents, which you’ve reminded me is not worth two cents. 🙂

If we ever bump into each other in the real world at a conference or otherwise, I hope I can buy you a beer and chill. I think you will find that I’m a pretty down to earth guy that might have a little bit more going for him than you suggest above. 🙂

I whole heartily agree. I had no intention of arguing and apologize for the subtle name calling. It was not needed at all (however fun it was to come up with). I’m very passionate about helping people and I fully admit to being overly passionate about misleading marketing jargon.

Consider me baited and humbled. All I really wanted was for the readers of this post to be as informed as possible about their future purchases. Be it for Real Estate, office or home.

I don’t get out to too many RE conventions as I’m not employed in the RE tech sector anymore. But if there’s ever an opportunity I’ll buy you a beer too and we can gab like good humored children. Because talking like adults is just plain boring 😉

I am PC lover because all my favorite application run only on PC. I have tried Linux and MAC but I just left them because there is nothing better than Windows OS.

Jesse and Trace, it is good to know that both of you stopped.

I love this blog! Will come again next time for sure,

Well, I have almost 10 years letting Windows helping me out. I am graphic designer (video & image editor) maybe you could care a bit… I work for a new tv-channel now. 5 years ago I learned how to use Mac but let me tell you something: I find so nice Mac's cases …that's it. I AM A PC PERSON lol. My coworkers both use Mac (G5 & Macbook pro-Snow Leo…) and I use a Gateway (Quad core, 8ram, 1gb video, Windows7) mi self. (I used to think Gateway it is not that good but it's doing it's job very well) I have a HP at home and it dual core but good enough to handle my software (3dmax, adobe after effects, premiere, photoshop and more) I was talking about my coworkers 'cause I can pull more projects than them and they're like what!? it's so funny and more funny than that is when they ask me to do stuff that they think I couldn't do in my pc and after I do it (sometimes faster or better) they star saying things like “I should star using premiere in my mac or I should buy a pc instead” but then I tell them “try but learn to be careful with virus” 'cause I usually don't use antivirus after I learned how to deal with browsers so I wouldn't get my pc infected.
(I am learning english as you can see).
PS: If I had the bucks I would buy the new big i mac with windows 7 on it. …did i say I love Windows 7? lol

macs are stupid

stop talking about your computers all day

go outside

I was been after the Internet for this info and i wanted to thank you for this post. Also, just off topic, where can i find a version of this theme? – 10x