To MAC from PC...is it really worth the $$?!

[LoveBaby]

We are in need of a second computer. We have a desktop PC now that will become the children's computer for school work and their programs.

 

We have considered a MAC, but they are *so* expensive compared to PC's! We could get two laptops for the price of 1 basic MAC!

 

So...are they really worth it?!

 

I blog, I would like a place to keep pictures more organized (although I do have Creative Memories PC Software that I could start using again), iTunes...you know, basic life, mom, schooling stuff is what I do on the computer. Would a MAC really make me happier?!

 

It would mean giving up HST+...but shhhh...I haven't opened that up for a couple of months now...so obviously not a big loss! :lol:

[KristinaBreece]

I can't guarantee that it would, but I'm a photographer, and I do love me some iPhoto. I use Adobe Bridge when I'm editing, but I love the organization of iPhoto for my family files. I was a PC all my life. I bought a Mac Mini 2 years ago & never looked back. I've added a MacBook since then, but I still adore my Mini.

[NCJessieRN]

Every penny! You can get a program called Parallels (?) that can open windows based programs so you could still use HST.

[Peela]

we don't defrag or do regular virus scans. In fact, if I ask him to do or look at anything on my computer, I can guarantee I wont be able to use it for a couple of hours while he "cleans it up". Of course it is wonderful that he is so logically minded and a self learner and now skilled, that he could make sure everyone has their own computer in the family- and he and the kids have 2 each. However, its not stress free.

 

So..I decided I wanted a "stress free" computer experience. I have also been exploring Minimalism, and getting rid of a lot of my clutter. I havent touched the room full of computer parts, of course :). But I decided it was time I had one, really good computer that brought me pleasure and that wasnt a source of stress for dh. Various friends have Macs and have given me speeches about them and I knew thats what I wanted.

 

So you know what? I told dh I wanted a Mac and he, always wanting to please me bless him, bought me a 2nd hand one from ebay- that didnt work. Grrr. Guess who had to repackage it and send it back- after we bought software for it? Then he bought another for himself- after many hours of trying to make it work, he has sent that one back too. Both were "bargains". That crunched it for me. No more computer stress, please (of course, a corner of dh probably enjoys the hours spent trying to get a broken Mac going).

 

So I bought my own. DH is jealous. The kids are jealous. It really is beautiful.

I know eventually they will get them too, but I had to go first.

 

All the Mac people I know say they would never go back to a PC. Of course there will be exceptions but that is the main thing I hear, and thats got to count for something.

[LoveBaby]

So I bought my own. DH is jealous. The kids are jealous. It really is beautiful.

I know eventually they will get them too, but I had to go first.

 

All the Mac people I know say they would never go back to a PC. Of course there will be exceptions but that is the main thing I hear, and thats got to count for something.

 

Why would they never go back to a PC?

 

I get that MAC's are beautiful..drool. So visually...just gorgeous, but I wonder if just being extra pretty is really a good qualification for spending that much $$ on a computer? Will it not freeze up? Will it not make me want to throw it out the window every few weeks for some un-named "issue" or "error"? Will my pictures organize themselves and be easy to find and post on my blog? Will I be able to do something with all the cute little videos my kids make when they steal my camera? Will iTunes stop freezing up and not close until I reboot the computer?

 

I really, really want one, but the cost is stifling, so I'm trying to see if I can justify the expense.

 

Part of me just wants to get PC laptops for my husband and I. If I get a MAC I will have to *SHARE* and I don't wanna!! :lol:

[Skadi]

I'm a Mac convert and have never looked back. My DH's last Mac computer ran perfectly for nine years. That's ancient in the computer world. It still works, actually, but we retired it because some of the new programs we bought won't install on it.

 

The last time I can recall ever getting an "error" message was...um...I honestly can't remember. We do get browser crashes sometimes, but that has little to do with the computers themselves.

[Hannah C.]

I get that MAC's are beautiful..drool. So visually...just gorgeous, but I wonder if just being extra pretty is really a good qualification for spending that much $$ on a computer? Will it not freeze up? Will it not make me want to throw it out the window every few weeks for some un-named "issue" or "error"? Will my pictures organize themselves and be easy to find and post on my blog? Will I be able to do something with all the cute little videos my kids make when they steal my camera? Will iTunes stop freezing up and not close until I reboot the computer?

 

In short: Yes. :)

 

I grew up using Macs and have owned two MacBooks. The first one actually still works -- the hard drive died, was replaced, and the computer was passed on to other family members. I bought a new MacBook for various reasons.

 

I could count on one hand the times I've had both MacBooks crash in 4 years. If anything does freeze up, it's usually one application and it can easily be forced to quit and then restarted -- and the Internet browsers often remember your tabs/windows and can bring them back up for you.

 

There are no unnamed issues or errors. If there are, they are very minor and don't recur.

 

I use iPhoto, and I do think the photos organize themselves...however, this may be due more to how I go about importing them. In any case, I love iPhoto and I've found it quite easy to organize my photos. My sister, who takes *WAY* more pictures than I ever have, used iPhoto for a while and it worked well for her, too.

 

There is a program (iMovie) which allows you to make videos. I have siblings who have used it for that many a time. I cannot remember whether the program comes free with the computer or if it needs to be purchased as part of iLife. If it's the latter, it's quite affordable.

 

I don't think I've ever had iTunes freeze on me. If it did freeze on me, I would be able to force quit just the application and then restart it. (I have had it quit randomly and give me an error message. But it's always restarted with no problems.)

 

I have no virus protection software on my computer aside from whatever comes built in, and I've never gotten a virus of any sort. Until I started high school and met people who used PCs regularly, I had no idea what defragging was. I don't know if you even need to do it on a Mac. I've never had it done, for sure.

 

So, those have been my experiences. :)

 

I also find Macs much easier to use..but that's probably because I was raised on them and so that's what I used first. :D

Edited January 26, 2011 by Hannah C.

[MyLittleWonders]

I'll just agree with everything that has been said. I'll never go back to PC and am talking dh into getting a Mac for his work laptop (his PC laptop crashed this morning at work and he lost everything - we did back it up a few weeks ago, but he can't find the external drive right now). I have occasionally had to "force quit" a program, but I can always restart the program without any hiccups. And, I ditto the iPhoto program ... it is great.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Why would they never go back to a PC?

 

I get that MAC's are beautiful..drool. So visually...just gorgeous, but I wonder if just being extra pretty is really a good qualification for spending that much $$ on a computer? Will it not freeze up? Will it not make me want to throw it out the window every few weeks for some un-named "issue" or "error"? Will my pictures organize themselves and be easy to find and post on my blog? Will I be able to do something with all the cute little videos my kids make when they steal my camera? Will iTunes stop freezing up and not close until I reboot the computer?

 

I really, really want one, but the cost is stifling, so I'm trying to see if I can justify the expense.

 

Part of me just wants to get PC laptops for my husband and I. If I get a MAC I will have to *SHARE* and I don't wanna!! :lol:

 

 

It will not freeze up or go to blue screen like the PC does. The only time I have had it freeze up was after working for hours on a complicated document (filled with graphics) and forgetting to save. That was a bummer. As long as I save regularly, it doesn't ever freeze up. Sometimes a particular application will freeze up, but there are several ways to force it to quit, then you can restart the program (don't usually need to reboot the whole computer, but if you do, it only takes about one minute).

 

I've never had an unnamed issue or error. Sometimes my DSL modem will have trouble communicating, but that seems to be the DSL problem, not the computer. I got a new modem, and haven't had that problem anymore. Safari (the internet browser) shuts down sometimes when I'm on Facebook. I'm thinking that's a Facebook problem, since it doesn't shut down any other time.

 

Your pictures will go directly into iPhoto and organize themselves into Events. The Events can be easily manipulated just by dragging things around: they're easily named, dated, merged, split, etc. There is simple editing software in iPhoto that takes care of most common problems (auto red-eye fix, cropping, special effects, enhancements, exposure and other adjustments). iPhoto also has face recognition AND identification. You can easily set up files of people, identify a couple photos of those people, and iPhoto will scan all your photos to find more pictures and ask you "Is this Bob?" If you confirm, that photo goes into the "Bob" folder.

 

Your videos will also go into iPhoto, right in with the pictures.

 

The coolest thing that sets Macs apart from PCs is that ALL the software is linked together. So, if you're in iMovie, you have instant access, within iMovie, to all your photos and videos in iPhoto, AND all your music in iTunes. There are super templates in iMovie that are like scrapbook slideshows, complete with transitions (lots of choices), Text that pops, slides, scrolls, zips, or any other means of coming in and out of the movie. You can also add music just by sliding the name of your song (accessed from iTunes or iMovie through the Media menu in iMovie) into your movie track.

 

Also included in iLife (with iPhoto, iMove, iWeb and iTunes) is iDVD. It automatically converts your iMovie file into DVD format, allowing you to create menus and chapters. Again, the iMovie files are accessed from within iDVD.

 

iWeb allows you to create a web page. I haven't done much with it, as far as publishing it, but again you can access all your photos and videos, movies, and music (I believe) from inside iWeb.

 

Guitar Band is cool. In addition to mixing all sorts of music, you can use it to create ringtones from your own music (it directly accesses your iTunes).

 

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote (the equivalent of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint) has full access to all your photos, too, from within the program.

 

It is SO easy to actually use your photos, videos, and music on a Mac.

 

If you live near an Apple Store, make sure you sign up for the One-to-One training that they'll offer you when you buy your Mac. You'll get to go in for an hour a week for intensive tutoring on all the different aspects of your computer. They'll teach you how to use all the iWork programs (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) and the iLife programs (iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, Garage Band) You will be amazed by what your machine can do -- things you never even dreamed of!

[Targhee]

yes

[justamouse]

yes it is worth the money:001_smile:

[justamouse]

Every penny! You can get a program called Parallels (?) that can open windows based programs so you could still use HST.

 

i never even needed it. just get word for mac

 

 

my mac hasn't crashed-ever- and we've had it for 5 years. My PCs crashed yearly.

[Mama Geek]

If you are a heavy user of spreadsheets, power point or word, it would be hard to get by with just a Mac IMO. I also have heard that Quicken for Mac is not as good as Quicken for a PC. We have debated a lot about what we want. We have 1 Mac and 1 PC. I don't want to run parallels because I don't want to have to reboot to switch from Windows & Microsoft to Mac apps. Windows for Mac isn't as good as windows. There is also a fairly big learning curve to make the switch.

 

I love Mac for the reasons that the other folks have stated. Iphoto, the lack of viruses, the movie software are all really great. For our purposes we have one of each.

[Ginevra]

Why would they never go back to a PC?

 

I get that MAC's are beautiful..drool. So visually...just gorgeous, but I wonder if just being extra pretty is really a good qualification for spending that much $$ on a computer? Will it not freeze up? Will it not make me want to throw it out the window every few weeks for some un-named "issue" or "error"? Will my pictures organize themselves and be easy to find and post on my blog? Will I be able to do something with all the cute little videos my kids make when they steal my camera? Will iTunes stop freezing up and not close until I reboot the computer?

 

I really, really want one, but the cost is stifling, so I'm trying to see if I can justify the expense.

 

It's not just that they're pretty. Macs work and work and work. They never have strange, unidentifiable issues, errors, weird quirks, junk that installed itself when you put XYZ program on, etc. When I was using PCs only, I had at least one catastrophic disaster every 2 years or less, to say nothing of all the weird errors and strange misperformances every DAY, in some cases, every month or so in other cases.

 

I hate PCs at this point. Even a brand-new PC, to me, is just waiting for something to go wrong. I just bought a new PC for dh's office and I have already spent hours jiggering with things that don't do what they should.

 

Macs are awesome.

[lmrich]

YES! I love my mac. It is a different experience. My kids all use it too. Just yesterday my 9 year old dd watched a streaming video that I had downloaded and typed a paper on the mac while I was driving (my PC laptop's battery died within 8 months). My older dd wrote a story and then made a video to go along with it. The kids skyped their grandmother. I took it with me to complete some curriculum. I used I-photo to generate instantly a slide show from our Christmas. Not to mention it has never crashed - ever! I have never had an issues with it at all.... don't get me started on my PC laptop that takes 5 minutes to turn on, crashes everytime I use, can't install more software, It is three years old! My mac is one.

[gemrae]

I'll never buy another PC. I've owned more than a dozen PC's over the past 9 years. Without exception they're all slow, even just a couple weeks or months after buying them. I have to constantly reboot them, the one at work every morning. Even after rebooting and cleaning up, deleting files, etc. it hangs, it crashes. I own four Mac's and love every one of them.

 

Occasionally I might have to force a program to quit. Maybe a couple times a year I'll have to reboot. Nothing compared to the problems my PCs give me!

 

They are totally worth the money. I have one program at work, Quickbooks, that I need a PC for. Other than that, I'll never buy a PC again.

 

We also watch netflix and hulu on my Mac at home. We haven't watched TV in months. They really are beautiful computers. Oh, and when you get the box and pull it out and plug it in and have it working in two minutes (compared to a couple hours to set up a PC).......!

[BikeBookBread]

1000 x yes. I'll never ever never never EVER go back to PC.

[Snickerdoodle]

I resisted for a long time. When the pc finally broke down after months of taking 20 minutes to boot up, I finally relented.

 

Now I'm ashamed it took so long. I love my imac.

[sparrow]

We've been Mac users for more than 15 years and I'm no Mac zealot. They are easier to use and they don't get viruses like a PC. That said, don't expect not to have problems if you buy a Mac. We've had to use AppleCare (warranty) on our last 3 machines, particularly the last 2, more than once. Just as it seems with everything else, Apple/Mac quality HAS diminished. I can't say for sure if it is worth the extra dollars any more. The conservationist in me has a hard time buying a $2-300 PC to toss after a year or two, but the direction Apple/Mac is going has given me pause.

 

(Typed from a two and a half year old Macbook Pro that seems to be having trouble with it's *second* motherboard)

[Jenny in Atl]

Yes! We love our Mac's.

[Rhonda in TX]

If you are a heavy user of spreadsheets, power point or word, it would be hard to get by with just a Mac IMO. I also have heard that Quicken for Mac is not as good as Quicken for a PC. We have debated a lot about what we want. We have 1 Mac and 1 PC. I don't want to run parallels because I don't want to have to reboot to switch from Windows & Microsoft to Mac apps. Windows for Mac isn't as good as windows. There is also a fairly big learning curve to make the switch.

 

I love Mac for the reasons that the other folks have stated. Iphoto, the lack of viruses, the movie software are all really great. For our purposes we have one of each.

 

I do tons of spreadsheets and documents. Not many power points, but I have done a few. I use Open Office, which is free. However, Word for Mac does exist.

 

We've used Quicken on a Mac for at least 15 years with no problems. I've never compared it to the PC version, but I have no complaints.

 

I run Parallels on my iMac (for HST and a couple of other PC-only programs we have) and do not have to reboot to switch. It's an application on my Mac and I open it like I open anything else.

 

I can't speak to the learning curve because we've always had Macs, but the PC we had (before we got Parallels) was a pain in the patootie.

 

JMNSHO.

 

Now for my Mac negatives...

 

If you like to tinker with your computer, you may be frustrated with the Mac. DH has done some work on ours and gets very annoyed with how difficult it is.

 

If you get an iMac and you damage the screen (a word of warning - don't treat your iMac like a laptop and take it on vacation. :tongue_smilie: ), you have to replace the whole computer because it IS the computer. DH did buy an iMac off ebay that had a good screen and managed to swap it out, but not everybody could do that (and see paragraph above). Repairing it with Apple would have cost almost as much as a new computer.

 

They are pricey. I waited over 2 years to get a Macbook. If I'd been willing to get a PC laptop, I could have had it within 6 months. Is it worth it to me? Absolutely. Is it worth it to everybody? No.

[JessReplanted]

Yes! My husband made the decision a few years ago that we were going to be Mac people (starting with an imac). I was so irritated. :glare: The cost seemed ridiculous and the thought of having to learn how to use a completely new computer system just made me angry.

 

But he was right. :lol: Macs are easy to use, and they are just awesome. We both feel like we wasted years of our lives waiting for our PC's to work (even with high speed internet). My husband has a macbook, and I have a macbook pro.

[JessReplanted]

I just wanted to add: My husband bought an imac off of ebay - and it had all kinds of problems. Don't do this!! We bought our macbooks refurbished right from apple, and we have not had any problems with them.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Why would they never go back to a PC?

 

I get that MAC's are beautiful..drool. So visually...just gorgeous, but I wonder if just being extra pretty is really a good qualification for spending that much $$ on a computer? Will it not freeze up? Will it not make me want to throw it out the window every few weeks for some un-named "issue" or "error"? Will my pictures organize themselves and be easy to find and post on my blog? Will I be able to do something with all the cute little videos my kids make when they steal my camera? Will iTunes stop freezing up and not close until I reboot the computer?

 

I really, really want one, but the cost is stifling, so I'm trying to see if I can justify the expense.

 

Part of me just wants to get PC laptops for my husband and I. If I get a MAC I will have to *SHARE* and I don't wanna!! :lol:

 

The quick answer is yes.

 

The speed of organization on iPhoto is amazing. Downloaded photos are already put into groups (called Events) that you can name and subdivide with just a few clicks. And if you have minimal computer savvy without reading an entire manual.

 

I have never had iTunes crash on my Mac.

 

There is a video program included on the Mac but I have never used it.

 

Within 6 months of owning a pc it has always begun to significantly slow, have hangups or programs freeze. The system was chuck full of crazy files that I had no idea what they were but didn't dare erase. And I want to chuck the final desk top today. It is currently refusing to recognize any mouse that is attached. Do you know how hard it is to use a computer without a mouse these days?

 

Yes, Macs have components that will be DOA sometimes or shortly. They are just a piece of technology after all. Apple care is certainly an option to help with this. They are not for people who constantly want to mess with the internal workings of a computer (something I only did when it broke and the pc company wouldn't include a techie just a new part).

 

You can set up ways to run windows on your computer if needed but I can only think of a handful of programs that won't run on my iMac. Homeschool Tracker, some old versions of Turbo Tax, MasterCook, and some old scrapbooking software. I'm told there are fewer games for the Mac but frankly that doesn't concern me.

 

Microsoft office is available for the Mac-Word, Excel, Outlook and Power Point. Access and OneNote are not for Mac but there are Mac friendly alternatives. Standard documents are now compatible between both Macs and PCs. For internet browsing you have the option to use Safari and Firefox (I hear there are more but I've never tried them).

 

It is a bit unfair to say that PCs are always cheaper than Macs. Cheap PCs are cheaper than Macs, mid-range PCs vary and high end PCs can be as much or more than a Mac. The difference is that a cheap PC is still a cheap PC and will still be cheap when it makes you crazy. Be sure to compare like components and brand reliability.

 

Homeschoolers get an educational discount with Apple on many of their products. Also many of the software producers for various "productivity" programs offer educational discounts to homeschoolers.

 

Yes, you will have to replace some software. Some software comes with Mac and PC versions on the same disc so you can just use your old stuff.

 

The final kicker for me came at a class reunion when one classmate was busy on her MacBook creating a website for the class to share reunion photos on and I asked how she liked it. She has traveled all over the world with it, takes professional photos and uses it for that as well. Then she said it was 6 years old she is still so quick and works so well that she may want a new one but can't justify the need. I've never had a PC last 6 years without becoming unworkably slow and taking over a half hour to boot up. That sold me.

 

Finally-although not really necessary- a Mac shines in comparison when used on a wireless network.

 

It costs more but I'm still happy and haven't tried to throw it out the window once.

[runamuk]

We switched over to a Mac last year after our PC was infected for the 5th time in two years with a virus - this one we couldn't get rid of. We took it in to have it professionally fixed and now it shuts down on start up. Prior to this, it would crash at least once a week or freeze up in the middle of something.

 

We love our Mac for all of the reasons previously listed by other posters. I'm just thrilled that my kids can complete assignments and I can work on our blog without losing everything or having the computer crash. Our Mac has frozen up once, when my husband was trying to import 4000 pictures at once.

 

My husband's biggest complaint about switching over was the cost, but after he did the math on buying a new PC set-up (hard drive, monitor, keyboard, software, etc), it was almost as much as our Mac.

 

We've been very happy since switching.

[Heather in AL]

Count me in on the "I went Mac and I'll never go back" category. My dh laughs when I say this, as he had to *really* convince me to 'go Mac' in the first place!

 

I caved to dh, who expressed his complete satisfaction with his Mac, so I hyperventilated as we paid for my MacBook, and hoped dearly that I would like it. We got it home, plugged it in, I clicked on Safari, and I was surfing the net. Literally. (well, dh had to set up password controls, so, maybe within three minutes I was surfing!)

 

In the just-short-of-two-years that I've had it, I have never had it crash, never had a virus, never had a problem with it. Firefox will sometimes lock up, but that's because I have a bad habit of leaving a bajillion tabs open at once (all the great info I find here on the boards that I can't get stored away in a timely manner!).

 

People talk about the 'learning curve'. With the exception of a few keyboard shortcuts, my learning curve was minimal. In fact, I found the Mac to be *more* intuitive than my PC. I only asked dh about three or four questions.

 

The only time I use our PC now is when I use our Hallmark card program to make a greeting card. And it annoys me e.v.e.r.y. t.i.m.e. Seriously. I turn on the PC and wait about five minutes for it to boot up. Then, I get the pop up 'unused desktop icons'. I close it and click on the Hallmark icon. I, again, get the 'unused desktop icons' pop up. I click on the program, and make my card. The program crashes. I reboot the computer and go through the 'icon' pop ups again. I make my card, and click print. The printer doesn't want to talk to the computer, despite the fact that they've been 'married' for about 5 years. Maybe that's the problem? Anyway, I go into the settings and 'reset' all the preferences, etc, THEN I have to rest the printer settings in the Hallmark program, because it now doesn't know how to print my card. I print my card, close out the program, and click 'shut down' the computer. I get the ever hateful windows screen "update 1 of 21.... do not shut down your computer". ???? I wanted to **SHUT DOWN** and unplug the computer, not wait half an hour for it to do so! This happens *every time* I use the program (I have two card-making programs that I use, so it's not a particular program~~ it's the computer.)

 

I absolutely *despise* PCs now and get aggravated when I have to use ours. The kids have laptops with Windows 7 and *constantly* have issues with them. Icons vanishing, icons miraculously resizing themselves. Not to mention the ever-needed virus scanning and hard drive backing up. Ds' computer freezes about once a week and crashes about once a week. Dd's computer had some virus and spyware stuff on hers from when she set up 'google chat'. It took dh (computer guru) *hours* to get everything squared away for her.

 

So, yes, I love my Mac, and feel the extra $$ is well worth what I "paid" to have fewer hassles with a PC!

[Annie]

I'll be a voice of dissent. For our family, I don't think they're worth the price premium. When my husband's last laptop got turned into the computer we use to stream internet stuff to the TV, he decided he wanted to try a Mac. It's pretty and turns on faster, but that's about where the obvious benefits ended for us. He loaded Windows 7 on it last year and has been using it that way since.

 

Some people seem to have huge problems with viruses and malware, and for them, a Mac may certainly be the way to go. Although, if that were me, I think I would want to get down to the root of the problem and determine where they're coming from. I got one virus seven years ago, and it took me two hours to clean up, so it's just not a big issue for us. We're very careful about the webistes we visit and what we click on, and we do routine maintenance.

 

I love my iPod, my iPad was worth every single penny, and my DH would be lost without his iPhone. We're far from Mac haters, but we won't be going that route for laptops in the future.

[Hannah C.]

Yes, Macs have components that will be DOA sometimes or shortly. They are just a piece of technology after all. Apple care is certainly an option to help with this.

 

:iagree:

 

I have a friend who got a MacBook Pro the same year I got my first MacBook. My MacBook had *no* problems whatsoever until the hard drive died over 3 years later (all the rest of the parts still work just fine). My friend's Pro is practically a new computer because of all the parts that have been replaced. She's done some research online, and apparently that particular computer/year/etc. was a "bad batch" because she's not the only one who's had lots of problems. I really do think this is the exception, rather than the rule, however. But it can happen. AppleCare is definitely worth it if you can afford it, as it extends the warranty to three years and may also add things that aren't covered under the original warranty.