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I agree - you won't be sorry if you make the switch to Mac. I did it 3 years ago. And it was soooooo tough to pull the trigger, but I found out that it was soooooo worth it! Still smiling myself.

I made the switch when Macintosh was introduced and smiling everyday more Actually it is more LOL than smiling.

"Last year, in December, I made my switch to the Apple Power Mac G5"

... excuse me?

well i switched with a new G5 (last October) and haven't looked back.
At first the leaning curve was quite steep as you have to put to bed your virus fears, your defrag routines etc. but after a while you just love it. I haven't exactly become a Mac evangelist but I smile quietly when people tell me their XP woes, sometimes I even feel like saying you need one of these — shows 17" powerbook

I made the switch 18 months ago.

Its become amusing and frustrating to watch collegues where I work spout the myths and scrunch their faces when they the word Mac.

I wish more people would "get it". I try to explain it...

I just wish it was easier to convince some of the "Mac-Haters". They're so stubborn on their beliefs that Windows machines are the only computers.

*Secret Squirrel:
What's the "excuse me?" for? Is it because my first Mac was a G5?

I'm proud to say I never switched. I started out with an Apple II+ in 1981.

I also made the switch from PC to Mac... more than 10 years ago. I went from an Epson Equity I with 256kb RAM, dual floppies, and no HD to a Macintosh LC! Boy, was it kewl with the colored, patterned wallpaper (no kidding)! And MacWrite was, and still is, the best-looking word-processing program ever. I also got rid of my Hayes 1200 BAUD modem and CompuServe DOS-based account for AOL and a 2400 (I think) Global Village modem. AOL was very kewl with its gold scheme, although eWorld was much prettier but, as the story often goes, died young. Then I jumped again, from OS 9 to OS X -- much more of a leap of faith! I even bought the public beta version! It's been worth it, though. Especially since the spyware/virus problem on Windows is going to get much worse before it gets better. By the way, I use a PC at work all day, and have since 1982, so I know them only too well. Good tools, if you have a large IT staff behind you.

Squirrel...

Last year = 2003
This year = 2004

Last time I checked too, Power Mac G5s were available last December. So what's with the excuse me?

Give the squirrel a break, he was probably busy collecting nuts when the G5s came out last September, and then he had to hibernate, so he doesn't know when December is

>>and the files created by it are completely compatible with Office for PC>>

Well, not completely. Occasional font and display issues still exist. Also, more importantly, Office for Mac cannot handle IRM protected files created with the Windows version of Office. And, Word for Mac 2004 doesn't support XML.

>>You also have the option of purchasing AppleCare Protection. Under this, you have the ability for Tech Support for 3 years. If a product breaks, which hasn't happened to me, you can call Apple Tech Support. If it can't be fixed over the phone, someone will be sent to your house to fix it for you. Also, when you purchase products, they are all under a warranty of at least 90 days which gives you the ability to call up Apple Tech Support and have them help you in installing it or troubleshooting it>>

Is the author suggesting that PC's offer no extended warranty choices and no tech support???

In fact, most PC vendors offer 1 year of tech support as standard...not just 90 days. Also, ext. warranties are readily available and often at a lower price than with AppleCare. For example, my Toshiba laptop is covered (by Toshiba) for a full 3 years including accidental damage coverage. It cost $228US. Apple wants $350 for Powerbook coverage...with no provision for accidental damage.

I-Agree I switched in may. I love ilife 04

MS Office has incompatibilities between versions, particularly PowerPoint, PC or Mac.

It's largely like any other MS product now, bloated, broken and only the standard because no one ever got fired for specifying Microsoft.

Powerpoint, in particular, is a gigantic pile of stinking green donkey dung.

it is my understanding that squirrels do hibernate.
we have a lot of squirrels in our neighborhood park, and i scratch my head sometimes when i see them playing in the snow in the winter.

wassup wid dat? are city squirrels that much different from suburban squirrels? did they liberate themselves from their suburban counterparts' tradition?

If you are switching from XP Pro then a better way to run the "absolutely necessary" windows program is to use Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection for OS X. It is free and works great.

Place you wintel box in a closet and only have it run that one program you must have. Hook it to your router and protect the heck out of it.

Then fire up RDC, save your settings and placed the saved file in your lower dock. Then running windows in a window is just a click away.

The advantages: NO CPU CYCLES for running windows on your Mac, it will be faster than VPC, and M$ doesn't get any more of your money.

Micro$oft has succeeded in making the masses believe to be -the standard- in the time of grows from 100k's to multi 1000 k's computer industry.
It was Ford doing the same with its T-model ages ago. Apple recovered just the last couple of yrs. with its OS X and design computers. If Apple makes it to take a large part of the PC Industry Apple has to act and deliver on a near sublime level for the yrs to come. Not by presenting something nice and delivering it almost half a year later....

I have an imac G5 on order and wait with baited breath. Anyone know where I can get a "numpty's" guide to transfering my Outlook email to my Mac as I have 3 years email I need to hang on to. Cheers

When I was much younger I vowed that I'd never move from a Mac... however I got greedy at the price of a PC and all that came with it... large HD, lotsa RAM etc...

Now a year later I'm stuck with a virus magnet, that crashes and runs slowly. had I opted for a Mac I wouldn't be looking to replace my computer again. I'm not planning to touch another PC with a barge pole

Good point Bruce Johnson. My church is stuck with a wintel box and I have found that even "Windows" versions of PowerPoint aren't 100% compatible with each other. Love to see the reaction on a person's face when they see that their PPT '98 doc isn't read correctly by PPT 2003.

Burnsie,

The best way I've been able to transfer mail from Windows to OS X is to install Mozilla on the PC, have that import the mail from Outlook. Then those files can be imported to a mac. Google for more detailed info.

I switch college kids every week. Everyone comes to school with a PC because that's all they know. By their junior year, they are begging mom/dad for an iBook.

Where is the fucking viruses that people constantly claim Windows has?. Don't open up stupid email attachment from strange people, whom you don't know and get a virus checker and a firewall. And don't download pirated software. I have not had one virus.

Think of another excuse people for not getting Windows..Because this shit is getting old. *YAWN*

Well, after 7 years of "PC support" for work, friends and family, I started to get tired of fixing PCs. So, I started telling people to buy Macs. I talked (at last count) 13 folks into buying Macs. My "support" days grew less. I built my own WinPC in '97 and still have it (using it now). I just started back to college and decided it was time for my own new Mac computer. I bought a 20" iMac, new color laser, new dig cam and PalmPilot. Unfortunately, the iMac is a lemon. It's had two motherboards (logic boards on a Mac) replaced and has been in the Apple Store's shop for over 23 days (it's still there). I spent $2,000 for the iMac, $400 for the printer, $400 for the camera, $150 for the PalmPilot, not including upgraded RAM and software. I'm truely bummed out.

The iMac is 2 months old. I did buy the extended guarantee and am now considering selling it once I get it back and just buying a $400 PC. I hate PCs but my new iMac just sucks.

I would respect Apple more if they would just come clean with their hardware problems. It's all fixable isn't it? Look at the cube. It was way cool (looking) but that was its problem. It wasn't cool enough for the hard drive. I blame myself for not doing enough research on the iMac.

Dear NoVirusGuy

You obviously live in constant fear of getting a virus as you are obviously hyper aware of them. I bet you install every M$ updates and have firewalls and anti-virus software in place as well.

If you don't - your a great big fibber who will soon get a serious spanking from the script kiddies.

As for the typical Mac user - well we just love a [software] problem free life.....


As for Dear Mac-Maybe-Not
Very sorry to hear about your iMac woes, but in my experience it will be fixed and when it is happyness will prevail.

EVERY product manufacturer has the occasional lemon off of the production line - from cars to soup cans - and it is always a pity that not all of them respond fast enough to their own customers valid needs. Don't blame the iMac for Apple's customer care failings.

Hey thanks ebygumac. I just got my iMac back yesterday (in the nick of time for school). So far, it's good. Again, I really do like it, it's very quiet and the screen is awesome. I just hope it continues to work for me. Third strike and it'll be out but I'll keep it until that happens (hopefully not).

I did get myself one of those little jump drives (512MB) so my files are backed up.

OS X is really great.

Hey Mac-Maybe-Not,
Keep your head up. Things will always work out with a Mac. I've been a SOLID Mac user for 20 years. A few problems with the very old 9" screen Mac ..... yeah it has been that long.... I had a "Fat Mac" and that's a 512k of ram.. but all of my few problems went away. I have had everybody and his brother beating on my head to change and I have never done it...to hell with them!! In todays world, I hear the problems people have and just shake my head in wonder and in admiration of the marketing job that bill gates did on the world. I refuse to capitalize that jackass's name, but he did do a real marketing job on most everyone. The one best thing that Mac Users do is help other Mac Users. You have thousands of brothers and sisters here at this web site and other Mac web sites to help you. Apple reads this web site, Apple retail reads this web site...Apple does pay attention to the responders of this web site. Speaking from my own experience, Apple has never let me down. Keep the faith and smile....computing is now fun.

Uncle Rat

PS I am actually using a windows machine (DULL) to write this response because the Hotel provides it free to use....and when I'm done, I'm going to wash my hands.

Thanks Uncle Rat. Here's the skinny on my lemon 20" iMac. (OS 10.3.5, 768MB RAM).

The first thing I did when I got it home was to update the software. Here are some funny things that have happened since I got it back:

1) The Apple Mail program (Stamp Icon) launches but doesn't bring up the window. I open a new window and then it shows my old mail. It goes to get mail but then just spins the little wheel with no activity. It gets stuck on reading the "Table of Contents." I am able to delete the first piece of old mail but then the program freezes. I have to Force Quit.

2) Safari tells me that it "can't save bookmarks." Oddly enough, it does save them!

3) My little USB memory drive disappeared from the desktop all by itself.

4) The iMac has gone to sleep within like 2 minutes after waking up in the morning even though sleep was set to 20 minutes.

5) Once it woke up with a checkerboard-like screen that went away after 10 seconds. I've never seen a funny looking screen like that.

I'm going to call in for software support and see what they suggest.

Not the machine I had hoped it would be. I would very much like to give it back to Apple.

Mac-Maybe Not-- have you run any repair utilities? Things can get screwed up at times. It might be a DiskWarrior click away from normal.

No. Here's the the latest.

Called Apple support (looks like Apple shipped that off to India....) anyway, spent little over 1/2 hour with a suggested, "replace the OS but keep your preferences." Did that--didn't work. Reinstalled the OS from scratch with formatting the HD. It works better but Mail still doesn't work and Safari still gives me the "can't save bookmarks" routine eventhough it does save them!?

My work around is using Mozilla Thunderbird for my email program and Mozilla Firefox for my browser.

The iMac has two strikes against it now. On the third, it's out the door and I'm going Windoze. :(

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I made the switch a year ago. I am constantly telling folks at work how great my G4 is. I enjoy the stability, no viruses, no spyware, no pop-ups, and the way the machine works. OS X is wonderful and powerful. This is the machine I was waiting for with the OS I dreamed of. I tried BeOS, Linux, Windows, QNX, and other PC OS's. The closest I ever got to happiness was with BeOS until I got a Mac with OS X. No comparison. I am happier with a 1.4 Ghz G4 PowerMac than with my old AMD 2.1 Ghz machine. It is collecting duct now. IS the Mac perfect? No. But it is so much more satifying to use. When people come to me to ask how to fix their Windows machines - instead of telling them how as I used to do - I tell them to go buy a Mac. Life is good..

Solow

I've lived in a Mac world at home since my my first totally awesome Mac SE. Recently I've had a G3 at home and a Windows bazillion gigabyte, gigahertz crash and burn world at work. Recently took the plunge with a G5. INCREDIBLE!! Anyone wondering if it is really worth it the answer is yes.

I hope Apple gets Mac-Maybe-Not's machine squared away. He/she is the first bad Mac I have heard about. Mac has been down that superior-technology-but-piss-everyone-off road before and it would be a shame if it happens again.

Phil

Okay, things have been working out. I hope I'm in the clear now.

Really have been just using Mozilla but I did do the OS update today and my Safari is now saving bookmarks again. Maybe this fix was the hold out.

Thanks all for the encouragement! Now to see Steve's other work "The Incredibles."

Advice to those thinking of switching:

MTEQC is a Mac support company, and for over fifteen years now (in this and other incarnations) I have been working with old and new Mac users alike. I have seen my share of "conversions", and if I chose to work on a Mac myself, it is because of extensive experience with other OS (from the VIC 20 on), and not from ignorance or blind fanaticism (a sin Mac users are often accused of perpetrating.)

Do the switch, and you will never look back. From hundreds of cases, I have yet to encounter anyone who regrets the move. But please note this: There is a learning curve. Mac OS is not Windows, and trying to make it behave as if it was is rather counterproductive. In fact, trying to make OS X behave like OS 9 is also counterproductive. So go with the flow...

When you switch, be daring and have some fun exploring the system. Learn what you can. But then: Make sure to enlist an experienced Mac user to show you tricks and shortcuts.

Surveys have demonstrated that Mac users are on average 20% more productive than someone using Windows, and there is a good reason for this. Just remember: If you do not know how to do something, trust your instincts and do it as it should be done if designed rationally. Odds are, that's how it's done. No going through a START menu to shut down with the Mac OS...

I'm no techno-phobe... I've built many a PC and have been installing Windows since version 3.11 (as well as flavors of Linux) throughout the last dozen years. I clean the crud out of my friends' and family's PCs on an almost regular basis (it's starting to annoy me, actually - but I know it can't be helped much). I feel I know enough about the architecture, industry and the market of these devices that I've come to the rational conclusion of dumping my XP box in favor of a new 17" 1.8Ghz iMac G5 just a little over a month ago.

I had it with continually playing the Windows equivalent of "whack the mole" as I weekly needed to chase causes for system hangs, locked up USB ports, having to reboot to regain Internet access (because choosing to "repair" the connection wouldn't work), PocketPC sync problems, winword.exe process issues, etc. Since getting the iMac, I can honestly say that although I'm still learning my way around OS X (getting deeper as I go) and there may be a few things about Windows I miss (due mostly to familiarity), the benefits of having a computer that actually works far outweigh any perceived losses.

I didn't build the iMac - but was able to order it built to my specs. I didn't install OS X - but find it to be the most solid, attractive and out-of-my-way operating system I've ever had the pleasure of being in front of. Programs "install" by simply placing them in the Applications directory and "uninstall" when you drag them to the trash - simple, elegant, and no DLL or registry dependencies.

To sum it up, my entire family loves the iMac - and threatens me whenever I mention I miss aspects of XP. They quickly remind me of all the issues I had with Windows that I'd too soon forgotten. They tell me it's really nice having Dad (me) joining them on the couch - a luxury of free time the Mac has given me - and they don't want to lose me again.

Made the switch with 10.1 and have not looked back ever since, at least for my personal things. I'm stuck with a virus magnet at work! :/

I have pretty much made my home PeeCee free, with the exception of my sister needing to run an ThinkPad with windoze for some educational application that is not available for the Mac.

I'm doing my research and hopefully in a little while, if I can, I will create a somewhat better version for the Mac platform and completely get rid of M$ from my home... but now I'm rambling.

If can just find a descent job in a company that uses Macs. Anyone?

<broght to you by the magic word "drive">

To CampusComputerGuy,
I am a junior in college, but it was my Interior Design major that led me to the switch. Windows just can't handle the amount of rendering capabilities I need t be succesful. Out whole Art Department is dependent on Macs. My iBook G4 is in the mail now. My but is filled with pins and needles.

I had alot of Video and pics of the family that I needed to organise, and because my old pc could not handle these things without crashing often, I got a iBook G3 off eBay. I can't wait to get a new iBook G4 with OS 10.4. My G3 performs so good that I cant emagine what the G4 will be like.

Digital camera...Plug and Play
DV Camcorder.....Plug and Play
Airport Express..Plug and Play
Ipod.............Plug and Play

No CD needed

Enough said