Changing from PC to Mac!

trecool

I'm 14 and have been on Windows all my life... Would it be wise to switch to a PowerBook Pro?

Cause I'm a web/graphic designer and I would be doing my projects on it for different formatted people...

Is their a converter that converts PC files to Mac and Mac Files to PC?

So, overall should I switch?

Please help me and give me advice as I badly need it...

Thanks,
John Mallon

irlrobins

No pimping, don't put ur email up and I'm moving this to mac forum.

That's right, a special 3 for 1 modding.

majiktripp

Its too late!! Your too far gone!...
Just kidding...you should be fine with Mac...as a windows turncoat I decided to give the mac-a-go and indeed I find that once you get used to it , it starts to appeal more and more,and its not totally different to windows really.
You should adjust to it easily enough plus you can always stick Windows on the Macbook as well....!

trecool

Dude, thanks but it's and older G4 Powerbook...

Would it be expensive to buy and get an Intel chip installed?

Again is their a converter?

John

Nature Boy

If you're buying a G4 (Or anything pre Intel) you wont be able to install an Intel chip. It's a completely different proccessor.

I'm a Windows convert too and I'm glad I did. As for 'Windows files' working on a Mac: Executable files wont work but files like ms office, mpeg etc will work. If you're really stuck you could install virtual PC on your new Mac, or if you get an Intel Mac you could install Windows locally on the same machine as Mac OS. But there's no point in buying a Mac and just using Windows on it.

I spent a while looking into Mac and seeing if it suited me. You should do the same. Look for specific applications that do whatever you require. I've never found anything that there isn't an application for in Mac

trecool

Can I download Virtual PC? And if I install it on my mac, can i still use OS X?

John

Nature Boy

No you have to buy it on CD I think it's about €100-200. I've never used it but as far as I know you can run Windows and Mac at the same time with it.

Virtual PC emulates PC hardware so it's slower than if it was using the actual hardware in the machine.

trecool

That's Ok! I'll just have to get used to the Mac OS! :rolleyes: Is the file difference confusing? I believe the .exe is .dmg... Yeah?

John

K.O.Kiki

No, .dmg is a disk-image file, it's a compressed file containing a program & its readme-files (usually).
The program itself is self-contained in one file you just drag-and-drop into the harddrive; the extension is .app (but it's hidden by default).

trecool

Thanks lads! So 'overall' is the Mac OS better for a web/graphic designer than Windows?

John

eoineen

As a recent Win to Mac switcher, although with some OS 8 experience, I find the Mac layout a lot more intuitive. I am not sure about design apps but in terms of file management, ease of use, multimedia stuff on websites and editing pictures and attaching peripherals, my new iMac is the best computer I've ever used. OS X is very good.

trecool

Thanks Eoineen... and everyone else that answered! If you have more information please post it!

John

rogue-entity

I am also a windows convert (man there are a lot of us ). I bought a Macbook Pro, and I can say first, OS X is fantastic, and fast. Second, all your files and documents will work just fine on the Mac as long as there is a Mac version of the program that you created them in e.g. if you created stuff in the windows version of Photoshop, it will open in the Mac version just fine, and the same goes for Word documents and the like. Images, Videos, they all play fine on the Mac with a few exceptions. If you want to playback Windows Media files, you will need Windows Media 9 (works on the Powerbook) or Flip4Mac (plays Windows Media in Quicktime) to play them back. Other then that, there is no problems with compatability.

Dreamweaver, Photoshop et al all have mac versions of their PC programmes so you wont have any problems. So I would say, go for it.

trecool

Cool! Thanks rouge-entity!

John

SystemError51

trecool wrote:

I'm 14 and have been on Windows all my life... Would it be wise to switch to a PowerBook Pro?

Cause I'm a web/graphic designer and I would be doing my projects on it for different formatted people...

Is their a converter that converts PC files to Mac and Mac Files to PC?

So, overall should I switch?

Please help me and give me advice as I badly need it...

Thanks,
John Mallon

So you're 14 - and "all your life" means what exactly? Two years? Four years?

I am 24 - and I have spent 12 years on Windows before making the switch. I always admired Macintoshes. All my worries are gone ever since I got my PowerBook G4 and iMac G5.

It's MacBook Pro what you mean - PowerBook is no more. But yeah, it is wise to make the switch. It is always wise to stay ahead of the curve. You won't regret it.

I have not encountered a Windows to Mac tool, but you could burn all your files to DVDs and stuff, then bring it back to your Mac.

However, MacBook Pro is the real high-end line of Laptops right now, so if you can't afford that much you could also go for a MacBook, which also has considerable computing power. They supercede the iBook line, so iBook is no more. They are even faster than my PowerBook G4, so you can imagine what a MacBook Pro is capable of.

Get a Mac.