Newbie to apple.What are the benefite

coreilly1

Hello,

Started a new job and their main computer which i will be working with is a mac.So i am in the process of getting a macbook.After using windows for all this time,could someone tell me what the benefits are of using mac against windows.Aren't mac using an intel chip now or something?

faceman

hi. I have an imac now for over a week and i find it fantastic. (i still use pc however for work) Im not a techie however and i have a finance background. What line of work are you in?

Immediate benefits ive seen:
* it hasnt (touch wood) crashed at all yet
* easy to navigate once you de-windowise yourself (it did take me a bit of getting used to uninstalling programs)
* no need for virus checker/spyware etc thus freeing up processing space
* runs faster than my higher spec pc in work especially when im running mutliple demanding apps

triple h

I am a 6 week mac person , i was windows for 7 1/2 years.
the best about mac is, i find, is that when you install or connect something to your computer it works straight away, no problems. I remember the fear of trying to install something on windows and the computer telling you you did something illegal.

K.O.Kiki

An OS that's designed to be user-friendly
Oh, and less security worries.

Sad Professor

Benefits? You won't have to use windows anymore.

triple h

I agree with the professor,(remember i was 7 and 1/2 years using windows i am only 7 weeks using mac now) I hate when i ahve to use windows now, i absolutlely hate windows now, no messing.
And i was worried about going to mac, i really was, but these guys in here are a great help. you will get plenty of help if you need it.
after 2 weeks of using mac thats it, no windows again.

Cabaal

triple h wrote:

I agree with the professor,(remember i was 7 and 1/2 years using windows i am only 7 weeks using mac now) I hate when i ahve to use windows now, i absolutlely hate windows now, no messing.
And i was worried about going to mac, i really was, but these guys in here are a great help. you will get plenty of help if you need it.
after 2 weeks of using mac thats it, no windows again.

While I don't yet have my mac, know a number of lads at work who got macs recently and hate using Windows machines now, seems to be the norm imho

Nature Boy

I've been using Mac for about a year and a half now and I don't particularily hate using Windows. But I certainly prefer Mac, much more reliable, easier to use, and more fun. You couldn't pay me to use Windows again!

smcelhinney

I echo Nature Boy's sentiments

There are times when you just have to use a PC. Fortunately with Intel chips in Macs these days, and dual booting OSX and XP with BootCamp or using Parallels, you only need one piece of machinery.

And that piece of machinery is a beautiful silvery widescreen, built in iSight, all singing all dancing, no messing, hows your granny, wonderful MacBook Pro for me..

Ah... lets just take a minute to look at it...

Aaaaah..

Rollo Tamasi

i got my mac this morning at about 10AM at work, i setup at 6.30 this evening and so far it's been mixed...
it's probably down to me not knowing what i'm doing though...that will solve itself.

I hate the mouse. Can't bare it. Don't like the feel of it, the scroll of it on the mouse mat or the noise that it makes.

i'm going to start of a newbie thread of my own asking for stickies in this forum for essential mac software etc....

Sad Professor

Rollo Tamasi wrote:

I hate the mouse. Can't bare it. Don't like the feel of it, the scroll of it on the mouse mat or the noise that it makes.

Apple's Mighty Mouse is excellent once you get used to it. Make sure you clean the scroll ball regularly, you'll probably only get 4 months out of it so be grateful for what time you have together But if you really hate it that much just get another mouse. Any usb one should work.

Enjoy the new mac

coreilly1

Thats cool lads,I think I'll just jump in head first.

One concern is my girlfriend using it (well thats not the concern really,but we'll see)

She has to hand in assignments using Word.Is it possible to run microsoft word legally and not have to use bootcamp?And could she work on a pc in Word during the day in college then bring it home and open it on a mac?

Cheers for all the help

Cabaal

coreilly1 wrote:

She has to hand in assignments using Word.Is it possible to run microsoft word legally and not have to use bootcamp?And could she work on a pc in Word during the day in college then bring it home and open it on a mac?

Cheers for all the help

You can get Microsoft Office for Mac OSX, does exact same as the PC version

faceman

Cabaal wrote:

You can get Microsoft Office for Mac OSX, does exact same as the PC version

yeah i got it, its pretty good but theres no MS access for mac.

On the mouse debate, i have the wireless mighty mouse. I dont know if normal apple mouse has no balls (female mouse, geddit??) but this one is fantastic. Works on any surface (except glass) without the need of a mousemat. I often use it on the armchair rest and even the duvet and works fine.

BostonB

faceman wrote:

...
* no need for virus checker/spyware etc thus freeing up processing space...

Whats processing "space" exactly?

Cabaal

BostonB wrote:

Whats processing "space" exactly?

I assume he actually meant provessing power, cpu cycles etc

Oriel

Having a computer that you actually enjoy using.

lfc1892

I sit at my desk at work wishing I was using a Mac. Installations work smoothly and rarely give errors that you need a degree to figure out. I don't have to fight with McAfee or Norton to send or receive my email etc

A number of my colleagues are Mac users at home, it is funny watching them, they rarely use the mouse, it's all keyboard shortcuts.

I'll never buy a PC again (but I wish I'd bought the MacBook Pro...)

parsi

lfc1892 wrote:

I sit at my desk at work wishing I was using a Mac. Installations work smoothly and rarely give errors that you need a degree to figure out. I don't have to fight with McAfee or Norton to send or receive my email etc

In fairness most boards users would recommend chucking those two anyway and getting soemthing like avast or avg.

eoineen

coreilly1 wrote:

tell me what the benefits are of using mac against windows.

Startup!