dufference between mac and microsoft.

Badger_Lady

raven83 wrote: »

are they alot harder to use than microsoft?

Depends what you're used to! Having used Microsoft interfaces for decades, I find it really hard to switch over the Mac. But like anything you'll get used to it. And to be fair they do design them to be easy to use.

It's probably about as difficult as changing your mobile phone for a different make - you spend three days furiously working everything out, then it's second nature.

I have plenty of friends who are bilingual, as it were

edgex

raven83 wrote: »

interesting read thankyou. i do agree macs do look very nice compeared to other computers and i think thats what is seducing me into getting one. are they alot harder to use than microsoft?

why does the look of a tool matter more than the actual functionality & cost?


as for whether they are harder to use, for day to day simple usage MacOS & Windows are pretty much identical

however;
dont expect every single piece of software to work on a mac
any computer courses are likely to use windows
your geeky friend/relative, unless they have one, probably cant help you much with learning how to use a mac, or fixing it if something goes wrong

steady__eddie

I have just bought my first Mac and I never realised how steep learning curves could be. To be fair though, I think that a phrase containing the words old dogs and new tricks could be appropriate.
After 15 years of Windoze, I am finding the transition just a little bit painful. A brief hard copy get you started guide in the box would have been handy, it took me ages to figure out how to close a browser page, (I'm not safe to be let out unaccompanied) :rotfl:
A previous poster has said that a lot of software will not work on a mac, I have been told (on here) that it is possible to instal Virtualbox and run it through that. I googled virtualbox and there were loads of of answers, if anyone could post me a link for what I require, then I would be eternally grateful.

karl-123

macs are for people who are under the illusion that having something different and expensive makes them a better person but it doesnt,
microsoft have got a 95% market share
apple have got 3% there or there abouts
i see the new sandybridge processors from intel are going to block
ripped dvd`d legally or illegally,mp3`s ect
intels attempt at stopping filesharing, a bad desicion in my opinion,
amd will benefit.........
apart from the ipad apple are a small time flash company
" a status symbol " if your on the telly you need an ipad or a macbook,

most people with an ounce of sense use
intel laptops running 7
amd desktops running 7
its will allways be the way...........:T
until windows 8 becomes mainstream..........

mrochester

It's horses for courses really. I have a Windows desktop because I play games on it and I like to be able to upgrade various parts myself. But I have a Mac laptop because the trackpad, keyboard, build quality and battery life are top notch on Apple's laptops. I wouldn't have an Apple desktop because it lacks the things I want to be able to do with it. But then I wouldn't have a Windows laptop because they are currently lacking in the things I want there.

grayme-m

I too have found this thread interesting.

I've had my Macbook Pro for just over two years now, really didn't get on with OSX initially (why do they have to do everything differently, down to putting the close window X's in the opposite corner to EVERY other OS from Windoze, Amiga, Atari, excepting maybe Acorn), so I just put XP back on it.

Then I bit the bullet, bought Parallels to run all my PC software I needed (and there were not Mac versions of), and have been with OSX ever since.

Still can't say I was turned, but it does look nice and pretty. However, now the DVD drive has died and it won't always charge the battery (but will power the laptop) and the nice chaps at Apple want over £100 to replace the drive, I am turned away by something that is not as reliable as I was told it would be (maybe just unlucky I guess, but I note the post above about reliability), without the super Apple service I am always told about, in a fancy box that cost me twice what an equivalent laptop would have done.

Sorry, but this is another Mac user that will be going back.

mrochester

grayme-m wrote: »

I too have found this thread interesting.

I've had my Macbook Pro for just over two years now, really didn't get on with OSX initially (why do they have to do everything differently, down to putting the close window X's in the opposite corner to EVERY other OS from Windoze, Amiga, Atari, excepting maybe Acorn), so I just put XP back on it.

Then I bit the bullet, bought Parallels to run all my PC software I needed (and there were not Mac versions of), and have been with OSX ever since.

Still can't say I was turned, but it does look nice and pretty. However, now the DVD drive has died and it won't always charge the battery (but will power the laptop) and the nice chaps at Apple want over £100 to replace the drive, I am turned away by something that is not as reliable as I was told it would be (maybe just unlucky I guess, but I note the post above about reliability), without the super Apple service I am always told about, in a fancy box that cost me twice what an equivalent laptop would have done.

Sorry, but this is another Mac user that will be going back.

The reliability of the parts is much of a muchness across the board as they are just the same bits you'd find in a Windows laptop. Either way, I'd say you were just unlucky as most parts tend to not break down in the grand scheme of things.

GunJack

£100 to change an optical drive ????? !!!!!! ????

This is part of the reason apple, whilst a big company, still only has a single-digit market share in computing. To do the same job on a "normal" laptop I can do for around a tenner (including buying the drive).

As for what they look like, who gives a t0ss ??? I'd rather have a decent-spec Windows lappy that I can make last for 5,7 or more years at a fraction of the cost of anything apple.

Oh, and I hate apple software with a passion....... iTunes? pah !!

spud17

Oh, and I hate apple software with a passion....... iTunes? pah !!

+1, couldn't really care if people want to waste money on the hardware. But I recently sorted a Vista laptop and the time spent faffing around backing up and re-installing itunes was out of all proportion to the rest of the job.
A 77MB download for a music manager etc, which then tries to take over everything with its constant need to run/update at every opportunity, that is, until you prune it back via msconfig or CCleaner.

redcard

karl-123 wrote: »

macs are for people who are under the illusion that having something different and expensive makes them a better person but it doesnt,
microsoft have got a 95% market share
apple have got 3% there or there abouts
i see the new sandybridge processors from intel are going to block
ripped dvd`d legally or illegally,mp3`s ect
intels attempt at stopping filesharing, a bad desicion in my opinion,
amd will benefit.........
apart from the ipad apple are a small time flash company
" a status symbol " if your on the telly you need an ipad or a macbook,

most people with an ounce of sense use
intel laptops running 7
amd desktops running 7
its will allways be the way...........:T
until windows 8 becomes mainstream..........

Great argument there, kid. You should use Windows because it's what everyone else does, and if you don't they you're only doing it for 'status'.

Don't think for yourself, ever. You just follow the crowd every single time. It's safer that way.